Heavy Metal Tribune #009

Nader Sadek~ Tol}lbstone Highway I PriiJlitive Man The Wandering Ascetic 16 Records of the IJlOnth! #009 April 2013 Strictly not for sale

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With their 12th studio offering Kata Ton Daimona Eaftou, Rotting Christ once again surprises fans with their ever-evolving style of music. Sakis talks to us about the band's experiences over the years, and their new album.

Greetings Sakis, thank you for giving us this op- spected bands in international extreme metal. portunity to talk to you. The band recently re- Did you ever expect yourself and Them is to still leased its 11th full length album, Kata Ton be playing extreme metal to this day? Daimonas Eaytoy. How are things going for the band, and what has the band been up to re­cently?

It is also my pleasure my friend talking with yo for giving us the opportunity to talk about our 12th album and not 11th (if we count and our first mini LP). Things are quite busy but is always like this after the release of an album.

Of course no. We never formed the band in order to fulfill any vanity we had. To be famous or to be rock star and such bullshit. Actually if you start like this then you loose the control and usually do not achieve anything because you do not follow the spirit. We formed the band actually in order to sound like our idol back then like VENOM ,CELTIC FROST, HELLHAMMER, POSSESSED etc. And as the years were passing by we realized that

Since 1987, Rotting Christ has been relentless in some people wanted to see our band live some providing some of the most unique aural as- wanted to record our music. So we are in the saults, and now 26 years later, the band is cer- pleasant condition to celebrate our lOath shows tainly one of the longest running and most re- recently. But still our heads down and attention

A t

to the spirit .To underground Metal spirit.

Rotting Christ is also unique in the numerous evolutions in its sound over the course of its history, with the band starting off with the black metal Thy Mighty Contract before slowly incorporating elements from various genres into a style that defies genre classification today, despite still having that tinge of black metal sound present. Was the constant evolu­tion of the band's music a conscious choice? If so, how does the sound of the next album in the discography come about?

ROTIIONG CHRIST expresses the anxious Metal spirit that searching un known paths in the Metal music searching for paths that are not steped and every album express their current ar­tistic anxiety. This is a spontaneous action that happens because of our anxiety.Whatevr we will reveal it will always be well METAL by the way.

The title of the band's latest opus roughly translates to "true to his own spirit". Tell us more about the concept that lies beneath the album title. What are the running themes on the album?

Kata Ton Daimona Eaftou is a trip, a journey into the knowledge of ancient civilisations into the occultism that is rising from the dark side of each one of them.There are references from the ancient civilizations of lnkas and Mayas to the Ancient Greeks and Slavic myths ,ancient lan­guages could be heared here and there and all these fill a multicultural puzzle that character­ize this album

When the band first released the cover artwork to the album, it caused quite a stir, with it being less majestic compared to previous releases. Would it be possible to tell us more about the story behind the artwork?

It express the magic of the simnpleness that we support more and more as we grow as individuals.No many colours not a lot of phto­shop edited covers .Just two demons balck and white that express the two sides of your self. The good and the bad.

Aaa yes by the way The Ukranian designer that created this sculptured those two demons JUST FOR US!So they are real statues.

Kata Ton Daimonas Eaytoy, as mentioned, sees the band still keeping a rather black metal foundation beneath all the other stuff that are going on, and it seems that the folk elements from Aealo are amplified on the album. With music that is constantly shifting in Rotting Christ, what was the songwriting process like for this album? How different was the experi­ence compared to previous releases?

It took me more than a year to get the idea of the album and to compose of course the song.being the only comp[oser of the band I have to say that I take the composition process very seriously.For me is a kind of meditation and this is what I am doing when is time to staret writing some music.This is something very eso­teric and I really search myself before I grap the guitar and to start writing a song. I must feel vi­brations I must explore hidden anxieties that want to see the light before I come up with something new .So when I do I go ahead and reveal something new .If I will ever wake up and realize that has nothing new to say then I will quit with the band as I really do not want to be one of those old bands that release albums only to get tours or to cash some money.

Kata Ton Daimonas Eaytoy was mixed and mas­tered by Jens Borgen, who has also handled bands such as Opeth, Soilwork, etc. How did the decision to work with him come about, and what was it like working with him?

It was a great experience and helped to lift the sound quality of the band a lot as for me is the most talelented sound enginner at the moment.O cpontacted him and he feedbacked positive as he knew the band and liked what we are doing as artists.

Since the departure of bassist Andreas in 2006, the band has remained as a two-piece, with session members supporting the band during live performances. Would this remain a perma­nent arrangement for the band, and why?

Yes it is true that we had some line up changes but as long as the two former members are still in theband nothing will change in the band. We are currently working with two new guys that we will soon announce and believe me ... theykick some serious asses on the stage!

The band last year announced that it will per­form under the lineup of the first three albums, but this eventually did not happen. What was the reason behind this, and will fans ever get to see this happen in the future?

Last time the two members quited due to several personal reasons but we did these shows per­forming exclusively old songs and we had great time and feedback fromn the people.Really a re­incarnation of the old school days. The old glori­ous days as I like to say.

Aside from Rotting Christ, you also have a side project called Thou Art Lord. Would it be pos­sible to tell us about the status of the band?

We are about to release an album .. pretty

soon,.Stay update for a really old school Black Thrash destruction!

With the release of Kata Tan Daimonas Eaytoy, the band will be embarking on a South Ameri­can and European tour. How are preparations for the tour coming along so far, and what can fans of the band expect on this tour?

I am just about to fly to Latin America where our tour there starts .A tour in the continent that still keep the spisirit alive and look forward to per­forming for our South American Metal brothers and sisters.

Finally, any last words for fans of Rotting Christ?

Have a great trip into the Ancient Occultism with our last album and as always ... NON SERVIAM A

Kata Ton Daimonas Eaftou is now out on Season of Mist.

Nader Sadek boasts quite a lineup, featuring musicians from a number of prominent band such as Cryptopsy and Ava lnferi. We talk to band master­mind Nader Sadek to learn more about their new live release, Living Flesh.

Greetings Nader Sadek! Before we begin, tell us more about the band. What was it that inspired you to start this project?

Hi there! About the project: well it was never a band actually. My collaboration with metal mu­sicians started out as an art gallery exhibit of some concept-based drawings. The drawings had a theme of metal in it, so it was appropriate to seek out someone who could do a soundtrack to it. I contacted Steve and we discussed the idea, and he composed a 7-minute song. Trym (Emperor) Alex Skolnick (Testament) and Ralph Santolla (Deicide/Obituary) contributed to it. I was later asked to re-work the project in a live setting in a museum. That's when Flo entered the fold. I realized at that point that I needed to take this further and release an album some­how.

One thing that would catch most people's at­tention is of course the lineup of the band, fea­turing Flo Mounier, Blasphemer, Steve Tucker and Novy. How did this lineup come about, and how did you decide on which musicians to be involved in this project?

Morbid Angel at the time encapsulated what

DM is about, so it was important for me to get a song writer who was in that band. Since Steve had recently left, I realized that he may not be working on anything and I decided to pursue getting him on board. For the first project (the gallery exhibit, the Museum show) the lineup wasn't that important; it just had to be people who were very good. But once the idea of making an album came about, it changed every­thing, and every single aspect became very im­portant. Since the album (and actually most of my work) is petroleum-themed, I had to find the one guitarist who would create a very specific vibe I was looking for. I was looking for atmo­sphere, technicality and brutality, and with those three elements usually one of them is compromised to achieve the other. However, I know what Rune's guitars sound like and how he and Flo would basically create a sound that is as solid as a machine but still have groove and feel, basically emotion. I envisioned a machine that could bleed.

In the Flesh received critical acclaim from inter­national metal music media. When the album was first released, was such reaction expected? Were you satisfied with how the album did, and with the results of the album itself?

I was very surprised actually, because I really didn't t hink that people would get the Flo/Rune connection. They really come from different worlds. but people seriously embraced it. so I was very happy. I think the album does have some production issues, but considering the budget and time. I think it turned out pretty awe­some.

With yourself being the visionary behind the band in terms of concepts and music, how much input did each of the members involved in the band have in the writing of In the Flesh?

Actually, I only wrote one and a half songs, and I also made all three ambient tracks. However four-and-a-half main songs were either written by Rune or Steve. I actually never did intend on writing a single song. The way I see it, this is a soundtrack to a theme. The idea was to do every single thing, except write music/play on it. I'm in no shape or form a musician; however I do have a guitar lying around. When we were at the demo stage. Steve was supposed to come up with another song, but it didn't work out. So I whipped out "Nigredo in Necromance." I also made a very rough keyboard sketch for "Petro­philia ." I also wrote the lyrics to "Nigredo ... " and performed the vocals. As far as seeing them play the song(s) I wrote, well of course Rune and Flo elevated to heights I could never imagine. And I think the song is a great closer to the album.

The themes behind In the Flesh deal heavily with petroleum, and the lyrics cover its negative impacts. Why this interest in petroleum?

I'm highly fascinated with the fact that petro­leum is a compound composed of former living creatures, everything from a tree to a dinosaur, that's what petroleum is - a big reservoir of decay. What's interesting is that humanity has found a way to turn the goo into energy and power, which fuels (no pun intended) the world. So in turn, death and decay are the world's power and we are now addicted to it, fighting wars over it, watching it cause pollution and spread its poison. Having said that, I don't actu­ally think it's bad. I mean, I have no ecological sensibility towards it. I just think it's fascinating.

It's even more interesting that basically every­thing is made of petroleum derivatives. And even if it's not, it was t ransported using a vehicle which does. Growing up in the Middle East you get to see how this affects the world, and how this is evil, in its most realistic form. As a "foreigner" in music and metal, it's important that I bring something fresh to the table.

What is the significance of Nigredo in Necro­mance with regards to the album, and the other tracks?

Each song has a very specific theme that branches from the petroleum idea. "Nigredo ... " is a narra­tive about two people who are involved and die more or less together. They are buried together, and in the stages of their decaying bodies, they mend and they become petroleum, thus becom­ing one in an "afterlife." "Petrophilia" exposes the insanity behind petroleum worship. "Of th is Flesh" is more specific about this new god who rises from the depths of the earth and controls the world.

Living Flesh is the band's live rendition of In the Flesh. Are there any reasons behind its indepen­dent release despite In the Flesh being under Season of Mist?

Yes, an independent artist should never go with working with labels or big companies. I wasn't really happy with the fact In the Flesh got signed, I had a partner who was in control of handling the business side of things, and he got lured and se­duced by the big name of the label, so he gave in. I like being in control. I'd rather make 1/lOOth of the money knowing everything went my way than blindly giving it to someone who will do whatever they want and never tell you, I'm not talking about a specific company; I'm talking about all, because unfortunately for them, it's a commercial business, and there is nothing wrong with that. But the fact that you make something so special just for it to be treated like another number, well, it's simply not the route I go.

\ Anyway, self-realizing it so far has been spectacu­lar. I get to interact with each person who buys it. I got most of the musicians to sign the

CD/DVD//Biu-ray/LP as well and that makes it special for the audience as well. I see what coun­tries are moving the product and which aren't. I choose who promotes, where to put ads; it's all my doing, and this how I like it. I see where distri­bution is an issue, as I get many emails from many countries from stores who ask me, "your CD is in demand, but how can we get it?" And when it's a store in say, Argentina, who don't have access to PayPal (well at least all my cus­tomers from there don't use it) and it takes up a lot of time too, but it' s great having the transpar­ency, the control.

While In the Flesh was an intense experience in itself, Living Flesh was an experience that was even more intense, with the music being much faster and longer than on the record. How did this live effort come about?

I was trying to make it happen since even before the album came out, but Rune had joined an­other band. Cryptopsy was starting to get a lot of new gigs again. So it was very hard to find a window of time where everyone is free. It's a good time of the year to put on a show and the venue was available. Organizing it was a bitch for sure, but I made it happen and I'm very glad that I did!

One thing that was interesting was band layout, with the drums being placed among the audience. What was the reason behind this?

Absolutely, I was trying to portray a vehicle. Most automobiles (which run on petroleum) have an engine in the front, wheels on the side, stick shift in the middle, and driver behind, and thus I tried to lay it out accordingly. Flo is the engine; the drummer always is the motor.

Living Flesh, despite having the same tracks that were on the studio album, featured a slight shuffle in the set list. Why?

Yes, aesthetically, I just didn't think that the track listing of the album works live; you simply can't end a show with the melodic slow song! It has to keep getting more and more intense. Live is a totally different sensibility, which is why we

chose to extend the songs as well . It was inevita­bly going to be played much faster, since the performers get excited during the set and push themselves to new limits. The beginning of the show has to be the seduction, the thing where the creepiness moves in and grabs you. Carmen's vocals do that perfectly in my opinion

What was the conceptualization process like before the setting up for the performance?

I wanted to tie in everything together so from the beginning I knew that sculptures (or props) from the videos needed to be part of the display, and since I always approach it the same way, which is more like an exhibition than a concert, doing things like hanging sculptures right above the floor space is very natural for me. It's how I do things in a gallery space, so its important to me to bring these elements in because even though the "art" scene is a different art form than music, I can blur the lines between them, intersect them and hopefully something new and fresh is born.

The objects served as gut-like tools that were being 'baptized' in a diluted petroleum-based substance, and then thrown at the audience. What was the most difficult challenge that you had to overcome for this live performance?

Just getting everyone together was pretty diffi­cult. Everything else was easy.

Finally, can fans of Nader Sadek expect any new material from the band anytime soon?

Yes! Twelve new songs are already written. Expect something far superior than In the Flesh; longer, more thought out. It will also be liber­ated from the moniker "Nader Sadek." Even though it's a follow up in many ways, it's still a brand new thing. It's the same lineup with one change. But believe me when I say the replace­ment is far greater in every possible way. As much as I'd love to I can't give more information on it. ,A

Living Flesh is out now via the band.

Asian Spotlight: The Wandering Ascetic

The Wandering Ascetic is Rudra frontman, Kathir's new project. Presenting a sound that is somewhat different from Rudra, the band similarly explores

uncharted territory with its lyrical themes. Kathir tells us more. Hi Kathir, thanks for giving us this opportunity to talk to you once more. The Wandering As­cetic is a project that was formed rather re­cently, and has recently released its debut EP, Manifest Destiny. Could you tell us more about the band? How did the decision to form a band apart from Rudra come about?

Kathir: The Wandering Ascetic (TWA) was born from the ashes of other bands that I played in with Kannan & Jay. We used to play fusion rock in those bands. After the demise of those bands due to unforeseen reasons, I decided to start jamming with Kannan to explore a musical path with no barriers. Kannan & I share similar musical taste within and without the metal genre.

Would it be possible to tell us more behind the name of the band? What is the meaning behind "The Wandering Ascetic"?

Kathir: I came up with this name to convey the idea that we resonate with the vision of the wan­dering ascetics. We have no agenda, no plans, no goals whatsoever. We wanted the cosmic winds to guide these minds of ours and just let it flow without resistance.

Would it also be possible to tell us more about the lineup of The Wandering Ascetic? Kannan is

perhaps best known to be the guitarist for Rudra from The Aryan Crusade up to Brahmavidya: Pri­mordial I. How did his role behind the drums come about?

Kathir: This is not the Kannan from Rudra. Ha Ha. Kannan (Ex-Rudra) has relocated to Perth, Austra­lia for good. The Kannan in TWA is a friend of mine who made his recording debut in TWA's Manifest Destiny.

The band recently released its debut EP, Mani­fest Destiny. Musically, while a few similarities to Rudra could be spotted, I found Manifest Des­tiny to be a rather different experience as well, with the presence of simpler and more complex parts at the same time compared to Rudra's music. What was the songwriting process like for Manifest Destiny?

Kathir: It is interesting that some of the parts sounded like Rudra to you. I guess that's inevi­table like how the band 'I' & ' Immortal' sound similar. However, I took a very different direction with TWA. We did not bother much for songwrit­ing perfection and we just wrote whatever came to our minds in the studio sessions. Most of the songs were written in one session and I did not prepare any ideas prior to the sessions. It was off the cuff.

There is also quite a wide range of different ele­ments from various genres in the music, rang­ing from the traditional death metal to more blackened moments. What are some of the in­fluences that are important in the music of The Wandering Ascetic?

Kathir: Kannan is very much influenced by Tool, Converge & Cobalt. I have been influenced by bands like Alcest, Lantlos, Azaghal, Inquisition, Dodsferd, Ravencult, Masakari etc.

With this being mostly a solo project, how dif­ferent was the entire creative process behind Manifest Destiny compared to that of Rudra?

Kathir: Compared to the creative process in Rudra, this was a breeze. Ha ha. There was no pressure to conform to anything whatsoever. For example I did all my guitars in one take and I refused to correct the imperfections that I no­ticed in it. Moreover, I played guitars in TWA in­stead of the usual Bass guitar.

Kathir, we know of the amount of devotion and research that you put in on Rudra releases, and this is most evident on the Brahmavidya tril­ogy. Was the writing of the lyrics for Manifest Destiny as intense an experience as when writ­ing for Rudra? How different is it, and what was it like writing the lyrics to Manifest Destiny.

Kathir: I did not put much effort on the lyrics as I did not want to make this band another incarna­tion of Rudra. I chose themes that I was familiar with and I even resurrected a lyric that I wrote in 1994.

There were also certain songs that had lyrics being written by Kannan. How did this decision come about, and how did you decide who to write lyrics for which songs?

Kathir: We just decided that we shall do 50/50 lyrics as I consider TWA not a solo project but a joint one until Jay joined us later. Kannan chose thelst three songs that we recorded and I took the rest. It was that easy.

Relating to the album title, the lyrical themes

deal quite a lot with themes of "wandering'' and "ascetic", including Sufism, and is a far cry from the Vedic and Hindu mythologies that Rudra has thus far engaged itself in. Would it be possible to explain the themes behind the album to followers of the band?

Kathir: I have been always fascinated by philoso­phies and mysticism of different cultures. The mainstream religious attitude of people is some­thing that I have had always difficulties with. It has always been the case of people who latch on to superficial beliefs because that gives them comfort and security. For example, many Hindus would refrain from eating beef not be­cause they feel for the value but more so be­cause they are indoctrinated to do so. On the other hand, the mystics of different cultures question these superficial beliefs and push the limits. I like that courage and non-conformity in them. So I thought that I should pay tribute to the Gnostic Christian Mystics & the Sufis through two of the songs that I wrote.

The album artwork, done by Vinod, is also rather simplistic. Could you explain the concept that lies beneath the cover artwork?

Kathir: We did not give Vinod a big budget so it was done simple. Ascetics are usually penniless you know. Ha ha .....

With the band finally releasing its debut, what does the future hold for The Wandering As­cetic?

Kathir: We want TWA to be a band that pro­duces EPs from time to time. Sort of an excur­sion that we take from our usual priorities. In my case Rudra is my priority. We have decided, as of now, that we would release an EP every two years.

Thank you once again for taking the time off to answer our questions!

Kathir: Thank you. A Manifest Destiny is out now via

Sonic Blast Media!

News in 5 minutes ... Death Angel to enter studio in April to record follow up to Relentless Retribution for an Octo­ber release under Nuclear Blast Records.

Baroness has announced the departure of bass­ist Matt Maggioni and drummer Allen Blickle.

Ex-Dark Funeral and Necrophobic guitarist David Parland passed away on March 19 at the age of42.

Swedish death metal band Nominon has parted ways with guitarist Alex Lyrbo.

Former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr passed away after struggling with multiple sclerosis.

Belgian black metallers Enthroned are working on their tenth studio, marking their 20th anni­versary as a band.

Sepultura has started songwriting for a new album to be released later this year.

Upcoming Releases 30/3: Avantasia - The Mystery ofTime 5/4: Vol beat- Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies 9/4: Ghost- lnfestissumam 15/4: Iced Earth - Live in Ancient Kourion 16/4: Spiritual Beggars- Earth Blues 19/4: Amorphis - Circle 19/4: Gama Bomb - The Terror Tapes 26/4: Masterplan - Novum lnitium 30/4: Cathedral- The Last Spire 3/5: Rhapsody of Fire - Live- From Chaos to Eter­nity 10/5: Chaostar- Anomima 13/5: Entrails - Raging Death 14/5: Immolation - Kingdom of Conspiracy 14/5: The Monolith Death cult - Tetragrammaton 24/5: Suidakra - Eternal Defiance 26/5: Judas Priest - Epitaph 27/5: Anvil- Juggernaut of Justice 27/5: Dark Tranquillity - Construct 28/5: Aborym- Dirty 28/5: Dew Scented- Insurgent 11/6: Black Sabbath - 13 11/6: Children of Bodom- Halo of Blood

Editor's Picks r.iiiiiOiiii;::=i'iiiiiiiOiiiiiiiii==• Birth A. D.

I Blame You (2013) [Unspeakable Axe]

With the band leaving a deep impact with their 2009 debut EP Stillbirth of a Nation, Birth A.D.

certainly manage to whet my appetite for even more punkish, aggressive thrash metal attack. The band returns this year with their debut under the new Dark Descent Records sub-label, Un­speakable Acts entitled I Blame You. While the album contains a number of songs that were al­ready presented on Stillbirth of a Nation, they serve to remain as good reminders of the band's aggressive yet catchy brand of thrash metal. The punk, crossover style of the band is sure to please fans of bands like Municipal Waste. Especially prominent and ear-catching is the drumming of Mark, with his blasting style giving some slight grindcore touch to the music, making I Blame You all the more enjoyable.

Imperium Dekadenz Meadows of Nostalgia (2013) [Season of Mist)

Despite Meadows of Nostalgia being German black metal

horde Imperium Dekadenz's fourth full length offering, this is my first encounter with the band and they have certainly left quite an impact, to say the least. While the album title might cause one to mistake them for another of those depressive/melancholic black metal bands, there is more than that on Meadows of Nostalgia. The heavy folk/viking sounds that the band has in­dulged in on the album easily invokes some Ba­thory Blood Fire Death-nostalgia, with the epic atmosphere that the band has managed to craft on the album. Of course, the release is not devoid of its melancholic and emotional mo­ments, with the numerous acoustic interludes and the melodic moments that are littered throguhout the album. Imagine a cross between Drowning the Light and Bathory.

Ac to

For full reviews, go to http://www.heavyiJletaltribune.c.ol}l/ Putrevore Macabre (2012)

Kingdom

[Xtreem Music]

With Putrevore being another Rogga J oh a nsson=re I a ted

project, I the band's sophomore, Macabre Kingdom, to be yet another Swedish death metal release. But Rogga, along with bandmate and Xtreem Music owner Dave Rotten, prove to be masters of old school death metal of any form with Macabre Kingdom being a release that is filthy, rotten old school Finnish death metal in its full glory. Rogga's instrumen­tation are abrasive and hard-hitting, and com­bined with the vocals of Dave Rotten, Macabre Kingdom ensures that no one survives the album unscathed. Influences range from com­patriots like Abhorrence, Archgoat and De­milich, down to the disturbing and dark atmo­spherics of Dead Congregation and Incantation.

Nader Sadek Living Flesh (2013) [Independent]

Apart from the all-star lineup, Nader Sadek is also interesting in their focus on petroleum­

related lyrical themes. Living Flesh is the band's live rendition of their debut studio release In the Flesh, and if you thought that the studio release was oppressive as hell, Living Flesh will prove you wrong. The atmosphere on their live perfor­mance is heavy and crushing as hell, with songs being played faster and having longer arrange­ments compared to the original studio record­ings. Each of the musicians prove why they are a force to reckon with, with each of them execut­ing their parts with flair and ease. Drummer Flo Mounier steals the limelight here, with the high mix of the drums (being placed in the midst of the audience), providing much of the driving force in this live onslaught. Fans of bands such as Ulcerate and Gateways-era Morbid Angel will certainly not be disappoointed.

Tribulation The Formulas of Death (2013) [lnvictus Productions]

Tribulation's Pulverised debut The Horror left me craving for more

with the band's style of Swedish death metal being reminiscent of Repugnant, probably my favourite Swedish death metal act. The Formu­

las of Death got me rather excited, but this ended in quite some disapointment initially with the band almost completely abandoning their previous sound in favour for a more progresive style. The Forum/as of Death see the band ex­perimenting with their sound and songwriting, with tracks lasting in excess of 10 minutes and the entire album being more than twice the length of their debut. Yet the band retains their thrashy edge, and while this takes some time for older fans to absorb, The Formulas of Death will soon prove to be a gem.

Into Darkness Into Darkness EP (2012) [Hellthrasher Produc­tions]

It doesn't take much to discern Italian death metal horde Into Dark­

ness' influences, with their logo bearing such a strong resemblance to Incantation. True enough, the music on their self-titled, debut EP bears striking similarities to Incantation's heavy, doomish death metal, complete with the crush­ing atmosphere and the heavy usage of trem­picked sections to ensure a crushing listening experience. However, Into Darkness prevents themselves from being complete Incantation clones with influences from other regions as well, such as Asphyx on the slower moments of the album, with vocalist Doomed Warrior even bearing a strong resemblance to Martin Van Drunen. The doom influences are also rather clear, with the band drawing forth some ele­ments of bands such as Acid Witch and Sab­bath, ensuring a doomy good time.

A n

Sounds of the Underground: PriiJlitive Man

Primitive Man features Ethan from Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire, and while equally destructive, their debut Scorn is a different animal alto-

gether. We talk to him to find out more. Hi Ethan! Thank you for giving us this opportu- eryone thinks that we share all the same mem-nity to talk to you once more (after our previ- bers. ous interview with you regarding CTTTOAFF). Before we begin the interview proper, would it be possible to tell us more about the back­ground of Primitive Man? How did the idea of Primitive Man spawn?

I had a few song ideas lying around that were too slow for CTTTOAFF and Death of Self. So I kind of shelved them. Then the drummer from CTTTOAFF had to leave town for work for about 6 months and Death of Self broke up after tour. During that time I formed Primitive Man. We wrote a few songs together on top of those old ideas and "Scorn" was born.

Primitive Man is essentially CTTTOAFF, with the two bands boasting the same lineup. What was it that made the band decide to release its debut album, Scorn under the current moniker rather than as a CTTTOAFF release? After all, it is not uncommon for bands to have one or two releases that veer from their usual style and into somewhat experimental territory.

Let's talk about the name of the band, Primitive Man. What is the significance of the band's name, and how did it come about? How does it relate to the band's music, or its vision?

Well, the idea is that early hominid life was harsh, slow, and dark. So our music reflects that.

Scorn is the band's debut full length release, and what is on the album is some crushing sludge/doom metal with tinge of death and grind of CTTTOAFF that is still present. How did the current musical form of Primitive Man come about?

I wanted to create something that was still heavy but had zero grind core in it. I'm not sure where you are hearing the "tinges of grind" but it was certainly not my intention.

With CTTTOAFF you talked about the songwrit­ing process as writing riffs before practice and putting things together after that. Was the

Actually, the only member that Primitive Man songwriting process for Scorn any different, es-and CTTTOAFF share is me. I don't know why ev- pecially with a musical form that is pretty differ-

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ent, especially with a musical form that is pretty different from CTTTOAFF.

Well, aside from the songs that I had written before we actually formed, when we write new material there is a lot of jamming and throwing out ideas, trying them and using them if we work. it's a lot more loose. The song "Antietam" is a perfect example of a song that developed out of a jam session.

As mentioned, Scorn is a crushing slab of ex­tremity, and the album is one that constantly pushes the limits of the listener's sanity, not unlike experimental extremists such as Impetu­ous Ritual or Portal. Are there any particular in­fluences when it came down to the writing of the music on Scorn?

Lean, green, Ohms and Watts.

The band's music also have a strong emphasis on the atmospheric aspect, and this is most evi­dent on the disturbing interlude, I Can't Forget. How did moments such as I Can't Forget come about? What was the idea behind this track in particular?

I used to do a lot of harsh noise stuff about 5 years ago. The tracks "I can't forget" and "Black Smoke" are from that era. I have a lot of unre­leased material that I had wanted to get out and this seemed like a perfect opportunity. That sort of stuff doesn't necessarily go with what we I was doing in CTTTOAFF so i'm happy that I was able to use it.

The band also released a rather simple video of the track, Rags, with extremely disturbing images and video effects to accompany the track. What are the particular concepts that lie behind the video, and the images that were used?

The song is about being raised in a religious house hold and still dealing with the inner guilt that comes from being brought up in that way. It is also about rejecting the church and having an extreme hatred towards what I would call "reli­gious fanatics." The images of violence, sex, and

death loosely translate to that idea. To be honest, if I would have known so many people were going to be excited over the video, I would have made it a little but more involved. But it was just a way so showcase a song/the band.

What are the main themes and concepts behind the lyrics and music on Scorn, and how do they differ from those that are on CTTTOAFF?

The entire record is about Revenge. As well as in­ternal demons. I talk a lot about outside influ­ences on the CTTTOAFF records and also about things like politics, city life, shit like that. The lyrics on "Scorn" are more revenge driven and aimed at very specific people in very specific situ­ations. I guess it's more focused misanthropy and less general hahahahaha.

With the excellent material on Scorn, the band has definitely set an extremely high benchmark for itself. What are the near future plans of the band?

We will be doing a full U.S. tour starting in July, as well as a few regional things here and there until then. We're writing songs for a couple of splits and for another full length as well. I feel like we've just reached the tip of the iceberg with what we were trying to do on "Scorn." A

Primitive Man Scorn (2013) [Independent]

What a release! If you thought that what Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire were the

epitome of destruction in extrem metal, then Primitive Man takes things a notch higher. Fusing some slight elements of the grinding style of CTT­TOAF, Primitive Man's debut Scorn is a much slower and much more tortorous and punishing experience, and throughout the album one feels as though all sense of hope were sucked dry. There are even moments wher comparisons to bands such as Portal and Impetuous Ritual are present, further displaying that somewhat ex­perimental, yet oppressive style that Primitive Man has chosen to engage themselves in.

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Tombstone Highway is one of those representative bands of the stoner metal that is coming out of Italy, fusing country and blues into their

music. Vocalist HM Outlaw tells us about their new album and more. Tombstone Highway was originally formed as Leaf Season Death in 1999, before disbanding and then reforming in 2006. Would it be pos­sible to tell us more about the history of Tomb­stone Highway?

The band was originally formed in 1999 with me on guitars/vocals and Emilio on drums. We re­hearsed for several months, playing more or less the same kind of stuff, though we couldn't find any other guys to join the line-up and after a while we grew tired of the situation and started playing with other bands. I formed my main band Forgotten Tomb and at the same time Emilio started playing with an Hard Rock band called HungryHeart. We still played together in some underground side-projects but nothing too serious. After a few years we were hanging out for a few beers as usual and we talked about reforming LSD under a different monicker. So we restarted rehearsing with new songs as Tomb­stone Highway and in the meantime I brought along a friend from the band Viscera/ I/, Mike B., who played the bass. In 2007 we recorded and released a demo-CD called "Pad us River Grave­yard Blues" that was mostly spread to maga­zines, webzines and to a bunch of friends. From that moment on we decided to make the band

something more serious. We had a few mo­ments of hiatus again due to commitments with other bands and due to Mike B. leaving the band, then we decided to finally record a full­length as a duo without worrying about other members. The material was just too good to let go, so this time we were like "let's do it, who cares". So we recorded "Ruralizer", found the deal with Agonia Records after 1 year and then recruited the new guys to complete the line-up.

What does Tombstone Highway mean, and how did this name of the band come about?

It was actually taken from an Obsessed song called "Tombstone Highway''. We were (and still are) great fans of that band, as well as of most of Wino's projects, so while searching for a new band's monicker we thought this one was good a sounding one and kinda brought to our mind that typical southern feel that we have in our music.

The band's previous release was Padus River Graveyard Blues back in 2007, and it took almost 6 years before Ruralizer was released. What was the reason behind this gap?

As said, we had to take some time to focus on our other bands and we had a few misunder­standings between us that were solved shortly after. Also, Mike B. (our bass-player at that time) left the band and we were pissed at the whole situation so we went on hiatus for about 1 year. After clearing up some shit we decided to restart the songwriting and the rehearsals as a duo, and then everything finally clicked again, and "Rural­izer" was done.

Tombstone Highway's debut, Ruralizer was re­leased in late February and till date has received mostly positive feedback. His the band satisfied with the result?

Yes, we are very satisfied for the moment. We actually knew we had done our best and we knew that the album kicked ass, but it's always good to see that the feedback has been so posi­tive by now. It seems like the album gathers to­gether a lot of people from different environ­ments, the album is just so rad that everyone loves it apparently. It makes us feel good. "Rural­izer" marks a point of arrival for both me and Emilio since we worked very hard on these songs and it took a Jot of time and a lot of struggle, so it's like "We fucking did it in the end" . We are reaping what we have sown: good music, sweat, blood and tears. And a lot of booze too, haha. But of course, it's just the beginning of our legacy.

Where does the band draw inspiration from when writing the lyrics for the songs, and are there any underlying concepts behind the album? Despite the rather negative and bleak outlook of the lyrics, the music presents quite a stark contrast, often being rather groovy and catchy. How does this work out for the band?

Drugs, depression and death" is just something that someone wrote in the Metal Archives lyrics-description, while we take some distance from it. There are certainly lyrics dealing with drugs, death and (to a certain extent) depression or bad feelings, but most of them are written in quite a light-hearted way. There's nothing too serious on the album when it comes to lyrics. I wrote about drugs-dealin', Hard Rock attitude

behaviours, several "Hell is not a bad place to be" -kind of lyrics, others taking inspiration from Spaghetti-Westerns or Horror movies .. . There are a lot of topics going on in the lyrics and while there are serious moments, there are also a lot of entertaining subjects.

The music on Ruralizer can be described as stoner/doom metal infused with a rather strong Southern or country elements. How did the cur­rent style of music of Tombstone Highway come about?

We have always been huge fans of southern­sounding music, from Rock and Metal to Country or Bluegrass or Delta Blues. This kind of stuff cer­tainly played a huge part in our attitude and music. Also, we have always been fanatic Black Sabbath fans and also dug Saint Vitus, Cathedral and other stuff like that. Also Pride & Glory or Badlands were some of our favourites ever. And of course the whole Southern-Rock scene such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet. But we really liked also more recent bands such as Down, Floodgate or Corro­sion Of Conformity. So we basically wanted to sound as much southern as possible in the first place, play some no-frills down-tuned Hard Rock and rock as hard as possible. I think we managed to obtain what we had in mind. It came out very easily for us actually, 'cause we perfectly master that kind of sound like if we were from the south­ern US. We just love that sound and that attitude, we feel a connection . Our wide rural environment certainly influenced us as well. Padus river is like our own little Mississippi you know. For several summers we were driving from village to village listening to that southern stuff on the car stereo, drinking a lot of booze, smoking cigars, barbecue­ing, pissing off everyone while wearing cowboy hats and stuff (which of course is not very common in Italy, haha), We basically crafted our own way of being "southern" . Exactly like Spagh­tetti-Westerns did in the late '60s/early 70s. And you know those movies often outdid the Ameri­can ones ... We plan to do the same with our music, in some way.

When writing the music for Ruralizer, who are some of the greatest influences? What was the

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songwriting process like?

I spoke about influences in the previous ques­tion. In regards to banjo, we heard it very sel­domly in this kind of music but we thought it had a very big potential for the feeling we wanted to portray in our music. So I bought a banjo and I was like "I'm gonna put this goddamn thing in there" and it actually was fitting perfectly. I think we will keep it on all of our future albums. The idea for the Hammond organ came from our passion for stuff like Deep Purple and such. That bluesy song called "At The Bitter End" was some kind of opera-like piece, so we though a Ham­mond solo in the end would have fit the atmo­sphere really well. Plus, Paolo "Apollo" Negri (who worked with Wicked Minds, Black Widow and Hasselvander) is a long time friend and an in­credible musician, so it was a pleasure to have him on the album.

The album also boasts quite a number of guest appearances. How did these collaborations come about?

Basically, everything came out very naturally. As said Paolo is a long time friend as well as an in­credible musician so we took the chance. Razor SK is a very good guitar-player and he used to play in Forgotten Tomb, and since I also play in that band I just asked him to lay down a solo for a song. Mario Percudani is also an incredibly tal­ented guitar-player and I always loved his style, plus he's the owner of the studio where we did the mixing-sessions for the album, so we just asked him to try out a solo on one song and he did an incredible job.

Tombstone Highway's worship of classic and Southern rock is obvious with the inclusion of the Mountain cover, Mississippi Queen. Why that track in particular?

We love Mountain and we weren't satisfied with all the cover-versions we've heard from other bands, so we just decided to do our own. That song had a very high southern-potential, and I think we did justice to it with our version.

The band currently comprises yourself and

Emilio from the original lineup, but now also sees Simone and Daniele in the band. How did this current lineup come about, and how will this affect the band's music in the future?

Both Simone and Daniele are incredibly talented musicians and they're already adding their per­sonal touch to the songs. We played a couple of shows and they were incredibly tight. Those guys totally fit our style, they're technically ex­tremely above average and they're very dedi­cated to the sound we created . I think on the next album they will add their touch, and while I might remain the main composer, I'm pretty sure they will make a difference, especially on a technical level. Considering how good are there­sponses with this album, with the next one if we also have those guys on board the response is gonna be outstanding.

The Italian metal scene is rather interesting with the number of doom and stoner acts. What are your views about this trend?

The genre became very popular recently and Italy seems to be very receptive towards it. Bands from abroad playing that stuff have a very wide following around here. Especially in our area there are several bands playing different kinds of stoner-doom, besides the ones you said I'd also include Caronte, Throne, Shinin' Shade, Tangerine Stoned, Stoner Kebab, Zippo and many others. Personally we don't think we fit in that category though, even if we might appeal to fans of the Stoner or Doom genre for some ele­ments of our music, like the low-tuning, some slow-tempos or the general Sabbath-feel. We are more into the Southern-vibe. We are more the kind of band that appeals to bikers that to stoners, if you know what I mean. We are more into the Lynyrd Skynyrd-thing than the Kyuss­thing, if you know what I mean. Plus, we started listening and playing to this stuff before it was popular. I was listening to some of the Stoner/Doom bands that are trendy now when nobody was listening to them. Now everybody does and I'm kinda bored about it, also because bands such as Electric Wizard, Down or Saint Vitus did their best albums when they were not that popular at all.

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