Circus Maximus interview

In this new interview, we speak with Mats Haugen, guitarist for the phenomenal Norwegian progressive metal band Circus Maximus...

For starters, can you give a brief history of the band for those unfamiliar with Circus Maximus?

Mats Haugen: After playing together for several years, Mike, Truls and myself finally got a full lineup with Glen on bass and Espen on keys. We wanted to do a full length album after a couple of years doing some well received demos. Then after hooking up with Intromental, Frontiers and Sensory records we finally, in 2004, recorded The 1st Chapter. The reception was overwhelming and we got tons of great reviews. It gave us the necessary boost to do a follow up. Then Espen quit the band and Lasse filled his spot. Then we released Isolate in 2007. The band was tighter than ever and the songwriting was taken to another level. We got to play alot of great shows with bands like Kamelot, Queensryche and so on, and of course the tour with Symphony X... The years so far have been great!

We are now in the making of the 3rd chapter. Cant wait to get on the road with it. The upcoming album will contain some seriously drop down in the basement riffs... hehe.

Who are some of the bands/musicians that have influenced your music?

For my part, I have tons of bands that influence me. Lately Opeth, Muse, Coldplay, Mew, to name a few, have been repeating a lot on my iPod.

How do you think the progressive metal scene is doing these days? Is it growing?

Few bands do Progressive metal better than Opeth these days. Metal in general! So if the genre is growing, they should get alot of credit for it.

How is your style received in Norway?

It's not top of the pops, but we are getting there. :)

Is there a favorite Circus Maximus song you have?

They happen to change all the time. For the moment I think "From Childhoods Hour" might be our best song. "Alive" is also up there. Hell, I love em all. They are like our kids. Some ugly, some pretty!

Could you walk us through the songwriting process that occurs when Circus Maximus comes up with a new tune?

It usually starts with me working out ideas in my homestudio. I program the song then I present it to the band. If it sounds good when we rehearse, it usually ends up on the album. We also bang our heads together in the studio on new ideas. Lots of cool stuff comes out when we jam. In the end, of course everyone contributes to get the final work done.

Can you tell us anything about new material in the works for your third album?

We have more or less 60-70% of the songs ready. The plan is to hit the studio in October, November.

Do you have any advice you'd give to aspiring young musicians or bands?

If you want it bad enough it will most definitely work out for you!

Last of all, can you think of any interview question you've always wanted to answer, but that no one has ever asked?

Who is your favorite drummer? Hehe.

A big thanks to Mats Haugen and all the members of Circus Maximus, for making this interview possible. You can find the band's official website at: www.circusmaximussite.com, and their official MySpace at: www.myspace.com/officialcm.

Manilla Road interview with Mark Shelton

(Originally from 10/02/07)

Mark "The Shark" Shelton of the classic heavy metal band Manilla Road gives us a brief moment of his time to discuss the new album in progress, the work that has gone into his music, and many other aspects...

To start off, can you give us a brief description of the band - for those who may not be familiar with the history or music of Manilla Road? 

Shark: We started as a heavy space rock band and over the first 3 albums between 1980 and 1983 we turned into what we called an Epic Metal Band. After 14 albums released we still try to experiment with fusing different styles of music into the metal. We have been to Europe touring several times now and always show up somewhere in the U.S. to do shows but our main concern is putting out the recordings.

I'll cut right to the question I'm sure fans want to hear answered the most - what can you tell us about a potential new record? 

Well, it is almost finished. I am finalizing the mix in our studio right now. We are hopeful to have it out by the first part of 2008. As for what it sounds like. I think it is a little darker and heavier than our last album Gates Of Fire. I'm not going to give up the name of the album yet but it is a concept project timing out at a little over one hour long. I am the only lead singer on this album. Bryan did not work on this project with us except to engineer a little bit in the studio. I think he will be touring with us though in 2008. I think the project has songs on it that seem to be a bit of a turn back to the Mystification style of writing.

Does it get any harder coming up with new songs or albums after Manilla Road has been around for 30 years? 

It's just getting harder to top what we have done before. You don't want to be stagnant and put out songs that are just repeats of past hits. So, yea, it does get harder as time goes on.

Can you tell us who are some of the bands/musicians that have inspired you? 

Michael Schenker, Pink Floyd, Sabbath, Hendrix, Rush, Hawkwind... man the list is huge. I have been inspired by everything that I have ever heard that I liked.

Do you have a favorite Manilla Road song? 

Usually it is the one that I am currently writing.

Would you describe the songwriting process that occurs when the band is coming up with new tunes? 

I start off by writing the guitar parts first and forming vocal melody lines to that. After I get a good arrangement together then I sit down and decide on the concept of the song and proceed onto the lyrics. Then I bring that to the rest of the band and they add their ideas to it as well.

What specific techniques or practice routines do you personally use to improve your playing ability? 

Top secret stuff there. If I told you I would have to kill you. Actually I just practice as often as I can, which is everyday, whether it be with amps or acoustics. Always keep searching for new chords and approaches to the music.

I have some relatives who actually live in Wichita, and from what I've seen it doesn't look like a very active place. Is there, or has there ever been much of a metal scene in Kansas? 

It is small but the metal fans that are here are steadfast.

Is there any advice you might give to aspiring musicians, bands or guitarists? 

Dedication and determination. Just don't give up. Follow your dreams. Adapt, improvise and overcome.

And last of all, is there an interview question you've always wanted to answer, but that no one has ever asked? 

Shark: Yes, Shark loves to eat pussy.

Special thanks to Mark "The Shark" Shelton and all the guys in Manilla Road for making this interview possible. You can visit their official website at truemetal.org/manillaroad and their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/manillaroadofficial. 

Reverend Bizarre interview

(Originally from 5/16/07)

Reverend Bizarre is the name of the mighty doom band hailing from Finland that has sought to revive the old, traditional ways of the genre ever since their debut in 2002. Now as their time together draws near the end, Father Peter Vicar (Kimi Kärki) - guitarist in the band - gives us insight into the mentality behind their music, a small description of their upcoming final album, and more!

I'm sure you've probably answered this a million times before, but for the sake of the unknowledgeable, can you give us a brief background and description of Reverend Bizarre's music and how the band came to be? 

Peter Vicar (Kimi Kärki): Uhh, yes I have indeed… I'll put it shortly.

Reverend Bizarre is doom metal down to the bone. We are very strict musically, following the footsteps of the mighty ancestors such as Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Pentagram, Witchfinder General, Trouble, and so forth. We decided to start the band in 1995 to honor the beforementioned titans and add our mad flavor to the tradition. We have done that with three official albums, some EPs, collections, and vinyls. I dare to say we have succeeded in what we aimed for and it's a good moment to kill the band now, before the end of this year.

We are now spreading out musically, Albert and his The Puritan will go to dark pits and abyss with their slow and torturing brand of music. Void will continue his many different bands he does not want to be mentioned, and I will continue with Orne (The Conjuration By The Fire is out from Black Widow Records) and Lord Vicar (featuring Christian Linderson of Count Raven / Saint Vitus / Terra Firma fame in vocals, Daniel Nyman of Oak in bass, and Gareth Millsted of Centurions Ghost in Drums.

The word has gotten out that the band intends to split up after the next full-length is released. Could explain why that decision has been made?

Our personal chemistry was never very good, and as some of us have severe mental problems it was easier to let it go finally, to ease the burden, pain and stress this band had brought. At the same breath I must say that once the decision was reached the mood was actually quite pleasant, and the last shows we did were unforgettable. The last studio sessions were, then again, mad and obsessed, but there was not too much tension… just madness. I must say that in the end I have great respect and love to my fellow Reverends. Hope they will prosper at least spiritually in their future.

Speaking of the next full-length, can you tell us anything about the new album, So Long Suckers?

It's now been mastered. The album is going to be a double-CD, very very heavy, seven songs in all. The musical adventures take us to different places within that record. Perhaps my favorite album of them all, and certainly the most rich album we did musically. Some may be surprised to hear some of the passages. It should be out in early August, and the single “Teutonic Witch” at the end of this month.

What bands/musicians are you influenced by the most?

All of the true doom metal bands. And in some twisted way all of the fucking poser stoner rock, “gothic metal”, and death doom bands we hate. Or at least used to hate, hah hah!

As a person I am also in love with old folk and progressive records of the late 60s and early 1970s. In my other band Orne I follow that tradition.

How does it usually occur when Reverend Bizarre writes new material?

Albert has written most of the material for Bizarre, as he already had an unhealthy number of finished songs when we started working seriously with the band at the turn of the millennium. We never jam, it's been either Albert or me completing the riffs and lyrics, and then teaching them to the others. Some minor arrangement details usually vary at the time of the recording, but mostly it's always been one vision at a time.

Is there a Reverend Bizarre song that you personally like somewhat more than the others?

There are some favourites, like “The Hour of Death”, “Sodoma Sunrise”, “Cirith Ungol”, “The Demons Annoying Me”, “The Wandering Jew”, “Cromwell”, “Sorrow”, “Anywhere Out of This World”… But I really cannot pick up one particular song. I love most of our material.

What guitar and recording equipment have you used on the upcoming record?

I always use the same Gibson SG Special through Laney tube head (though on Crush the Insects I had to use George Dennis Mighty Mouse, and was not as happy with the end result). The sound was taken in a separate room from cabinet to some good microphone obviously. We used Pro Tools for the first time which had its ups and downs. In solos I usually use phaser pedal and small Musicman combo, but this time I did most of the solos through Line six as I wanted some more variation. Some Cry baby wah in some parts as well.

Are there any sort of practice routines or techniques you use to improve your guitar playing or songwriting?

No. And we hardly ever rehearsed anyway. I just play the songs that come to my mind, until I am happy with them. I usually have the song title first, and when the narrative starts to shape in my head I listen to the riffs in my head and pick up the ones that fit the concept. Then I usually demo them with my laptop, try the vocal melodies and write the lyrics. For me it's not about the scales or technique but rather about the ideas and minimalism.

Do you have any advice you'd give to aspiring young musicians or bands?

Read a lot. Try to hold on to your passion despite the disappointments. Never think about money. Get a VERY flexible dayjob that makes you survive financially and allows you to tour.

Lastly, can you think of any interview question you've always wanted to answer but that no one has ever asked?

“Why do you keep on ranting about C.O.T.D. and true doom metal when there are so few fans to slow and boring riffs anyway?” I will not bother to answer that anyway as it should be evident when you read what is mostly written about the music we love.

Anyway, feel free to visit our online living room at www.hellridemusic.com/reverendbizarre.

Try to stay clean but use strength if needed! Love is the law, love under will.

Great thanks to Peter and everyone in Reverend Bizarre for letting this interview happen and for making such excellent music over the last several years. Their new album, So Long Suckers, is slotted for an August 8th release on Spinefarm Records. You can visit their official website at reverend.shows.it and the official RB forum at www.hellridemusic.com/reverendbizarre.

Martyr interview with Daniel Mongrain

(Originally from 5/15/07)

Martyr is a Canadian death metal band that plays a very technical, complex brand of the genre. Vocalist/guitarist Daniel Mongrain has graced us with an interview opportunity detailing the work put into their newest album, as well as his guitar tips, personal influences, and more...

For those who may be unfamiliar with the band and music that is Martyr, can you give us a brief history and description?

Daniel Mongrain: Martyr began in '94. My brother (Francois) and I formed the band and we wanted to express ourselves throughout metal-prog music cause we liked the aggressiveness of metal and the experimental side of prog music. We recorded a demo in 95 and recorded Hopeless Hopes in '97. We played a lot in Quebec and then recorded Warp Zone in 2000, we toured Canada in 2001 and then released a live album: Extracting The Core. We had musician changes as Patrice in 1997 on drums and Martin in 2003 for the guitar. Then we recorded Feeding the Abscess which is our new album. Our sound is a fusion of bands like Death, Meshuggah and Cynic with a very technical and progressive side. I think we have forged our sound throughout the years and that the new album sounds just more authentic for us. It sounds more like we have found our own vocabulary to express our thoughts and feelings throughout music.

Martyr's intricate and aggressive technical metal style is built on complex structures which ally a multitude of emotions from many different musical approaches. The music is not limited to the conventions of traditional metal music, the band striving to push those limits to create a more open-minded concept.

I have yet to hear the new album, but how has the response been thus far?

The response is great, reviews are great! We're very happy with the sales and there's a lot of people showing up at our shows, so everything is great so far!

What types of recording/guitar equipment was used?

We recorded in 4 different studios but basically drums and guitars were recorded at Wildstudio (Pierre Rémillard studio). Yamaha rock tour custom drums and my custom Liberatore guitar. Bass was done at Newton Communication studio with Sebastien Cloutier and the vocals were done at Clef de Fa studio with Breen Leboeuf (ex-Celine Dion bass player, solo artist, now with April Wine).

Who are some of the musicians/bands that have inspired you?

Allan Holdsworth, Mr.Bungle, Scott Henderson, Pat Martino, John Colrane, Greg Bissonette, Jason Becker, King Crimson, Voivod, UK, Sting, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, The Simpsons, Danny Elfman, Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, Jimmy Bruno, John Williams, Alan Sylvestri, Quentin Tarantino, Jack Nicholson, Christopher Walken, Larry David, etc... all which makes me twist my mind, makes me think, makes me feel odd, surprises me in a good or a bad way. Any kind of art which is accomplished with authentic creativity, that includes nature.

Can you give us an idea of the songwriting process Martyr usually goes through when crafting a new tune?

In fact, it took a long time to find our way for this album. I remember starting writing material in 2001 and still working on some songs from then to 2006. Things were much clearer from late 2003 when everyone decided to put an extra effort to get this done. Big difference is, this was really a team work and it felt just right through the whole process. I write most of the music but the new album was much more of a team work. We usually write a song from beginning to the end so it gives a logical progression to the song, at least for us. The ideas just come up naturally and then we write them on music sheets so everyone in the band can understand it and play it. It takes less time that way than to show everything by ear and there’s no misunderstanding of the parts. Then we develop around the ideas by playing them and listening to them, and imagining what could be the next part of the song from there. What do we want to hear after that part? And is there a better link we can do between those two parts? We worry a lot about the keys too, so the songs are not all in the key of the open big string. There’s no bad method to write music, I like to try different ways for each song so we never know how its gonna end up. After we get enough material, I record some parts and program the basic drum parts. Then I send the demo to the other guys and we play it together and work on the songs in the rehearsal room.

Do you have a personal favorite Martyr song?

My two faves are "Endless Vortex Towards Erasing Destiny" from the Warpzone album, I'm proud to have composed this one and I like to play it a lot. And "Dead Horizon" from the new album (Feeding The Abscess), its a 4 part song, very progressive and everybody in the band worked on it so it sounds more tri-dimensional. It's spooky, brutal, psycho, technical, prog... at the same time.

Are there any specific techniques or practice routines you like to use to improve your playing?

I used to practice a lot of alternate picking, sweeping and stuff like that but now I'm more into exploring different concept and colours throughout jazz improvisation, scales and chords. I do warm up a bit before a gig, playing modes scales and riffs but I rarely practice this stuff when I'm home. I just stay in good shape and apply different concepts in my playing. I play almost everyday though.

What is your opinion of the death metal scene today and where do you think Canada falls in that aspect?

I like many new bands but I think we've lost a bit of originality in the underground scene. I would say I like bands who find their own way of doing things. I mean, being influenced is okay but being a clone of a clone is not interesting. You don’t have to sound like In Flames or Dillinger Escape Plan. They are already there. I like to be surprised by a band. I think there is too much of a fashion going on in the metal scene now, for some bands at least.

We are from Quebec, Canada, probably the most metal province in Canada. There are many great bands here and most of them are all sounding very different and unique. That's what happens when you have lots of bands in a low population place. You have to sound different if you want to grab people's attention but it is also part of the heritage from Voivod which sound so unique, and bands like DBC, Obliveon, Annihilator, Gorguts etc... They have put the standards very high.

Is there any advice you would give to aspiring musicians or bands?

Practice, do it seriously and most important - have fun doing it. Persevere, don't be pissed off or arrogant, don't expect to be a rockstar. Be open minded to constructive comments and flush the destructive ones, be able to discern what's a constructive or destructive comment. Don't be a rip off, find your own way of doing things. Don't do it for the money or the fame, you might be very disapointed.

Finally, can you think of an interview question you've always wanted to answer but that no one has ever asked?

Would you like to be a fire extinguisher? No, I wouldn't.

A big thanks to Daniel Mongrain and all the guys in Martyr for making this interview possible. Their newest album Feeding The Abscess is out now on Galy Records. You can visit their official website at www.martyr-canada.com and their official MySpace page at myspace.com/martyrcanada.

Slough Feg interview

(Originally from 5/10/07)

Slough Feg is an interesting metal band that plays a style kin to the gods of old such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Their music also has some Celtic themes in both the lyrics and riffs. Guitarist/vocalist Michael Scalzi provides us with a few ideas of the work that goes into their material and his thoughts on the past, present and future...

For those who may be unfamiliar with the band and music of Slough Feg, can you give us a brief history and description?

Michael Scalzi: Not really. There are many places to find this info, and I'm sick of answering this question. Let's just say we've been around for 16 years and we've been through hell. We're putting out our sixth album and have been through hell, blah blah blah, you can probabaly guess the rest.

The band's full formal name is actually "The Lord Weird Slough Feg"; where does this come from and who came up with the idea for using it?

A comic book based on Celtic Mythology.

What types of guitar equipment do you like to use in your live set-up?

I use a Gold Top Les Paul and a '77 Marshall four input JMP through a newer Marshall cabinet with four celestion vintage 30 (60 watt) speakers. The amp has no master volume and I won't get it modified cause that would sound like shit, so I use an old DS! Boss distorion pedal. That's it.

Who are some of the musicians/bands that have inspired you?

Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, St. Vitus, Queen, Black Flag, Thin Lizzy.

Can you give us an idea of the songwriting process Slough Feg usually goes through when crafting a new tune?

I just write songs in my room on my guitar into a boom box. I write a riff, or some times I think of a melody in my head. Then I play it on guitar into a boom box and record it, and then I show it to the band and we play it over and over and add things. That's about it. Then I write lyrics and usually come up with th vocal melody later, over the guitar melody. Its really simple. Alot of other ideas come out later, in the studio or in the practice space. There's no theory to it. I play guitar and come up with riffs, like Tony Iommi did, and then it turns into a song.

Do you have a personal favorite Slough Feg song?

NO. But I really like "Wickerman" and "Agony Slalom" and, well a bunch of them. I like them all, otherwise I wouldn't have writen them.

Are there any specific techniques or practice routines you like to use to improve your playing? 

No. Maybe that's why my playing doesnt improve much. I've pretty much been the same kind of guitar player since I was like sixteen, or maybe twenty. I play alot, but I don't really consider it practicing. I'm more interested in songwriting. I spend all my time writing songs, plus I'm not really trying to get better at playing fast or anytthing, I just want to write better songs and solos. I guess I practice solos quite a bit, but there's no real technique to it, I just play them over and over until I have it down. The best practice is live practice though.

Is there any advice you would give to aspiring musicians or bands?

Yeah, give it up and go to college. Haha!! Actually, I have no idea what its like to start a band right now, and I am still an aspiring musician, so I think I'm the one who needs advice!! What the hell should I do? If you're in a band, you probabaly have to have a job or something, and what you do everyday for the most of the day has got to be enjoyable, or you'll be miserable. So I suppose if you have a job to support your musical career, or hobby or whatever, you better enjoy it, cause you only live once and you don't want to go through the whole thing miserable. So get a good job, or sell out and play nu-metal so you can enjoy a life of making shitty music, or something. I don't know, go to college!!

Finally, can you think of an interview question you've always wanted to answer but that no one has ever asked?

Oh, wow. How about, "Do you think that the music scene has changed so much in the last 15 years that being in a band is nothing like it was 15 years ago?" and my answer is yes, I think so. Being in a band back then was totally different, for me at least. Right now I can't see the forest for the tree, I mean, I'm so steeped in this life of making records and having toured, and touring in the future, and just having to do it along with the rest of my life that I don't really see outside of it. I'm going to continue to do it, I can't imagine life without it, but that's alot different than bands that started now, or even three years ago.

I can't see outside of my own little bubble, my own experiences. I guess no one can, so I can tell all sorts of stuff about what to do in a band or how to create music or whatever, but really you have to come up with it yourself, cause I'm trapped over here in my little mind. If you're trying to make money you're in the wrong business, I guess that's clear to everyone at this point. Just find something you do well and do it, people are kind of scared to do things well sometimes, because they feel like they'll be trying too hard or something and its not cool. I think alot of musicians are too shy about this, they want to say something but they hold it back because they're afriad of what everyone might think. That's silly, because the truth is no one is really thinking about them, they're too busy thinking about themselves and being shy about something else!! So you have to realize that none of this stuff really matters because no one's really looking at you anyway, and if they are, they'll forget about you soon enough and start thinking about themselves. So play some good music and stop worrying. In the end you're really just trying to entertain yourslef, that's what you have to remember, so just have fun with it.

I would like to thank Michael Scalzi for taking time to participate in this interview. You can visit the official Slough Feg website at www.sloughfeg.com and their official MySpace page at www.myspace.com/sloughfeg.

Psycroptic interview

(Originally from 2/26/07)

We've had Cryptopsy interviewed on this site before, and now we have another great technical death metal band to add to our "roster" of interviews! The Tasmanian group Psycroptic has been gaining quite an international fanbase and reputation over the last few years, and now Joseph Haley (guitarist) takes us down memory lane, through their present day success and into the potential future of the band, along with some guitar tips and music suggestions!

To start off, can you give us a brief description of the band - for those who may not be familiar with Psycroptic's history or music?

Joseph Haley: Well, my brother Dave and I started a band way back around 1997 called Disseminate and played gigs locally in Hobart for a few years, and also managed to get a demo out as well which will never be found anywhere I have no doubt (and a good thing too). By about 98, Dave and myself were kind of wanting to head in a different direction than what we were doing in Disseminate. I actually remember playing an early Psycroptic song to the other guys in Disseminate ("Isle of Disenchantment" I think it was) and they hated it. That was when my brother and I decided that we’d start a new band. We wrote about 7 or 8 songs together in a sort of technical thrash/death style and got our high school mate Cam on bass and Chalky on vocals. We recorded The Isle of Disenchantment in ’99, before we had played any gigs, and once it was released in 2000 we tried to do as many gigs as possible to promote it and managed to make quite a name for ourselves in the local scene. With the release of The Scepter of the Ancients in 2003, we tried to extend ourselves even further by doing many national tours that in the end led to an international tour in 2004 with, who were soon to become good friends, Dismember. Unfortunately Matthew Chalk, our vocalist at the time, wasn't really committed to doing the tour and we were forced to replace him with long time friend Jason Peppiatt. Because of these touring problems with our original vocalist we were forced to let him go and replace him permanently with Jason. Things have just been heading up for us since then, as we try to tour as much as possible, and I think its helping to get our name out there a lot more. We released our third album Symbols of Failure early 2006 through Neurotic Records, and in that time have toured with bands such as Nile, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Black Dahlia Murder, Behemoth, etc.

I have not heard the new album yet, but how has the response been so far?

The response so far for Symbols of Failure has been really good – much better than the older albums considering the amount of time that the album has been released for. We were a little bit worried at first, having a different vocalist and all, because we knew that there were many fans of our old vocalist out there. But in the end Jason was very well received, especially as a front man for the band. I think our music on this album is finally starting to come together into the style that we have been progressing towards, and I think that the next album will be the sound that we have been after.

What kind of guitar/recording equipment was used for the record?

The guitar sound that I used, and what I also use for my live setup, was a Mesa-Boogie triaxis preamp, which I personally think is the best preamp out on the market. I also had that running through a TC-Electronic G-force effects processor, but all I used on that was the gates and a tiny bit of EQ. The rest was the triaxis. And I think I had all that running through a Marshall JCM2000 head and a 4x12. I have a very similar setup live, but I usually run it in stereo on stage, just to give it a bigger sound. The recording of the album was done very cheaply. We recorded the drums in the studio, and then did everything else on my computer at home. Also mixed it at home as well and then had it mastered by the great Tue Madsen.

Can you tell us who are some of the bands/musicians that have inspired you?

Well, I myself haven't really listened to a lot of metal for quite some time. Its usually the bands that we tour with that inspire me the most, with their stage shows and great attitudes. I always find myself listening to a lot of bands that we have toured with in the past. Guitar wise though, I try not to listen to too much metal because I don’t really want other metal players to influence me too much. I usually listen to different kind of guitarists, such as Guthrie Govan, Brett Garsed, Scott Henderson, Greg Howe, and im a really big fan of Devin Townsend’s work. Everything he does is genius.

Do you have a favorite Psycroptic song?

My favorite Psycroptic song is always the latest song that we have written, so my favorite Psycroptic song would be some of the new ones that my brother and I have been working on which isn’t on any albums. But I guess my favorite recorded Psycroptic song would have to be either "Cleansing a Misguided Path" or "Merchants of Deceit" as they were the last songs that were written for the last album.

Would you describe the songwriting process that occurs when Psycroptic comes up with new tunes?

These days, its mainly Dave and I that deal with most of the writing of new material. We tend to write the songs in sections. It usually starts with myself writing a section (or a group of riffs tied together). Then we’ll just jam on these sections, which would essentially be the beginnings of new songs, and keep jamming on them until we both naturally change into a similar idea at the end of them. Then I’d go off on my own and write another section based around that idea. Then we’d come back and do the same thing on that section. This keeps happening until we finally finish the song. Sometimes we’d have a section set aside for months at a time, after we’ve written several other songs, until we finally figure out what right kind of change suits that particular section. It’s probably a peculiar way of writing songs but we find it way more enjoyable to be jamming on the songs while we’re writing them, rather than just writing the whole song, and then jamming on it.

What specific techniques or practice routines do you personally use to improve your playing ability?

Well, I don’t really have any strict practice schedules that I follow or anything. I think that over time, playing this type of music, your technique seems to really improve itself. I think the only thing that I try to keep conscious about is trying to move my hands as little as possible. I spent a fair amount of time over the years trying to keep my fingers as close to the fret board as possible, and keeping my picking technique as efficient as possible. I think that is the key to having good technique, not only for death metal but the playing of all styles.

How's the death metal scene in Australia today? Do you have a good following in your home town?

We do have a really good following in our hometown, unfortunately we’re quite isolated in Tasmania and there is a fair lack of decent venues to play at. Because of this we don’t really do many gigs in Tasmania. But when we do, the shows are always really good for us. Most of the shows that we do in Australia are done over in Melbourne or Sydney, but we still try not to overplay. Don’t want people getting bored of us. We have a really good following in the rest of Australia also, but our main priority at the moment is trying to play overseas as much as we can. The overall metal scene in Australia is pretty good at the moment – a lot of variety. Heaps of Different styles, not just death metal. It makes the shows great, because fans of all styles of metal come out to see the shows since there are always bands of different styles playing.

Is there any advice you might give to aspiring musicians, bands or guitarists?

Just stick at it, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Don’t feel like you have to play a certain way or sound a certain way just because everyone else does. I think that the more you don’t sound like anybody else, the further your music will take you.

And last of all, is there an interview question you've always wanted to answer, but that no one has ever asked?

Hmm, nah.

We'd like to extend a big thanks to Joseph Haley and the entire crew in Psycroptic for making this interview possible. Their new album Symbols of Failure is out now on Neurotic Records. You can visit their official website at www.psycroptic.com and their official MySpace page at www.myspace.com/psycroptic.

Alkemyst interview

(Originally from 2/24/07)

Alkemyst is a lesser known metal band from France that incorporates progressive elements into their speed/power metal style of music. Guitarists Arnaud Ménard and Séverin Bonneville join us for a look from their 2003 debut to their upcoming sophomore release, as well as some insights into their writing routines, and practice techniques...

To begin, can you give us a brief synopsis of the band - for those who may not be familiar with the history and music of Alkemyst?

Séverin Bonneville: Well, we started to play as Alkemyst in 1998, this is the time when we managed to form a steady line-up. Our music was very influenced by German speed metal bands like Helloween for example. We would play concerts in our area (France). In September 1999, we recorded our first 2 track demo CD called "A Path To Heaven", whose outcomes were rather positive for us in terms of reputation: a lot of people wanted to know more about us and our music. Meanwhile we had to find another singer as we didn't agree on the musical orientations for the band. As we couldn't find the right singer in France, we decided to reach someone we would be proud to work with on our first album, his name was Ramon Messina (singer of the Italian metal band Secret Sphere). Ramon was glad to take part in our project and joined the band in September 2000. We recorded Meeting in the Mist between 2001 and 2002 at the NSR studio, France but we had to record it twice because of a severe hard disk crash! During the recording of the album we had reached several record companies and Nuclear Blast gave us opportunities we couldn’t' miss. Therefore, our first album, Meeting in the Mist, was released in 2003 worldwide on Nuclear Blast. 

As I'm sure the fans would like to know, what can you tell us about the possibility or progress of a new album? 

Séverin: The recording of our new album is almost finished now and we’re looking forward to having you hear it guys! This album will be much more extreme in many ways with more dreamy and progressive atmospheres and very fast and agressive songs too; we really tried to reconcile different aspects of our musical personality in this album. Another point is that we really wanted it to be original (some people thought our musical influences were too easily recognizable on Meeting in the Mist), that’s why this album will probably sound more personal than the previous one I think. Currently, only the choirs and the arrangements are to be recorded. The mix will finally take place next summer in Geneva, Switzerland, and the album will be released in September hopefully. We can hardly wait...

Can you tell us who are some of the bands/musicians that have inspired you? 

Séverin: Personally, as a guitarist, I'm a huge fan of skilled people who use technique to create beautiful things. That's why I find John Petrucci's work very inspiring in Dream Theater. I think bands like Pain of Salvation or Beyond Twilight are great as they manage to bring something truly new and personal to the European metal scene. 

Arnaud: I have always been more inspired by riff/songwriters than by shredders, even if I was interested in some lead guitar player’s incredible performance. Marc Mc Gee (Ex: Vicious Rumours), Mike Wead or Jason Becker - the most impressive ones, to name a few, are maybe the ones I like the most, because everything they play is beautiful. But the ones which had the strongest influence on me were the songwritters. I wont give you the whole list, because they are too numerous for this interview. Your readers can ask me with a personal email, if they want to know more (laugh).

Do you have a favorite Alkemyst song? 

Séverin: The next one to be written! I'm kidding, I really like listening to "It's Time" as it combines powerful riffing with dreamy atmospheres. To sum it up, just listen to the chorus, you'll find the perfect embodiment of the speed melodic style to me. Moreover, I love the song entitled "Nameless Son": It's a 12 minute epic and catchy song. I think it's the most complete song we've written so far. Of course, there's a bunch of great songs coming up in our next album but I need to step back and wait so I can figure out which ones are my favorites.

Can you walk us through the songwriting process that occurs when you're coming up with new tunes? 

Séverin: Well, basically Arnaud Menard comes over or I go to his place with new material, we usually start out a song with a guitar riff. Then we try to get those riffs organized, giving a coherent structure to the future song. Once we're satisfied with the backbone of the song, each one tries to think it over to find how the song could be improved in terms of structure (intro, ending, etc...) and various arrangements. It's quite a long process, it can take weeks. Then, after the music, come the lyrics. On our following album, all the members of the band (including Ramon) worked together, trying to match some of the lyrics we had written with catchy melodies coming from our subconscious minds. It's a very interesting process: everyone feels involved and we're satisfied with the result! You see, the bottom line of the Alkemyst songwriting process is to make sure that we don't write that kind of ''Uhh, I think I've already heard that before'' song: we want each song to be unique, even though we know it's a difficult task, it shouldn’t remind us of one of our songs or one of any other band we know. Personally, I'd rather write a couple of albums in a lifetime than writing an album every two years. 

Arnaud: Concerning the new album, things changed a bit because we wrote one song almost together, and three titles have been composed from drum rhythms Arnaud (Gorbaty) invented at home. Then, we would find some goods riffs on it. Quite an original way of working, but a very efficient one, since drums are the basis of rock'n'roll!

What specific techniques or practice routines do you personally use to improve your playing ability? 

Arnaud: Well, I'm not proud of what I'm going to say but I'm rather lazy on my instrument these days so it's rather difficult for me to answer such a question. However, I always love to do some warm up exercices: I usually play intricate riffs trying to work my way up and down the neck chromatically, and I like to work on the accuracy of my right-hand too (always picking down, up, down, up...). But there’s still a lot of work left you know...

How do you think the progressive metal scene is doing today? 

Arnaud: I don’t know if it is up to us to express a judgement on the whole scene. Well, we used to name "progressive" every metal band playing a lot of notes, writing intricate-structured songs, using different kinds of time signatures... Even if we have obviously been influenced by bands like Dream Theater or Symphony X, we have maybe a different idea of what is being "progressive"; I mean, the more we get old, the more we are into the building of atmospheres, just like the rock bands in the 70's.

Today, I would call "progressive" a lot of good bands, but not necessarily the ones you could guess: Opeth, for example, are just amazing; Pain of Salvation, Ark, Beyond Twilight, or even Emperor; they all wrote masterpieces in a very complex but understandable way, full of emotions, with deep atmospheres, and an incredible skill, without being too obviously "prog". They just make the music progress – in the right sense of the word.

Is there any advice you might give to aspiring musicians, bands or guitarists?

Arnaud: First, do your best to write songs you can proud of for a lifetime: good music might imply talent, but a good song doesn't come out without lots of work. In Alkemyst, we strive and sometimes fight for weeks to end up with a good song. The important thing is to be convinced of your point of view, but be able to consider other people's ideas too. You see, you can feel you're right about a song but you might be surprised to find out somebody else comes up with a different but excellent idea too. So, be truthful to your music and the people you work with, listeners will probably feel that into your songs.

Lastly, is there any interview question you've always wanted to answer, but no one has ever asked?

Arnaud: How come we haven't seen you on stage in the US? Well, that's probably because nobody there has invited us!

Lots of thanks to Arnaud, Séverin, and the other guys in Alkemyst for providing the opportunity for this interview. Their 2003 debut, Meeting In The Mist is available through their official website and still through several online stores. You can visit their website at www.alkemyst.net and their official MySpace page is www.myspace.com/alkemystmusic.

Candlemass interview with Lars Johansson

(Originally from 11/29/06)

Lead guitarist Lars Johansson of the legendary doom metal band Candlemass has blessed us with the chance for an interview and a brief look at the past, present, and possible future of the band...

Starting things off, can you give us a brief introduction to the band, for those who may be unfamiliar with the history and music of Candlemass? 

Lars Johansson: Well, the full story is long and would not fit in this document, but we are playing slow and heavy at the same time, 5 piece band: bass, vox, perc, axe and lead axe… somewhere a touch of the 70's but yet melodic and "modern" thinking... We always trying to build an atmosphere around the songs, so they also can work fine live...

I'll go right ahead and get straight to it - what can you tell us about the possibility of a new album? 

Well, all the music is recorded, so of course there will be a new album.

How is the search for a new vocalist going? 

It's out in the press by now, so we'll see what's hidden there. We have a couple of guys we have to check out...

Can you tell us who are some of the bands/musicians that have inspired you and the rest of Candlemass? 

I think we all have roots in the 70's, with bands such as: Black Sabbath, Uriah heep, Rush... bands like that... But we all have a wide range in our listening-spectra.

Do you have a favorite song that you've written with the band - or perhaps even a favorite album? 

Leif is writing all the songs for Candlemass (exept for 3 songs on the Chapter 6 album, that I wrote) And for me that’s fine, he is doing a fine job as it is... I write my own material in my corner for CreoZoth...

What do you think of the doom metal scene today? Are there any new bands around in the genre that you like? 

I listen a lot to different kinds of music you know, but I have noticed a few that can both play & act like they really are in to it. But hey... the music industry pops a lot of crap in every shelf, and not so many bands stays longer than 2 or 3 albums, unfortunately...

Can you walk us through the songwriting process that Candlemass has gone through in the past for coming up with new tunes? 

Now that we are old and lazy :) we don’t hang around the rehearsal room more than we have to... So Leif is sitting down for a couple of months, then we call eachother and make some moves in the agenda, then Leif puts together a cd with the riffs and drum-machine and support vocals, so you know where you are in the woods of riffs :) Then we listen to that for a while and then we rehearse the stuff and check out how it works...

What specific techniques or practice routines do you personally use to improve your playing ability? 

Well I just sit down on my bed, grab a guitar and jam with it for a 30 minutes or so. Then a little finger gymnastic exercise that I make up at the time I'm doing it, and after that maybe some riffs start poppin up... :)

Is there any advice you might give to aspiring musicians, bands or guitarists? 

Listen to a lot of different kinds of music, get inspiration from more than the instrument you are playing (piano, saxophone, harp). And the most important thing is to go with your heart and listen to what each song needs from your axe...

Last of all, is there any interview question you've always wanted to answer, but no one has ever asked? 

People ask me about pickups, strings, amps, effects... So in a way I think you covered most of the "other" questions...

A big thanks to Lars and everyone from Candlemass for making this interview happen. You can visit the official website at www.candlemass.se.

Trouble interview with Jeff Olson

(Originally from 9/30/06)

Trouble is a legendary name in the doom metal genre, often mentioned in the company of other infamous names like Black Sabbath and Candlemass. The group has been around for more than two decades, has released some undeniable classics, and now prepares to unleash their first new album in over 10 years. Longtime member and drummer Jeff Olson gives us a brief glimpse of the past and future for Trouble...

Getting started, can you give us a brief introduction to the band, for those who are unfamiliar with the history/music of Trouble?

Jeff Olson: Started in 1978 by Rick Wartell....a five piece dual guitar format with double leads and scratchy vocals... low tuned by a step in the 80's and different tunings since... Members are Rick Wartell, Bruce Franklin (Guitars), Eric Wagner (Vocals), Chuck Robinson (Bass), and Jeff Oly Olson (Drums).

I'll just go ahead and cut straight to the chase - how is progress coming on the new CD scheduled for a 2007 release?

Good it has been finished for a while... and it is ready... it sounds great!

With the exception of Sean McAllister, this is the first time the original Trouble line-up has been together again in over 20 years. What brought about the reunion of the line-up and are you guys finding it any easier or more difficult to write new songs after all these years?

It was a lot of individual writing this round... we turned in the songs and voted on them... It was a tough process.

Can you tell us who are some of the bands/musicians that have inspired you and the rest of Trouble?

Alice Cooper, Deep Puple, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, old Judas Priest, Doors, Beatles... for me jazz and be bop and modern orchestral... oh ELP.

The early Trouble albums seem to have some heavily Christian themes present in them, and although you guys have never really aligned with the Christian metal industry, the lyrics changed quite a bit around the time of the self-titled album. Was there any particular reason for this, or was it just time to branch out more?

We were too preachy...It trapped us in a catergory.

Do you have a favorite song that you've written with the band - or perhaps even a favorite album?

I wrote "Victim Of The Insane", "Till The End Of time", "Sorrows", and "Fly"... my favorite album is Run To The Light.

What do you think of the doom/psychedelic rock scene today? Are there any new bands around in the genre that you like?

Love it!!!!!!!!! Tundra Trash Radio!!!! All of it is awsome..... Sleep... War Horse... Electric Wizzard.... Today Is The Day... Mastadon.... Lamb Of God... Kyuss.... Sunn O))).... Spirit Caravan... Typo... and Wet Animal, Super Shine, Lid ,Tortured Soul and Retro Grave.

Can you walk us through the songwriting process that Trouble has gone through in the past for coming up with new tunes?

Team ups like Eric and Bruce... Rick and Bruce, Ian Brown before... Sean Mac wrote "The Tempter", "Wickedness", "Endtime" and "The Last Judgement"! We would learn riff by riff on the couch unplugged... we called it chicken pickin'... "Bastards" was written to my double bass beat and they just played a rhythm and added that double lead....Barry played a groove for "Scuze Me".

Is there any advice you might give to aspiring musicians, bands or drummers?

Never Stop... always Jam...

Do you have any specific techniques or tips you use to improve your playing ability?

Rudimental techniques and playing all of Brann Dailor's music!

Finally, is there any interview question you've always wanted to answer, but no one has ever asked?

This is a pretty cool question! ...Yes! Do I have a new record coming out?... Yes! Not to be confused with the new Trouble record... I am putting out a record called Retro Grave... by a branch of Trouble called "Trouble Again"... sort of like the Kiss records...they all did a project with the Kiss logo... the Trouble cross will show up on Retro Grave.

My thanks to Jeff for making this interview possible, and to everyone in Trouble for making great music. Trouble's new album, Simple Mind Condition, will be released through Century Media records, estimated for early 2007. To visit the band's official website, go to www.newtrouble.com.

Helstar interview

(Originally from 7/13/06)

Helstar is a thrash metal band from Houston, Texas that made it's mark upon the metal community in the mid-to-late 80s with the release of two of their most infamous, classic albums: Remnants Of War and Nosferatu. In 2006, the band has re-united under the Remnants line-up and guitarists Rob Trevino and Larry Barragan give us a look at the past, present, and future of the band - including the progress on a long-awaited comeback record!

Kicking things off, can you give a brief synopsis for those whohaven't heard of the band's history, evolution and the style of music you guys play? 

Larry Barragan: Well, Helstar is a Texas band that has been around since about 1982 or so. We started off with our roots in Maiden and Priest but we evolved into a more progressive power metal type band. Although back then we didn't call it progressive metal we just called it metal with technical parts. The band has put out I think like 7 albums since the early 80s. 

Rob Trevino: Yup, not much to add there! Larry started the group when he was still in high school. I would also say that our style evolved as it was influenced by some of the other (then) underground bands of the era. Helstar is definitely a band that never followed any trends, but we were aware of what our peers were doing...

After many line-up changes, you've recently re-united as the line-up that recorded the legendary Remnants Of War album. What exactly brought this reunion into effect?

LB: Robb Chavez of Robb's Metal Works came down to Houston to see our other band Eternity Black play and after the show while drinking some beers we got on the subject of who he was going to get to play his annual showcase. He asked what would it take to get the Nosferatu line up back together. I basically told him that really wasn't realistic. I told him it would be easier to do the Remnants of War line up since Rob and I were already playing together in Eternity Black. Also Russell Deleon is playing with us as well and he had been a member of Helstar during the later years. It just kind of snowballed from there. 

RT: Just like Lar said. I am pretty sure that he or James would not have even considered the other possibility even if Andre and Frank were still actively playing. Not because of any conflicts or animosity between any of them, but I mean, you basically had 3/5 of the band already playing together in another band. It just made more sense.

I'll go ahead now and ask the question that I'm sure all the fans want to know: is there anything you can tell us about a new album in the making? 

LB: We have a couple of songs finished and we have others in the working stages. I guess it's going to sound like Remnants meets Nosferatu. 

RT: We are working on it, but due to family and work schedules, it is a longer process these days! Not to mention that Larry, Russ, James and I all have other projects. Plus, we've been entertaining offers to perform and that is taking time as we have to rehearse and re-learn some more of the Helstar catalog for them. Once we get through our August shows we will begin writing in earnest. Of course, if an idea comes to Larry or me right now, we'll record it at home and work on it individually or via email until we can present to the rest of the band. And of course there is Jerry's material to go through... Whatever it is, it will be heavy!

Eleven years have passed since the last Helstar studio album and twenty years have gone by since the current line-up was last together. Do you feel that it gets harder to write new material after such a long time? 

LB: Yes and no. I'm not looking for the easy way out and try to do Nosferatu part two or Remnants part two. I would like for it to sound like Helstar, that neo-classical meets power metal sound that is sort of our signature. At the same time I want it to sound original and fresh and most important of all, HEAVY. Writing comes sort of natural. I just have to sit down and start playing. Sometimes an idea will stick and I record it and see if Rob can run with it from there. 

RT: I don't think so. We are both riff machines! haha... Sometimes we work on a riff immediately if we feel like it's an easy one to finish. Others we just shelve until we're ready to explore them. We just record them and name them whatever we think of at the time. some of the names can be pretty funny. Larry and I have been playing together (again) for the last 3 years and we've gotten really good at working together. We pretty much have a writing partnership now that we didn't really have 20 years ago and it works really well.

Who are some of the bands/musicians that have influenced your guitarwork and the music of Helstar in general? 

LB: In the early days it was Black Sabbath and Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. We just tried to take it a step further. As far as guitarists go, Randy Rhoads and Yngwie. 

RT: Man, too many! The big ones, Sabbath, Priest, Ozzy, Maiden, etc, but there are so many others. As for guitarists, I am with Larry; my main influences are Randy and Yngwie, but I really like Tony Iommi, Eddie Van Halen, Angus Young, Michael Schenker, Uli Roth, and on and on...

How do you feel about the thrash scene today? Are there any bands around now that have influenced you? 

LB: I think the scene has obviously enjoyed a resurgence. I like a lot of bands that may not be considered thrash but are still super heavy. Off the top of my head I like Killswitch Engage, Mastodon quite a bit. A Life Once Lost is another great band. 

RT: I feel that there has definitely been a resurgence. Let's see, I'm sure I have been influenced in some way by some of the newer bands... I don't keep up with everything out there, but I know of several newer bands I like, such as Lamb of God, Chimaira, Killswitch... I don't know what is considered what anymore! Some people consider Helstar thrash- we used to call ourselves a power metal band with technical parts! Hearing some of it now, I can hear elements of thrash in the music.

Being a native Texan myself, I can't say that there are many metal bands that make it beyond local territory and into international distribution. You guys started out on the infamous Combat Records label and then switched over to Metal Blade a few albums later. What was it like getting signed to such reputable labels - was it difficult to gain exposure inititally? How were you guys noticed? 

LB: It was exciting to say the least. We thought we were on our way when Metal Blade picked us up but for whatever reason it just didn't happen for us. There was a lot of talent in Texas back then and still today. Back then Watchtower and S.A. Slayer, Militia out of Austin. People just didn't think of Texas as being a heavy metal factory but it really was. 

RT: It was really cool! I remember before Remnants was released, we came out on the Combat compilation "Bullets" alongside other Combat artists. Megadeth was on it as well as a bunch of other bands and I was like, "I've made it!" Well, yeah except that we didn't have any money! Haha! I quit the band just before it signed to Metal Blade, but I was there in the beginning of the whole Metal Blade relationship. Bryan Slagel and Mike Faley came to Houston and attended one of our shows and that pretty much sealed the deal. I think that Helstar was initially noticed out of the tape trading scene of the early 80s. That's how a lot bands got signed. The Burning Star demo somehow landed in the right hands and the rest is history.

Out of all Helstar's albums, do you have a favorite? What about a favorite song? 

LB: I still am very partial to Nosferatu. It was my best writing effort and my playing was probably the best it's ever been. 

RT: I don't really. I know Larry is partial to Nosferatu, but there are really a lot of great songs on all of the albums. As for overall production, I'd have to say Remnants hands down is the winner. It just has such a heavy sound compared to the others.

Do you guys have some sort of tried-and-true method for writing each new Helstar tune, or does the music kinda just "come to you"? 

LB: No, no formula to writing. Like I said I just kind of start playing around and hope that I can come up with at least two good ideas and build on it from there. 

RT: Like Larry, I really don't have a method. 95 percent of the riffs I come up with are just a byproduct of sitting in my room jamming alone.

How long have you been playing guitar? What are some of the ways you practice now to stay fresh and keep developing your skills? 

LB: Well, I started when I was 13 and I'm 41 now so you do the math. I've been playing a fucking long time. I don't practice like I did back in the "Nosferatu" days. Back then I'd practice for about 6 to 8 hours a day. Now I'm lucky to get in an hour a day. I still practice with a metronome. It's the best way to develop a clean and precise playing style. 

RT: I have been playing 26 years. It has been harder to really get 'better' as I've gotten older. Mainly because I have a day job, family, etc. However, I do believe my 'feel' has gotten way better than 20 years ago. I will sit and try to make one note sound as many different ways as possible. I try to keep my speed, what little I have, up by practicing with a metronome. Re-learning these Helstar songs has done wonders for my overall dexterity!

Is there a single piece of wisdom that you think every guitarist should know? 

LB: Hmm, I think every guitarist should try to learn to play slow before they try to play fast. Speed should come naturally and your playing should be clean. I'm not the fastest guitarist around but I choose my notes well and I try to play my parts cleanly. 

RT: I agree with Larry; focus on learning to play cleanly and the speed will come.

Lastly, can you think of an interview question that you've wanted to answer before, but has never been asked? 

LB: Can't think of anything at the moment. Thanks for the interview. You asked some great questions. 

RT: Nah, not at the moment... Thanks for the interview! Hope to meet you sometime at a show...

Once again, I would like to thank Rob, Larry, and all the guys in Helstar for allowing this interview to happen. You can check out their official website at: www.helstar.com or their official MySpace page at: www.myspace.com/helstar.

Arghoslent interview

(Originally from 3/27/06)

Arghoslent is a band that has been surrounded with quite some degree of controversy over the past several years, due to their bold message of hatred and their unorthodox brand of death metal. We have been given the privelege of interviewing the guitarist and one of the founding members, Pogrom, as he fills us in on some of the latest happenings with the band...

Firstly, for those unfamiliar with Arghoslent, can you give us a brief run-down of how the band came to be and what it's purpose in music is? 

Pogrom: The bass player KOMMANDO and I started playing music in high school. We both played in a band called GENOCIDE in 1988, then the year later after acquiring other members we changed it to ASFYXIA. Both bands recorded death/thrash/speed metal demos but it wasn’t satisfying because we weren’t such good musicians back then, and the ideology of the band was not really extreme or even defined. We eventually recruited another drummer and called the band POGROM (played one show with that name in 1990) briefly just prior to recruiting GRAVEDIGGER on vocals (which we used to change our name to ARGHOSLENT). In 95, VON DEMONICUS joined as vocalist and has been with us ever since. A year prior to that, HOLOCAUSTO joined on second guitars as well during the recording of our “The Imperial Clans” demo. Our main goal was to play DEATH METAL the way we saw it proper. ARGHOSLENT’s mission has been only to generate prejudice, intolerance, and incorrigible bigotry, never to generate any income or profits. Our determination, our stance, our need to do things as we see them fit, has plagued us with so many mishaps and barriers while making us unique at the same time.

What does the name "Arghoslent" mean? 

The word ARGHOSLENT is a hybrid between the Greek root word ‘Argo’ and a derivation of the word ‘Slave’ being ‘slent’: Slave of the universe, pawn of a higher constellation, mercenary of the order, soldier of the ARGHOSLENT KOMMANDO.

What is your opinion of the metal scene today? 

What scene? The one that that prays for our disappearance? Our banner of hate stands alone. The scene gets a failing grade for musicianship, originality, and bravery. Labels are responsible for breeding and encouraging clones, posers, and rock-star attitudes. I hold labels primarily at fault for the degeneration of character and talent in the underground. Some labels have more culpability than others, but I am not here to expose the obvious. All I’m saying is that if you took up metal (and its profitable endeavors) to avoid the hardships of working for a living, you’re a fucking pile of dollar-green shit. Expose yourself and return to fucking Tel Aviv!

Arghoslent has a very unique and distinctive sound that is somewhat like nothing I've ever heard before and yet also like a combination of everything. What bands or musicians have influenced your music and lyrics the most? 

My very first guitarist influence was Eddie Van Halen, and from then on stuff like IRON MAIDEN, SCORPIONS, OZZY, KILLER DWARVES, ARMORED SAINT, etc… As I became more involved in the heavier side of things my tastes became more extreme and the old thrash/speed metal were my point of attention like METALLICA, EXODUS, and KREATOR, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, ANTHRAX, MEGADETH. As far as the band’s musical inspiration goes, its inspiration has roots in metal bands, and some hardcore/punk bands. CARNIVORE, POSSESSED, RAZOR, RIGORMORTIS, FORCED ENTRY, AUTOPSY, VADER, DARK ANGEL, FATES WARNING, SLAYER, CORONER, INCUBUS, WARGASM, BLOOD FEAST, and VIO-LENCE taught us how to play effective, violent, thrash/death metal. I cannot deny that as musicians we carry a bit of each band with us. There are of course bands we respect although I don’t think is reflected in our compositions. Touches of BATHORY’s Twilight…, MERCYFUL FATE’s Melissa, SLAYER’S Reign in Blood, VIO-LENCE’s Eternal Nightmare, RAZOR’s Violent Restitution, and CARNIVORE’s Retaliation are present in our music at all times. We do, however, strive to be original, and a step above all of our influences. We are not readily mistaken for any other band, and that’s our main goal. Nowadays, I’m not too impressed by much and it has been the case for a good number of years.

Do you think it's important to connect ideologies with music and vice-versa these days? 

If there is no message behind the music its just abstract noise. It is crucial for our band, and any band, to perfectly portray the lyrics through the music. Total negativity, misanthropy, and divine extermination are important ideas expressed through our music. Death metal means DEATH, destruction, nuclear terrorism, depravation of human rights, violence, slavery, biological warfare, genocide, arson… Our music deals with paramilitary adoration, religious abnegation, androgenic colonization. Our message is that of a ‘TRUE’ death metal spirit; extreme, aggressive, and anti-religious.

How does the band typically go through creating and recording a song for a release? What steps are involved in the writing process? 

Most of the members contribute to the songs one way or another. Holocausto and I come up with riffs on our own then really brainstorm to combine them and make them into one piece. The most difficult part of this is not writing the riffs, but assembling them and knowing how many times to play them. It is a huge task really to piece all of this music together to make it sound coherent, entertaining, unique, crude, and offensive. Sometimes the song structures are modified by our drummer. We approach writing lyrics in the same manner. Perhaps myself and others come up with a raw idea of some lines before the vocalist polishes them up and places them in our music. It is quite interesting as well to hear the final product. On a couple of occasions, we’ve written songs while in the studio, for example the song “Archaic Invincibility” was assembled in minutes right before we started recording our second album. Some other songs contain riffs that have been lying around for years, literally, and finally find their place. At the moment we may have about 2 album’s worth of material written and ready.

It struck me as a little odd that a band which stands so firmly and proudly in its beliefs would censor the eyes of the members on it's website and practically all online photos. Was this just a precaution or has the attitude towards Arghoslent really been so threatening at times? 

The journey has been treacherous at times and it’s better to remain visually anonymous for our jobs’ sakes, and our families. Photos are not necessary to create good albums. If someone purchases an album based on the band photos, then we’re speaking different languages altogether.

Of all the songs you've recorded so far, is there one which is your personal favorite? What about a favorite album? 

One of my favorite songs has to be “Banners of Castile” from our first album. Another song that deserves mention is “Heirs to Perdition” from our second album. As far as whole albums go, I’d have to say that Incorrigible Bigotry is our best album as far as length, musicianship, lyrics, and concept go.

Even though it rarely happens with the band's controversial content keeping you guys out of certain clubs and bars, are there any plans for Arghoslent to tour or play many live shows this year? 

Yes, the plan is to return to the stage after a 6 year coma. Another possibility is also to play some selective shows in Europe with the help of some comrades, not to the same 10 drunks that have gone to our shows in the past.

Any plans for new merchandise or other releases coming soon? 

We’re working on about 12-15 songs, most which will be recorded for our 3rd full length album this year. The rest will be used in splits, 7”eps, or compilations. Some new songs are “The Grenadier”, “Atop the Crags of Recalcitrance”, “Once Upon a Shoah”, and “Fragrance of the Octaroon”.

Is there an interview question you've always wanted to answer, but no one ever asked? 

Yes. “How come your guitar leads on live tracks are different from the recorded ones on albums & demos?” Our answer: Because most of the guitar solos on all our recordings have been improvised and on the spot, and we don’t know how to play them again. Our live sets are usually graced with different solos each time.

Finally, if you could give some advice to aspiring musicians/bands, what would you say and why?

There have been thousands of shitty bands for the last 17 years that I can think of. The albums keep getting worse, and worse, but there is no difference now than in 1992 or 1995, or 1999. If you plan on becoming one of these folk, I would suggest dropping your guitar off at the local pawn shop. If you strive to be a Xerox copy of another band, don’t even bother.

Thanks once again to Pogrom for providing this opportunity and to all the guys in Arghoslent for producing quality music. You can visit their official website at www.arghoslent.cjb.net.