Metal Bulletin Zine #55 www.metalbulletin.blogspot.com September 2015 www.twitter.com/MetalBulletinZn www.fuglymaniacs.com (issues online, videos, …) five bands from Washington state: Bell Witch Rhine Fallen Angels The Devils of Loudun A Flourishing Scourge

Dehydrated Steel Raiser Mangog

Junkyard Lipstick Deiphago

free metal music Let Them Hang Amorite InnerDarkness Inner Silence Oblitus

— about 37 minutes. In 2012 the first album, Metal Bulletin Zine “Longing,” was released, a work that lasts P.O. Box 1339 about one hour and seven minutes. Said Lake Stevens WA 98258 USA album is six tracks and you can hear the complete recording at Bandcamp, and is www.facebook.com/pages/The-Metal-Bulletin-paper- recommended to listeners that are really into zine funeral death doom. For instance, the first Metal Bulletin Zine #1-20: (2006-2009): Wisconsin song “Balls (of Flesh)” is over 21 minutes. It is #21-26: (2009-2010): Texas #27(2010)--now; best that you settle down, or let the music Washington state settle you down, calm your body down and All album reviews, news, updates below are let it take you on the journey, in slow motion. by MMB, unless stated otherwise. Heavy, slow and atmosphere is of the highest -— importance, an exploration of slow sounds. metal programs (these are Pacific Times) In 2015 they have a new album called Mosh Pit (Madison, WI): Monday night 9:30pm- “Four Phantoms” on Profound Lore Records. 12am WORT 89.9 fm www.wortfm.org The new album is another monument of about one hour and six minutes, divided into Sweet Nightmares (Houston, TX): Thursday four parts. These doomsters have begun to hit night 9pm-12am KPFT 90.1 fm www.kpft.org pay dirt as a band and the new album is the evidence of that. Forget the fast life of the city Excuse All the Blood (Olympia, WA): Friday for a while and take it slow, away from school, night 11pm-1am www.kaosradio.org work, stress and traffic. www.profoundlorerecords.com Metal Shop (Seattle, WA): Saturday 11pm- www.bellwitchdoom.blogspot.com 3am KISW 99.9fm www.kisw.com www.bellwitch.bandcamp.com — www.facebook.com/BellWitchDoom bands from Washington state www.twitter.com/bellwitchdoom

Bell Witch Rhine Bell Witch is a doom band with two people: Watch out for the outlaws of extreme metal: Dylan Desmond: bass/vocals Rhine. They will steal your horse and steal your Adrian Guerra: drums/vocals wagon. Prepare yourself by learning how to prevent this theft by listening to the Rhine album “Duality” (2014) on Bandcamp. These mavericks of prog/extreme metal started in Seattle in 2011. On the album, apparently, the gambler Gabriel Tachell does everything, making the album a project of a lone ranger, but which now is a full group of high sierra bandidos.

Facebook says that this is the band:

Metal Archives says that the band started in the gambler Gabriel Tachell - guitar/vocals 2010 and gives three works as the the dealer Alex Smolin - guitar discography, starting with the “Bell Witch” the joker Carlos Delgado - drums demo from 2011, a four-song recording of the smoker James Porter - bass have the chops to play thrash. These Fallen Angels have a new album in 2015 and there are quite a few positives to notice. On one hand, the band kidnapped or blackmailed Michael Rosen to produce the album. Rosen is a name that thrashers will recognize due to his work with Death Angel/The Organization, Bonded by Blood, Flotsam and Jetsam, Sadus, Lääz Rockit, Forbidden, Testament, Vio-lence, Vicious Rumors and other bands.

The music sounds, more or less, like extreme metal with prog elements, or if you will, prog of an extreme metal heritage. Whether it’s death metal or black metal that you hear, it’s tempered with prog guitar or prog structures. The music is a bit overwhelming at first. Here and there, the music is turned upside down with segments and pieces of experimental The album is carefully aimed at the sounds, pushing for idiosyncrasies in the sound. thrash audience, the people that demand They don’t sound really, really absurdly that the guitar players have riffs, hooks and strange now, just loud, abrasive and solos. This band will drop guitar work at your somewhat experimental. They sound like feet at any given time of the day because extreme metal, but their followers could be in that is what they do. The solo may be a shred for a shock next album because this band will piece or it may have a bit of melody. likely increase the maverick factor by ten, and Regardless, it is made with love, love of metal we are all going to be dazed and confused, and love of guitar. For instance, the song which is surely what this band wants. Once a “Mortis Ex Machina” makes it obvious that band starts down the misty mountain high they have spent time thinking about how to sierra hop, there’s usually no going back to make the solos work, as it is an example of the “regular” or “normal” metal. This game of catchy songs that the band writes. cards could get wild. Keep your eyes on the Fallen Angels sounds as excited about dealer. You gotta know when to hold them, these songs as they would like the audience know when to fold them. to be. In other words, their enthusiasm is www.rhine.bandcamp.com contagious. You can hear the 80s influence, www.facebook.com/rhinemetal but the album sounds like thrash in 2015, traditional thrash. The band has every reason Fallen Angels: World in Decay to feel great about this album. They even (Cyberdyne Records) have done something that very few metal Fallen Angels preach the gospel of traditional bands, and something that almost no thrash thrash metal and they practice what they bands know how to do: the bass guitar is very preach. At this congregation of thrash they audible on the album. You might react like impress upon you the importance of playing this: “Oh, so, that’s what the bass actually your instruments well and showing that you sounds like in a metal album, eh?!” That’s a 3 very nice touch on the part of the band and I of sounds: assume that they asked Michael Rosen to help them out on this matter and Mr. Rosen “From Seattle, located in the heart of the rain did help them and you can hear the drenched, frozen wastes of the Pacific difference. Northwest, comes The Devils of Loudun. A six- This is Fallen Angels in 2015. The band man melodic death metal outfit named from began in 2002. Metal Archives says that the a tale of religious fanaticism and demonic band had a demo in 2004 and another one in possession in 17th century France. Formed in 2005, and the first album “Rise from the Ashes” the Summer of 2009, the band quickly gained is from 2008. The second album “Engines of ground in the non-existent Washington Oppression” is from 2010. It looks like the band underground metal scene by destroying (and perhaps hit a few snags along the way to the barfing at) every possible show that has been third album, but the band is back. You have thrown at them. Drawing from influences to give credit to the band for the which spread across a wide musical spectrum perseverance and for the new album. I’m sure The Devils of Loudun's ever-evolving sound it has not been easy going five years between could be considered a combination of albums, but what a great come back this is. Scandinavian melodic death metal, Let’s hope that metal people in the Seattle symphonic power metal and American death and Washington and Pacific Northwest area metal topped with hearty serving of classical respond to the band’s calling for thrash. If you and video game influenced melodies. With are loyal to thrash, and you would like to hear the band recently finished up recording and a Seattle area band that plays thrash in 2015, releasing their first official EP titled “Entering this band will gladly show you what they do. Oblivion,” you can be sure to see them live, www.fallenangelsthrashband.com playing at local broken-down metal venues www.facebook.com/pages/Fallen-Angels- for pitchers of beer and on their upcoming Thrash-Band/336737539688752 West Coast tour in the Summer of 2015.” www.twitter.com/FallenAngelsThr

The Devils of Loudun: Entering Oblivion The Devils of Loudun have been getting out their name in the Seattle region. In 2015 things are becoming clearer. The band is now ready to show the world who they are with a brand new EP in 2015 called “Entering Oblivion.” The band plays a hybrid of neoclassical symphonic melodic black/death/power metal, with early Children of Bodom and also Kalmah as general reference points, if you want to know the musical parameters at work. The Devils of Loudun underline something This new EP “Entering Oblivion” is some 18 important about metal music in 2015 in the minutes of music that pulls the curtain Seattle area: metal bands are doing a wide completely and we now hear in full display variety of sounds, going in different directions. where the band is going: they want to make On ReverbNation the band has the following great metal music, and they do not care if bio, which helps to illustrate the convergence they break a few rules in the process. They 4 stubbornly refuse to limit themselves to a because prog bands usually do not embrace genre or a style. black metal and death metal this fully, and death and black bands tend to shy away The band is: from the melody and mellow aspects of prog. That is why I point to early Opeth as a Scott Hermanns – fire guitar wizardry reference, the Opeth of the first two albums Drew Tuel – nuclear guitar enchantment “Orchid” and “Morningrise” when the band José Gutiérrez – drummering thunder exclaim sounded like it was in its own little world, Ben Velozo – keyboardian altercations ways before the commercial pressures. In a similar Vance Bratcher – voices of the never end way, A Flourishing Scourge makes the effort to Billy Keller – bass frequencies palpitations have good transitions between the mellow moments and the heavier ones, so that the Listen to the new music at Bandcamp. music can flow, and not sound like a quick salad of riffs in a traffic jam. www.thedevilsofloudun.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/TheDevilsOfLoudun www.twitter.com/DevilsOfLoudun www.reverbnation.com/thedevilsofloudun

A Flourishing Scourge: As Beauty Fades Away Recently I have been following a bit of the developments around this band A Flourishing Scourge, a group from the Seattle/Snohomish County region. They played a show in Arlington some weeks ago and it looks like they have been busy lining up some more concerts. In addition, they have done something very exciting: they now have their debut EP for a September 2015 release. Now, thanks to the band sending in a copy of the EP “As Beauty Fades Away,” there’s more to report about the band. I sort Of course, this band can play music of had an idea what the music was going to fast, slowly or melodically, but that’s not the sound like, having heard the band on point. The music does require several listens ReverbNation previously, but it’s a different before it can really make sense to the experience when you pop in the cd in the car audience. At first the songs are a landscape and give it a few spins. I did not realize how of sound waves, riffs and aural segments ambitious this music would be. In my opinion, joined together by time, will and imagination. A Flourishing Scourge is fundamentally an The sensation that the band seeks is that the early-Opethian metal band in spirit. Prog is the listener recognize that it has taken a while for basis, and black and death metal are the the compositions to form, and gratification for pillars of A Flourishing Scourge. the listener will not be instant, but it does arrive The music has its own niche going with a few more spins. Is the band trying to separate the wheat from shaft, the casual 5 listener from the ones that will become Dehydrated (Russia) loyalists? Perhaps. Maybe there is no overall Dehydrated, which began in 2008, is “brutal strategy besides just making the music that death metal” from Tomsk, in the land of they want and letting the music find the extreme harsh winters, Siberia. This band is for audience. metalheads that love it all, chug it all ultra If listeners give this music the proper death metal and are never satisfied and time, and are up for whatever new always want more brutal, more slam, more adventures might come around, this band heavy, more groove, more sick, more blurghh! would be a good choice. This is a wonderful start for the band. If this is only the beginning, Their Facebook info says that the band is: supporters of the band have every right to be Ira - vox proud, and can look forward to some Evgen – guitars interesting and unexpected things to happen Evgenii - bass in the future. The band’s constant contrast of heaviness and melody, prog and extreme metal, beauty and beast, puts them in an advantageous position for the future. Can you believe that this band is from Snohomish County? It is my understanding that at least some of the members are from the general Everett/Snohomish area. That’s very good news indeed. Let’s have more metal in the Everett/Snohomish/Lake Stevens/ Marysville/Arlington area.

The band is: Tye Jones: the grit and the crunch Josh Keifer: the cannons Kevin Carbrey: the thunder

Andrew Dennis: the lead crunch The band has been active for a while now www.facebook.com/aflourishingscourge and has a good story so far, one that www.twitter.com/a_scourge hopefully is just beginning. The following www.reverbnation.com/aflourishingscourge information is from the band’s bio: for tickets or booking information, please contact [email protected] “ … In October 2009 first birthday was celebrated by going on promotional tour SCREAM of TERROR tour 2009. Thus supporting ** EP they visited European Russia …Tour was crowned with utterly successful show at REVIEWS/NEWS PETROGRIND – 6 (St. Peterburg) ...

October 2011 the band bestowed fans with first music video Alive Underground, two 6 months later they issued second EP Mind You can listen to the music at the Bandcamp. Extract that included 5 songs. Next tour was www/dehydratedruss.bandcamp.com finished with playing at ‘Jeleznie Devi’ www.facebook.com/dehydratedband www.twitter.com/bandDEHYDRATED Summer 2012 was dedicated to recording www.headxplode.bigcartel.com second full-length album ZONE beneath the SKIN that was released under HEADXPLODE Steel Raiser (Italy): Unstoppable (Iron Record in 29th September. Halved support Shield Records) tour included visiting Russian Far East, Siberia, Steel Raiser’s album is strong traditional heavy European Russia and Ukraine. Early January of metal in the style of big time, prime time Judas 2013 DEHYDRATED granted fans second music Priest-Primal Fear pounding heavy metal with video WEREWOLF … 2013 for the band window-shattering screaming, from Italy to the became even more successful in live nations. The band represents total loyalty and performances… devotion to heavy metal, as the gods first

created it and as it is documented in the Winter 2013 takes another significant event in book of heavy metal written in iron pages. the band's first tour of Europe. Which was Steel Raiser is band of crusaders of heavy timed to the anniversary as well and was metal that is true as steel and keeps it true to named Anniversary winter tour 2013. Road the heart. The record company also adheres includes 17 cities, 8 countries: Poland, Czech to the curmudgeon philosophy when they Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, say: “IRON SHIELD Records is a Label for loyal Belarus and Russia … In the summer of 2014 oldschool metal fans. Mostly for real Heavy/ DEHYDRATED sent to it’s biggest tour in the Speed & Thrash Metal, no modern or trendy history of the band, 'GANGSTERS of the ROADS stuff!” You see? They are on the same page. euro tour 2014', consisting of 25 dates. Border trails are expanding and it includes countries The band is: such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Gianluca Rossi – guitar of steel Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Hungary, Alfonso Giordano – voice of iron Macedonia, Romania, Serbia. 7 of these Giuseppe Seminara – guitar of fire concerts, open air festivals, such as: OBSCENE Salvo Pizzimento – bass of thunder EXTREME fest (Czech republic), DEATH FEAST Antonio Portale – drums of apocalypse (Germany), Aggressive music fest (Czech republic), FLASH party (Slovakia) and others…”

Metal Archives lists the discography as:

Suffering from Mummification demo 2010 Duality of Existence Full-length 2011 PureFilth / Dehydrated / Grace Disgraced / Redrvm Split 2011 Mind Extract EP 2011 Zone Beneath the Skin Full-length 2012 Scar Inside Single 2014

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I have had to listen to this album a bunch of www.facebook.com/SteelRaiserOfficial times to confirm what I am hearing. I thought www.ironshieldrecords.de that maybe the album sounded great because I was in a good mood. Maybe only Mangog (U.S.): Daydreams within the first few songs sound awesome and I need Nightmares to listen to the complete recording? Perhaps Mangog is a new band that plays classic-style the slow songs and the ballads will be bad? I Sabbath/Zeppelin/blues heavy rock doom. It’s hear no slow songs and no ballads. Ok, well, a new band formed in 2014 and there are that solves that problem! only three songs so far on Bandcamp, but there is a lot more than meets the eye to There are three main speeds: fast heavy metal Mangog. that is akin to speed/thrash metal. There are uptempo songs that makes it impossible not to The band is: bang your head, whether you are on the bus, Myke Wells: vocals at the grocery store, at the gym, or when you Bert Hall, Jr.: guitars, vocals are marching in the streets against capitalism, Darby Cox: bass or marching for capitalism (whichever one it is Mike Rix: drums that you do). There also some midtempo moments when the band brings on a bit more melody.

They have a song called “Dreaming of You” and it is not a ballad! The most melodic song is called “The Last Tears” and it is also not a ballad. They just like to rock out and play fast and play faster and bang their heads.

The vocals are traditional, but there are various shades and tones of singing. I have tried to find out if this is all the same singer and I have not found anything that says that it is Bert Hall is the same person associated with not the same person. The various tones that the long-running band Revelation and Mike you can hear make for an interesting listen. Rix is a former member of doomsters Iron Man. They do have a song with some guest vocals, Metal Archives says that Bert joined doomsters but that’s easy to hear and that’s easily Revelation in 1988. Revelation (Maryland, U.S.) confirmed by looking it up on Metal Archives, early in its career was on Rise Above Records, too. Napalm Death/Cathedral vocalist Lee Dorrian’s record label, such as for the You love true heavy metal. You keep it true. wonderful cult doom album “Salvation’s You want the original and authentic heavy Answer” (1991). Bert does a bunch of other metal, but you say that you do not know Steel music endeavors, of course, such as Against Raiser. Well, Steel Raiser actually knows you Nature. Mike Rix has a long list of music bands, very well. Steel Raiser is you. Steel Raiser is too, but doomsters will recognize the name heavy metal. Iron Man the most, perhaps.

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As you can see, these are veterans of music, metal and doom. About the new music: the EP is an impressive illustration of doom that listeners into 70s Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and other 70s heavy rock acts will understand. Listeners into Witchfinder General, Candlemass, Trouble, Pentagram, Count Raven, Saint Vitus, and Pagan Altar should put Mangog on their list of classic-style doom bands to research.

This three-song 17-minute EP serves as an excellent introduction to the band. I may If you support crossover, and you have not have given you the incorrect impression that listened to this band or have not heard the perhaps Mangog might sound like this or that new vocalist, right now is a good chance to band. Rest assured that this is not the case, in hear what they are doing in 2015 and they my opinion. To me, the main vocalist Myke are hinting at what’s coming. Go to Wells sounds only like Myke Wells and there is Bandcamp to hear the newest track with the a vibe about his voice that makes Mangog new vocalist Jo Smit. sound genuine and different. Mangog interprets doom, 70s heavy rock blues and www.junkyardlipstick.bandcamp.com/music metal in a way that, in my view, sounds fresh www.facebook.com/junkyard.lipstick to the ears. www.twitter.com/junkyardlipstic

You can go to the Bandcamp page and listen Deiphago (Costa Rica) to the full recording. If you have an interest in Bestial metal squadron Deiphago began in hearing rock/blues-based traditional doom, I the Philippines in 1989, but has been based in hope that you give it a listen. Don’t take my Costa Rica for more than ten years now, word for it, either. Go to Bandcamp and listen according to Metal Archives. Deiphago plays for yourself. Personally, I’m excited to hear the barbaric, war metal associated with the more music. I like where this band is going. early periods of bands like Venom, Sodom,

Destruction, Bathory, Sarcófago, Blasphemy, www.mangog.bandcamp.com Nifelheim, Destroyer 666, Revenge, Conqueror www.facebook.com/MangogDoom and others playing raw/black/thrash/war www.twitter.com/mangogdoom metal that is as primal as it is chaotic.

Junkyard Lipstick (South Africa) Crossover band Junkyard Lipstick recently has been going through some lineup changes and it seemed like things were getting a bit quiet, but they seem to have gotten reorganized and it appears like things are looking up again and that’s very good news for the band and for those that support them.

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The heritage of extreme chaos metal is what All these recordings are free when last Deiphago lives. It’s not music for most metal checked September 2, 2015. listeners. Many people complain that the band “should” get a better production or that Let Them Hang (Sweden) the music sounds “disjointed,” so on and so “Human Macabre Icon” is the 2015 three-song forth. Such complaints seem to suggest that EP by this groove death metal band. So far, the band needs to become better at playing the band has four EPs since 2013, and this is the instruments, that they need to practice the fourth one. The band goes for a definite more or that they need to do something in Swedish groove death or death ‘n’ roll sound. order to be more musical. All of such The band says that their basis is death metal complaining goes to show you how and punk, and the result is heavy and simple misunderstood Deiphago and this genre is. growl metal with the old Swedish guitar tone. The reviews complain today the same way The band also says that they record their that the critics complained decades ago: music live in the studio, for that death punk that Venom is too raw, that Helllhammer is too feel. extreme, that Sodom is the worst band in the world, that Revenge is too monotonous, and now that Deiphago is not musical enough. Don’t you think that this band, if they wanted, could write more melodic songs or make more commercial songs? Yes, they absolutely could because they have been playing music for a long time. Bands like

Venom, Sodom, Celtic Frost, Destruction, Destroyer 666 and others have shown that Let Them Hang is: they can be melodic when they want. Writing Peter: drums and percussion melodic metal for a band that was formed in Staffan: Bass and vocals 1989 should not be a problem, but that is not Alex: Guitar and vocals what this album is. This album is about extreme chaos metal, and Deiphago is really good at Listen and download the free recordings here. it. Deiphago is a raging bull in a china shop, www.letthemhang.bandcamp.com/releases unclinical, unperfect, dirty and mean, which is www.facebook.com/lthgbg on purpose because this band seeks to take it to the end of the line in terms of brutality and Amorite (Hungary) bestial metal, in direct contrast to the “Invisible Fire” is the band’s debut, a seven- perfect/clinical/computerized metal of today. song 2015 recording. Amorite breathes old www.hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/albu school death metal, and they make sure to m/into-the-eye-of-satan keep it traditional and orthodox, based www.deiphago.webs.com around the vibe of 1988-1991 classic death www.facebook.com/666division metal: heavy, growled expressive vocals, riffs email: [email protected] that emphasize heaviness and direct impact.

The guitar solos is where you will find a bit of melody, as is the case in traditional death FREE METAL MUSIC metal. This band is oblivious to whatever

10 trends in death metal are going on right now. It is death metal made by enthusiasts of the genre. Listeners that support the style should give it some of their time because it is made for them.

www.innerdarkness.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/pages/InnerDarkness/14 00721410232862

Inner Silence (Ukraine) “Constellation” is about 54 minutes of

instrumental dark/gothic metal. Inner Silence www.amoritehun.bandcamp.com/releases is recommended for those individuals that like www.facebook.com/amoritehun music that is contemplative and melodic.

InnerDarkness (Belgium) Instrumental atmospheric cave black metal is what you will find on the demo called “The Story of Nature,” a four-song 2015 recording. The music is meant, from what I hear, to take you away from the chitchat and conversation and noise of the world. InnerDarkness probably would like for you to listen to the music so that you can hear yourself think. You It is easy to imagine that the band wants to might call this music “post-metal” or create music that is serene, inviting to something similar. It’s meant to be simple and thoughts, and also friendly to the ear. The to create a sense of solitude. It is a demo music allows for that certain silence and recording and it’s not fancy. It sounds peace that is possible when there is no human “homemade,” like a demo, but if you like shouting or screaming over the music. No instrumental music and you like this type of voices are necessary here. It is music that is music (instrumental, demos), check this one more intellectual, if you will. It’s not meant to out. Of course, just understand that this is be elitist, of course, but it might come across pretty different and not for the commercial that way because of the band’s unwillingness world. to succumb to the rules of the game that say that you must have vocals/frontperson. Inner Silence is playing its own game by the rules that they have made. www.innersmusic.bandcamp.com www.innersilence.net

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Oblitus other projects. Anya however has not played “Shattered Shape” is the name of the free in any bands outside of Oblitus. Just to give recording by Oblitus, black metal from you some idea of the member background Adelaide, Australia. Oblitus works with the for the blog post.” sound of traditional black metal, including the vocals, the riffing and the sound. While it is true that today (and certainly in the U.S., bands are mixing hardcore with black metal and many bands are doing “post”/noise/experimental sounds) traditional black metal seems harder to find, these Australians represent the more natural, less computerized sounds. The recording lasts about 20 minutes (it has some interludes, in addition to the songs), and it’s a strong showing for the band, in my opinion. They formed in 2014, according to Metal Archives, but there must be more of a history to the members’ past because Oblitus does not sound like an inexperienced group messing around in the garage, which is what I would expect for a band formed in 2014. If you have an interest in traditional black metal, and you would like to hear a new band from Adelaide, Australia interpreting the genre in 2015, go the Bandcamp page and listen to music, and get in contact with the band. Bands appreciate it when you let them know that you downloaded their music. www.oblitus.bandcamp.com/releases The band is: www.facebook.com/OblitusAU Anya Vassilieva: guitars Levi Siegmann: bass and vocals Craig: drums September 8, 2015 - After the above was written, the band wrote back in response: “Craig the drummer has been in tons of punk and punk influenced bands throughout Adelaide for years now. And I've been working in the music field for a long time throughout projects such as Betray the Oracle (funeral doom), Pain is a Naroctic (DSBM), happiness and something psychotic (experimental noise etc.) as well as a few 12