3 Notes from a deranged mind... Contents Well, here we are once again, a fresh issue to have and to hold. A lot Witchery....................................................................................................................4 has happened since issue one, but I’ll be damned if I can remember what Criminal.....................................................................................................................6 those things were. Well, for one thing, the kind people at various record Grip Inc......................................................................................................................8 companies have kept me in the light with regards to the happenings in the Vader....................................................................................................................... 11 biz, good friends have kept me occupied, and work hasn’t killed me yet. Crucible.................................................................................................................. 14 7KLVLVVXHLVTXLWHDELWODUJHUWKDQWKH¿UVWRQH ZLWKDGHFUHDVHLQWH[W Arch Enemy .......................................................................................................... 17 size, so get your reading glasses!), so hopefully you’ll have more to read Amon Amarth...................................................................................................... 18 XQWLOWKHQH[WLVV$QGVSHDNLQJRIWKHQH[WLVVXH,¶YHDOUHDG\JRWDERXW March Metal Meltdown.................................................................................... 21 LQWHUYLHZVGRQHVRORRNIRUUHDOO\UHDOO\VRRQ WKLQNJHRORJLFDO Highlights in Metal Drumming ..................................................................... 23 time). Also have to say thanks to the numerous people that have helped Cathedral............................................................................................................... 26 me in this undertaking. Again, thanks to the family, Matt, Eric and Saori, Archetype.............................................................................................................. 29 IRUDOOWKHLULQ¿QLWHSDWLHQFHDQGKHOS6SHFLDOWKDQNVWR&DUROIRUWKH Dawn....................................................................................................................... 31 - FRPSXWHU KHOSHG DQGWR%REIRUWKRVHNLOOHUSLFVIURPWKHPHWDO Myself Am Hell..................................................................................................... 35 IHVW DQGIRUVLWWLQJWKURXJKKRXUVRIGHDWKZLWKPH $OVRDKXJH Anacrusis ............................................................................................................... 38 thank you to all the bands, including: Jensen and Witchery, Gus and Grip Spock’s Beard....................................................................................................... 40 ,QF$QWRQDQG&ULPLQDO)UHGHULNDQG'DZQ3HWHUDQG9DGHU&KULVDQG Reviews .................................................................................................................. 44 $UFKHW\SH/HHDQG&DWKHGUDO-RKDQDQG$PRQ$PDUWKWKHGXGHVIURP Indie Reviews....................................................................................................... 54 - 0\VHOI$P+HOO0LNHDQG$UFK(QHP\1LN.DUODQG6LOYDUD IRUSDVV Zine Reviews ........................................................................................................ 55 LQJRXWWKHÀ\HUV DQG+RQROXOX¶VRZQPLJKW\&UXFLEOH,GRZDQWWR Vault Reviews....................................................................................................... 56 take a moment to thank all those in the biz for their support, and for help- Next Issue.............................................................................................................. 62 ing me avoid too many pitfalls along the way! So, in no particular order, KXJHKDLOVWR%RE*LOPRUHDW0HWDO%ODGH-RNHUDW1HFURSROLV-R\DW 3DYHPHQW \RXURFN -RQ3DULVDW(DUDFKH&DUODW5HODSVH ,ZDQWWKDW $UNW\N *RUGRQDW0,$(DUO³7KH5RRWRI$OO(YLO´DW5RRW2¶(YLO (DUVSOLW/L]DQG3DXODDW1XFOHDU%ODVW.DUODW3ODVWLF+HDG%ODFNHQG DQG0DWWDW&HQWXU\0HGLD NEWS $OVRELJWKDQNVWR.HQ-RKQDQGWKH5HPQDQWVRI$QDFUXVLVIRU WKHLUKHOS:OKHOPRIWKH³XQRI¿FLDO'DZQ3DJH´IRUXVHRIWKH'DZQ SLFWXUHV$OH[5LYHUDIRURIIHULQJWRSDVVRXWWKHPDJWKURXJK0H[LFR Well, a lot certainly has been happening in the last few months. Iron &KULV)RUEHVIRUEHLQJVXFKDVWDOZDUWRIPHWDODQGDKXJH³URFNRQ´ MaidenKDVJRWWHQ%UXFH'LFNLQVRQDQG$GULDQ6PLWKWRUHMRLQDQG to Anders Nielsen for all the discs, the stickers, and for just being the VKRXOGEHUHOHDVLQJVRPHKLQJVRRQ1LFN%DUNHUOHIWCradle of Filth coolest guy that I met through the page... Also, again want to send a big VRPHWLPHDJRDQGLVQRZ¿OOLQJWKHWRXUGUXPVHDWIRUDimmu Borgir. GRVHRIVXSSRUWWR5RE&DUSHQWHU<RXDUHstill the man of whom metal Nuclear Blast has released a slew of new albums from such heavy- lengends are written. weights as Hypocrisy, In Flames and Children of Bodom. I’ve got the 2.XQWLOQH[WWLPHHQMR\WKHLVVXHDQGEHVXUHWRGURSPHDOLQHLI new platter from Six Feet Under, and it totally kicks ass. Metal Blade \RXKDYHVRPHWKLQJ\RX¶GOLNHWRH[SUHVV%DQGVDQGODEHOVIHHOIUHHWR has also let loose the new God Dethroned, an plan to reissue a whole send material to the following address: crop of old albums, Manic Impressions and Screams and Whispers from the mighty Anacrusis being a couple of those. Covenant had to 5HPQDQWVRI5HDVRQ cease and desist their recording when Nagash began to have problems attn: Evan Howell ZLWKKLVYRFDOFKRUGV5XPRUVWKDWWKH\VSLWLQWKHZLQGWR¿QGDUHSODFH- &DPSXV5RDG%R[ ment are completely false... Black Mark RecordsVHHPVWRKDYHDQRI¿FH +RQROXOX+, LQWKHVWDWHVDJDLQ GLGQ¶WWKH\KDYHRQHEHIRUH" VRORRNIRUUHOHVHV from Lake of Tears, Necrophobic and Bathory soon. Ever hear fo Gary 2K\HDKEHVXUHWRFKHFNRXWWKHZHEVLWHZKLFKKDVRYHULQGLYLGXDO *LOPRUH":HOOKH¶VSUHWW\IDPRXV GR\RXUKRPHZRUN DQG1RUPDQ band pages, complete with info and album reviews. 0DLOHU¶V7KH([HFXWLRQHU¶V6RQJLVEDVHGRQKLVOLIH6HHPVDVWKRXJK KH¶VDOVRWKHIRFXVRIDQHZ¿OPQDPHG&UHPDVWHUDQGIHDWXUHV6WHYH http://www.geocities.com/~reezon 7XFNHU Morbid Angel DQG'DYH/RPEDUGRRQWKHVRXQGWUDFN(DUO 5RRW¶VRoot O’ Evil compilation #4 is out, and is titled Zoso. As eclectic [email protected] as ever, listen and learn as to who’s up and coming on this blooming label. Century Media is set to release a whole slew of stuff, most notably the new Merauder, Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity and Tiamat2S- SUHVVRURI¿FLDOO\EURNHXSEXWDVRIWKHPDUHSOD\LQJLQSoil, I think they’re just changing names! It may be a little late when you read this, but the Milwaukee Metalfest has been moved outside due to the huge WXUQRXW,UHDOO\KRSHLWZDVQ¶WEHFDXVHRIWKHZUHVWOLQJ&KHFNRXWWKH ZHVLWH http://www.metalfest.com) for up to the minute info. Speaking of that time of year, Relapse is having their super special tour begin- QLQJULJKWDIWHUWKDWH[WUDYDJDQ]DVRPDNHVXUH\RXERRNDFRXSOHH[WUD days to see bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Morgion and other Relapse JUHDWVLQDPRUHLQWLPDWHYHQXH ZKHUH\RXFDQEHDQQLKLODWHG Karma to Burn should have a new album out soon, all instrumental, as they should be anyway. Carnal Forge are no longer on WAR records KHQFHZK\WKH\QHYHUJRWP\LQWHUYLHZ ZRUGLVWKH\¶UHVKRSSLQJIRU a new label. 4 Witchery Witchery )RUPHGIURPWKHDVKHVRI6DWDQLF6ODXJKWHU:LWFKHU\ZDVFRQ- that anyone could sing on a black metal album just by relying FHLYHGWRVKHGWKHH[FHVVDQGFDSWXUHWKHWUXHHVVHQFHRI+HDY\ on the proper studio effects. So, he was quite surprised when 0HWDO5HOHDVHGWRDQXQVXVSHFWLQJXQGHUJURXQG5HVWOHVVDQG we got into Unisound Studios and he found out that it wasn’t that 'HDGHDUQHGQXPHURXVSHUIHFWUHYLHZVDQGZDVMXGJHGE\PDQ\ HDV\WRVLQJDIWHUDOO7KDWZDVZKHQ7R[LQHZKRZDVDJXLWDU- WREHRQHRIWKHEHVWDOEXPVRI)XUWKHUHYLGHQFHRIWKH ist, grabbed the lyrics and shocked us all by displaying his vocal magnitude of their success was shown as they were recently talent. Naturally Ztephen was quite disappointed, as he was the DZDUGHGWKH³%HVW1HZFRPHU´DZDUGIURP6XRPL)LQODQG IRXQGLQJPHPEHUDQGQRZZRXOGQ¶WEHRQWKH¿UVWDOEXP,W 3HUNHOHWKHODUJHVWPDJD]LQHLQ)LQODQGDFRXQWU\WKDWGH¿QLWHO\ ZRXOGKDYHHQGHGWKHUHH[FHSWWKDW3DXOFDOOHGPHRQHGD\ knows it’s metal. Never resting, Witchery have just released the to say that a movie company was interested in having Satanic HDJHUO\DQWLFLSDWHG:LWFKEXUQHU(3ZKLFKFRQWDLQVFRYHUVRQJV Slaughter on the Gummo movie soundtrack. We decided that we E\$FFHSW:$63-XGDV3ULHVWDQG%ODFN6DEEDWK2QWKLV should do it, so I wrote this half-assed black metal song entitled UHOHDVHWKHEDQGSD\KRPDJHWRMXVWDIHZRIWKHLULQÀXHQFHV Infernal Halls, and another track, just for fun, called Witchburner. also adding two new tracks and the now infamous Witchburner We recorded these both in one day and were all surprised at how single, which just happens to be the three minutes that started it Witchburner came out, since I had wrote it in less than an hour, all. With plans to tour and performances booked at numerous and we had only rehearsed it like 3 or 4 times! It was then that summer festivals, the domination of the world is close at hand. we made plans to record another album with songs along the 3XW\RXU¿QJHUVLQWKHDLUDQGGRWKHµ:¶DV-HQVHQWHOOVKLVWDOH lines of Witchburner, also choosing to cover four tracks from of a band that was born in the night. eighties bands. Well, two weeks prior to this recording, Ztephen ¿UHGXVDOOIURPWKHEDQGH[SODLQLQJWKDWKHGLGQ¶WOLNHWKHQHZ 5R57KHELUWKRI:LWFKHU\IURP6DWDQLF6ODXJKWHULVSUHWW\ direction, and that this was never what he had envisioned for well documented, but I was wondering if you could go into Satanic Slaughter. Thus, Witchery was born. We realized that some detail about the SS breakup, and