Angry Metal Guy

OK. So, my friend just updated his status on Facebook saying that, indeed, Pain of Salvation is going to be participating in Melodifestivalen, which Daniel Gildenlöw describes in detail in his blog post from the band’s website:

After the flights back to Sweden we had less than 24 hours at home before taking off for Australia. During those few hours I had to pack, take a bath and prepare the audio CDs and mixes for Melodifestivalen. For those who don’t know what Melodifestivalen is, it is the biggest thing in the Swedish music industry. A huge machinery built to single out the Swedish contender for the Eurovision Song Contest. Out of thousands and thousands of sent in songs, 30 are selected by a jury to participate in this national contest, viewed by half the population when it’s on TV. It’s a big thing, to say the least! Do you recall a week with two Thursdays, some two months back? It was that day when hell froze over, remember? That was the day they told us Pain of Salvation would be participating in Melodifestivalen. It just doesn’t happen.

For those of you who are not familiar with Eurovision or, the preliminaries that are Melodifestivalen, these things are about as metal as, say.. American Idol. That is to say, they are not fucking metal at all. They’re not metal even a little bit. There is not a shred of metal in this stuff. “Sure,” you say, “but Lordi got famous because of Eurovision!” To which I respond “Exactly!” Lordi, while funny, is certainly not a band that anyone over the age of 8 takes seriously at all. And that should give you the idea of what it means that Pain of Salvation, the progressive rock idols that are incredibly well loved in the prog scene (the word “overrated” almost comes to mind, though they are exceptionally talented), are going to be in Melodifestivalen.

The best part about this whole thing is the interview on the SVT site.

Even if you can’t understand Swedish you should check out the end where they slaughter this song (which I was informed of by Angry Metal Girlfriend, who totally knows this stuff.. haha)

Though, he points out thoughtfully that Lena Philipsson should have won with that song, and after listening to it I think he’s absolutely right. One wonders if Daniel Gildenlöw can dance like she can… If so, maybe they can pull off the big upset.

There’s a new group up on Facebook called Umeå Rock City which is totally fascinating for those of you who are into the history of metal or are fascinated by what your favorite musicians were doing before they were in the biggest and/or best Swedish heavy metal bands, or working on Drumkit from Hell, for example. It’s in Swedish and a lot of the bands on there are bands you’ll never have heard of. However, the band Metallien was apparently Fredrik Thorendal’s band pre-Meshuggah and there are some videos and pictures up there that are pretty interesting.

The shining moment, however, from all of this is absolutely this picture of Fredrik Thornedal (Meshuggah) that surfaced in the pictures. This must be him from when he was like 12, with a Flying V and a big grin. It’s seriously classic material… Are those leather pants, I spy?

And this is him today.. same fucking grin, just a little bit more facial hair:

Valkyrja // Contamination
Rating: 2.5/5.0 — Alright, some improvement, but still not understanding the infatuation
Label: Metal Blade (EU | US)
Website: myspace.com/valkyrjaswe
Release Dates: EU: 15/18.01.2010 | US: 01.19.2010

Early in my tenure in 2009 I received a record that was being re-released by Metal Blade: Valkyrja’s Invocation of Demise, which was a release of an earlier record that was initially released in 2007 on Northern Silence Productions. There were several substantive complaints that I had about the record, which can be summed up as follows: there is nothing new and/or interesting here; it is repetitive and boring; the songs are hyper simplistic and despite being fast, don’t feel terribly heavy. The challenge, then, for Valkyrja to produce a record that I review better is to improve on these things (and since Valkyrja is out to prove themselves to me and me alone, they certainly will try… *cough*) with their new release Contamination.

Recorded in the suburbs of Stockholm Contamination is the culmination of a three years and a new record deal from Metal Blade. While it came out pretty fast, the record doesn’t really sound that rushed. However, it still sounds pretty much like Valkyrja sounded on Invocation of Demise. The style of black metal is still pretty much blast-heavy, trem-picky and slightly melodic, without ever wandering into the territory of Taake-type melody. Instead, Valkyrja can probably be more likely compared with Watain without their extremity or originality.

However, Contamination is a definite improvement on the previous album. The riffing on this record is far more interesting and the song writing is definitely more compelling. There are some good riffs littered throughout and there’s even a song or two on here that I really like (“Catharsis (Contaminate the Earth)” being probably the best song on the record and the track “Ambiance of the Dead” being pretty compelling as well). Three years, and a lot of time to improve their writing and tightness as a band probably definitely helped pushed these guys towards a better record.

That said, the improvement is minimal and the result is an alright record but I still don’t understand the infatuation with the band that seems to be showing up in some black metal circles. They’re talented at what they do, but it seems that black metal as a genre is very much mired in the “we like what we’ve always liked” thing—or they’re producing totally pretentious shit and calling it gold until more than 15 guys have heard of it. This record is basically 58 minutes of the same thing and, frankly, it just gets boring. I make a point of sitting down and listening to all of the records that I get all the way through, despite whether I want to or not, THREE times. I have now done that, but it took me several weeks to even get through it once. I would start the album, get about half-way through and finally break down and change it. It’s not like I don’t like the tracks when I hear them, it’s just that they get repetitive and they’re not compelling enough to keep me engaged for a longer period—and an hour of it is just too much.

If you’re a fan of black metal you’ll probably just think I’m not a fan of the genre and write me off—but I once again will defend myself by saying that I like black metal that is well done, innovative and interesting, just like with any genre of metal. If a band is producing something elite, then it should be obvious: and Valkyrja is pretty good, but definitely not elite.

In Mourning // Monolith
Rating: 5.0/5.0 — Easily one of the best up-and-coming bands in the world
Label: Pulverised Records
Website(s): inmourning.net | myspace.com/in_mourning
Release Date(s): EU: 25.01.2010 | US: Unknown (Possibly early February via Megaforce / Sony)

In 2008 the underground was taken by storm by a little-known Swedish progressive death metal band called In Mourning that released a tour de force entitled Shrouded Divine. A powerful combination of melodic death metal, Opeth-y style progressive bits and death metal with just a touch of core (trust me, just a touch), they were ranked highly on many year end lists and, frankly, left a bit of an impression on this Angry Metal Guy. See, there is life past Opeth in Swedish progressive metal—something that I had been coming to doubt. In Mourning managed to put out a record that had all of the great heaviness and thickness that one wants in a death metal record, while still managing to keep the haunting progressive parts fresh and interesting. The question is can they keep it up? Is it possible that they’re able to follow up such a lauded record with something even better?

The answer to the previous question is an unequivocal YES! In Mourning has come back for their sophomore release sounding hungrier than ever. With improved production qualities and a new label (that has an eye for talent, obviously, and provided the band with great artwork by the same guy who has done the Katatonia, Opeth, Devin Townsend, and Bloodbath covers—Travis Smith) In Mourning has been able to shape their sound into something even more powerful and cohesive than what was established and distinguished on Shrouded Divine. That is to say: Monolith overshadows the earlier work from this band with its power and writing.

The basics are the same, of course. A blend of Swedish death metal (à la Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates) vocals, some hardcore vocals and some great brutal death metal vocals that round out the sound. There is a lot of downtuned chunk on this album, backed up by an excellent and tight rhythm section that makes the tight, technical bits sound crushingly powerful. At the same time the band is able to slow it down a bit and they use guitar melody and, sometimes, vocal melody to even out the landscapes of this record.

One of the most vastly improved aspects of this record, in my opinion, is the flow that they’re able to get. While Shrouded Divine was good, it sometimes felt like the band was too quick to write choppy pieces that felt unnatural moving into each other. Due to the improved production, and I think just a straight up tighter band, Monolith has hardly any moments that don’t feel natural and flowing. Instead, the songs are often deceptively long despite the fact that they don’t feel that way at all—clocking in at six or seven minutes when you think it’s only been 3 or 4—and the transitions are vastly improved. Tracks like “The Poet and the Painter of Souls” exhibit the smart composition that the band now exhibits, moving seamlessly between parts and never really following into bad patterns. The same is also very much true of “With You Came Silence.”

It’s hard for me to say this, as it’s the first record I’ve reviewed for 2010, but this album has the makings of a record of the year. It has everything that fans of doom, melodic death metal, metalcore and well, frankly, good heavy metal in general should look for in bands: technical proficiency, excellent writing, balanced production and cohesiveness. Monolith may well tower over 2010 as one of the best… Not to mention that In Mourning is definitely working its way into the echelons of amazing Swedish metal bands in my opinion. It has been a while since a new band from Sweden really blew me away, but In Mourning has all the makings of one of the greats.

To say that The 11th Hour’s Ed Warby has done a couple of things in his musical career would be a pretty major understatement. From his early days in legendary Dutch death metallers Gorefest to his current band Hail of Bullets and exceptional doom metal project The 11th Hour, to being prog legend Arjen Lucassen’s go to guy on drums, he has constantly involved himself in excellent projects. These days he’s investing all his time and money into making awesome records and having fun, apparently. Lucky stiff…

Anyway, this was also a new experience for me because it was quite possibly the longest interview I ever did. We started exchanging messages at about 2:30 PM and ended at around midnight. It turned out to be an extraordinarily extensive interview, and I didn’t even cover everything I would have liked to. I hope that you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed conducting it.

AMG: Let’s start with the new The 11th Hour record that you just put out: explain what you wanted to get across with the concept of a guy dying of lung cancer and reliving his past. And why doom?

Warby: Actually it’s not cancer. The inspiration for this part of the story comes from the death of my parents, both suffered from lung emphysema caused by heavy smoking. It’s a very brutal lung disease that slowly breaks down the lungs’ capacity for processing oxygen. You can still breathe in and out, but you need supplemental oxygen to prevent asphyxiation. It’s part hereditary and my sister also suffers from it, I only had bronchitis as a kid but since I never smoked my lungs are OK these days. Originally I didn’t plan to get this personal, but during the writing process it felt right to invest some of my own grief into the lyrics. I think the fact that it deals with real emotions (even though the back story is entirely made up) greatly enhances the album’s impact, a lot of people can relate to this since we’ve all lost a loved one at some point. I didn’t want to get all weepy though, so we chose to go for brutal realism in the lyrics. I also wanted to portray this in the promotional pictures we did, my sister fortunately shares my black sense of humour and she actually lent me her oxygen tube for realism’s sake. The album’s in fact dedicated to her.

Why doom? I’ve always loved doom ever since I first heard Trouble and Candlemass back in the 80’s, but drumming in a doom band never seemed too attractive. A few years ago I started playing guitar and in that position it’s tremendously enjoyable to create this ultra-heavy, slow, monolithic music. I also have a preference for anything dark ‘n gloomy, be it films, music, art, literature, so this is a way to put that to good use. I’m very much into death metal, but doom moves me in a completely different way and I feel very comfortable within the musical idiom.

AMG: Oi, my condolences, man. That’s rough. I guess that also explains the very realistic sense of grief that shows up throughout the album, though. What’s the quote? “We write what we know.”

But, while slow and monolithic the music doesn’t seem to ever be really hyper-repetitive or boring. During the writing process did you focus a lot on riff construction or song construction? What came first for you, the riffs or song concept?

Warby: Thanks, it’s already been a long time though. My dad passed away in 1995, just as I was about to enter the studio for Gorefest’s Soul Survivor, my mom died 4 years later. Doesn’t mean I don’t miss them still, my dad especially played a big part in my musical career and they both supported me as much as they could.

Even before I started writing my own riffs I’ve always been involved in putting the songs together and arranging them, that was basically my job with Gorefest in the past. With The 11th Hour I usually start with a riff or theme, and see where it takes me. For Gorefest and to a lesser extent Hail Of Bullets I try to stick to an almost poppy song structure, but for this I allowed myself a little more freedom as far as structure goes. “One Last Smoke” still has a very traditional song structure, but “Origins Of Mourning” or “Weep For Me” are all over the place. I tried to employ a lot of different “colours” to keep the songs interesting despite their epic length. The only part where I used a really repetitive riff on purpose is at the end of “In The Silent Grave”. Once I start working on a song I do usually have an idea of the shape I want, but if I get carried away it might end up quite different. “Origins Of Mourning” wasn’t supposed to be this long for instance, I just kept getting cool ideas to add and all of a sudden I had this 11 minute behemoth on my hands.

AMG: And are you writing lyrics and music at the same time? Or does one come before the other?

Warby: Music comes first, always. I’ll determine where I want clean vocals, where growls, and then I usually make up something silly to see how many and what kind of lines are needed and then we take it from there. More often than not I already have some kind of image in my head that either inspired the music or is in turn inspired by it, and from that I make a general outline for Rogga so he can work his magic. He’ll write down whatever pops into his head and I pick the stuff that inspires me and add my own lines until we have an actual lyric. It’s a great way of working, I’d never written lyrics before but with Rogga’s inspiration it came quite naturally.

AMG: How’d you come to decide on Rogga as a vocalist for this record? Why not do the growls yourself since you did everything else yourself…

Warby: I can’t do a decent growl to save my life… and Rogga’s one of my favorite growlers, so that was an easy decision. On the pre-production demos I did some kind of whisper-growl, which is pretty pathetic but effective for working out vocal arrangements. Rogga’s a monster though, it’s exactly the kind of voice I wanted for this. He can do all kinds of growls, but I really wanted a deep, booming growl from hell and I think he delivered masterfully. Rogga’s a really modest guy, and many times he wondered why I chose him instead of “someone more famous”, but to me he was instrumental in how this album turned out.

AMG: Interesting. So you didn’t think about getting anyone else? Or was he pretty much the first person who popped into your mind? Where did you guys record his vocals? Did he come down to The Netherlands to record or did he record in Sweden?

Warby: No, the thought never occurred to me. I was already a fan of his vocals from the first Demiurg album (and I considered it a great honor when he asked me to play drums on the 2nd) so I never really considered anyone else.

He recorded his vocals in Sweden, in a cabin in the woods if he’s to be believed. He’s used to recording his own voice from all his other projects, so that worked out fine.

AMG: Nice. Cabin in the woods definitely fits! I’d say you made the right choice, though, ’cause his vocals are excellent. The recording of this record is interesting ’cause basically you demoed it at home, right? Let’s talk a little bit about your set-up and how you’re doing this stuff. First, instruments: what kind of guitars and cabs are you using?

Warby: I didn’t just demo it at home, I recorded the whole album except for the drums at home. When I started this project about a year and a half ago I didn’t even have a guitar of my own except for the Squier strat my sister bought for me. Paul from Hail Of Bullets lent me his Ibanez 7 string so I could work out some tunes, and I used this to write and record embryonic versions of the 6 songs that ended up comprising Burden Of Grief.

Once I got serious about actually making an album I figured I’d need a guitar of my own so I started a rather ill-informed quest for the right axe. As a drummer I didn’t know much about this alien instrument and I ended up making a few bad choices along the way. First guitar I bought was a Gibson Les Paul Studio, thinking it’d be in the same league as the Standards the guys in Gorefest play. Wrong. The thing wouldn’t be tuned down to B, no matter what I (and the insanely expensive luthier I took it to) tried. So I sold that and got an Epiphone Les Paul Standard instead. Awesome guitar, I used it for 2 solo’s on the album, but it didn’t have the rhythm sound I was looking for so I got an Epiphone SG Prophecy. Liked the EMG’s in it, loved its playability but in the end it also had tuning issues (which show up most brutally once you start multi-tracking rhythm parts), so I started looking for yet another option. Ibanez was up next, due to good experiences with Paul’s guitar. I tried an RG with fixed bridge (I once tried to replace strings on a guitar with a floating bridge, still wake up screaming from that experience) and a 7 string (replaced the stock PU’s with DiMarzio’s), recorded basically the whole album and decided it didn’t sound right, so back to the drawing board once more. I had by then become convinced I should use a 7 string and as a last resort I got myself a Schecter Hellraiser after reading good things about it. Once I held it in my hands it felt like coming home, perfect tuning, fat sound, awesome playability, gorgeous looks, simply perfect! By a incredible stroke of luck I got in touch with the German distributor and they actually offered me an endorsement deal, so now I own 4 of these beauties and I’m positive I’ll never need another guitar ever again.

As for cabs: none. I record in Protools using a Pod for reference and a separate DI track for re-amping purposes. For the mix we used the Peavey 6505 setting in Peavey’s own Revalver amp simulator program, and we combined this with Recabinet speaker simulation (classic 4×12 Greenback setting).

Next time I’ll use a stronger computer so I can run these plug-ins real time while recording, that way I can leave the Pod out of the equation and just record DI.

AMG: Holy shit. So you basically recorded this whole thing with emulated sound? The bass as well, I take it? How about the vocals? How did you record your cleans? Do you have good rooms for this kind of recording? Did you build yourself a “vocal booth” at home? How’d that work for you?

Warby: Yep, everything including the bass. Credit for that awesome bass sound (and the rest of the awesome sounds for that matter) must go to Ronnie, not sure what he used on it but it sounds incredible! I played everything on a pretty basic 4 string Yamaha, next time I’ll use a Schecter 5 string bass for sure.

For the demo I sang through a Shure SM58 lent to me by Excess studios, but for the album I invested in a Shure SM7B vocal mic, awesome thing that is. It’s been used most famously by Michael Jackson on Thriller, guess you can hear that in my “hee-hee’s”… To create some kind of vocal booth I added a mic screen similar to those made by ES, only cheaper. My room sucks for it, but with this I was able to get a good vocal sound, and Ronnie’s EQ wizardry took care of the rest. I must say the vocals caused me more trouble than I thought, it’s a very self-conscious thing to record yourself and judge your own takes objectively. I have a tendency to do way too many takes (a bad drumming habit) and it can be a bitch to edit those together into a cohesive vocal. Funny detail: Ronnie insisted on using Pitch Perfect, an auto-tune program, on my vocals and I came out sounding like Cher on that horrible “Believe” song. Fortunately we didn’t have to use it cause my pitch was fine without…

AMG: By Ronnie you mean Ronnie Björnström who did the mix, right? How’d you get hooked up with him? And how does that work? Do you send a thumb drive or something? Because you basically tracked the whole thing at home, then, used all those different tracks and the sent the tracks off to Björnström?

Warby: Yep, Ronnie Björnström of Enhanced Audio Productions. Rogga hooked me up with him since he mixes about 90% of all his stuff and he also plays with Rogga in Bone Gnawer. Great guy, and very talented. I sent Ronnie a DVD with all the drum files by mail, the rest was done digitally through sprend.se. That way I could keep working on the songs while he was already mixing, an incredible luxury without which I wouldn’t have been able to finish the album on time. I sent him some test guitar- and bass files so he could set up an early mix, and then we fleshed out the songs with additional parts as I went along. The advantage of mixing during instead of after recording is that you’ll hear right away if a part is working or not and you can go back and change it, something that was impossible before. The last week was extremely hectic though, I’d ran out of time so I had to pull several almost all-nighters to get the job done, and consequently so did Ronnie. I think we put the final touches on the mix at 6.00 in the morning, when the sun was already coming up…

AMG: So, if it’s OK to ask, do you just pretty much self-fund all your equipment? I’m assuming you’ve got a pretty decent job, or are you actually able to live off your multiple projects?

Warby: All the money I make goes right back into equipment usually. Having endorsements helps a lot, but there’s always stuff I have to buy like everybody else. During the 90s I lived only off my musical activities, but times have changed and I also don’t want to have to depend on it, takes the fun out of it somehow… so nowadays I make music because I enjoy it, and this enables me to do exactly what I want, when I want, without the pressure of having to do an x number of shows or studio jobs every month to survive.

So yes, I have a decent job and I have my music to keep me sane and provide me with a nice bonus every now and then.

AMG: Speaking of the 90s, you guys called it quit with Gorefest again in June. Rumor has it you guys discovered porn. Would you care to extrapolate a bit on that?

Warby: Well, once you discover porn it takes up all your time really, doesn’t it?

No seriously, we’d run into the same brick wall of interpersonal and musical indifference that we did in the 90’s and there wasn’t much sense in continuing. We had no inspiration for a new album, we didn’t particularly enjoy each others company anymore and I just can’t function creatively in an environment like that. I wrote about 75% of Rise To Ruin because I really believed in the band, and I’m still extremely proud of that album, but it’s a tough act to follow and I/we couldn’t muster that kind of dedication for a second time. As long as there’s a common goal you can be literally indestructible as a band, but once the cracks start to (re-)appear it’s amazing how fast a band falls apart.

AMG: So you guys just made a clean break for it?  How’d that play with the honchos at Nuclear Blast? Were you done with your contractual obligations?

Warby: No idea, haven’t heard a word from them since so that says it all, doesn’t it? Too busy promoting the new Nightwish I guess… as far as I know we didn’t have any contractual obligations, just an unfinished option for the next album.

AMG: Ah-ha. Well, I guess it could’ve been worse… How about Hail of Bullets? How’d your involvement in that band come about? And why’d you guys decide to do an MCD with lots of live tracks instead of holding off for a new full length?

Warby: Sometime in 2004 Stephan approached me with the idea of starting an old school death metal band together, but then the Gorefest reunion came along and I just didn’t have time anymore. In 2007 the idea came up again and this time we managed to set-up a “band meeting” (i.e.: obscene drinking spree) with the 5 guys Steph had in mind for this. We got along famously and the next morning we took our first “band pics” in Theo’s garden (you can still see those on our MySpace, 5 guys with a massive hangover and big plans), a few months later we made our first promo that led to the deal with Metal Blade records. It’s a real fun band to be in, we’re just 5 death metal freaks playing exactly the kind of shit we’d want to hear ourselves.

The new album will not be out until May 2010 at the earliest, so we and Metal Blade thought it’d be a good idea to show a small sign of life by way of an EP. I still had the plan to do a “Nachthexen II” like Bolt Thrower do with that awesome “World Eater” riff so this turned into “Liberators” (the aviation theme and the first riff are the only connections to the original “Nachthexen”, but it’s close enough) and Steph wrote “Warsaw Rising” which ended up being the title track. “Destroyer” was already part of our live set, and the remaining 3 tracks were from our Party.san show, the 3rd show in our existence if I’m not mistaken. The new tracks were written specifically for this EP and will not appear on the next album, so it’s a neat little in-between I think.

AMG: That’s cool, then. You mentioned at one point that you’re planning on producing the next Hail of Bullets record. Is that all going to be done in your house again?

Warby: Yep! We already did the studio tracks of the EP almost entirely at my place, same as Burden Of Grief except the vocals were done at Excess. The way Martin screams I’d have the cops beating down my door in no time…

We just got a new workstation and some heavier recording gear so as soon as this is up and running we’ll start pre-production. Producing is a big word, but I do all recording, engineering and editing as well as coaxing the best takes out of the guys, everything except mixing really (although being the über-perfectionist that I am I usually have a big hand in that as well). Dan will of course be doing that again, he’s already done 8 remixes of Warsaw Rising in preparation for it, the guy gives new meaning to the word “workaholic”…

It’ll be a helluva job, but I like the fact that we’re in total control instead of having to rely on people that may not really understand what we’re trying to do. On Of Frost And War we had an engineer that wanted to clean up all the string noises, which to me is what makes a guitar take come alive, I had to fight tooth and nail to re-instate those little “imperfections” instead of ending up with a perfect but lifeless album.

AMG: Nothing quite so metal as a confrontation with the police over your vocal takes! What do you prefer, though, working with the other members or doing stuff by yourself? I know you’ve got some do-it-yourself pride…

Warby: “You’re torturing a man, we can hear him screaming!”  “No honestly, we’re recording an album!”

That totally depends on the project. Hail Of Bullets is a band and I enjoy it tremendously as such, whereas The 11th Hour is meant to be a personal project (in the studio at least) and I can’t imagine doing this any other way than strictly DIY. And I do take pride in finishing an album all by myself, especially since lots of people thought I had finally gone completely insane in my delusions of grandeur, but I also take pride in delivering a collective effort such as the Warsaw Rising EP. It’s all good!

AMG: I know that you’re Dutch.. you don’t happen to live near Den Haag do you? That kind of answer gives me the idea that your “good job” is working as a diplomat for the world court.. Haha.. So, now I gotta ask you: where does Ayreon fit into all of this? Are you just a hired gun for that project or are you actually a part of the “band”?

Warby: Haha, that diplomatic eh?

It’s true though, different dynamics, both equally enjoyable. But no, I don’t work in Den Haag although I live close by (about 15 minutes by train). Politics are not for me, I’m far too impulsive…

The first Ayreon album I did was Into The Electric Castle and me and Arjen got along so well he’s been asking me back ever since, even though he rarely works with the same people twice. This year’s Guilt Machine is a notable exception of course, and he actually called me before he started working on it to say he wasn’t going to ask me this time. When I heard who he had in mind for it and why I couldn’t blame him. Chris Maitland is a fantastic drummer and playing quietly isn’t my strong point. But apart from this I do feel like I’m Arjen’s drummer of choice for most of his projects. I was there for the Star One tour (one of the most unforgettable experiences of my career) and I’m sure we’ll work together again in the (hopefully near) future.

AMG: Yeah, sorry, but it was a damn diplomatic answer. I always want musicians to say things like “those jackasses? Well, I only work with them ’cause it’s the only way to get things done!” You never make any news with diplomatic answers…

As a side note, I’m a huge fan of that Guilt Machine record. It’s a shame you weren’t involved, then I could go all geeky fanboy on you about it. I think it might be one of Arjen’s best works to-date.

I guess I’m going to bring this back around to The 11th Hour again. I know the record just came out, but what are your plans with it? You planning on doing some touring? And are you interested in doing another one eventually or was this kind of a one-time deal thing that’s gonna get stuck on a shelf ’cause you’re spread to thin with projects?

Warby: Sorry to disappoint you, but Hail Of Bullets is a surprisingly solid and fun band! We’ve been together for over 2 years but it feels like 2 months, and whenever we’re on stage people always comment on how much fun we seem to be having, it’s sickening really…

I like the Guilt Machine album a lot too, Arjen sent me a copy (I just sent him a copy of mine) and I think it’s brilliant. Then again I’m sure whatever he does next will be brilliant too, I’m insanely proud of my history with him and before he asked me to be a part of his universe “working with Arjen” was at the top of my musical wish list.

As far as I’m concerned there will definitely be another 11th Hour album, and the show we did 2 weeks ago was so much fun it’s scary… I was worried I’d be too nervous to enjoy being on stage as guitarist/vocalist but it felt awesome and I can’t wait to do it again! The booking agency that does Hail Of Bullets is now representing The 11th Hour as well, so we’ll see what happens. It also helps to have 2 guys from Officium Triste in the band since they’re more at home in the doom scene than I am and know all the right promoters and festivals.

In fact I’m already working on the next album, so far I have 4 finished songs and ideas for another 3-4. As soon as Hail Of Bullets is done I’ll start working on it for real, I’ll just have to make time I guess.

AMG: Nice, I think we’ll wrap it up there! I gotta say I’m looking forward to all the new stuff you’re going to be working on. And you’ve been a sporting good chap about this whole thing. I say we rendezvous after the next Hail of Bullets for an update. Thanks a lot!

Warby: You’re very welcome, thank you for letting me ramble on! And I didn’t even mention that new Demiurg we’ll be doing next year…

AMG: Oh shit! I forgot to ask about that. That’s ’cause I haven’t heard that project, so I ashamedly must admit that I know nothing about it… Feel free to promote it here and now!

Warby: Demiurg is Rogga’s baby, I like to think of it as the Rolls Royce among his bands as it’s a far classier affair than the atavistic down ‘n dirty death metal he’s known for (not that there’s anything wrong with that mind you). Last year we released The Hate Chamber, which I’m very proud of. Since crossing “working with Arjen” from my list “participating in classic Swedish death metal album” was at the #1 spot, and as far as I’m concerned that was it. I don’t know where Rogga’s going with the next album but he has some great plans for it, so I can’t wait to hear what he comes up with.

AMG: Nice. So in other words: look forward to next year ’cause it’s going to be a pretty kick ass year for you? New Demiurg, new Hail of Bullets… working on The 11th Hour stuff. You’re living the dream man, best of luck..

Sonic Syndicate // Rebellion EP
Rating: 1.0/5.0 – This is everything that is wrong with modern metal
Label: Nuclear Blast (EU | US)
Websites: sonicsyndicate.com | myspace.com/sonicsyndicate
Release Date: Nov. 6th, 2009

Sonic Syndicate are a pop rock band that somehow got signed to Nuclear Blast. Apparently they’re from Sweden, but I wonder if other metal guys from this country would actually agree to that. I think many of them would say “Well, don’t they have an English singer?” Why yes, they do! He’s new, in fact!

The rundown is simple. Sonic Syndicate is poppy metalcore. Do not let their Wikipedia page fool you. Sonic Syndicate are not melodic death metal. There is nothing remotely death metal about this EP or this band. “Burn This City,” sounds like the theme song from a bad action flick, and the new vocalist sounds like the guy from Killswitch Engage. While “Rebellion in Nightmareland” is a little bit better than the title track, it too is far too formulaic to stand. Oh, he sounds like the dude from KSE on this track, too.

In fact, the only thing that I can say good about this band is that they’re all very pretty. So pretty, in fact, that one wonders when they found time to write this music between all the primping and preening they must do every day. When the fuck did becoming a metal dude mean becoming a goddamn hair model? Other than that, this is an example of everything that is wrong with modern metal. The production is so mechanical that it is totally soulless. The keyboards are high and unnecessary, the drums are fake and lifeless. The vocals are standard metalcore vocals, some screaming lots of 2nd tenor whining about girls.

This whole EP clocks in at 11 minutes long. Oh, and let me tell you something. There’s a 1 second difference between the “Radio Cut” and the normal version of “Burn This City.” I’ve listened to this whole thing several times and I can’t tell the difference. So in reality, the new material on this EP clocks in at about 7 minutes. And that’s 7 minutes you’ll never get back.

Marionette – Enemies
Rating: 2.0/5.0 – Blasé and derivative, show it to your 12 year old brother to get him into better music later
Label: Listenable Records
Website: myspace.com/marionettesweden
Release Dates: EU: Out Now! | US: 2010 release in the works

Marionette may well be Sweden’s very first deathcore band!  Well, I guess there could be others, but i’ve not been exposed to them (and frankly, I’m pretty OK with that).  Some trends miss Sweden, like nu-metal did for the most part, but unfortunately this one didn’t.  So there are a couple of things that I need to say up front, for people not familiar with the context with which Marionette will be dealt.  First, the biggest thing in the Swedish underground right now is Japanese stuff.  Kids are running off and learning Japanese; everyone and their dog is listening to bands like Dir En Grey and girls decked out in lolita garb are running around in parks playing with dolls and having picnics with every piece of pink they can gather together. This is a trend, and it is a matter of conforming to specific things that are very specific to individuals in that scene.  In fact, people from that scene are, in my experience, highly judgmental, obsessed with outward appearance, cliquey and lame.  So something in my brain breaks when I have 5 over-dressed glam kids with too much hairspray and neckties screaming “YOU CONFORM!” at me, while playing music that sounds like a blend of In Flames and good ol’ American deathcore.  That is to say: ugh.

This record has been well-received because of it’s well-produced, crushing blend of melodic death metal with the chug heavy, breakdown-infused core.   Actually, the reviews have been extremely positive and I find that to be surprising, because this CD makes my brain react like Teflon: everything just slips right off of it.  Every hook, breakdown and screamed word reach my ears and make my brain go “Yup.  Sooo… Think Sports Center is on?”  I find myself zoning out somewhere in the middle of this album, only to awake when it goes off, having never noticed that the second half of the record has already played and I’ve not heard it.  I actually went back and started this record over at the halfway mark and stopped doing other things in order to be able to actually hear the rest of the record.

Enemies is, of course, smooth as hell.  It was produced by Fredrik Nordström, and the band is obviously talented players.  However, there isn’t anything novel or interesting about this album aside from the occasional keyboard melody or guitar melody that catches your ear, Enemies is an exercise in “in one ear and out the other.”   The lyrics, from what I can tell, are fairly boring and narcissistic (självupptagen) and the vocalist sounds like a mix of that Gothenburg sound and metalcore and deathcore bands from all over the globe.

All of that said, Marionette is the perfect gateway band to extreme metal for a new generation of post-emos who only listen to bands that wear makeup.  These guys are slick as hell, they’ve got groove and melody that the kids will like and if they’ve never heard real metal up until now, they’ll probably think they’re really great.  Like all gateway bands, they’ll eventually get left behind for heavier pastures, but that catchy approach will probably serve them well in the grand scheme of things.

Scar Symmetry – Dark Matter Dimensions
Rating: 4.5/5.0 – Excellent, but formulaic
Label: Nuclear Blast (EU | USA)
Website(s): scarsymmetry.com | myspace.com/scarsymmetry
Release Date(s): EU: 02.10.2009 | USA: 10.20.2009

I remember the first time I heard Scar Symmetry very clearly.  I was checking out some stuff on MySpace when I saw that they were going to be playing the House of Metal festival and I was blown away. Not blown away with how good they are, though talented one cannot deny they are, but how sickly sweet their melodic stuff is.  I sat their and listened to it with my mouth agape thinking “really?  Does this pass for death metal these days?  How are these guys not a Top 40 band?” The answer to that is actually quite obvious: instead of dropping the death metal vocals, these guys have blended death metal vocals in with what I think is probably the most pop sensible writing I’ve ever heard in a metal band.

I was unimpressed at the time, but upon receiving Dark Matter Dimensions my opinion has changed quite a bit. This could be for a couple of reasons, though. Shortly after Holographic Universe was released, the band kicked out its old vocalist (Christian Älvestam) due to personal conflicts and touring conflicts. In essence, however, they had wasted an entire touring cycle and, reading between the lines, it didn’t sound like the prettiest of internal conflicts. The decision to go with two vocalists seems to have been the right one, as the vocal approach on Dark Matter Dimensions is fantastic.  The growls are low and brutal and the clean vocals go between good, high clean vocals and sounding like Ville Laihiala (Sentenced, Poisonblack).

Musically Dark Matter Dimensions is fairly formulaic, while not being too formulaic to enjoy (see: Threat Signal and Killswitch Engage).  The tracks are heavy, fast and fairly technical sometimes, but launch into huge, catchy choruses with clean, beautiful vocals over them.  It’s not often that metal bands write poppy choruses like Scar Symmetry though.  These guys have a special talent for melody.  On the second time through this record I had already started singing along with the choruses as though I’d heard them a hundred times before, and its that catchiness and familiarity that make the band so accessible.

On the other hand, technical music geeks will still get a kick out of some of the tracks on this record.  ”Mechanical Soul Cybernetics,” for example, is a technical circus, showing off the highly skilled guitar work and writing talent and even bordering on tech death.  This band is a beast musically, and that comes through more on this record than it did on Holographic Universe.  The band’s growing edge was a question of whether or not they could produce metal that felt edgy and heavy, despite being poppy and having sweet hooks.  Dark Matter Dimensions definitely shows that Scar Symmetry was up to that challenge.

This Angry Metal Guy has been getting into technical, amelodic stuff a lot lately because of the fact that melodic death metal seems to be really hashed through and done.  Scar Symmetry shows that this isn’t the case.  Melodic death metal can be done well and originally: it just takes a novel approach and extreme skill to piece it together. Scar Symmetry has both and they have outdone themselves with Dark Matter Dimensions.

Marduk – Wormwood
Rating: 4.0/5.0 – Sure, they’re not breaking lots of ground, but they’re so damn good at it…
Label: Regain Records
Website(s): marduk.nu | myspace.com/truemarduk
Release Date(s): USA: 10.13.2009 | EU: Out now!

Marduk is legendary in the black metal scene for releasing some of the most ground-breaking black metal of its time. Records like Panzer Division Marduk and especially Heaven Shall Burn… When We Are Gathered considered two of the finest black metal albums ever released; the former having been likened to Slayer’s magnum opus Reign in Blood in reference to how it changed black metal by upping the ante.   However, like Slayer, few bands get a chance to redefine a genre more than once and Marduk is no different.  While Wormwood is an excellent example of the fact that raw black metal can still be made and can still be compelling, Wormwood isn’t a scene defining record.  It’s just a very good record.

But just because Wormwood isn’t going to change how you think about black metal, doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth picking up.  This album is chock full of amazing riffs, raw as fuck vocals and just plain all around black metal mastery. Honestly, the addition of Mortuus on vocals all those years ago was probably the best thing that happened to Marduk in a long time.  It changed the sound enough to make the band seem somehow “new” again, and added a rawness and just straight up evilness that sends chills up the listeners spine.   This guy is easily one of the best vocalists in black metal today, and after helping make Rom 5:12 a masterpiece, Wormwood is the perfect follow up.

Frankly, I have trouble finding anything to criticize about this record.  Sure, it’s not mind-blowingly new, but it doesn’t feel overdone or boring either. Even the slower parts on the record, like the intro to “As A Garment” work to push the record in a good direction, and every track is memorable on its own. As has become the standard for later Marduk, the breakneck speed has been slowed down some, but this doesn’t detract from the heaviness, the rawness or the atmosphere.  In fact, it adds to it.  And when it comes right down to it, how many bands can even say “Hey, we’re releasing studio album number 11,” and have it be such a tour de force as we see on Wormwood.

To be honest, the big surprise for me on this album is that I don’t ever remember these guys being so melodically “pleasing.”  I know it sounds like a weird thing to say, but I seriously never remember leaving with melodic riffs and leads from Marduk albums floating around in my head while I’m doing other stuff. However, on Wormwood there are definitely melodic pieces that really stand out. See the “chorus” in “The Fleshy Void” which is honestly one of the best black metal trem-picking riffs I’ve ever heard.  Extreme, heavy and, oddly catchy (without being cheesy).

I’d like to say that Marduk is back, but they never really went away. Wormwood is a continuation of a legacy of excellence that few bands can claim.  After a stretch of more pedestrian works these guys have rallied and come back as strong as ever with an excellent record that impresses and never, ever bores.

As posted on the official forum, here’s footage of Mr. V singing.  It’s short, but if you’re a fan, it sounds good.

Yup!! I’m stoked.