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Deus Otiosus - Rise
"Godless" was the last album to be released from Deus Otiosus and while it's only been a short while they have return with its follow-up "Rise". A collection of assorted tunes that takes the elements of death metal, thrash metal, and even rock all fall into their proper placements. Like take songs like "Iron Rule", "Don't Fuck With the Dead", "Walk the Shadows", and "Will and Fear", have riffs and leads of that of rock, while the rest is more intense and brutal, even with the vocal chords they are even further expanded with sounding more in-depth and crushing. The songs themselves have that dynamic ability and song structure that keeps the intensity embraced with raw and aggressiveness not far off. So if Deicide or Vital Remains is for you then perhaps these guys will be as well.
WHITE EMPRESS GETS SIGNED
Peaceville Records has announced the signing of White Empress featuring ex-Cradle of Filth guitarist, Paul Allender. The band's debut album, Rise of the Empress, will release this fall on Peaceville in conjunction with PledgeMusic.com. The album can be pre-ordered now through PledgeMusic at: http://www.pledgemusic.com/whiteempress along with plenty of White Empress goodies from signed artwork, signed guitars, to the opportunity to record in Paul Allender's studio and more. Pledgers will also be able to download a track from Rise of the Empress.
Formed by guitarist Paul Allender - previously of U.K. titan Cradle of Filth - and with a full band line-up, this new venture into the metal landscape under the moniker of White Empress exudes the depth and ferocity of his prior work whilst pushing new boundaries. Allender's signature razor-sharp riffing and epic, melodic twists and turns compliment the sumptuously alluring and often demonic voice of Mary Zimmer (Luna Mortis) to create a master class in savage, yet uplifting metallic darkness.
The album was recorded in White Empress' studio and has been mixed and mastered by veteran producer, Kit Woolven (Thin Lizzy, Cradle of Filth).
With Allender's relentless guitar and Zimmer's diverse vocals, ranging from operatic to death metal screams, White Empress is exploring new areas of metal.
"White Empress is the link the music scene has been so desperately missing," said Allender. "The band started writing together two years ago, and have slowly crafted the sound that is White Empress. White Empress has all the best parts of the metal scene rolled up into one band. The music is hard, but emotive. White Empress' unique style and sound is bringing fresh life to the music scene that it's been crying out for."
In between working with Cradle of Filth, Allender relocated to the U.S. in 2012 and decided to start work on another project with local musicians in his newly adopted home of Minneapolis, Minn. along with his friend, Martin Skaroupka from Cradle of Filth. This soon became White Empress. Having also recently released the acclaimed EP, 'White Empress,' the stage was set for a full-on assault.
White Empress comprises: Paul Allender, formerly the main guitarist and songwriter in Cradle of Filth, vocalist Mary Zimmer from Luna Mortis, Will Graney, keyboardist from Damnation Angels, Chela Harper, bass player for Coal Chamber, guitarist Jeremy Kohnmann from The Awakening, and drummer Zac Morris, who's played with many bands including Ugly Kid Joe.
Stay tuned for more information on White Empress and Rise of the Empress.
Devilish Impressions's Quazarre Gives Brief Explanation of EP
Blackened death metallers Devilish Impressions went and released an EP and are in the process of following up to that release with further plans also in the works. Frontman vocalist, rhythm, lead and acoustic guitar, composer, author of the lyrics, production and everything else Quazarre discussed briefly about this release and the future.
1. Why did you want to take the demo release "Eritis Sicut Deus" and re-record it for the "Adventvs" EP? Why not just re-release the demo as a new EP release and not include it on this EP?
Quazarre: Actually, “Eritis sicvt Devs” has not been re-recorded, it’s been digitally re-mastered only. The idea of releasing it along with the new tracks was to make it more attractive to fans, so that when buying an EP they simply get lot more music, over an hour rather than 20 minutes only. That way, they can also check out what we do presently and compare it to what we have been doing back in the day. Besides, I think we more than owed that to all those who have been loyal to us throughout the years, especially because the demo songs have never been published before and thus very few had a chance to give it a spin.
2. How does this "Adventvs" EP different from your last full-length release "Simulacra"?
Quazarre: A number of things have changed in comparison not only with “Simulacra” but also with Devilish Impressions’ earlier works. First of all, when listening to “Adventvs” you easily notice a different approach to issues related to the production process. This time, instead of making it sound like “in-your-face” sort of thing, we've focused on making it wider, deeper and less compressed. More like the middle 90's productions. You know, acoustic, natural sound of drums, lot of reverb on toms and a snare drum – this kind of things. Due to the use of 7-strings guitars during the tracking our music has also turned way heavier than it ever was. Furthermore, for the first time ever you can hear other vocalist backing me up, as Vraath (the band’s bassist) took over the growling parts. Also, for the first time ever I decided to sing in Polish, and although it’s just several phrases here and there never have I done something like that before. So, in a way, the new tunes indicate a re-defined sonic direction we will be heading to on our next full-length. Well, maybe not exactly, as we always try to keep some aces up our sleeves when it comes to the follow-ups… Moreover, we did not merely want to bring about more diversity only for the sake of making it different from the past records. It has come out this way naturally, most likely as an inner need to explore fields we did not touch before... So, let’s say it indicates something’s about to change.
3. Through all of your releases you've released 1 demo, 1 EP, and 3 full-length albums, why did you see releasing full-length after full-length to be the right choice as opposed to releasing an EP, full-length, an EP, full-length sort of thing.
Quazarre: It’s been sort of a natural choice for us, regulated by contracts’ conditions and so on… Besides, I don’t see a point of releasing an EP after the first album for instance. Seeing our debut “Plurima Mortis Imago” suffered from different fuck-ups made during its production, we've been lucky enough to be able to work on a sophomore record right after. And I’m really happy we have had an opportunity to do so, because it certainly needed much stronger follow-up in order to constitute our capability of doing greater things not within two or three songs only.
4. Do you have any new music in the works for the next full-length or plan to release another EP or is neither on your plate right now?
Quazarre: Several issues have to be solved before we give it a go, other than that we’re ready to hit the studio. I’m nearly done with the new album’s pre-production so I guess we’re to begin a recording process anytime soon.
5. Would you ever consider releasing any of your music in acoustic format except do it acoustically with the growling/screaming vocal chords not clean vocal chords?
Quazarre: Never actually thought of that but I don’t think it would work for us, honestly… Seeing way over ninety percent of Devilish Impressions’ music is actually based on heavy guitar riffs with distortion being sort of their prime mover, taking it off them would probably deprive them of their intensity. It’s like with the top carnivores… What if you’d pull their teeth out? After all, would you still call them predators? Would you be afraid of snakebite if the snake had not been venomous? See my point? I believe the parallels here are quite obvious, hahaha.
6. Your lyrical theme of choice is Satanism, Anti-Christianity, do you use this theme for every release or is it featured on a few songs and the rest are based on other topics?
Quazarre: Well, believe me that having been raised in a country where the Catholic Church dominates practically all areas of life had a significant influence on our perception of the world around us… You know, you've got these priests constantly telling you what to do, telling you what’s good, what’s wrong, fucking inquisitors who’d do basically everything to hoodwink the society by imposing guiltiness on people, persuading them such an absurd as that we are being born stigmatized with original sin, and this kind of bullshit. At the same time most of them don’t actually live according to their beliefs and commandments. Quite the contrary, giving a closer look to the Church’s history or its recent activities make it very clear just how little it values human rights, especially rights of the disobedient ones… I mean, who in their right mind would trust in words coming out of a mouth of a sleazy hypocrite, murderer or a pedophile? Therefore we have been anti-christian and anti-religious from at Devilish Impressions’ day one. And thus we spread such message on each and every record we put out under this name. It doesn't mean though that we’ll be repeating ourselves over and over again. I mean, the attitudes and the spirit of the band remain the same, not that we are to bring up some shitty subject matter instead; it’s just that sometimes we focus also on different issues. As long as we consider them subjects exceptionally relevant to our way of thinking, relevant to our complex worldview that corresponds to reality in the world we were born and the world we live in.
7. Has Devilish Impressions ever played in the U.S.A. or plan to do so in the future?Quazarre: We’d truly love to yet at the time it’s pretty difficult to say when this would happen. It costs a fortune to make it to the US for a European band due to expensive flight tickets, working visas and so on. Obviously, if there’s anyone willing to bring the band to the shores of America feel free to get in touch either with us or our booking agency (all contacts at our webpage and social platforms).
8. What are your plans for the rest of this year?
Quazarre: Recording of the new album is definitely one of our priorities but we find it equally essential to promote “Adventvs” EP the best we can, especially as the new tracks point the direction we are heading to, in a way they can be considered sort of a pre-taste of what is to come.
9. Anything else you'd like say or would like to add?
Quazarre: Well, let me conclude this interview by quoting something… Although it’s quite easy to guess where it comes from, one may finally find what “Eritis sicvt Devs” stands for. The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” I bet you've found the line I was talking about? ;-) Hail Natalie and all of the North America’s Devils!!!!
A BREACH OF SILENCE Reveals New Album Details
Australian powercore-metal pioneers, A BREACH OF SILENCE have revealed the cover art and track listing for their upcoming sophomore album The Darkest Road, out October 7 on Eclipse Records (Mushroomhead, Our Last Enemy, Bobaflex). The cover art was designed by Gabriel Serbanescu, who also designed art for the band’s 2013 debut album, Dead or Alive.
TRACKLISTING:
1. T.P.N.E
2. The Darkest Road
3. Vultures
4. Silhouette
5. Hang ‘em High
6. In Reality We Trust
7. Lost at Sea
8. This is the End
9. Immortal
10. Hannibal
11. A Place I Know
12. Dead and Destroyed
13. Krazy B!tch
14. Time Still Remains
For this, their sophomore album, A BREACH OF SILENCE brought back legendary Swedish producers Fredrik Nordstrom and Henrik Udd (Bring Me the Horizon, Arch Enemy, In Flames) flying them “down under” to record at Acolyte Studios in Brisbane, Australia. The masters were later mixed at the infamous Studio Fredman in Sweden. A BREACH OF SILENCE are known for their unique mix of modern metalcore and power-metal vocal breakdowns which many of their fans refer to as ‘Powercore’. Clocking in at over 56 minutes, The Darkest Road delivers fourteen tracks of technical, impressive songwriting that will forever be remembered as the band’s defining moment in music history.
