NIFELHEIM – Interview with Twin Brothers Bassist Tyrant & Vocalist Hellbutcher
NIFELHEIM contains past members of iconic, Swedish death metal groups such as NECROPHOBIC and ENTOMBED. On paper, it would seem this group is mostly likely to walk the left hand path of the Stockholm death metal tradition, but that is not the case. Sure, the influence is there, but is a mere sprinkling, possibly a sprinkling of gasoline onto an old Nordic church, but these godless heathens proudly carry the touch of early satanic heavy metal. Bands such as fellow Swedes BATHORY, VENOM, SODOM, KREATOR and IRON MAIDEN made an impression on this band that has remained throughout their career. One reason this group has kept this classic, dark sound is due to founding, constant members Tyrant (bass) and Hellbutcher (vocals). These twin brothers, aka Erik and Per Gustavsson, form the core of the group. After a documentary about heavy metal fans aired in Sweden in 1998, Tyrant and Hellbutcher were given the nickname “Bröderna Hĺrdrock” which translates to “The Hard Rock Brothers” in English. Throughout the years, NIFELHEIM has released a number of splits, EPs, tribute albums and full-length recordings. Recently, they released Envoy of Lucifer, a pile-driving, Baphomet-worshiping, spikes-and-leather orgy of pure speed that still burns the torch of true heavy metal. The Hard Rock Brothers spoke to Metal Centre via email about this aural threat. Prepare to be bound, gagged, skinned and sacrificed to the Gods of dark metal!
DISMEMBER – Interview with Vocalist Matti Kärki
In the late eighties, a circle of friends in the Stockholm, Sweden area came together as architects of the Swedish death metal scene. These friends formed NIHILIST, GRAVE and DISMEMBER. Shortly afterwards, Johnny Hedlund left NIHILIST to form UNLEASHED, and NIHILIST changed their name to ENTOMBED. GRAVE, DISMEMBER, UNLEASHED and ENTOMBED formed the basis of a very distinct death metal sound, a sound honed at Studio Sunlight.
Each band has shared members, which may explain similarities in sound and style are. However, every band has unique characteristics that separate it from the other one. ENTOMBED was by far the most popular of the four; therefore, some would accuse the others as imitators, but each band came out around the same time, and as stated before, each group has its own distinct qualities. Of the four, DISMEMBER is the most melodic and is the only one of the four to blatantly use classic metal elements. These elements have remained with the group throughout its long reign.
The churning, down-tuned gruesomeness of their debut full-length, which many consider a classic album, Like and Ever Flowing Stream has remained. However, DISMEMBER has experimented slightly with styles. Their 1994 release, Massive Killing Capacity was an experiment with a death-n-roll style akin to Wolverine Blues by ENTOMBED. Dissatisfied with that trial, the group returned to their savage roots with the bluntly titled Death Metal. DISMEMBER has a style that works and fans expect, so their ensuing albums Hate Campaign, Where Iron Crosses Grow, and The God That Never Was maintained this maiming sound.
Sticking to their guns, mortars, canons, nukes and whatever artillery they have in their vast armory of metal weapons is exactly what DISMEMBER has done with their forthcoming album of no title (Matti fervently states it is not a self-titled album) . Here, the group displays the type of decapitating decadence fans of the group have grown to love. While sipping a choice Danish beer, singer, war general and all-around World War II fanatic, Matti Kärki gave Metal Centre the low down on his new, untitled effort.
GORTAL – Wywiad z Majorem
O tym zespole znowu zrobiło się głośno. A to głównie za sprawą ostatnich doniesień o rychłym zakończeniu prac nad jego debiutanckim albumem “Blastphemous Sindecade”, oczekiwanym od kilku dobrych lat. Mowa oczywiście o warszawskim GORTAL obchodzącym niedawno swoje dziesięciolecie. I powiem Wam, że jest na co czekać. Wystarczy posłuchać ich najnowszych utworów, by przekonać się o sile tego bandu. Nieskrywaną przyjemność sprawiła mi możliwość zadania tych kilku pytań Majorowi, który od dziesięciu lat pełni funkcję gitarzysty w zespole.
ROTENGEIST – Wywiad z Piotrkiem Młodym Winiarskim
Bardzo młoda to kapela, ale z ogromnymi ambicjami i potencjałem. Słychać, że chłopaki wkładają serce w to co robią nie oglądając się na innych. Mimo napotkanych trudności zdołali nagrać “Promo 2007”, którym w całości można się delektować na oficjalnej stronie zespołu czy też na MySpace. Jak to powiedział mój rozmówca “Polak potrafi” i w przypadku ROTENGEIST to nie są puste słowa. Zresztą posłuchajcie sami, a żeby umilić Wam czas spędzony przy “Promo 2007” zapraszam do wywiadu z Piotrkiem “Młodym” Winiarskim (który już nie jest taki młody ;)).
MORD – Wywiad z Nordra
MORD przypomniał niedawno o sobie zapowiedzią drugiej płyty o tytule “Necrosodomic Abyss”. Mało tego, zespół podpisał kontrakt z Osmose Productions na wydanie tegoż albumu a wiadomo, że Francuzi nie podpisują papierów na wydanie byle czego. Szykuje nam się zatem kawał muzycznego Piekła na miarę debiutu, który swojego czasu niemiłosiernie skopał mi dupsko. Premiera “Necrosodomic Abyss” już niebawem, tymczasem ja zapraszam do wywiadu z głównodowodzącym MORD – przed Wami Nordra.
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MONSTER MAGNET – Interview with Vocalist/Guitarist Dave Wyndorf
MONSTER MAGNETs story is long and illustrious. In its earliest incarnation in the mid 1980s, MONSTER MAGNET thrilled psychedelic, freak-out crowds in their New Jersey surroundings. Initial recordings such as their self-titled album (1990), Spine of God (1991), and Tab were cerebral, space rock efforts that shot them out of the New Jersey club scene into a cult status in the psychedelic rock scene. Their 1993 effort Superjudge saw them continue on their cerebral, spaced out path, but heading into a more conventional rock direction.
Two years later, MONSTER MAGNET released their break out album, Dopes to Infinity. Adhering to the formula set down on Superjudge, the group found its first radio single in Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Two years later, the group created their most successful album in Powertrip. This album boasted two radio-hit singles, Powertrip and their crowning opus Spacelord. Since its release ten years ago, Spacelord has become the quintessential rock anthem. One can still hear this track frequent the radio. Additionally, it was featured on the soundtrack to Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.”
The last few years have revealed a band of a different mind. No longer seeking to, as front man Davy Wyndorf stated, conquer the world with rock n roll, the band has stepped down from the massive corporate climate of Interscope/A & M and into a more intimate setting with Germanys SPV records. 4-Way Diablo, released at the tail end of 2007, proved to be Dave Wyndorfs toughest, most personal record in his career.
Due to lack of sleep during long stints on the road, Wyndorf became addicted to sleeping medication, which ultimately led to his overdose in 2006. This traumatic experience once again caused the group to reevaluate their career, leading Wyndorf to concentrate his efforts more on creating music and less on touring. Lead singer and guitar player, Wyndorf put down his pen long enough to speak with Metal Centre about the bands recent developments and provide a perspective on his extensive career with MONSTER MAGNET.
STILLBORN – Wywiad z zespołem
STILLBORN to zespół dobrze znany Death Metalowym maniakom w naszym kraju. I chyba tyle wystarczy… Wszystko musi być krótkie i zwięzłe, jak “Manifesto De Blasfemia” tak i wypowiedzi tych piekielnych alkoholików, na które czekałem ponad miesiąc (chyba tylko tyle wymyślili w przeciągu tego czasu). Dodać tylko muszę, że ten ich nowy album rozpierdala… Zresztą oceńcie sami. Przed Wami cały zespół 🙂
AUDIOPAIN – Interview with Guitarist/vocalist Sverre Dćhli
AUDIOPAIN is a Norwegian band that displays a sound uncharacteristic of their country. Audio Pain plays thrash in the tradition of German bands such as SODOM and DESTRUCTION. Although the bulk of their sound recalls German thrash, a closer, comprehensive listen to their latest offering, The Switch to Turn Off Mankind, released via Vendlus records, will reveal subtle hints of Norwegian black metal.
After being known as Hć? for a couple of years, the group changed their name AUDIOPAIN in 1998. Under this new moniker, the group released a number of EPs, splits, and participated in compilations. Guitarist/vocalist, Sverre Dćhli gave Metal Centre more info (or disinformation, depending on his sarcastic answers) on his thrash machine known as AUDIOPAIN.
EBOLA – Wywiad z Shyhą
Rok 2007 był bardzo obfity w udane wydawnictwa kapel z nad Wisły. Nie ma się tu co rozwodzić nad poszczególnymi nazwami, bo kto ma wiedzieć ten wie jakie tytuły mam na myśli. Jeden z takich tytułów ujrzał światło dzienne bardzo niedawno. W połowie grudnia Old Temple wypuściło na rynek “Infernal Revelation” zielonogórskiego EBOLA. Debiut tego trzyosobowego komando to piekielny, Death Metalowy atak w starym stylu, który zmiata wszystko na swej drodze. Nie wierzycie? Sprawdźcie. Ja zapraszam do rozmowy z Shyhą – basistą i wokalistą tego śmiercionośnego wirusa.
DEVILISH IMPRESSIONS – Wywiad z Quazarre
“Diabolicanos – Act III: Armageddon” to tytuł drugiego krążka tego wciąż mało znanego i często pomijanego w Polsce zespołu. Fakt, że DEVILISH IMPRESSIONS wydaje płyty dla angielskiej wytwórni sprawił, iż ekipa Quazarre'a bardziej rozpoznawalna jest na Zachodzie niż u nas. A szkoda, bo muzyka z nowego albumu (którego premiera w styczniu) jest naprawdę powalająca. I o ile większość opinii na temat debiutu była podzielona, o tyle nowe wydawnictwo powinno zamknąć gęby wszystkim malkontentom. Przed Wami Quazarre.