interview with ancient death web-zine,..done by patrick

interview w/john editor of ancient death web-zine.and host/d.j of descent into acheron radio show {brutal existence radio} done by patrick



1.Hello John how is your week so far? Please tell the readers a little about yourself.


Hey Patrick, my week has gone well so far man. Thanks for asking!

A little about myself...Well I'm 31, from Pittsburgh, PA, married and I love metal. I also try to draw when I can, and am interested in history. I'm always reading or watching documentaries on things like Native Americans, Vikings, War (mostly WWI & WWII, Vietnam & Civil War) and Warfare.



2.At">2.At what age did you discover metal? Who were some of the first bands you listened to?


I discovered metal at a young age, around the second grade I guess so I was around 7 years old. My cousin introduced me to Motley Crue back then and I had a couple friends in school that got me into Guns N Roses, Metallica and Megadeth as well. I had to keep everything hidden really though, even up through high school.

My father was a Baptist preacher for awhile when I was young and he was pretty strict on what went on, especially with music. I had to get copies of cassettes from friends and keep them unmarked so he wouldnt know what they were and break them. He eased up a great deal though and ended up getting me into bands like Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, etc. I still didn't get to be open about some of the heavier bands I listened to because he still had a line you couldn't cross but I could never hate him for it. He's one of my best friends nowadays.


3.Was it long until you discovered the underground scene? Who were some of the first underground bands you got into? Who are some of your "current" favorite bands?


I didn't get into underground metal until my first year of high school so around the age of 13. Up until then I had only really heard mostly mainstream metal except for some bands like Testament and Prong. I had a screenprinting class and would see all of this cool artwork some other kids used earlier in the day for their death metal band. Turned out the artwork was by Mark Riddick and that's when I got into both underground metal and the artwork that goes with it.

The bands I started listening to back then were bands like Carcass, Immolation, Sodom, Dark Angel, Slayer, Kreator, Morbid Angel and Incantation. I listened to mostly death metal bands back then. The early 90's had some killer stuff coming out. Pittsburgh had a lot of great bands back then too that you would hear about here and there like Sathanas/Bathym, Hideous Mangleus, Chaotic Plague, Rottrevore, Derketa and Exit-13. I didn't get to see a lot of these bands back then but I had copies of tapes from some of them.

My current favorite bands right now would be Generichrist, Sathanas, Deceased, Shackles, Throne of Ahaz, Darkthrone, Sacrificial Blood, Revenge (Greece), Witchtrap, Wastelander, Necrodeath, Korgull the Exterminator, Profanal, Abhorer, and Im sure there's many more but I will be here all day haha


4.When did you get the idea to create Ancient Death web-zine? How do you come up with the name of the zine?



I started out wanting to print a zine about two years ago and back then it was going to be called Anhedonia. I didn't have the money to really get into it so I started kicking around the idea of a webzine since I had all of these interviews and reviews already done. I was, and still am, a big fan of Pentacle and got the name Ancient Death from their EP. I just always liked it and was really surprised noone had used it. A good friend of mine, Tony Anderson is the vocalist for Generichrist and he offered to help me out with it and put it up on his webspace he has for his band.



5.Have you ever written for or done any other fan/web-zines before Ancient Death?


Just little shit here and there, nothing much though.



6.How many hours a day would you say you work on the zine {mail,reviews,etc} Are you the only one who works on the zine or do you have other "writers" that help out?


I try to put at least a couple hours in each day. It doesn't always work out that way and some days I can't seem to get anything done haha. The only other person I have working on the zine is Tony from Generichrist. He writes the horror interviews for the site when he has time and does some of the music interviews as well. He wrote for Rivot Rag Magazine before so he knows what he's doing and does it pretty well. I can get behind sometimes with as many albums as I get in for reviewing but it doesn't take me long to catch up.


7.If any bands or labels are reading this what styles of metal do you support and review?


I listen to many different styles of metal, thrash/black/death/doom metal are the ones I prefer to review but will review others styles like power metal without a problem. I'm not a huge fan of ambient black metal but don't mind it at times. I don't like reviewing deathcore & nu-metal and the more mainstream styles of metal because they don't appeal to me at all.


8.In">8.In your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground today? And what does the term "underground metal" mean to you?


Well, I think the real underground days are over. I do believe the idea of it, the music and the spirit behind it are still alive but when I think of the underground I think of the 80s on up to the mid 90s I guess. It was still hard to find out about bands back then and it wasn't anywhere near as popular to listen to the music as it seems to be today. I just think that anything that is as accessible as turning on your computer and typing in a bands name and hitting enter isn't very underground. You used to have to write letters by hand, you read actual printed magazines, and you had to wait to hear the albums that you paid for. If it was a bad album, you lost out on the money you spent for it. Kind of hit or miss really at times, but that was some of the fun.



9.Coming back to the zine for a moment you have done some really good interviews with various metal bands.who have been some of your favorite bands to interview?


Thanks for the compliment man! Deceased, Master, Nunslaughter, Sathanas, Pentacle were all ones I really liked because I've been a fan of them for years. Generichrist was too because that's the only one I've done that wasn't through email, Tony's a great friend and they're a killer band. Nechochwen was another very cool one because I have an interest in Native American history and Aaron Carey is a phenomenal musician.


10.If you had the chance to interview any band/label {past or present} who are some you would love to interview/talk with?


Wow, I'm not sure haha. Jeff Becerra would be cool, Mayhem, Dartkthrone, Sodom, Kreator, Necrodeath, that's about all I can think of right now.


11. I know besides the zine you recently started working with Brutal Existence Radio. Your new show is "Descent to Acheron. How did you come into contact with Brutal Existence?


One night I decided to check it out and thought it was cool. Went in the chatroom and listened to the radio show and liked what they were doing. Mentioned to the co-owner Fowler one day that it would interest me to do a show if he needed DJs, which he is still looking for more of them, and he said cool and got me setup with a show.


12.For any bands or labels interested what styles will you be playing and promoting on the show? Where can they send promos?


A mix of black metal & blackened death and thrash. They can get in touch with me at:
john@brutalexistenceradio.com or on myspace at www.myspace.com/descenttoacheron

I put all of the shows playlists up on the myspace site so if you want to see what I've been playing you can check them out there.


13.When not working on the zine or radio show. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Any hobbies etc.


I mostly hang out with my wife and read, or watch movies. I also spend quite a bit of time in the Brutal Existence Radio chatroom haha. I've been thinking about taking up a hobby or two, like carving and scrimshawing. I also draw when I can.


14.Well brother thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to fill this out. Do you have any final comments for the readers?


Thanks Patrick! Great interview man. The only comment I have is to make sure to support the bands, labels, zines and radio stations out there. They all work hard to get metal out to the fans so show them you appreciate it once in awhile. Support all of Patrick's zines as well, he's a true metalhead and deserves it!

contact ancient death zine at
http://www.myspace.com/mathiasbloodaxe

ancient death web-zine {official site/zine}
http://www.ancienteath.com

descent into acheron {john's raido show on brutal existence radio!!!}
http://www.myspace.com/descenttoacheron

interview with astral luminous done by patrick

hails!!
we have a new interview with scott and his dark musical/metal creation astral luminous.fans of black metal with ambient/experimental influences should defintly check out astral luminous and their debut cd "lunaric tide" on hypnotic dirge records.
dark hails and enjoy!!!!
patrick and morbid minds web-zine.

interview with scott johnson all instruments and compositions for astral luminous done by patrick.

1.hello scott how has your week been? please tell the readers a little about yourself.

My week has been good, spending time with a beautiful artistic girl who I care a lot about. So emotions have been whirling, but I am still firmly on the ground. This comes from her and other things of course, I have been receiving a lot of inspiration and insight into future direction, as with my life and of course music too.


2.when did you first get the idea to create/form astral luminous? how did you come up with the band name? does it have a special meaning?


That is a very good question... It was a combination of audial and visual exposure, dark atmospheric music and transcendant black metal, art, realities of space, many things. My very beginnings, I was playing guitar and envisioned the idea to start recording whenever I developed a unique melodic style of my own, a very raw insight into my psyche, melodies whispering to me, waiting to be born into audial form. I wanted to create an experimental black metal/ambient project that displays more than aggression, more than depressing lyrics, but one that gives insight into ones' own mind, and hopefully create a blazing wonder about the spiritual and the cosmos. Within the listener, I want them to comprehend my music as more than sounds, but as sounds with a shape, movement, life. To float upon the floodgate of thoughts, and see where it takes you. More inspiration came from hearing recordings captured from space and made intelligible to our ears. Evocative, and very eye opening as far as music goes. Planets, making beautiful ethereal music.

So after thinking for some names involving something unique, the name came from the Burzum song, My journey to the stars. It is a phrase, which I took 2 words from, Ex.- "A quest for knowledge in the Astral Luminous." The way he talks so passionately about entrusting himself into the cosmos inspired me to be more of a spiritual minded person. "A quest for knowledge in the Astral Luminous." From what I understand from the song, and the research ive done, this name is not for a specific nebula, star, etc. His meaning of the term Astral Luminous is sort of unclear, but it seems as if he means it is a place of transcendence, complete and unbound comprehension. It is very hard to explain but hopefully I have given you some idea. The lyric, just inspired me in a certain way.


3.would you say you have an open-mind towards metal and music in general? the reason i ask is you seem to combine alot of different dark styles into the music of astral luminous.


Of course I have a very open mind to music! Ive loved many different types of music, from dark depressing, life threatening sounds to insightful progressive compositions made only of bells and cymbals (for example) played only for fun, not for religion or politics or anything like that. As long as I can stand it really. From black metal, to orchestral compositions. The styles I incorporate into my project are ambient atmospheres, black metal style instrumentation, but also experimental techniques and sounds. The main effect I try to create is an "Engulfing" feeling. I do apologize for the fuzz on my guitar on my debut album! haha! Going back and listening, I have many things to work on as a producer for sure, but that is what it's about experience and learning. The next album I envision will include some more acoustic guitar, and possibly traditional percussive instruments, (tribal drums, other cultural instruments) more natural sounds but also other experimental sounds I am working on now. The album will most likely be completely instrumental, meant for more insightful and meditative purposes, but of course I have some intense metal ideas too! haha Remember Scott, this is only an interview...

4.you are the sole member of astral luminous.{with the help of session-vocalist} are you currently looking for new members to join the project?
Yes, I am the only member of the band. Session vocals were placed onto my debut album for certain reasons... like for example, I wanted there to be actual lyrics to create a more concrete perception and understanding. Ok lets say theres someone who has never heard of my project, rather than simply relying on instrumentation for a direction, I wanted lyrics to be included, but I am not a vocalist, barely a melodic singer. As far as my ideas for future albums, I strongly believe that I will record with session musicians, but for the most part keep it simple. After all, it is I who made it, and I am the only one who can truly manifest the vision. A band NEEDS members. Without those parts, it would not be a whole. As far as this project is concerned, I focus mainly on creating it myself, but I do see myself working with many other artists I already know.


5.if you had the opportunity to work/write with any musicians past or present.who would you like to work/write with?


Spencer Nilsen (Amazing ambient artist), Quorthon, Nocturno Culto and Fenriz, Numinas, Hellhammer and Dead, Havard Ellefsen (Era 1), Nobuo Uematsu, Trey Azagthoth, Pete Sandoval, and David Vincent, Phil Anselmo, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, many other underground artists... Art/music is a another list haha!



6.the new cd "lunaric tide"was just released through hypnotic dirge records.how long did it take you to write/record the songs for this release?are you happy with how the songs came out?

Yes! and I am very excited! Hopefully it reaches far and wide, I know it already has, but even further. I wrote the songs in a few sessions playing guitar, tracked the drums which took a few hours, and recording is quick, not many takes needed. Mixing and mastering is the absolute longest and most mind exhausting to me. I mixed and mastered the tracks for countless hours trying to balance everything, which is hard to work with using alternate recording techniques, fuzzy guitar tone haha!

Considering my equipment, I am happy with how it turned out, and I wont listen to it for a while but will come back and hear it and am really surprised at certain aspects. Besides the music, the album layout design by Ba'al Graphics is so amazing to me. I am so appreciative to call it my own, because it looks so unique and different from whats out recently. The printing is of course very high quality from Smart Productions here, pro cdr and brilliantly colorful and glossy pages and reflective cd face. Please check it out everyone!


7.how has the response been from the fans and the press so far?

the response has been good. Reviews, messages and comments, radio and interview offers. You asked for a interview so thats a good sign haha! Its a start, its going to be slow but Im working on it.

8.when you start writing/working on new songs how long does it usually take you to finish one song? do you have to be in a certain mood when you begin writing new material?

I usually write songs very quickly, I have an understanding of drums and guitar and bass, so it comes to me all at once. It actually takes recording a part and playing along, experimenting, determining the direction you know. It helps to be in solitude, with some oil incensce burning to help open the floodgate.. but a certain mood? yes I guess you can say that. It has to be right. It has to feel right.

9drew {of dark procession} contributed the session vocals for the release.when did the two of you meet? are you satisfied with his work?do you plan to work with drew again or would you like to use different vocalist for each astral luminous release?


Me and Drew met probably a few years ago? I think. I discovered Dark Procession and was impressed from day one. Just did not expect to start working with him. I tried to record bass for DP, but being in different locations (no actual physical in your face learning) made it very difficult so eventually I believe he found someone and we talked about vocals and lyric direction. He adapted to it very well, and completed the album. Yes I am satisfied with his performance. I might possibly work with him again, who knows. I do not plan for vocals to be on the next album, and have a feeling I might keep it instrumental. I am not sure yet though...

10.you created/played all the music on "lunaric tide".so i was curious when did you first become interested in playing music? what were some of the first instruments you played? which do you feel was the hardest to learn? which one was the easiest for you?


I first started playing music after getting more into rock, and metal (around 9) and around 11 I got my first bass guitar. I learned on my own for a couple of years, then got my first electric guitar. I am on my 3rd bass and my 2nd guitar (both Ibanez haha! but RELIABLE) then around the time I got a guitar I became interested in drums because my best friend was an experienced drummer. So I have been playing the 3 since then.

Hardest to learn...hmm...bass. It hurt. I started my scales on bass, I even remember not being able to hold them down correctly. I laid the guitar in my lap and picked the strings thinking, "This is so cool!" Later on, I flipped it up and held the frets... I knew how to play guitar, it was because that was all I could do! haha small beginnings... Drums were difficult also, very strenuous and excercising for your limbs. The easiest was guitar I would say.

11.well my friend thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview.do you have any final comments for the readers?
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you Patrick for taking the time to create these questions. They were very thoughtful and well some of the most involved interview questions I have read, let alone answered. I am not the best with words, or with interviews, but hopefully this has given you more insight into not just my project, but myself as a person also. I know you have heard it before, but its true. Knowledge is power. Do not stagnate, evolve. Transcend.
~S~
to contact astral luminous
http://www.myspace.com/astralluminous
label contacts
http://www.myspace.com/hypnoticdirgerecords
or
www.hypnoticdirgerecords.com

interview with sasha guitarist of cyclotron-done patrick

metal hails
here is a new interview with my good friend and guitarist sasha of the mighty cyclotron.a brutal death band from germany that mixes both grind and even dark ambient music into the music. the band is letting you the fans download their demo for free!! so if you want one just go check out the blogs on the bands myspace page.
enjoy the dark brutality!!!
patrick



interview with sasha,guitarist for cyclotron.done by patrick.

1.metal hails brother!! how are things in germany this week? please tell the readers a little about yourself.

Hey Patrick, first of all let me thank you for the opportunity for this interview! we really appreciate your support!!
my name is sasha, iŽm a 28 years old guitarist from a small town near munich, germany.
basically its going good here in germany, the mood is slowly getting better with the weather.

2.at what age did you start listening to metal? who were some of the first bands you listened to? who would you say are some of your "current" favorite bands?

i think as i was a little boy with the age of 11, i started listening to Iron Maiden, soon followed by other great metal bands like W.A.S.P., Megadeth, Judas Priest and Ozzy.
some of my favorite bands are Zero Hour, Necrophagist, Running Wild, Fates Warning, Origin, Spawn of Possession, Symphony X, Meshuggah,
Treshold ... i could go on - its a long list.

3.when did you guys form cyclotron? what is the "current" line-up ? for the readers who have never heard cyclotron how would you describe the sound?

The band was formed about two or three years ago. At this moment the current line-up would only be me and Vince on the vocals. I think the bands sound is hard to describe.
Its Death Metal with a lot of experimentation. i like to call it unclassifiable Death Metal.

4.would you say that you and the members of the band have an open-mind towards metal and music in general? the reason i ask is i hear a death/grind influence but also a ambient/experimental influence as well.

yeah, of course. weŽre open-minded to a lot of music. Personally i love almost everything that is Metal and Rock, a lot of jazz and fusion, some country and classical pieces.
As long as its good handmade music chances are pretty good that iŽm into it.

5.the demo you recently sent was an amazing piece of metal art.how long did it take to write/record the demo? are you all happy with how it turned out?

well, thank you very much! the songs were all written in the first years. The recordings were long because we could only work on the weekends and holidays.
weŽre pretty happy with the first demo, although the sound could be better. and you always think i would change this or that when you listen to it now, but
overall weŽre happy with it.

6.how has the response been so far from the fans and the press? if anyone is interested how can they get a copy for themselves?

we had some positive and some negative reviews from the press. the responses from the people were almost all very postive up to overwhelming!
anyone interested can download our complete demo for free! just check the link in our blog on our myspace page:
www.myspace.com/cyclotrongermany

7.has the band had time to write any new songs for the next demo? any idea how many songs will be on the new release? have you all set a release date for the new demo?

The new demo is almost finished and weŽll soon upload a preview on our myspace-page. its entitled "Into A Subconscious Surreality" and contains five tracks.
we also recorded a cover version of the Necrophagist song "Mutilate The Stillborn". The release was planned for march this year, but we couldnt finish it, so its
postponed to may.

8.in your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground today? and what does the term "metal underground" mean to you?

being independent is the best about the underground. thats also what it means to me! we dont want to get rich and famous with our music.
getting rich is enough, haha!

9.you come from the mighty german scene.what is your opinio of the scene in germany today?

you never see too much people at a show. but there are a lot of metalheads around here that are true, loyal followers to the bands!

10,who are some of your all-time favorite german metal bands? are their any new bands you think the readers should check-out? if yes please tell us about them.

Some of my fave german bands would be Necrophagist, Running Wild, Sieges Even. As a new band there would be Obscura, an awesome Death Metal band
from Munich. You should keep an eye on them. i also like "Success Will Write Apocalypse Across The Sky", "Unexpect" and "Anomalous". Though theyŽre all not from gemany, but
i think it doesnŽt matter where a band is from when they rule!

11.when did you first become interested
in playing guitar? are you self-taught or did you take lessons?

i think i always wanted to play the guitar since i started listening to metal! with 13 or 14 i saw a Running Wild live-video. they had that damn cool guitars,
so i had to get one. i took lessons for about two years. my teacher played jazz and blues. he was an awesome player!

12.who are some of your influences/favorite guitarist? do you play any other instruments besides guitar?
Some of my fave guitar player are Michael Romeo, Jason Becker, Jasun Tipton, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ron Jarzombek.... The list would be too long!

As other instruments i can just play the drums a little.

13.when not working on band music or doing mail/band business.what do you enjoy doing in your spare time? any hobbies.

i spend a lot of time with my girlfriend and our dog. and you can find me very often in the gym working out. i also like playing Playstation or watching a good movie and
having some beer and southern comfort with a few friends.

14.well brother we have reached the end of the interview.thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to fill this out.do you have any final words for the readers?

thank you so much Patrick, not just for the opportunity for this interview and your continuous support and all the efforts for promotion you put into this band, but also for being a friend!!
you rule brother!!!
thanks also to all the people listening to our music and the readers of Morbid Minds Zine and to all the people who supported Cyclotron in any kind of way!!
you all rule!!!
you can contact us here "cyclotron1@web.de" or at our myspace page: www.myspace.com/cyclotrongermany
thanks so much!!!
METAL!!!

interview with gaz,co-owner of brutal existence radio,and dj for ungovernable resistance.nterview with gaz,co-owner of brutal existence radio,dj/host

brutal hails one and all!! here is another new interview i got today!! this time it is with another good friend and true d..i.y supporter!! gaz.some of you might now gaz from his radio show decapitating the masses {first on open grave radio,then on brutal existence which he co-owns.}

gaz decided to change the name of the show to "ungovernable resistance" the name might have changed.but i promise you gaz has not!! he still supports/spreads the brutal death,grind,gore metal like always but also does a 2nd show for more brutal d.i.y old-school punk/hardcore.well just read the interview for all the details.and like gaz says in the interview "don't tune-in if easily offended" GAZ IS NOT A ROCKSTAR OR ATTIUDE.BUT ALSO IS NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK HIS MIND.which i personally as a old-school metal head respect alot.and so should you!!

enjoy and support all things metal!!!

patrick and morbid minds web-zine.

interview with gaz,co-owner of brutal existence radio,dj/host for decapitating the masses,and bottle of piss.done by patrick.

1.metal hails brother! how has your week been going? please tell the readers a little about yourself.

I’m doing sound thx mate, but Decapitating The Masses & Bottle of Piss no longer exist lol, but I’ll explain about that at the end of the interview.

Not much to tell really I’m 26 & escaped out of a mental asylum a few years ago and am still on the run from the authorities to this day. Even the other patients were offended by my rants so I suppose I have done them a valuable service in a way. Oh I happen to do a couple of radio shows and run brutal existence radio when I’m not in the local police station.

2.at what age did you discover metal? who were some of the first bands you listened to? what about in the current scene who are some of your favorite bands?

Metal has always been around me even when I was a little kid or when I was a young sperm swimming in our Dad’s sack. I grew up hearing my Dad play punk/hardcore and my Mum blasting out NWOBHM, 70s metal, rock etc so don’t think I ever had a choice not to be some sort of metaler. So I suppose the first bands I listened to or heard to be more accurate were the Sex Pistols, Discharge, GBH, Crass, Motorhead, Metallica (I hate them), Anthrax (fuck off Joey), Exodus, Destruction, Slammer, Napalm Death, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest. So a real mixture as my parents were a bit different in tastes one being metal/rock the other punk/hc. Punk mixed in with the usual metal shite then eh lol. My mother played some terrible cock rock shite as well. Fucking hell mate I’m not bringing that memory back lol. Fucking sweaty bollock shite as we call it here lol.

First bands that I listened to were most of the above as I was being spoon fed those bands and I later moved on to Slayer, Kreator, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Extreme Noise Terror and gradually sought out nastier and heavier music which I still do to this day.

Napalm Death, Abominable Putridly, Deranged (now split up, sighs), Dying Fetus, Mastabah, Poppy Seed Grinder, Visceral Bleeding, Kataplexia, Cripple Bastards, Gore, Rotten Sound, Siege of Hate, Tools of the Trade (good far eastern grind), Skitsystem, Extinction of Mankind, Seitan, Abysmal Torment, Sotajumala, Stormcrow, Ruin (D-beat), Driller Killer. You get the idea just nastiness and I’d be here until the 42^nd century if I was to name every band lol.

3.well we have quite a bit to cover so i guess i will start with brutal existence radio.when did you decide to start up the station? how did you all come up with the name? We haven’t been around that long actually and we started in late December last year. The station was created after the closure of Open Grave Radio and we just wanted to see if we could have a go at our own project. Believe it or not the name took a long time for us to come up with and we went through a ridiculous amount of possible alternatives. I can’t even remember how we decided on ‘Brutal Existence’ lol.

4.for the readers who don't know your co-owner is fowler.how did you two meet? i know you live in the u.k and fowler in the u.s does this make it difficult to work on station business at all?

We were both djs on the former Open Grave Radio station.

Not really and it allows two people to bring something different to the station which is a good thing.

5. the station has only been up and running for a few months now.but already you seem to have a good solid station with some kick ass shows/dj's. can you please tell the readers a little about the shows and what styles they cover/play etc..

Ungovernable Resistance which is my new show that replaces DTM & BOP (Brutal DM/Grindcore/Goregrind/Porngrind/DM on Wednesday’s/Friday’s) and on Saturday editions (D-Beat/Crust/Punk/Crossover/HC), The Murdershack (Brutal DM/Power Violence/Punk/Grind and if Goat is stoned to fuck sometimes Sludge/Doom), Journeys Through The Black Abyss (Black Metal/Depressive BM/Tuesday editions) & Thrash (Thursday editions), The Incinerator (Sludge/Doom/Death/Grind/Thrash & sometimes other styles), Audio Aggression (Variety metal with a strong thrash emphasis), The Coroner’s Office (Variety metal with a strong black metal emphasis), Crestfallen (Doom/Sludge), The Thrash Can (Thrash, Death Thrash, Old school dm), Brutalism Pod Cast (Variety metal), Ye Olde Metal Shoppe Pod Cast (Variety metal), The Inbox (submission based airplay show), Random metal and fuck knows what else lol

6.well besides being co-owner one of the shows you are d.j for is "decapitating the masses".when did you first get the idea to start up this show? how did you come up with the name for the show?

I wanted to dj in clubs, but unless you play mainstream shite or the same over played songs you cannot get a break so Internet djaying was the next best route. Took me a good 6 months to decide if I wanted to do it lol. I wanted to play music I was passionate about and give people a show that would be as honest as possible, which many don’t like, but I don’t care I have my own set of beliefs and ways. Rofl I came up with the name during a night out with my mates on the piss. One of our friends was sat suffering all night at the amount of commercial and generic shite that was being played in a club. The dance floor was full of fucking comb over cock nozzlers spazzing out to fucking Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan and terrible mainstream wank. My mate said ‘for fucksake don’t you wish something would come on semi moshable that would clear the dance floor?” To which I replied, “Aye I could do with some Wolverine claws & I’d go on the dance floor and decapitate the mainstream masses”. So I adapted the name into my show.

7.for the readers who have never heard the show. what styles of metal do you play/support?
if any bands/labels are interested in airplay where can they send cd's,cdr's or mp3's etc.?

Wed/Friday editions of Ungovernable Resistance plays – slam, brutal dm, goregrind, porngrind, grindcore, sometimes old school dm. Saturday editions of Ungovernable Resistance plays D-Beat/Crust/Punk/Crossover & a little hardcore.

Just email ‘ungovernableresistance@googlemail.com’. I don’t like playing things that sound like old nana’s having a piss.

LOL I wouldn’t tune in if easily offended or cannot handle a different culture and someone that will speak out against subjects he doesn’t agree with or like.

Generally mate its just uncensored madness with a soundtrack to match.

8.what do you think is the easiest part and the hardest part about doing a internet radio show? do you have any advice to someone reading this who might be interested in trying it?

Staying sober. Remembering shout outs. Finding the time as it can be difficult to balance everything in accordance. My advice is this: - Do it your own way, own style, be your self and be honest. Keep it DIY in every aspect of the word.

9.in your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground today? and what does the therm "metal underground" mean to you?

Death metal gangs generally do the scene more harm than good with their political bull shite, rock star egos, people taking advantage of the real DIY people out there who work their arses off for fuck all and ya don’t even get a thank you in return for helping them. I have experienced and heard about this a lot from other people and that attitude’s fucking bang out.

However, meeting like-minded people such as you who are in this for the right reasons and the real DIY people out there are the ones who make it worthwhile and if it weren’t for them I probably wouldn’t bother.

I actually the term ‘underground’ is starting to irritate me as it has become the new fashion word that gets thrown around all over the place and now it used as a cool statement to advertise/say. For me there is an underground that thinks it’s the creative centre point of the whole scene, but if you investigate and find out for your self who the genuine people are then this is where the real ‘underground’ exists. Always look beneath the surface my friends.

It doesn’t really mean anything to me Patrick as I don’t think about it or class myself as part of the ‘underground’. Getting off ya own backside or DIY are more relevant to me as helping out the real people for the love of the music and undertaking things in my own way are what’s it about.

10.you live in the u.k and i know a few bands from your country but not to many. so i was interested in your opinion on the metal scene in your country/area?

The North East scene is small and we have a few cross county gigs with bands from Scotland as our area is very close to Scotland. We have a small death fest, but I don’t rate it much due to most of the bands sounding a bit too scene or close to death core shite for me. There is an u/g punk and hardcore scene that holds the DIY values and old punk ethics close to heart so that’s a good thing. There isn’t really any death metal in this area and the odd one or two bands that are here have no competition so I think they get overrated too easily.

The North West has some great crust/d-beat bands like Doom/Extinction of Mankind, and Ruin (based in Glasgow as well). ‘Active Minds’ are a good hardcore band that is from the North Yorkshire coast area, which isn’t that far away from the North East. So it’s safe to say that across the North and in Scotland we hold on to the traditional values strongly and have a healthy crust/d-beat scene.

The UK has a strong DIY culture and unique style, which dates back to the punk days. I also believe in these values fiercely and am an advocate for embarking upon ventures in ya own way and style regardless of where you are from.

As for the whole of the UK it depends on which area you live in. Bournemouth, which is way down south has a good punk scene and the midlands has spawned many great bands over the years such as Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, Sacrilege, Benediction, Police Bastard, Sarpanitum. I’d be here all day if I listed all the punk/hc bands from the UK both old and new as there are still many great punk bands that people are not aware of and its as real and dirty as its always been.

Thrash is making a resurrgence again, but outside of the UK people only ever hear of Evile and Warpath, which we view as pretty commercial here and are sick to death of hearing about them. There are far better unknown thrash bands in the UK that don’t even get half the attention they do.

Those two bands don’t even come close to the older bands like Acid Reign, Sabbat, Pariah, Slammer, DAM and that’s a widely held view. Pitiful Reign are a good UK thrash band that people don’t hear anything of outside the UK.

I’m not keen on some of the new UK death metal bands as they sound too much like core shite or a bit too scene for me, but there are some good bands like Amputated, Desecration (been around for ages now), Corpsing, and up North as I mentioned we have tons of great crust/d-beat bands.

So to conclude I think overall we have an established small and close-knit scene that likes just to get on with it and undertake things in its own way, which is the culture and the manner in which we enjoy doing things here.

11.who are some of your favorite bands? are there any new up and coming bands you think the underground readers should keep a eye on?

Napalm Death, Discharge, Abysmal Torment, Mental Killing Spree, Doom, Deranged, Bolt Thrower, Skitsystem. I’d be all day if I tried to name them all lol.

Some bands people should keep an eye on include: Mental Killing Spree, Meinhof, Seitan, Ruin, Sapremia (been around a while but not that well known over here), and Necropsy.

12.besides decapitating the masses. you also run a second radio show on b.e.r called "bottle of piss". when did you decide to start up this second show? how did you choose the name?

I started the show a few months ago and as readers will probably pick up that I like quite a bit of punk/d-beat/crust/old hc/crossover, which is kind of law in the UK. If you don’t like some form of punk and ya British then there is something wrong! So I wanted to air a lot of this great music for people and it’s surprising how many people don’t know about d-beat and crust, plus its fucking class! LOL The name well I just thought of a regular night out down the town. You can always see tons of bottles in an alley that are full of piss. Therefore, it was pretty easy lol. Also it goes with that dirty, nasty, seedy vibe we like to put on our music here especially in our punk etc. I wanted people to hear a right fucking smelly, dirty, piss stinking show playing fucking filth and vileness.

13.how would you say this show is different from decapitating the masses? what styles of metal/music do you play/promote?

See above, but just in case no fucker could be arsed reading it – punk/hc/crossover/crust/d-beat

14.i know besides metal you are a fan of extreme sports espically hockey. when did you get into sports? who are some of your favorite teams? besides hockey do you have any other sports you enjoy watching/playing?

I got into sports when I was little kid and outside of music this is my next greatest passion. I just love playing them and being active. I get bored too easily if I’m sat about doing piss all. My favourite ice hockey team are the Leafs and yes I know we are shite, blah blah lol, but I like them. I also like the Washington Capitals as I’m a big fan of Alexander Ovechkin and I like the way the team plays as well. There are other sports I enjoy as well, but mainly extreme sports like inline skating, falling on the floor to mosh, bouncy castle wars (its fucking great pitting in one of them), I enjoy the X Games, and Formula One Motor Racing. I enjoy footy as well and some of my favourite teams are Liverpool, Rangers, Lyon, and Juventus. LOL A few of our local teams are terrible at the moment so I’m not mentioning them.

15.well brother thanks alot for taking the time to fill out this interview.good luck to you and your future {both in and out of the underground} do you have any final words for the readers?

Aye ya metal bastard I do! Lol

Since completing this interview I have killed the DTM and BOP name and am operating all my broadcasts under the title of ‘Ungovernable Resistance’. The formats and times for each broadcast remain the same, but I felt a change was needed to reflect my personal beliefs. My shows have always had a mainly DIY/European audience so I want to make my broadcasts dedicated for the European and international DIY scene around the world that I feel is largely ignored. Uncensored madness and general hooliganism will still remain a part of the shows.

I also want to thank the listeners who have supported my shows since they began and continue to do so. The broadcasts are for you guys and I always try to be honest with all of you.

A big thanks to Sapremia, Mental Killing Spree, Necropsy and all the bands that have helped me since I started djaying. I’d be here for about 5 billion years if I mentioned you all, but you guys know who you are and thank you!!!

Finally thanks Patrick ya metal bastard and keeping throwing nasty smelly piss at people

interview w/tom guitarist for cardiac arrest&vocals/guitars for severed.

Interview with Tom, rhythm guitarist for Cardiac Arrest and vocalist/guitars for Severed. Done by Patrick.


1. Metal hails brother! How’s your weekend been for you? Please tell the readers a little about yourself.

Cheers Patrick and thanks for getting in touch. Weekend was ok. Just finishing up in the studio. More on that later though. About me, nothing special. Lifelong horror and metal fan. Lucky enough to have been in a few bands that people seem to dig. I’ve been doing the tape trading/band thing for over 20 years now, although I did have a few absences here and there. Worked in the corporate world for a long time and I’m currently trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up now that I am in between jobs. I’m back in college for the third time in life too. Pretty boring, but that’s what happens as you get older.

2. When did you first discover metal? Who were some of the first metal bands you listened to? Who are some of your favorite bands from today's scene?

Well I discovered Kiss at a very young age. After seeing Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park on TV, I begged my mom to get me Kiss albums. I still had to wait a couple of years though. So probably when I was 6 or 7 I got my first Kiss album. I had some older cousins that listened to Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and stuff like that. So I was pretty much hooked. I started getting into heavier stuff as I was getting older…Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Venom etc…I think I started getting into the underground around 87 or so. Did the tape trading thing and had a pretty respectable demo collection going. So it around this time I was getting into the more extreme stuff…Celtic Frost, Death, Master, Repulsion, Massacre, Slaughter, etc. And those are still the bands I am into most. I am very stuck in the past, almost to a fault.

As far as newer bands today, to be honest I don’t really keep tabs on anyone. Fondlecorpse is excellent. Cianide is still doing what they do best. Gravehill are also awesome. I’m sure there are a lot of great bands out there, but I really have to have someone recommend them to me…I don’t really seek anything out. Basically if it sounds like the old stuff and they have the ideals of the past, I’m game.

3. At what age did you become interested in playing guitar? Are you self-taught or did you take lessons? Who are some of your influences/favorite guitarists?

I’ve been interested in playing since I got into music. It didn’t become a reality until I was 13. I figured that I was writing to a lot of bands and into what they were doing and figured I can do the same thing. I took lessons for about 6 months…I went once a week for a half hour…once I started being able to figure out songs from my favorite bands at the time, I said bye bye to lessons…I got into my first band when I was about 15…of course we sucked. But my first serious band was called Dogod and I was around 17 once that started going.
As far as my favorite guitarist, that will always be Ace Frehley. He is why I started playing guitar after all. I’m not so much a guitar nut though. I don’t really care much for all that wanky stuff.

4. You are the rhythm guitarist for the mighty Cardiac Arrest! When did you join the band? What is the current line-up? For the readers who may have not heard the band how would you describe the music?

Yup. I joined in 2006. Lineup has been the same ever since…Adam Scott-Guitar/Vocals, David Holland-Bass, Jim Deabenderfer-Drums, and yours truly on guitar and sometimes vocals. We’re just death metal in its true form. We all have our different influences and it just melds together well.

5. I know the band released it 2nd full-length CD "Cadaverous Presence" last year through Epitomite Prod. Are you guys satisfied with how it turned out? Do you have a personal favorite song off the CD? How has response been from the fans/press?

Yeah, Cadaverous came out in April and we were all happy with it. We worked hard on it and I think it shows. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite song though…I like all of them. If I didn’t I wouldn’t play them. The response has been very positive. Sounds kind of cliché, but I haven’t heard anything bad about it yet.

6. It was released through Von Young's label Epitomite Prod. How did you guys get signed to the label? Are you all satisfied with the job he and the label have done so far? Do you all plan to work with him on future releases or was it only for a single release deal?

I have known Von for a long time and we reconnected once I joined Cardiac. Adam knew him pretty well also. We had played a show with Deaden and Von told us if we were ever interested in working with him to let him know. Well, we were interested and started to get the ball rolling. We are satisfied with what Von and Epitomite has done. We are always in constant contact with him which is nice. Our upcoming full length will also be released through Epitomite, so that should give everyone a hint on how we like working with him.

7. Speaking of releases, has the band begun writing new musick for the next release? How many songs does the band have written and completed? Would you say the new songs are in the same vein as your previous releases?

We are always writing…plain and simple. We practice 2 times a week and riffs will just happen. We’ll work on arrangements and boom, a shell of a song is born…We’ll refine and whatever, but it is a pretty quick process. Once a band has retained the same lineup for awhile, things really gel. Everyone just brings their ideas to the table and if it works and we all like it, we just keep working at it.

The upcoming full length will be called Haven For The Insane. 13 tracks on this one. A little different than Cadaverous as this one is a bit more stripped down. It is Cardiac Arrest though, no mistaking that. We just finished in the studio this past weekend and are in mixing mode right now. We are very happy with it.

8. In your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground today and what does the term "metal underground" mean to you?

Well, that’s a loaded question…People will probably get mad at for this, but fuck it. There really isn’t an underground any more. Sure, there are some of the same people still around and doing stuff, and that’s cool. But the old spirit is not there anymore. And of course, like anything, there are exceptions. But there are too many genres, too many bands, to many “retro” kinds of stuff going on…I guess since metal is somewhat popular now that is to be expected. Let’s see in a few years when it is not and see if some of these people that claim they are underground are still around doing the same thing.

9. I know like me you have been into metal and the underground since late 80's/early 90's. How do you feel the scene has changed over the years? Do you feel it is better or worse or stayed the same for the most part?

Well, the obvious thing is the internet and technology. It has its good points and bad points though. I like the convenience of the internet because it is so easy to get ahold of people now. In the past, you had to wait and wait. But there was still something really killer about getting home, checking the mail, and getting a demo, fanzine and multiple letters from people all over the world. I really believe people who never did that (and in some cases no fault of their own) really missed out on what the true spirit of the underground was.

10. You live in the state of Illinois. I have been a huge fan of the Illinois scene since the mid-90's. What is your opinion of the scene in your state? Who are some of your favorite bands from your state/area? Are there any new bands the underground should keep an eye out for?

Illinois has always been great as far as bands go. Chicago in particular. Unfortunately, Chicago seems to never get any recognition. There are quite a few legendary bands that help create the death metal sound. You always hear about the “Florida style” and the “New York style” but never a Chicago style. Maybe that’s because all the bands were a bit different from each other so people couldn’t really pigeonhole a style. I dunno…

None of these bands are really new, but the ones around here I have been digging are Malas (Danny from Severed’s other band)…Deadnight is really cool…kind of an old Kreator meets Dissection kind of thing. Kommandant is a war/black kind of thing that is really aggressive. They just put their debut out and it is really good.

11. I notice a variety in metal styles {death,thrash,black and everything in between} so do all the bands get along pretty well or is their lot of competition?

See, that’s what I was alluding to before. Everyone is different in some way. The older bands all get along fine. Lots of us hang out together and just chill out…drink beer and listen to records…that kind of stuff. The newer bands, well, there are only a few around that are cool like that. But most think everything is a competition. It is a pain in the ass to plan shows. Once you do, it turns out that there are 10 other shows going on in the area. Nothing is an “event” anymore. Bands and promoters need to get their heads out of their asses and if they want any kind of “scene” start working together instead of against.

12. Besides being in Cardiac Arrest you also play guitars and do vocals in Severed. When did the band form? What is current line-up for this band? Do you have any releases or merchandise available for the fans?

Severed formed in 1995. There hasn’t been too many changes over the years. We stopped playing from 2001 but started going again in 04. I was no longer living in the area and it became too difficult to coordinate things. But I missed it too much and eventually figured things out. Danny (drums) and I have been in Severed since the beginning. Bill, our original vocalist quit in 98 I think…I can’t quite remember. It wasn’t bad or anything, he just didn’t want to do it anymore. Bill was in my first band Dogod that I mentioned earlier. We remained close over the years. Unfortunately, he passed away in 06, and I’m still not quite over it. Our original bass player quit late last year, but we have been jamming with a dude named John. I have known him for 20 years, and we never really jammed together, so he came aboard. So current lineup is Danny-Drums, John-Bass and myself on guitars and vocals.

We only ever did one 7 song demo and that was released in 96. On cassette only. We were behind the curve a little bit as most bands did CDs. We were supposed to do a free promo with a lot of our past songs and the demo tracks re-recorded, but that ain’t going to happen now. There is some drama going on with the old bass player that I’d rather not go into. But we have started live shows again and are in writing mode. We plan on doing a new promo with all new material soon. And like the last one, it will be a freebie.

I’m also in Convulsions with Stevo. Gregg from Lincoln Love Log is also on board. Logistically, right now things are just so busy for everyone, but something will happen.

13. Do you find it difficult to do both guitar and vocals in a live situation? Do you do anything special to keep your throat healthy? Who are some of your favorite vocalists?

Sometimes…I have gotten better at it over the years. I actually do vocals on some of the Cardiac tracks as well. But Severed is kind of a different animal. In a live situation, I’m known for being quite blitzed when I play. So, depending how bombed I am it can be very difficult to do both. The last show was like that…I took out the drum set twice. I try not to get that bad, but it happens. That’s what happens when we get stuck playing last I guess. But people still have fun anyway…we must pull it off ok.

I’m not really a vocalist per se…I just do it. I have no technique. I chain smoke and drink a lot, so I don’t take care of my throat at all. I just need to work on range. Favorite vocalists for me are Cronos (Venom), Chris Refiert (Autopsy), Chuck Schuldiner (SBG era Death), Scott Carlson (Repulsion), Kam Lee (Massacre) Paul Speckmann (in Master and Deathstrike especially) and a few others…at least those are the ones I try most to sound like…



14. Well man thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. Do you have anything you would like to add before we end the interview?


Thanks for wanting to do an interview with me. I don’t do very many, so it is nice to talk about all that kind of stuff.

Cardiac Arrest will be very busy this year. More live shows throughout the US. New album, Haven For The Insane, will be out by summer hopefully. We’ll have a split 7” with our pals Gravehill coming out on Relapse. We also have a few other splits in the work.

Hopefully Severed will get a release out this year. And I’m hoping Convulsions will start working this year.

If anyone ever wants to get in touch, feel free. I’m online a lot and always like talking to people, especially about anything horror related.

Cheers and thanks again and take it queasy!!


anyone who wants to contact tom or his bands please check out the "official" myspace pages

tom's personal page
http://www.myspace.com/tomkwarrior

cardiac arrest
http://www.myspace.com/deathrot

severed
http://www.myspace.com/severedil

interview w/hagalaz vocalist,bassist,synths for streben done by patrick

dark hails!!!
we have a new interview done with a new up and coming italian band streben.the band has released 1 demo so far and is finishing up their new full-length.if you enjoy melodic black metal with some experimental passages intertwined within the music.streben is a band for you!!
check out the interview with hagalaz founder,vocalist,bassist,synths



interview with hagalaz vocalist,bassist,synths for the band streben done by patrick


1. Hello Hagalaz how is your week been going so far? Please tell the readers a little about yourself ?

Hello there, thank you very very much for this interview! My week? Well, I’ve just had a little sister about three days ago, but, apart from this, my week has exactly been as the previous ones. Sure, I can tell them! I am 20 years old, I’ve got two legs, two years, an enormous nose and I bite my nails.


2. When did you first begin listening to music? Who are some of your all-time favorite bands? Who are some of your "current" favorite bands.


I began very early, because, since I was born and until I was 18, I used to live in the same house with my two aunts, which were very young at that time, and so, of course, they used to listen to a lot of music, especially the older one, who was about the same age I am now. The whole house was always full of music, so I began familiar with it when I was a child and easily learnt how to love it and make it a part of my life. My all – time favourite bands are Pink Floyd, the Who, Blur, Dornenreich, and Windir. Currently, I am listening a lot to Fear Factory’s first two albums, In Flames’ early stuff (from their 1st album to Clayman included), Beach Boys, Fabrizio de Andrè (an Italian artist), Genesis, David Bowie, and… many others I don’t remember.


3. I know in Streben you play bass, snyths and do vocals. Out of all the instruments you learned to play which one was the hardest? Which one was the easiest to learn?


Oh well, I don’t know if I can really say that I have learnt how to play an instrument! I’m basically a self – taught person, and my approach to keyboards and bass is definitely amateurish, as for vocals. However, the voice is maybe the easier instrument because your vocal chords are a part of your body; I manage to find a way out with bass because I’ve played guitar for some years when I was a child, but my keyboard skills are totally crap.


4. You have some pretty intense vocals that fit Streben's more black metal roots. Is it hard to keep up with this style of vocals for long periods of time? Do you do anything special to keep your vocals/throat healthy?


Oh no, man, no training, no constant exercise, nothing at all; in fact, I’m not so fond of my vocals, I handle vocals in Streben because it’s my own personal project and I don’t want any stranger to be involved in that. But this doesn’t mean I don’t have fun while singing; on the contrary, I love to perform screaming vocals and I wish I could do it often.


5. I mentioned above you are a part of the band Streben. Please give us a brief history of the band? What is the "current" line-up? For the readers who have never heard the band how would you describe the music of your band ?



The project Streben was already outlined in my mind since some years, even though at an embryonic stage. Anyhow, in the autumn of 2007 I finally found the courage to start it, and so I made Valker hear some material I had composed. He accepted to be part of the line – up as the guitarist of the band, and, some weeks later, Dark Shadow joined us as a guest member on drums. We started at once to work on “… of Melancholic Elegies and Wanderlust”, our first demo, which has been published in the spring of 2008. However, the new music from Streben will sound different from what people heard on that demo, which has been recorded in an enthusiastical, instinctive way and with a very low budget, this is why I cannot completely answer your question. But, by the way, the current line up is the same since the beginning: me and Valker as actual members, and Dark Shadow as a guest.



6. The demo "…of Melancholic Elegies and Wanderlust" is a amazing work of experimental melodic black metal. How long did it take to create the songs on the demo? Are you satisfied with how the demo turned out? Do you have a "personal" favorite song off the demo.


It took a very short time; we were excited, and impatient, so we did everything hastily and instinctively, so of course we have been satisfied of our work right after the releasing of it, but I think it’s pretty normal for a young band to revalue a past work, and to wish to bring the music to another level. My favourite demo songs are “In the Woods of the Satyr” and “Laguz”.




7. I know the demo has only been out a short while. But has the band begun work on the next demo or full-length? Any idea when it might be released? Have you all found a label to work with or are you all still looking?


Sure. I started composing the new songs right after the publication of the demo, and I readapted three old songs as well; this material will be part of a full – length that we are currently recording. We are still looking for a label to release it, but, in the case we will not find any, we are going to self – release the album.


8. I noticed on the demo cover that you write all the lyrics yourself. So I was wondering where do you draw inspiration for your lyrics? Do they have a special meaning or message you try to bring out in your lyrics?


My inner world is what I draw inspiration from; the lyrics deal with the contrast between reality and this inner world of mine: I haven’t any particular message to bring out because I basically make music for myself, but, if there was a voluntary message in what I do, it would be related to the concept of this project, which is about the juxtaposition I told you above: individuality contraposed to a dull reality, the inner world against the outer one.




9. Do you or Valker {guitarist,clean vocals} play in any other bands or side projects? If yes please tell the readers a little about them.


Ah ah, that of the clean vocals is a mistake! Valker was actually to record some clean vocals from Breidhablik, but then something went wrong with the software and stuff we were using and we had to leave it alone; but the layout for the demo was already done and printed, so I couldn’t correct that. You’re the first one that mentions it! Anyway yes, Valker is the guitarist and songwriter of Cold Empire, where also Dark Shadow plays drums. Cold Empire are a raw melodic black metal band which released a demo in 2007 entitled “… And the Cold Arrived” and they are currently working on a full – length album. I haven’t any side project or other bands at the moment.




10. The band comes out of the mighty italian black metal scene. What is your opinon of Italy's metal scene? Who are some of your favorite italian bands? Any new bands you think the readers should watch out for.


To tell the truth, I am not very interested in Italian scene, but I appreciate very much the work of Vultur, a black/thrash band in the vein of Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, early Bathory and Mayhem, and the music of Fearbringer, a black metal one – man band which only member, Fearbringer, is the mainman of several other projects as well.
Everyone should watch out for those two bands!



11. In your opinion what is the best and worst thing about the underground today? And what does the term "underground metal" mean to you ?


Both underground and mainstream metal scene nowadays lack of passion and sincereness so the word underground doesn't actually mean much anymore.



12. Well my friend thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to fill out this interview. Do you have any final comments for the readers?



Busy schedule? Ah, ah, come on! I have to thank you for letting me express a few things about my music, and, of course, thanks also to the readers that spent some minutes of their time to read.
Cheers!


to contact hagalaz and the band go to their "official" page.or check out the bands u.s street team.

http://www.myspace.com/strebenband

u.s street team
http://www.myspace.com/strebenusastreetteam

doom metal alliance interview submitted/done by ed.of earthdog promotions.

metal hails to you all!!
thanks alot for checking out our updates!! this time we have a treat for all of you doom metal supporters. a interview with the mighty doom metal alliance!! done by another true supporter of doom ed of earthdog
promotions.thanks alot to both ed and derek for taking the time to do this is interview!!!
patrick



interview with derek owner/creator of doom metal alliance.done by ed-who does the mighty earthdog promotions.support/add these guys!


Ed:When did you start the DMA?

Derek:I started the DMA in September of 2007, about a week after I got my computer.


Ed: Did you have a Myspace page before the DMA?

Derek: I had a myspace page about a year and a half before then, but it was just my personal profile. It sorta was like the DMA. I hunted down doom metal bands, and posted videos on my page. But it wasnt nearly like what you will see now, and i only did it for a couple months as I moved and had no access to a computer.

Ed: Cool so what made you want to promote Doom Metal?

Derek: It just sort of happened. I picked up my old myspace page when I got my computer. But I wanted it to be different. So I thought of a name, and started a new page. It was more just looking for bands than promoting them. I had started listening to doom in the summer of 2005 after I was shown Electric Wizards Dopethrone. I knew there had to be alot more, but my city sucks for music,so I used myspace.
The page was more designed for me to find it and hope others would use it to find doom as well. Then it just started to grow. I was having bands post me in their top friends, people made banners for me. Next thing I know, bands are asking for interviews, reviews and what not. It really just exploded on me.

Ed: It sure did,it seems to be growing all the time much like the scene itself.

Derek: The DMA will only be as good as the scene. since it got big, I have made it my intention be revolve around the bands who want the scene to expand.

Ed: Doom Metal has been like the under dog of the Metal scene,it will never be totally mainstream but what bands do you think have the most chance of getting some if any mainstream support?

Derek: The one band I think will lead the way is Pale Divine. I fucking love that band. Traditional doom that pushes the limits. With proper promotion, that band could accomplish so much.

Derek: Candlemass will always be our link to the metal mainstream when its said and done.

Ed: They are the most well known in the Doom Metal world it seems.

Derek: Especially since Rob Lowe is the vocalist. They are a completely solid unit with him.

Ed: I think he is the best vocalist they have ever had.

Derek: I definitely agree. I honestly think Messiah was a bit over the top, but that is only one mans opinion.

Ed: I agree with that one,how to you get inspire to do all the work you do seeing as it is all for free.

Derek: Sometimes its really hard. I have stopped doing the DMA a couple times as I had troubles getting inspired.A lot of it comes from fans telling me how good of a job I'm doing. Feedback is always good. I get some free music out of the deal and have also received a couple of really nice shirts, which helps.

Derek: I think doom might have the tightest scene around as we need to stick together. How many times Ive been told that other bands are the only audience at a show, and that is a pity.


Ed: Yes i have been to some shows like that which is a real shame.

Derek: There is no scene where I live. Not even a stoner rock band. I am pretty sure I am the only Doom fanatic in town.

Ed: Doom Metal heads tend to hide away in their homes,have you thought about doing a radio show in your town?DMA radio would be killer!

Derek: There was a chance at me doing a show on BER, but I think that ship has sailed. I could get on the local indy station, but the waiting list is like two years, and they dont put much metal on it. There actually isnt even a metal scene here. There are tons of fans, but no local bands. Two that I can think of, but they will go nowhere.


Ed:Well the DMA site is well known all over the world because of Myspace.Any chance soon of making a official DMA website.I don't want to be on Myspace forever.

Derek: I can say I have some very big plans involving the DMA. I just need to work my finances out first, but a dot com is going to happen,but Myspace will always remain a vital part of the DMA.

Ed: Its a great way of promoting that's for sure.

Derek: Its the best way of finding bands as well. They actually find me. One of my favorite acts at the moment, Sanctus Infernum, found me. I don't know if i would have heard them other wise.

Ed: I have found shit loads of great bands from the DMA site,it is like we dont have to look anymore.You supply the bands!

Derek: I am glad that the site does this. It was the intention to begin with, and its a pain in the ass really categorizing all of them in my friends list, and hoping I don't misrepresent them.

Ed: That's one thing i wanted to talk about,all these different labels people put on bands.Do you think its gone too far?

Derek: That is such a tough question. I can only imagine the frustration some bands feel when they are tagged with a style when they are trying to be completely innovative. But at the same time, its a good way to get noticed. I made a tag myself as some know. Sonic Doom. At least I think its my term, who really know. But I know if i hear someone say "we play sonic doom" I'm going to check that shit out.
I think its more fitting for bands like Acid King, Sons of Otis and the new sound of Toner Low that are all labeled as Stoner. When i think of stoner, i think Kyuss, Church of Misery and the likes.

Ed: That is something that has changed over the years.When i first heard of Stoner Rock it was Fu Manchu type riff rock now Doom Bands get that tag.

Derek:and stoner is too bogged down. Kyuss, CoM, Masters of Reality, Brant Bjork are all tagged as stoner, yet their styles are completely different. Its like the new Grunge.

I like to call Fu Manchu and that style desert rock myself.

Ed: Yeah it is in a way.You also trying to get the Doom Metal catergory happening on Myspace,how is that been going?

Derek: its not !

Myspace i don't think could give two shits about it. I would like to try and get big bands involved like Electric Wizard, Cathedral and Candlemass involved, but i don't think they would care too much.
I can see it as a minor detail.

Ed: I think bands like that don't really need Myspace,its more for the underground.

Derek: those bands have so many fans on myspace, that it automatically accepts friends. they don't use myspace too much. more of a billboard than anything.

Ed:True,how long do you think you can keep the DMA going?Hopefully it will be around for a long time.

Derek: Well in the past as i said earlier, i quit doing the DMA twice. A lot had to do with stress in my personal life. Everything has worked out for me, so I don't see myself dropping the DMA anytime soon. Not with what I'm wanting to do with it.

Ed: Do you want to tell us your future plans or should we just wait and be surprised.

Derek: I want to do anything I can with the site. If I could manage a way to do it, I would love it if I could make a living off of this stuff. I see myself distributing and possibly having a label this time next year.

Ed: That would be awesome,hope it all happens for you.

Derek: Anything to get out of cleaning 70 toilets a day!

Ed: Wow man,that sucks!

Derek: I agree

Ed: You have done some great interviews too,do you have a favorite?

Derek: i lost my favorite one. it was redone, but only by email. I sat down and talked to Joe Hasselvander for three hours. I got enough from him to write a book. when the interview was over, i closed the window without copying it all. I felt sick. I just wasted three hours of Joes life for nothing. But being the cool cat that he is, he let me send him my main list of questions and he redid it via email.

Ed: Yeah Joe is a cool dude,one of the true legends of Doom.


Ed:Is there anything you want to add?

Derek: Support the bands you like. If you have a myspace page, repost their bulletins. The fans are the best promotion for bands.
I agree,everybody needs to support all the bands.

to contact these 2 guys and their support/promotions check here
derek and the doom metal alliance
www.myspace.com/doommetalunion
and
ed and the earthdog promotions
http://www.myspace.com/aussierocka

new metal reviews for 1-18-09

metal hails to you all!!!
thanks for taking the time to check out morbid minds.if u are new to the zine. we hope you will find some metal to your liking!! if you are return reader thanks for coming back!!!
well enjoy the new reviews&hypnotic dirge interview.keep checking back here or at our myspace page.we are working on some new/big interviews we hope to post real soon..
metal regards!!!
morbid minds web-zine



Aethereal sky- 2008 EP
Ravenous Cadaver Records

Reviewed by Lori

After many past failed projects, This U.S. band, Aethereal sky was formed in '07. During that year they split up and united once again in '08 releasing their EP.
Their style of music is Pagan black metal. When I think of "Pagan Black metal" bands eastern European bands come to mind, Graveland, (old) Behemoth and the like. This EP, the sound and production does fit in the Pagan black metal style. Soooo when I say this I am meaning the production is not clean, it is very raw, has the thick underground black metal feel.
Vocally it is the typical black metal scream/screech while at time some agonizing moaning "agonizing" for me, to add to the mood. Music wise, the sound is very typical, nothing unique. While listening to the instruments during the songs, I do hear talent, the members do know what they are doing so I bet when they release their full album it will kick ass.
For those that are into black metal you should keep and eye and ear out for this band because I have a feeling they are going to blow your mind with their next release.

Aethereal sky myspace
www. myspace. com/aetherealsky

ancient tundra--requiems of a world lost pro cdr {hypnotic dirge rec.}


ancient tundra have created the perfect soundtrack to winter and all it's glory and dreary,gloomy presence.beautiful ambient passeges mixed with some more harsher darker metal influence.leaving the listener with both a sensoe of how beautiful this season is.but also leaving a cold chill of despair within your soul at it's pure darkness. for fans of dark ambient music or fans of more obscure soundtrack type of dark music should appreciate this bands genius.

http://www. myspace. com/hypnoticdirgerecords
http://www. myspace. com/ancienttundra


beyond terrorbeyondgrace--extinction/salvation cd {grindhead rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
straight forward old-school grinding brutality is what these australian sicko's attack your eardrums with. non stop blasting insanity,vicious shrieks with the occasional deeper growl.the guitars are equally as intensly played with with riffs and some really well played chords.i would also like to add that b.t.b.g has a human drummer!! so it does not have that mechanical sound that alot of drum machines give off.this is a band that most extreme grinding freaks will love.anyone else who is only "kinda" into grind will have to judge for themselves.
www.grindheadrecords.com


coffin-s/t mcd {carrion crawler rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}
coffin are a thrash lovers dream come true!! if you thought all pure thrash metal was dead with the 80's.well think again!! this u.s thrash horde seems to draw influence from both the u.s and german thrash elders of the 80's. morgue {vocalist} kinda reminds me of tom araya with maybe a little gruffer/scratchy voice.the music is mid paced to all-out thrash attacks.if you are a fan of early slayer,kreator,destruction. will want to find this masterpiece of pure thrash metal.
http://www.myspace.com/coffinnj


created to kill-worship or die cd {ruptured records}
{reviewed by patrick}
sick,brutal death metal is what created to kill have delievered on "worship or die" cd.9 tracks of brutal intense mid-paced u.s styled death metal. the vocals which are mix of shrieks/screams and more the typical brutal growls.but that is only part of the brutal attack.the guitars/bass are mid-pace slammin style to the more faster brutal death style of early/mid 90's with some influences from todays scene as well.fans of sick brutal death metal will love created to kill.
www.ruptured-records.com
www.createdtokill.com




Dodsferd "Death set the beginning on my journey"
Moribund

reviewed by Lori

It amazing me when a band is just one member and the music does not suck. Wrath is one of those artist. Raging, dark, and raw Hellenic Black Metal is greatly influenced by Judas Iscariot, & Katharsis.
This album is Part 1 of a Trilogy and Part 2 should soon follow.

While listening to the CD dont be surprise if your throat ends up hurting. His voice has the harshest screams, at times reminds me of Burzum (vocally, not musically) but no other style of vocals would fit with the nordic style black metal. This underground band is and will always be a classic for true black metalers.

If you have heard his 07 release you will find "death set..." is about the same for the most part, maybe more cleaner sounding.

Myspace adress

www. myspace. com/dodsferdmisanthropy

label contact
www.moribundcult.com



dreaming dead-within one cd {ibex moon cd}
dreaming dead are are newer band out of los angles,california area.and on listen to "within one" and you will hear why ibex moon signed this talented band.the music starts out with a early 90's death/thrash feel/influence.but this young band refuses to be catagorized in one genre.as they also add some melodic black metal parts within the guitar tones and drums.the vocals of elizabeth schall are gruff but also like the music of her band she refuses to be just one dimensional as she also has some screchy/gruff vocals.the band will sweep you away in a whirlwind of thrashing mayhem and in the next minute you will be soothed with a darker more melodic tone. this is a band i expect the underground will be hearing/seeing alot of in the near future.
www.ibexmoonrecords.com
www.dreamingdead.com



godslave-out of the ashes cd {self-released/demo}
wow the germans are just releasing some good intense bands this last 2 yrs!! godslave can now be added to the evergrowing list!! out of the ashes cd is 5 tracks of 80's influenced thrash.but before u think oh great another german band ripping off the thrash masters before them.give this band a chance because in the 2nd and most of the cd godslave showcase a heavy death metal guitar sound,heavier pounding drums and while the vocals are not extremly brutal they defintly are deeprer than the usual thrash screams or gruff vocals that the earlier bands used. fans of thrash,old-school death metal should defintly look for godslave.
www.godslave.de
http://www.myspace.com/godslaveband


gutted with broken glass-beaten to a bloody pulp cd {grindhead rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}

i guess with all the positive reviews,comments etc. i had read about this band i was expecting more. but this is just not grind it's not really music.i would say it maybe could fall into the style of "noise metal".but thats about it.short blasts beats with screams.i think they could be a decent grindcore or grind/death band if they worked on actually making songs instead of 30-60 seconds noise and try to pass it off as music of any kind. only for the real extreme noise/grind fans.
www.grindheadrecords.com
www.guttedwithbrokenglass.com



hadez-ready to suffer cd {eternal blasphemy prod.}
hadez are old-school death netal band from peru.and looking at their bio on their myspace page it says the band has been around in one form or another for 20 years! and listening to the tracks on ready to suffer you can defintly hear the early influences coming through in the bands music.mid paced drums,mid-paced guitars to a speedier/thrashier sound in a few tracks.the vocals are growls similar to old incantaion.if you are a fan of old-school death metal like incantation,{old} grave,maybe even a little asphyx. this is a band for you!!!
www.eternalblasphemy.com
http://www.myspace.com/hadezattack



Rapture "Sinister creation"
American line prod.

reviewed by Lori

If anyone has heard Mexican death before than you will understand just how brutal this band is. Right off I give this band 10 stars, the music is death metal in its truest form, nothing fancy, ugly, brutal death that slaps you in the face while you bang you head, whipping your hair in a ferocious manner, screaming killer!! You will find the best drumming in death metal and this release is no different. If you want speed, technical sounding drumming heres a band for you. The guitars is just madness, just as equally fast as the drums along with the guttural.
If you have heard the Rapture from Finland, this band is nothing like them. This band has balls.
9 songs that will satisfy your lust for awesome metal!!
Get off your ass and buy the CD

Rapture myspace

www. myspace. com/rapture9mmcom



winds of sorrow--through twilight....pro cdr {hypnotic dirge rec.}
{reviewed by patrick}

new zelands dark/experimental/black metal band.winds of sorrow unleash over 45 min.of majestic dark metal combining many different genres.from the harsher side of black metal to more atmospheric doom passeges all entertwined with some experimental/atmospheric music.winds of sorrow is a band that is nearly impossible to put into any one genre.but i recomend this band to all fans of cold,desolate,blackend doom with atmospheric passages.i for one look forward to hearing what winds of sorrow put out next!
http://www.myspace.com/hypnoticdirgerecords

interview with skogg owner of hypnotic dirge rec.&vocals,all instruments for ancient tundra

INTERVIEW WITH SKOGG OWNER OF HYPNOTIC DIRGE RECORDS AND VOCALIST,ALL INSTRUMENTS FOR ANCIENT TUNDRA,DONE BY PATRICK



1.hello skog how is your new year starting out? please tell the readers a little about yourself.
Well hello. The new year is going fine. A bit hectic at the moment trying to find time for everything going on, but I like to stay busy. Hmm my name is nick skog, I have a project entitled 'Ancient Tundra' and I am now also running Hypnotic Dirge Records.

2.at what age did you become interested in playing/creating music? what were the first instruments you learned to play?
I've been playing music since the age of three when I was forced into taking piano lessons, I had created 'songs' in my early days as well, but it was not until 2005 or 2006 that I began to start writing something at least somewhat similar to what I am doing nowadays. I just began writing keyboard melodies in the vein of old cradle of filth , nightwish and dare I say, even marilyn manson at the time. Mostly it started from a friend and I, wanting to start up a 'band' sort of in between old-cradle and gothic metal type stuff. It was/is called 'A Dark Fantasy' and it is still up on myspace actually at www.myspace.com/adarkfantasy but nothing too much really came out of it. We wrote a lot of songs and did a lot of demo recordings but never really took anythin to the next step...sadly enough as I do still like most of the material and would one day like to record it profesionally. Keyboards remain the only instrument I can play well. I can get by playing minimalist stuff on guitar but that is it.

3.when did you decide to start ancient tundra? how did you come up with the name? doe it have a special meaning. for the readers who have never heard ancient tundra how would you describe the bands music?
I started Ancient Tundra in January of 2007...so it is the two-year anniversary right about now actually! To be honest, it has been a while now and I don't remember exactly how I came up with the name. Obviously this would take away from the theory that it has a special meaning. Either that or I just have a really bad memory! As for describing the music, how about the readers that have not heard Ancient Tundra before go onto the myspace page and discover for themselves! hehe ... Well, simply put I would describe it as Dark Ambient but with a hint of neo-classical, film-scores, and blackmetal/doom. Also within are both clean and harsh vocals, even a guest vocal spot from japanese lyricist 'Kenji Siratori' Defidently not a straight dark ambient project as a lot of the purists have already let me know, but others have seemed to enjoy it and I don't feel I should hole myself into one genre anyway. It is better to push the envelope, experiment, and try to find an individual sound.

4.the music on the new cd "requiems of a world lost" is very well written.how long did it take to create/write the tracks for this release? do you have a personal favorite track?
Thank you for the compliment. Umm If I remember correctly, I began the writing process around the fall of 2007 and kept on writing until about April or May 2008... It all came at different stages though. Unfortunetely I do not have the time away from other responsibilities like the 'famous bands and artists' to just drop everything else and set aside 2 or 3 months to write a new album. I would work on it whenever I could, and try to keep things progressing. Luckily it worked out alright and it was released in November 2008, pretty much exactly one year after the debut, which is what I wanted! My favourite track , defidently would have to be 'The Natural Landscape of December' but I also really like The Feeble Sickness and Depressive Rot, Et Demain Apporte Pas De Esperer, and Across the Valley , Wherein Nature Speaks.

5.how has the response been from the underground press/fans?
So far, everything has been very positive. Better than I suspected. All the reviews I have gotten have been positive...however there was a comment from the vilenoise.com review that they thought I added too much new-age influence into the music on certain tracks...they named 'The Natural Landscape of December' as an example, which is funny actually because that is my favourite Ancient Tundra track thus far. Like I said, I want to experiment and would rather be known for doing something different rather than being 'an other dark ambient project' The 'fans'(so to speak) so far that have contacted me after buying the CD, has all had good things to say about it as well, but who knows about the ones that did not let me know their thoughts. haha

6.have you had much time to begin work on the follow-up release? do you have to be in a certain mood or anything to create such dark,haunting music?
I have had no time whatsoever. Things are crazy at the moment. The good news however is that I already have the next release written and recorded (That was done between July-September 2008), and I honeslty say this is my best material yet. I have showed the music to Immundus as well and he has agreed with me. It is going to be a split release, but I am not sure when exactly it will be out. This time around I am going to get the CD profesionally mastered at Cyclic law Studios! At the moment I am working on the artwork/design for the release, taking photography and putting concepts together. Depraved Designs will be doing the editing and designing the booklet with my help in order to make things as profesional and complete as possible. So far , just from the initial stages, it looks like it is going to come out beautifully! It is going to be an 8 page booklet filled with winter landscapes, and imagery and the CD itself will be on Pro-CD this time around. In order to make everything perfect and to get funds together for this,(not to mention the other project getting his side ready) I don't foresee this being released until August or September, but either way that is only a 10 month separation from the last release!

I do have to be in a certain mood for sure. Sometimes I am inspired, sometimes I am not, it is pretty simple regarding this. I am ussally pretty inspired though. Especially these past few weeks or so when the temparature up here in Canada has gone all the way to -50 celcius with the wind chill.

7.is ancient tundra the only band/project you are currently working on?if no please tell us of your other projects.
Let's just put it this way. It is the only project of mine that is relevent. There are/were about 3 or 4 other things going on, but other than a possible revival of the 'A Dark Fantasy' project with a friend of mine, that is really the only thing worth mentioning. I have other stuff recorded as well in a symphonic black metal type of vein but I do not have a name for the project yet, so that might come up in the future once I have more time on my hands. We will see how things go...

Besides I am busy enough as it is with Ancient Tundra and Hypnotic Dirge Records

8.if you had the chance to work with any musicans past or present who would you like to work with?
Number one by far would be Tuomas Holopainen from Nightwish, He is my idol as far as playing keys go, and I have always been influenced by his style of composing, (obviously not in Ancient Tundra though...) Others would include Fenriz(Darkthrone), Northaunt, Svartsinn, Symbiosis, Immundus, Mort(Exiled from Light) and also perhaps even with members of Cradle of filth, and dimmu borgir for the talent aspect, Ville Valo from HIM, angela gossow...some of the more obscure atirsts from the Depressive Black Metal scene. etc. etc. There are tons of artists I would love to work with in many different styles and genres.

9.besides the band you also own/run hypnotic dirge records.when did you first start the label? do you currently do it by yourself or do you have help with various parts of the label.
I first started getting everything planned out and in order to begin around the end of September/beginning of October 2008 and officially opened it October 20th,2008. There was only a few distro items at that point, and it was not until November 24th that the first two HDR releases were finally released! At first there was me and a friend running the lable , but after about a week, he decided he wanted out, because it was too much work for him and cost him too much money. Ha! There was 1/100th of the work at that point on a daily basis as there is now so I find it kind of pathetic that it was too much for him within the first week. So now I run all aspects of HDR by myself, I put in anywhere from 4-8 hours a day on it, but I have lots of collegues and allies within the scene that are very helpful and it is always nice to talk/discuss things with them.

10.please tell the readers a little about each of your releases.do you have any upcoming releases the readers should know to watch out for?
Well, our first two official releases came out on November 24th. Ancient Tundra's newest release(which I've talked enough about) and Winds of Sorrow's debut album. Winds of Sorrow is a side project from Mort who's main project is the amazing Exiled From Light (which has just recently signed to HDR by the way!) The Winds of Sorrow material has been described as a unique mixture of older Dimmu Borgir with a hint of Katatonia and Xasthur. I personally find it to be a very well-written album and so far, all of the reviewers have agreed as well, so the general concensus on that is defidently positive. As I write this to you right now, we have now also released the third HDR official album which is Echoes of Silence's latest. As far as upcoming releases, we have Astral Luminous- Lunaric Tide, and Neige et Noirceur - Demo V coming up on February 27th and March 6th respectively. These are in my opinion, probably the best HDR items yet! they are both amazing releases and some of my favourite ambient/depressive black metal releases in quite some time. The Astral Luminous release for example has some really beautiful and inspiring artwork as well. I would defidently recommend anyone who has not heard of these two great projects to look them up and hear what their music has to offer. ( www.myspace.com/astralluminous www.myspace.com/neigeetnoirceur )

11.if any bands are reading this what styles of metal/music do you release? do you only carry ambient/experimental in the distro or do you carry all styles of metal?
What I want on the lable is something thoughtful, innovative, inteligent and/or depressive. As far as genres go, I am fairly open-minded. It doesn''t neccesarily have to be depressive black metal or ambient music, and it doesn't have to be 'dark' either, but what I am not realy interested in is the typical evil or satanic black metal, not because I can not appeciate it, but simply because it does not fit into what the lable stands for. In the distro, some of these 'policies' lighten up a little bit , generally I still go by the same guidelines, but there are a couple items on there that do not represent at all what HDR is about. However, If someone happens to stumple across the website and finds these albums they were looking for and decides to buy them, then I am glad I could do them a service. That is why it is distribution rather than an HDR official album which comes only from HDR roster artists and is financed 100% from HDR.

12.what do you feel is the easiest part of doing a label? what would you say is the hardest part?
The easiest part is the good contacts and friendships you make and the appeciation from people who know and understand what you are trying to do. The hardest part is everything else and the constant workload that comes with it. It is all worth it in the end though, nomatter how much money it costs and how much time it takes up...If I am releasing albums that I like and feel is a work of art and at the same time helping out fellow musicians and friends get their music to those who want it, then I get a certain satisfaction from that. There are some amazing albums coming up from amazing people and artists that need to be available to the listeners of our genre.

13.in your opinon what is the best and worst thing about the underground? and what does the term "metal underground" mean to you.
The best thing is that only in the underground will music/films/artwork /etc. be judged upon by the quality of the material rather than dollar value or sales. People help each other out in the underground. Underground musicians and lables are not going to making money from their work, so you know that they are sincere about what they are doing and are not just looking to get rich. You know they are passionate and there is generally not as much worry about 'fake people' This goes to all my friends, and fellow musicians/lables. Also to all the people running zines, doing radio shows, doing promotions, photographers, etc. People are all helping each other out and it is a wonderful thing to see, really. Most of these people are not looking for payments, or maybe they just want a copy of a CD that they do artwork for, for example. I have had offers from some offering to make an HDR website and everything (This was E. from EEE Recordings - great guy and great lable!)

The worst thing about the underground I would say is that while we are not in it for the money, we are also constrained sometimes by the fact that we do not have the money we need to truly bring our artistic visions to life and sometimes are forced to 'tone things down' just because we can't do fulfill our intentions - financially.

14.well skogg thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview.good luck with your band,and label in the future.do you have any final words for the readers?

Thank You for the interview. It's appeciated at this end as well. Be on the lookout for news from HDR and Ancient Tundra. I have some exiting things planned for the future, so keep posted, and for anyone that has any questions/comments, please get in touch.

'Wherein Beauty Lies in Depression'

to contact hypnotic dirge records

http://www.myspace.com/hypnoticdirgerecords