Evoc.ation J. AcriQ1onious J. Binaash J.

Zushakon
Editor's Picks - 6 records to kick oft the year witb!
Issue 6 January 2013 Strictly not for sale
T!}tabp ;metal mnhunt
se, Endless of Souls, Grave easily
remains one of the nd longest running old school death metal acts
out of Sweden. The band tells us more about their history, and the album.
Greetings Ronnie! The band released its lOth
studio album, Endless Procession of Souls on
27th August. How has the reception for the
album been so far and how are things going for
the band?
Hello there friends. It's overwhelming to say the
least. The response from the press has been
amazing and the same goes for the reaction of
the fans. We've played 3-5 new songs thru the
tours we did now in Sept/Oct and they worked
out so good live it's ridiculous, so we are very
pleased! The band is a stronger unit then we've
been for years, at least since i joined in 2006,
probably even before that. We're like 4 friends
that travel around and play the music we love to
play, couldn't be any better then that right.
the band, with the band releasing a boxed set, a
compilation and a split between 2010's Burial
Ground and Endless Procession of Souls. How
long did the songwriting for Endless Procession
of Souls took?
The actual songwriting didn't take more then say
3 weeks efficient time. We took some weeks off
after the US headline tour we did in Sept 2011
and then we began to write.
Unlike the previous albums where vocals were
done at other studios, Endless Procession of
Souls saw the band doing the entire recording
in the band's very own Soulless Studio. What
was it that made the band decide to do so, and
how has the experience and result been differ-
ent compared to before?
The past 2 years have been really busy ones for
A t
This is the 2nd album we do everything our-
selves in our own studio. The vocals for Burial
Ground were also recorded in our studio .. . I'm
very satisfied about the final result of the album,
i think it sounds almost exactly as we wanted it
to sound .. . next time will be a 100%, hehehe ..
How did the decision to have your own record-
ing studio start in the first place?
We all are very interested in the whole process
of the actual recording and we got hold of some
really good equipment for a cheap amount of
money so we just went for it! It's much easier to
do it on our own. There's no real time frame
from day to day. Like if you record in another
studio, the engineer might only wanna work for
8 hours/day ... Then you lose important time and
with you own studio, that'll never happen!
Over the years, numerous bands have evolved
their sound to feed the hunger of fans, yet
Grave has managed to mostly stay true to its
traditional roots, evident from the relentless
Swedish death metal that is on Endless Proces-
sion of Souls. Has staying to the roots been
something that you stand for over the years,
and what are your thoughts on bands evolving
in style over the years?
With the albums Fiendish Regression and As
Rapture Comes, Grave took a slightly other di-
rection, and of course with the Hating Life album
also, but that's another story. The Fiendish and
Rapture they explored almost a more progres-
sive and brutal side of death metal but i think
that the guys felt that it was not for them. I
mean, Grave's all about groove and strong well
written songs, not about the fast blast beat
kinda style ... So when i joined we took a step
back towards the older sound again, that's
where we should be!
Themes of gore, death and to a slight extent,
anti religion have been rather constant
throughout the career of Grave. In particular
for Endless Procession of Souls, where did the
band draw lyrical inspirations from?
From here and now I guess, I mean, there's really
Grave
Endless Procession of
Souls (2012)
[Century Media Re-
cords]
no deeper meaning behind the lyrics .. It's more
of getting the words to fit the music.
On certain versions of the album, the band has
included numerous covers as well, including
tracks from Alice in Chains and Saint Vitus.
While covering other extreme metal bands are
not exactly unexpected, what was it that made
the band decide to include up to 6 covers on the
LP version of the album, and how did the band
decide which bands and what songs to cover?
To cover another death metal band would be
completely pointless in my opinion. The Voivod
cover wasOla's idea as they're one of his favou-
rite bands. The same with Them Bones. Vermin
by Asphyx is probably the only death metal song
we've covered and that origi nally appeared on a
compilation album that Century Media released
where artists on Century Media covered other
artists on Century Media .. We didn't decide that
the covers would be on the LP, that's our labels
idea but of course we have the final word about
it and we thought it was a cool idea!
The band last played in Singapore back in 2008.
Would fans in Southeast Asia and Singapore get
another chance to catch the band here live
again?
I sure hope so as those gigs were absolutely killer
for us! Nothing's booked though ...
This year marks the band's 24th year of exis-
tence, With the band's 25th anniversary in
sight, will there be any special celebration?
I don't know. I mean, we already did the Into the
Grave anniversary thingy with doing the whole
album from start to finish althrough the festivals
and US tour last year. We'll see what happens.&
Since com ng eir iatus in 2005, Swe has been
rather hardworking, with Illusions of Grandeur being their fourth full
length release since then. We talk to vocalist Tjompe.
Greetings Tjompe! Thank you for giving us this
opportunity to talk to you. The band recently
released its fourth full length album, entitled Il-
lusions of Grandeur. Since the release of the
album, how have things been going for the
band?
Interviews, interviews and interviews are piling
up in our mailbox and we' ve done some gigs and
preparing for hopefully an upcomming tour
beyond this year. There is nothing settled yet but
we really hope that we have the chance to come
out on the roads again and hopfully to even new
places and new territories this time. The album
has been out for a month nearly so we are biting
our nails of for this one and wish that all sweat
and blood was worth it. We' ve also recorded a
video for the Divide & Conquer song and I hope it
will be out pretty soon. Carlo Opperman who' s
done videos for Terror, Evergreen Terrace etc is
the director and we have high hopes for it.
Things are moving a bit slow for the moment but
we are armed to the teeth.
How has response to the band's new album
been so far, and is the band satisfied with the
result?
The response has been great and most people
have understood the importance of great songs
and great sound. Most major magazines have
given us fantastic reviews and the record com-
pany is up to their ears happy about it. Yes we
are very pleased with the final results and it was
exactly this we wanted when we started to write
some year ago. We wanted more effective
songs, deeper vocals and of course the best pos-
sible sound for it. We used Roberto Laghi as pro-
ducer and recorded most of the songs in IF (in
flames) studio. Roberto has been working with
in Flames, Hardcore Superstar, Mustasch etc.
We felt that it would be great to have him for the
job, and it was! All guitars and bass are still pro-
duced in our own studio as always.
The band was formed all the way back in 1991,
but was put on hold from 1993 onwards, with
the band returning in 2007 with the debut full
length album Tales from the Tomb. With the
hiatus in 1993 coming about due to musical dif-
ferences, what was it that made the band
decide to reform in 2005?
It started with that Vesa, Janne & Marko got
drunk together and had those really, really
bright ideas about reforming the band. Eventu-
ally it turnt into a rehearsal that turnt into an-
other rehearsal wich turnt into sending the old
material to record companies once again 13
years later wich turnt into a re-release that turnt
into really nice reviews that turnt into the idea of
making a demo for fun that turnt into the idea of
one full length album that turnt to 4 full length
albums that turnt into great shows and tours
that eventually turnt into a deal with Century
Media and finally it turntinterview with you ;)
With 2 highly acclaimed demo releases before
the band's hiatus, has the band dynamics been
different after the reactivation of the band in
2005?
We had a great structure and style on the first
demo, of you think back nowdays I think we
should ha' d stick to it. Back then the scene
flooded with great bands and all of them wanted
to stick out through the thick wall of music so
there was a lot of different styles that took form.
This became a problem for us since in private
most of us had different taste. I wanted to go
more dark and brutal, some wanted to sound
like Tiamat & Pink Floyd, some were into regular
death, some into Black Metal and some were
even into White Zombie & grunge, please re-
member this was in private. When everybody
wanted to sound different and had a big ego it
went up in chaos when trying to put styles in all
kinds of forms into our music. Eventually we lost
the essence of our ground, what we had and
after a while we lost faith and structure along
with interest. Brick by brick we drifted apart it
wasn' t fun anymore. So when we rejoined and
started the circus the deal was well structured
Death Metal and nothing more nothing less.
Back to the roots in 1992 and stick to it as much
as possible because that's what Evocation is all
about.
Let's now talk about the band's new album, 111-
lusions of Grandeur. With this being the band's
fourth full length release since its reactivation,
what was the songwriting process like?
We started shortly before and directly after the
Amon Amarth & Black Dahlia murder tour in
2011 somewhere around August I think we were
100 % focused again. Then later that
autumn/winter we did all the prerecordings. I
started to work on the lyrics early this year as
soon as I got back from my vacation in the Philip-
pines. This record was really hard for me to focus
on at the same time as my 5 year long relation-
ship with my ex-girlfriend were about to break
up. I totally crashed and were a wreck while writ-
ing, but I feel great with what I've done and
nowdays I feel better than ever. We did all the
drums in only 3.5 days and my vocals for about
Evocation
Illusions of Grandeur
(2012)
[Century Media Re-
cords]
4-5 days in IF Studios and all the guitars & bass in
Evocation studios took some weeks. So less
than a year of writing and some weeks of re-
cordning is pretty good I have to say. We are
pretty fast workers and try not change to much
during the way, just bits and pieces. Then mix
and mastering for about two weeks. Its a lot of
hard work behind it, no doubt.
On Illusions of Grandeur, there is a rather
strong Amon Amarth resemblance in the
music, with the inclusion of Johan Hegg as
guest vocalist on Into Submission, minus the
Viking influences that the aforementioned has.
How this collaboration come about, and what
did are some of the band's other influences
when writing the music for Illusions of Gran-
deur?
For me personally I don' t use influences when I
write, my influences are on peoples
performance' s and the way they express them
selfs. Johan Hegg is an outstanding frontman
and he is perfect in his performance, I was not
much into AA before the tour but I watched
them from the side of the stage almost every
evening. I really got sucked into it and under-
stood the whole thing, Amon Amarth is a great
band and Johan is lifting the whole apperance.
That's my kind of influence. If you talk to Vesa,
Janne & Marko and ask them this question
maybe they think different. We are from the
same school as all other great bands back in the
90' s and of course those bands made a huge
impact on us. Back to Johan/AA, we became
pretty good friends with them during the tour
and when we attented their show here in Go-
thenburg last year. Me and Marko asked Johan
after the show if he would be interested to lay
some vocals on one track, he said yes on the
spot. Into Submission is a typical Amon Amarth
song, so I decided that it should be that one. The
result was perfect and I think that our voices
work out well together.
The artwork on Illusions of Grandeur also
seems to display a slight shift in the aesthetics
of the band. Tell us more about the story
behind the album artwork, and about the lyrical
concepts behind Illusions of Grandeur.
We used Xaay (Behemoth, Nile, Vader etc) once
again, because he understands what the hell
Evocation is all about. We felt after Apoclayptic,
that he is a big part of the whole chain. Xaay is
very smart and talented and very easy to work
with. On both albums we just gave him the
album title, the lyrics and the main song. Then
he just works out of his own perspective and we
are as usual almost instantly satisfied on the first
drafts. He is also doing the layout for some of our
merch and also the web design, he is outstand-
ing in every way. Since we trust him and in what
he do we can focus even more on the music in-
stead.
Illusions of Grandeur are the band's first release
under a major label, Century Media Records.
How did this deal come about, and how has it
been working with the label?
We contacted them and it was an positive
answer right away. We' ve been in contact with
them from now and then for some years. If they
treat us good is too early to say but so far we
have high hopes and so do they. We said after
the contract with Cycone Empire that we want to
try other ways before we sign anything again.
Century Media is a fantastic label, no doubt.. and
we are a great band llil
Century Media Records recently sued thou-
sands of fans over illegal downloads of albums
released under them. With moves such as these
by major record labels, what are your views on
illegal downloading, and has illegal download-
ing impacted the sales of Evocation's music?
Of course it has made a great impact on the
budget for most bands. In Sweden for an ex-
ample only few bands can live on their music
100%. People must understand that it's not only
the record companies that are down on their
knees. The band is the 3rd part in getting any
cash at all and of course it would be great for
most to have a better budget for recordings,
layout, videos, tours etc .. I downloaded music
maybe 10 years ago; if I found a record that was
good enough I bought it. This way it's good to
find new bands but I know in the end that the
bands suffer the most. In case of Evocation
downloading is perhaps good, since our distrubu-
tion channels was not that effective before we
got Century Media behind us and the sales are
not in millions so feel free, but don' t tell me
haha.
With Illusions of Grandeur now released, what
are the near-future plans of Evocation, aside
from touring plans?
Get laid, get stoned and resist the enslavement
of mankind.
... Don't let the fools guide you blind people. A
On Evocation's fourth
studio offering Illusions
of Grandeur, the band
returns stronger than
ever. Unlike the raw,
gritty sound that old
school Swedish bands
such as Nihilist and En-
tombed have crafted, Evocation presents a more
melodic sound that is not unlike bands like Amon
Amarth, though with a markedly less focus on
Nordic and Viking mythology that the aforemen-
tioned have come to be known for. The riffs are
equal parts brutal and melodic, and the vocals es-
pecialy are reminiscent of Johan Hegg. With such
a style it perhaps isn't surprising that Johan Hegg
himself makes a guest appearance on the track
Into Submission, blending perfectly well into
Evocation's music. Hints of other Gothenburg
acts such as At the Gates are also present, and is
sure to please fans ofthis particular style of death
metal out of Sweden.
Illusions of Grandeur is out now via
Century Media Records
News in 5 Qlinutes
Ministry/Rigor Mortis guitarist Mike Scaccia has
passed away at the age of 47 on December 22
while performing with Rigor Mortis at frontman
Corbitt's 50th birthday celebration.
Ghost has unveiled the title to their upcoming
album to be /nfestissumam, to be released via
Lorna Vista Recordings.
Work has begun on the long-awaited Control
Denied sophomore album, the follow up to the
band's debut The Fragile Art of Existence.
Solution .45, the progressive metal supergroup
featuring vocalist Christian Alvestam has parted
ways with bassist Anders Edlund.
Hirax has signed a worldwide deal with
SPV/Steamhammer, and will be releasing a new
album in September 2013, followed by a world
tour.
King Diamond has signed a new three-album
deal with Metal Blade Records.
Dream Theater has re-signed with Roadrunner
Records. The band will be recording a new
album soon.
British band Amebix has officially called it quits
after more than 30 years. More details available
on amebix.net.
Upc.oQling releases
31/12: Impiety- Vengeance Hell Immemorial
18/1: Enforcer - Mesmerized by Fire 7"
22/1: Denouncement Pyre -Almighty Alcanum
25/1: Jorn -Symphonic
1/2: Blind Guardian - A Traveler's Guide To
Space And Time
1/2: Enforcer: Death by Fire
15/2: Suffocation- Pinnacle of Bedlam
19/2: Misery Index- Live n Munich
25/2: Omnium Gatherum- Beyond
26/2: Darkthrone- The Underground Resistance
26/2: Stratovarius- Nemesis
27/2: Soilwork- The Living Infinite
5/2: Rotting Christ- Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
Editor's Picks
Zushakon
Zushakon (2013)
[Sonic Blast Media]
Ok nothing particularly
new here if you are al-
ready a fan of Zusha-
kon or if you have al-
ready encountered the works of Kyng Ha-
deslamighty. Despite this being the band's debut
full length release, it contains remastered re-
cordings of the band's previous releases, in par-
ticular the World Ablaze/Chaosophist compila-
tion and tracks from the split with Luna Azure.
With a wide range of sounds ranging from the
cold, bleak atmosphere of Norwegian old school
black metal a Ia Mayhem and Darkthrone, to
full-on thrashy numbers and doom-paced
tracks, this is one hel of a ride for all fans of the
black metal underground. It leaves one to
wonder how the inclusion of Kathir of the
mighty Rudra will affect the future output of
Zushakon.
Riti Occulti
Riti Occulti (2012)
[Epidemie Records]
Dark, heavy, crushing
stoner/doom metal
with black metal ten-
dencies. That's the best way to sum up this Ital-
ian outfit's music on their debut, self-titled full
length release. There is no need for guitars at all
(the band does not have a guitarists, and neither
does the record) as the crushing yet groovy
basslines pushes the music forward along with
the haunting keys, that not only reinforces the
already chiling atmosphere but also doubles as a
second lead instrument. Black metal shrieks
pierce through the dense atmosphere, and the
female backing vocals create a chilling effect
that sends shivers down the listener's back. The
70s and 80s psychedelic rock and doom influ-
ences are clear, and one is indeed promised a
trippy listening experience which instantlly
sends the listener into a trance that is hard to
break out of, sounding like a blackened Electric
Wizard.
Full reviews are available at heavyiJietaltribune.coiJI
Infernal Poetry
Paraphiliac (2013)
[Bakerteam Records]
Paraphiliac is this Ital-
ian death metal maniac
Infernal Poetry's
new full length effort, spreading their brand of
unique technical death metal since their forma-
tion in 1996. The band promises an interesting
listen with Parphiliac, and they certainly deliver
From the technicalities that bands like Cryp-
topsy and Decapitated have crafted in their
heydays, to the completely gruff and barbaric
style of South American bands, the band en-
sures that all ground is covered. There are even
melodic moments, almost leaning towards mel-
ancholic territory, sounding as though the band
were lamenting the end of the world that man
has caused. The crystal clear production en-
sures that all the instruments ring out clearly,
making Paraphiliac all the more kickass.
Enshadowed
Magic Chaos Psychede-
lia (2013)
[Pulverised Records]
Greek black metal
outfit Enshadowed re-
turns this year with
their third full length, their first one in nine long
years. Yet they prove that they still have their
chops, ripping out almost 45 minutes worth of
blasphemous blackened death metal, sounding
like a fusion between Dark Funeral and Polish
black/death lords Behemoth, with a tinge of
madness of bands like Impiety. The tortured
vocals, the aggresive riffing and the blasting
rhythm segment all coalesce to make this some
of the most easily headbangable release early in
the year. Yet not all is simply happy, non-stop
blasting as the band also attempts to bring in
some variation in their musical style, with the in-
clusion of mid-paced segments, placed at the
right timings to ensure that the listener manages
to catch his breath for yet another round of vio-
lence.
Ulcer
Grant Us Death (2013)
[Pulverised Records)
Despite its Polish ori-
gins, Ulcer plays music
that is more in the veins
of old school Swedish
death metal bands such as Entombed and Nihil-
ist, throwing those that expect music in the style
of Behemoth and Vader rather off guard. The
d-beat drumming of Wizun helps to up the inten-
sity and energy level in the music, while the riffing
of guitarists Lucass and Mscislaw help to bring
about a slight Bloodbath comparion at times. The
solos range from full-blown chaos to melodic
ones, helping to give listeners a false sense of
calm for that time being before being thrown
back into the lair for another round of savage
attack. The dual vocal attack is also rather unique,
helping to make Grant Us Death an even more
aggressive release, as though the music here
weren't abrasive enough.
Destruction
Spiritual Genocide
(2012)
[Nuclear Blast Records]
One of the later con-
tenders for album of
the year, Destruction
with the release of their 13th full length album,
Spiritual Genocide, boasts the return of the Mad
Butcher on their 30th anniversary. Hot on the
heels of their previous release, Day of Reckoning,
Spiritual Genocide sees the band presenting the
same style of blistering, aggressive thrash metal
over the 40 minutes that are contained on this
album, once again proving to naysayers why they
deserve to be crowned one of the kings of Teu-
tonic thrash metal. The bonus track Carnivore
even sees members from past lineups of the
band and Angel ripper (of Sodom) and Gerre (of
Tankard) making guest apearances, making this
a Teutonic superstar lineup through and
through. Vaaver's relentless drumming, Mike' s
razor-sharp riffing and Schmier's nasty vocals
make for one hell of an album to let off steam.
With Sunyata, Greek occult black metal band Acrimonious presents their
debut offering under Agonia Records to followers. Sunyata sees the band
further pushing the boundaries of black metal, and Cain Letifer tells us
more about themselves.
The band was formed all the way back in 2003,
and has been putting out some of the darkest
black metal out of Greece so far. For those who
are unfamiliar to the band, would it be possible
to tell us more about the history of Acrimoni-
ous? Under what circumstances did Acrimoni-
ous come about, and what are the messages
that the band wishes to bring forth to man-
kind?
Hails. The band was formed in 2002 by C.L. ,
Fun us and Carnivorous Torment and released a
demo tape, called "Unholy Cult Demonic". We
take our Art very seriously and cannot identify
ourselves in an artistic manner with the Western
Way of thinking, were you are supposed to con-
sume and die as an empty shell or battery. We
need time to focus on ourselves, and contem-
plate on certain Serious Matters before attempt-
ing to write down lyrics or music. The process
described could take 15 minutes for completion,
or it could take 15 years for the same goal in
Self) ... Funus used to contribute to the band with
lyrics in the first demo mostly, and with some
great riffs here and there, up until the Perdition
Gospel days ... After that, it was mostly a thing of
myself actually, as Funus left the band before
Purulence was recorded, so I had to perform the
Vocals myself, for the first album. Which was
something that I was totally unprepared for, to
be honest... We are the harbingers of the mes-
sage of No Message, meaning that the Art that
we Evoke is boundless and timeless, limitless
and quenchless, in its exhaustless power. The
Well from which we tap this power from, it is a
Gate and a Dream that leads to the place of no
Dreams ...
After almost 6 years since the band's forma-
tion, Acrimonious released its debut full length
album in 2009, entitled Purulence. What was it
that took the band so long for the first full
length release?
question (that is, to the Creative Aspects of the Because it took us so long to cooperate with the
A a
artist that took care of the album's artwork (Kriss
Hades) and because our correspondence with
our label back then :AJNA: was incoherent. Also
because we had a very low budget...
This year sees the band's follow up to Purulence,
entitled Sunyata, a reference to the Buddhist
concept of emptiness. Compared to the dark
and blasphemous themes on Purulence, it
seems that the band has taken a more spiritual
and philosophical route this time in terms of lyri-
cal concepts and themes, with numerous refer-
ences to Eastern philosophy/spirituality. How
did the interest in these themes come about,
and would it be possible to tell us more about
the lyrics-writing process behind Sunyata?
Where is inspiration drawn from when writing
Sunyata?
No, there is zero difference in direction. It is just
that we all want to force ourselves constantly to
try and redefine new limits, new forms of expres-
sion and to go deeper into what we want to
follow us individuals. We are inspired by many
different things. When it comes to Sunyata, the
works of Thomas Mann, Alejandro Jodorowsky,
Julius Evola, C.G.Jung, George Gurdjieff, life (in es-
sence) and -most importantly- death has been
major influences for the new album.
What are your personal spiritual beliefs, and are
these reflected in the lyrical themes and con-
cepts on Sunyata?
Yes, you could say that... we are no hypocrites to
write music for things we don't live 24/7!
With such philosophical lyrical themes, what are
some of the writers that have influenced you in
your writing style of the lyrics on Sunyata?
See above, and also the work of Austin Osman
Spare, Kenneth Grant, Aleister Crowley and
more, when it comes to recent alchemical sci-
ence. Also philosophy, art, history and music in
many different aspects have been influential to
us. Bear in mind that our lyrics are based on our
personal reflections on certain mystical experi-
ences that all lyrics are based upon. Also they are
riddles of alchemical content...if i had to choose
one single text, i would say Bardo Thodol.
The album artwork of Sunyata is also reflective
of the band's shift in lyrical concepts, and unlike
previous releases, the artwork takes a some-
what psychedelic route this time. Tell us more
about the album artwork, and the artist behind
it. How was the artwork conceptualised?
Let us leave the artist behind such demanding an
endeavour , speak about the physis of the work,
which was written especially for an exegesis of
what you are requesting ... (this is just apart of a
bigger text, that is to be found in the booklet of
the album):
"The images crafted for this 8-fold sonic assault
follow an arc of evocative automatism unfolding
into the Lunar sheathings of Hecate's ever radi-
ant Mystery. Without the Solar Light, the Moon is
dead and dark. Yet, without the Moon, the Light
is lost and without form. She comprehends and
transmutes the effusion of Sunfire, being known
by its Light even as she embodies all True Know-
ing in the Darkness of her Bloodflow.
We enter into the Nexus of Sunyata through the
Gate of Babalon, dissolving in its Superstellar
Alembic as we behold our Mother, with Whom
we are One, likewise consumed in Black Flame.
This is the First Oracle. Ever receding into an In-
finitude of Stars, She is ever, yet never, con-
sumed. Our anticipation cannot approximate the
Paradox of her Love. Burn the body as we will, we
always remain until the head is given to flames.
Thus it is that Hadit knows the female-beast of
"flaming hair."
Music-wise, Sunyata is also a display of the
band's continuous growth, with an expansion of
the band's sound compared to that on Puru-
lence. This is especially so with the inclusion of
old school heavy metal and occult rock influ-
ences. What was it that made the band decide
to do so, and was this a conscious shift in musi-
cal direction by the band? How did the band
come to the sound on Sunyata?
I guess you have to blame human genes that
make you progress and move forward towards
something (hopefully) better, and more useful to
the Gods .. .
The songs on Sunyata are also much more com-
plex, with most tracks lasting almost 8 minutes,
rather long run times for black metal tracks.
What was the songwriting process like, and
how was it different compared to the writing of
past materials of Acrimonious?
We don't work like that. Most of us are musi-
cians, so gathering together and writing riffs is
the easiest part of the story ... We only compose
music for Acrimonious, when we feel the Call,
and the Call is not connected with days ide think-
ing and acting, it is a very personal and emptying
kind of process, where inward things are called
outwards via a very strange and complex pro-
cess.
While Purulence was released under The Ajna
Offensive, Sunyata marks the band's first re-
lease under Agonia Records. How did this deal
come about, and how has it helped in the
band's growth?
Noone from the band pays much attention to
the Marketing side of the Band. Acrimonious has
been an underground unit so far, and that is the
Way things are going to be in the future as
well.. .we will never sell ourselves for money or
limit our horizons due to such trivialities such as
fame, recognition, and ego boosting through
such a Holy Vessel as Art .. .
What are the near future plans of Acrimonious,
and can fans look forward to seeing Acrimoni-
ous live anytime soon?
Most certainly, there are plans regarding what
you say .. . stay tuned and you will soon hear more
about that.
We have come to the end of the interview.
Thank you for taking the time off to answer our
questions and we wish you all the best in all up-
coming endeavours!
Thank you very much for your time as well...
;c.L. a
Acrimonious
Sunyata (2012)
[Agonia Records]
Yup, thetrippy, psyehe-
delic album art threw
me somewhat off-
as well, consider-
ing the darkness that Acrimonious emanated
with thei r previous output, Purulence. But the
music on Sunyata is equally unrelenting, with the
band's brand of black metal still pretty recogni-
sable from the get go. That said though, the band
has included a marked increase in old school
heavy metal influences, with the band citing such
bands as Iron Maiden as some of the inspirations
in the writing of Sunyata, resulting in a sound
that is somewhat similar to Watain's Lawless
Darkness, not only in the old school feel in the
music but also in the large melodic hooks that
are present in the lead guitars on the album.
Chants and hymns on songs like Adharma make
the album all the more ritualistic and enchanting.
A to
Sounds of the Underground: Binaash
Nepal's notre the place to look for for extreme meta yet Binaash plays
some of the most crushing brutal death metal. Their debut release
Binaashkaari is the epitome of brutality and fun. The band tells us more.
Greetings Binaash! Before we start off the in-
terview proper, would it be possible to tell us
about the history of the band? How did Binaash
come about, and what does the band name, Bi-
naash mean?
Hails! Binaash is a Ramailo Death Metal band
from Kathmandu, Nepal, formed in 2009 by Pra-
teek, Tshewang and Rishav. The band was
formed out of the trio's interest to do some
Death Metal. Prabin joined later for vocals and
so did Shashank on guitars. The band started
with the name Kaal, which was changed because
of numerous bands with Kaal and its derivative
names present in the local scene at the time.
Bijent replaced Tshewang on bass duties from
May 2010. Jayram replaced Rishav on drums
after the recording of our debut album. Binaash,
literally means Destruction.
The band dubs itself "ramailo death metal",
meaning "fun death metal". Is that the philoso-
phy behind the band when writing and playing
death metal, and what is the reason behind
this? How did such a concept come about, and
how have fans of death metal reacted to
Binaash's musical philosophy?
Yes it is our philosophy while creating new mate-
rial. Fun in the sense that everyone in the band
has to understand and enjoy what we are play-
ing. We've shifted to humour a bit more lately,
but we might come up with some other idea
someday. We went this way because we did
want to enjoy if we were to do this band or else
it would not last. Also, people are taking their
music too seriously and rigidly and it is not the
reason we started doing music. Don't get us
wrong, we practice seriously, we play from our
heart, we give more than a 100% but we have to
enjoy, or else there is no point in doing it.
Fans were a bit hesitant at first seeing "ramailo"
mixed with death metal, which is because of this
stereotype associated with death metal. How-
ever, they have started to understand what
we're doing and we guess, they too know now,
that it doesn't mean shit what label you put on
yourself until and unless you are giving them
good tight stuff.
The band this year released its debut full length
album entitled Binaashkaari. What is the mean-
ing behind the album title, and are there any
overarching themes or concepts for the mate-
A n
rial on the album?
Binaashkaari, which means destructive, is a
name we have given to our supporters. The
album is named after our supporters, who are
very loyal out here. They support us a lot, and we
think dedicating the debut album to them is the
best we can do for them right now.
The lyrical themes and concepts have a lot of va-
riety in them. We have stuffs ranging from funny
introduction of band members to serial killers,
cannibalism, fantasy, humour, experiences, local
food, alcohol, hallucinations etc.
Listening to the album in its entirety, it is easy to
see how the element of fun comes into play in
Binaash's music, with the intros that are pres-
ent on each of the track presenting different
mindfuckery to the listener. What was it that
made the band decide to have such moments
on every track on the album?
Originally, we were just thinking about doing the
first intra and one outro for The Wests and the
acoustic version of German National Anthem for
Eat Is My Pleasure. A friend of ours jokingly said
that if we were to put an intra, we have to put an
outro. Then we thought why not an intra to
every song like Pestilence did in Testimony of
The Ancients. The humour part is also in songs
like "Bancharo", " Binaash Momo Pasal " and
some others but since they're in Nepali it's hard
for people outside of Nepal to get a full grasp of
the album and what we are trying to say.
How did the inclusions of these moments come
about, and are there any planning processes
behind these intros? If so, how were they con-
ceived, i.e. how does the band decide what kind
of intro to include for each song?
There was almost zero planning for the intros, it
was very spontaneous.
With these elements of fun and unpredictability
that are on the album, what was the songwrit-
ing process like for Binaashkaari?
half is a bit serious and typical in your face Death
Metal and also the lyrics are in English. This part
was composed way before the band came into
existence. The second part has very simple to-
the-point Nepali lyrics, the songs are shorter and
a bit deviated from what we might see as Death
Metal. It is more grindcore/thrash influenced
Death Metal which were much more of a team-
work from the band and also much more spont a-
neous creations.
On the other hand, the serious and brutal side of
Binaashkaari reeks of influences ranging from
Devourment to Suffocation. What are some of
the most important influences on the band
when writing the music of Binaash?
We don' t actually think of any band when com-
posing stuffs, but we are influenced by so many
bands that it is confirmed a lot of our influence
will be seen in the songs. Let me put it this way,
there are influences ranging from Slayer to Origin
and almost everything in between in this album.
The intros also display a wide range of musical
styles, with the acoustic guitars and the tradi-
tional instrumentations and arrangements that
are present. What are the musical backgrounds
of each of the band members, and how did the
incorporation of these styles come about?
Haha, actually there was no such thought put into
the intros. There was this great acoustic guitar in
the studio we were recording which was regular
acoustic guitar with nylon strings. It had a great
sound and we played whatever and recorded.
About the background, Prabin and I (Prateek) are
self taught. Shashank had some serious guitar les-
sons in his high school days. Bijent is trained in
Jazz and Double bass. Rishav is also trained in Jazz
which explains his flavour of drumming in the
album, even though we don' t have a really good
production.
What about live shows of Binaash? How are the
elements of fun brought over to the live experi-
ences of Binaash, and are these intro tracks
brought to the live setting as well?
Actually this is sort of a double album. The first
.&t2
Well we interact with the crowd a lot, and lately
we've been doing gimmicks like wearing aprons,
silly hats, stockings or whatever in each of our
gigs. lntros are not really played before songs
like in the album, but we do it sometimes when
our vocalist is interacting with the crowd or if
there is some sort of delay or technical problems
while on stage.
With Binaashkaari now released and the inclu-
sion of new drummer Jay Ram, what are the
near future plans of the band? Will fans of
Binaash's music see a similar style of music on
future releases of Blnaash?
We have already recorded a new song for a 7
way split between Binaash, Jugaa, Ugra Karma
and Terrifyer from Nepal, Sangharsha from US,
Foreskin from Pakistan and Kaligula from this
universe. We are also planning on making some
Tshirts.
Our musical style will definitely not change, it
might evolve with whatever we're listening to
but it will definitely not change. We might not
come up with an album very soon. Splits, singles
are the way to go as things stand. We will create
new materials but creating an album is a big
ordeal and we don't have the resources to do it
frequently. A
Binaash's debut is a
hint of the chaos that is
brewing in the under-
~ ~ I ! ~ ! ! J ~ ~ ~ I ! J ground of Nepalese
metal. Yet Binaash takes their fun seriously in
the midst of all the crushing brutality that goes
on around on Binaashkaari, with the intros of
each of the tracks displaying a wide variety of
musical and songwriting influences, ranging
from horror to the traditional Eastern musical
influences. Their metal though, is pure old
school brutal death metal, in the veins of bands
like Devourment and Suffocation, infused with
a tinge of grindcore to make the album all the
more catchy, because, why the hell not?
Asian Spotlight: Zushakon
Zushakon has garnered critical acclaim with their demo and compilation,
Chaosophist/World Ablaze. This year the band releases their self-titled full
length album, with the tracks on the compilation remastered. We talk to
mastermind Kyng Hadesalmighty to find out more.
Zushakon was formed in 2006 along with your
other band, Orthanc. What was it that made
you decide to form Zushakon and how was it
different compared to the output of Orthanc?
Zushakon evolved from the Band Orthanc.
Zushakon was formed with a honest and truthful
desire to play Cold Grim and Malevolent Black
Metal. It is really different from Orthanc because
Orthanc focused on themes based on JRR
Tolkien's Lord of the Rings which was of an im-
mense influence in the sound and lyrical themes
of Orthanc whereas Zushakon was the manifes-
tation of mine and David' s Black Metal influ-
ences.
What is the meaning behind the band's name,
and how did it come about and relate to the
anyone who exposes his sacred artifacts to it.
Zushakon is summoned by the tolling of three
specially consecrated great Bells. I like Henry
Kuttner's work and found Zushakon in Henry
Kuttner's short story "Bells of Horror'' It made
sense to name the Band Zushakon as it is an Hor-
rifying entity. I felt Zushakon's terrifying attri-
butes related to the Madness and Horror we
wanted to create.
The band split up for a period of time between
2011 and 2012, but recently saw its comeback
with a refresh in its lineup, including Kathir and
Belial Hatehammer alongside yourself in the
new lineup. What was it that made you decide
to reactivate the band, and how did this lineup
come about?
music of Zushakon? Zushakon didn't actually split but rather it was
laid off for awhile because there was so many
Zushakon is the God of Death for the Native personal issues to deal with, i was experiencing
American Mutsune Tribe of California. Zushakon some personal conflicts and was mentally off for
has an intense hatred for light and will slay awhile because that period was a battle of per-
.A- 14
sonal demons within me and trust me, fighting
obsessive compulsive disorder, panic anxiety at-
tacks and paranoia can really make you look like
an a$$ hole to many people and cause too much
misunderstandings. Nobody knew what i was
going through personally and i lost many friends
as a result of my mental breakdown. I was being
hated by people who didn't even know me and
had assumed stuff about me. At the same time,
David's musical tastes had changed though he
was still true to the bone, he needed a fresh new
musical direction and perspectives. So it was ac-
tually a layoff since 2010. Kathir was someone i
really respected and knew personally since 2004
through Myspace. We had so much of stuff in
common on a wide range of topics like 70s Pro-
gressive Rock Music which both of us grew up on
heavy doses of Deep Purple, Rainbow, Scorpi-
ons, Pink Floyd etc etc and the one common
thing which bonded us was the interest in An-
thropology and Ancient History. Importantly
Kathir understood me and who i truly was inside
instead of labeling and judging me by what he
might have heard from others. He stood out as a
friend and now he's a mentor and a good
brother.
As of press time, Belial Hatehammer is not in the
line up due to family commitments and other
personal space/work which he needs to attend
to but we already have a Drummer in mind but
we are not going to unveil him until we start
working on the the next Zushakon full length
album which for me will be the first proper CD
release from Zushakon in it's 7 years of exis-
tence.
What does the new band logo signify, and why
the decision to have a brand new band logo?
Ah .. . the logo was the brainchild of a brilliant and
talented Die Hard Siddique Headkrasher who
also did the Aeternus Metallum logo. I don' t like
to get involved in an artist's creative expression
so i told him that i wanted a nice logo which will
signify Zushakon' s musical progression and he
gave me a few awesome samples and i chose
this logo. I strongly believe that when you trust
someone enough to ask them to create some-
thing, you will surely appreciate the end product
delivered. Siddique just did that without any in-
terference.
This year also saw Zushakon being signed to
Sonic Blast Media. How did this deal come
about?
Well i sent Zushakon tracks to Sonic Blast Media
and the bosses liked what they heard. I hit really
well with lmran the first time we met and we
shared so many stuff apart from the music. It
was a understanding and i felt that Sonic Blast
Media is a great place for Zushakon to be rather
than relying on individuals who promise you a
Golden Shower and give you shit filled bathtub
to soak in .. . i mean i was really very frustrated
with what we had been getting for sincerely and
honestly wishing that the Metal Underground
fan base can just get to hear our songs, Zushakon
was never formed for profit driven purposes in
the first place .. . i mean it was really hell just
trying to make people understand.
Zushakon will be the band's debut full length
release, containing remastered tracks from the
band's 2009 World Ablaze compilation and the
split with Luna Azure. What was it that made
you decide to do so?
Actually i think we could' ve done better and had
recorded extra 7 or 8 songs before so that we
don' t have to re release these Zushakon material
which are well ... old, but it was just inevitable
that we or rather i had no choice and personally
i wish that we had recorded more songs before
and that would've been great because then we
could' ve had a " New" unreleased tracks compi-
lation with Sonic Blast Media.
What are some of the greatest influences that
have gone into the writing of the music of
Zushakon?
Zushakon is a cauldron of many influences with
David immensely influenced by Watain and
Devil's Blood while i' m very much influenced by
Bathory, Bathory and More Bathory with tint of
Dissection here and there .. .
The nostalgia of old school Norwegian black
& t5
metal is clear. Apart from the old school greats
like Mayhem and Darkthrone, what are some
of the newer and more notable Norwegian re-
leases that should be heard?
Hmmm ... i am currently into more Swedish
Death Metal Bands like Demonical, Paganizer,
Entrails, various Black/Death Thrash Bands like
Mordant, Dead Congregation, Destroyer 666,
Die Hard, Bastard Priest ... also MIDNIGHT from
USA which is a morbid mutation of VENOM, MO-
TORHEAD and BATHORY all thrown into one
boiling cauldron of Heavy Thrashing Metal.
Seriously New Norwegian Black Metal Bands do
not interest me that much these days. I prefer lis-
tening to MIDNIGHT and MESSIAH " Infernal
Thrashing" back to back these days ;)
Apart from tracks that deal with death and
chaos, one track in particular stood out from
the rest - Singawhore. What is the meaning
behind that track?
Singawhore is a straightforward " F**K OFF" trib-
ute to Local Trendy Whores (SPGs) who just love
to be on the d**ks of Fat Balding Ugly White
Men:)
Chaos Requiem also stands out in the album
with the melancholic mood that is set by the
melodies on the track. What is the significance
of this track in relation to the other tracks on
the album, and what made you decide to in-
clude a soothing interlude amidst all the chaos?
Chaos Requiem was actually a silent Tribute to
the late Jon Andreas Nodtveidt who is a big inspi-
ration and influence on me and David. It was a
desire and a idea i had to do do something like
that as a concluding piece in a album and what
was amazing is that everytime i speak to David
and tell him how i feel about making a song, he
just makes it happen. Chaos Requiem is also a
tribute to David's work with the Band and you
can even say that it was a farewell song which i
wanted and one that he created himself without
realising it was for him ...
of Zushakon get to hear new songs from the
band anytime soon?
The Musical Direction and Songwriting process
will pick up from where we left off with World
Ablaze and i can assure you Zushakon's next re-
lease will be a revelation in terms of both produc-
tion and musical progression with a slight shift in
lyrical themes and with probably more epic
guitar melodies to enchant Zushakon fans with-
out losing our aggression, essence and identity of
what Zushakon really stands for. It will be an
album that will silence the naysayers and people
who often looked down and criticized this Band.
Also, it seems that Zushakon has never per-
formed live before. With the current lineup, will
this be a possibility in the near future?
I won't rule out the possibility of playing live in
the future if time permits. In the past, it was only
me and David and we had strong feelings about
playing live but now i feel it's important to be a
Band that plays live and bring our songs to a
wider audience in the Underground. If time and
circumstances are right; Zushakon will play live.
Zushakon will see a digital release in the middle
of January. What are the possibilities for physi-
cal format releases in the future?
Zushakon will release all our work in physical
format (CD and maybe even Vinyl) in the future,
there's no doubt about that. The only reason we
agreed to do this digital release is because we
have had a limited number of people listening to
our songs all these years ... we want to reach out
the international underground and this digital re-
lease though wouldn' t really be my cup oftea say
8 or 9 years ago ... i have learnt to adapt and
accept the fast moving and constantly develop-
ing advanced technology in all aspects of our lives
and that includes how we listen to our music
these days and with so many advanced gadgets
in the market, digital releases are probably how
people will buy their music in the future .. . A
With the band's lineup now complete, will fans
& 16
Sonic Blast Media unleashes
Zushakon on January 13, 2013.