STENCH OF DECAY Where death and decay reign Review

STENCH OF DECAY (Finland) – Where death and decay reign
Demo Tape 2009 – Detest Records
4 tracks - 23'43
Rated: 7/10
The boys are back in town!!! 4 years after their first good demo, the young lads grew up and came with this second death metallic onslaught. They took their time but that was worthy to wait. We're actually talking a lot about the inheritors of swedish death metal but what about the dark order of Finnish death metal? So if the latest DEMIGOD stuff didn't turn you on, let me tell you that STENCH OF DECAY could be a more than decent candidate.
STENCH OF DECAY plays death metal in the finnish early 90's vein with a raspy and dark sound, but the atmosphere is here. The heaviness as well, the haunting melodies, solos, every traditional elements except originality of course but that's not our main concern, right? It's well played and shall please any grave desecrator. If you dig dead bodies like early DEMIGOD, FUNEBRE or ABHORRENCE (they covered Vulgar necrolatry on the 4th track!), this tape shall find room on your shelves. So what's the next step guys?
Contact: DETEST Records – C/O J. Marechal – Ch. Du Tilleul 126 – B 1300 WAVRE – BELGIUM
www.detestrecords.com

DENIAL Immense carnage vortex EP Review

DENIAL (Mexico) – Immense carnage vortex
EP 2008 – Blood Harvest Records
3 tracks
Rated: 10/10
DENIAL is a recent death metal band from Mexico (2006) gathering some mercenaries from the Mexican underground mafia and especially Oscar Clorio some may know from his drumwork in CENOTAPH. Like me if you enjoy the early works of CENOTAPH, the death metal by DENIAL will even go out of your expectations. Two tracks and an intro are enough to get convinced by DENIAL's deadly potential. Paying tribute to the 90's era of death metal, DENIAL is the unavoidable dark death metal invocation, truly evil sounding like their landmates of NECROCCULTUS, they prove that it's still possible to impress with simple but good riffing. This EP offers a putrid mixture of INCANTATION, old IMMOLATION with the lethal groove by ENTOMBED and the coffin's stench of GRAVE, plus the South American trademark (like some spicy food that makes you breath some fire if you will).
All the elements I'm looking for in death metal are there: killer riffs, evil and dark intents, guttural vocals, hysterical guitar solos... The vinyl sound also strenghtens the obscure vibe, but that's firstly the songwriting which is almost perfect for me, a really impressive release. DENIAL has released a full lenght on Asphyxiate Recordings so let's see if they can remain interesting on a longer record. I'll check this soon, believe me.
Contact: DENIAL – PO BOX 217 – CP 06002 MEXICO – MEXICO
BLOOD HARVEST Records – PO BOX 7092 – 20042 MALMO – SWEDEN http://www.bloodharvest.se/

Larry "Torch" Lyannas Interview

Larry “Torch” Lyannas is an underground artist whose artworks may be familiar to US death metal freaks as Torch did artworks for INGURGITATE, SEVERANCE or BLOODSOAKED to name a few and he also uses to work with Burning Dogma Records when it comes to artworks. I got his contact through Ricky as Torch is actually in jail. Torch also did the front cover of the rag you're holding. Read on and let's discover his band DISCHARGE BY DEATH, the first death metal band born in prison state!

1-Hi Torch, almost a year ago I did an interview with your mate Ricky of Burning Dogma Records, and it appears that you did (and still do) artworks for some of his releases. So today, it's you're turn being questioned! How are you doing man? Could you tell our readers what led you to jail and when will you be released?
What's up Jim? Good to hear from you. Well to answer your first question, I'm doing a life sentence. Life carries 30 years flat before parole. I'm in for 1st degree murder for killing a guy that was trying to rape a 13 year-old-girl. He was beaten with a hammer and burned to death. The state tried to give me the death penalty, but wound up with life, “lucky me”.
When I got to prison people already had my nickname ready for me “Torch”. I tried to shake it for years but with no success. So now I go by Torch and I sign my artworks Torch too. I've done 19 years already, have 11 to go. Can't wait to get out of there.
2-How is life in New Mexico's jail? In my chat with Ricky when he was in Texas, he was quite limited, he couldn't listen to music and was just able to read books or magazines. Here, at least, you can listen some music on tapes and you even play in a band! Tell us more about your band. It's the first death metal band created in jail. What's your role in the band? You have just release a demo, right?
Doing time in New Mexico is allot better than where Ricky did time. In Texas, you can't have shit, no TV, no radios and they shave your dome. Not a cool place to do time. Here we can have TVs, cassette players, guitars and art supplies, and we have the sickest bandroom here. We take full advantage of too. My band has been jamming for about 7 years now. It started with me and my bro Jason Desnoyers. I play guitar and do vocals, he's on drums and vocals. When we met, I found out he could drum and play guitar and bass. On the streets he played with a number of hardcore-punk bands threw out the 90's in the San Diego scene. I never played in a band, so this was all new to me. So we started jamming together trying to get things going. It was frustrating like fuck at first, but we've written some kick ass shit. For a long time we didn't have the means to record. Now we do, and we're working on our first demo. It's a pain in the ass to. We just recruited another guitarist Rodney Sanchez and we have this dude playing bass for now, but he won't be on the demo, he's the red-headed step child. Can't really stand the dude. But he fills a void. Our band name is DISCHARGE BY DEATH, that's what your parole certificate reads if you die in prison, and we are all doing life, so it's a fitting name.

3-How do the rehearsals take place? Do you have a special room where prisoners can play instruments? How many times do you rehearse a week? How do other guys (other prisoners, guards...) react towards your uncommon music? I mean death metal is not like country music.
We have a good size bandroom, my band plays three times a week (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday), 3 hours a day. There are other bands here, but we're the only death metal band. People love our shit here, they freak out on how extreme it is. We were told we are the best band here. We all have our own guitars and effects so when we're not jamming at the bandroom, we're jamming back at the pod. Sucks for Jason because he doesn't have full access to the drumkit 24-7.

4-You will also take part to the BLOOD tribute to be released by Burning Dogma Records. Which track do you cover? What's your opinion about the band now? What is your favorite record of theirs?
Yes we're taking part in the BLOOD tribute release by Burning Dogma Rec. Ricky asked if we would be interested in doing a song. I told him fuck ya. We recorded the song “Poison for the soul” with an added twist, came out cool. To tell you the truth I had never heard of the band before, mainly because I have been living under a rock for the past 19 years. Ricky sent all their recordings on tape, and we all agreed that “Poison for the soul” was the one that we wanted to do. I believe it was from their 2002 release “Dysangelium”. I like the band, they have a cool old school sound. Definitely proud to be a part of the tribute.

5-Please, introduce us to your musical initiation, what were the first albums/bands you used to listen to? Are you a death metal maniac only?
I've always been into heavier music, growing up I started out listening to BLACK SABBATH, AD/DC... Then VENOM, SLAYER and METALLICA hit the scene, that led to TESTAMENT, EXODUS, DEATH, VIO-LENCE, DEICIDE, then onto HELLHAMMER, NAPALM DEATH, SORETHROAT, OBITUARY, D.B.C, M.O.D, S.O.D, CARNIVORE, the list goes on... When I got locked up CANNIBAL CORPSE and MORBID ANGEL started to get known. I do listen to other shit from time to time, just to take a break: DEFTONES, SYSTEM OF A DOWN and a little TOOL. But for the most part death is it.
6-One of your main activity, at least the one focusing our attention is artworks drawing and painting. You did artworks for album covers (SEVERANCE, INGURGITATE, SUPREME PAIN, FERMENTO, ...), tattoos, bands logos, etc. How everything's started? When did you realize you had a talent for drawing? What are you graphical influences? Was it your job before getting imprisoned?
My job on the streets before coming to prison was to smoke as much bud as humanly possible and to drink until I shit my liver out of my ass, and I worked at a rental car company.
I always known how to draw since I was a kid. I was raised around art, most of my family are artists. But since my incarceration I've honed my skills in. I used to do a lot of wild life art and South Western art for a couple of galleries around New Mexico. I made good money doing it. But I really wanted to do obscure shit. When I've seen OBITUARY's “Cause of death” art when I was a teenager, that made me want my shit on album covers. My main influences are of courseWes Benscotter, H.R. Giger, tattoo artist Paul Booth, Dan Seagrave, wild life artist Carl Brenders, South Western artist Donald Crowley, and some of Zig's shit has caught my attention. I've only done 2 logos so far, one was for Dave Kibler's side-project EMBRACE DAMNATION and for Chris Hutto's side-project DEATH BLOW. As far as CD covers go I did INGURGITATE “Blackest origins”, SUPREME PAIN “Cadaver pleasures”, SEVERANCE “Suffering in humanity” and their upcoming release “Progression towards purgatory”, also the BLOOD tribute CD. I've done inlay stuff for LIVIDITY and some for FERMENTO. Steve Green used a piece of mine for BLOOSOAKED's upcoming release “Grotesque memories” and 2 CD covers for a trendy zine out of Canada BW&BK, inlay work for FUCK THE FACTS split with MINCING FURY, and I just got threw doing a piece for BASTARD SAINTS upcoming release which Ricky is going to release. Whenever I'm not painting or drawing, I tattoo in here, but tattooing in prison is illegal so we have to watch out for the guards.

7-How does it happen you work for a band? I mean, you have no website and you're not known as guys like Jon Zig or Chris Moyen, so how do you manage to get asked for making a CD cover?
I owe most of my gratitude to Ricky, he's been keeping me busy for the last three years now. When I first started my bro Worm wrote Dave Kibler and told him about my artwork. Dave wrote back and wanted to see some of my shit, so I sent him a little piece I was fucking around with. He wrote back, said he loved it and used it for a Milwaukee metal fest t-shirts, so I flooded him with artwork for a while. Then I got hooked up with Hound of Corpse Gristle Rec. (RIP) and he got me a CD cover for INGURGITATE; that led to Steve Green of Comatose Music, he's used 2 or 3 pieces of mine so far. Right now I'm devoting my time to Burning Dogma, Ricky does me good, keeps me busy, sends cash when he can. Dude has proven to be quite the friend, no bullshit in his game at all.
I don't really make much at it, just enough to keep my art supplies stocked. I'm not trying to get rich either, just trying to get my name out there. So when I finally do get the fuck out of here, I'll be able to use my art for a source of income. Plus I love death metal and this is the only way I can support it. The prison doesn't allow CD, so I have to have Ricky's record shit to tape for me. Anyone looking to get work from me get ahold of Ricky Lockett Burning Dogma Rec.

8-How do you proceed to create a new artwork? Do you listen to the band's music for inspiration (in case it's for a band), do you have recommendations or advices by the band members... Do you draw artworks for printed zines or T-shirts. Explain us your process of creation.
Most of the time Ricky let's me know what the band is looking for and I'll go from there. Usually when I paint or draw I'll thrown on some DISEMBOWELMENT, that's a good tape to paint to sets the mood. But if I have the band's music, I'll listen to that. The music and the lyric help paint the picture for me. I haven't did much zine work yet, only for Manos of Sewer Zine, your zine and BW&BK. I did a cover for a book called “The property”, it's about some crazy fuck that came back from Vietnam and found out his ol'lady was fuckin' someone else, so he bought this property in Arizona (USA) and made it look like Vietnam and turned her and her lover lose on the property and put them threw some horrid shit that he went threw, in the end they died a pretty gruesome death. Awesome book.

9-What are your conditions for creating a new artwork? Do you ask money in return or some CD or shirt of the band concerned? Did you ever get ripped-off by some bands or guys?
For a CD cover I usually charge anywhere from $50 to $100, it just depends on the piece and how long it takes to do it. I don't have the luxury of an airbrush so everything is done with a brush. So it take longer to do. As far as getting ripped off? I've never been ripped off yet, but there's always the first time.

10-What do you think of artworks done with computers? Some are not bad at all, but this way of creation doesn't always fit the music. It looks like “synthetic” and it loses the “organic” aspect of hand drawn or painted arts.
I do like some of the artwork done with computer. But a lot of it looks too video-gamish. I would rather have hand-drawn shit because there is more freedom in the creation process. But at the same time I've seen a lot of hand-drawn crap out there too. I guess it just depends on what you prefer.
11-You did the artwork for the upcoming “Progression towards purgatory” by SEVERANCE, which is a beautiful & dark work of art! You gathered different feelings with this one, darkness, coldness and even solemnity. It differs a bit from your previous works, because here you mostly used white, grey and black colors, and this is probably your most subtle artwork. Are you seeking constantly to do new things, do you need to experiment or do you want to remain in the gore/horror/demons category?
That piece I did for SEVERANCE “Progression towards purgatory” is my rendition of Caspar David Friedrich's “Monastery Graveyard in the snow”. It's one of my favorite pieces by him. Evidently that painting was destroyed in WWII. Originally I painted it for myself, as part of a learning process. But it came out pretty sick with the changes I added to it. So I sent it to Ricky and he used it for SEVERANCE's new release.
I do like to do other art, portraits, birds of prey and other preditoral animals, it's probably my best work, the come out photo realistic, I can paint or draw anything put in front of me. And I'm constantly looking to better my art by studying other artists and their approach.

12-Artworks are sometimes part of an album's atmosphere, in a sense they help to develop a mood in addition to the music itself, i.e MORBID ANGEL with the “Blessed are the sick” cover , INCANTATION “Mortal throne of nazarene” or IRON MAIDEN “Killers” to name a few. Do you see what I mean? What are the best albums covers according to you?
Man there are a lot of sick covers out there, but the ones that come to mind right now are: DECREPIT BIRTH “And time begins...”, CANNIBAL CORPSE “Butchered at birth” and “Tomb of the mutilated”, MORBID ANGEL “Blessed are the sick” and “Altars of madness”, EXULCERATE “Remnants of a cannibalistic debauchery”, DEEDS OF FLESH “Crown of souls”, FORCE OF EVIL “Black empire”, never heard the band before but they have a pretty cool piece of art on their CD. CATTLE DECAPITATION has a couple cool ones too.
Artwork does help set the mood and sell the CD. I'll be flipping threw a zine reading reviews and I will only read the ones that are artistically pleasing to the eye. Then when I read the zine again later, I'll read the ones I dismissed as crap because of their art, and find out they got a good review. Then when I hear them later on, I'm like “fuck these dudes are sick”. Pisses me off to see a sick band with 5th graders artwork on their CD cover.

13-The worldwide musical extreme metal stream has evolved a lot through the last decades. Death metal wasn't spared by this evolution, in good and bad ways of course. Death metal became more and more brutal, technical and even integrated new elements. Do you still behold this evolution or do you remain faithful to your old records? Do you try to stay informed about new releases of the oldest bands? Any good surprises or disappointments?
I evolve with the scene, some of the stuff coming out is sick! But at the same time there are some bands that are just too repetitive and have blast beats from beginning to end in their music, gets real boring, real fast. I'm always on the look out for real heavy and brutal music. I thought my search was over when I found DEVOURMENT “1.3.8”, I was stuck on that fucker for almost 4 years. Then I found other bands that replaced DEVOURMENT in my cassette deck: SKINLESS, REPUDILATION, MORTAL DECAY and so on. One of my biggest disappointment is MORBID ANGEL “Heretic”, the best track on there is “drum check”. The new MORTAL DECAY disappointed me too, “Cadaver art” should have let the name die. I think I probably would have liked the band if I didn't know it was MORTAL DECAY. The shit I'm listening to right now is DECREPIT BIRTH, HUMAN MINCER, NILE, INGURGITATE, DIGESTED FLESH, PSYCROPTIC, NECROPHAGIST, VITAL REMAINS, DYING FETUS, SEVERANCE, AEON, DEEP VEIN and DEEDS OF FLESH. The only way I can stay informed on new shit is threw Ricky Lockett, Dave Kibler and Steve Green from Comatose Music, other than that, there's no radio stations around here at all and short supply of metalheads.
14-Do you keep a correspondence with people from outside? You were probably in touch with many bands, labels and various people; the fact of being locked makes you aware of who were your real friends. Do you lose contact with some people after your incarceration?
The only people I stay in contact with is of course family, Ricky, Dave and sometimes Steve Green from Comatose. I used to write Ruben Rusa (Ruben Rosas – Jim) from DEVOURMENT when he was in the joint. We stayed writing for about 2 ½ years then he got out, wrote a couple of letters and that was it. Guess he had better thing to do, so yes I do lose contact with people, sucks but that's all part of doing time. I'll tell you what does bug the fuck out of me is there is all kinds of fine ass chicks that work here can't fuck with an of them. They're too scared and I hate fags so that's out of the question, I'd rather masterbate with a hand full of glass than do some creepy shit like that.

15-We'll stop there this interview Torch. Thanks for your time, I let you end this chat the way you want. Take care man and keep in touch.
Thanks a lot for the interview Jim, you rule! And thanks again for the zines and your demo. Anyone looking for artwork from me get ahold of Burning Dogma Rec, Ricky Lockett.

INFERNAL CONJURATION Tremendous plague Review

INFERNAL CONJURATION (Mexico) – Tremendous plague
Demo Tape 2007 – Gruft Production
4 tracks
Rated: 5/10
INFERNAL CONJURATION brings the listener back in time where the line between thrash and death metal wasn't really clear. 4 tracks of hellish thrash/death metal in the vein of PESTILENCE (Malleus... & Consuming...), POSSESSED, SADUS, MORBID ANGEL (Abominations...), probably not the most original but not many bands plays that kind of music today. Soundwise, it's a crude production closer to the NIHILIST demos than a lame overproduced THE HAUNTED clone (actually THE HAUNTED being a lame band itself...). The tracks ripped your face with their furious vocals and and sadistic guitar solos just explode to your ears in a shrill way.
A real breath of pestilence for those looking for old school death metal, the guys of INFERNAL CONJURATION also have the good spirit, and offer a tribute to the bands of the past.
Contact: infernalconjuration@gmail.com
http://www.myspace.com/infernalconjuration

PYOPOESY Alea jacta est Review

PYOPOESY (Slovakia) – Alea jacta est
CD 2009 – Self released
9 tracks - 37'34
Rated: 6/10
Certainly unknown from most of you, PYOPOESY is a melodic death metal band but not in the Gothenburp vein more in the PARADISE LOST « Gothic » vein. After 4 demos and a self released DVD, PYOPOESY comes with their first album, 15 years after the band's creation.
PYOPOESY plays some old school death metal a bit in the DEATH/ MASSACRE vein with some hard rock and heavy metal influences. Sometimes, even the smell of CARCASS « Heartwork » comes to mind due to a similar balance between aggression and melodic intents. PYOPOESY didn't reach the same level of excellence, the result is much more classical with good moments indeed, but despite the good sound production and an obvious musicianship, something more is needed to beat the shit out of the lazy average metalhead. A bit more speedy tracks like « I'm your god » or « IV Lateran council » would help to keep the attention. The semi-grunted vocals are not a good idea I think even if it gives a bit of variation with the guttural ones, it weakens the tracks, sounding closer to a bad thrash/death band. It reminds a bit the latest ESQARIAL releases which are simply awful with their heavy death metal with tasteless production.
Not a bad release for sure, the guys play with their guts no doubt about that, but when you play death metal, even if melody isn't completely banned, it shall not overtake the death metal agressive side.
http://www.myspace.com/pyopoesy

CARMINA S/T MCD 2008 review

CARMINA (France) – S/T
MCD 2008 – Rewolucja Records
7 tracks - 24'04
Rated: 8/10
We have waited 4 years before getting new stuff by our french deathsters of CARMINA, the time for them to create and record these new tracks. There is a progression, so those enjoying the demo 2004 (later re-released as the Obscure Infinity split with ATROPHY, AMETHYSTE and DARKLORD) may be surprised as CARMINA is more intense and brutal, but luckily keeps their infernal and evil sound. The IMMOLATION touch is still there but the speed increased a bit like IMMOLATION invited the drummer of CRYPTOPSY with the similar fast blasting parts.
CARMINA isn't just a brutal death band even if sometimes they seemed to be influenced by bands like HATE ETERNAL, they avoid the all-time blasting release with some kind of slower dark parts like « Je suis déjà mort », these kind of melodic and blackening atmospheres really help to appreciate this release. There are probably just the back mixed vocals that ennoy me, as it decreases a bit the powerful impact, but musically it's almost the perfect crime (if only they could add solos!). One of the best death metal release from 2008 coming from France.
Contact: Rewolucja Records C/O Sebastien PITEK – 1 rue Guy Moquet – 78520 LIMAY – FRANCE
rewolucjarecords@gmail.com
http://rewolucjarecords.com/

HYBRID VISCERY The history of torture, execution and sickness Review

HYBRID VISCERY (Belgium) – The history of torture, execution and sickness
CD 2006 – Burning Dogma Records
35 tracks – 48'14
Rated: 5/10
Another chapter of brutality in the catalog of Burning Dogma Records with this time a lethal dose of grindcore. On this release, you grind freaks can enjoy body bits of HYBRID VISCERY's first « Bloody Face »EP 2001 plus their first album « Army of Pussy Land », the tracks of the split with PSYCHOFAGIST and a bunch of unidentified tracks. No need to say that the grindcore-addict should be more than satisfied.
The stuff displayed here is a massive and furious grindcore assault in the early BRUTAL THRUTH vein musically, but HYBRID VISCERY is more into the porno, gory & splatter matters. The insane and relentless beating can remind the early days of SUBLIME CADAVERIC DECOMPOSITION (they have the same talent for writing lyrics, ah!)
With so much material, it's hard to pinpoint what's good from what's not, sometimes the tracks have just an expeditive effect and you barely can't remind what you were listening to. A lack of catchiness? Probably, but the sound is also to blame. I mean in the grindcore style, you definitely need a big guitar sound acting like a chainsaw, to really chop the listener in pieces. Here some tracks are drowned in the blasting parts and in the incessant screamed and guttural vomits. They also cover VADER's « Carnal », mangled in the grindcore way but a decent cover though. The last tracks offers a better sound and the band introduced some slight brutal death touches more than welcome.
A pity because the guys seem skillful enough to offer more than a vulgar grindcore release.
Contact: Burning Dogma Records c/o Ricky Lockett – 635 Astoria – Azle TX 76020 – USA
dogmaburning@aol.com

SHRUNKEN & MUMMIFIED Zine interview 2009

Erik editor of Shrunken & Mummified has reach the venerable amount of 10 issues with his zine, and that means 10 years of underground work and graves examination. I already thought of doing an intie with Erik because I like the way he conducts his zine and the band's diversity within it (his 9th issue is probably his best according to me). You can find grindcore, black metal, doom metal and quite a lot of not so known bands or labels. In his last issue, Erik did a kind of retrospective, and I use it a bit to send some questions to him to now more about his past work and he still has the flame for the next 10 years!

Hi Erik, how do you feel right now? Are you ready to suffer from an onslaught of questions and die of alive and slow putrefaction? Ahahah! For those who don't know anything about you,you're the editor of SHRUNKEN & MUMMIFIED Zine and at the end of 2008, you released your 10th issue, a quite honorable status to reach within the Underground isn't it? What are your feelings after 10 years of underground investigation?

Hello Jim, and greetings to all the readers of this excellent fanzine! Well, right now, I am OK, doing not too much, after a mediocre day at work. The weather turned to be rather gloomy and rainy today, so I stay here at home and start answering the torturous amount of your questions, hehe. Well, as you have introduced me, I’d better not say anything more about myself now, some more of my secrets will come to light after this long chat for sure, hehe. As for being in the scene with 10 issues of my ‘zine so far – it is nothing really special and I do not have particular feelings of looking back in time and it is mostly because the scene has changed a lot since my 1st issue and I also see things from a different perspective now than back then. But I think more details about all this shit you will get from my answers to your other questions…

Usually, how many copies are printed of each issue? How do you manage to spread them? Who are your usual distributors? Which issue sold the fastest? Did you get people asking for old issues and would you reprint them if so?

My newest issue was printed in 300+ copies, and it used to be the case with the last 3 or 4 issues as well. Older issues were printed/ Xeroxed in different amount ranging from 100 copies to 200+. I have regular distributors like Terror Blast (Macedonia), No Posers Please! (Norway), Nihilistic Holocaust (France), Terror From Hell (Italy), Neverheard distro (Hungary) and so on, but the biggest amount that I get rid of is thru my own single or bulk trades I guess. I have a good habit of trading with each single fanzine which I am interested in (and when it comes to ‘zines, in 99% I am!), which is a bad habit when we consider a lot of money and time wasting on post, but this I do not much care as of yet. Well, usually I have an issue in stock for about 10-12 months and we cannot really say that there was a ‘best-selling’ issue, but in certain time I always spread all the copies once printed, and sadly, never will be re-pressed or Xeroxed – not by me, at least. At times yes, there are people asking about older issues, but I am sorry to say I cannot bother with making some copies Xeroxed again and anyway, most of the stuff in them are rather out-dated by now…

S&M started in your homeland Hungary, but actually you're living in Czech Republic, it's a bit why there was some delay about your last issue. You moved there for a job matter, if I'm not wrong you're English teacher, right? On a language point of view, you also have to learn Czech, wasn't it a bit hard? On the other hand, musically speaking, it's more advantageous to find gigs and extreme bands out there where the scene is swarming for years? Don't you miss anything from Hungary sometimes though?

Yes, it is true, I have been living here in Czech for more than a year now. I partly moved for a job, but in fact it was just an opportunity that I took after having some personal shit in private life in Hungary. It was the right time I had left the country also when looking into things on a more global matter as the country is having some inner conflicts in the recent months/ years, which makes it not a pleasant place to live. I do still miss many things, from family and friends to my personal collection of releases (I just brought a part of it to over here, but including every single fanzine I have had!), and I feel Czech people a bit too cold and suspicious compared to the Hungarian character, which I still could not get used to. As for the language, it is a pretty hard one to learn and I am somewhere in the middle yet, not able to make more than some basic conversation about nothing. I used to be an English teacher in Hungary, but now my work is completely different, related to informational technology.

In our 10th issue you did a good retrospective about the beginnings of the zine with comments about each one. Sadly, I only know your zine since the 7th issue, but something that always amazed me was the great diversity of bands' nationalities and styles featured in S&M. What inspires you to reach such eclecticism? What were your influences at the very beginning? Which zines create in you the flame of fanzining?

Thanks for the compliments, Jim! I am into a lot of different scenes, liking more types of music, not sticking to one particular genre or ideology – actually, it was so diverse that I decided to form another publication for the core-related stuffs, not to bore the metalheads with my shit any more, hehe (about it we will be speaking later on). Actually, at the time of my first issues I listened to a shitload of doomy stuff and also far more technical music, which I still like of course, but in a smaller amount, and I prefer faster and more intensive and powerful bands these days. Just some fanzines that had a great impact on me: Master of Brutality, Lamentation, Metal Core, Stroke, Dark Flowers and so on. It was so long ago that I could not list many names now, even if they still have in my collection.

In this editorial you point out an interesting thing about how easy it was to get reply to interviews back then. Ironically, when communication became easier these days with Internet (and now with the Myspace trend), you have hard times getting some inties back. So my question is: what happen to the underground scene these last years according to you? Does Internet make people lazy and stupid? Is the Underground dead? (Oups that makes three questions! Don't take the last one too seriously!)

I do not think that underground is dead, otherwise we would not be having this chat now, right? Hehe. I think there still is a fair amount of people interested in paper ‘zines, tape-releases, writing hand-written letters, spreading flyers etc. OK, it was the only way of communication back then, and there were a lot more people in it, but I do not think all of them were necessarily ‘real’ fans. They just took it as a necessary way to get releases, they did not have any feeling about doing things this way, just get their daily metal this way as no Internet, downloading and myspace existed. Now these people can get everything easily – but the question is, do they really enjoy the big amount of shitty, low-quality stuffs they can get hold of this way? Speaking about bands, most of them do not see any potential any more in giving inties to paper ‘zines, they prefer webzines as allegedly this way they can reach more people than thru a printed ‘zine copied and spread in 200 or so pieces. But in my opinion it is rather stupid, as more probably their album will be bought and ordered by those supporting the old way rather than by those reading webzines and downloading stuffs (OK, that this way more people can be reached, but I question the quality of these ’fans’). Still, I could not dare now to summarize what happened in the underground in the last few years because I also changed as a person, there happened many things in my personal life that made an effect on me, so I cannot see things with the same eyes I did 5-10 years ago. Only thing I could add is that I am not against modern technology and Internet, I do use them regularly and find some services utterly useful, but old manners mean a lot more to me and I am still into things I listed somewhere in the beginning of this question.

In 10 years you gathered tons of contacts, trading lots of stuff, discussing with people from all over the world... It's the best side of these undergrounds activities in my opinion... How many people are you in touch with approximatively? Which zines are still active and among your contacts? Have you been disappointing by some people who turned their back to the UG? And what about the rip-offs? Those scumbags also evolves with Internet and steal people with Myspace now...

Jim, do not think that I have thousands of contacts from the old age by now. Actually there are people that are still active in the scene and we exchange some letters/ materials every now and then. I cannot do to write everyone a letter or email every week asking how he or she is, however much I would like to. It is great though that during the channels of underground, which we have been speaking about, we do get some info about each other’s activity. It is amazing if I find in a ‘zine from Thailand for example some info about an old German contact of mine whom I have not heard from years proving that he is still active. It is also nice to get in touch with someone again after some years of silence. Contacts come and go, and I cannot blame on anyone not wanting to be any more in the scene – people can lose interest, and for sure new ones will come instead of them. Older contacts of mine include Adam’s Necroscope fanzine or Vampir ‘zine from Macedonia, but quite an ancient ‘zine is Burning Abyss from Poland, with which I was not in touch back in the day, but now we started cooperating. Also, as I mentioned, I am glad when earlier contacts appear again, just like in the case of API ‘zine from Malaysia or when thru a trade I get hold of a long-existing publication like Orfismo (Spain) of which I have been curious for about 12-13 years, and never been in touch in fact. Sad to say, but my constant moving could also cause the end of my contact with some worthy people that might have written to my old addresses in vain (I am really sorry, but I cannot do anything against this shit). Rip-offs nowadays seem to avoid me, I can sort out the serious emails now, and it is certain that they rarely or never spend time and money on regular post, hehe.

Let's talk about the way you write reviews. How do you write a review? How many times do you listen to the CD/demo/EP before starting writing it? Did it happen you hardly wrote a review because you simply didn't find words or inspiration? Did you ever regret any review you wrote years ago and finally today you would write it differently (because after all tastes can change)?

I think it is nothing really particular to write about. Simply, sometimes I can write a review after listening to the given stuff only once or twice (the stuff must be rather convincing this time, because I always give some more chance to the ones I do not like at all for the first time), but at times it is really hard to write anything that could catch the readers’ attention. And after having written more than 1500 reviews in the 10 issues so far (no kidding, I have just counted them the other day), it is really difficult and challenging to avoid repeating myself (even if often the materials sound the same). Many times I think after a time I evaluate certain materials differently, but I try not to read my own reviews after having written them, hehe, just not to get very disappointed or be dead of laughing at how stupid and deaf I was.

You feature scene reports in almost each issue, written by someone from the concerned country and I totally enjoy the idea to feature extra articles by other people, however it's not that easy to find enthusiastic persons. Are there countries you haven't featured yet? Did you have good feedbacks about those scene reports?

Actually, these scene reports are rather personal. I mean they represent a given country’s scene from the writer’s perspective, and, by default, cannot be complete or utterly exhaustive. It is not my aim with those scene reports, and in fact most often it is the writers that offer me something like writing about their countries’ activities, which I found great and give them a free hand. Yours from France was one of the most detailed and info-filled one, but the one from Jordan was also interesting, though was more like an insight into the life of metalists down there, the approach I hinted at before. I would like to get some more exotic countries to be featured in this little ‘series’, and probably the next issue of mine will have something from Mexico, written by an old friend of mine, with again some personal aspect. The feedback are usually good – some people complained about the quality of the English language used at times, but I take it as the writers’ character as well and I do not feel rightful to alter any word of them.

The particularity of S&M Zine is the feature of the mummy on each issue, it became a kind of mascot a bit like Eddie with IRON MAIDEN. Where this passion for mummies come from? You were into Egyptian themes even before NILE! My favorite one is the one on issue #7, even if it's probably too funny for some people! The zines' name came from PUNGENT STENCH “Been caught buttering” album: Shrunken and mummified bitch. Who comes with this name? Was there any other option? Are you still into PUNGENT STENCH records?

Yes, I feel some inexplicable devotion to mummies, and you are sure my friend, it is not the influence of Nile, hehe. Anyway, I have some relatives living in Egypt and would be cool to get there some day, but actually I am at least as much fascinated by Inca mummies as the ones from the deep, dusty chambers of pyramids, hehe. Yes, the cover of my #7 was criticized by many, but I also think it is one of the best covers I have ever had (thanks to Utku for that superb drawing!). The name comes from that song, you are right again, and in fact this was the only option in my mind, having had it even years before the actual first issue hit the stands. As for the band itself: to be frank, I kind of lost the line where they are now, but for me that was the best album of theirs for sure. I saw them live some years ago at Obscene, but found them a bit weak among the many grinding and more energetic bands. Of course I still gladly listen to their early records and respect what they did.

Now that you reach the 10th issue of the zine, tell me honestly that you're gonna put another one next year? I ask this because I found an ounce of pessimism at the end of your editorial, hope I'm getting wrong.

Well, there was some pessimism in that editorial, you discovered it correctly. Actually there was a period after my moving when I though the fanzine would be no more because so many things changed around me and I did not feel the one I used to be. Furthermore, for months I could not even think about releasing a new issue as I did not have too much money even for foods and drinks. Well, my financial budget is not so rosy still, and releasing one issue per year might be an utopia from now on – and also that I work with computers and sitting at home writing articles is getting to be a pain in the ass. As long as I have a little spark of motivation (and there still is, I can assure you), there will be a continuation of my fanzine, but maybe even with a longer gap between two issues. I will not promise any concrete release date, I am doing my things in a way I feel comfortable, there is no rush and I do not want to meet any expectations as for deadline, because first of all, it is my fanzine which I am doing for enjoyment and don’t want it to become a kind of duty or job.

You also planned the release of a new zine supposedly called SPÁLENÁ RAMENA which is gonna focus on grind/hardcore/punk/crust stuff. Do you want to have a state of mind close to Roddy's PLOPPY PANTS Zine? Why do you want to focus on this scene in particular?

In fact the first issue of this new fanzine came out almost at the same time when S&M#10. It was born because I wanted to make some experiments as for format and mixing of genres apart from Metal and it would not have been possible without changing the overall concept of S&M if I had put all these stuffs into my first fanzine. It touches the styles mentioned, but I think it is a bit far from what Roddy is doing with his Ploppy Plants (which I find also a great publication), because Spálená Ramena is also about music, with no politics, no ideology, no personal stuff included (though I planned to put a bit in it of this latter one, but did not manage at last). For sure it is something on a smaller scale than S&M, with less pages and a smaller circulation (and it is just Xeroxed), but with more room for experimenting with cut and paste technique as well as some other things which would look odd in a metal fanzine like S&M.

During some investigations on Internet I read lately a comment stating something like: “I read a cool intie on a webzine that reminds me the printed zines era.” As if printed zines doesn't exist anymore! Erik, I must say that nowadays there are a lot of printed zines running. Well some of them only released a couple of issues before vanishing, but each month you can see a new zine popping up from elsewhere. What can we conclude about this? According to you, do printed zines have still a use? Which qualities make a zine worthy in your opinion?

I noticed the same as you did, there are many printed fanzines these days, I regularly meet their flyers coming with my post and naturally, mostly only with their debut issue, but luckily many of them continue and do really good jobs. I can mention many names with ease with whom I met in the last months as a proof, so here they are: Metalized Blood, Pure Fucking Underground, Posthuman, Escritas do Subsolo, Satanic Metal, Vaginalluftwaffe, Iron Hammer, Terror Cult and so on. What makes a fanzine good? It is a really hard question. For me it has to have some original face, with interesting questions and dealing with interesting acts, definitely not the ones you can meet in bigger magazines. I also like when there is some plus in its outlook, but of course the inner content is more important.

Does the idea of an internet version of S&M come to your mind? Do you check some webzines in moments of perdition?

No, never. I do not want a website for S&M, not even for promotional reasons. Simply, I do not feel the need of it, and I do not want to waste my time sitting in front of the PC more updating it etc. I check webzines only for some gig-dates, that’s all, I am unable to read the shortest review or interview on screen. If something interests me very very much, I prefer printing it and read then, but it is very rare, I am satisfied with all the info I find in printed fanzines.

I was surprised to discover you take part of a band called DAILY LIFE SUCKS, who released a first very short demo, where you played drums, right? Can you introduce the band to the readers? Did you play in other bands before or is that a first attempt? Now that you moved to Czech Republic, are you still involved in DLS?

Well, at the moment I cannot say any update as for the status of this band, which was a bunch of friends rehearsing once a week when I was still in Hungary. For sure we cannot rehearse any more, but there are about 10 more songs written by the guitarist that are waiting for me to put some drums on them. I am planning to do these soon, but there are certain difficulties recording them at the rehearsal place here in Brno where I practice drums, but sooner or later I will have them done for sure. Unfortunately this band will not work any more as a regular one due to the distance, but I still want to do some continuation even in this way with this guitarist friend of mine (and also the vocalist is into it). Actually we were playing together in other projects before, but I’d better not talk about them, hehe. And as for DLS, I think it is also a discussion of an uncertain future…

You also take (took?) part in Korpse Fire Distro, a small distro with a lot of underground stuff, but you also release some compilations (Have a brutal day/night) whose particularities is to show really underground stuff. These compilations are spread worldwide and I read a lot of reviews that proves you don't neglect promotion. Are there upcoming stuff to be released by Korpse Fire / Neverheard Distro? Do you think compilations have still a use today with the intense downloading madness?

I can say that KorpseFire does not function any more. I just do some trades and I cannot take too big quantity from now on as I am short of space here. And in fact not too many people are interested in buying musical materials, so I trade what I have and mostly for my personal collection or curiosity. Yes, we spread a lot of copies of both compilations. At the moment I cannot tell if there will be a third part, we haven’t talked about it with Balazs (Neverheard Distro) yet at all. Actually it is a compilation tape that I have wanted to put together for ages, but I do not think I will ever have the power to do it. I would like to accomplish it one day, even if I am aware that few people are into cassettes any more. I like compilations, I always liked them, and it will probably never change. A good way to get to know new bands, and also great that you do not have to listen to the shitty bands for more than one or a few songs, hehe.

Going back to your homeland, I must say I am quite curious about your scene, because you had (and still have) some interesting bands. Csaba (Hi man!) from Deadly Illness Zine dubbed me some killer death metal stuff from the 90's: ECZEMA, INTENSE AGONIZING, LAST PASSING, ATOMIC, etc... Your bands didn't have to feel ashame to what was more famous back then...it just lacked of exposure, sadly. What can you told us about this period? What were the active zines from this period? And today which bands and zines would you recommend to our voracious readers?

Frankly, I do not really follow the present Hungarian scene. At times I doubt it is still existing. There are no labels, almost no fanzines, no clubs for gigs and the bands that we have do not release demos, do not spread their name in the classic way via flyers and hand-written letters (let alone tape-trading), they trust only in Internet and myspace. As I just rarely follow these channels, I do not often meet Hungarian newcomers. I cannot even remember the day I got a demo from a Hungarian band! And if you just think it over how many flyers you got in the last years advertising something from Hungary, it will be clear what I am talking about. Yes, the early 90s were way different, with many bands, many fanzines and many fans, even though we did not have a serious label supporting underground bands over here. I am familiar with the bands you mentioned (except Last Passing), and I can add plenty of names more, which we can be proud of, and at the same time sad, that they could hardly reach fans outside our border. Here they come some: Undertaking, Subject, Extreme Deformity, Life Discussion, Parasite Crowd, Barbed Wire, Detonátor and really a lot more! I can mention some fanzine names as well which represented the golden era of Hungarian scene: Stroke, Underground, Death Trap, Feszültség, Lamentation or Stiff and Cold.

Tell me please about your recent discoveries (demos, albums, books or zines). What would you suggest our readers to listen to?

Again a hard question, as I consume a lot of music on a daily basis, I get, trade and buy lotsa stuffs, so I’d speak about what I was listening in the last few days, and it is up to the readers/ fans if they find the suitable for their taste. I bought pretty much Grindcore LPs lately, like the new Gride (Cz), Bloody Phoenix, Capitalist Casualties, or the Sheevayoga/ Disney split, traded some Black/ Thrash tapes, for example Necrosquatch, Nocturnal Hell (Spain), Sabbatical Rites, Barbatos rehearsal tape by Kárpátia Prods, or I got Bullet’s tape (good, old Heavy Metal from Sweden) out on Thai Slava Prods, the first MDC of Dög (Hungarian project of Marblebog mastermind and Blizzard of Vorkuta), Kathgor demotape from Malaysia and I could go on until the last page of your ‘zine, hehe. The fanzines I recently read: Chaos (from Germany, it is almost a magazine, I fucking like its lay-out though), the new Thrash Attack, Funeral Vomit #2, Flesh Salad #6, Not Very Nice #5, Ripping Thrash/ Hell and Damnation split issue or some local ones like Drunk Nach Osten #2, Cerelitida #3, Hluboka Orba #27, Rectum #1… Actually I do not read anything else just fanzines and language books, hehe. OK, I am not proud of it, but simply I do not have time for anything else beside these, and nowadays not too many things interest me in this rotten world, maybe I am getting old, hehe…

Erik, we reach the end of this interview. Hopefully we could make another intie to celebrate your 20th issue (and I promise to not bother you with another blindtest, héhé!). Please end this chat with your own words.

Hey, Jim, thanks a lot for this long and interesting chat! Would be cool to meet at my 20th as well, but before let’s celebrate your 10th anniversary, hehe! I promise I will get you for an intie even before that, as I know you have something to talk about, concerning your band, too! Blind test can come again as well, it was a nice experience, indeed! Thanks also for the readers for having read all this – I respect each of you still supporting paper fanzines, you are the ones that keep the scene alive, you rule!

IMPOSER interview 2009

IMPOSER's statements can generate hatred or indifference as much as their music is dark, brutal and blasphemous. IMPOSER has a clear vision of death metal and in a way you can feel it through their devilish and bonecrushing tracks. Here's an interview with +A+ (guitar/vokills) that will make some angel's rectum bleeding!

Unholy greetings all in IMPOSER! Congratulations for the release of « Behold demons », this album offers some evil and impious metal of death. Can you briefly introduce the band to our readers and according to you who can be interested in your evil intents and satanic propaganda?
Thanx for your words about “Behold Demons”.
There’s nothing to introduce, personally I think to be fully immersed into the real death metal world, and it's reflected in Imposer with evil intent, no trends or need to experiment, no “core”, no melodic shit…I think to was clear about my musical point of view. If you want to know some things about IMPOSER I can say that I joined the band in 2004 and fired all the members who tried to stop my will of violence and I’m ready to do it again if someone try to repeat the mistakes of the old members.

The actual members of IMPOSER have still a musical background, they play (or have played) in CENOTAPH / NECROSPHERE, VOIDS OF VOMIT and DISMORF, all being death metal bands. It's quite surprising because Italy is more known through its black metal or thrash metal scene (let's forget all these faggotic heavy/power metal bands dealing with dragons and castles). According to you why death metal is less known or spread out there? What can you say about the state of the actual death metal scene, are there good bands? And what about older/pioneer bands?
Death metal, and when I say DEATH METAL I mean no trendy or melodic shit, it's an elitist kind of music…there’s only few people who really understand it and live it.
I don’t care about “faggotic” heavy-power metal bands, if you feel gay well, that’s your music…I’m happy if a guy listen power metal, I know his intention from the beginning and he stay out from Death Metal.
I don’t care a fuck about the Italian death metal scene, surely there’s good bands such the almighty NEFAS, they influenced me a lot, more than other biggest bands…pure chaos and extremism, this is for me the right way to play extreme music…I like also HEATHEN/LIFECODE, they are more black than death but it’s AMAZING STUFF.
The 90% of Italian “death metal” bands are pure shit for me, they speak as retarded and wear like niggers, it’s not for me and IMPOSER, it’s a trend to play brutal music here, everyone play brutal, everyone support the other bands ,everyone say “wow! it’s great!” when he listen new stuff from one of them... I catched a pathetic harmony into the homo-italian scene.
The real extreme scene it’s made by band such VOIDS OF VOMIT, BLASPHEMOPHAGER, NEFAS, HEATHNE/LIFECODE,HOUR OF PENANCE and few others…
What about older pioneer bands? Naturally MORBID ANGEL, ANGELCORPSE, REVENGE, HATE ETERNAL, DETHRONED(!!!), INCANTATION, IMMOLATION, REBAELLIUN, old KRISIUN, old DEICIDE, old SEPULTURA, SARCOFAGO, ORDER FROM CHAOS etc..…I think if a band got something of really extreme and evil surely I will like them.

Your death metal, without being completely original, has some obvious particularity: you use a low guitar tuning, lots of heavy and p ounding parts, simple but efficient riffs and you manage to display a dark and occult aura all along the tracks remaining quite brutal. Bands like MORTICIAN, IMMOLATION and INCANTATION come to mind but are there less obvious influences you would divulge? What is your interpretation of death metal, how it must sound and which feelings shall be unveiled by the listeners?
You catch the point “simple but efficient riffs and you manage to display a dark and occult aura all along the tracks remaining quite brutal”….
My interpretation about death metal? I love to play obscure, fast, evil music, but death metal got other dimensions, there’s a lot of right ways to play it…like the one created in Mindloss by GOREFEST,or like AUTOPSY,or like IMMOLATION…everything sounds different but everything sounds great.
How were created the ambient parts / sinister sounds displayed all along “Behold demons”? Another particularity is that the last track “Reaped Bernadette” has a louder sound compared to the other tracks. Was it done intentionally? With the end of “Blaspheme the Pentecost” followed by this track it create a terrific effect as if all hell breaks loose. Did you want to create a kind of apotheosis to close the album? Where do the religious chants ending the album come from?
We maked some mistakes on “Behold Demons”,we had 6 days to record it and the old drummer use 5 days to record his drums…and in one day I’d must to record everything, guitars, vocals, bass, solos….but its ok, it’s the first real product from IMPOSER, and from mistake I learned a lot.
I put that sounds into the songs to create something atmospheric and dark feeling, this is the reason.
The religion chants are a reversed mess recorded by Radio Vaticano station, and you can imagine why I reversed it.

Here's the useless question: if you wouldn't play death metal in IMPOSER, what would you do instead?
Play Death Metal in another band.

Internet allows the information to be widespread and makes promotion easier. However, I didn't read reviews about your album or even interviews. Why did you remain so confidential? Is it a lack of promotion or you wanted the music to be spread by itself? Did you reply to interviews for other webzines/magazines/fanzines?
Sure I did a lot of other interviews, but I don’t care about that side of music.
I hate reviews, cause in the most common of times the reviewers is a faggot cock lover, they write bullshits about bands but they never tried to pick up an instrument and learn to do something constructive. fuck off. I don’t care about their opinions.

I must say that Butchered Records has quite an identity, I mean, when you get their releases you're almost sure to get some satanic or dark death metal. I'm quite pleased listening stuff like DETHRONED, 9th PLAGUE, YOGTH SOTHOTH, IMPOSER, etc... Did you listen to all Butchered Records' releases? How did you get in touch with them? Are you satisfied by their job so far?
I don’t remember how we get in touch,maybe by myspace. Yeah I like their method to work:
few words only facts.
I fucking love the mood that Patrick (Pagan, the Butchered’s owner) decide to follow…only real, evil, fast death metal, I loved releases like DETHRONED (one of the best band I’d never listen to), 9TH PLAGUE, QUEIRON, INFIDEL, DECEPTION, ALTERCATED…great music, unfortunately 9TH PLAGUE split up and I hope the new Tony’s (9thP. Singer) band will got the same musical attitude..

A split CD is planned to be released by Butchered Records and shared with UNHOLY GHOST. Is this the American UNHOLY GHOST, the band founded by actual/ex-members of DIABOLIC. UNHOLY GHOST is supposed to be split up. Did the band have reformed? Or did their part of the split CD contains old or unreleased material?Can you give us more information about this release?
Sure man they are that UNHOLY GHOST…I don’t know if they’re splitted up or take only a break but for me it’s an honour to share it with them.
I think they will release their old unreleased stuff and maybe something from live sessions.
We will release 2 new songs, one cover from HEATHEN/LIFECODE and “Sacrificial Suicide” from DEICIDE, I’m totally satisfied by the final result cause I’ve worked alone all the time on it and try my capacity behind the mixer and, naturally, my patience ahahahah. It sounds very obscure and fast. (The split with UNHOLY GHOST has been cancelled, so the EP will be released as a MCD called “Divine Intolerance”- Jim)
You shared the stage with HATE ETERNAL, a band whose music is rather fast and complex and that has troubles to make it understandable and well sounding. Do you like HATE ETERNAL? Don't you think that sometimes musical extremities have obvious negative aspects? Are you interested by the seek of constant extreme (be it the speed or the technical aspect of the music)?
I like HATE ETERNAL but we never shared the stage with them,for me the only trouble they did it's to shared the stage with gay bands such CHIMAIRA, SHADOWS FALL and shits like them…they had lost the respect of the old school fans for me..but Erik Rutan remains the best artist I’d never see.
Sure I’m interested into the seek of constant extremity but I prefer the speed instead the technic.

You recently recorded a cover of Swedish WAR “I am elite”, pretty unusual kind of cover from a band highly inspired by old black metal stuff like BATHORY. What's your opinion regarding the actual black metal scene with its many categories and sub-genres (often denied by purists)? Did you cover other bands before? What are the best covers you ever heard?
I like so many black metal bands such the early BATHORY, BLACK WITCHERY, early MAYHEM, MARDUK, BLASPHEMY, BEHERIT, BESTIA ARCANA, WAR, ARCHGOAT…and more…I know there in French you got that shitty band called NARGAROTH, they are the kind of black metal band I hate, posers! (Well we have indeed shitty black metal posers in France but NARGAROTH are from Germany - Jim)
I’m not fully involved into black metal but I love the 99% of “War Metal” scene such REVENGE, CONQUEROR, DIOCLETIAN, AXIS OF ADVANCE etc…
We never covered any band before “I Am Elite” and the best cover I never heard it's “Kill Again” (SLAYER) played by ANGELCORPSE, also “War” (BATHORY) played by REVENGE it's awesome.

IMPOSER released several demos before “Behold demons” album, a good thing if you ask me because one can see how the band evolved through the years and how they built their style. Do you think one you could gather all this old material on a CD? Do you think today, it's still possible to impress people with a demo (lately the HEAVING EARTH demo really impresses me)? I ask this because nowadays young bands release an album without going through the demo stage. What are your all-time favorite demos?
Surely “Abomination Of Desolation” by MORBID ANGEL and “Tangled In Gore” by GOREFEST are my favourites…in the most common of situations I prefer the demo versions instead the final product, cause you can listen the real nature of that band and feel the real power, without any trigger effect or false productions. I can only agree with you about HEAVING EARTH, they are one of the best new acts for me, I’m in contact with Tomas (the singer) and I can’t wait to receive his package.
Our demos are sold out now, maybe I will reprint somes but its not my priority now…I prefer to focalize my time on the new material.

Like any metalhead you probably still buy records and T-shirts about your favorite bands. What are your latest purchases? Have you ever done silly things due to your metal addiction (buy an ultra expensive HELLHAMMER vinyl bootleg or follow a band on a whole tour for example)?
The last things I’ve bought it’s an old DANZIG’s shirt if I remember right, now I’m preparing to order the last ARCHGOAT.
I’d drive for 8-9 hours to see IMMOLATION live in Germany 2 years ago, but it's not silly for me…it’s what a real death metal fan must to do to support a band such IMMOLATION.

My rag is coming from France (but most of my readers are probably from abroad...). What do you know from my country? Are there bands you listen to quite gladly? I heard that there's good wine in Italy, but don't you think that the best wine comes from France? Ahahah!
There in France you got a lot of homosexual people and a lot of Arabic insects ahahah, but now here in Italy we got the same problems, I know that French people like to do some sexual experiments with “baguette”, french girls got shaved vagina, French football team lost the last worldcup against Italy, your premier fuck an Italian bitch, etc..
About the French bands, I can say you BLOODY SIGN, they are very good and I love their style…hope to share the stage with them as soon as possible.
I don’t drink wine , so, your question got no answer ahahahah, I prefer to drink rhum and vodka, wine it's for females!!!!

We reached the end of the interview. Thanks for your time and your evil music. You can add whatever you want, something that could have been forgotten, someone to threaten, etc... Final sacraments are yours!
Death Metal it's not a trend, it’s a way of life, a method to create chaos and give forms to your blasphemies.
It’s the most physical music you can play, the most splendour sound of any time…there’s nothing in common with gay painted bands, you shouldn’t fear to show your face to the audience, you must to attack it with your music and play your music with violence.

Thanks Jim for your support and hails to the extermination.
+A+

www.myspace.com/imposer
inverted@hotmail.it

FORNACE The awakening Demo Review

FORNACE (Italy) – The awakening
Demo Tape 2007 – Self released
4 tracks
Rated: 5/10
Third release by FORNACE which gathers two recording sessions (May 2005 & December 2007), the least we can say is that the guys take their time and seems so lazy that their stuff distribution is done by Terror From Hell Records.
FORNACE plays a blend of old school black and death metal with a thrash metal basis, and a melodic side inspired by old heavy metal especially the two first tracks. The label states they are inspired by old Hellenic bands which is maybe true but I wouldn't affirm it as my knowledge of old Greek bands is limited to VARATHRON and a bunch of others. But VARATHRON seems a decent comparison though.
The two last tracks are a bit more melodic black/thrash metal oriented with still the low grunts that make them different from the scandinavian acts. However they remind me some tunes of the demos era of DISSECTION; FORNACE uses some similar frozen melodies but in a more primitive approach.
Contact: Iviglia ROBERTO – Via Romita25 – 15033 CASALE MONFERRATO (AL) – ITALY
http://www.fornace.splinder.com/

SAIGNEUR demo 2008 Review

SAIGNEUR (France) – S/T
Demo CD 2008 – Self released
5 tracks – 22'07
Rated: 4/10
This band has been macerating in its rehearsal room quite some years before vomiting this demo. I think some more putrid soaking could have been necessary as well as taking care of the sound.
SAIGNEUR plays some satanic brutal death metal in the direct vein of the two last VITAL REMAINS albums. That can sounds hellfuckingly tasty, therefore some elements prevent this demo to simply reach the averageness. Despite what's written on the back cover of this demo, you can clearly understand it's drum-programming and not a real drummer crushing the skulls. The lack of subtleties and the inhuman pace are more than obvious. There is also incoherence between the riffs without real breaks, so the tracks a sometimes chaotic.
The guitar sound is also cheap and lacks of density, especially during the guitar solos.
Despite these bad points there are a bunch of cool ideas and the vocals have a possessed and agressive side, but that's not enough to pretend sitting on the side of Satan on the throne of satanic death metal. Hardworking is the key. The evil intents are there, just lacks mastery.
http://www.myspace.com/saigneur666

SPLATTERED CADAVER Human stew Review

SPLATTERED CADAVER – Human stew
CD 2006 – Burning Dogma Records
10 tracks - 36'50
Rated: 4/10
You can count on Ricky to gather old recordings of brutal death metal bands; here you have all the demos released by SPLATTERED CADAVER (demo 93, demo 94, demo 96, a track from 99 & a track from 2000). The sound is mostly good (but a good mastering would also have been cool), you just need to be a die-hard brutal death maniac. If you're looking for some heavy, brutal slamming death metal with low guttural vocals in the vein of early DYING FETUS (Infatuation with malevolence), you will be more than pleased with this compilation. However I would recommend the « Merciless butchery » album instead, and then if your like it, you could get this one for further necrophile intents. Also liner notes and a bunch of pictures could have been an informative idea instead of this one-page cover.
Contact: Burning Dogma Records c/o Ricky Lockett – 635 Astoria – Azle TX 76020 – USA
dogmaburning@aol.com
http://www.myspace.com/splatteredcadaver

CANNABIS CORPSE Tube of the resinated Review

CANNABIS CORPSE (US) – Tube of the resinated
CD 2008 – Forcefield Records
9 tracks - 32'57
Rated: 8/10
Who said weed and death metal cannot be compatible? This CANNIBAL CORPSE worship band integrates the CANNIBAL CORPSE style and develop lyrics and imagery about smoking weed. It can sound cheesy and you can think the guys of CANNABIS CORPSE are just a bunch of hippies! You're damn wrong! These guys created the missing link between « The bleeding » and « Vile ». They took the CANNIBAL influence, mashed it, reduced it and smoke it with a bong to fully assimilate the music.
The guys are skilled to create ultra catchy tunes of old school brutal death metal with the CANNIBAL groove, the technical aspect but not too much and the voice gets the tone of Chris Barnes with the speach speed of Corpsegrinder.
Sometimes, CANNABIS CORPSE displays dark atmospheres reminding the « Gallery of suicide » album and some melodic parts and nice guitar solos make the whole record cool to listen to.
Where some people repproach CANNIBAL CORPSE to play some boring untasty death metal CANNABIS CORPSE seems to have find the inspiration to record good tracks.
The titles tracks are puns with existing CANNIBAL CORPSE tracks and the result is just hilarious. The gore/horror aspect isn't completely erased as if you read through the lyrics you can see that smoking cannot prevent some people to kill the others or to transform into a bloodthirsty mutant.
Recommended to CANNIBAL CORPSE fans and stoned death metal freaks.
http://www.myspace.com/CANNABISCORPSEVA

KRAPNEK demo 2008 review

KRAPNEK (France) – S/T
Demo Tape 2008 – Self released
8 tracks
Rated: 6,5/10
Can you give me the name of of grindcore band coming from France where the singer is a girl? This said I must admit that KRAPNEK is a pretty good band and even if their screamo-grindcore isn't the most innovative, it's played with guts and intensity and I like the filthy mood splattered in their tracks.
Their 8 short tracks have a crude sound but enough fury to let you think this band may be killer on stage if you dig grindcore in the vein of BRUTAL TRUTH and NAPALM DEATH, they are also quite close to their landmates of INFEST to give you an idea. Cécile's voice is mostly high screams (with sometimes some more guttural ones that are really amazing!) which reminds me Mel of FUCK THE FACTS, but Cécile's voice is even more higher, and KRAPNEK's music remains grindcore right to the point with no experiements and dissonances that can be heard on the Canadians' latest releases. Some slight touches of thrash and death are detected in some riffs but KRAPNEK stays faithful to the grindcore, so it's a really promising band. Let's wait their next release.
Contact: Johan Rageot – 27 rue de Lattre de Tassigny – 71100 CHALONS SUR SAÔNE – FRANCE
jojodumbass@yahoo.fr

NECROWRETCH demo 2008 review

NECROWRETCH (France) – S/T
Demo CD 2008 – Self released
4 tracks – 9'27
Rated: 2,5/10
A young duo of necrophiles who started digging graves in early 2008. After a few rehearsals they record many demos and here is one of them, this four-track demo contains 4 raw songs in the old school death metal way, the very beginning of the style. Here, you can say these guys are influenced by the demos of bands like MANTAS/DEATH, NIHILIST, AUTOPSY, shits like that.
But this demo got an homemade production, and that's probably what annoys me with this demo: I mean it sounds as a forced raw sounding demo, the riffing is really basic and the guitar sound is unbearable, well I don't like it, I don't know what's the guy used but it's some crunchy and powerless sound. The mixing is also quite bad, some instruments crushed the others so the result is sometimes chaotic. However, this demo doesn't suck completely, sometimes NECROWRETCH uses some nice haunting melodies that can remind the work heard on DEATH BREATH. The vocals are also cool, very low and guttural, I suspect them being pitched with effect. It' a first try, so let the band work their tracks harder as well as their sound. I think they can but just improve.
http://www.myspace.com/vladrituals

UNBURIED interview 2009

UNBURIED is among the most underground band from the US, the way they promote their band, still spreading a lot of flyers, writing letters, trading stuff,... Playing an old school oriented brutal death metal like FLESHGRIND, they keep their relentless march crushing everyone on their way since 1994. After their split CD with SEEKING OBSCURE, they came up with a full record entitled “Slut decapitator”. The band improves on many aspects, more brutal, with catchier tunes, a massive sound and a real drummer. I get in touch with Matt Pike to know what's the best way to behead a slut.

1-Hi Matt, what's up man? I won't ask you about the band's biography, curious people can look at your Myspace page or can directly write to you. Instead of this, could you introduce our readers to your metallic initiation? When did you get in touch with this putrid music? What were the first bands that infect your soul and led you to give birth later to the infamous UNBURIED?
Goreatings, Jim! I started listening to Death metal and Grind styles in 1992. I was playing Thrash metal for a few years. I was looking to explore sicker more brutal music. I was first familiar with Mark Riddick's old death metal acts from the early 90's. They where called Unearthed and later Excrescent. Early on, I was also listening to Obituary's "The End Complete." I am a big fan of Obituary still to this day. The first band I ever ordered a demo tape from was Dismembered Fetus! I love the music that they did. It was so raw bitch hating and brutal. That got me hooked on the underground. It was about that time I started writing the tracks for Unburied's demo #1. Unburied started writing music in 1994. The first demo was not released to the international underground till 1996.

2-UNBURIED's actuality is the release of « Slut decapitator » on Metalbolic Records which is Rob Luckie's (SEEKING OBSCURE) label. The previous split CD was also released by Metalbolic Records. I guess that working together goes beyond the simple band-label relation. What can you say about it?
Rob believes in the music that I write and he is an old undergrounder. He likes what we do and he signed us based on that fact. I respect his label. Metalbolic has published two of Unburied's releases. We have agreed to release the next cd under Metalbolic as well.

3-A major difference between the split CD and « Slut decapitator » is the appearance of Brian Forman on drums who really puts your music a step higher regarding the brutal side of the band. Where does he come from and what is his musical background?
He's from Va. I met him through guitarist Matt B, he played guitar for Unburied for a couple of shows with us. Brian is a great drummer. He puts 95% of all drummers in the grave.

4-The four tracks from the split CD with SEEKING OBSCURE have been re-recorded on “Slut decapitator” Brian on drums. The result is really awesome. I can't avoid to say that a real drummer is essential to a band. For example I enjoy VIRAL LOAD's stuff but on their last record with old tracks re-recorded with a human drummer, it brings a “live” vibe that drum-machine will never reproduce. I have the same feeling with UNBURIED. What's your viewpoint? Would you see UNBURIED going back using drum-programming today?
I like having a real drummer. I also like drum programming. It all depends on how it is recorded and who is playing the drums. I plan on sticking with Brian. We may record someday with the programmed drums. I cant Brian brings to the band and he doesn't plan on going anywhere. predict the future. I do enjoy what I prefer having him in Unburied for sure. As long as hes around we will stick with his drumming.

5-On some live-pictures, you did vocals and played guitar while on some others you just did vocals. What's the actual live line-up? How many gigs did UNBURIED perform? With which bands did you share the stages?
Yes, we had a guitarist Black metal maniac, named Matt Beahm. Beahm played with us for a while. I was singing live only at that point. I was still working on singing all vocals and playing the axe at the same time. I used to only do backing vocals and play the guitar at live shows. I had to step it up and I did just that a couple shows later. The pics you are refering to are from the Detroit Death Fest and the Crayola House basement gig. Those where some sick events!
6-Can you describe to us the UG scene in your area? Are there cool bands you would recommend us to check from Virginia? What is the Virginia Metal Alliance? The underground in Va is pretty good in the citys. There are some cool shows and many kick ass bands. Many bands are not playing death metal or gore grind in this area. Some Va underground bands I like are Lord By Fire, Sedamentrius, Sprawl, Gwar, Three Faces of Eve, Deceased, Hatred, Dying Fetus - but there in Md, "The Obsessed" and any band Wino plays in, Macerated, Fetid Zombie ect.... The VMA is a Virginia promotional thing. They organize shows and promote Virginia underground bands.

7-Going back to UNBURIED's style, the band plays some old school brutal death metal mixed with different elements of grindcore. Sometimes one can think about FLESHGRIND, DEADEN, DESECRATION (UK), LIVIDITY, etc... Even if your music is brutal you manage to make it quite diverse, fast parts, slower ones and some groove. Why don't you take part to the actual contest of « the fastest or the most technical, which is quite popular these days?
Hell yeah, Lividity and Deaden are cool bands. I remember them from the 1900's. I miss those days. The answer is simple, I am an old school guy. I like old school music. I play old school music. I don't give two shits about trends or being well known. I play what I like. I dress the way I like. I don't give a shit what anyone thinks. In the words of G.G. Allin fuck everyone else" I am only out to please myself." I hate trendy people!

8-UNBURIED also has a strong visual side (horror & gore) thanks to Mark Riddick's arts. People usually know what to expect. When did you meet him? How comes he joined you in UNBURIED? About the horror/gore theme, where do you take inspiration? Which kind of movies do you worship (Hammer movies, Italian horror movies, German gore movies...)?
I love some fucking Gore and Horror Films. I don't care where it is from and if its old or new. It has to kick ass. They have to be sick and demented. Theres alot of bad zombie movies out these days. I hate the corporate fags that put shit like best movie of the year on a movie and it blows cock. That is bull shit! Some of the movies I like are- I Spit On Your Grave, Zombie, Psycho, Demons, Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer, The Blob, Wrong Turn, House by the Cemetery, Green River Killer, TBK, Saw, Carrie, Christine, Friday the 13th 1 , 2 and 3, Chainsaw Massacre 1, 2, and 3, Poltergeist, The Exorcist, " The Hitcher" the first one not the remake!

9-Where do the movie samples at the beginning of “Evil lurks within” and “Gore-soaked revenge” come from?
Evil Lurks within is about "House By the Cemetery" and we sampled the movie aswell! Gore Soaked uses a "Green River Killer" movie sample to express my rage and hatred toward woman! That clip is fucking prefect for UNBURIED's music!!!!

10-Talking about Mark's artworks and logo, do you know and like arts by people like Dan Seagrave, Jon Zig, Wes Benscotter, Vince Locke, Larry “Torch” Lyannas, Deather, Christophe Spazdjel, Chris Moyen, … Do you think artwork has an importance along with the music?
What are your favourite metal artworks?
I love Mark Riddick's artwork. Its really gore filled and sick! I also enjoy Putrid, Stephen Gammell he did the "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark". That started me out sick in the head at a young age! Gammell wrote about killing girls and zombie ect... It was a kids ahahha! I have been into this stuff a loooong time man, hahhaa! oh and Russell Evans art what happened to him? Does anyone know how to contact him? He did some great stuff for bands in the 90's while serving prison time for 2nd degree murder.

11-Mark is a very busy guy, beside drawing and UNBURIED, he also took part to many side projects like FOLKEARTH, THE SOILS BLEED BLACK, … and he aslo has band named FETID ZOMBIE. How does he ma nage to remain available for UNBURIED?
Underground music is not a full time 365 day a yr job for theses bands. I mean they don't tour, nor does Unburied. However, Mark's a busy guy for sure.

12-Looking at your info-sheet (done in the cut n' paste style) you send to me some time ago, I noticed that you have a traditional way of promoting the band. The band has a myspace page, but you also write letters and use flyers. In the CD thanks-list you quoted many printed zines. Why are you also so attached to this more traditional way promoting UNBURIED? What are your favourite magazines/fanzines?
I like your questions man. I like Impact Drill zine, Black Blood Zine, Shrunken and Mummified zine, Forgotten Chapel zine and i enjoyed reading the copy of your zine "Putrefactive Effect" as well! Please,send me a few copies of this issue!!!!! Fucking UNDERGROUND oldschool attitude is what I live for! Any one that does a paper zine write me! I will post my home address below! I also trade bands as well as zines. WRITE ME FIRST!
13-Tell us more about the upcoming events concerning UNBURIED? Are you working on new tracks? Do you have the next release in mind?
We have five new tracks. We will record more in the future for a Split 7inc with fetid Zombie. We also have a full length cd upcoming on METALBOLIC RECORDS due out in 2010. As well I have talked to King Fowley of Va death metal legends Deceased, and he has agreed to do a 7inc record with Unburied aswell. Also we have a split cd with 3 bands on Coyote records out now! If anyone wants Slut Decapitator cds and tshirts get in touch! I also have Unburied LOGO Stickers, and Buttons! Copies of the split cd with UNBURIED/Seeking Obscure ...the label has sold out of those cds so get them from me. I have some left!

14-Give me your top 10 albums of all time: the releases you will bring with you into the grave!
Decrepit-Creation of Sin, Obituary-Back from The dead, Dying Fetus- Putrefaction Through Violence, Immolation- Dawn Of Possession, Agnostic Front-One Voice, The Twats- Hell In My Paints, Unburied-Slut Decapitator, Horror Of Horrors-Sounds Of Eerie, GG Allin-Res-Erected, Dark Throne-The Cult is Alive!!!!!

15-The autopsy has finally ended. Let's bury the corpse once more. Thank you, Matt for taking some time for our putrefied readers. I'll let you close this chat as you wish.
Eat my cock you cunts! True Underground supports… Get in touch! Thanks for the Interview! don’t FORGET, send me a few copies of this issue!!!!!
Matt Pike/UNBURIED
849 SUNDANCE MOUNTAIN ROAD
NEW MARKET VA 22844
USA
http://www.myspace.com/unburieddeathmetal