RUINS: Chronicle of an HIV witch-hunt

RUINS: Chronicle of an HIV witch-hunt

"RUINS: Chronicle of an HIV witch-hunt" is a documentary directed by Zoe Mavroudi.

Description:

A documentary about the shocking case of HIV criminalisation in Greece. The story of the prosecution of women who are HIV carriers, who were arrested by the Greek Police, were forced to have HIV tests, were imprisoned for criminal offences, and finally were castigated when their photos and all their personal data were published in the Greek media, only a few days before the national elections of the 6th of May, 2012.

This was another event in a series of events that took place during the last years in Greece and involved criminalisation of groups like prostitutes with HIV, Roma people and immigrants, among others, and led the Greek Neonazi Party "Golden Dawn" to be the third party in the elections, while the ruling parties that led Greece to where it is now, are still in power through a coalition government.

In the directors own words "We are not making a sacrifice, we are the sacrifice".

Full documentary: http://ruins-documentary.com/#

The Birthplace of Dracula

The Birthplace of Dracula

  

Being a horror movie fan for as long as I can remember myself, I always had the desire to feel like the first people who stood there in a cinema back in the day and got the first chills from a horror film. And yesterday was the perfect occasion to feed that desire.

When I saw that the original Dracula was about to be screened, I almost instinctively thought that there was no other place that I should be on the night of Friday the 30th of August 2013, than the British Museum. Christopher Lee is one of my favorite actors of all time, and Peter Cushing is also great in every single movie he has ever done. Besides being ''partners in horror'', those two actors were also born one day apart, Sir Christopher Lee was born on the 27th of May and Peter Cushing on the 26th of May. My own birthday is on the 30th of May, so that strengthens the bonds a little. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Vincent Price, another horror movie icon, was also born on May 27th. Coincidence? Or...

And there was even more for a horror movie fan to quench his thirst...

The first premiere of the 2007 restored edition of the original 1958 horror classic ''Dracula'', courtesy of BFI, had a lot more to offer than just the original film. Besides the restored version of the film, Hammer had also included lost footage and deleted scenes from a longer Japanese cut of the the film, never before seen. The premiere took place where Bram Stoker did his research for the original 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula'', in the British Museum. What more is there to ask for?

I remember my uncle who had seen the original film the year it was released, telling me stories about people who were scared to death from watching it, and about cinemas full of horrified people screaming in terror. Dracula was indeed a very shocking film for it's time, I mean, we are talking about the 50s here. Although it was hardly a precise adaptation of the original novel, Dracula became the definitive film representation of the original creature, and the majestic and icy figure of Christopher Lee, became Dracula.

The novel fanatics will find many differences between the original novel and this film. First of all, Dracula does not have a mid-European accent. Also he is not looking forward to buy a house in London. In the directors own words ''The budget was so small, that Dracula couldn't afford a second home'', so Jonathan Harker also became a librarian instead of a solicitor. Dracula was also portrayed as a lover here. There are also many gaps in he plot, but director Terence Fisher, the greatest director of Hammer, kept only what was absolutely necessary. And so, he gave birth to a classic and Sir Christopher Lee, played the role of Dracula in many more films that followed.

The premiere of the film was narrated by Sir Christopher Frayling, who also showed us the original banned film poster, as well as a letter from Bram Stoker to the British Museum, where he asked for permission to do his research for Dracula.

Original poster for Dracula

Bram Stoker's letter

Watching the premiere of the uncut, restored Dracula, in it's own birthplace, was undoubtedly one of the best and most memorable nights of my life.

Warlord / Lordian Guard – A Night of Fury with Bill Tsamis…

Warlord / Lordian Guard – A Night of Fury with Bill Tsamis…

I never thought that I’d be able to write these words, but it seems though I must, so the following text will be more like a small testimony.

And so it begins…

Warlord was one of the very first heavy metal bands that I ever listened and loved, as well as the first band with an epic feeling in both the lyrics and the music (Iron Maiden and Manowar came into my life much later). The “W” sign of Warlord, was the first metal sign that I ever drew. The Warlord lyrics are the first metal lyrics that I ever written. The music of Bill Tsamis definitely contributed to who I am today and for that I’m forever grateful.

Having said that, I must also say that during the last 3 years, many things have happened about Warlord that have saddened me deeply. And I will have to share those things here, even if it means reliving them in a way.

Here goes nothing…

I was “Facebook friends” with Bill Tsamis since my first days on Facebook, back in 2008. At that time there was not even the slightest hope of a Warlord reunion. Well, all that changed a couple of years later. But so did many other things. Something was weird about that reunion from the start, at least from my point of view. Of course, Bill Tsamis is dealing with some serious health issues and that was definitely not helping. But I got the feeling in several occasions that he didn’t want to reunite Warlord. And I was proven right. The first problems started to appear. No certain lineup for the band, disagreements about the reissues of some records, bad comments about certain things concerning fans and responses towards Warlord, too much information about Bill’s personal life, and all of the sudden, tidal waves of “hardcore Warlord fans” coming from all over the place. It was just too much to handle.

I will certainly not get into details here, I will only say that all this fuss, didn’t make it any better for me. And then the final blow came from out of nowhere. Bill Tsamis visited the Facebook event page of the Warlord show in Thessaloniki and made all sorts of bad comments about Kreator (!), about the small presale of tickets and about the “all talk – no ticket” type of Warlord fan base. Of course at that point there already were hundreds of Warlord fans who defended (!) that rant and even dissed Kreator themselves! Suddenly Bill Tsamis was a “highly skilled musician and composer who could write better noise than Kreator” (in his own words, I have kept photos of every single comment on that thread). What happened if someone said that he liked Kreator? He “shouldn’t show up for Warlord, because he doesn’t know of good music”. What happened if someone said that he couldn’t afford to go to the Warlord show due to the economic crisis here in Greece? Well, when Bill “was 16 years old he was in economic crisis too, but he saved every last dime to see every last show”. Then why does Warlord come to Greece? Because “Everyone begged and begged Bill Tsamis to come to Greece. He didn’t want to because it was all talk, which seems to be the case for the Principal Club. If only 500 people show up, why bother? Just wait for the live DVD to come out. Why waste your time and money on Warlord? Bill knew this would happen (financial crisis blues) so why should he come?” And more blah-blah-blah… Is anyone disappointed with that statement? Then “Do him a favor and don’t show up because you never cared for Warlord and you are not fans”. And last but not least. “Warlord is nothing more than an insignificant underground metal band (not even a band) and since he has done nothing in 30 years of music career (or lack of one) he shouldn’t come. Warlord is a train wreck and has no relationship with fans whatsoever. So this whole reunion thing was wrong, but now it’s too late to call it off… too bad, huh?”

Of course Bill Tsamis posted an apology about the “Kreator-incident” afterwards, but I didn’t believe any of that.

Warlord always was a controversial band in Greece (as well as Manowar) due to certain people who wrote in magazines and connected the Warlord music with fascism and racism and all sorts of “good values”. I don’t know if Bill Tsamis is a racist or fascist, but I wasn’t all that pleased when I heard him say that “Racism is a part of the nature of man”, during an interview in a Greek metal show in TV, called “TV WAR”. I wasn’t all that pleased, because the narrow-minded fans of Warlord (and they are too many too count) have only kept that part because it suited them more than the “I’m not a racist person” sentence that Bill used to start his answer.

I could go on and on and write about more incidents in the WARLORD FAN CLUB on Facebook, but I’d rather stop here.

I wrote the questions for this interview back in 2012, but due to certain circumstances at that time, they were not answered by Bill Tsamis back then. If I was given the chance to write them once more today, I probably wouldn’t have gone through with it. I also didn’t feel like going to the Warlord shows here in Greece, or the several meet-and-greets with the band, or even some other Warlord/Tsamis-related events. At this point, I no longer consider myself a fan of the band anymore. I waited for some months before I wrote this text, hoping that my feelings towards that subject might change, but that didn’t happen. Below you can see the interview in pictures.

As far as I’m concerned, the Warlord has risen, but the fight was lost…

Domine Interview – Rising From The Flames with Enrico Paoli…

Domine Interview – Rising From The Flames with Enrico Paoli…

Prologue: Mythology and fantasy blended together under the banner of Heavy Metal. Italian epic/power metal at it’s finest, the way only Domine can play it. Enrico Paoli, the mastermind behind the band, shares a few words with us, only a week before the band visits Athens for another killer show.

Hello Enrico, nice to have you here.

Thank you very much for the interview request!

Domine is one of the oldest Italian Heavy Metal bands; you guys are around for 30 years now. Was it easy back then in Italy for new bands?

Not at all. It was very difficult for every band which decided to play Metal or Hard Rock. We were also based in a small town for many years, so things were even harder there. No clubs, no record labels, not that many Heavy Metal fans. We started to play just for the passion of music and dreaming to record an album.

Tell me a few things about your influences as a musician.

Well, I am a music fan first of all. I love many different kind of bands but I started to buy albums by Queen, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Jethro Tull, Kansas, Genesis, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and only a few years later the Metal stuff like Maiden, Priest, Def Leppard, Saxon. So the stuff from the 70’s has always been my main interest, even though I totally got into Heavy Metal during the eartly 80’s. As a musician my fave guitar players are Brian May, Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Rhoads and Gary Moore. But there are a lot of great artists which influenced me. Also a lot of writers like Michael Moorcock, Clive Barker and Frank Herbert, just to name a few.

Your first album “Champion Eternal” came out in 1997. Until then you’ve already had released several demos. What kept you from releasing the album earlier?

Because we were not good enough to get a record deal and because in the early years it was difficult to get attention anyway. Even good bands were releasing very few albums and most of them were done with truly bad productions. I don’t think there was ever a proper scene in Italy. Out band was founded by schoolmates, we were just friends who happen to like Metal, in the first years we were just learning to play. Then we started to write our own songs and record demos, but we didn’t have any budget or money for a proper studio and honestly some members of the band were not real musicians. But we were friends and we have grown up together. It took a life time to put together a real line-up of wanted to make a proper album and play correctly. By the end of the 90’s there was a kind of renaissance for Metal in Italy, with many good bands releasing good albums, that’s when we had the chance to do our debut CD. You can tell the process was EPIC indeed, AHAHAHAHAHAH!

Many people claim that “Heavy Metal died in the 90’s”. Grunge, pop and other styles of music were very popular and the music industry was focused there. What are your memories from that era?

That’s a mainstream music point of view. If you looked at the charts, it was true that grunge and indie rock bands wiped away all the glam metal bands. Some of the grunge and indie rock bands were actually good, in my opinion. Boy-bands were pretty bad. But in the underground there were always good Metal bands around, maybe more in the extreme styles than classic, but still heavy. In a way, it was actually a good thing that major labels stopped to deal with Metal labels, so bands like Priest or Motorhead went ot indie labels and the underground flourished. And by the way, Metal was never big in Italy, not even during the 80’s. The biggest Metal festivals happened from 1997 on over here.

You also played in another band called Masterstroke. What do you remember from that? Have you ever thought of doing something besides Domine?

Well, that was just a fun thing. I was a friend of the guys and I played with them for a couple of years, we even recorded an album worth of material, it was more US Power Metal kind of style, a bit like Agent Steel, Sanctuary and Exciter. When Masterstroke was over and our drummer left, Mimmo, the drummer, became a member of Domine. He was one of the musicians who made Domine’s first album possible, with his great playing and devotion to the band.

During the last decade, old school Heavy Metal got more and more popular. Old bands are reuniting; we have festivals that are 100% for underground and old-school bands and many more new are trying to sound well… “older”. Do you believe that things are better for bands now or worse?

More popular? You must be joking… I think things are really bad now, as the “scene” is so difficult, with economy crisis, illegal download and the usual disinterest from the main medias. The underground festivals are great, but in the end they are attended by the same people who have been there for years and years, with only a few exception. There have always been bands which sound “Older”, some because they want to, some because they don’t have the budget to record an album in a real studio, other because… they are old! AHAHAHAH! But this is not a popularity rise, I don’t really see it, we have played at an edition of the Heineken Jamming Festival in 2003 with Iron Maiden and they attracted 40.000 people. That’s what I call popularity. The underground has always been there but of course it’s build by a minority of people who really enjoy music. They are kept the underground alive, but they are few in numbers (but the look in their eyes… oh, that’s Manowar…)

Looking back in time, which was the best and which the worst moment of Domine?

Difficult to say. We were lucky to have some great moments during all these years, not easy to pick up the best ones. I really loved some of the gigs we have played, like being on tour in Europe with Riot, Anvil and Agent Steel, the gig at Gods Of Metal festival 2000 with Maiden, or the one supporting Judas Priest, the big one at Heineken Jamming Festival in 2003 and 2007 and most of all, it was aleays great to get the band together every time we have finished a new album and having a listening to it. In the end, we record the albums we would like to listen to. We are music fans. The first gig in Athens is a great memory too. I’m sure I’m forgetting many more moments. Worst moments… well, there are many days when I would want to stop but that happens from the very beginning. But as a matter of fact life puts you through some really hard times, much difficult than the problems of playing in a band.

The last few years every band, big or small, is around the almighty Internet Empire. Do you think that the Internet helps a band or not?

It would take hours to discuss this. Internet is a great communication tool, so of course that can help bands to promote themselves, but at the same time most people are using Internet to illegally download music, movies, pornography, games, programs, books and that’s destroying everything. It is now impossible to think about a world without internet, as it has changed the way people are using their free time. But it should be used properly. I don’t know, maybe I’m too old, but when there will be Metallica and Maiden only, maybe kids will realize they should have bought the albums of the bands they like.

Your last album came out a very long time ago. What is the current state of the band? Are you currently touring or recording?

Domine is not a full time professional job, we all have our day=jobs and families and during the last years many things happened to our personal lives, we had some very important changes, se we are not fully dedicated on a new album, even though we have been rehearsing constantly. We are working on new songs but we want to take our time to make sure we will have the right songs. We want to improve with every album and not just do a copy of the previous one, we don’t have big budgets behind us or big commitments to honor. It’s not that easy but I’m sure we will come out with the album we want to make.

What are your future plans?

To record a new album and play a few good gigs. We would love to tour the world with a stage like the one KISS are using but I don’t think it will be possible in the near future. ;)

Are there any new bands that you’re currently listening to?

Of course. I do like In Solitude, Fast Animals And Slow Kids, Jess And The Ancient Ones, Foxy Shazam, Heart Of Cygnus, Portrait, Rival Sons, Purson, Witch Mountain… I’ve just bought a new live album by a band called Led Zeppelin, I think they are good enough to go places…

You have a concert scheduled in Greece, at the Up The Hammers festival for the 8^th of March. Tell us a few things about that.

We are very happy to come to play in Greece. This is our fourth time and we always have fun with you people.We are going to play mostly songs from our first two albums, as you guys love those. I’m sure we will have a good time.

What are your memories from your previous concerts in Greece?

Well, the first gig in 1999 was amazing, the club was packed with people and it was the very first gig of Stefano with the band and our very first gig outside of Italy. I got to meet people who supported the band in the 80’s, sending drachmas in enveloped to buy demo tapes. Demo tapes !?!?!?! It sounds like Jurassic era now!!

Last but not least, I want you to send a message to your Greek fans.

Just want to thank you guys for all your support and we just can’t wait to play for you guys soon. “Conquest is mine into the fight, screaming the battle cry!”

Check out the band:

http://www.dominetruemetal.com/

Next Domine gig:

http://www.up-the-hammers.gr/
https://www.facebook.com/upthehammersfestival?fref=ts

Sacral Rage – Deadly Bits Of Iron Fragments [EP, 2013]

Sacral Rage – Deadly Bits Of Iron Fragments [EP, 2013]

Release Date: 23^rd February, 2013

Sacral Rage was formed in late 2011, from Vaggelis (drums), Dimitris (vocals), Marios (guitars) and Spyros (bass) and they’re heavusly (pun intended) influenced by such bands as Agent Steel, Jag Panzer, Vicious Rumours, Annihilator, etc. After their first and very promising 2-track promo which came out last year, Sacral Rage is back with their first EP named “Deadly Bits Of Iron Fragments”. A little less than 30 minutes of high-quality speed/heavy metal unfolds in this EP, which will be released by Eat Metal Records in late February. Having heard a lot of albums from the majority of Greek bands around, I can definitely say that this EP is definitely among the most perfectly executed Greek speed/heavy/power metal EP’s ever. Usually such efforts lack something, from vocal lines to guitars, or generally creativity. And I’m getting really tired of listening to more and more uninspired bands nowadays. One can tell from the very beginning that this EP is not among those. The guitars are top-of-the-league, from riffs to solos, from fills to harmonies, blending and backing up perfectly the speed with the melody. The vocals balance a lot from early Panzer and Priest to early Helloween, but they actually stand out on their own without being just another bad copy of either one of those bands. What I also like is that –unlike many bands with high pitched vocals- the bass and drums have a big role in the EP as well. Generally this is a very good release for fans of the old US heavy school, but also for anyone who enjoys a fresh good speed/power blast in their ears. I definitely hope that the best is yet to come for the band.

Hint: Go check a live show of Sacral Rage, they kick serious ass.

Tracklist:

01) Foreshadower

02) Return Of The Dead

03) Master Of A Darker Light

04) Born In A Cage (Raised In Rage)

05) Forced To Betray

06) Gladiator (Nasty Savage cover)

07) Burning Yearning

Lineup:

Spyros – Bass

Vaggelis F. – Drums

Marios P. – Guitars

Dimitris K. – Vocals

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/SacralRage

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Exarsis – The Brutal State [Full Length, 2013]

Exarsis – The Brutal State [Full Length, 2013]

Release Date: 01^st March, 2013

With almost 3 years of being around, Exarsis has definitely made a name for themselves. The band has given numerous live shows and they’re releasing something new every year, from demos to full length albums. Their new child will be named “The Brutal State” and it is the successor to their debut “Under Destruction”, which was released back in 2011. So, what do we have here? Some more old-school thrash metal that’s for sure! Although I’m still very attached to the bands first album, I can easily say that this is way more destructive. It’s like a bulldozer of speed/thrash. The album has not got a single relaxed moment, well, except the intro. The fact is that this album will definitely blow your minds. The guitars are going from the totally killer riffs to the speedy solos in the blink of an eye. The vocals are definitely among the most aggressive and unique vocals around. Along the whole moshpit atmosphere of the record one can also find more catchy songs, such as “Vote For Crisis”, “Toxic Terror”, “Dying Earth” and “Under Destruction”. Generally the record will not leave anyone into “Apathy, Ignorance, Oblivion” (pun intended). The themes that the band uses in their lyrics are mainly about political and social matters. These are very troubled times for Greece, as well as for the whole planet, which should make more bands focus on social matters even more and use music as a tool for expressing their beliefs or disbeliefs.

I believe that there won’t be a single thrash metal fan that will not enjoy this album, except the regular I-hate-my-guts dudes of course.

The band is giving a live show with Biocancer, Domination and Suicidal Angels at Gagarin 205 Club, on the 19^th of April, 2013.

Tracklist:

01) Annihilation… Proceed!!!

02) Mind Poisoning

03) Addicting Life Waste

04) Vote For Crisis

05) Dying Earth

06) Toxic Terror

07) Surveillance Society

08) Apathy, Ignorance, Oblivion

09) Suicide Disorder

10) Under Destruction

Lineup:

Christos P. – Bass

Giorgos – Drums

Panayiotis – Guitars

Christos T. - Guitars

Alex – Vocals

Links:

www.myspace.com/exarsis
www.youtube.com/exarsis
www.reverbnation.com/exarsis

Download is a substitute, support real music and buy some records!

Manilla Road - Mysterium [Shadow Kingdom Records, 2013]

Manilla Road - Mysterium [Shadow Kingdom Records, 2013]

Release Date: February 1^st, 2013

  

The legends of Heavy Metal from Wichita, Kansas are back with their new “child”. The new record of Manilla Road is named “Mysterium” and it is the first one with the bands new drummer, Neudi and their new bass player Josh Castillo. Manilla Road are a band that really leaves you wondering about their upcoming releases, because they can really easily jump from theme to theme and from style to style, a thing that costs you some fans but also gains you some others. The fact is that the band has been delivering Heavy Metal for a little more than 35 years (with a small break) and they’re also one of the first and most important bands of the underground scene, still recording, still giving great gigs, still around in every sense of the word. And that alone says a lot.

The first thing I notice about their new record is that it has a lot of aggressiveness, much like their bands previous record “Playground Of The Damned”. Actually, the post-2000 Manilla Road, sound like their constantly changing their style. Their sound throughout all their latest releases is really hard to describe with just a label. It seems like they try to blend all the elements that the band had presented in their past releases, from epic to thrash and from prog to much darker riffs and melodies. “Mysterium” takes off exactly where “Playground…” left us. Bryan’s vocals are much smoother and more similar to Mark Shelton’s and at some points; I could say that it is somehow hard to tell which one is singing. Josh and Neudi have also done a very decent job on the record, considering that this is their first recording with Manilla Road. “Mysterium” is one of those records that grow inside you, like most of the bands releases. After all, Mark Shelton is not a musician who is recording cheesy stuff for the big arenas, but only for the true lovers of Heavy Metal music. What I also like about this record, is that it has a lot of groovy riffs which also blend perfectly with Bryan’s vocals. Mark Shelton voice sounds somehow mellow in songs like “The Battle of Bonchester Bridge” and “The Fountain” (which I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live), but instead of leaving you with a sad feeling, he leaves you stronger and with more hope towards anything. Much like the song “Art Of War” in their previous album.

Finally, this is a fine release from Manilla Road and much similar to their previous one, with a much better touch on the production though. It is a very heavy and solid album, with faster as well as darker moments. Bryan Patrick and Mark Shelton are beyond great throughout the record. I’ve come to terms with the constant changes in the band’s style and I like almost all their releases so far. Many fans tend to judge new albums by instantly comparing them to the masterpieces of the band which is wrong. Every album has something else, something new to say. I think that in this record the band combines every single style that they’ve played during the past and the outcome is indeed very good.

Tracklist:

01) The Grey God Passes

02) Stand Your Ground

03) The Battle of Bonchester Bridge

04) Hermitage

05) Do What Thou Will

06) Only The Brave

07) Hallowed Be Thy Grave

08) The Fountain

09) The Calling

10) Mysterium

Manilla Road Lineup:

Mark Shelton – Guitars, Vocals

Bryan “Hellroadie” Patrick - Vocals

Josh Castillo - Bass

Neudi - Drums

Contact Links:

http://www.manillaroad.net/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/6207831666/

Links with review posted:

https://www.facebook.com/Neudi666/posts/590236727660191
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=162380903909389&id=222505821165293

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Helloween – Straight Out Of Hell [Sony Music, 2013]

Helloween – Straight Out Of Hell [Sony Music, 2013]

Helloween is one of the greatest chapters, if not the greatest, in the German heavy/power metal scene. They’ve been around for nearly 30 years and they’re still very productive and energetic. Their previous album “7 Sinners” was actually among the best albums that the band has released during the last years, and I really didn’t expect that they could easily repeat such an accomplishment.

I wasn’t all that impressed with all the albums that came after “The Dark Ride”, but their previous album, as well as their latest release “Straight Out Of Hell”, really grab you from the face from the beginning until the end. “Straight Out Of Hell” starts with the song “Nabataea”, a classic Helloween song, which also has a very interesting videoclip and continues with the song “World Of War”, a fast paced song with a slightly more modern feel to it. The next songs are “Live Now!” and “Far From The Stars”, two songs with very strong melodies and powerful vocals. The guitars and the vocals of Andi Deris, are the two most distinct things throughout the record. The next song “Burning Sun” is another shining example of this combination. Also the keyboards have a strong presence in most songs. The next song “Waiting For The Thunder” is the classic Helloween slow intro-explosive riffs-cheesy verse. And here we are, reaching the middle of the record, to find a power ballad named “Hold Me In Your Arms”. Very nice ballad indeed, but I wanted a little something more. The next songs are the classic ‘weird-ish’ Helloween songs “Wanna Be God” and “Asshole” with an instrumental piece between called “Straight Out Of Hell”. The next song is called “Years” and it is really a very special and sentimental song. It really grows in you. The record ends with “Make Fire Catch The Fly” and “Church Breaks Down”, two of the heaviest and fastest, as well as the most meaningful songs on the record.

Andi Deris has brought a lot of himself in the band and that is more than obvious to anyone who has observed his career throughout the years. Actually Helloween is a BAND in every sense of the word, on studio and on stage as well.

Closing up, the band sounds fresher than ever in their latest release. This is definitely an album, not only for the hardcore Helloween fan, but for every fan who loves a good power metal release. I’m a big fan of old-school Kiske/Hansen Helloween, I also love their 90s releases as well as the works of Andi Deris besides Helloween. Having said that, I believe that this is one of the bands best releases.  

Tracklist:

01) Nabataea
02) World Of War
03) Live Now!
04) Far From The Stars
05) Burning Sun
06) Waiting For The Thunder
07) Hold Me In Yout Arms
08) Wanna Be God
09) Straight Out Of Hell
10) Asshole
11) Years
12) Make Fire Catch The Fly
13) Church Breaks Down
14) Another Shot Of Life (Bonus Track)
15) Burning Sun (Hammond Version) (Bonus Track)
16) No Eternity (Bonus Track)

Helloween Lineup:

Michael Weikath - Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Markus Grosskopf - Bass, Backing Vocals
Andi Deris - Lead Vocals
Sasha Gerstner - Rhythm & Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Daniel Loble - Drums

Contact Links:

http://www.helloween.org/
http://www.facebook.com/helloweenofficial?ref=stream

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ENFORCER - Death By Fire [Nuclear Blast, 2012]

ENFORCER - Death By Fire [Nuclear Blast, 2012]

Release Date: February 1st, 2013 (Europe), March 5th, 2013 (North America)

Having seen Enforcer in an explosive live performance and also, having nearly melted their first two albums, I was more than honoured to do a review on their upcoming third album entitled “Death by Fire”.

At first I was expecting something similar to their first two albums, which are both masterpieces of classic Heavy Metal. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. “Death By Fire” grabs you from the throat from the very beginning and won’t let go until you’re dead! And Death is what this album is all about, quoting vocalist and guitar player Olof Wikstrand “The album title refers to the most horrific ways to die… all lyrics on “Death By Fire” hold the same theme throughout the record: death - in all different shapes.” The record starts with a small instrumental keyboard piece called “Bells Of Hades” which kind gets you in the mood for what is about to follow. Then all hells breaks loose! “Death Rides The Night” is a classic bang-all-the-way Enforcer song. “Run For Your Life” has the perfect blend of riffs, melodies and high-pitched vocals that we love in Enforcer. “Mesmerised By Fire” is a another classic high energy song with even more aggressive vocals. During the middle of the song, there is a killer part that really adds a lot to the whole mood. “Take Me Out Of This Nightmare” is by far one of the best Enforcer songs ever written. The whole band really giving their best self, their heart and soul really went on this one. “Crystal Suite” is a great instrumental piece, in the style of old Iron Maiden but still, keeping the originality and freshness of Enforcer. The next song is called “Sacrificed” and it’s like the record is starting all over again. Melodies, screams and riffs all mixed together in an actual Heavy Metal Bomb! Along comes the most epic song of Enforcer called “Silent Hour / The Conjugation”. It is the only song that I will not analyse at all, I’ll only say this. It is indeed an EPIC composition and I could easily hear it 100 times in a row and not get tired of it. The record ends with “Satan” (he he he) one of the fastest songs ever written by the band. After all the horror of death that is present in the record, a scream shouting “Satan take me away…” is the best way to end it.

The album is less than 40 minutes, in the spirit of every classic Heavy Metal record, from Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, to Slayer and Manowar. It also helps the sound quality in the vinyl format, because when the duration is longer that 19 minutes on each side, the sound is losing it’s quality. That is all folks, keep an eye out for this record when it comes out, it is one of the best Heavy Metal albums of this year.

Tracklist:

01) Bells Of Hades

02) Death Rides The Night

03) Run For Your Life

04) Mesmerized By Fire

05) Take Me Out Of This Nightmare

06) Crystal Suite

07) Sacrificed

08) Silent Hour - The Conjugation

09) Satan

Enforcer lineup:

Olof Wikstrand: vocals, guitar

Joseph Toll: guitar

Tobias Lindqvist: bass

Jonas Wikstrand: drums

Contact links:

www.enforcer.se

https://www.facebook.com/enforcerofficial?fref=ts

Download is a substitute, support real music and buy some records!

Skull Fist Interview – Riding the Beast with Jackie Slaughter…

Skull Fist Interview – Riding the Beast with Jackie Slaughter…

Prologue: I like Skull Fist and I can not lie! They’ve been among my favorite bands since I first heard them back in early 2010 and I was lucky enough to see them live in 2011 at the Up The Hammers Festival in Greece. Jackie Slaughter, founder, mainman and eh-man of the band, shares a few dirty words with us just one day before the band departs for their tour in Brazil.

Hey Jackie! What’s up dude? Your album “Head öf the Pack” was released last year and as far as I’m concerned, it is among my top 5 best albums for 2011. How did it went?

That's funny because it was recorded in pretty much 5-6 days hahaha well it was done over the span of 2 weeks we had little money to produce it so had to work on it at this studio after hours. Which means an hour here, an hour there haha it was still fun as hell recording though. We got drunk. Jammed out funny parts. Recorded some really funny stuff that we of course never released haha.

You are one of the bands that are really serious when it comes to their outfit. You don’t see that in many bands nowadays. What’s the philosophy behind that?

Outfit has never been a concern for me. This is just what we wear and what we look like. I don't like looking like all the other sap's here in canada. It's fuckin rad when you walk down the street and everyone is staring at you with that stupid look on there face hahahah. So we dont dress the part. We are the part!

Your song themes are mainly Metal, Metal and well… METAL! It would be a little dumb to ask about your inspirations. Which bands do you look up to?

None. Everyone and every band did there own thing and I want to do my own thing. I don't need to get inspired from what other bands have done. I make up my own inspiration.

What is a normal day in the camp of Skull Fist like?

When were NOT on tour or something it's hard to say. All of us live on opposite sides of the city so we only get together to jam or drink or go out to party. When were off tour we still rehearse about 4 times a week so we still hang out alot but everyone is off doin there own thing. I go skateboarding with Jonny. Casey eats chips and drinks redbull. I never know what the hell that guy is up to. Last I heard he was _______ girls in his __________ ___________. I cant fill in those answers since it would get him in trouble. I usually go running and shit. Jonny likes going to random bars he's never been to hahah.

How is it like being a metalhead and metal musician in Canada ? Is there a metal scene? Do you get to see a lot of shows, hang out in clubs, etc, or is it all just work, work and more work?

I've seen quite a few heavy metal clubs come and go since I moved to Toronto. 6 years ago now. The metal clubs never last or they slowly fade away into obscurity. It sucks but theres just not alot of metalheads in Toronto. Not to mention, most of them are broke ass and cant afford bar beer. And then again, lots just hangout at home and dont go out often. The thing is we dont get lots of awesome concerts in Toronto so not too many people go out and pretty much all of the metalheads in Toronto are all in bands. So everyone's always scattered about playing gigs or some shit! There definitely is a scene here. It's just not huge. I don't get to see tons of shows at least not lately since weve been touring a buttload this year but I did get to see Exciter without Beehler the other day. That was still rad. I played tetris and got free shots hahahah

Heavy Metal. What does it mean to you?

The only music that stands strong and maintains a perfect woven relationship with Musical Mastery and Lyrical genius!!! It's really the only music that empowers those that need power, I think thats what makes it so intense for people. We base our lives around this whole style of life and Its totally possible. Heavy Metal covers every aspect of life and teaches you shit from how to react to assholes and how to appreciate the large and the small things in life. Fuckin well spoken music it is!

Last year you’ve had several lineup changes. Actually, you were the only member left in Skull Fist from the original lineup of the band. How did that affect the band?

To me, there is no original lineup, because every person that someone thinks is part of the original lineup has been surpased by another. Bottom line is this. I started the band in 2006 and I write all the shit. Shred and Alison were on the E.P. and Now Jonny and Casey are on the Album. Before the release of the album I had went through shitloads of different guys and girls that had helped and hindered the fist along the way. Whatever the hell anyone would like to call the original lineup they can do. Doesn't matter to me haha All I know is Jonny and Casey are on the 1st album. And the next. And the next. Hopefully all the way to the end!  

The classic Heavy Metal sound is gaining more and more fans, unlike the 90s. Bands with the old school sound are on the loose once more! Also there are several new releases in vinyl! Do you believe that the classic sound is here to stay, or is it just another trend among fans?

I think its peek in the coming years will be a trend. As is just another trend. But then again, EVERYTHING is a trend of some sorts peeking for a number of years or only months. Heavy Metal peeked in the 80s only to have 75% of fans give up to join the grunge phase followed by the super heavy tunes phase. It's easy to know who will stay and who will go though. The true will always keep the spirit alive no matter what. I do say all the vinyl repressing is nice though. : ) 

This is one of my fav questions. Is the internet a “blessing” or a “curse” for music?

You can argue both points over and over but in the end it depends on from whos perspective. It completely destroyed the magic of searching hunting and borrowing or waiting for release dates and the glory of riding the bus to the record store and finding magic albums or bands youve never heard of before. Going to friends place and seeing albums you never even knew existed. New band photo's youve never seen before. lyrics PRINTED!!!! This is all for the listener. But then again, i'ts 10 times easier to discover great bands, as long as you can maintain the sense of wonder. Which unfortunately I dont think too many people can do. For the musician, it's by far the best thing that ever happen. I can't imagine having to search phone books or some shit or mailing people in different countries trying to find out which magazines in other countries could potentially do a review of our cds. Or calling club after club and mailing cds waiting months on end to find out of a venue will book you or some shit.  

Speaking of the Internet, what happened to that video sensation of yours with the killer-milk-carton? I’m really missing that little guy…

Total drag man. I loved that video too! But because it shows my damned penis on camera youtube took it down. So now its a goner. I'm working on blacking on the schlong shot though! It could potentially be back up in the next few weeks! 

What is it like right now in the world of music industry? Do you live of your music?

You'd be surprised some of the guys in big bands I've met that work full time jobs. Damned surprised. These next few years will decide who stays and who goes because very soon everyone will realize there is no money left in this! Once again only the true will be left!

Let’s suppose that a young musician from Canada who is just starting is asking for your advice. What would you tell him?

Wanna make it? Goodbye social life! That's the number one first step. Either you go and play video games at your loser friends place or grab your guitar and fuckin rock.

Are there any new bands out there that you enjoy listening to?

I'm going through everything Paganinni every wrote right now. Just finished Chopin haha
the last two months have been a break from straight heavy metal. Although I had been listening to MX from brazil and the few new Angra albums that came out after the 90s. New bands. hmm.. ohh! Evil Invaders from Belgium haven't heard the full EP yet just a song. Awesome. Check it!. Katana from Sweden. New Bullet album Full Pull. Listened to it with Jonny in the fist van a few days ago.

Do you believe that a band should retire after a certain time period? Have you ever seen a one of your favorite classic bands live and were disappointed after their show?

In the words of Canada's president Mr. Young. Its better to burn out than to fade away. If you can't rock like you did then don't rock at all. I think a huge amount of bands that I never thought would are losing a lot of credibility right now. It's a good thing alot of new great bands are going to replace this shit.

Greece and Germany are two countries that really praise Heavy Metal. What’s your best memory from those countries?

Greece. Up The Hammers. I don't remember much. But I do remember disappearing and everyone telling my band I got arrested and was in Jail. Best 5 days ever. I ate soo many damned Wrap things and serious amounts of ouzo. Some of the funniest guys and chicks I've ever met that I still talk to! I will masturbate with Tzaziki sauce the second I find out I'm going back. Which will be this year. For sure. Germany. You all know what im thinking. I love you, but fuck your fizzy water! In Germany the beer is so strong and never ending that sometimes the BEER DRINKS YOU. I've never been drunker than I have in Munich. I had some of the funniest nights in Germany though. Long stories. Weird situations. Rad parties. And rad friends! But man. I guess I never really think about countries. It's all the same shit. Being a metalhead is like a universal language! Everyone understands how to rock and how to party hahaha.

What’s the latest of on-the-road stories of The Fist?

People ask for stories all the time but almost all the stories we have are offensive. I just cant share those kinds of stories in print. When we get loaded together this year and we will we can talk about them. It'll include stories of mass pukings. Women who turned out to be men. Bar fires. Bar fights. Mothers with extremely young daughters (dont take that the wrong way hahahah) Poncho Piss. Well cover all the different spectrums of weird shit hahaha.

Your next tour is in Brazil right? When do you plan to visit Europe again?

We record the new album this year. Can't say when. Can't say when it releases just yet. Can't say when well be back. But it will be this year for sure.

When should we expect your new album? What are your future plans?

Can't say just yet. But were going to announce this very damned soon! We did a fuckload of touring with this last album and with the next one were going to do a fuckload more. Stay on the road. In the words of Motorhead. KEEP US ON THE ROAD!

Ok Jackie, that’s all, I’ll leave the last word up to you.

I'm taking a crap right now. It's 2 am. I wasn't tired so figured I'd shit and answer this interview. So when you read this, know that at the time I was dumping... isn't that neat?

Check out the band:

www.skullfist.ca

www.facebook.com/skullfisted

Next Skull Fist Tour:

https://www.facebook.com/events/485891278090198/

WIDOW Interview - Taking Hold of the Night with Chris Bennett...

WIDOW Interview - Taking Hold of the Night with Chris Bennett...

Prologue: Widow is real sensation of Horror and Heavy Metal from the U.S.A., banging for more than 10 years in the classic sound of Heavy Metal music! With 4 fulllength albums and countless live shows, you can easily say that they're keeping more than just "busy". Chris Bennett, founder and frontman of the band, takes a little time off his busy Christmas schedule to share a few words with us.


Hello Chris and welcome, thanks for finding time for the interview.

Thanks for having me Elias!!!

Would you care to share with us a short bio of the band?

Widow was formed in 2000 here in North Carolina. We really were formed first of all because we loved traditional metal, and to have fun playing locally around NC. I would never have believed that we would have released four albums and played in different countries around the world. I'm so grateful to have had that opportunity. We've really devoted our lives to heavy metal, and it means a lot that people appreciate what we do!!!

You’ve had a lot of lineup changes over these years. How did that affect the band?

Yes, the band really started around me, John E Wooten, and Joshua Pantke. Johnny was on guitar then. We had numerous drummers, and a couple of bass players after Josh left the band in 2009. We even had a female singer on the album On Fire, which was cool, but we just had a lot of differences with her. But, Johnny switched to bass, and honestly the line up of me, Johnny and Peter Lemiuex on drums is the best we've ever had. We sound the best as a three piece, and we are devoted to playing as much as we can. Peter has been here for six years, and we get along great and just have a blast together!!!

Despite the fact that you guys are touring all the time, you also have released four great albums in the last nine years. You’re definitely overactive with the band right?

Oh, thanks man!!! I never turn it off, that's for sure! I'm living this 24/7! The last few years have been the busiest for us. We got mentioned in magazines all over the place that we are a big part of the New Wave of Traditional Metal. I'm so happy that new fans are getting exposed to this type of music, it's really cool. But, we've been playing this style for a long time, and we would do it whether it's popular or not! I love this music, and to the real fans of metal, this is a lifestyle! But, when all this New Wave stuff came about, we got a lot of touring opportunities, and that rules! We've played around the US, Canada, Germany, and Japan this year!!! It's really awesome! As far as the albums go, we have worked so hard on all four of them. I really think we worked the hardest on Life's Blood though, our newest one. It took a few years to get that one done. But I think it's our best, and so far people around the world seem to agree!!!!

What do you enjoy most about touring and playing live?

My favorite thing about touring is meeting people who are big fans of metal, just like me. People that truly live for this stuff! I love to be a part of their scene and life for just one day! It's really cool! It was so shocking to me, going to Europe and Japan and seeing SO many metalheads, it's paradise there!!!! Canada really is like that too. The US scene is really getting better and better too! On our last US tour with White Wizzard and Icarus Witch, it was amazing to see so many people supporting this music. You probably couldn't have done a tour like that a few years ago! It was so much fun!!!!

“Life’s Blood” is your latest album and I can easily say that it’s among my top-5 Heavy Metal albums of 2011. Tell us a few things about the album and the response that it got.


Thank you so much!!! It really got the best response of any Widow album so far. What really happened with the album, is that I wanted to get rid of the excess, just have a stripped down, straight forward album from start to finish. Just focus on the songs, not so much guitar or whatever. I really think it worked, and our best songs were created from that. I love all our albums, and at the time that was the best we could do. But I felt we needed to make something way beyond what we had done before. Several different magazines listed in it their best of 2011 lists! I really appreciate this, it means a lot to see that after working so hard on the record!


I really love the artwork in “Life’s Blood”. It is way different from the artwork on your previous albums. What inspired it?

We wanted to have some sort of character sum up the entire album, and we came up with "Lady Twilight", which is the first song on the album. We got this German artist, Timo Wuerz, to do the artwork. This guy is absolutely incredible! I thought his rough sketch was good enough to be the cover hahaha! I love his work, and he really brought her to life. I felt we had the best songs we had ever had, and I knew we needed our best cover to go with it! Thanks to Timo, I think we got it!!!

I like all your albums and strangely, I’ve heard them backwards. First I heard “Nightlife”, then “On Fire” and last “Midnight Strikes”. I had always wondered why I hadn’t heard of you before. Was the press kind on you all those years?

Well, in the US maybe not so much at first with Midnight Strikes. It was so different at the time, and I think people thought the sound was "dated". But on the other hand, their were also people who to this day think Midnight Strikes is our best album! But, on all the albums we've always gotten mostly positive press, and the fans have really always supported us since the beginning. It amazes me, and makes me so happy! With Life's Blood, it was pretty much unanimous around the globe that the album was great! That was hard for me to believe, I was expecting some people to bash it hahahaha!

More and more bands with the “classic” sound are getting a warm welcome here in Europe nowadays. I’m not sure that I can say the same about the U.S.A. though. How do you see the Heavy Metal scene now?

Well, the US is tricky. It is hard to break through here with people. You just really have to tour here constantly to make a name for yourself. But just like in Europe, there are die hard metallers here too! Over the last few years we've been out on the road, I've noticed lots of younger kids getting into true heavy metal. It really does my heart good to see them getting into bands like Angel Witch, Warlord, and Diamond Head! Man, we just played with Raven, and the show was packed! It was so awesome!!! This music makes fans for life, so I know that no matter what, it will last! And we will stick around too!

Nowadays more and more bands, old and new, are rushing to become part of the Internet and Social Media. Do you believe that this is a good or harmful thing?

I'm a little older, so I used to be part of the tape trading underground. I would write and receive letter from people everywhere! It was hard work, but it was so rewarding! It seems that the internet has allowed everyone the ability to do this same thing, only much easier and faster! So I don't think it's a bad thing. I think it exposes a lot of people to bands they might not have heard of, and that rules!!!! But . . . it also floods the scene with tons and tons of bands that maybe haven't developed yet. We worked really hard in the beginning of Widow to develop our sound. So when we did finally release an album, we were ready to rock haha!!!!!


Your albums are a little hard to find and if I’m not mistaken, you’ve rereleased your first album “Midnight Strikes” with a slightly different title right?

Yes, it's called Midnight Strikes Twice! It's got our demo on it also! And, it has a live concert you can watch on your computer from 2004 with Josh on bass and the drummer from Midnight Strikes Tim Heisman. The album was out of print, and their was a real demand for it to be reissued! That is awesome, and I'm glad that people who missed it got a chance to hear the album. Like I said earlier, their are people that say it's our best album! I think it's great, but On Fire and Nightlife are all cool for different reasons. Just like Life's Blood, each one shows where our heads were at during that time. And I can assure you, we will always play songs from each album live. I know people like different albums, and I know how awesome it is when you go to a show and get a song from that album that you love!!!!


Tell us a few things about your influences as a band and as a musician. What inspires you mostly to create?

My biggest influences are bands like King Diamond, Metallica, Van Halen, Ozzy, Priest, Maiden. Also, bands like Crimson Glory, Queensryche, Leatherwolf, and Warlord! Also bands that we don't sound exactly like, but still inspired me are Slayer, Venom, the Ramones, the Misfits, Skynyrd, KISS, Thin Lizzy and Def Leppard. I love so much stuff man, I've been inspired greatly by Dokken, Ratt and hair metal bands too! I love everything from Thrash, Death and Black Metal to Motley Crue! I also love 80's pop music, like Michael Jackson, Prince, and Pat Benatar! I think having a wide range of influences is the best way to have a unique sound.

Most bands that deal with horror themes in their lyrics are either packed with a ton of keyboards and female vocals or have a certain dress code or both. How d you manage to combine horror with classic Heavy Metal?

I am such of fan of the classic horror movies, like the Exorcist, Phantasm, the Omen, etc. I wanted to get that feeling into a traditional metal band! We play almost always in minor keys, and I really felt the two went together well! And you're right, a lot of bands have the dress code or whatever! I don't want to follow any rules man! Widow is just ourselves! I can't be any other way!!!!!!

Are there any new bands that you’re currently listening to?

Most of the new bands I love I'm lucky to call them friends! We've toured with Cauldron, and their new album is great! We were in Japan with Skull Fist, and they blew me away live! They are killer too! And I had not really heard White Wizzard when we went out with them, and I went out and bought both of their albums and loved them! They are awesome too! I'm also way into Municipal Waste, Icarus Witch, Ghost, Twisted Tower Dire, Hellfueled, Midnight, Slough Feg and High Spirits! I recently discovered a Swedish death metal band called Vampire that I really dig! Some of these bands aren't that new haha, but I love them anyway!!!!

What does the future hold for Widow? Any plans?

We've got some touring that is lining up for 2013, and I'm really excited about that! Keep in touch with us on facebook at www.facebook.com/widowtheband or at www.widowusa.com and we'll make some announcements really soon!!! Also, we've demoed songs for a new album that we will record this year! I'm really excited about it!!!! Hopefully we will record it by summer and it will be out not too long after that!

You have a show planned in Greece on the 9th of March 2013 at the “Up The Hammers Festival”. How does it feel to play in Greece for the first time? What should we expect from Widow?

I am beyond excited to get to Greece! It's somewhere I have always wanted to go, the country is so beautiful! And I've heard it's one of the best places in the world for real traditional metal! Manolis, who puts on the fest, is such a cool dude and I really appreciate him giving us the chance to play there! I've got a lot of friends over there, and I just can't wait to get there and party with everyone!!!! It will rule I can tell you that!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us finish this interview by sending a message from Widow to the Greek fans.

I want to say thank you for supporting Widow, and I cannot wait to meet you guys in March at Up the Hammers!!! It's gonna be a party we'll never forget!!! Cheers everyone, see you at the bar . . .

(Widow has a show planned in Greece on the 9th of March 2013 at the “Up The Hammers Festival”)

Up The Hammers Festival links:

http://www.up-the-hammers.gr/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/UP-THE-HAMMERS-FESTIVAL/513660118657434
https://www.facebook.com/groups/upthehammers/
https://www.facebook.com/events/196520220453518/