More action from Sonisphere festival at Knebworth! (more…)

The first of yesterday’s action from Knebworth! (more…)

With a name like Sacrificial Slaughter you would never think that a band whose formation began just nine years ago would still exist today. But that is what the likes of metal music can do to you. Once it’s entangled itself deep inside of you there is no way of dislodging it. Except perhaps with the way of the Lord…..but when that name is spoken within the ears of Sacrificial Slaughter they find it inhuman, their term of it would be “anti-Christianity”.

But of course not forgetting the blood and gory concepts how could a style of music especially metal not live without talking about blood and gore it would be pointless if not included. If that’s not enough, Sacrificial Slaughter has unleashed one but two, “The Rebirth” (2002) and latest addition “Spontaneous Suicide” which was released just last year what more could you want? Perhaps some musicians to back it all up…. This as of right now consists of – Aaron T. Whitesides (guitar), James Pavey (guitar), Bryan Roth (drums), and Steve Worley (vocals). If that’s not enough for you then maybe an intense live showcase of this unstoppable or what frontman Steve Worley considers “Death Thrash” will put you into you place.  Speaking of whom, spoke to me via email about what Sacrificial Slaughter means to him.

How did the band form?

I started the band almost ten years ago back before High School. I was introduced to heavy metal at an early age and I knew right away that this is what I wanted to do.

How would you describe your sound?

I describe our sound as “Death Thrash.”  We utilize the best concepts of old school death metal and blend it with the fierce, aggressive and in your face attitude of Thrash Metal. In my own opinion I would give you the most fun and most extreme form of music available on this planet.

The vocals are very distinctive, and not the normal thrash/death metal style with the processing. How did the idea to use that style come about?

Well, the vocals are a perfect example of what I mentioned in the last question. In the early days of the band I only did death metal vocals.  It was probably because of inexperience or whatever. But that was all I could do.  As time went on we all progressed as musicians. After keeping it together for ten years, recording albums and learning from our mistakes, I can finally say that the music is where I want it to be. The vocals are a perfect bridge between Death Metal and Thrash Metal, I’m comfortable singing them, I love the way it sounds and we can’t wait to unleash the next album on the entire world!

How did you come to sign with Crash Music?

After some lineup changes in 2007, we recorded a 3 song demo to feature new songs with the new lineup. I sent that demo to every label you could think of and Crash was one of the ones who responded.  They liked what we were doing and wanted to work out a contract right away.  Of course they wanted 10 songs as soon as possible and we only had 3 recorded! So in between tours and working, we hit the studio hard.

Why don’t you give me a summary as to how “Spontaneous Suicide” came to be?

At the very same time that we were working on a contract with Crash, we were on a West Coast tour with Anal Blast. So this is where the story gets crazy….Our last show on the tour was in Sacramento CA, and we decided to have a big party back at our hotel room.  So I made an announcement to the crowd while we were on stage to come party.  I wasn’t expecting so many people to actually come.  But we had at least 50 people in this tiny hotel room.  It was rowdy!  I remember seeing this dude hanging out and I remember seeing him at the show.  So everyone is having a good time and all of a sudden this dude is gone.  Of course nobody noticed because we don’t pay attention to dudes.  But this guy’s girlfriend went looking for him and she found him alright!

He was hanging from a fucking dumpster in the parking lot of the hotel.  I shit you not.  I don’t know if someone was fucking his girlfriend or what the hell his problem was. But this random dude seriously committed suicide at our party.  It was weird. We called the cops and they came, cut him down and took him away like it was no big deal. It happens like every day. So yea, Spontaneous Suicide!  Ha-ha.

Tell me what does Sacrificial Slaughter mean to you?

Sacrificial Slaughter is everything to me.  This band is a way of life.  This shit is full time.  Whether it’s touring, writing, recording, or doing this interview, everything is for this band.  We live for this shit.

What do you guys have planned for the future?

We are just going to keep doing what we are doing.  Working hard, staying busy, kicking ass and taking names.  You can see us on tour this June in North America with Pestilence, Warbringer, Vital Remains and Enfold Darkness and our new album is coming together very nicely right now as well. So everyone can expect a release date later this year for that!

How about the songs what specific themes do they cover?

We only have one rule when it comes to picking a theme for lyrics in this band.  It has to be real.  I feel that our music expresses itself the best when we write about things that really happen to us.  When you see us on stage and we’re all pissed off and I’m singing about going to jail or kicking someone’s ass or drinking booze, you know it’s real and people relate to that.  I didn’t want to be just another generic metal band singing about murder, hate, and death, whatever.  So this has been the best way for us to separate ourselves from all that.

Is SACRIFICIAL SLAUGHTER in writing mode for your follow-up to “Spontaneous Suicide”?

Full blown writing mode.  We already started tracking some of the new material and I can tell you that it already kicks Spontaneous in the ass.  I’m proud of what we accomplished with Spontaneous Suicide but the material we are working on right now takes it to another level.  It’s going to be unlike anything we have done before and we are really excited to see what everybody thinks.

What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?

The first thing we do would definitely be finding a toilet.  After a long bus or van ride, everyone needs to shit. Then of course we’ll find the food and the beer.  If the food sucks then maybe I’ll walk around town and find something else. But other than that it’s pretty much all business.  I’ll figure out where I’m going to set up merch that night and get to work.

Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?

We have done 2 full tours of Europe the past couple years and we have had a lot of people creep us out maybe even once a night.  People come up to you when you get off stage and they want to touch you and kiss you, which is a sign of respect in some cultures. So I try to explain to them that in my culture that kind of shit gets your ass beat. But then we have a language barrier so they keep getting way to close to you and the whole thing kind of gives me the willies.

When it comes to your merchandise what would you say is the “best seller”.

Well everything sells eventually.  But I guess if you want a number, I would have to say that the “Spontaneous Suicide” CD has sold the most units so far.  But our shirts sell really well too.  The cd is cheaper though.  Maybe that’s why.

If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?

Nothing.

Who was the one that came up with the logo design for SACRIFICIAL SLAUGHTER?

I had several ideas on how I wanted the bands logo to look.  I wanted something brutal but legible.  Just like our music, I didn’t want it to be so crazy brutal that you couldn’t understand it.  So I had a logo created that represented us well.  Its metal as fuck but it’s not so over the top that it becomes a joke.  Thanks to Lou Rusconi for drawing it!

Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?

See you all on the road!

http://www.myspace.com/championsofmetal

By Natalie Perez at Natalie’s World

As most bands tend to do they all deal and have to face in one time or another if not several times deal with line-up changes, label switch offs, the basic drama of what it’s like to be a musician. It’s not always fun and games and this game could not be better played than by Fallen Figure. An act that has infused their portrayal of death metal is and enforced such an amount of energy it’s uncanny of where all of this intensity will all lead up. One thing is for certain it did all lead up to one source, known as “Devival”.

This one forsaken resource of material that has banished all its meaning  from the ground up has been revived to unleash such terror and hatred upon us there is no telling as to where it will all end up in the future. Fallen Figure took the time to talk to me after their set about the past, present, and future outcome of what is to become.

From what I heard off your MySpace I’m really digging the tunes.

Thank you so much!

How long did it take you to write/record the new record?

The record was recorded in 2008 we were waiting on releasing it but it took about 6-7 months to write and we were in the studio for about 10 days with Zac Oren, up in Oakland but in the long run it turned out great and it was a lot of fun to make.

Who does what when it comes down to the writing process?

Jonathan and I would create some riffs and then patch it out with our drummer and then flush it all out and then write out the lyrics and try to master it as best as we could before entering the studio. Surprisingly enough we didn’t practice any of it so we just went in and got through it all and it turned out great. Nick and Carlos had joined the band way later but when it’s all said and done the rest is history.

Are there any musical influences that contributed to the music of making this album?

Hmmmm at the time we were probably listening to The Fallen, The Faceless, Beneath the Massacre, just anything that was metal and very straight forward.

Tell me about the album what does Devival mean?

You said the name right, pretty much it’s a word we made-up it’s basically the opposite of revival and the rebirth of evil. We made up this character and his name is “The Keeper” he was born in the womb of the earth from all of humanity and all of that cruelty that is hidden inside of us. The Keeper is our path to that reality. When it comes to the album itself we were just sitting on it for the longest time and even changed the album title at one time but then switched it back and it has a darker vibe to it that we all really liked.

Have you guys filmed any videos for the album?

We actually have one video that we filmed in 2008 we had different members we all looked totally different. “Wake Up” was filmed by a Los Angeles Film School student and then another video we had filmed was a live video and Josh Bordon another college student had just blown our minds. We were really surprised and it turned out amazing.

How have the handful of shows that you’ve played been going?

It’s just been totally amazing all around. The vibe we get from each other is awesome and all the fans that come out and stick it out till the very end to see us play because sometimes we’re the headliners at some shows and we don’t think we’re really a headlining type of band not yet. But that just feels awesome we respect our fans without them we wouldn’t be here. We have some new material that we’re stoked about and we’re going to have way more shows that we’re just working on and just plan on getting better and better.

Do you have any crazy tour stories you’d like to share?

Our bass player likes to walk around in his boxers. Two tours ago we got busted at the border of Arizona and we had a bunch of weed on us in the car and the dogs  were just tearing our van apart and it took them so long to find it that the dogs just went nuts. That was an epic tale.

There’s another tour which was our first tour and we had a van fight with Upon a Burning Body so somehow we were having band wars and they got us really good. We had gotten some tuna and seafood and had gotten all of it and threw it all onto their van.  But they had gotten us back and trashed our van because they had snuck inside and put anchovies in our van so it smelled awful. We got a lot of stories that need to be told.

What songs do you get the best audience respond to and which ones do you like to play the most?

We all have different feelings and opinions to various songs. We like to play “Sactum” a lot because the crowd is interacts instantly by headbanging just the energy from it is amazing. “Origins of Decay” is another one they’re all pretty good songs really.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Our album is available on iTunes, Amazon, Reverbnation, you can also check us out on lastfm. Basically everything about us as of now is all “NEW”, new members, new material, and new merchandise that you can get your hands on, on our next touring route happening very soon so keep a look-out for us because we’re going to be coming for you. Also we just want to say thanks to all of our fans and that we love you all very much, everything that you do for us keeps us going so keep coming out to our shows and we’ll be seeing you all very soon.

http://www.myspace.com/fallenfigure

By Natalie Perez at Natalie’s World

Buckcherry have done it again MUSICALLY that is…with the release of their fifth album in just over fifteen years entitled “All Night Long“. By building up a solid ground of material Buckcherry have managed to successfully return to their past creations “15” and self-titled release that were released a while back. “All Night Long“, is filled with nothing but what the band are known to do best, sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, and a lot more cowbell to bring it all home.

The album begins with the title track that pretty much returns to the past era that once was “15“, it’s nothing but an old fashion groovy in-depth reality check. Whereas “It’s a Party”, becomes a block party sensation that keeps the music rolling right along, “These Things”, tones it down just a tad keeping the music at a steady beat thanks to guitarist Keith Nelson. Now as for front man Josh Todd he makes what Buckcherry is and always will be, with the respect of course to the rest of the band, Josh’s abilities is what has built the band from the ground up and he’s easily capable of covering just about any given style of song attics known to mankind.

With this said, some captivating tunes includes “Liberty”, “Our World”, and “Bliss”. Now if you’re not an everyday type of rocker then perhaps you prefer the softer material such as the ballads that are offered as a special bonus disc only available through Best Buy I’m afraid but Buckcherry manages to still bring it all home when it’s all said and done.

("Tibetan Sand Mandala" by Mary Mueller)

The central theme of « In Our Space » is the idea of building, of perhaps finding or reaching, a space where one is free to simply be themselves and do as they feel they should.

At the personal level, this corresponds to finding true purpose and staying in alignment with it, remaining centered at all times in that ideal sacred space, or pure land.

Originally, the scope was limited to that level only, and the word space was referring to an individual’s mind space, as reflected by the working title « Innerspace. »

While working on the composition in early December 2008, an electoral campaign was coming to a close here in the province of Québec. Whenever we go through one of those, the unavoidable question of independence from the rest of Canada is raised, and discussions abound as to whether it is the best way forward for our nation. That process had its influence on my reflections while I was working on the lyrics at the time, and since then I am pondering the relevancy of widening the scope to include the societal perspective. Perhaps that same principle which applies to persons also applies to nations, and in order to thrive, they have to first find, or perhaps define, their own space.

The piece comprises two sections, « The Purpose Of Our Being, » and « A Space Where We Can Be. » The former, which is the object of the present post, employs a fairly standard song form and shows influences of a song on Shadow Gallery's « Carved in Stone » album (« Don’t Ever Cry Just Remember » if my memory serves me right).

The lyrics are currently at the « still-messy-and-not-quite-clear-actually » stage, so I’ll just post the last verse, which shouldn’t change much :

Imagining a world
Where people don’t have chains
Where minds are sound and love unbound
And matter isn’t king

And you and I are free
To reach what we will see
To be the only thing we need
A space where we can be