After finding a review posted at Metal Digest (the link was posted at the Facebook profile of Billy Nocera of Razorback Records and Evilspeak magazine) I was inspired to listen to this album and see what I thought of it.
Adam McCann of Metal Digest described Vaultwraith as taking a flamethrower to the template of underground/old school metal to blacken the edges. I see his point while listening to the band firsthand, and would also describe them as dousing the template in napalm and allowing it to settle for a time, so it’s exposed, inflamed and a little bloody.
If Witchery, Nifelheim and Deatwitch (along with Deceased and Toxic Holocaust) are commonly on your playlist, “Decomposing Spells” is something pulsing with horror, theatrics and a fondness for its craft. Unapologetically old school and brutal, unconcerned with toning anything down or pursuing anything in vogue, Vaultwraith is a blackened heavy metal band through and through.
The band has made impressions of channeling the music they matured with since their first demo in 2016 and their debut full length “Death Is Proof of Satan's Power” in 2017. “Decomposing Spells” epitomizes their adamancy at writing and recording to come across as raw, animated, explosive and in your face, it adds just enough harmony, keyboards and atmosphere to etch its own mark.
The cover art suggests a typical aprroach to dark power metal, but once you hear the songs you’ll perceive something far more profound. With lyrics reeking of occultic horror fantasy spewed by vocalist Esteban Walpurgis like a despoiler of vital life force from the most bottomless perdition, or Nosferatu awakened from his coffin, the band companionably escort you to crumbling, creaking manor dwellings, then lock you insife to observe the unsanctified occurrences within.
In the world Vaultwraith constructs there’s little light and more than enough mystery to compel your curiosity to stay. They also have a personalized process integrating heaviness, tunefulness, resonance, trepidation and alarm into a style that transforms their roots into something to distinguish as their own. “Decomposing Spells” is a seamless example of playing what you feel and spawning something honest and unspoiled. Support the band and their label; it's deserved. –Dave Wolff
Interview with Scott Rowe of Redrumed by Dave Wolff
Redrumed has existed for a long time and boasts a massive track record. Tell the readers about your biggest accomplishments to date and how much publicity the band is getting?
Redrumed started as my solo band, coming off my Alice Cooper tribute which I retired after thirty years. The band played our first gig with Scott Rowe (vocals) on November 10, 2018 at Chopper John's. Last year I decided we should be a band, being that Matthew Taylor (drums, vocals) and Rob Erwin (bass, vocals) have been with me for four years, and Anthony “Doc” Tarantino (lead guitar, vocals) for three, and the name is easier to say. This past year or so, we've been recording with Tommy Gibbons at KMS Studios and he really helped us achieve our sound and be the band we wanted to be! Tommy was definitely a game changer for us! Our biggest accomplishment.... now we’ll just see what the future brings us.
Which songs by Alice Cooper were you covering in the tribute band you had before Redrumed? How often did this band play out while you were together?
My Alice Cooper tribute show is a legacy here in Arizona. It lasted from October 1990 to October 2020. I've been called the valley's founding father of copycat rock by Get Out Magazine in 2000. I retired it on its thirtieth Anniversary. I worked with Michael Bruce who wrote and played in the original Alice Cooper band. He was everything to me in the beginning, but that's another story. There are too many songs to list.
Your bio mentions when you started working with Redrumed, you wanted to avoid cover bands and play original music. When did you decide this and for what reasons?
Too many people want to be somebody else nowadays. On one end of the spectrum, I'm sorry for creating the tribute band scene here in Arizona. After doing someone's music for thirty years on and off, it gets old, I mean really old. You have to be on the road constantly to make a living. Where does that get you in the end? Not a damn thing! I didn’t want to fall into that! On the other end of the spectrum, I had a great run; it was a lot of fun! Besides getting to work with Michael Bruce, I was hired by Alice Cooper himself a few times, and played his restaurant many times. I got to do gigs bands only wished they could do. But if I wanted to do anything serious in music, I had to drop the Alice Cooper tribute, period! Run as far as I could! I always loved the dark side of music! I even created my own character with makeup, Silver*Tongue*Devil* which I got rid of over two years ago! No makeup at all now, we want to be more like Pantera!
What was it like to work directly with Alice Cooper and perform at his restaurant? To your knowledge, is it true that he feeds the homeless each year, around Thanksgiving or Christmas?
At Alice Cooper's opening back in December 1998 they needed a bass player. Alice Cooper, Neil Smith and Michael Bruce were going to do a reunion, and I said I had my bass player from my Alice Cooper tribute band and I could do an opening set. It was a really good night. I did some other shows including the Glen Buxton memorial. I remember in October 1999 we played on the same bill with the original Alice Cooper band.
Actually Alice still opens his restaurant before Christmas. He has all the kids from the orphanage come down and has cartoons on TV screens. I got to help serve food with Alice through friends. I talked to one about what a mentor Alice was. That was back in 2003, I think.
Redrumed’s bio states you started playing heavy rock and moved towards playing metal. You describe yourselves as “unapologetic melodic death life metal”. Describe your transition from rock to metal and explain what the term means to the band.
In the beginning we wanted to be the band we are now, but it took time. A mere hard rock band wanting to be a semi death metal band. Death/life metal came to me recently to describe our music. We covered Slayer’s “Dead Skin Mask” to help us in the early years, along with The Damned’s “New Rose”, which we still do here and there. Also Megadeth’s “Symphony of Destruction” and Amon Amarth's “Pursuit of Vikings”. We basically combined metal with death metal and some punk and there you have it! You'll hear our influences, but we don't sound like anybody!
What bands has Tommy Gibbons of KMS Studios worked with before working with Redrumed, and how has his experience brought out the band’s qualities? Do you generally find his ideas compatible with yours?
We have each song recorded one by one. We now have nine songs and are recording the tenth on November 26, then our album will be finished. Tommy Gibbons was in Flaw and Tantric, then he decided to step away and produce bands. He is our Bob Ezrin and he knows metal.
What methods has Gibbons used to help the band develop their sound? What equipment does he have at his disposal?
We don't do anything really special. We just go in a hundred per cent and lay down our tracks in four to five hours, and Tommy does the rest. This will be our first album ever. We have eight songs out now, but no one will hear the other two, “In the Key of Me” and “Mortified Mortification”, till the album comes out.
You have also gained exposure by playing with L.A Guns and Soulfly. In what way did you obtain these opening slots and what was the size of the venues where you performed?
We opened for a few national bands at The Marquee Theatre here in Phoenix, with Scott Rowe and Redrum. It was five years ago when we played with L.A. Guns. And coming up on four years when we opened for Soulfly in January 2020. It was Doc's first gig, and debut of “The Boogie Man Will Get You”. From there we started to slowly morph into what we are now!
In what ways do you expect the album to be an improvement for the band?
Our music is maturing as we go. Our first three years together was my old material with my previous band “Twelve Inch Tacks” which fell apart. When Doc entered the picture, that's when it changed. This past year and a half working with Tommy Gibbons was the icing on the cake!
You mentioned that Tommy Gibbons sang on "Pursuit of Vikings" and his performance left an impression on you. Can you discuss the time when he asked to offer the band support that way?
It was just once for me. I just wanted to be a performer so Tommy Gibbons said he wanted to do a little back up on “Pursuit of Vikings”. He did a great job of producing and I can't wait for everybody to hear it.
Who in the band is the lyric writer, and by what process are the lyrics written?
I write the lyrics… they just come to me out of nowhere. Sometimes I find myself with a pen and I can't stop writing. I started on a song about being a vampire, and all of sudden out of left field I wrote entirely different song lyrics and had it halfway done. A few days later, the band was messing around and there it was! By the week after I had the lyrics finished. It's called “Death on Borrowed Time”. It's about the Grim Reaper taking time out to find true love, and no one can die until he does! Musically, it has a Ministry “feel”. We'll be debuting it at Too Broke for Pudding #8 on December 8.
Name some of the singles you released to preview the album before its release, and indicate in general how the response to them has been?
We just released “Shelter Skelter” which has been getting a positive response! It’s the first song I sing out of the gate after the instrumental intro! “The Boogie Man will Get You!” seems to be a staple in our set. It’s very entertaining to perform live! I just adore “Black Sunday Domination” for which I wrote the lyrics off the 1960 Italian horror movie “Black Sunday”. The second part of the song is an ode to Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Abbott [Pantera], and dedicated to our backup singer Rickie Broeker who passed away early last January.
What is the storyline of “Black Sunday” and what aspects of it did you wish to convey in “Black Sunday Domination”? You mentioned that storytelling plays an important role in your lyrics. What techniques do you use to convey a story?
I was watching the movie and the lyrics basically wrote themselves. I love the second part of Pantera's “Domination” and for some reason it slid its way in. It's also dedicated to Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Abbott, and Rickie Broker. We had Selene Shiloh come in and recreated her vocals for the track.
Selene Shiloh designed the artwork for the album. Tell the readers how you arranged for her to design for you. What arrangements did you make for her to sing backup on "Black Sunday Domination"?
Selene is the singer of Trixie & The Ego Machine. She took the word "redrum" and added the crooked –ed to redesign it. She recreated Rickie Broeker's vocal on “Black Sunday Domination” and did a few shows with us as our back singer/muse.
Your song “Exacerbated” is about Dorothy Kilgallen, the New York journalist who investigated John F. Kennedy’s assassination and mysteriously turned up dead. What intrigued you about her story and the conspiracy theories, if any, surrounding Kennedy’s death?
I stumbled upon Dorothy Kilgallen by accident. One Youtube video from Mark Shaw is really intriguing; I listened more and more to what he had to say as he talked about his books. I did some more research and found an article with the word ‘exacerbated’ in it. I figured it meant her death was brought on by alcohol and meds, like Marilyn Monroe. I actually started writing that song a few years ago when I used to work for Office Depot. I was just kind of sitting there and the lyrics started popping my head. I started writing it down right then and there. We first recorded it under Scott Rowe and Redrum, our first ever time working with Tommy Gibbons. I read a comment on Youtube asking why isn't "Exacerbated" on Metal Mainstream Radio?
How did you come to partner with SelfMadeRecordsLLC for publicity and promotion? Since you began contacting the label, how have they treated the band?
I do believe our name come across their desk with “Shelter Skelter”. When they heard “Pursuit of Vikings” he asked us if we wanted to sign.
SelfMadeRecordsLLC will distribute your album through Earache Digital Distribution when it is released by SelfMadeRecordsLLC. What is the expected extent of the band's fan base expansion?
As far as the release, hopefully it will have the Quiet Riot effect on the world. I've been telling that to my boys the last few months. Last night's gig, the soundman played Quiet Riot’s “Cum on Feel the Noize”, their cover of Slade, right before we went on. I was thinking the same thing Ken Howey said, “Maybe it's an omen.” The soundman had no clue.
Are there any additional plans for the band to make a name for themselves, anything you would like to tell your listeners?
On December 19 we are having a special listening party in honor of my late wife Ronda on the second anniversary of her passing.
With Garrett Wang, Aeon Cruz, Heath C. Heine, Amanda Rhodes, Heidi Rowan, Greg Farinelli, Cali June, Dalena Nguyen
Produced by ETK Entertainment and The Gam3
Distributed by Uncork'd Entertainment
Released September 13, 2019 (KaPow Intergalactic Film Festival)
At the height of a very boring day I decided to watch a movie. As per usual I made my way to Tubi, and although I was feeling like something cheesy I wasn’t aiming for horror. After a brief search I made my way to “Monster Force Zero”, a low budget “sci-fi hero comedy” (that is the only way I can describe it).
First and foremost I will throw it out there that this was listed as PG, but it actually had loads of adult humor and cursing and stuff. Secondly, this was actually pretty damn rad! There were dinosaurs, aliens, super heroes, robots, and a slew of other things that can be described as “up my alley”! No, the script wasn’t uber professional and the acting was amateurish at best, but in the long run it was filmed pretty well! I find it hard to find movies that draw me in (the same as books) but this for sure is something I would watch again with friends!
I’d go into further detail but I feel as if a better way to consume the story would be to watch the movie yourself. If you have any interest in “well done” B- grade humorous stuff I’d say give it a go. I was never one for the more mainstream super hero movies, but this had loads to keep me entertained—and I’d make a stab that you might find it to be something that entertains as well! -Devin J. Meaney
NothingNew’s album "In This Together" had lots of metal hardcore undertones in their music this is a pure metal band with a mix of genre and elements in their musical abilities in all of their songs. Each song takes you on a different path leading to so many different levels of emotions in every song; it was very unique. Some songs had a very old school death doom vibe, in some of the beginnings of their songs, and from there just got heavier. The singing reminds me of early Crowbar. If you have a unique tastebud this band is for you. –Gene Olivarri
Format: Digital, jewel box CD (limited to 500 copies)
Label: Satanath Records (Georgia). Co-released with Australis Records (Chile), Pluton's Rising Productions (Poland), The End Of Time Records (Ireland)
Release date: June 30, 2023
Serpens Lvx is insanely impressive with this album. I was very taken back by the sound of the tone. The quality the writing of the songs was amazing. Serpens Lvx is indeed a Black/Death torturing machine from the very depths of hell. The sound produced by this band is breathtaking such epicness with every song throughout the album. The ideas of the drum beats were something to my ears, a new and very different approach. The bass as well was sharp as a demon's blade soaring through the music. The guitars were so amazingly done; lots of unique riffing and timings. The tone of the guitars was completely different and tasteful. –Gene Olivarri
Lineup:
Tzinacan: Vocals, lyrics
Vorronah: All instruments
Track list:
1. Raping the 7 Mothers ov Kaoz (Point of Ingress)
2. Tzinakankamazotz (Aztec Vampyrism)
3. I Am the Adversary (Impii Irreligiosi Carnivoribus Immortalibus)
4. Gnosis Cipactli Tiamat
5. Salve la muerte!
6. Anticosmic Eroticism (Sexual Black Light Magick)
7. Formulation of Qayin
8. Stabbing the Eye of the Sun
9. Set-Typhon in Apep (Quetzalcoatl Decapitated)
10. Dehexecrated Graveyard of Galaxies
11. Tlazolteotl Mantra (Point of Egress) (Instrumental)
I have found that a great way to find fresh new music is by typing “[genre] 2023” into the search bar of YouTube! The problem with this now is that I seem to have listened to most of what is available! So obviously, my next step was to type “gorenoise 2022” into the search bar to see what I could find from that sub-genre from the previous year!
Drawn in by the cover, I was brought to a split between Vomit Bath and Bulbous Ulcer! Vomit Bath is a pretty nifty little goregrind spew, and the last song “Daddy Never Understood (cover)” was pretty amusing to say the least. Bulbous Ulcer is some pretty headache inducing gorenoise, but with that said it was an intriguing listen! Oh! And hey! Vomit Bath is Canadian! It is always good to hear some DIY gore from my part of the globe!
Overall this was not the best split I have ever heard, but it was indeed enjoyable. Once again, the cover is sincerely rad, and I do hope to hear more from these guys (both projects). Overall, Vomit Bath is my favorite of the two! -Devin J. Meaney
Track list:
1. VxBx - Open Wound Gluttony
2. VxBx - Bring Forth The Chunks
3. VxBx - Impeccable Sliming
4. VxBx - Scab Flow Rodeo
5. VxBx - Daddy Never Understood (Deluxx Folk Implosion cover)
This Dark Moon falls in Scorpio, so this elemental water sign's energy is expected to be prominent in our lives. Scorpio aligns with intimacy, sexuality, assets, control, power, money, sharing, and investments, things to think about as we take our inner journey.
Dark Moons can open a cosmic door that had been previously closed to us, depending on the ability to work through our own insecurities. It is important to strike a balance between what we give and receive, so practice self-care, find your center, and be aware of your emotions and surroundings. Even if you feel provoked, practice mindfulness and be compassionate to yourself and others. This is a thing I, personally, must constantly work on.
Scorpio energies favor working on our self-mastery skills. So, as we take time to go inside, maybe pinpoint those things that make us feel out of control, such as addictions and debts, and work on freeing ourselves of these emotional burdens.
This Dark Moon cycle is also opportune for exploring what is missing in our lives that leads us to engage in these self-destructive behaviors. This can be an opportunity to rid ourselves of junk in our live, both material and spiritual. With this potent Scorpio energy, we have the chance to make important changes in our lives.
Each sign’s energies can teach us valuable things if we are open to learning, and one of Scorpio’s lessons involves learning to dig deeper into the mysteries around us. Taking the time to understand others’ motives can enrich our feelings of intimacy, forgiveness, and meaning. My tendency has always been to react with, “How dare you do that to me!”, instead of trying to understand why, so this is where I have to work harder.
We might want to use this cycle to focus on and develop one special project or relationship to help add purposefulness and depth to our lives.
It can also be a time to seek ways to release our fear of confrontations and heavy emotional situations. I’ve learned that, although they may be uncomfortable, these situations can lead us toward psychological healing and much needed change.
I hope we all can take the energies of Scorpio and apply them to our personal needs and be ready for new beginnings energy of tomorrow’s New Moon.
I listened to a handful of bands today, but I have chosen to only review one. “Consecratus Ad Mortem” by Frost is the release I have chosen, and as my desire to type is only minimal today I will keep my review brief.
This is black metal of the melodic variety. The band hails from Hungary, and after listening I can state that this was actually quite the splendid blast of eerie and atmospheric blackness! As per usual with the BM that I like, the production and musicianship is very cold, and with a band name like “Frost” I’d say that makes a ton of sense. The vocals are great, and so are the drums, and along with the melodics and heaviness there are also lighter instrumental tones included!
This was uploaded to YouTube for free by the Black Metal Promotion account and features nine tracks in under 50 minutes. If you have interest you can also check the band out on Facebook, Bandcamp and the Metal Archives! If you wish to purchase a physical copy of this album (always a great thing, as it supports both the band and the label) you can snag a copy from Metal Or Die Records!
Lastly, even though I kept the review brief I can state that this is some of the better BM I’ve heard recently. Check it out! -Devin J. Meaney
This is the first I heard from Moonlight Lily since their single and video “Masquerade” from 2021. When the band contacted me letting me know about the October premiere of “The Hollow” I figured I’d watch the lyric video.
I remember the former song was a mixture of goth metal, alt rock, groove and emo metal composed by musicians from a background as diverse as the influences they brought into it. It was also heavily emotionally driven, especially when it came to devotion, with mesmerizing poetics based in fantasy and reality. This is as much a part of their sound in “The Hollow”, which tones down the dark qualities I heard before and drives the vocals toward more melodic turf, but keeps the heavy, hypnotic and transcendental metaphysics I became familiar with before.
There are more keyboards than I remember, and they broaden those distinguishing qualities with atmosphere and ambience that enshrouds you in the universe created through the band’s writing. This transformation feels not only like something that hasn’t quite expired, but is growing and adapting to the corporeal with the passage of time. This feeling is made even more immersive with the lyrics, “Old gods changing names/old devils wearing new faces/shake them from the slumber/let us trade places/I don’t hurt when I fall/I don’t feel sorry/stitching back the pieces/stealing back my glory”.
The transformation captured in the lyrics and expressed through the instruments feels like a magical metamorphosis from a dead caterpillar to a living butterfly. The graphics made for the video, which appear to be AI generated but I could be wrong, help push this idea further. They’re really striking and give the impression of something hiding in the deep dark forest finally awaiting its moment of rebirth as the surrounding grayness starts to regain color and texture. The instant the sun returns, you see solitude give way to companionship and a feeling the dead forest is home again.
It’s a profound statement for a video that you have to witness firsthand to absorb the effect it means to have on you. –Dave Wolff
In the wee hours of the morning my good friend Seagull (aka Bum Bum the Clown) sent me some tunes! I listened to part of the first track presented, but as I was on my way to bed I told him that I would listen to it in full when I wasn’t getting ready for snoozeville. The album he sent me was “Exogalactic” by Xoth! As I sit typing this I am doing exactly as I said I would do, and (obviously) I figured I would give it a review to boot! Here goes…
After listening to the first few tracks, the first thing I noticed is that it is really hard to pin point what genre to define this as. While searching the YouTube bio for clues as to what strain of metal these guys consider themselves, I noticed it stated right within the bio that Xoth “eludes catergorization”—and honestly I’ve never heard a deeper truth told. Mixing death, black and thrash along with atmospheric, symphonic and experimental elements it is plain to see (and hear) that Xoth are in a league all of their own!
The musicianship is quite fantastic to say the very least. The guitars are both chugging and intricate, with heavy rhythms and vibrant solo work. The vocals are harsh, unique and sporadically diverse, not to mention that the percussion is “more than just” tight and elegantly (yet forcefully) forward driving and pin-perfect. Everything else is pretty damn good too, and when everything is mixed together it makes for a listen that absolutely drips with talent and obvious effort!
It states in the bio that Xoth have existed since 2014. I did indeed hear of them, but I never really listened to them, or at least my memory did not retain that data. I’m sure I would remember it though, as this is something worth storing within my sometimes overloaded memory bank!
Taken from YouTube: “In partnership with Dawnbreed Records, their third triumph "Exogalactic" is an ambitious leap forward. It’s as if they've excavated musical relics from Earth's core and melded them with sounds from the far reaches of the universe. Each song is an event horizon, stirring subgenres into a timewarp of past and future sonic chaos.”
I think the bio sums it up well, so lastly, I will trim my word vomit and utter one simple suggestion:
“Check out this amazing friggin’ album!” -Devin J. Meaney
