Full Length Review: Psycroptic "The Pulse of Annihilation" (Metal Blade) by Dave Wolff

Band: Psycroptic

Country: Tasmania

Genre: Technical death metal

Full length: The Pulse of Annihilation

Format: Digipak CD, digital, World Ablaze vinyl (Tiger’s Eye) (US), Sleepy Hollow vinyl (Radioactive Dust) (US), 180g Black vinyl (EU – Ltd. 500), Barren Waste vinyl (Swamp Green Gold Melt) (EU – Ltd. 250), Fires Of Time vinyl (Gold Black Splatter) (EU – Ltd. 250)

Label: Metal Blade

Release date: July 17, 2026

Psycroptic’s debut on Metal Blade marks the culmination of over two and a half decades of dedicated effort to develop precise, complex and structured musicianship. They have consistently pushed themselves to craft intricate song structures, never lapsing when it was time to take another step forward. This fierce work ethic extends beyond the studio into their live performances, where they showcase meticulous craftsmanship with a commanding presence. The energy they bring to the stage is palpable on “The Pulse of Annihilation,” which exemplifies their technical prowess and evolving approach to songwriting, arranging songs like architecture.

Since their independently released debut “The Isle of Disenchantment” from 2001, speed and technicality have always been central to their sound, with a steadfast determination to explore different approaches to these qualities and reinvent their manifestation. This pursuit sometimes led to polarized reactions from death metal fans, especially regarding their early releases. On Encyclopedia Metallum, for example, their albums were either highly praised (even amidst some mixed reactions) or mercilessly slammed, with the band described as mediocre and overrated.

Keeping in mind the responses of listeners who understood and appreciated the band’s drive to evolve and utilize the characteristics of extreme music, I’ve begun to see in “Pulse” their tendency to think fourth-dimensionally as a death metal band. I’m not here to label people as having narrow-minded tastes if the band doesn’t speak to them, nor do I believe death metal is basic or incapable of growth. But beyond their resilience and staying power, Psycroptic has come to realize that speed isn’t always about tempo, nor technicality solely about riff writing. Many death metal bands, including those that incorporate thrash, prog, and groove, tend to come in hitting hard and make their transitions between genres obvious. Others prefer to blur those boundaries, presenting genre differences as subtle nuances. The subtler, the better.

Psycroptic falls into the latter category, refining their nuances as much as they refine their brutal and technical elements. Pacing and timing are as crucial to the band as their awareness of when to pull back or push forward. They carefully choose bass frequencies to enhance or diminish impact and utilize space to build tension in songs designed to intensify and overwhelm. While a steady, relentless percussion anchors the sound, dual vocals, guttural and sharp, add nuanced interplay that reflect the undulating moods created through perception and grace. During moments without blast beats, guitar riffs feature well-placed notes that feel natural rather than shoehorned in.

Songs like “A Sword of Me” and “Our Pillars Fall” open with acoustic guitar intros layered with other instruments to create smooth, organic transitions into the full arrangement. “Gathering A Venomous Herd,” the album’s first video single, is described by bassist Todd Stern as a “knuckle dragger” where the band can relax on its tempo. Drummer Dave Haley describes it as a tricky wrist splitter and nonstop riff fest. The three and a half minute Robert Brens-directed video trades a bare bones portrait of the band performing the song with surreal imagery apparently added to enhance what it was written about. “The Pulse of Annihilation” doesn’t come out for a couple of weeks so this video will give you the introduction you need. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Jason Peppiatt: Vocals

Jason Keyser: Vocals

Joe Haley: Guitars

Todd Stern: Bass

David Haley: Drums

Track list:

1. Ashes Of A New Dawn

2. Gathering A Venomous Herd

3. A Sword Of Me

4. No Time For The Weak

5. Our Pillars Fall

6. Annihilation Pulse

7. No Blade Of Grass

8. To Embrace This Curse

9. Forging The Crown

EP Review: Haggus "The Mincecore Manifesto" (Tankcrimes) by Dave Wolff

Band: Haggus

Location: Oakland, California

Country: USA

Genre: Anarcho punk, goregrind

EP: The Mincecore Manifesto

Format: Vinyl, cassette, digital

Label: Tankcrimes

Release date: June 26, 2026

If punk is resisting fascism, corporate greed, and media misdirection—and has always been—then Haggus’s “The Mincecore Manifesto” exemplifies punk. Setting aside conspiracy theories and crackpottery, the more fascism, corporate greed, and media misdirection emerge, the more people feel compelled to speak out.

As in the late sixties, when proto-punk began with David Peel, yippie culture, and addressed civil rights, political violence, war, and Cold War issues, it’s become a matter of ‘us vs. them’ again. Originating in Oakland, California, where hip hop has long been prominent, Haggus has released an extensive series of demos, EPs, albums, and splits over the past twelve years since they decided to air their grievances.

The band channels images of gore and sickness through grind with ideological anarcho-punk leanings. Anarchism has been a recurring theme in punk since Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols began writing lyrics. What Malcolm McLaren sensationalized was adopted by Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, who collaborated with Ice-T and inspired bands for years. Incorporating this with music started by Repulsion, Impetigo and Carcass, Haggus developed a style they’ve maintained until today.

Sharing a social and political consciousness with bands like Agathocles, Extreme Noise Terror, Terrorizer, and of course Napalm Death, Haggus writes songs that demand to be heard and to make their point. Like these bands and grassroots punk scenes across America, they perform with the tumultuous, nonrural vibe that signifies the roots of anarcho-punk and grind. The issues addressed by those bands remain vital to Haggus.

Their lyrics may appear to be lashing out and projecting anger, but they seem intended to reflect the collective frustration of a lifestyle that’s had to fight against being suppressed. They’re not angry at the world for its own sake or faking crude behavior to appear cool; rather, they confront issues of universal concern. And they do so with greater urgency, energy, hostility, and violent fervor, escalating their streetwise anarcho-punk and goregrind to furious heights. In their view, there’s no room left for indecision or walking the line, and no time to remain silent or complacent.

Haggus delivers lyrical content with the potential to match the impact of Napalm Death and Body Count, advocating self-reliance, self-awareness, and independent thought with renewed intensity. They likewise warn against trusting everything on TV or in the media. As founding member Hambone states, “The billionaires and oligarchs will use everything in their power to keep you too distracted, overwhelmed, and exhausted to notice we are headed for a global fascist state… Do not let them fool you.” As punk (and grind to a lesser extent) has transformed the world in some ways, it’s encouraging to see bands like Haggus stay relevant on their own terms. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Hambone: Strinx ‘n’ spew

Mr. Brisket: Stranx ‘n’ splat

Kankle Hog: Putrid pan man

Chum Bucket: Oral support

Wiener Herzog: Dabs ‘n’ doinx

Track list:

1. Decease The Police

2. Fucked Up Future

3. Welcome To The Mincecore Jungle

4. Ain’t Life Grand?

5. Tyranny And Cruelty

6. Mincecore Provocateur

7. Mincecore Gratitude

8. Head Infection

Full Length Review: Thætas "The Irredeemable Age" (Profound Lore Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Thætas

Location: Manhattan, New York

Country: USA

Genre: Death metal

Full length: The Irredeemable Age

Format: LP, CD, digital

Label: Profound Lore Records

Release date: June 26, 2026

Part slam, part experimental, part avant-garde, New York’s Thætas follow their 2020 debut “Shrines to Absurdity” with an even more innovative and unpredictable release, “The Irredeemable Age.” They abandon the lo-fi sound of their debut, exploring a direction that defies expectations for a death metal band, with more twists and turns than before.

This isn’t an album prone to repetition, mimicking other bands’ songwriting, rehashing the same ideas, or even sticking to a single method within a track. Instead, their songwriting involves numerous curves and arcs that evolve from what came moments earlier. You must pay close attention or risk missing pivotal changes, leaving you bewildered about where the songs are headed. If you follow Thætas through this album, you may find their explorations not only clever but memorable.

What most convincingly demonstrates the band’s effort to break with traditional death metal methods is that, despite the diverse songwriting and direction, a consistent tone unifies each track. This clarity makes it evident that these disparities are deliberate, purposeful choices. The band isn’t just making random or unnecessary changes; the sudden structural shifts and unorthodox guitar hooks aren’t distractions but rather order emerging from chaos. Everything contributes to a new way of writing and arranging death metal, drawing some slight comparisons to experimental edges explored by Akercocke, Anaal Nathrakh, and Behemoth when they turned toward black/death metal.

Where other bands might tread the waters carefully, Thætas dive headfirst into their deviations, going as deep as possible to see what lies beneath. Dropping the lo-fi production of their last album resulted in a cleaner, less raw sound, polished just enough to make the transitions more well-defined. The only hint of misdirection occurs after the start of “DHUKHA.” Its opening resembles typical death metal, but soon the song shifts into off-kilter territory with time changes, strange effects, and a dreamy guitar atmosphere. Bizarre off-beats and dissonant, scaled riffs then kick in. By the end, it's clear how far this is from a standard death metal track, and the strangeness only increases afterward.

Most notably, the band selectively alters song directions, introducing new elements such as atmospheric vocals with echo and reverb. These effects gradually appear in the guitars as well, enriching the overall texture with increasing nuances. Enough nuances to leave you excited about how much they may expand on what they've created here in the future. When an album leaves you with that feeling, it usually means they've done a more than competent job. I'm confident that upon its release, it will evoke those same feelings in many listeners. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Cory Peterson: Vocals, bass

Terrell Grannum: Guitar

Patrick Hawkins: Guitar

Nick Crifo: Drums

Track list:

1. DHUKHA

2. Summer Of Hate

3. The End Of History

4. For The Hope Devoid

5. The Irredeemable Age

6. Stretched Paradox

7. Daytime Lantern

8. Pillars Of Fault

9. Digital Locusts

Single/Video Review: Alex Hirsch "We’re All Alone Together" (Independent) by Dave Wolff

Artist: Alex Hirsch

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Country: USA

Genre: Prog rock, experimental

Single/video: We’re All Alone Together

Format: Digital

Label: Independent

Release date: June 28, 2024

Alex Hirsch is an independent, self-promoting guitarist and musician who creates and shares videos on his Youtube channel. Having composed and recorded original music since the 1980s and 90s, he was the vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist for the San Francisco indie/progressive rock band Imprasia alongside Gully Weiss, Peter Rochelle, and John Krug. Their 1993 album “Seedless” remains available for streaming and purchase across various platforms.

Rooted in prog principles, the blend of prog, classic rock, jazz fusion, funk, reggae and some pop created a self-contained album and a catalyst for future opportunities to create fusion, demonstrating how different pieces to a puzzle can unite where they fit. Hirsch’s solo work is as unpredictable as his work with Imprasia, as he explores new methods and concepts like a painter approaching a canvas with colors artists don’t typically use.

Experience, professionalism, technical skill, and theory knowledge in his compositions are deepened through sentiment and receptivity, enhancing breadth and depth. His Youtube channel features innovative interpretations of Avril Lavigne, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, and pop artists like Katy Perry. The work he put into composing “We’re All Alone Together” demonstrates the same synergy, balancing pop-based acoustic guitars, ambient keyboards, rap-likened beats and melodic vocals.

This two-minute track, borrowing footage from the Godfrey Reggio-directed non-narrative film “Koyaanisqatsi,” features a lyrical passage meant to capture a brief moment in time, as if reminding us of our fleeting sense of connection and our state of isolation from each other as humans. Setting it to “Koyaanisqatsi” is an interesting move as its stock footage visually represents everyday life in contemporary urban society.

The rapid movement of people through city streets mirrors the lyrics, emphasizing how little we truly know each other and highlights the world as a microcosm of our own lives. Perhaps the intention is to inspire us to recognize our differences as we pass one another by, learning to agree to disagree without taking it personally or stuffing people into boxes because of differing viewpoints. In that context, the line "maybe we're going somewhere and maybe not; doesn't really matter anyway" doesn't promise a better future or warn of impending cataclysm. It's only a reminder that people are people at the end of the day. –Dave Wolff

Full Length Review: The Mon "Live at Kadoc" (Supernatural Cat) by Dave Wolff

Project: The Mon

Country: Italy

Genre: Ambient, experimental

Full length: Live at Kadoc

Format: Digital

Label: Supernatural Cat

Release date: June 15, 2026

Urlo, vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist of the Italian stoner/doom/psychedelic band Ufomammut, has been developing his side project, The Mon, since the late 10s. During his first European tour promoting his recent albums "Songs of Embrace" and "Songs of Abandon," he appeared at Leuven, Belgium’s Chapel of Our Lady of Fever last April to record "Live at Kadoc." The chapel, formerly a monastery and pilgrimage site built between 1641 and 1705, was sold to the University of London in 1987 and houses a religious cultural archive. Urlo describes his appearance at one of the most aesthetically striking places he ever saw as deeply meaningful.

Recorded by Stefano Tocci of Italy’s The Grid Europe studios, "Live at Kadoc" marks a starting point for a project he couldn’t guess would lead to. He recalls that night as the moment The Mon began to take shape, a moment of clarity about how to transcend a recording studio, find its voice, and express that voice before an audience. He realized evolution for his project meant releasing his vision on an appropriate stage to embody it. The chapel as historical archive and performance space transformed The Mon into something pulsating with sentience, deepening the listening experience of "Live at Kadoc."

The chapel's acoustics and atmosphere transformed the songs into architectural soundscapes with the venue itself becoming an integral part of the show, visually reflecting the ambiance conveyed through the music. The promotional video for "Incantation" offers a glimpse of this audial-visual experience, neither purely performance nor performance art, but a moment in time and space where music, art, and location merge into an independent, distinct being. The energy generated through music and visuals in a semi-darkened performance space, with an audience standing in enraptured attention, assumes a kind of surreal quality all its own.

With an archaic looking guitar and an equally archaic looking amplifier generating a grimy, sludgy sound reeking of hypnotism, Urlo commands a mass application of all minds present, and the guests in attendance themselves seem to become part of the show. It’s almost as if he is the minister and the audience the assembly. All the while a montage of images, having an impression of being projected on to a movie screen, shift in unhurried succession, coalescing with the sounds from the guitar and amplifier as electronic, ambient and folkish sounds emerge seemingly from out of nowhere to build something hallowed and obscene, immersive and isolated, imposing and vulnerable.

This six minute video is only part of the performance, and from the full release you feel you feel you were born in the place created by Urlo and you’re going to live there through eternity. This is why he doesn’t seem to need high tech equipment to create his world, his universe, and his creation transcends perceived limitations as much as the equipment he had to work with in the studio. I’m eager to see where this surge of momentum takes The Mon next. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Urlo: All instruments

Track list:

1. Smiling Dog

2. Major Arcana

3. Incantation

4. The Hidden Ghost

5. Hourglass

6. The Manure Of Our Remains

7. Mayhem

8. A Pearlescent Pulse Of Light

9. Ritual Of Night Violence

10. Embers Of Calendula

11. Echoes Of The Drowned

Interview with Elenyx Naae by Daniel Ryan

Interview with Elenyx Naae by Daniel Ryan

What is your name & what do you do?

My name is Elenyx Naae, and I am a composer, musician and artist from Norway.

I work with music in various genres, but my main band is NÅE which is a project I founded many years ago, it is a dark art project with influences from horror, black/doometal.

The band has been less active the last years due to personal reasons, but are aiming to release new material this year.

How long have you been making music for?

I have been composing since 1992 or so, I went to music school as a kid learning the clarinet and guitar, also studied music theory.

I think I’ve always made some music, at least when I played the classic guitar as younger, even though it’s not published.

What is your favorite instrument to play on?

My favourite instrument would be my own voice. I like playing both piano and guitar, but find the greatest joy in using my vocals for both soundscapes, and singing. I am currently in music school for training my voice to be able to perform better.

What acts have you played with before if any?

The most known act is NÅE. I was a member of a Victorian era inspired doometal project called Combath, as well as a doometal project called Agone, the last one I have not released anything from, but thinking of release a track of previous work in time.

I worked as a movie composer for the American series «The Grimoire Chapters»

Besides that I have a project called Belou, which is a goth inspired dance/electronica project.

I must add that the only project I work on these days are NÅE.

If you had to lay out all the bands in order you played in as a timeline what would they be?

That would be NÅE, Combath, Agone, then Belou. I cannot set these projects in a timeline by year, as they are all entangled into each other and are still existing somewhat.

What is the coolest experience you have had as a musician?

For me that would be to see the response I got on the first NÅE album, as well as the joy of creating.

I feel especially to compose for NÅE can be quite challenging at times.

It’s very personal and I have to embrace much dark feelings, solitude and sometimes almost depression tl be able to channel what I want, so to finish a track is for me actually a victory.

What inspires you to keep doing what you do?

My soul and my heart, as I create in many ways, and sometimes I just HAVE to make music, it’s kinda an inner thing that won’t let me rest until I do.

If you had to name some influences what would they be?

I think that’s difficult, I cannot really name anyone.

I’ve always loved music, in general!

I grew up listening to anything from classical to metal, as well as electronica...

I think my strongest influence must be art, dark art... horror movies and nature, not really a specific band or person.

What is your favorite venue you been in or played in?

I’m not the most outgoing person, but I will have to say it must have been when I saw Sunn O)))) live, I think it was at John Dee. The venue is not so big so it was really atmospheric and intense.

How has the reception been for NAE so far?

It’s been really good, NÅE is not for everyone I must add, it’s an art project, and the reception has been great!

I also appreciate that my music has been used in art galleries around the world, that is really awesome.

To sum up this interview which website can we find your latest music and any shout outs to anyone for the readers of Asphyxium zine?

Thanx to everyone reading this interview, and for all the support I have been given over the years.

I think it’s awesome to see that the first album is still requested even though it’s been some years.

Hopefully I can slip into a dark place soon and create sinister soundscapes.

You can find NÅE on several channels, here are the official Facebook, where links to the new YouTube channel amongst others.

NÅE

Thank you cheers! - Daniel

Thank you - Elenyx Naae

-Daniel Ryan

Full Length Review: Forsmán "Brenndar Rústir & Fuðrandi Fjörur" (Vesperian, Metal Blade) by Dave Wolff

Band: Forsmán

Location: Kópavogur

Country: Iceland

Genre: Black metal

Full length: Brenndar Rústir & Fuðrandi Fjörur

Format: Digipak CD, LP

(see Bandcamp link for more information)

Label: Vesperian, Metal Blade

Release date: June 26, 2026

Forsmán’s debut full-length album, following their 2021 debut EP "Dönsum í logans ljóma," is deeply rooted in Icelandic black metal’s inspirational spirit of the last ten years. "Brenndar Rústir & Fuðrandi Fjörur" radiates uncommon synergy of complex songwriting and driven musicianship, driven by a resolute purpose that can freeze your spine and cast extreme disquietude into your psyche. The inexhaustible animation impart mingles rawness with sophistication, combustible dexterity with cold dissonance, maturity with atavism toward a primal state, yielding an uneasy harmony between flame and frost fittingly characterized by Paolo Girardi’s cover art.

Forsmán continues to draw from the occultic mystique inherent in Nordic black metal. It doesn’t take long after you start listening to realize the band approaches their vision, and their contributions to Norse black metal, with reverence and seriousness. From their EP to this album, their goal to be heard outside their home country is clear. Their ambition for worldwide recognition is evident, their strategy rooted in carving their distinct identity within the minds of listeners and affirming their dedication to Icelandic metal as it has been changing for the times and resurrecting ancient spirits since the 2010s and earlier.

From what I’ve been reading about Icelandic bands, a lot of them liken Norse mythology and Satanism with chaos, chaos magic and transcendence in one form or another. This is likely a means to channel their ceremonial explorations of dense, severe intricacy into the public consciousness across the globe. The lyrical content and the music it’s set to reeks of an ability to instill fundamental mortal terror into genre fans, and Forsmán take this to dynamic levels surpassing bands that make impressions on blast and tremolo picking alone. Besides existing in an enigmatic state and coming across downright scary, this album is also musically innovative.

Bands from Iceland I heard about; Misþyrming, Sinmara, Svartidauði and Auðn; I hear are shrouded in mystery, for all the impressions they’ve made on black metal. The mystery surrounding those bands also obscures the conceptual themes of "Brenndar Rústir & Fuðrandi Fjörur." This ambiguousness helps conceive a kinesthesia of precarious uncertainty, making you feel you’re on the precipice of a void as unfathomable and turbulent as the tracks here. If you go over, is it really by your own free will or is there no choice? As Nicholas St. John stated when writing “The Addiction”. “There’s a difference between jumping and being pushed.”

The note and chord arrangements blasting through the hefty production are executed with preparation, patience and professionalism carrying the band’s passion to overpoweringly radical extremes. There are moments when some sections of the tracks recall Mayhem and Voivod; recollections I often get from bands that maximize the quality of their musicianship. Still, Forsmán takes their material in directions not explored by Norwegian, Swedish or British bands. They unearth a contained universe arising from the natural environment and cultural history of their country, revealing just enough to let you know how much wickedness is brewing.

Since there is impenetrability between the listener and their lyrics and concept, Forsmán furnish their complex musicianship with a visual attitude. This approach conveys a sense of mass devastation and disorder, taken to feverish fury and havoc. Uninhibuted and hot-blooded, it implies great chaos but each instrument and the vocals, alternating between rough and manic, communicate a unity that does a fine job establishing a unity between violence, momentum and complexity. Applying this technique to the album, the band make it relatable to fans of extreme music anywhere, without diminishing the tumultuous malice they seek to impress upon you. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

V.: Bass, vocals

H.: Guitar

O.: Guitar, vocals

M.: Drums

Track list:

1. Drottinn fyrirgefur allt

2. Svartir svanir

3. Andvana

4. Valdnidsla

5. Kynjamyndir

6. Lof mér líf þitt að taka

7. Hrae hins almattuga

8. Barmafylltar fjoldagrafir

Single/Video Review: Divine Silence "Godless" (Independent) by Dave Wolff

Band: Divine Silence

Location: New York

Country: USA

Genre: Gothic doom metal

Single/Video: Godless

Label: Independent

Release date: June 7, 2026

Long before they shed a certain amount of light into those dark corners, and showed natural lyrical growth in their latest single, “Godless,” the New York-based gothic doom metal band Divine Silence drank from much darker, more bottomless waters. During a time when death, black, and doom metal were expanding in scope but had not yet broken into the mainstream, bands had the freedom to gaze deeply into the abyss, waiting for what they might find looking back, or what they might find within themselves. In most cases, what they sought was already present; they embraced the darkness within harboring no fear of what lurked in those shadows.

In the 1990s, Divine Silence was a local band that periodically released demos, circulating them through zines and tape trading networks. They followed this with a few professional CDs before parting ways in 2010. Afterward, founding member Chris Molinari worked with local bands Evoken and Grey Skies Fallen. Those bands expanded into funeral doom, death metal, melodic death, and prog metal, writing bleak lyrics of despair, fear, and nihilism, paving the way for Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Sirenia and the like. Divine Silence kept it relatively simple, deepening the chasm they explored, intensifying nothingness with themes of mortality and cheerless desolation.

Age and constantly changing paradigms in metal have influenced these themes, particularly mortality, shifting them toward a moment in time and space near the end of one’s journey. The years between their last release and the premiers of their new video allowed for a huge expansion of their darkened sound. Not necessarily brighter, but grander, featuring a greater range of textures. Rich in atmosphere, sorrowful assonance and cinematic sentiment, “Godless” tells the story of a man (presumably of high authority by the animation, and yes I believe it’s computer generated) who, having rejected faith throughout his life, is confronted with what comes after life expires.

For me, the story raises questions about faith and the unknown. Does it refer to faith in God, religion, or faith in general? The arcane symbolism in the video represents a kind of turning point between disbelief and fear, conviction and skepticism, and an underlying doubt as to whether his rejection of faith was the right choice. What did he have faith in, and why was it rejected?

These questions resonate through the different sections of the track and their method of delivery, prompting reflection on your own life choices and what led you to them. “Godless” is intended to appear on the band’s upcoming album, which they are currently working on. Unless this album is part of a larger narrative, there may not be much more to find in terms of specific meaning. But if that’s the case, perhaps the point is for listeners to seek their own answers and define their own path from here. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Josh Chalmers: Drums, guitars, vocals

John Vivolo: Guitars, bass, keyboards, backing vocals

Interview with Efthimis Karadimas of NIGHTFALL by Daniel Ryan

Interview with Efthimis Karadimas of NIGHTFALL by Daniel Ryan

What’s your name and what do you do?

My name is Efthimis Karadimas and I am the founder and front man of the band Nightfall, from Athens, Greece.

What was the writing process like for you & your band mates on the latest album, Children of Eve?

The process is like that, I am working on the concept of the album and the songs, and then I record everything like a demo sort of thing, to present it to the band. Next stage is all together going through everything, working on details, solos and stuff like that.

Fans of Nightfall were really concerned about the accident you were in not too long ago. Tell me what is your horse’s name and describe to me what happened? Do you still ride horses today?

I have a wonderful mare named Carmen Lou. Yes, I do ride a lot and I’m happy I am doing so after that accident. It was a period where her back legs had some sort of inflammation and I decide to ride another horse, that I didn’t know; like humans these animals have their fears and concerns the rider ought to know and treat accordingly. Apparently, that one was so much scared of anything mechanical and when we crossed ways with the club's tractor and there was some touch there, he went nuts and jumped on the spot above it. I got bucked off violently and got landed on hard soil. I am so grateful I am alive and well.

I watched the video for Semana Tragica a few nights ago and was really impressed! Do you have the lyrics for it & what album is it on?

Amazing song, thank you for noticing it. It's about getting rejected by someone you love very much. A small tragedy. You can see the lyrics here: https://genius.com/Nightfall-semana-tragica-lyrics

As for the videos for Ishtar Celebrate your Beauty, As Your God is Failing Once Again, Traders of Anathema (Judas Iscariot) and With Outlandish Desire To Disobey, what did it feel like recording in both studios? Also how long was the videos process?

Videos are cool to watch but a pain in the ass to produce. Apparently it is not how you feel but how it looks. You just stay there and follow directions until the job is done. Not my favorite kind of thing I must admit.

Also what is it like traveling for you in all these different countries?

That's awesome. Frankly speaking, it is not the places we visit but the people we meet. This is the best part of the business coz you get to talk to very interesting people, exchanging ideas and everything. I love that. It also has helped me to become more open, friendlier and increase my communication skills.

What was it like being at Hellfest?

Absolutely awesome. I cannot describe the feeling on stage. The crowd was massive and everything and everyone behind have been ultra pro. This fest is number one for a reason.

If there is something in your personal life that you can recall is the main source of your depression what would it be? Also how is the Metal Against Depression going with YOU being the spokesperson for it?

I guess the problem's roots go as deep as the first years of my life in a family where, for some reason I don’t know it did not give me the love and security required. What matters now is to explain people, and particularly young ones how bad it is to keep it silent and not seeking professional help to overcome it. With MaD I am trying to convince people to open up, get in good terms with the situation they are experiencing and share a word or two in a reel where we then can upload and share with the world. Small things, yet difficult. Most people I know are scared to open up.

What do you find all your albums to consist of so they all fall in balance in order of your discography? Each one has its own purpose it seems. A riveting and special one throughout to me at least.

That's true. Back in the early days there were people who thought we were trying to find our style, hence the many changes. But the big picture to me was clear since day one; to create a discography that it well reflect our art as a journey of a man and his companions through phases. I love the fact we have reached that point now and people get enthusiastic about previous works of the band. The element of surprise is a very important factor in art.

If you have any last words for the readers of Asphyxium zine we would definitely appreciate it!

Thank you very much for your time and effort my friend. Spread the good word and stay true. My greetings to the beautiful NY!

Contact us at the.epic.nightfall@gmail.com

-Daniel Ryan

Nightfall official website

Metal Music Against Depression Instagram

Full Length Review: Kallohonka "Lazer Blood" (Memory Terminal Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Kallohonka

Location: Dallas, Texas

Country: USA

Genre: Slug metal

Full Length: Lazer Blood

Format: CD, vinyl, digital

Label: Memory Terminal Records

Release date: March 13, 2026

The first question I thought of while researching Kallohonka is: do we really need another subgenre title in 2026? The industry already has so many labels, and categories keep multiplying; some of them change over time. For the most part the answer depends on how a band can grow into something different but relatable, (instinctively or by a deliberate process) and how their style can be accurately described. Granted there are many bands that broadened their boundaries and found ways to make their evolution work. Still, what’s most important is for a band’s openness to speak for itself.

Rather than being over descriptive, Kallohonka simply chose “slug metal” to describe themselves. It’s certainly different; something from left field, not what people would expect a band’s sound to be known as. So what should we expect from a term like “slug metal”? While metal plays a small but significant part in how the band present themselves on this debut album, Decibel magazine compared them to Butthole Surfers, presumably for the disjointed instability they were known for. But Kallohonka push that disjointed instability much further with gratuitous psychedelia and stoner rock influence.

To get a handle on how they wanted their debut "Lazer Blood" to sound, bassist James Magruder co-produced it with Matt Pence, a producer and drummer known for his work with Centro-matic, South San Gabriel, and Will Johnson. Before co-producing at Argyle, Texas's Echo Lab, Pence's experience was mostly in country and indie rock. I imagine it was a big leap to a band as unpredictably experimental as Kallohonka. A collaborative effort with someone who helped write the material was vital to bring out its foundation in punk, its biting edge, and its singular wall of sound, among other things.

Over musicianship that slices like a dulled razor, the band’s psychedelic qualities launch prevailing impressions of anxiety, unease and distress leading to lunacy. Vocalist Anna Carson is somewhere between the late great Wendy O. Williams and an escapee from a lunatic asylum, as she howls and shrieks through the songs until her throat is raw like a psycho chick whose would-be boyfriend didn’t feel the same way. Through the sections rooted in metal-edged punk and those giving psychedelic rock a manic edge, her vocals are up front whenever they appear, elevating the sounds behind them.

“Lazer Blood” is accompanied by a brief bio piece on the Bandcamp page of the band’s label. Going by that, the psychedelic sections overlapping their songwriting represent a series of experiments with hallucinogenic drugs administered by secret government and religious groups, possibly in preparation for a major celestial event for reasons unknown. The tight, tense quality of the guitars, bass and drums, along with the agonized, harmonized shrieks and screams, convey the detrimental effects these experiments had on their minds and the resulting regression to a primal animal state as their brains were irreparably damaged.

Alec Rabb’s percussion punches through the sharp, prominent bass, hard edged guitars a dank, soulless keyboard sound underscoring the psychedelic keys, together with horns creating an ambiance that’s somehow off center and chaotic but still consistent. “Psychic Surgery” does the most convincing job putting across the mental state of the subjects involved in the hallucinogenic experiments, if they’re meant to be part of the story described above. Shot at bizarre angles and presenting a state of hallucinogenic influence, the video for the song presents the perspective Kallohonka wants you to picture "Lazer Blood." –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Amie Carson: Vocals

James Magruder: Bass, howls, auxiliary whatever

Jason Mullins: Guitars

Alec Rabb: Drums

Dennis Gonzalez: Horns

Sarah Ruth Alexander: Vocals

Jenni Raab: Screams

Track list:

1. Experimenting with the Dead

2. Robotically Birthed

3. DMT

4. Simulated Experience

5. Heaven's Gate

6. Psychic Surgery

7. Leeches

8. Onward to Death