ASPHYXIUM ZINE

Monday, February 26, 2024

Interview with The D.O.O.D. by Dave Wolff


Interview with Brian (Monkeyboy) of The Distinguished Order of Disobedience (The D.O.O.D.) by Dave Wolff

Recently you began streaming a new single and another single. Can you tell the readers how you expect the singles to live up to the reputation the band built since they formed in 2004?
“Chaos for the Fly” is much longer than our usual material but it is also a bit heavier and there isn’t a moment in the song where it feels like a long song. “Subterfuge” which came out on Feb 14th is also a bit heavier than our last album but it just hits hard and fast. We tend to blend sub-genres in the heavy metal genre- and to be honest none of us keep up on the sub-genre thing- our fans are used to our albums having different feels to them. In the end they all sound like The D.O.O.D., but we have little desire to do the same thing twice. I think both of these songs will hold up strong against our previous material and we all feel very confident that we will make our fans happy and gain some new fans.

How does the band's name make you stand out, and what was the inspiration?
The name stands for The Distinguished Order Of Disobedience. It became The D.O.O.D. because that’s hard to spell that whole thing out when people are looking for us. The D.O.O.D. started to stick with people and many think it has something to do with “The Big Lebowski”, which it doesn’t. The Distinguished Order of Disobedience is a medal that was given in Belgium for winning a battle by disobeying a direct order- and also for refusing to help with the German war efforts.

How does the band differentiate from other bands? Did you intend to develop an exclusive and diversified sound from the outset?
We have always had a unique sound that is ours- it really is a blend of influences from the band members who all love metal- punk and rock and other genres, but all of us have different tastes and feels we like. So in the end when a song gets written, whether we all write it together or one person comes up with the original idea, everyone will add their take on it- and in the end it sounds just like us- a combination that wouldn’t happen with any other circumstances. We concentrate on writing songs the fans want to hear, but again they have to get through us as a band first and the writing isn’t over until it’s a song we would like to listen to. All of this is to say on an album there may be the feel of many different genres all blended together unlike a band who goes in trying to achieve a certain sound we achieve a certain sound just by not limiting ourselves to any one certain sound. I think from the beginning of the band the collaboration in the writing process has always been there so it lends itself to the end result which always sounds like us, and live we try and make our shows a little more animated and theatrical, because in the end we want our fans to have a great time at a show- they pay their hard earned money and we don’t ever want to disappoint.

Indicate the genres that the members of the band listen to most often, and explain how you usually combine them.
I am not limited by genre- I listen to multiple genres from death metal to pop music- but I am a metal head at heart, and I love Industrial metal as well. Ray likes some of the more traditional metal to listen to on a regular basis, but he likes nu metal, progressive metal, and death metal as well. Rudy I believe, is a punk rocker at heart but he loves thrash and all kinds of metal as well as old school classic rock stuff- he’s a bit of an encyclopedia of music. Jonzey, I think is another one of us who will listen to just about anything that sounds good and is written well regardless of genre, I would say she leans a little more towards Nu Metal but she keeps an open mind and listens to a variety of different genres. Indy seems to really love anything progressive, death metal, Viking metal, neoclassical metal etc. In the end we combine these genres by writing together, Ray has a great sensibility as to classic and heavy riffage, Jonzey can spot a musical hook a mile away, Indy comes up with these complicated riffs that when combined with what ray does really goes a long way to forming our sound. I a lot of times use little tricks I’ve heard in say a blues or a pop song or some 1960’s groove rock when coming up with lyrics, hooks and melodies to guide as an aid, plus the industrial feel also show up in the music quite often on an album, anything to make it interesting and at least have parts of the song go maybe where you didn’t expect, all without alienating our fans or audience by being over the heads of the average listener.

To date, how much material has been released by the band? How did you develop the sound you were looking for by experimenting with different feels on each release?
Including the album that first came out with a bit of a different lineup- we have put out five albums- “When Push Comes To Fight”, “Playtime In the Apocalypse”, “Beautiful Ride”, “Buttercup”, “Firefly”. Plus a reissue single of “Infected by Faith”, and a Cover of King Diamond’s “No Presents for Christmas”. That is excluding the new stuff “Chaos for the Fly” and “Subterfuge” which will be included on our sixth full length album that should be out in June which doesn’t have a name as of now. Each album usually starts with ideas for one or two songs and they always lead down a similar path for the album naturally- with “Firefly” we had a slightly more industrial feel to the songs and we had some help from producer Matt Laplant to really put out our most polished sounding effort. On that one we actually tried several different ideas for most of the songs- trying them played in different ways, and in the end it just turned out perfect. This new album is a call back to just heavy metal we grew up with mixed in with a modern sound, we are very excited to show it to the world.

Does your objective of creating the sound you desire extend to independent mixing, mastering, and production of your material? Would you prefer to produce your own music or work with professionals and explain where your music is headed?
We usually will record all of the songs that will (potentially) be on the album. Then we will go through and see if there is any other instrumentation or production work that needs to be there. At that point we will go into a larger studio knowing what we want and how to get the desired results. This current album we have had the pleasure of having the legendary Jim Morris from Morrisound Studios behind the recording desk. The advantage of that is we get to pick his brain as far as anything else we may have missed that might help bring the music to life a bit more. We have worked with producers in the past, we worked with Matt Laplant (Sevendust, Nonpoint etc) on the “Firefly” album and he had a very different approach to the way the music was created and recorded. It was a wonderful experience and all of us love the way the album came out. I prefer to self-produce wherever possible, but even then we always appreciate some outside input, because when you become close to a project it becomes your baby, and your baby can do no wrong, but a good friend will tell you that it’s not cool that your baby is screaming in the grocery store unchecked if you get my meaning. I really do prefer having at the very least someone else doing the recording that doesn’t have the same biases as we do when it comes to our own music.

How much did your experiences working with Jim Morris and Matt Laplant help the band with writing and composing from those times onward?
Working with Matt Laplant on our last album “Firefly” was a great experience for all of us, (hopefully for him as well) but I think it really taught us during the writing process to take a look at what was written and try to see alternatives that may work better or be a more impactful piece of the songs. He’s a meticulous guy, and it was really good to kind of pick things apart and put them back together again, it made the songs shine a bit more. We currently have done only two songs with Jim Morris at the board. We are not working with Matt this time around, and we have taken that focus from “Firefly” and really are scrutinizing the songs for this album. Jim is a guy who is amazing and seasoned and knows what he is doing, and while he may make a suggestion or two what we have really learned from working with him is to trust in our instincts and also what makes it easier for him to do his job to the best of his abilities. Jim is not producing this project, we are, but his years of working with others and experimenting and finding out what works or what has worked in past experiences, makes the task of coming up with the end result on our end a lot more comfortable and natural feeling.

Did you intend your latest singles to differ from past material or did it happen naturally?
I think there is always a natural progression towards having things change from what has already been done. I believe we all have the intention to just write a good song, no matter what but the inner feeling of not just following the formulaic writing styles we become comfortable with is always there. And hey if one song sounds like it belonged on say our “Buttercup” album that’s fine, but there is an unspoken natural progression to avoid becoming redundant.

In general, do you see bands taking underground metal in new directions, or are most of the bands you have heard doing the same thing?
The bands that I encounter seem to usually try to go in a different direction or find some sort of new take on an old favorite style which is always good. There are always a handful of acts I run across that are incredibly talented and write great songs but they are not taking any risks or trying anything that sounds different from what is mainstream norm- if you can call any of it mainstream really. I usually chalk that up to two things, the first is they think if it works for (insert popular metal band) then we have a better chance of being heard, and the second is very simple- it’s what they like. Both are legitimate reasons although I personally believe if you are playing music you have to love what you do if you want to have a chance at getting anyone else to like it. I think the world works very differently these days and the way people find music isn’t as organic- there are algorithms that are telling you as a listener what you might like if you like this band or that- and a lot of time the new directions aren’t as easily found but rest assured, they will be. Personally just love to see people doing what they feel is creative.

Do you think it would be better to view those algorithms you described as suggestions and still rely on whether a band speaks to you personally?
I absolutely think so. I am sure that is what they were made for initially. But there is nothing like the excitement for a music lover to “find” a new band and really fall in love with the music- or what the lyrics have to say to you, or just the overall feel. There is certain magic to it, people used to go to record stores and look at album covers and see if they spoke to them, and sometimes they would buy things unheard based on that, or based on the one song. Sometimes that would go horribly awry but when it didn’t, it was this feeling that was beyond just finding a new piece of music, and it was like meeting a new friend… I will stop waxing nostalgic. Algorithms are cool and they certainly may turn people on to similar music and that is great. I just encourage people to step outside that box sometimes and go on treasure hunts. Talk to friends and see what they are into. Or even better go out to your local venue and see a show, whether it’s a big show or a little one, you can really find some awesome things being done that suit you.

Describe the lyrics and subject matter of your singles, and how personal their meaning is.
I’d like to think we try to approach some topics in a way that will help people to rethink a narrow-minded way of thinking. In “Chaos For the Fly”, the whole idea what’s normal for the spider is chaos for the fly plays a bit with a power shift, what happens when the fly becomes the spider and the spider becomes the fly. To me it’s a fun thought that kind of reminds me of when the hero wins the day, or when the person who has been terrorized in a horror movie turns the tables and almost becomes more horrible than the villain. Lyrically if we speak of government or organized religion or current topics, it is never from the standpoint of ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’. When we were young, the best music always encouraged us to question authority and not take anything simply on face value. It’s more the thought that whatever you believe, make sure, if it’s important to you, to question it. If the questions you ask cause problems, then something may just be wrong. With “Subterfuge”, to me it was obvious that we have all sorts of problems between the governments and the media and the things that go on beyond the public eye. It’s an encouragement to remind these very powerful and important outlets that without the people, they would have no purpose. The idea of true justice is something that comes up often in lyrics I write. Not being a political creature in the usual sense, I will never endorse any political party for any reason. The thought of people taking back power is very big for me.
Other times we like to use lyrics to tell stories, some are personal narratives, and some are based on things that were seen or heard that spark a narrative for the songs. I am also personally a huge horror movie fan and more often than not there will be an element of horror, or some sort of dark twist that shows up on the albums. All of our songs are personal to each one of us in different ways, but they all have the care and time put into them that we all feel.

What is the source of your incentive to question authority? In what ways have you developed your ideas through lyrics since the beginning?
My source for questioning authority definitely started from when I was a kid first learning about music. My mother taught me about Elvis Presley and I started looking at what he did. As of now you could definitely say it’s tame but at the time he was almost an outlaw. He heard stuff he liked and he did it, not really even knowing it was against the societal norms and bucked the systems of prejudice at the time. He was the most popular thing out there and people would put him down for his performance and he was just living his best life musically most of the time doing exactly what he felt. To me that was true freedom.
Then I heard The Doors on the radio and fell in love with the idea of poetry and fire in the lyrical performance. Jim Morrison didn’t think he had any kind of voice so he just tried to express himself. All of this lead to punk rock where the whole idea was to question authority and societal norms. That to me was rock and roll, to look at the hypocrisy of the world around you and ask why. How is this helping anyone but yourselves? As I got older I understood more about how things work but I saw more and more people just going along with the program and not even wondering at all why. In my opinion, if you take everything at face value, especially those driven by people who stand to gain financially and with the promise of more power to them, you’ve given up. I hope I still have that need to question things when I’m 90.

Is it possible for music, particularly underground music, to change the world for the better?
I think underground music and all music really has the power to get into people’s heads and that’s all it takes to spark a change in thinking. In the end it can change the world for the better, although it may be only planting seeds. Sometimes they grow into something beautiful that will add to the world for years to come, sometimes it just becomes a small flower that has a moment of beauty and gets run over with a lawn mower in spite of it. I think if underground music can do anything to change the world for the better it is inspiring. It doesn’t have to be through dissent or violence, it could be with dragons and love songs or songs about heartbreak. If someone out there loves it, it raises their spirits and allows them to feel more confident in what they do and how they do it. And to gather some other perspective on things is a bonus.

Is it generally the case that more people are beginning to listen to the lyrics written by bands, getting past the stereotypes associated with underground music? Or are stereotypes still a hindrance?
I think that people have always listened to lyrics, the problem is the interpretation, for me it’s half the fun to find out the interpretation of others of something that we wrote, but the way underground and metal music has been stereotyped in the past has solely been based on the way they are interpreted. I really believe that the world is in a much different place now for the stereotypes that used to be held, nowadays, the people with the weird closed-minded interpretations are working their way into the minority as mainstream America is well on its way to accepting a lot more in their entertainment. It’s no longer people in the government or the religious aspects of the world that are scaring people with the “scary hateful lyrics” that they never read into in the first place. I think most people hear something and like it enough to really listen to the music, they make the decision to support it and listen or just move on to something else that they do like or agree with. In a way the stereotypes were almost better because they drew more attention to the underground scene. Even negative press is still press.

Do podcasts and other videos on social media help spread information that is not found on the news as much as they help unsigned bands gain exposure?
Honestly, we discuss videos of ideas floating around about the world around us these days a lot more than we discuss the news. I think a lot of thinking people don’t trust a lot of what the news is reporting to be true fair, non-biased and honest, which was the basis of journalism to begin with, but the landscape is cluttered when it comes to getting information on news or the state of the world today. Some of it is very helpful and some of it is even worse information than you would get with the news outlets or from your politicians. The trick is, and I think our younger generations are becoming more adept at, and if they aren’t, they need to, discerning between what’s real and what propaganda is written for an agenda. As far as helping entertainers (musicians, artists, what have you) it is invaluable for spreading the word. And for music listeners and appreciators, it is a great time, because they get to know the artists in a more personal way than ever, and it gets them closer to the experience.

Is what’s happening in the news industry also happening in the entertainment industry as more people start their own channels where they review movies or make their own?
Sure, when it comes down to brass tacks though it’s better in the entertainment industry than the news to have opinions floating around untethered. Entertainment is subjective and so to be able to put out what ever art or opinions of art and potentially have an audience is great and helps move the attention of others towards something new or different, as well as giving an outlet to creators who may not have had an outlet previously. With news it would be best to get facts and not opinions but that ship has sailed, now it’s a situation where we have to choose which opinions may be facts a lot of the time and it is not advantageous in my opinion to the community at large. The upside: we may get more information about things the powers that be may not want us to have. With entertainment there aren’t as many gatekeepers telling us what to put out content wise, although it takes the individual artist(s) learning more about marketing themselves and promotions to get your product seen or heard. At least people have a chance they would not have had prior to the internet uprising.

Regarding the two above questions, what is the extent of creative control independent labels and unsigned bands will have over their distribution and songwriting in the future, respectively?
In the future technically they should have total control, realistically, they still have to follow the money at the end of the day unless we can come up with a better system of distribution than exists now. The problem here is that artists and creators and independent labels aren’t seeing the fruits of their labor. Everyone works hard at what they do and still it is only a small percentage of people who get paid and right now who that is depends on the people running the streaming services. There needs to be a better solution so that wat the people with talent can distribute their art and possibly get paid enough to keep creating, and as it stands now the circle of people seeing the end result of a paycheck is getting smaller. I have no solution for that, we make music and hopefully it gets to people and they like it as much as we do. The future can certainly be bright. And songwriting has way less gatekeepers stopping creative control, but distribution, although many kudos for the fact that you can widely distribute these days, is nothing when there is no longer product to buy. Most musicians don’t do this for the money, but all musicians run into the situation where we have to eat and support our families somehow, so the fact that services distributing music are getting paid and artists making music are not should change in the future. I hope that doesn’t come across as complaining. If I never make another dollar playing music I will still make and play music, but there are some issues there.

What is The D.O.O.D.'s plan for promoting constructive change on future releases?
First and foremost, we plan on making people feel some type of way. Love it or hate it you’re gonna remember it. If you don’t then we haven’t done our job. We really just want people to have a great time and live the best lives they can. Everybody deserves that. So, we want to entertain, and make people feel something, whether it has a deeper meaning or it’s a story written in song form. If there are any seeds to be planted, our plan will always continue to encourage people to think for themselves, don’t take what others say at face value, and also don’t automatically assume that they are lying either. Do research if something moves you or concerns you. Find out everything you can and formulate your own opinion. Most of all we like to spread the feeling of family, nobody makes it through life easily alone but together, no matter the problem or the odds, we stand a chance to live happy, and live with the strength that every one of us have.

Is the message you mentioned what you most want the band to be remembered for? What impact do you most want the band to have? Is this in line with the level of musical originality you wish to achieve?
If we could be remembered for that it would be wonderful. The only impact I want is for people to enjoy themselves when they listen to our music. If they can relate to a concept, a lyric an idea, that’s wonderful. If they just like the way the drums go boom boom that’s enough of an impact, but as long as we are around we will give them something to listen to and make it as well as we can. As far as originality- we will continue to push in whatever direction that we feel, and hopefully our fans will continue to feel as pleased by it as we are.


-Dave Wolff

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Flash Fiction: "Don’t Look!" by Devin J. Meaney


Don’t Look!
Flash fiction by Devin J. Meaney
(Based on sleep paralysis)

I was laying in bed and my limbs and neck were as frozen as the icicles hanging from the gutter by my front porch. I wanted to close my eyes, but they too were entirely stuck; fixed upon the shadows, so distant, yet so close.
I was surrounded by darkness and blackened smoke, Cheshire cat grins Lurking; dancing across my walls. Their glinting eyes like hellfire gems—pure chaos. At one point I did manage to close my eyes, but that only brought the evil grins closer still. Then came the crying from under my bed, like wailing pushing forth a dance of the damned. My eyes were open yet again. I sighed to myself amidst the blackness.
“Don’t look!”
The crying continued, like a baby in pain. I knew it was not a baby though—it just wanted me to look. I sighed to myself amidst the blackness yet again.
“Don’t look!”
Then, in a rush, I was dragged from my bed by mighty invisible hands. I may as well have been a corpse, and as I was dragged to my floor I murmured and stuttered in agony. The sorrow filled cries did not cease, but I could not bring myself to look beneath the bed.
As I thought my end was near I burst forward to alertness. I was awake now—and I made haste to turn on my reading lamp. The crying had stopped, but the message in my mind was all the same.
“Don’t look!”

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Full Length Review: Sundrifter "An Earlier Time" (Small Stone Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Sundrifter
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Country: USA
Genre: Desert rock
Full length: An Earlier Time
Format: Digital, CD, vinyl
Label: Small Stone Records
Release date: February 16, 2024
With the release of their third album "An Earlier Time", Sundrifter captures the feeling of reviving an ancient civilization that had some metaphysical connection to the stars that modern civilizations cannot comprehend.
The civilization that existed in the distant past was reduced to ashes by some unspoken apocalyptic event, but its essence remained, not quite forgotten by the descendants of the people who had lived there and preserved all it was over many centuries.
Featuring psychedelic post rock, early grunge and doom metal, this coalescence of sounds unifies the tribal and spiritual attributes of the civilization, venerating its gods in a similar manner as tribal cultures on this world that preserve their history through chronicled accounts and spoken tales.
With each chord progression, bass note, drum hit, and incorporeal vocalz, the band seems to celebrate this not-quite-forgotten culture whose knowledge was passed on to our tribal societies. In the manner of many thrash, death, and black metal bands, Sundrifter extend their musicianship far beyond their influences and previous recordings, conjuring prodigious songwriting and expansive soundscapes.
People whose tastes are variegated between Black Sabbath, St. Vitus, Hum, Soundgarden, Radiohead and Alice In Chains should find a great deal to immerse themselves in from "An Earlier Time" as each song is like its own contained universe with such massive feelings it’s hard to believe they’re created by three musicians. In this sense they're comparable to Jimi Hendrix Experience and Rush.
"Begin Again" is one of the tracks that most potently reflects a reawakening of something old and sacred as well as their galactic connection. It was released as an advance single, and vocalist/guitarist Craig Peura describes it as a representation of confronting one's failures and overcoming them. Bassist Paul Gaughran describes it as incorporating all the musical and non-musical influences that have contributed to "An Earlier Time" becoming a monumental representation of the direction on which Sundrifter intends to travel.
With this album, Sundrifter reaches farther reaches in the cosmos than you’d expect, and you’re given a high so natural and genuine that it is not even necessary to ingest any psychoactive substances to alter your state of mind. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:
Craig Peura: Vocals, guitar
Paul Gaughran: Bass
Patrick Queenan: Drums

Track list:
1. Limitless
2. Space Exploration
3. Nuclear Sacrifice
4. Prehistoric Liftoff
5. Begin Again
6. Want You Home
7. Final Chance
8. Last Transmission




Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Interview with Dr. Luna of Antania by Dave Wolff

Interview with Dr. Luna of Antania by Dave Wolff

When Antania formed from the remnants of Luna 13, how did you come to name yourselves after the goddess Hecate and devise the Slayer comparison?
I (Dr Luna) have been an avid devotee of the Dark Goddess since my late teens. I started invoking her while living in India. So the name Antania, a title of hers, seemed fitting. Our first publicist, Selena Fragassi titled my work in bass music as “the bass music scene’s Slayer”.

How did you become interested in invoking Hecate while you were in India, and what were the circumstances that led you to journey there in the first place?
I went to India directly after high school after being diagnosed with an enlarged heart. I heard about ayurveda and I believed it could help my health. I got invoked with Aghora's Kali worship and I felt so connected to it. I started going to India all the time and spent most of my time there practicing Ayurveda and worshiping Kali. Before my guru died, he asked me to westernize my Aghoric path so I shifted from Kali to Hecate.

Tell a little about New York's Temple of Hecate and how you got involved with them? What is the nature of your involvement with this group?
My day job is, I write books about the occult and have books out about Hecate. I have been working with dark paganism for years. I was initiated into the Temple of Hecate as a third degree high priest in 2022.

How long did you study the occult before you were initiated as a third degree high priest?
I have been heavily into the occult since high school. Music and the dark side of occult are my passion.

How many books have you published about Hecate to date, and how much research did you undertake while writing them? In addition to Hecate, what other subjects have you published your books on? Is there a website where people can learn a little about them?
Two books on Hecate. “Hecate: Death, Transition and Spiritual Mastery” and “Hecate II, The Awakening of Hydra”. “Hecate II” has a forward by Twin Peaks’ Sheryl Lee. I also have two books out about an ancient Astrology system used by Alexander the Great. Amazon is the best place to find them.

How extensive was your research on Alexander the Great's ancient Astrology system while you were writing about it?
Interesting to note that Indian professors seem to know a lot more about Hellenistic mysticism then the west. I was handed the book “The Javanataka” at in Indian library and translated the science of it out of sheer boredom, not knowing that had never been done before. My book “Asterian Astrology, The List System of Alexander the Great” has my translation in the front and the actual “Yavanajataka” in the back. Alexander the Great had a much bigger influence on the East then the West.

What was the length of time it took you to translate “The Javanataka”? How extensive was your research in compiling and writing “Asterian Astrology”?
It’s would have been a real challenge if I don’t have the education that I had with Vedic Astrology. I was well versed in Vedic and that made the translation pretty smooth.

Do you offer “Asterian Astrology” exclusively online or is it also available in print? Is it available for purchase online or in any local or major bookstores?
“Asterian Astrology” is available in print via Tara Press. It’s in most book stores.

What are some of the differences between the astrology represented in “Asterian Astrology” and contemporary astrology?
Contemporary or western astrology is a fluke. It’s 24 degrees off the constellations. The zodiac in the sky moves 1 degree every 72 years. Catholicism made observing the stars illegal 2000 years ago so the tropical astrology is stuck with alignments that no longer connect to the starts above. All ancients used Sidereal astrology.

There has been an availability of “Asterian Astrology” since 2010. What has been the response to the publication since it was released?
The publishing industry won’t allow Sidereal to succeed because Tropical makes 56 million dollars a year. Yet Asterian astrology has a huge underground following and is the chosen system of innumerable celebrities in Hollywood.

Who in Hollywood, that you are aware of, has adapted Asterian astrology as an alternative to more widely known systems?
Chelsea Handler, Rashida Jones, Drena Dinero, Meghan McCain, Regina Hall and Sheryl Lee are just a few. Several I cannot mention.

Do you have experience playing in bands before Antania? What genres did they cover and what was their level of activity locally? What point in your career did you realize you wanted to pursue a different path?
I was in the band Kill The Gods in high school and had some moderate success in that band as a bass player. I fell ill at the age of eighteen, ended up leaving music and moving to India to repair my health. I started playing synthesizers while living in India and started creating the sound of Bass Metal at that time. I saw “The Prodigy” perform in London and came up with the idea to do a black metal version of them and that solidified what I do now.

In what ways did you develop black/doom bass in order to stand out in the local/underground music industry? Could you tell the readers how Antania has grown since it was founded?
I knew from playing synthesizers that I could create one of the heaviest sounds out there. You have to see us live to feel how much power comes off this sound I created. Antania is one of the heaviest projects on Lucifer’s green earth. I love seeing faces when just two people walk on stage and Metalheads will be like “this can’t be that heavy because there are only two of them” and when the sound hits, mouths drop. Antania is a monster.

In order to achieve the sound you desired, how much experimentation did you undertake? Did Luna 13 have any impact on your experimenting?
Luna 13 is when I was able through trial and error create the sound of bass metal that I so desired. Almost as soon as I perfected it, Luna 13 was over. The final and most perfected vision was meant for Antania.

In order to achieve your desired sound, what equipment do you use? Was finding equipment that worked for you as important to your experimentation as trying out different sounds?
Yes! I use plug-ins over massive and so forth. Plug-ins are how I create this sound. I also purposely use older equipment to generate my desired sound. I use a Yamaha drum machine to create drums and a microbrute to create bass lines.

Tell the readers of how your collaboration with Erik Aircrag happened for your “Lividity” demo.
Luna 13 opened for Hocico twice and I came to really like Erk. Not only do I love the band Hocico, they were awesome to tour with. Erk and I would hang out and talk about spirituality and consciousness. He’s a super cool person. I asked if I could work with his voice and he sent me his vocals for Angels and Demons and I created the song around it.

Let us know how you came to work with Blackened Kali Mortem, and how well you work together when it comes to practicing, developing your sound, and thinking up ideas.
Kali Mortem was Luna 13’s photographer yet had some history with singing. Right after Luna 13 ended, she stepped in and became the singer for Antania. I already had several songs already written, she just had to step in and lay down vocals.

How long did it take Kali to adapt to your lyrics and sound? When she started working with you, how much singing experience did she have and how does that benefit your material?
She was a big fan of Luna 13 so she was well versed in the sound I created already. I am constantly writing music and lyrics so all she had to do was Create vocals around them. She adapted to playing live fast.

Name the songs you have written and describe how the music and lyrics complement one another.
I write everything at the moment. Kali does create her own vocal approached and really concentrated on the live shows the most. I believe she will contribute a lot more in the future. Yet I am one of those musicians that is constantly wrong and creating evil music. Occult Spirituality and music are my only interests. Music takes the lead as I firmly believe sound is the highest power.

With the signing of the digital distribution deal, how well known has The Triad Records helped the band become in Europe and elsewhere?
We love Triad and they helped us grow in Italy and surrounding countries. They got us in the main Italian magazines as well.

How has your sponsorship from Kat Percussion helped the band make a name for themselves?
It was as important as getting a record deal. I drop bass live and pound those industrial electronic drums. They saw me using all their stuff backwards live and decided to endorse me. It’s helped validate this type of bass metal I created.

In the past few years, at how many fests have you played and what has the response been like?
We headlined the Black Metal Mass in Oklahoma and played at the Mechanimus Festival in Seattle. We also just booked a huge festival in Portland, Oregon for 2025 this week. We have been well received everywhere. The sound and power of Antania is so unique it really blows people away. No video online can prepare you for how heavy our sound is live.

Since the start of your current tour in January, how have things been going for the band? In what parts of the world has the band appeared date, and where will you perform in the future?
We ended up having to cancel our Texas dates because we both got Covid opening for Trapt. We are getting ready to tour Europe for the first time. Here is our schedule at the moment. We have a west coast tour for July that we will be announcing.

03/16 Fitzgerald’s Bar-San Antonio, TX
03/18 RockHouse-El Paso, TX
04/30 Whisky Ago Go-Hollywood, CA

Support Psyclon Nine
05/18 Klub Pod Minoga-Poznań, Poland
05/20 Backstage Club-Munich, Germany
05/22 Kulttempel-Oberhausen, Germany
05/24 O'Sullivan's--Paris, France
05/26 Le Ferrailleur Nantes, France

What role has Kali played in contributing to the sound of the band during those performances? What are some of the most interesting tour stories you have to share?
Kali brings this very real black metal voice. It’s super original and contributes greatly to our sound. We were pulled over one time for driving with the car lit up with marijuana and let go by the police. This was in Ohio as well where their laws against marijuana are strict. We also played two venues where the song “In the Fire” leveled their sound system. We are pretty new so more stories are coming.

How has the response been to your new full-length album “The God Complex” since Triad released it last January? Has your video for the title track been successful in promoting it?
Yes. As a matter of fact we had a couple of managers interested in working with us because of it. We are making another video with Matt Zane.

In your experience, which songs recorded for “The God Complex” have shown the greatest rapport and potential for growth between you and Kali?
That’s the thing about being a duo, every song has a meaning. I think songs “August” which is the sixth song on the release, because Kali is born on August 6 and “D3D Solz” which has my favorite vocals on the release.

Are you planning to begin writing and composing new material as soon as possible? What are your plans for refining and developing your sound in the future?
I am constantly creating bass lines in my head and probably already have four or five songs already written. Yet we will take our time and support this release probably for a couple years but could easily see putting out an EP early next year.


-Dave Wolff

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Full Length Review: Lockdown "Step Over The Bodies" (Selfmaderecords LLC) by Dave Wolff

Band: Lockdown
Location: Manhattan, New York
Country: USA
Genre: Hardcore
Full length: Step Over The Bodies
Format: Digital album
Label: Selfmaderecords LLC (distributed by Earache Records Digital Distribution)
Release date: February 5, 2024
New York Hardcore has survived a great deal since it was founded in the early 1980s, and despite corporate greed and media spin in recent years, it is bigger than ever. That persistence of purpose on "Step over the Bodies" enables Lockdown to thrive and grow as it always has, with little to no assistance from the aboveground media.
"You say I'm simple, I say I'm pure" is a line from "Hard to the Core" that expresses the band's commitment to their roots and attitude. Their involvement with bands like Agnostic Front, Biohazard, Madball and Leeway, along with hiring former members of Bile, has led them to introduce industrial themes into their crossover of hardcore and metal.
Underlying every track appearing on "Step Over The Bodies" is a low, insinuating rumble. By nature it characterizes the dingy subways, gravelly streets and collectively shared outrage of a generation that perceives having been discarded, and perceives unanswered questions that persist in their relevance. Some bands achieve this sound with keyboards and synthesizers; Lockdown do so with their bass sound and the essence of industrial music conveyed from Bile.
Those undertones increase in intensity through the album, not overpowering from the outset but progressively grinding the listener by way of pertinacious energy, crunch, breakdowns and groove. Imagine Jamey Jasta and Hatebreed, but more incensed with reinforced heaviness, professionalism and conviction. The slightly mechanized production in the guitars adds the feel of a city increasingly cold and modern while the new buildings forget those on the bottom.
Everything that is happening around the band seems to have bolstered their resolve to air their disillusionment and be heard. In some ways, "Step over the Bodies" resembles a dystopian concept album, except that the dystopia is real and you’re thrust directly into the lead character’s point of view. You witness society becoming a dystopia firsthand. If, on the other hand, people believe punk and hardcore are about being angry at the world in which the music is produced, there is much to be angry about. And a positive outcome can be achieved by channeling the anger. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:
Eric Roi: Vocals
Jeff Lombardi: Guitar, vocals
Justin P. Flynn: Guitar
Lorenzo Golia: Bass
Robert Proimos: Drums

Track list:
1. Step Over The Bodies
2. Enlightenment
3. Trail Of Tears
4. Hard To The Core
5. Hatred
6. Human Racist
7. Blind Rage
8. Steadfast
9. Respect Collected
10. Duked
11. Won't See Me Comin
12. Eternal
13. My Side
14. Trail Of Tears (REMIX)
15. Hard To The Core (REMIX)

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Single Review: The D.O.O.D.: The Distinguished Order Of Disobedience "Subterfuge" (Selfmaderecords LLC) by Dave Wolff

Location: Sarasota, Florida
Country: USA
Genre: Melodic death metal, groove metal
Single: Subterfuge
Format: Digital track
Label: Selfmaderecords LLC (distributed by Earache Records Digital Distribution)
Release date: February 14, 2024
Erik Leviathan recommended this new single from The D.O.O.D. for an upcoming Valentine's Day review, the day of its release. As I was just beginning my interview with this band, I went back and listened to most of their full-length albums to get a feel of them. I favor “Playtime in the Apocalypse” the most for its criticism of religious intolerance in general and the Westboro Baptist Church in particular.
It is clear just from that album the band is not only feeling displeasure and ire toward this, but actively seek to inflame it through their song and lyric writing, encouraging listeners to join them in subvert people who adapt religion as a weapon, means of control or means of escalating hate. This subverting is not necessarily accomplished by violent acts, but by taking critical thinking to an extreme, as they do with their music.
This frame of mind can be perceived in “Subterfuge”, the follow-up to the single released on January 10. In a wide range of styles, from grindcore and goregrind to death metal and melodic death metal to groove metal and funk metal, The D.O.O.D. lingers in a steady state of density, building energy to evoke ire in anyone who takes the time to read the lyrics.
The song does not read as a diatribe against a single target, but rather as a statement against all forms of media and entertainment that encourage muteness and gratification without awareness, or lull people to accept the ways of the world without questioning it or speaking out. Not as a result of underdeveloped denial and reaction either, but rather as a result of experience, practical knowledge, and reason.
As the act of restarting your mind after removing it from the complacency that society seems to thrive on of late has become increasingly popular among bands, this is a band you may want to give a listen to. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:
Brian Monkeyboy: Vocals
Indiana: Guitar
Raymus: Guitar
Jonzey: Bass
Dogbite: Drums

Interview with David Uhrlaub A.k.a Dante DarkChilde of Hypnotic Subliminal Records by Dave Wolff

Photo by  R.J. Sloup
Interview with David Uhrlaub A.k.a Dante DarkChilde of Hypnotic Subliminal Records

You started Hypnotic Subliminal Records to reawaken your local goth scene and became a nonprofit label supporting about sixteen bands and giving them most of the live proceeds. Explain the label’s evolution?
I want to first give credit to its founder Sammy Devil aka Sammy D. He was the one who approached me to help him with this idea. He had noticed that the scene had died down and it was harder for the new goth bands or ones from the U.K. struggled to get hold and traction in the U.S.A. unless they had a label backing them, so he researched what it would take to make a label that didn't need to take the lion’s share from the bands, that we would promote, book, and have a gathered place to put them for others to find. Also how to have area directors that had connections to venues and other bands to open for those from the U.K. and those in the U.K. open for our American and Latin goth bands who we promote and book. I pitched the idea of expanding past just bands and D.J.s to artists, models, sideshow performers, burlesque and Cabaret groups. Sammy D already had our original sixteen bands gathered and our first area directors. He began the first tour for My Own Burial from Barcelona, Spain and brought them here. We never promised them what we couldn't deliver. We made sure they got all merchandise and 80% of the show. The area director kept 20% to some of our cost. We are not in it for the money, we are in it for the community. We are expanding into sideshow performers, models and artists that carry a gothic edge. We will promote their work and sites and book performances and festivals bringing all of the dark decadence of our world to the masses.

What was the goth scene’s level of activity before it started to wane? Did the labels that take the majority of profits from bands play a role? Did other factors contribute to the problem such as lack of advertising or high admission prices?
OK, so the Goth scene was a large community from the early 1990s to the early 2000s. It began its wane in, I would say, 2008. Don't get me wrong, there are still pockets and groups that are strong and out there, but instead of actual full blown goth clubs and gatherings there are some places that have a weekly or monthly goth night. Most of the time it seems that it is mostly DJs or can music playing on those nights, and often you don't see a lot of goth based bands local or otherwise playing in these venues. This seems to come from either the venues or the label charging exorbitant amounts either to the promoter or the booking agent to use their facility. That falls back onto the label due to the fact that it is the label that books and promotes, so it has to come out of the artist at 50%, up to 90% of what a band or entertainer makes. So only those that can pay get to play. Sadly that cuts the throat of great bands. Slowly they lose interest and fall to the wayside or end up only in their local scene. Sure you can put your music on streaming services but that does not provide the experience this generation craves. I do believe the high cost and take from the bands is what has caused a decline in the gothic subculture. As it is a music-based community it stagnated and needs new music and bands to help rejuvenate it. So I do believe the lack to properly promote and book and having to charge high admission prices has created a huge rift in keeping the gothic community alive and thriving. Alongside the elitist mentality that has formed within the community and the lack of wanting to evolve and grow makes it difficult for some of the younger generation goths to want to participate.

How much research did Sammy D conduct while preparing to form the label? What resources were at your disposal to build it from the ground up?
Sammy D, had done a lot of digging and research to see what was going to be needed, and he looked into how some of the groups in the U.K. got their scene to rejuvenate. That was by having people look for venues and bars that were struggling that we could utilize for new bands and places to create goth havens in. That would create a boost in their revenue and pull the goths out into one place to enjoy the scene as it should be in real life. Most of the goths are like bats, we are in some ways very social creatures and like to hang out in what I have begun to call colonies. We noticed these colonies tended to gather around bigger cities. Like in my area you will find pockets around Boise, Salt Lake City, Moscow, Lewiston, Portland, Seattle and many different areas in California. Then you have large areas with smaller pockets that tend to have a very clique-minded situation due to the fact that a lot of those areas are rural and spread at least two to four hours away from those larger colony areas. Often the cost of travel and ticket or cost of entry is not worth the drive, except for the larger label bands that are mainstream and well known. So with this knowledge in our hands we decided to see what we could do to bring new bands into the area and expand out to those smaller areas. This is why we like to create a tour with a U.K. based band instead of a singular show. The bigger areas help bring in larger crowds while the smaller areas provide more intimate venues to help move the bands into the larger colonies. What we like to do is an 80% plus all merchandise to the headliner, then 20% to the area director to help cover the cost of the venue and advertising they do for the band in their area, use our local music scene to bolster the shows and help our local bands with a little for their work. We like to keep our shows all-ages, unless otherwise specified, due to content or location (such as cabaret or adult-themed or a bar of course). What we had at our disposal to start was a simple website Sammy D created. He had already done the work for our first sixteen bands, then got the tour for My Own Burial going here. He reached out to me and tour area directors, and we got things rolling during this time. Sammy D for personal reasons handed the label over to me to take the helm and finish the My Own Burial tour. This was our first run at doing this, and it seems the label has gained some traction. Now I am planning to bring more into play over the next year to continue with Sammy D's legacy and continue to build and grow. And we did this on 150 dollars to start. I am planning to have a new website built by the beginning of March that will be under the name Hypnotic Subliminal Records and Nightside Entertainment, combining the music and entertainment aspects of the label.

For what reasons do you think goths gathered in big cities as well as rural areas? Where does the attraction lie in your view?
I think goths began to gather in larger cities because that is where they were able to find their niche close to where events were going on and a higher chance of finding a group to belong with. As I said, goths are a social group that is heavily music-based, and it is also human nature to like to be close to like-minded individuals. The ones in the more rural areas, I have found, seem to be the ones that either stayed because they have a tight knit group there or because they have work or other reasons they choose to stay outside of the bigger cities but will go to larger events or concerts nearby. I think the attraction truly lies in a social and financial aspect in that situation. I have a home group here in Pocatello, Idaho, friends and other people that are out of state and some that are across the world. I am in Pocatello because of my normal job. As for refueling the Goth scene throughout the U.S., yes that does include creating new communities and helping find new venues in places like New York and New Jersey. In New York I hope to work with already established groups with in the area as it seems to have a pretty solid community same with New Jersey, Colorado and other bigger areas. What I seek to do in those areas is bring new talent and find new talent in the goth scene and give them a taste of new bands and entertainers.

When you began signing and promoting bands, how long did it take to see results for your efforts?
With the My Own Burial tour it seems that there are more asking for another tour and what other shows or events that we might provide. So now I am in the stage that I am looking for new bands, area directors and venues to add to aid in refueling the gothic scene in areas throughout the United States. What we are doing seems to be ringing in a new era to the scene and helping to bring the new and old to common ground.

Does refueling the scenes include building communities in other areas such as the Bible Belt?
New bands and entertainers so that the community doesn't stagnate and continues to draw in to keep the communities fresh and break the gatekeeping within those communities. I plan to have the bands and entertainers stop in some of the smaller areas to create a movement again in those areas. And inspire the new generation to come out and get away from everything and make new groups and colonies that will help shape the next phase of the gothic world. As for the Bible Belt, I will still build there. If I can work around the religious aspects of Pocatello and southeast Idaho then I can take on the Bible Belt. Once you can bring in something like a local band they support, then bring in one of our bands and shows, it seems next thing you know people are talking and soon enough you see a goth in a church, then the church has bats in their belfries so to speak, and we end up with the pastor at a gothic ball. It is great when I see the ignorance of both groups melt away and both aspects appreciate each other.

What is the nature of the gatekeeping you mention having seen in some areas? What steps have you usually taken to lessen it?
Pretty much others saying you’re not a real goth or being nasty bullies to baby bats that are new to the subculture. So now I will take my moment on the proverbial soap box. To all the elitists out there, time to wake up and shut up. The gothic community is like the Visigoths, they helped fall the Western Roman Empire through art and free thinking. Wait, sound familiar like us? The gothic subculture fighting Rome, our music and fashion have influenced society’s music and fashion. We even inspired the emo scene subcultures. I really don't see why in some ways we hate our own children. We inspired some their music and their fashion. Even our own styles and tastes have spread from Victorian Goth to pastel goth. So in many ways we have success in what we have sought to do. We are found in every scene, we are found even in the corporate world, and even all of us are different in one fashion or another. You will find at least Paramore or Within Temptation, and on about every girl’s playlist you will find bands such as Type O Negative or one of our bands that happened to go mainstream on playlists… oh wait Marilyn Manson there you go right there. You find our fashion on runways all over the world and movies in theatres. So honestly gate keepers shut up, sit down, realize that we have done our job and help make sure our youth are not sucked into the trash of the community that seem to like to prey on the newbies. Introduce them to the seedier side of our community as in any other community, yes we have one. Do I like that fact? No. Can I do something about it? Yes, by working with the youngers and helping them navigate the scenes safely and leave that final choice to them. Usually I use a dose of education and snark to end a gatekeeper’s tirade.

Are there sufficient goth communities in Bible Belt states to form a larger community capable of maintaining contact with those in other states?
As for the Bible Belt, there are already gothic groups and of course the Vampire community that thrive. The only problem I have really seen in that area is the fracture and lack of willingness to work together at times within those larger groups. So I figure I will work with these groups to see if I can give them something to get behind rather than fight over. I also know the political garbage that can happen in these areas. It can be a challenge to navigate but I do believe this can be done. Our scene seems to be taking what I have begun to call the reawakening with Wednesday and other gothic toned shows. We are slowly coming back from the Columbine High fiasco where our community was harshly scapegoated by the media. It will take some time to get the scene unified again. But with great shows in some of the venues and maybe some of getting together and opening a few venues of our own to propagate our subculture and create a pipeline again, I believe that unification can happen. As for examples, there are resources out there for advertising such as New Goth City website and soon the website where those people could easily put their clubs and venues and shows etc. It is just about leveraging these resources. I plan on doing so in the upcoming year.

How much did media sensationalize the Columbine High incident to the point of prejudging the goth community who had nothing to do with it? How has goth positively influenced mainstream culture?
The Columbine incident was massively sensationalized with the gothic scene in its prime. All it took was the fact that these kids listened to Marilyn Manson as did most of the teenagers back then, wore all black and wore trench coats they labeled them as goth. In doing so it caused a pandemic of judgement and prejudice of kids that followed or were a part of the goth scene to include their friends, parents and even churches to even further push these kids away. It caused law enforcement to start to profile goths and make it hard for us to gather together and hang out in larger groups, thus making it difficult for events and goth based clubs to remain open, especially in smaller rural areas. It pushed the U.K. scene further from America. Even with all of that, we were still able to influence music and fashion, now even becoming a trend. We are starting to see a gothic renaissance form, with the Munsters movie, Wednesday and other gothic icons reemerging into the spotlight. Also we see the goth influence in a lot of the newer bands in dress or in musical inspiration. So in many ways we have paved the way for so many other alternative lifestyles to form, such as emo and scene and smaller subgroups that could all fit under the goth umbrella.

Are there other goth icons who cast the lifestyle in a more favorable light, besides Christina Ricci, Ditta Von Teese, Fairuza Balk, and WWE wrestler Paige? How do you see this contributing to a better understanding of goth?
You will find Jennifer Ortega, the newest incarnation of Wednesday Addams, and of course the upcoming new Crow movie with Bill Skarsgard as Eric Draven. These with the old ones such as Elvira and so many others have been well dug up by the new baby bats and we are starting to see an uprising not only in goth but in many other scenes the goth lifestyle had spearheaded. I see these individuals bringing an understanding of goth to the younger generation, and help the other alternative groups realize where their roots come from.

Who are some of the bands you have gotten in touch with lately, who are interested in working with you and being booked for performances?
The bands I am working with for shows are My Own Burial, Trobar De Morte, The Vaticants, The Acid Bats, Hideous Monster and others I am in negotiation with. On the entertainment aspect we will be getting Dead City Side Show and others to come and help bolster events. So instead of just a concert you get a show.

What led you to the bands you’re working with, and how strongly would you recommend them to newer fans? What’s currently available on the New Goth City website.
I was brought on to the label and Sammy D had me listen to the bands. I would recommend them to those coming into or already part of the gothic subculture. New Goth City was created by William Wells to help promote and tell people where shows are in the USA. it is a promotional tool for bands and events in the USA to help get information into the hands of fans of the subculture and help inform people of the groups out there working to make our scene just as strong as it was during the 1990s.

Can you tell the readers how well known you hope the label and website you are working with will become? In the future would you like to spearhead major music festivals and national broadcasts? Would you eventually want to involve gothic metal bands in your promotions?
I hope that our label and website becomes strong enough that not only pulls the goth but also the mainstream together and becomes a place respected for its shows and events, that we are the go-to name for events in the gothic community. Not only here in America but also the funnel for the U.K. goth scene to help influence the scenes of both areas. We do plan on spearheading major festivals and we are working now on our broadcasts for the Gothic scene. We want to include all gothic entertainment and bands within our label to help promote the scene as a whole, from the post-punk roots to the evolution of our music and fashion.

For your work and involvement in goth communities, how would you most like to be recognized and remembered?
Honestly how I want to be remembered is as a forerunner to keep our beautiful lifestyle alive, and someone that helped make the scene grow, helped bring it back to the frontlines and helped bring new bands to the scene.

-Dave Wolff


Sunday, February 4, 2024

Full Length Review: Archspire "Bleed the Future" (Season Of Mist) by Dave Wolff

Band: Archspire
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Country: Canada
Genre: Technical death metal
Full length: Bleed the Future
Format: Digital, CD, vinyl, black vinyl, green marbled vinyl
Release date: October 29, 2021
What is the frequency with which the term “world's fastest band” has been used to describe a band? I’m unable to provide an answer but Archspire is one of the worthiest contenders for that title. "Bleed the Future" is sufficiently explosive to leave Cryptopsy and Cattle Decapitation at the starting line. With the release of "Scum", a band called Napalm Death revolutionized extreme music, after which an endless succession of bands continued to push things further in noticeable increments. This band has been recording professionally since 2010 and has worked overtime to push it further than any technical death metal band has up to now.
The earliest material of Archspire, while seemingly fragmented and without direction, had the potential to become the sonic juggernaut it's on their way to becoming. Accelerated beyond human expectation, the percussion was accompanied by expert classically learned scales, mellifluous bass lines, and vocals as precise as they were ferocious. When resourceful songwriting and atmospheric passages surface recurrently without overstaying their welcome, what you have is likely to be the next pinnacle in death metal's evolution.
Over the years, Archspire has continued to preserve the musical foundations they have redesigned from album to album. Enhancing speed and mathematical precision, they enhanced every other aspect of their sound. Their classical elements grew more pronounced, paying more attention to the crunch and sweep picking added to the songwriting, their atmospheric sections became more complex, and their vocals adopted a meticulous cadence with as much in common with hip hop as with technical death metal.
“Bleed the Future” continues Archspire’s momentum, maximizing its proficiency to an unsparing, nearly overwhelming level. Whether it’s too excessive rests with how much of a proponent of technical DM one is. Until now, reactions have been not exactly been polarized but clearly mixed. In spite of this, this album is much lauded as the band stuck to their guns and intensified their vision even beyond their last album“Relentless Mutation” (2017), presenting everything in a more cohesive and less fragmented manner.
A tighter interaction between the band's technical presence and classical elements results in a more nuanced recording. In fact all the characteristics they’ve honed from the beginning operate as pieces of a completed puzzle depicting colossal scenery. Without doing anything other than perfecting what has already been established, Archspire naturally gravitates toward progressive death metal and ambient death metal. By maximizing what they have at their disposal, they've been able to successfully expand their borders.
Archspire is not only growing, they are blossoming into something magnificent and terrifying all at once. I vehemently recommend checking “Bleed the Future” out at least once. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:
Oliver Rae Aleron: Vocals
Dean Lamb: Guitars
Tobi Morelli: Guitars
Jared Smith: Bass
Spencer Prewett: Drums

Track list:
1. Drone Corpse Aviator
2. Golden Mouth of Ruin
3. Abandon the Linear
4. Bleed the Future
5. Drain of Incarnation
6. Acrid Canon
7. Reverie on the Onyx
8. A.U.M.