luni, 13 august 2018

Cornelius interview(Castrum, Encomium zine, ex-Chamos, ex-Vulvulator)


1. Hello, Cornelius! As this is your first interview for Sadistik Witchfukk, introduce yourself to the readers of the zine!
- Hail to all the dedicated readers of Sadistik Witchfukk and thank you, Sorin, for your interest. Since 1994 I play guitar for the Transcarpathian Death Metal horde Castrum, since 1998 I am the editor of Encomium ‘zine, organized a hell of a bunch of gigs for the “underground” masses in Uzhgorod.


2. How did you got into metal? Can you describe your "rock/metal" journey until you formed Castrum? And if you can describe the metal scene at that time in your country?
- I was eleven when I got my first cassettes with bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Krokus, Magnum and stuff like that. I’ve been trading tapes and records with my school-mates at that time and shortly after I discovered the genres of Thrash & Death Metal, such bands as Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, Testament, Slayer, Exodus, Sadus, Death, Obituary, Deicide and Morbid Angel just to name a few. But the real impel to form my own band was caused by the Swedish Death Metal movement around 1991-1992. We’ve massively dived in with my friends into the first releases by Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Unleashed, etc. It was magical back then. The metal scene was pretty variegated at that time as being a deathrasher I hung out with fans of glam rock, heavy metal or other less extreme subgenres of rock & metal, but it was just amazing. If there was a gig with any kind of local rock/metal act, not mentioning the possibility to go and watch the show of some band from abroad, most probably everybody was there, huge crowd and family-like atmospheres. It was also a good reason to meet other metal fans (from other regions) and do some trades of tapes, posters, magazines, etc.

3. In 1994 Castrum came into being. Can you summarize your biography so far?
- Yeah, sure. Castrum was founded in 1994. The early days marked three demo releases on the band’s account: “Burial of the Affection”, “Flames by Impiety” & “Pleasure in the Deeds of Horror”, all of them came out in 1996. In 1999 the band signed a deal with Ukrainian underground label Metal Force Records. The first result of this alliance was an MC release of the above mentioned demos unleashed under the banner of “The Leading Spirit of Medieval Tortures”, which was followed by the band’s debut album “Hatenourisher” in the fall of 2000. Shortly after this tape release the band signed a deal with Canadian Bloodbucket Productions. Thus three full-length CDs were successfully spread into the underground masses, namely “Hatenourisher” in 2001, “Mysterious Yet Unwearied” in 2002 and “Phenomenonsense” in 2006. After a few member changes the line-up of Castrum finally became stable in 2012. It consists of the relentless forces of Cornelius (vocals/guitar), Victor (bass) & Eugene (drums). To celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary a compilation CD titled as “MediEvaluation” was released in 2014 by the band’s long-time label Bloodbucket Productions! The band’s fourth full-length album is still in process. It is going to be the fiercest and most sophisticated one! So watch out!!!

Castrum's line-up on their first demos(1996-1997), as well as the Chamos one. L-R: Georgius/Forneus(vocals), Cornelius/Kobal(guitars, bass, keyboards) and Werkoff/Valefar(drums).
4. You also did a demo under the name Chamos, with the same line-up as Castrum, back in 1997, called "Hellish Reveries". Do you see it as a separate release from Castrum? Will it ever be re-released?
- It was a separate release by all means. I was pretty productive back then and I’ve got some riffs that I didn’t imagine in the repertory of Castrum, so we started this side-project. We did that 2-song demo in 1997 and that’s it. Will it be ever released officially I can’t say it as of yet, but never say never, right? So time shall tell us…

5. Back to Castrum. I know that you recorded a follow-up to "Phenomenonsense", but it never saw the light of the day. Can you enlighten us about it and if any progress in this direction has been done lately? Will it include the Possessed cover ("Death Metal"-ed)?
- Yes, all the instruments have been recorded quite a while for our 4th studio album, we’ve recorded 11 songs in total, I even did some raw pre-production mixes, but unfortunately I couldn’t proceed with the recordings of the vocals parts thence. Somehow I always felt not ready to do it, my bad, I know. The Possessed cover was something exceptional, we did it pretty fast, even if I am not happy with how my vocals turned out there, but I really wanted to make it happen. That song is available exclusively on the “Seven Burning Churches” a tribute to Possessed CD.

6. As far as I remember, Castrum was about to play in Bucharest, Romania, in 2011, as an opening-act for the Impaled Nazarene concert. However, the ImpNaz tour was cancelled and Castrum didn't got to play. How were you chosen to be one of those opening bands and why you did not got to play or to postpone it? Have you received any other offers to play here?
- Right, that gig was announced exactly for 1st of February, 2010. We’ve been on tour with our Polish friends from Underdark and I clearly remember that we did our first show in Lviv and we were on our way to Debrecen (Hungary) when I received an sms from the promoter that Impaled Nazarene had to cancel their appearance, so the whole event was just cancelled immediately. Due to Coro of Axa Valaha Productions we’ve got the opportunity, but it didn’t happen in the end. I knew Coro for a long time, we’ve been in contact from time to time, so I suppose it just felt right to bring us once there, he is a hard worker and true supporter of the underground movement. We’ve got other invites as well, but somehow I always had to refuse them, sometimes because of bad timing and other times just because of my health issues.
Castrum live in Uzhgorod/Ungvár, anno 2016

7. According to Encyclopaedia Metallum, you also played guitar in Vulvulator and drums in ЙYЙ. Can you tell us about these collaborations?
- Yes, that’s right. I was a member of Vulvulator from 2006 to 2008. Played all the guitars & bass parts for the debut full-length “Obscenario” (2007) and for the “IV Way Split” (2008). Those were funny times, but had to quit, because the evolving musical path wasn’t mine any more. ЙYЙ was a band formed by local guys in 2016, they had 2 songs written, but they didn’t have a drummer at the time. I’ve been always fond of playing drums, so I offered them to try out myself in that position. In a short period of time we’ve completed around dozen songs and the same year the band had its only live show with me. Again, had to quit, due to the same old story, the music they wanted to play further wasn’t my cup of tea. Now they’re functioning as a studio project.

8. Apart of your metal activities, I know that you released an ambient album called "The Mindscape Seeker" under the name Kornel Kontros. Can you enlighten us about it? How was the feedback so far?
- You are very-well informed. I have a piano at home since ever, so I was always sitting and trying out myself creating different harmonies, moods, melodies and stuff like that. The time has come to record all those little pieces in 2015 when I finally borrowed a synthesizer for that purpose. The feedback I received was always positive and mostly from people close to me, and it is totally OK with me, as this release was meant personal. Its follow-up is in progress as well; it will be more medieval-like with the use of acoustic guitars in front.

9. Do you plan to perform it live?
- Good question. I really have plans in my mind to make those pieces happen to played live too, but still searching for the right musicians.

10. I can't help but realize that your instrumental material seems to be connected with the "Tears of Eternal Expiation" intro. Do you have any other tracks written in this style that will see the light of the day? Or, perhaps a follow-up to "The Mindscape Seeker"?
- Definitely good comparison. As you’ve already noticed I did quite a few instrumental tracks for the Castrum releases so far, but the ones which were selected for “The Mindscape Seeker” kind of didn’t fit with the new approach Castrum musically stands for, so I better published them under my name. The new tracks will be atmospheric- and ambient-like too, but with a touch of medievalism.

11. You also run the fanzine Encomium, which has become a webzine for some years. Can you tell us about it and if there will ever be any printed issues in the future? How was the reaction for the printed zine of the 4th issue?
- Encomium is one of the oldest English-written ‘zines out of the Ukraine. Totally dedicated to the extreme forms of underground music. The first 3 issues (1/98, 2/99 & 3/2001) were pro-printed on A4 format pages. After 2001 it turned to a webzine, but in August of 2017 the 4th printed issue has finally seen the light of the day. The reactions to it were just positive so far. You can expect the fifth printed issue to be released soon, so watch out!

12. I know you organized some concerts in your hometown Uzhgorod/Ungvár such as Napalm Death (in 2009), the open-air festival UzhGoreRot, and also Total Cover Party, among others. Can you tell us how the Napalm Death concert actually happened? Will there be any upcoming editions of those festivals? Or any upcoming concerts in general?
- The Napalm Death show happened due to Obscure Promotion from the Czech Republic. They’ve contacted me regarding a possible show in Uzhgorod and I’ve agreed right away to make it happen for our small city! Until last year I was managing to organize all the mentioned events and series of the Death Metal Assault concerts, but as my health got worse I decided to stop all my activities until I fix it. So no festival or concert plans at all actually.

13. One cannot overlook the situation in Eastern Ukraine. How did that affect the metal activity in your region?
- Our region is still quite poor, even if we are the closest of the cities to the European Union and the prices are much like in the EU, the wages over here just horrible, hard to make for living. Most of the citizens just surviving or go abroad to work and get better conditions for living there. It limits the possibilities for any normal behaved metal activities as well, just in terms of organizing a show, you mostly bump into minuses rather than pluses. So you can’t make it forever. The same goes for the local bands, they simply can’t survive and fade out quickly.

Castrum's current line-up. L-R: Cornelius(guitar/vocals), Eugene(drums), Viktor(bass). 2014
14. You also mixed/produced several albums of some local bands and Domhring's "Vicar of Satan" (Hungarian black metal band fronted by our mutual friend Georgius - ed). Can you tell us about this activity? Are you still doing it? If so, any releases we shall hear for ourselves?
- Oh, I did plenty of such work in the past. Mainly for local bands, as you noticed. Besides the Domhring material I also mixed demos & albums for Vulvulator, Rise of Cadia, The Symbioz, GAZ-66 Intrusion, etc. Now I stopped doing this, but still fond of the whole procedure. So sometime maybe I will return to this hobby again.

15. You also re-designed Archangel's Lantern logo (our mutual friend Georgius' webzine). Have you done any art that was used by other bands or that is simply available somewhere else?
- I was mostly doing poster designs in the past for my events and for others too. I always liked the graphical way of manipulation, learned a few tricks, but nothing special. I designed the old Castrum logo, by the way.

16. What are your hobbies?
- We already touched most of them above. My hobbies connected with music, but when not, I like to swim, play football or table tennis, walk the nature.

17. What albums do you deem as influential (those who changed your vision towards metal and music in general)?
- Oh, there’s really plenty of them. But if focus to a few, then I would definitely mention albums with Destruction, Death, Dissection, Hypocrisy, Sodom, Kreator, Morbid Angel, Dismember, Vader, Grave, Kataklysm, that list is just endless, ha-ha… Too many good and influential albums to mention, you know.

18. And about your local cuisine: what foods and drinks can you recommend us?
- Well, the Transcarpathian cuisine is strongly influenced by the Hungarian, which I adore very much. I really like “gulyásleves”, which is a Hungarian soup, made of beef, vegetables, ground paprika and other spices. Also “lecsó”, it is also a Hungarian thick vegetable stew. But my top favorite is “Bécsi szelet” that is “Wiener schnitzel” as in Austrian, is a type of schnitzel made of a thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet. As for the drinks, even if I do not drink alcohol at all, I would definitely recommend some sorts of local wine and our local specialty, which is cognac.

19. Our interview is drawing to an end. Please tell us your future plans, and some words for the readers!
- Well, thank you so much Sorin for this in-depth interview and opportunity to be included at the webzine of Sadistik Witchfukk. Really great combination of questions, liked to answer them from the start till the end. Plan number one is to get fixed my health asap. Then to finally record my vocal parts for the 4th album of Castrum. Afterwards, I will be definitely interested to have some journeys in the form of tours. I hope the readers enjoyed our conversation and found out something to check out or simply listen to. Keep supporting your local scene, listen to the music you love, buy records, visit shows and have fun!

Castrum's official website: http://www.castrum.com.ua/
Bandcamp: https://castrum.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/castrum
MySpace: https://myspace.com/castrum
Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/castrum
VKontakte: https://vk.com/castrum
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/castrumofficial
Encomium: http://castrum.com.ua/encomium/
Encomium(Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/encomium.zine
DMA(Death Metal Assault): https://www.facebook.com/deathmetalassault/
UzhGoreRot festival: https://www.facebook.com/uzhgorerot/

interview by Necrotrooper

marți, 17 iulie 2018

Heller - Heller (1989) + history









Heller is an extreme metal band formed in Belgrade, Yugoslavia(now Serbia) back in 1984. Their guitarist Attila played in a band called Dimenzija Smrti(Dimension of Death) before Heller. The band consisted, at the time of the 1st concert, of:
Zoća - vocals
Attila - guitar
Kole - guitar
Bičke - bass
Müller - drums

The material here will be reviewed chronologically rather than track-by-track. With history written by me with all the infos I have gathered so far(I appologize for the mistakes, where/if they're present!).




(From left to right: Müller, Deda, Attila and Kole. Heller in 1986(Attila was the vocalist back then))

"Inverzija"(Inversion) is more rooted in traditional metal, but a real headbanging track, its lyrics are dedicated to metal way of life: "Metal will never die/It will remain here to curse the people". I suppose it is the first track written, and the only one here to feature such lyrics. This track was called "Impossible(Metal is power)" on some bootlegs.
"Demonska devojka"(Demonic girl) was previously called "Innocent sacrifice for Sabbath" before it was translated in English.  This track is the most "worked" track on the album, as you can hear a variety of riffs and many tempo changes - if I should choose an anthem, this track must be it, even though all of them are strong.
"Armagedon" is a short track, but written in a similar manner as those mentioned above. It was called "Armageddon" before the translation as well.
"Dead or alive" is the only track that was never translated in Serbian. This track goes more into Teutonic territory, while mainting their own identity.
"Heller" is an instrumental track, but way faster than the rest of the tracks. If you ever get hold of their 1993 demo, there is a live version of this track from 1986. They played it even faster back then. The solo is a bit extended too, but it is missing the chainsaw-like ending part featured on LP.
"Krvava osveta"(Bloody revenge) starts with an acoustic intro, but don't be tricked by that as it soon turns into a monster. Žmegi's scream at the beginning of it is great, as it lasts around 12 seconds. This track was called "Black attack" before the translation.


At the same time, around 1987 I suppose, Kole and Deda left. Kole formed Amnesia, and later, Rapidforce. According to Metal-Archives, there were many people who joined and left the band, but by fall of 1987 the line-up was:
Žare - vocals
Attila - guitar
Dane - guitar
Čvora - bass
Müller - drums.
Žare's vocals were closer to the black/death metal. He had a very sinister voice, closer to what was happening in Brazilian circles rather than thrash/speed metal they were claiming to play.
Still, with Čvora's arrival, all the songs(except "Dead or Alive") underwent a translation process.
Žare, however, didn't stay much in the band, and at some point Žmegi became the new voice of Heller. So, let's continue

"Varvarska Horda"(Barbartic horde) has a slower tempo, but it is still a fast track. It is an interlude between their older tracks and the newer tracks, so to speak.
"Grob bez dna"(Bottomless grave) is a 2 minutes track, energetic and fun to listen to.
Inferno. Now we're talking. This track even goes on death metal territory...
Inkvizicija(Inquisition). ....and black metal...
Adam i Eva(Adam&Eve). ...and even grindcore.



Most of the tracks deal with lyrics such as death and all kind of macabre things, which were quite popular for that era.
As far as production goes, it is all very clear, the bass can be heard as well.
The artwork is quite original as well.



(From left to right: Dane, Čvora, Žmegi, Attila and Müller. Heller's line-up on the LP)

To sum up, you have your extreme metal history summed up in one LP. Highly recommended!

Review written by Necrotrooper

joi, 16 februarie 2017

Necrophiliac(Esp) - Endless Death(1988)

Necrophiliac is a Spanish extreme metal band formed back in 1987, released several demos(this one being the first released), a compilation and a full-length LP, splited-up in 1993 and reformed recently. 

The material here is solid, actually it is up there with the big bands, IT IS THAT GOOD. It is a live recording(you can hear all the instruments).

There are 6 tracks clocked at approximately 21 minutes. First track is called "Necrofucken" and gives you a hint of what to expect here: demonic vocals and fast tempo(the band doesn't slow down for a second). Next track, "Nuclear Nightmare" follows in the same vein, but blast-beats are present here as well. After this you have "Slayed sunflower seeds" and "Demoniac Slaughter" which are the shortest tracks, some kind of attempts at grindcore(or death-core how it was called back then by some). "The omen" follows, which is, again, similar, and ends with a nice guitar solo. The last track is a Sodom cover(Bombenhagel), which is faster than original.

Overall, if you are into 80's extreme metal like Sarcofago, Sepultura, Necrodeath, Napalm Death to name a few, you must give it a listen. It was re-released recently on the compilation "Maze of Forking Paths".

miercuri, 28 septembrie 2016

Necromancy(Gre) - Visions of Lunacy(1989) review



Necromancy is a Greek death/thrash band formed around 1986 under the name R.O.T.(Reek of Terror), but changed the name to the actual one around 1988. "Visions of Lunacy" is their first demo, released in 1989. This band is also notable for presence of Giorgos Zaharopoulos, who later left to focus on Necromantia(and because of that many think this is a pre-Necromantia band, WHICH IS NOT).

The material here is quite solid, actually you'd think you listen to a forgotten demo of one of the "necro bands" from the middle of the 1980's, IT IS THAT GOOD. Production is top-notch; you can hear all the instruments perfectly. Moreover, the bass at times is louder than instruments.









The demo starts with "Thrashifixion", a 2:15 instrumetal track, which shows the band's intentions for this demo: fast deathrash, with a necro production, that makes you craving for more.
The next track, "Shattered Bodies", starts with a bass guitar, and some beats reminding me of Mercyful Fate, then goes into something similar to Sodom's "Persecution Mania". Sodom I said? Well, the next track is a Sodom cover, "Outbreak of Evil", which is the best cover of the afforementioned Sodom song(at times you'd wonder whether you listen to the original or not). 
The 4th track, "Forbidden Rites" picks up from where the previous track ends(it also has a nice guitar solo in the beginning), then explodes into a deathrash monster. The middle of the song is where Hell actually breaks loose.
The 5th track, "Nocturnal Cry", is an outro, but it seems that this idea was later used in Necromantia(its beginning actually reminds me of "Last song for Valdezie")

Overall, this band really had potential, but unfortunately didn't went that far due to Living Dead(guitar)'s death. But if you like your metal played fast and with a "necro" production, then this is for you.



Necrotrooper

joi, 30 iunie 2016

Sadistikus - Sadistikus(2014) review

Sadistikus is a new band from Israel, even though they are new, the music sounds as if it was recorded in 1985/86. So, let's think of it as a 1986 release:

After playing for some time in a thrash band called Eshet Lot, Ostry decided to play faster and heavier. What's the result? 3 tracks clocked at 9 minutes, but very well written tracks. Music is very good, well, what you can expect from bands nowadays: hellish vocals, fast guitar riffs(unlike what will be played in 6-7 years from now on). He uses a drum-machine, but that does not irritate your ears(remember that Sepultura didn't even tuned their guitars for Morbid Visions?). Even though it is a demo, you can hear all the instruments without any problems. Atmosphere? Yes, it is evil, this guy was truly dedicated to it

Unfortunately, we are in 2016... If this stuff would be released in 1986, pretty sure it would be hailed by many, and the band cited as influence. Now, I can only say that this is something that is missing at the moment. If you like bands like Sepultura, Kreator, Bestial Death and early Salem check it out. If you want to get a headache... check out the other bands around in the zine!

Necrotrooper

sâmbătă, 15 noiembrie 2014

Lamentations(French death metal)

Lamentations was a band from France, who released a demo tape in 1993. Stuff that is really death metal and not commercial shit consumed by the masses.

This post is a tribute to the drummer Christophe Mourrieres who passed away. Rest in Peace

The entire Lamentations demo can be heard here:
http://youtu.be/-T7b-YxMb3I
http://youtu.be/RDwQzGHve78
http://youtu.be/0D_bszkZPgc
http://youtu.be/QOrPZ8OZe44

And a Facebook page(tribute, of course) :
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lamentations/743967632344644

luni, 18 august 2014

Interview w/ Ostry(Sadistikus, Eshet Lot)

1.Infernal hailz! Since you are completely unknown to the S.W. readers, please tell us more about you and how did you started the band!
My name is Ostry and I'm from Kibbutz Metzer, Israel. Well, after two years of activity as Eshet Lot I felt satisfied of the materials, riffs and lyrics. After a month of working on new materials, "Bloody Eon" was ready, but it was different than my previous material. It was more death metal-ish and I loved this new direction, so I decided to start a new project named "Sadistikus"(Kus means Kunt).
Sadistikus is morbid and evil as death metal used to be. Same as in Eshet Lot it's a one-man project with no other players. I love working alone and thinking alone. Of course I would like to play in a band, but my own material stays at the one-man project, where they belong to.

2.Your first project, Eshet Lot, also had a demo release... do you plan to re-record those songs with a full-line-up? And who is responsible for its artwork?
First I need to find the right players to take the recording part in "Age of Slaughter" demo. But since "Age of Slaughter", tracks like "Puschtakk", "Timrot Ashan" and "Missionaries from the Abyss" were released, and I really love them, So I think that if will be a re-release of some of Eshet Lot materials, it will be a small compilation of these two active years, and not only the tracks from "Age of Slaughter". "Age of Slaughter" artwork was created by myself.


3.Is Eshet Lot still active?
Eshet Lot is less active now, but there are still tracks from the past that I want to finish and release, so it will be always alive and working.


4.Now about Sadistikus. How did you got the idea to form it, and if there was anyone else involved in it?
The idea was to form a new oldschool project in the new direction of my new material, morbid death metal. Same as in my past works, music and lyrics by me.


5.Tell us about the recordings! How did you recorded them? Are you satisfied with the demos? How was the response for the demos so far?
Recordings were in two locations: first was the kibbutz's cowshed, second My room for other finishes. The responses were few but positive, but expectations for a future recordings with full-line-up are still in the works. And same as in Eshet Lot – when I'll find the right players, the re-recording will be in process. I am satisfied with the demo and really enjoyed working on it as always.

6.Now about the scene in IsraHell: how is the scene in your opinion? What bands can you recommend us from the scene?
I hate most of the bands here, only few here playing oldschool and not modern shit. Same with crowd here, only few are waiting for the oldschool concerts which aren’t comes often.
Bands I recommend from the cuntry:
Promiscuity
Sonne Adam
Tangorodrim
Har
Kever
(not specific order)

7.Do you like any bands from Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova? If so, name some of them!
Well, Tormentor is one of my favorites in the black metal subgenre. Pure evil and insanity with killer riffs and solos.

8.Your top 10 all-time favourite albums are...?

  • Sarcofago – INRI
  • Sodom – In The Sign Of Evil
  • Poison – Into the Abyss
  • Possessed – Seven Churches
  • Hellhammer – Triumph of Death
  • Bestial Death – Suicide of the Immortal
  • Bathory – The Return
  • Necrovore - Divus de Mortuus
  • Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales
  • Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny

(not specific order)


9.What foods, drinks and such can you recommend us from your area?
Foods – Bamba is the best local munch, cheap and you can buy it anywhere.
Drinks – TUBI 60, Nesher, Bavaria 86 (not an Israhelli drink, but lovely beer) and Prigat.


10.Tell us about your future plans!(re-release some demos, perhaps signing with a label)
I can only say I am always working on new stuff non-stop and will stay creative anytime. As I said before about re-releases: when the right time will come & the right players will be found.


11.Some wise words for the ending!
PANTERA SUKKS


Some links:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sadistikus/1520791554838899 (Sadistikus on Fukkbook)
https://sadistikus.bandcamp.com/ (Sadistikus demo can be heard here)
http://eshetlot.bandcamp.com/ (Eshet Lot songs can be heard here)
https://www.facebook.com/eshetlot1 (Eshet Lot's Fukkbook page)