January 2013
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Currently trekking the road on their U.S.A. tour, hardcore metalheads Hatebreed have not only been road bound for the time being but have released their sixth album to date, "The Divinity of Purpose" as well. Guitarist Frank Novinec took some time while on tour to discuss how the tour is going and how the current album is going.


1. How has 2013 been going for you guys as a band so far?

Frank: It's a great time for the band. The new record just came out a few days ago. It's exciting for us and it's been a while since we've been out on tour so everything combined is just up there ya know.

2. The Divinity of Purpose is your sixth album to date, what run's through your mind?

Frank:  I think it's good to have been a successful band with the way everything is going currently with the industry, labels, record stores, to be able to be a successful band after 18 years, getting to tour the world, people enjoying our music, it's what it's all about really. We don't take this stuff for grated it's good to be still plugging away in 2013.

3. What was it about the genre "hardcore" that made you guys want to use this genre as your genre of choice?

Frank: Well it's just a kind of music and we all got into music at an early age. Eventually later on we got into the hardcore scene and fell into the metal scene too so the metal and hardcore scene is well balanced and keeping everyone else happy. We want to keep metal and hardcore fans happy.

4. It's been said that this album is a “all pit, no shit" release, how so?

Frank: We just wanted to go back to the basics with this record. Being a universal band using that flat out metal and hardcore scene we had experienced before as much as possible so for us bringing back the basics was a real challenge with this record. We wanted something fresh but to be a solid record from beginning to end. The response has been great so far, on the social networking websites all of the people telling us they liked every song on this record so it's going good. We're on tour right now, about to release our second single after releasing our first single that did so well so a lot of touring going on in the Hatebreed world and it's just been a pleasure and it's all coming together.

5. How is the current tour going for you guys?

Frank: Its going awesome. Touring with Shadows Fall and Dying Fetus having a good relationship with those guys has been fun and we've toured with them before so it's a good package. We're able to be that universal band of being able to have successful tours, playing with all sorts of bands amongst the scene and it's just going well.

6. What did you do to prepare yourselves for this tour?

Frank: Well I had food poison so we came home from Europe and 3 of the 5 of us had food poisoning so the preparing was us making us feel better. So coming off one tour to another we just have time to unpack, clean up, and pack again so no time to prepare really. I don't even prepare my bags until the day of when the flight is leaving, some rehearsal was done, just a lot of stuff going on all the way until December.

7. Why did you guys want to return to the small club scene on this particular tour?

Frank: Well it's a B-Market tour so we wanted to hit the places that we skipped or missed. So during the time we were touring with Lamb of God on our 10th Anniversary Tour, we played all of the major cities. So now we wanted to hit the smaller cities, to the people who really enjoy it and a cool way to promote the record and before the year is over we will be back in the major markets too.

8. How easy is it to keep the motivation going on a daily basis for Hatebreed?

Frank: Well at times you can get over it and not want to do this, no even after 18 years we still get along well and love to play. But having a new album out it has some fresh air for us to take in. We're a band that would do 300 shows a year and playing less at times now, being married and having kids we're still having fun.  As long as we're still here and have that demand we're not going anywhere anytime soon.

9. Is there any song that when you play it live on stage makes your adrenaline levels kick in and make you want to go hyper?

Frank: It's what a band is all about, that energy, the crowd participation, but the thing with us is that we don't have a setlist - we just go with whatever Jamey says so we have a second to remember that song and go from there. For the fans it's a beautiful thing because you get to hear different songs makes it fresh for us and keeps us on our feet.

10. When it comes to performing each and every night does the time stand still or does it fly by when performing?

Frank: It depends on how much I've drank before the show. I don't know, in Europe it seems we play long like an hour and 15 minutes, so with us having songs that are 2 minutes long an hour for us sounds good. For us if the rest of those 23 hours didn't turn out good but that one hour did then that's what it's all about for us.

11. Have you or would you consider bringing the other projects that Jamey Jasta has done, Kingdom of Sorrow and his solo project and Hatebreed altogether for a tour?

Frank: I don't think so. It's totally different and a total overkill on him. It's his own thing so I doubt it.
12. What are your plans for the rest of 2013?

Frank: A lot of touring, doing festivals over the summer, considering a second leg of this current tour, just a lot of things going on in the Hatebreed world.

13. Anything else you want to say to your fans?

Frank: Thank you for the interview, go check out our new album, we're happy and response has been great so we hope to see you out on the road soon!
3:34 PM
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Bloody-Disgusting is excited to bring you the exclusive music video premiere for Colorado thrash metal band Havok‘s “Point Of No Return”, which comes from their EP of the same name. The Roy Warner-directed video mixes performance footage of the band with real news clippings, many of which are graphic and violent in nature. Therefore, I feel it’s best to say that this video is NSFW (don’t want anyone to lose their jobs, y’know?)

Vocalist/guitarist Dave Sanchez says, “The lyrics of ‘Point of No Return’ are highly interpretable, but the message of the video pretty simple. The world as we know it is a delicate place and we have never had such a high capacity to destroy the human race as we do now. AT some point, our self-made concoction of nuclear/biological weaponry, ancient superstitious beliefs, nationalism, corruption, ignorance, and conflicting ideologies is going to become lethal: on a global scale. We live in a time like no other and it’s obvious that if we don’t change our behavior, its only a matter of time before the world is extinguished at the hand of fanatics. It’s literally within everyone’s power to leave the world a little nicer than we found it. Don’t believe everything you've been told: Think for yourself.”

Check out the video HERE.
11:11 AM
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Throw The Fight are excited to announce their new 4 song EP "The Vault" is coming out on Bullet Tooth on March 19! Hot off the heels of their latest album "What Doesn't Kill Us" (June 26, 2012) and touring with their friends in Nonpoint, these guys have no intentions of slowing down and are anxious to release this new UNRELEASED material!  CD and digital pre-orders and song samples will be launched soon.

TRACKLISTING:

01. Years Past
02. I Know
03. Breaking The Cycle
04. My Life In Your Hands


According to guitarist, Ryan Baustert, “It’s going to be good to get some more tunes out there for everyone to hear. These songs are tracks that we recorded prior to “What Doesn't Kill Us" and we've been saving them for a rainy day.”  Vocalist James Clark added, “The heart of the lyrics are about still having hope when the world seems against you. It's about seeing the big picture and understanding that you can't change the hand you have been dealt but you can make choices to change your outcome. No matter how difficult or hard some things seem, choose to change your own ending. It’s your story and you are the writer.”
10:52 AM
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Tooth & Nail recording artists, LOVE AND DEATH, have released a new music video for their single "The Abandoning". This track can be found on their just released record Between Here and Lost, available now. A new band spearheaded by former Korn guitarist "Head" Welch, LOVE AND DEATH offer up the kind of guttural, alt-metal Welch helped pioneer, drawing upon the emotional journey that led him to leave his wildly successful main gig, to focus on his faith and fatherhood.  LOVE AND DEATH will be hitting the road in late February to promote the new record along with TFK, find out where HERE.


10:48 AM
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Originating in March of 2009 Casket of Cassandra is a five piece Metalcore band from Concord CA. Consisting of lead vocalist Amanda Maddera, lead guitar player DJ Montanelli, rhythm guitar player Riley Olacsi, bass player Jake Ramsey, and drummer Chris Campanga. Casket of Cassandra has achieved several milestones over the past few years. The band has successfully completed two self booked west coast tours in 2010 and 2011 as well as produced and released several releases and are at it again with new material in-store and much more for this year alone!


1. Casket of Cassandra where does a name such as this come from and does it symbolize anything for the band?

Originally the band was just supposed to be a fun side project and then it turned into something a lot bigger, so we started to become more serious. The band name has no specific meaning behind it at all, really.

2. What type of band are you?

Although we’re known as a "metalcore" band It’s tough to classify us as any one kind of music. We love the metal and hardcore stuff, but we also love a lot of non-heavy music as well. And at times it seems like we’re so split down the middle of being a hardcore or a metal band that even fans who listen to that music all the time don’t quite know what to think of us.

3. Tell us the brief history of your band.

Amanda and Riley came together in 2009 wanted to create a sound that combined a lot of their favorite styles, and although we've had several member changes, everyone who has ever joined or left has made some sort of impact on the band. A year after the band had started, we went on our first tour after releasing our first EP (The Makings of a False Truth) in 2010, and then shortly after that, Nemesis Records took notice of us. We went on our second tour in the summer of 2011 and announced our signing with them, and a year later we released our full length album, “Embracing the Void” under Nemesis Records, then not long after the release, we went on our third tour this past summer.

4. Who writes the songs, what are they about?

We all have contribution to our songs, generally our guitarist Riley structures them and creates the full out come of the songs. We tend to write songs about all kinds of stuff. Some of our songs are about all kinds of past experiences and feelings, while some of them are even about movies, comics and video games.

5. Can you tell me about the song and video for "To Fear One's Self".

It’s a story about a girl who is struggling with life, and her only escape is the ocean. While she contemplates life and death she decides to just dive in and swim as far away as she can, however as she’s swimming, the waves are so overwhelming for he that she eventually drowns.

6. How about your single "Breathless" whats that song about? Will there be a video to follow it?

Breathless was the first song we wrote with our guitarist DJ after he had joined the band. The lyrics of the song are about the thought process of suicide and the struggle between the regret of your past and the will to continue. In the end of the song, the lyrics are “It’s not too late for me.” Which symbolizes the realization that you must go on. We all love our songs so much that it’s difficult to decide which ones we should do videos for; We’re always coming up with ideas for one.

7. How does your EP "The Makings of a False Truth" and "Embracing The Void", differ and compare to one another?

On the EP, we all just wanted to get our great ideas out there and produce a record to kinda show the world that we’re here and our peers better start taking us seriously. For “Embracing The Void”, we wanted to show that we have evolved as a band so much since we released our EP and that the only place for us to go from here is up. I’m sure on the next record we make, we’ll turn some heads in all kinds of ways all over again.

8. How would you describe the overall sound of the "Embracing The Void"?

Achieving the sound on this record was definitely a tough job to do. We recorded all of our stuff at Riley’s studio and since he has basically been the band producer since day one, he’s constantly gaining new skills and tricks with recording, and at times he can be a real stickler with making every little thing sound completely perfect. We've had to re-record all the Embracing the Void songs quite a few times because he’ll keep wanting to try something new on the song or change a part or add some sounds or textures and stuff, so it’s a little frustrating at times, but of course it’s definitely worth the headache. Haha.

9. How has the band’s sound evolved from "The Makings of a False Truth" to "Embracing The Void"?

During the release of the first record, we were struggling a bit to fit in with the scene we were in, because not only did our peers not know what our deal was, we didn't either. We were kinda still trying to figure out what kind of band we were. All we knew was that the music we were putting out was fun to play, fun to write and we were just excited to be doing what we’re doing. On our latest album, we feel like we've finally figured out the kind of band we are and have started to achieve the sound that reflects that.

10. Was your songwriting and recording process any different than usual for this CD?

A few of the songs on Embracing the Void were just re-recorded, better-sounding versions of our old songs, and some of the songs were total experiments, for example, one of our singles on the CD, “The Case of Sarah Scott” goes right into “Molotov Cocktail Party” which serves as a surprise because it’s much more melodic and a lot less heavy than what we usually play. Then right after that song is “Of Demonic Obsession” which is probably the heaviest song on the album. That sort of surprise contrast is something we've always wanted to have in an album.

11. What inspired the album title? Is it a concept album?

One reoccurring theme we've found in our lyrics is idea that something dies, whether it’s a person, a relationship, an idea, an emotion, there’s always something that dies in the song. The title “Embracing the Void” is about realizing that everyone and everything eventually ends, which can be both a negative thing and a positive thing depending on your perspective.

12. What are your expectations for the CD?

We just want people to listen to the music and hear our message because we believe there’s something positive to be taken from any of our songs, even the heavier, scarier, more brutal sounding
ones.

13. What are your dreams and goals?

Although most bands have their goals set to “make it” we just want to tour and be comfortable enough to not have a day job and do this for a living. We love what we do and hope to do it for a while.

14. You’re signed with Nemesis Records LLC. How did this happen and are you happy with the results?

We had applied to their annual Bay Area Metal Festival where they heard our music and had come to a few of our local shows before the event. Not long after, they had given us the offer and we took it. We absolutely love working with Nemesis Records, they have helped us in more ways than any other label could have.

15. Where are you in the recording process of the new material?

We have a lot of new ideas for our next album and we are hoping to be releasing some new material soon! Stay on your toes!

16. What are your upcoming tour plans?

In March we will be playing Hoeks Metal Festival in Austin Texas March 15th then we are hoping to go on a two week run in July as well as a short run in October.

17. How do you promote your band and shows?

We generally do an online promotion but we still love to do old school promotion such as flyering. We are looking toward getting a crew together to help promote in areas further away.

18. Describe your show, visual and musically for us.

We are very energetic; we love to feed off the crowds energy. We all are fans ourselves and know what we want to see from a live show. We love to interact with our fans and make them a part of our live performances; it’s not just up on the stage, it’s everyone in the crowd that is the show.

19. What advice would you give to fellow bands?

Our Advice would be to do music for all the right reasons. There isn't a whole lot of money in this industry, so if that’s all you’re looking for here, you might as well go home. You need to love what you do and when things get rough, don’t give up. Whether it’s touring, making a record, anything at all, if you want it bad enough, make it happen.
20. What inspires you to do what you do?

The love we have for music is what inspires us, and our fans are the ones that keep us going.
11:23 AM
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Chelsea Grin will be heading out on their new The Sick Tour 2 wit support from Attila, Betraying The Martyrs, Within The Ruins, Buried In Verona. Check out the dates below!

TOUR DATES:

March 9 – Salt Lake City, UT – In the Venue
March 10 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theatre
March 11 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre
March 12 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre
March 14 – San Antonio, TX – White Rabbit Festival
March 15 – Austin, TX – SXSW Artery Showcase
March 16 – Dallas, TX – South By So What
March 19 – Jacksonville, FL – Rock Bar
March 20 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum
March 22 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
March 23 – Cincinnati, OH – Thompson House
March 24 – Bloomington, IL – Castle Theatre
March 25 – Springfield, MO – Outland Ballroom
March 26 – Lubbock, TX – Jake’s
March 27 – El Paso, TX – TBD
March 28 – Phoenix, AZ – Nile Theatre
March 29 – Pomona, CA – Glasshouse
March 30 – Las Vegas, NV – Extreme Thing
3:20 PM
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The Decibel Magazine Tour is happening this summer, kicking off in Houston, TX on May 10th. It will feature the most amazing lineup of Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death and Immolation. Three bands will split opener duty, with Beyond Creation, Cretin and Magrudergrind each hopping on a leg of the tour.

TOUR DATES:

5/10 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
5/11 Dallas, TX @ Trees
5/12 San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
5/14 Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
5/15 Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
5/16 Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
5/17 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro
5/18 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
5/19 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
5/21 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
5/22 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Ballroom
5/23 Edmonton, AB @ Starlight Room
5/24 Regina, SK @ Riddell Centre
5/25 Winnipeg, MB @ The Garrick
5/26 St. Paul, MN @ Mill City Nights
5/28 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
5/29 Detroit, MI @ Harpos
5/30 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
5/31 Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
6/1 Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
6/2 Boston, MA @ Royale
6/4 New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place
6/5 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
6/6 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
6/7 Cleveland, OH @ Peabodys
6/9 St. Louis, MO @ Pops
6/11 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
6/12 Orlando, FL @ Beacham
3:17 PM
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The 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival dates have been released and includes a return to Toronto and the first time the tour rolls through Bangor, Maine and Austin, Texas. The 2013 lineup will be unveiled on March 18th. This is the first year that the festival will be moving to four stages: The Rockstar Energy Drink main stage, the Jagermeister Festival Stage, the Musician’s Institute Festival Stage and the Sumerian/Headbang for The Highway Stage. Tickets will be going on sale starting Friday March 22nd and March 23rd with details coming soon.

TOUR DATES:

6/29 San Bernardino, CA
6/30 Mountain View, CA
7/2  Nampa, ID
7/3 Auburn, WA
7/5 Phoenix, AZ
7/6 Albuquerque, NM
7/7 Denver, CO
7/10 Toronto, ON
7/12 Burgettstown, PA
7/13 Camden, NJ
7/14 Darien Center, NY
7/16 Mansfield, MA
7/17 Bangor, ME
7/19 Scranton,PA
7/20 Saratoga Springs, NY
7/21 Hartford, CT
7/23 Holmdel,NJ
7/24 Bristow, VA
7/26 Noblesville, IN
7/27 Tinley Park, IL
7/28 Clarkson, MI
7/30 Atlanta, GA
7/31 Tampa, FL
8/2 Austin, TX
8/3 The Woodlands, TX
8/4 Dallas, TX

Additional Dates To Be Announced
1:23 PM
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Rock n' roll is a way of life and Farewell, My Love has arrived carrying such a torch for their generation and future generations to follow them. Since having connected with a rabid audience known as "Lovers" since their 2011 EP debut "A Dance You Won't Forget" that featured previous vocalist Caleb Harbin taking control; the band had the misfortune of Harbin leaving the band - having new coming vocalist Ryan Howell take over bringing his own uniqueness and un-appealing-ness to the forefront that is Farewell, My Love.

Now that the band has gotten signed to Standby Records they have gotten pushed further to the front lines of the music scene, taking the side lines along such acts as My Chemical Romance, Escape The Fate, and even their label mates The Relapse Symphony and Whispers Of Wonder. With that said their follow-up EP release "Mirror, Mirror" had them go onto write and record 3 new songs, 1 cover of Bon Jovi's "It's My Life", and 1 acoustic re-do of the previous track "Just Another Soul". The new material featuring current title track single provides us with how and which direction Farewell, My Love plans to go here.

Ryan Howell does not do the best job as playing the role of being a vocalist, yes he has the mind set and ability no problem but he just does not bring it to the table for the band. Hence what Get Scared had done when Nicholas Matthews had first left the band, they moved on getting previous vocalist Joel Faviere and releasing a new EP, but did it do the band justice? I think not! They ended up welcoming back Nicholas Matthews to the band and now everything is better than ever before.

Thus Ryan Howell has nothing over what former vocalist Caleb Harbin had when he was with Farewell, My Love. Harbin brought that intense, gloomy, theatrical vibe that these guys were known for, now that he has departed the future looks bleak and slim for Farewell, My Love, or shall we say farewell to them.
11:30 AM
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The Grave Slaves present a sound that covers many spectrum's of the psychobilly, punk, rockabilly, and gothic scene. They took sometime off their hands to discuss their past, present, and upcoming activities they have in-store for 2013!


1.What type of band are you?

Gothabilly/psychobilly.

2. Can you tell us the brief history of your band?

Late '05 Jaysin Graves and original lead guitarist Daryl Mitchell started as jam sessions, then recruited Dan Labato on drums and Dez K Daver on upright bass. That lineup lasted a couple years until Dez moved to AZ, and Jaysin took a break. In' 08 Jaysin decided to revive the band, and found Sideshow for upright bass and shovel bass. After several member tryouts, we found Blood Sweat Brett on lead guitar and Johnny Nails on drums. Once our solid lineup was formed in '11 we started playing shows again. The rest is history in the making.

3. Who was the one to come up with the name for the band and why the name the Grave Slaves? What do you think it represents for you guys as a band?

Jaysin came up with the name when a show was coming up. Names were tossed around and Grave Slaves stuck as it represents how we are slaves in our own personal lives, and grave represents the dark feel of the music.  
           
4. Who writes the songs, what are they about?

Jaysin does the writing. Mostly fictional ideas from his demented mind, influenced by distorted memories of his youth.

5. Who are your musical influences?

Variety of genres led to the existence of the Grave Slaves. Consisting of '50s rock n roll, classic rock, punk, new wave and early country. Screaming Jay Hawkins, the Doors, Cramps, David Bowie, Stooges, and Depeche Mode to name a few. Brett likes to squeeze his metal influence whenever he can.
 
6. How do you describe your music to people?

Dark ghoulish rock n roll. Or how Sideshow words it "Horrorgothpunkabilly with outlaw bluestonk influence".

7. What image do you think your music conveys?

Haunted images of a grave slave world.

8. Are you looking for an independent label deal or a major label deal or do you enjoy the whole DIY trekk?

At the moment we enjoy the DIY, but if the opportunity arises it might be something to consider.

9. What inspired the album title? Is it a concept album?

It's a line from one of the songs that we felt represented the album as a whole.

10. What are your expectations for the CD?

To get our music out there with the objective of influencing more people into this type of genre.

11. What are your upcoming plans for playing shows?

To continue playing local shows, and eventually tour across the country and abroad to bring our music to our fans, and to gain a wider fan base.

12. How do you promote your band and shows?

Collaborated effort between Internet, word of mouth, and flyers.
   
13. Describe your show, visual and musically for us?

Dark theme with ghoulish attire.

14. What advice would you give to fellow bands who want to be in your shoes doing what you do?

Set goals and stick to them. There will be bumps in the road and obstacles, but don't let that discourage you.

15. What inspires you to do what you do?

Our fans, the ability to share our music with them.
10:44 AM
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Horror punk has stuck my interest since the days of listening to The Misfits and then newer generations like Calabrese which has lead me to The Grave Slaves and their release "Roam with the Dead". It's horror punk with psychobilly, rockabilly, and gothabilly all mixed together giving you a total glimpse into the afterlife all at once.

"Suicide", "Devil in Disguise", "Blood Red", "Crazy Psycho", and "Till Death", are the sum of the matter that truly matter on this release. Each tune has its own formula having good lyrics and good vibrations with each song. A lot of the material clearly being influenced by The Misfits if you hadn't taken notice already. It's an album that has a solid sound that sticks to the horror punk trek not really picking up on any other style genre at times. These guys can surly expand their variety of abilities and will likely do so on another release later on.

"Roam with the Dead" is one of those first glimpse releases that gives you an in-sight into how the band sounds and what they are capable of doing, these guys being quite able to stand a ground they can walk upon with every striding step.
11:24 AM
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Requiem for the Dead's "Memories" EP takes a step into a darker direction than their debut release had done. This time around the EP develops their musical ability on a much higher level expanding their writing, lyrical, and musical abilities in one single release.

"Poison Girl 1", "Ghost Of Winter", and "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight", are what sum up this release in how it's been expanded and developed into a more darker direction as far as material goes along with everything else. The vocal chords are in-depth having this mellow dramatic focus when listening in, whereas the instrumentals and lyrics go perfectly well with one another. Each adds its own continuation if you will having the music be a continual thing, never wanting to end.

This release goes in a direction like never before and it's clearly stated and shown when listening in, the band will continue to expand and develop their abilities as they grow with one another, capable of handling any written state of mind and instrumental force that drifts their way.
11:22 AM
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As a follow-up to their acclaimed 2011 full-length album "Tattered and Bound", Vancouver death metal band Abriosis  have been hard at work writing and recording for their new EP, "Vessel". But this time "Vessel" merges the disorienting waves of violence with an ever so thunderous pulse it's unstoppable.

"Vessel is what we have been working towards for years," comments Abriosis guitarist Taylor Lipton. "It's disorienting while holding down groove. Every song has its own face and personality. We are very proud of this release, and excited to see where it brings us!"

With that said, this release is packed with guitar riffs, growling vocal chords, thunderous drum beats, and crazy bass strides it makes the music ever so powerful. For example "Crypsis", "Peering Into Oblivion", and "Apochra", really provides the listener with such intensity it makes it heavier as each noted is played.

Whilst this is a short and sweet, EP it represents the latest evolution in the band’s signature progressive death metal sound.
11:20 AM
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Mattel's Monster High line had first introduced us to the ghouls pet's in a small way having miniature figures of the pets come with the dolls and then later a small portion of plushies of the ghouls with pets was brought out. But the pet's themselves haven't really been seen much since. But while browsing online it lead me to this website called Azumeo. Which itself had an array of Monster High products including 3 pet plushies, Crescent, the cat, Watzit, the dog, and Count Fabulous the Bat. Their owners of course being, Frankie, Clawdeen, and Draculaura. The plush pets are 18 inches in length and cost 14,60 € tax incl. Perhaps the U.S. will see these plushies at a later time.

Warzit the Dog - Frankie Stein

Crescent the Cat - Clawdeen Wolf

Count Fabulous the Bat - Draculaura
3:25 PM
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Occult, black metal band, Lightning Swords Of Death, recently completed a bleak, new video for the title track from Baphometic Chaosium. This is the band's first ever music video and was directed by co-founder and lead vocalist, Autarch (aka the metal illustrator, Farron Loathing). The project, which also marks Autarch's directorial debut, is the result of a partnership between Farron Loathing and Mortichrome Films. It is described by its creator as "a psycho-dramatic interpretation of the Mass of Chaos and the invocation of Baphomet as performed by a collective of ritual performance artists." Check out the video for Baphometic Chaosium over on Decibel Magazine's deciblog: http://www.decibelmagazine.com.
1:05 PM
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Rock n' Roll should be larger than life. Rock stars are superheroes who take the stage propelled by a pomp and circumstance rivaling the royalty of old. They adopt fantastical personas that enrapture an audience, transporting participants away from their every day struggles and problems into a world of freedom and possibility.

Mirror, Mirror the band's debut EP will be released February 19th. Today Absolute Punk is hosting an exclusive stream of the single and title track "Mirror, Mirror". Check it out HERE. In addition the band has unveiled the artwork and tracklisting for Mirror, Mirror.

FAREWELL, MY LOVE has arrived carrying the torch aloft for a new generation hungry for the power, energy and magnetic combustibility inherent in the best rock. The five young men of FAREWELL, MY LOVE have come together to share their individual hardships, triumphs and passions through a collective vehicle. They've taken the sum total of the lives they've lived thus far and fashioned them into a unique weapon to hand over to their audiences for the mutual uplifting of all involved.

The conceptual artistry and theatricality of My Chemical Romance, the reckless danger and skillful musicianship of Avenged Sevenfold, the dark mystique and anthem-inducing sing-alongs of AFI and the brash experimentalism and attitude of 30 Seconds to Mars are all components that have a home in the FAREWELL, MY LOVE manuscript. With forceful determination and wonderfully soaring grandiosity, Farewell, My Love put a unique spin on theatrical hard rock with utmost dedication.

Standby Records was proud to ink a deal with the band and put them into Cleveland, Ohio's Studio D Productions with producer Don Debiase, who has worked with Modern Day Escape, Beneath the Sky and For All Those Sleeping. The resulting debut full-length and EP feature the kind of music that is sure to skyrocket the young quintet.

Ryan Howell's intense and diverse vocals sit atop the heavy, precise and melodic guitar work of Röbby Creasey and Logan Thayer, all ably backed by the percussive but tasteful rhythm section of bassist Charlee Conley and drummer Chad Kowal. Additional instrumentation, including string arrangements and bells, bolster the band's guitar-driven rock, adding to the artistic atmosphere on display throughout.

A band with many dimensions from their music, to their lyrics, their stage show, their videos, their image and their concepts, FAREWELL, MY LOVE present true emotion, authentic passion and pour their hearts and souls into everything they do. FAREWELL, MY LOVE aspires to nothing less than to be a hill of hope in the flood of life.

TRACKLISTING:

1) Mirror, Mirror
2) My Perfect Thing
3) Skip the Memories
4) It's My Life
5) Just Another Soul (Acoustic)

TOUR DATES:

2/15: Phoenix, AZ, @ The Nile Theater
2/17: Salt Lake City, UT @ Shred Shed
2/19: Boise, ID  @ The Venue
2/20: Hermiston, OR  @ The Grimm Den
2/21: Seattle, WA  @ El Corazon  
2/26: San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Dynord
2/28: Los Angeles, CA  @ Amplyfi
3/2: San Diego, CA  @ Across the Street
3/3: Tucson, AZ  @ The Rock
1:02 PM
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New Orleans, LA natives Goatwhore will be embarking on their first tour of 2013 this April. The co-headline tour begins in on April 11th in Kamloops, BC with one of Canada's finest metal exports, 3 Inches of Blood! The tour will swing back into the states for shows in the Midwest and on the east coast, including an appearance at New England Metal and Hardcore Fest XV. At the end of April, supporting acts Revocation and Ramming Speed will complete the lineup. The confirmed list of shows can be seen below.



TOUR DATES:

3 INCHES OF BLOOD and GOATWHORE Co-headline tour:

04/10 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre (Goatwhore ONLY)
04/11 Kamloops, BC @ Level Night Club
04/12 Calgary, AB @ Gateway
04/13 Edmonton, AB @ Avenue Theatre
04/14 Regina, SK @ Exchange
04/15 Winnipeg, MB @ The Zoo Cabaret
04/16 Eau Claire, WI @ House Of Rock
04/17 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
04/18 Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups
04/19 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
04/20 Worcester, MA @ Palladium / New England Metal Fest
04/21 Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Electriques
04/22 Quebec City, QC @ L'Agitee
04/24 Charlottetown, NB @ Hunter's Ale House
04/25 Fredericton, NB @ Lava Vodka Bar
04/26 Moncton, NB @ OC Nightclubv
04/27 Halifax, NS @ Michael's

GOATWHORE and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD w/ Revocation and Ramming Speed:

04/28 Bucksport, ME @ The Kave
04/29 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
04/30 Burlington, VT @ Nectar's
05/01 Middletown, NY @ Sounds Asylum
05/02 Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
05/03 Toronto, ON @ Opera House
05/04 Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class*
*no Revocation
12:54 PM
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WRETCHED have taken the underground world by storm, unveiling their new take on old school thrash. Combining elements of heavy, tech-death, European and melodic metal, this five-piece act has proven to crowds that they are a force in the metal community. They are more ready than ever to deliver a real headlining set throughout the Southeast starting today, January 25th in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before joining SOILWORK, JEFF LOOMIS, BLACKGUARD and more on a seventy-one city journey throughout North America. WRETCHED will show off a brand new set list that will include songs and instrumentals from their last three albums. Come prepared to have your face shredded off! Guitarist, John Vail comments, “Crowds can expect a high energy, in your face, fast-paced performance. We're playing first so we've got to set the tone of excellence and brutality.”

TOUR DATES:


Headlining Tour Dates:
1/25- Winston-Salem, NC @ Ziggy’s
1/26- Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
1/27- Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
1/29- Jacksonville, FL @ Brewsters Pit
1/30- Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
1/31- Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
2/01- Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music Hall
2/02- Fort Worth, TX @ Tomcasts West
2/03- Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog Bar
2/04- San Antonio, TX @  The White Rabbit
2/05- Oklahoma City, OK @ The Chameleon Room
2/06- Fayetteville, AR @ NWA Showcase Theater
2/07- St. Louis, Mo @ Fubar
2/09- Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
2/10- Fayetteville, NC @ The Drunk Horse Pub
3/03- Calgary, AB @ Republik w/ BLACKGUARD
3/08- West Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern

w/ SOILWORK, JEFF LOOMIS, BLACKGUARD and more!
3/12- West Springfield, VA @ Empire
3/13- Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
3/14- Albany, NY @ Bogie's
3/15- New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theater
3/16- Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
3/17- Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus
3/18- Quebec City, QC @ Union Commerciale
3/19- Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
3/20- Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
3/21- Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
3/22- Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
3/23- Westland, MI @Token Lounge
3/24- Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
3/25- Joliet, IL @ Mojoes
3/26- Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's
3/27- St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
3/28- Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theatre
3/29- Regina, SK @ The Exchange
3/30- Calgary, AB @ Dickens
3/31- Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
4/01- Prince George, BC @ The Generator
4/02- Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
4/03- Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
4/04- Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
4/05- San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
4/06- Hollywood, CA @ Whisky A Go Go
4/07- Tempe, AZ @ Rocky Point Cantina
4/08- Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
4/09- Las Vegas, NV @ Las Vegas Country Saloon
4/11- Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
4/12- Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theater
4/13- Kansas City, MO @ The Beaumont Club
4/14- St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird
4/15- Dallas, TX @ Trees
4/16 San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
4/17- Lubbock, TX @ Jake's
4/18- Abilene, TX @ Lucky Mule
4/19- Odessa, TX @ Dos Amigos
4/20- El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls
4/21- Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog  Bar
4/22- Corpus Christi, TX @ House Of Rock
4/23- McAllen, TX @ Geo's
4/24- Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
4/26- St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theater
4/27- Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live
4/28- Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
4/29- Richmond, VA @ Kingdom
4/30- Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
5/01- Teaneck, NJ @ Mexicali Live
5/02- Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance Theater
5/03- Buffalo, NY @ Broadway Joes
5/04- Columbus, OH @ Al Rosa Villa
5/05- London, ON @ Music Hall
5/06- Syracuse, NY @ Station 58
5/07- Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
12:23 PM
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Death metallers Vermin says "that the human race is a plague and a virus. Constantly multiplying and ravaging it's environment, depleting all resources until what is left scarcely resembles what once was, then moving along to the next host. We have come to realize that we are nothing but insignificant peons among a throbbing mass of infectious life. We are Vermin, and so are you."
1. What type of band are you?

Death Metal. I think any sub-classification beyond that is unnecessary, but if I had to say something I'd say we're more "old school" death metal than anything else. We're not super technical, and focus more on songwriting, lyrics, and overall heaviness, than overt technicality.

2. Tell us the brief history of your band.

Well, Marissa Marquez (drums) and I used to be in a band called Excruciating Torment back in '05-'06. A few years later after playing with a few different bands I got the chance to play with Marissa again when her and a mutual friend asked if I was interested in starting something new. The 3 of us, including Xavier Figueroa (guitar), started Vermin in late 2008. Fernando Alvarez (bass) actually initially auditioned to be the vocalist but ended up taking the bass position when our first bassist quit in the early stages of the band. Chris Mellon (vocals) came on board after we put out an open call on MySpace for anyone who could do "real" death metal vocals and not just pig squeals and screams which was really prevalent at the time. He was only 16 at the time, which made us pretty skeptical, but when he came to audition we were all blown away by how fucking brutal he sounded. The 5 of us set out to make more traditional, "real" death metal than what was going on around us at the time. We are from a really small community on the border of Southern California and Mexico, and there were a ton of deathcore and screamo bands around at the time. We were the only people we knew who liked death metal so it made sense that we were in a band together. David Padilla came on board and took my spot when I left the band in 2010, and has stayed on in place of Xavier since our reunion in 2012. After the breakup, Marissa, Xavier, and Chris all moved to Glendale, AZ while Fernando and I stayed behind. It's made it difficult to move forward but we all missed the band so much we decided to give it another shot.

3. Who are your musical influences?

As a band I think our common influences are pretty prevalent in our music. Cattle Decapitation is one of our biggest influences as far as an overall aesthetic, meaning our lyrics and overall direction, and our sound comes from kind of a mixture of Dying Fetus, Suffocation, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse. On an individual level, our influences vary pretty far on the musical spectrum. I personally am influenced by more by an aesthetic than any particular sound. I enjoy really big, chordy, evil sounding stuff, like Behemoth, Nile and even some black metal like Emperpr and new bands like Fallujah. Chris is a huge Pantera fan. Fernando loves Vital Remains and Deicide. Marissa I think is closest to our core influences, Cattle Decap, Dying Fetus, Cephalic Carnage etc.. but she has also been a HUGE Slipknot fan for as long as I can remember.
I guess those are our influences sonic-ally, at least from my perspective.

4. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)

Our songs have a pretty simple and constant message throughout. Human beings are horrible, horrible creatures. This is a very general and broad statement. Beauty and goodness exist in every aspect of humanity, but mostly on an individual level. On a wider scale, humanity is the worst thing that ever happened to the planet earth. People are disgusting, stupid, and violent, and nothing exists in nature to rival the absolute heinousness of humanity. The 5 songs on our EP are written somewhat as "Variations on the Apocalypse" which is a phrase we threw around for awhile. They're about the different ways the world could end and how it'd be our own fault. The song Wartorn is about a worldwide genocide based somewhat on the idea of extreme nationalism and religious fervor. The idea that "my beliefs and my country are better than yours, you are below me, and I will kill you". The song One Good Reason poses the question "Why shouldn't I kill you? If the entire world was on the verge of apocalypse.. why should I wait? Give me a good reason not to destroy you." Can you honestly think of a GOOD reason why you DESERVE to be alive? It's a tough one.


5. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)

Yes, the 5 songs on "You All Deserve to Die" were all written by me. I actually wrote the brunt of the material as far back as 2007, and they were just songs I had laying around waiting for the right project. When the band started I basically said, "Ok, here's our first demo. Learn it." Dilution was actually the only song of the 5 which was written AFTER the band was formed, and had any input from the other members. When I say I wrote all the material I mean strictly from a musical standpoint. I would record guitars over some programmed drums on my own in my room, and later send that to Marissa who would modify the simple drum parts I had put on there. Chris wrote most of the lyrics, with some input from myself and the rest of the band.

6. How do you sell your CD’s/Audio Files?

As far as sales go... we're still about as underground as it gets. We have no label or distribution, and our music goes as far as we're able to promote it. When we recorded "You All Deserve to Die" we intended to do a small production run of legitimate CD's with cover art and packaging, but that never happened. We normally sell burned CD's at our shows for a dollar or two, with a nice Vermin sticker for your Trapper Keeper. It's more about getting our name up and getting our songs out than making any money. Our entire EP is available for download for free on our Facebook page.


7. Have you recorded any previous CDs or posted any audio files on the Internet?

We actually recorded a horrible version of You All Deserve to Die with shitty microphones in Marissa's bedroom in the first few months of the band's existence, and that was available on our MySpace for like 10 minutes before we were so ashamed of it we actually got our asses in gear and paid someone who knew what they were doing.

8. Can you tell me about your release "You All Deserve To Die".

You All Deserve to Die is our only release to date. We recorded it over the 4th of July weekend in 2009 in Brea, CA with Adam Campbell of The Funeral Pyre, who I came to know a few years before through a mutual friend. He let us stay in his house while we recorded the whole thing in 2 days. It was a lot of fun for us and was a really cool experience. I performed both guitar parts on this recording, as Xavier had left the band at this point. Also notably, Marissa recorded all of her tracks in one take. It was intended to be our first legit demo and to be used for promotion, as most venues and promoters want to hear your band before they work with you. It's the first step in a lot of bands' journeys. You have to have a demo.

9. Who was the one who designed the album artwork and what does it represent?

The cover art for YADTD was actually created by Alex Hoffman of Fallujah, (www.facebook.com/fallujahofficial ) one of my favorite bands at the moment. He does a lot of graphic design work under the moniker Cypher Visual. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cypher-Visual/256337117753250). The idea was to have a vast landscape of horror. Just a sea of bodies and death and sadness. It was something of our take on humanity. A sea of writhing bodies, eating and fucking and swarming and dying. The idea actually came from a scene in Exorcist: The Beginning (2004).

10. In 2012 you had a reunion show, what happened prior that made you all put this particular show together.

The reunion came to fruition kind of on accident. Marissa and Xavier had been living together in Glendale for a few months, and the band had been broken up for over 2 years... when Marissa started talking with a local promoter at some show she was at and mentioned that she was in a band. She neglected to mention that we hadn't seen each other or played together in 2 years... but when he asked if she was interested in playing a show, she called us up and the stars kind of aligned  Fernando has a wife and child now, and I work 2 jobs, but we happened to be free that weekend so we decided it'd be fun to do a one-off show. When we started to announce the "reunion show" online through social media, we actually got way more of a response than we ever expected. We started getting more interest than we ever had when we were really together, and offers for more shows started POURING in. We decided it'd be fun to do a couple shows a year when we could... and when it was something worth our time, and it has kind of snowballed from there.

11. Describe your show, visual and musically for us.

At this point, we're pretty low key. Simplicity is actually kind of our thing. No gimmicks, just metal. We don't dress up on stage or have any lights or pyro. It's kinda just straightforward and blunt like our music. I've been told our live performances are kind of punishing.. even sort of uncomfortable. I've taken to talking a lot in between songs actually, and most of my onstage candor is pretty misanthropic. I like to tell everyone how much we hate them and basically insult and degrade our audience as much as possible. This is art, and our message is clear. We are VERMIN, and so are you. We're not here to have a good time or for you to have fun. We just happen to enjoy it.

12. What image do you think your music conveys?

I think I've described that pretty thoroughly in my responses to the previous questions, but essentially, we are a nihilistic, misanthropic, death metal band. We believe that humanity holds no intrinsic value, and that as a whole, the entire species is a plague upon the earth, and that we ourselves are no different. We are all living, breathing scum.

13. What advice would you give to fellow bands?

I try not to care what other bands do with themselves. Not everyone has the same perspective about their music as I do, or that Vermin does. Some people just want to have fun playing in a band, no matter what that means. If their music is meaningless and their intention is to blow the fuck up and get famous, then great. More power to you. Personally, however; I have a very specific vision and tend to choose wisely what we do and say as a band. My bandmates get frustrated with me sometimes but I tend to control what we put out on social media, who we choose to work with, and what we present publicly, because Vermin is an artistic expression for me, and it means a lot to me.

I suppose if I were to give some general advice, it would be don't be afraid to talk to people. Promote the shit out of your band. Don't expect things to just happen for you. Find local promoters and tell them who you are. Give them a demo. Don't ask for favors but get your name out there. Don't ask to get put on a certain show just because that one famous band is on it. Take baby steps and when it's your turn, you'll get yours if you deserve it. You'll go as far as you're willing to sacrifice for.


14. How do you describe your music to people?

It's hard to describe death metal to anyone who isn't already a fan... but when I tell people what we sound like, I usually try to make it sound as horrible as possible. Horror novels and movies are art that depict morbidity through sight and through imagination. They make the viewer and the reader uncomfortable using graphic and frightening imagery. Our music is the sonic equivalent of a horror movie. We describe death and horror through the use of sound. It's not meant to be soothing or enjoyable. It's brutal and uncomfortable and scary. We are not one-dimensional beings. Terror and death and hatred are part of life, and our music reflects that.

15. What do you have planned for 2013?

Well, since our "return" last year, things have kind of been snowballing. We've played some of our biggest shows ever in the last year, and next month, we were lucky enough to land a spot opening for one of our favorite bands and biggest influences, CATTLE DECAPITATION, on Feb.09th at SOMA in San Diego. We're super excited for that. It's been a long time since we've released any new material, so I think that's going to become priority #1 for 2013. A new album by the end of the year.

16. Anything else you want to say or add?

Fuck everyone. We are VERMIN and SO ARE YOU.
12:13 PM
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During the fall of 2012 4 piece pop punk act, Take Steady Aim from Los Angeles, California had formed. They have had their cards even crappy one's dealt their way and have made the best of it. They go on to say that "We are overly optimistic and have the greatest time just making music that relates to the people who need it the most. To inspire the un-inspired" is our motto! They have brand new material in-store and showcases lined up and just so much more! These are the guys to watch out for that's for sure!


1. How did you come together?
             


Well I started the band in October 2009 as a side project. It took off after I parted ways with my last band (Cover What You Can) and wanted to try the same style of music only this time with a different formula. I met Brandon Peters (ex Scream The Dream) through mutual friends and had the idea of having 2 vocalist/guitars with no lead singer. Instantly I knew this guy had his heart in the right place and wanted this as badly as I did. Adam Genie (Bass) was playing in CWYC and minutes into meeting him he was my number one pick to play music with, So much energy and Style. Ryan Gore (drums) was the last piece to this collage, till this day I have never seen so much dedication, creativity and friendship from anyone. This band is entirely based on that.

2. Take Steady Aim is the band's name but where does a name like that come from and mean?

We get that a lot haha. Take Steady Aim was the name of the first song I wrote when I was 18 years old. I won't say what the name means and probably never will. Mainly because I love when a new person asks and I tell them a different story every time just to mess with them.

3. What are your songs about? Do you write your own songs?
   
Yes, everything is original. It always depends really because I always try to relate my own        experiences while at the same time focusing on relations with others. When I was younger I looked to music for help when it wasn't offered anywhere else. Now we have a chance to be on the other side of the table.

4. What type of band would you say you guys are in 1 word?

Supportive (either that or Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious).

5. Why did you pick "Accidentally on Purpose" as your single?
 
 The song has so depth as well as energy. It was also the first song off the EP which sets the tone of everything. We are all ecstatic about this song and it’s sends such a great message out there.

6. Do you plan to make a music video for that song?
 
 Indeed so, we are actually shooting for it in a week or so with the help of Orlando Caceres (Hollow Door Productions) and Chris Hannaford. Orlando shot a video for a band i was in before and it came out amazing. He so talented at what he does and makes working on something of this stature fun and not awkward whatsoever. Chris hosts his own Online Webisode and has remarkable ideas. Both minds together would definitely give the video what it would need to show everyone what our band is made of.

7. Tell me about the song "Accidentally on Purpose".
   
So many people are living a second life. Meaning everyone still has their dream on the back burner while working a job that leads to nowhere they want to be. If they are, then they are lucky but for others it’s a case of either being scared or not have the full enough faith on making it a full time deal. Of course be responsible and handle your personal life but don’t lose sight of being what you wanted to be. There is this one line in the verse that’s says.

“I’ll take my time just to figure out, so I'll never doubt or comprehend what I'm doing this for a struggle towards a sense of hope even if it kills me". My message this song represents is do what makes you happy and if you fail, so what. At least you failed doing what you love the most.

8. Where are you in the recording process of the new EP?

We are in the coming to a close on the completion of the EP. Some main kinks here or there but its all coming down to the singing. Brandon and I are spending the next few weeks tracking vocals which are our favorite part because it’s the best way we could express ourselves. After I'm done writing lyrics we split the parts in half and taking turns on our parts but never setting it in stone till we are there to have more fun with it.

9. Who is producing the EP?

Alex Parker is our main squeeze. He is our favorite guy to work with due to his Childish Jokes, Infinite Patience and most importantly making sure we have this sound as best as we can while not compromising how we want this to sound. Wes Spero and Rane Matthews have helped us track vocals and won’t let anything less than our best stay on a track. They help so much and give us more confidence in what we do.

10. Where are you recording the EP?
   
 Music is tracked at Alex Parkers House Studio in North Hollywood. It has a great relaxed feel to it which lets gives us the comfort and stress free environment to track Drums, Guitar and Bass. Vocals are tracked in Simi Valley with Wes and Calabasas with Rane.


11. How would you describe the overall sound of the new EP?

Taking the Melodies from Pop Punk and the Aggressiveness of Hardcore and meeting it somewhere half way. Every song is energetic and just makes you want to move around or punch a baby in the face.

12. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this EP?

We wanted to write music we love playing and not music to please anyone. We wanted to have as much freedom to do what we wanted to do without placing restrictions on ourselves due to constricts of certain Genres.

13. Are you using any new instrumentation you've never used in the recording process before?

Yes, we are using some Synth and I think a Triangle was used in one part haha.

14. When did you start writing for this EP?
   
It’s hard to pinpoint. I had some ideas written for a long time now but just as ideas while i was playing with other bands with the thought of "hey if I ever start my own band this would definitely be a song. It didn't take full effect till fall 2012.

15. How is/will the vibe in the studio?

 Fun and Goofy. Though we take tracking seriously and make every minute count we don't want to stress out too much and end up being angry about certain things we have no control over. The engineers make this a blast though.

16. When can we expect the new album to be released?
   
Spring!!! We wanted to build a time machine and go back 12 years and redefine Pop Punk as we know but we are still working on that haha!

17. The plans that Take Steady Aim has planned for 2013 is what, where, and why?

Setting no limitations on anything we do. We are aiming for Warped Tour, Bigger shows, putting out a Full Length and Touring as much as possible. Leaving no stone unturned.  We never want to be that band who says they really want this yet never do what’s necessary on taking it to the next step. We have no roadblocks.

18. Anything else you want to say to your fans?
   
Help is there to anyone who seeks it. Collectively we have all been through our own share of hard times. Best we can do is write a song to help you get from Point A to B. If you see us at a show feel free talk to us we are the friendliest guys ever. We have no egos or attitudes and willing to talk to anyone. If you can’t afford tickets or merch we will cut a deal, want a certain song played we will make it happen. We are doing this FOR YOU and we won’t lose sight of that. Stay strong and Never Lose That Heart of Gold.
10:44 AM
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Chariots of the Gods is straight up, balls to the walls, in your face Heavy Metal. With blistering solos, gripping melodies & harmonies, rioting vocals and drums that just won’t quit, this is what it's all about. So guitarist Dimitri Gervais discussed the band's latest release and so much more!


1. What type of band are you?

Dimitri: CHARIOTS OF THE GODS is a 5-piece, that being RENAUD JOBIN on vocals, MATHIEU ST-AMOUR on guitar, DIMITRI GERVAIS (myself) on guitar, RICH O'NEIL on drums and PAYAM DORYANI on bass. We're a metal band from Ottawa, Canada, and our music can be qualified as ''Melodic Death-core Thrash'', even though to us it’s a much bigger blend of different musical styles.

2. Tell us the brief history of your band.

Dimitri: We've been around since 2007, touring and paying our dues. The band initially had former guitarist Chris C. and bassist Chris C in the lineup. We went in the studio in 2010 to record our first EP called “Reverence”. Chris M. then left for personal reasons, so we recruited Payam (bass) from another local band. Not long after that, Chris C. also had to leave, so, since I was a longtime friend of the band, I stepped in on guitar. We played MORE shows, practiced real hard and recorded our first full-length album “TIDES OF WAR”, which is going to be released on January 29, 2013!

3. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Dimitri: ''Chariots of the Gods?'' is a book written by Erich von Däniken, talking about the hypothesis that the technologies and religions of many ancient civilizations were given to them by ancient astronauts who were welcomed as gods. It's one of the many late-night-discussion topics that we were always interested in talking about.  You know,these conspiracy theories and all... Freaky cool stuff lol. Mat and Chris (previous bass player) came out with the name. You can also tie many of our lyrical themes to that concept.

4. How did you come together?

Dimitri: Quite funny, but back in the days, Mat and former guitar player Chris C. got together because they wanted to write a song about their common friend’s humongous penis. Little did they know that this friend would become the band’s first bass player!

5. You guys have a unique sound, which bands would you say influence you the most?

Dimitri: IN FLAMES is a big influence of ours. You can hear lots of TRIVIUM and AS I LAY DYING in the blend as well, and also some vocal elements from bands like AUGUST BURNS RED and UNDEROATH. Of course, there are bands like CHILDREN OF BODOM, NORTHER, ANNIHILATOR.

6. Who writes the songs, what are they about?

Dimitri: As far as the music is concerned, the riffs and the song's structures are from Mat (guitar) for the most part. He's nonetheless always very open about us throwing ideas and making suggestions. He also wrote about half of the album's lyrics, the rest being Renaud's (vocals). In the future, Renaud intends to write more. The album's concept, the ''tides of war'', gave us a theme that was large enough to build songs upon. In each song you can find this theme; this ongoing battle that comes and goes, humanity’s need for war, throughout history or personal conflict.

7. How does it feel to have your debut release completed and out for everyone to hear?

Dimitri: It's actually a pretty good feeling, because when you spend so much time and effort on a thing like this, you loose your objectivity towards the product along the way, and so having people's feedback really helps in reassuring ourselves that we made the right decisions.

8. What was the inspiration for the album name "Tides of War"?

Dimitri: Like I said before, the album's main inspiration is this sort of humanity's need for war. Mat brought it up, and he's a real history maniac. He has a HUGE collection of books and movies, and he's that guy that knows more stuff than anybody else. Him being the main writer, it made total sense that we went in that direction.

9. Tell me about the song "Tides of War".

Dimitri: This is one of the songs on which Mat wrote both the music and the lyrics. The lyrical concept of the song is the story of a beaten/lost warrior, fighting himself and the elements, regaining his strength and marching on back to war ; a war he must fight alone against the Gods.

10. What are your expectations for this CD?

Dimitri: We're hoping that ''TIDES OF WAR'' is going to open more doors and show our progress, determination and that we're a force to be reckoned with, to promoters, the press and the people in the business. We'd like to get more intensively into touring, and that's always the best promotion you can make. There's nothing more effective than spitting some vocals at someone's face at a live show! Meeting new people and discovering new places is always a big thrill.

11. How many band t-shirts including your own bands are in your personal collection?

Dimitri: There was a time when I used to wear bands t-shirts ONLY, but now I don't know, I feel like I'm somewhere else in life, you know haha? I have a few bands t-shirts, but I'm a bit picky about them; I kinda prefer the classic rock or punk rock/rockabilly ones. I have a Ramones t-shirt that I really dig. I must admit that I don't even wear my own band's t-shirts!

12. What type of daily attire can you be caught in, casual wear or the band t-shirt and jeans combo or neither?

Dimitri: First off, I won't leave the house without my pair of Converse Chucks! I've been wearing the classic black ones pimped out with black laces for years; I must be up to my sixth pair or something! I dress in a pretty casual way that usually consists of dark jeans, long sleeve shirts and plain t-shirts. Most of my wardrobe is either black or grey.

13. What is your favorite type of mosh pit, circle pits, wall of death, or typical pushing and shoving?

Dimitri: I myself am not much of a pit guy; I'm that dude in the back that listens, watches and analyzes the show. But from a performer's perspective, all these things that crowds do are great, because it shows in its purest form their love for the music, and that they're actually having a good time. I must admit that a wall of death is something really special though, because it's some kind of energy build up waiting to get unleashed. We also had the crowd to bounce, and that was pretty wicked.


14. What are your upcoming plans for 2013?

Dimitri: More touring, of course, and eventually, even though that's probably not going to happen in 2013, record another album. We've got ideas floating around and we're toying with new riffs. We also have another video idea in the works.

15. Anything else you want to say to your fans?

Dimitri: Thanks for reading this interview, and keep coming at the live shows! You can also download FOR FREE our first single on Viinyl at http://chariotsofthegods.viinyl.com, and pre-order the album and buy merchandise on Bandcamp at http://chariotsofthegods.bandcamp.com. After the release, you can check us out on iTunes and a bunch of online stores. There's also going to be our own online store at http://www.chariotsofthegods.net
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