Tag Archives: interview

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With BLOTTER

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with BLOTTER.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

BLOTTER: We are BLOTTER! We’re an American rock and roll band from Newport and Manteo, North Carolina. Currently, we consist of three core members: Timmy Pollock, lead and rhythm guitar. Trey Bennett, lead and rhythm guitar. And Jimbo Wainwright, bass guitar. Between the three of us we all share lead and backup vocal duties. BLOTTER is a family affair because we are actually all cousins! We’ve all been performing together for a little over 10 years, and have released one EP, and two full length albums.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

BLOTTER: We are huge fans of bands like KISS, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Pantera, Dio, the list goes on and on! We draw out a lot of different aspects of bands like that to form our own unique songs. KISS is a big one for us just based on their energy they put out playing live. They always give 100% every single night they play, and that’s something we try to emulate. Van Halen also influences us a lot with our singing. Think of all those badass back-up vocals that made their songs really pop. We utilize a lot of that sort of thing in our songwriting.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

BLOTTER: Our newest album is entitled “New Horizon” which we just released on March 1st. This album was a milestone for us because it’s our first record that features material contributed by all members of the band. There is a more diverse group of songs on this record than most bands try to do. Vocal harmonies, breakdowns, heavier songs, slower songs; the sound on this album can span a few decades, so there’s a little bit for everyone on this record!

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

BLOTTER: People can expect us to give it our all every show! We try to keep the energy high, and make people feel like they can forget their problems, and just enjoy themselves for a little while. That’s what it’s all about! We’ve also been known to get theatric with fog machines, smoke bombs, and fireworks. Whatever it takes to make it a memorable show.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

BLOTTER: Currently we’re working on building up our catalog with new music. Recording sessions for a new acoustic album are about to begin, and we have plans for another album to be started later this year! In the next few years the plan is to establish ourselves as a regularly touring band, and to build a road team to help us realize our vision. There’s always lots of work to be done, but we’re ready to keep the ball rolling; the future is ours for the taking!

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With Lieder Distortion

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Lieder Distortion.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

LIEDER DISTORTION: We are a Symphonic Opera-rock band. The unique thing is that we don’t just sound opera-influenced, but all the music we play is old opera arias and classical music. So we don’t really write music, but rearrange music by Mozart, Vivaldi, Schubert, etc.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

LIEDER DISTORTION: Our biggest influences are the composers we perform. Mozart, Vivaldi, Schubert, Schumann and more… but also our heroes in indie pop, alternative rock, shoegaze and Metal. Einstürzende Neubauten, Broder Daniel, Ride, Myrkur, The Cure And Therion.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

LIEDER DISTORTION: Se il cor guerriero, an aria from the opera Tito Manlio, to a libretto by Matteo Noris. It was premiered at the Teatro Arciducale ‘detto il Comico’ in Mantua during the carnival season of 1719. Composed by Antonio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741). Next single will be released March 24th and are a very well known classical piece of music. It is an old Catholic prayer. It’s a clue that maybe many people can figure out.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

LIEDER DISTORTION: Now we only run live separately as freelancers. Lieder Distortion will be live after the album release. First some singles. If you go and see me as a freelance artist, you will probably see entertainment and humor. I use Lider Distortion somewhat as opposed to what I do otherwise. A person always has several sides, but I like humor as a grip. It can make a person handle difficult things with a certain distance. I probably won’t be able to resist adding a certain kind of humor to Lieder Distortion as well, but it might be a little darker than usual.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

LIEDER DISTORTION: I probably don’t really know that myself, hopefully I go and think and feel a lot of things that deep down I want to do and take pictures of it, but when I try to think what I’m thinking about, it becomes very difficult. Do you want to know what will happen in five years? I’m not sure, and if I don’t want to know, I’m certainly not going to guess…

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With Radioactive Pineapple

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Radioactive Pineapple.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

RADIOACTIVE PINEAPPLE: We’re a skate/pop punk band from Helsinki, Finland heavily influenced by the California punk scene formed in 2014. We’re resilient and self reliant, we are armed with the power of the DIY spirit.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

RADIOACTIVE PINEAPPLE: Our main influences are: Green Day, Blink182, NOFX and Alkaline Trio.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

RADIOACTIVE PINEAPPLE: Our latest release is our album “YES!.” You should check it out if you’re into DIY spirited content, or if you’re into punk. We try to keep things fresh and original by not trying to cater too hard to the masses.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

RADIOACTIVE PINEAPPLE: Lots of fucking around, we’re keeping it light and fun. We might have some rather awkward conversations on stage, but nevertheless comical. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. Prepare to be entertained!

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

RADIOACTIVE PINEAPPLE: We think we’ll be touring and struggling to make this economically viable. We’ve probably added high-functioning or not so functioning alcoholism to our day-to-day way of life. One or two members will probably commit seppuku within the years. Truly a bright future ahead, one might say.

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With Sorrow Enthroned

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Sorrow Enthroned.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

SORROW ENTHRONED: I started this band in about 2019 just to see if I was able to put a song together. I have been playing guitar all my life and have a deep love for metal so I wanted to learn songwriting. The whole process has been a learning experience and I had no idea what I was getting into at the time. Music has always been an outlet and a way of expression and became even more a part of my life after starting the band

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

SORROW ENTHRONED: My main influences are Morbid Angel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus, Dark Funeral bands like that. I go through different phases over the years and find myself listening to black metal or slam for a long period of time and switching it up but I can consistently listen to those previously mentioned bands.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

SORROW ENTHRONED: I just released a single at the end of January called “Constricted Upon the Throat of the Lamb.” It is a blasphemous death metal track with bits of black metal tremelo riffing at times. It’s a moderately technical song and it is from a bunch of demos I am working on for the third full length to come out this year. It’s the culmination of a years worth of transitioning and shaping the sound more accurate to what I envision.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

SORROW ENTHRONED: I don’t play live yet but the music I am working on is heavier and has more breakdowns and slam riffs which I think translate well to live shows.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

SORROW ENTHRONED: 5 years from now I should be able to afford better equipment and be able to live comfortably. Things have been a struggle and I am just now getting to a place where I feel more stable and that’s why I am able to work on music again. I should have at least one more full length in 5 years as well as maybe playing live by then.

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With ELOAĦ

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with ELOAĦ.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

ELOAĦ: Hello everybody. We are ELOAĦ, a singer/songwriter rock band with new age, jazz and pop influences. We are: Orion Roos on electric guitars, Peter Douwenga on bass guitars, Johan van der Meer on drums and percussion, Dominik Mittergradnegger on saxophone, Lila Herderberg on vocals, and myself (Elmar C. Fuchs) on vocals, acoustic guitars, and keyboards – and many guest musicians that differ from project to project.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

ELOAĦ: Since I grew up learning classical piano, and taking classical singing lessons, classical music is certainly an influence. As a teenager/twen I discovered my love for a variety of styles, for example melodic roc and metal (e.g. Savatage), Celtic/new age music (e.g. Loreena McKennitt), singer/songwriter music and chansons (e.g. Herman van Veen) and jazz (e.g. Keith Jarrett). But that is just me. Every other musician of ELOAĦ has a different story, different tastes – parts of all that go into our music.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

ELOAĦ: Our latest album is a collection of ballades and soft rock songs entitled Proud to Love You. The fourteen songs on this album were inspired by the different emotions around romantic love – from ecstasy to agony, from serenity to heartache, but with a clear bias on the pleasant aspects. Isn’t love what makes our existence worthwhile? Isn’t it worth all the suffering, waiting, fear and despair that often accompany the experience? Isn’t it true that we can do anything, endure anything and be anything if we do it in the name of / or with the power of love? And, most importantly: Isn’t it heaven on earth when it (finally!) works out? Especially the last question is embedded in most of the songs which can carry us deeply into the realm of the heart – we just need to allow them to enter.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

ELOAĦ: As a band we rarely play live – together, that is. Every musician of ELOAĦ is playing in other band(s) which do play live, though – for instance, Lila Herderberg plays frequently with LiLA y Geckos trio in Graz, Austria; Orion Roos regularly plays with Maestro and Metalbats at several locations in the Netherlands; Johan van der Meer plays the drums at certain live events in the Netherlands as well, and my last performance was a piano improvisation at an event in the planetarium in The Hague last year. We are at the moment discussing a possible live set after the recording of the next album, though.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

ELOAĦ: Happily continuing the way we work now – creating music together that we all enjoy, exploring new styles and genres, recording new albums – and doing a few live performances.

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With Leaf

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Leaf.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

LEAF: We are in all respects a classic four-piece rock band, mature and experienced based in sunny (sic) Stoke-on-Trent. However, we are not cheesy 80’s throwbacks who refuse to listen to current artists, we are relevant and exciting and have mass appeal. I love discovering new pieces of music and sending links to the lads and we bring a freshness to the song writing that belies our age. Mark is obsessed with Turnstile at the moment, I love Cleopatrick, but we both appreciate the new Iggy album – music made by a 75-year-old! We are heavy, melodic, energetic and concentrate on the song…that is what it is all about for us, the song.

In terms of history? Our original line up was birthed in 1992. Internal friction of egotistical youth caused an implosion and we fell apart, angry and scathing. Over the years between us we have had many, many musical experiences, I even got a gig in the House band for Dick and Dom! Roll on 25-30 years and I just needed to get out there again and smash the system. Jarad was a panacea for my ills, Dan joined and built upon the solid foundation and Mark re-joined after a brief tenure in the mid 90’s. We are older and wiser now, all the rubbish is behind us in the past and the songs are raw, real and come from deep within our twisted souls!

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

LEAF: Everyone has influences right? We have a ton of influences ranging from classic bands like AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Led Zep to newer bands like Idles, Rival Sons and Turnstile. It is how those influences make their presence felt in your own music that is critical. We use them as sources of inspiration and to be honest I think every band I have ever listened to has influenced me in some small way. We definitely do not imitate anyone; we are mature and respectful and understand our roots. Dan is perhaps more influenced by 90s stuff like Candlebox. Jarad listens to the heavier end of the spectrum, stuff that jiggles your fillings. Mark is our musically literate intellectual who listens to many bands, he is the best musician in the band and appreciates the musicality of stuff. We are not a bunch of teenagers listening to the same tracks by the same bands, copying everything deemed cool!

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

LEAF: Ah yes, the releases. We are releasing 12 songs this year, one a month as we feel that the youth of today has not got the patience to sit through an entire album! It is a little sad that when I think of my youth, some of the best times were in front of the record deck, poring over the album cover and reading every bit of sleeve liner note. I think people are missing out on that a little today, but if you don’t move with the times then life passes you by. January’s release was Impossible, inspired by my wife’s exasperation at my constant flipping back and forth between a multitude of things; I can drive people insane. The song itself is catchy, bouncy and fun for three minutes of your life – it is actually under three so even less of a time investment. February’s release is Digging Myself a Hole which is an introspective meander through my inner angst – three minutes of melodic, catchy goodness. March’s release is Long Road, big chorus, massive riffs and about as infectious as measles.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

LEAF: Tunes, melody, dynamics, massive riffs and a bit of humour. We are not afraid to take the pee out of ourselves, but are always determined to give it our all, perform the songs to the best of our abilities and to make sure that people go home humming one of our catchy little earworms. I can’t keep still and love to express myself, Mark destroys his drums one second then caresses them the next – a joy to behold. Jarad and Dan are scary, beautiful and as solid as granite….

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

LEAF: We will definitely be around and about five years older, but perhaps not wiser? We have a 30-song set that we want to record (some are done, some being released), a similar amount that we have ‘in the bank’ and we are constantly writing new stuff. So, the plan is to keep recording, until the money runs out or Rick Rubin begs to produce us.
As far as tours and gigs we want people to hear how good we are and to be able to play our music and get people to hear it is our medium-term goal, so gigs, wherever and whenever. Plans are to move beyond the narrow confines of the local cities and start picking up slots with established acts around the UK. We will see how this year goes, but the plan is for a series of dates culminating in some of the smaller festivals next summer 2024. Watch out for the grey rockers, Leaf UK are coming, and we will not stop until we are dead and dust.

Info
Leaf Website – leafband.co.uk
Facebook – leafbanduk
Instagram – leafbanduk
Linktree – https://linktr.ee/leafbanduk
On Bandcamp – https://leafuk.bandcamp.com/

We are on all major music platforms under Leaf UK – including Spotify, Amazon Music and iTunes. Have a listen and spread the word!

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With River Knight

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with River Knight.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

RIVER KNIGHT: Darren: We are an acoustic guitar based indie folk rock pop duo consisting of myself, Darren Knight, and Mark Stone River.

Mark: Together we are River Knight and so far we have released a charity single in 2017, an album released in 2021, and our latest single “Unsprung” in December 2022.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

RIVER KNIGHT: Mark: So many. But I’d say my main influences are people like Paul Di’Anno, Axl Rose, Kurt Cobain, Scott Weiland, Ian Astbury, Gary Stringer, etc.

Darren: Mine are bands like The Beatles and Elbow. But I’ve got to throw Noel Gallgher into the mix as well.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

RIVER KNIGHT: Darren: As Mark already mentioned, our latest release is a stand alone single “Unsprung”. It’s a song about finding your way out of the darkness through love.

Mark: The readers of your site that appreciate guitar music even though it’s not distorted. Saying that though, I suppose the chorus is kinda classic rock. And I guarantee, if you like “Unsprung”, it’d be worth your while to deep dive.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

RIVER KNIGHT: Darren: A good time hahaha.

Mark: 2 lifelong friends, playing music and telling stories, generally having fun.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

RIVER KNIGHT: Mark: Who knows, right? We’ll just keep on playing, writing and recording…

Darren: Keep on chatting with people, keep on posting on social media, and sometimes they may even be funny hahaha.

Mark: We’re just gonna keep on doing what we’re doing and see where that road leads.

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With Epitome

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to bands that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Epitome vocalist Dyvan.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

DYVAN: Hello dear readers!

The EPITOME band was founded in 1992. So it’s been 30 years of the band’s existence! During this time, the band recorded several albums, demos, played a lot of concerts, as well as changed the composition of the band several times. The current lineup is:

Dyvan – vocals
Misiek – guitars
Kiszka – bass
Damian – drums

And that’s how we exist today 🙂

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

DYVAN: Life itself has the greatest influence on us. It is an inexhaustible source of inspiration! Besides, each of us has our own collection of music that influences us, more or less. Of course. To a large extent, maybe even the greatest, it is music from the late 80s and early 90s.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

DYVAN: Our latest material is the album “ROTend”, which was released on September 9, 2022, as a jubilee release, we combined the premiere of the album with two concerts, which we played on this occasion in our hometown of Rzeszów and Slovakia. Of course, we encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with our new album – if you are resistant to flogging at the speed of light, and crushing bones in moments of slowdown, you’ve come to the right place 🙂

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

DYVAN: Anyone who dares to come to our concert can be sure that they will get the amount of sonic violence they deserve, looking at four madcaps in doctor’s coats. We don’t spit fire, we don’t play romantic solos. Pure musical perverse delight 🙂

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

DYVAN: We certainly don’t see each other in the graves yet 😉 Of course, we hope to record and release another album and play a lot of concerts before celebrating our 35th anniversary!

Metal Anarchy’s New Music Showcase: Q&A With Inherently Lost

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Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to bands that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Inherently Lost vocalist Mark Moats.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

MOATS: The story of Inherently Lost begins as a side project somewhere around 2017-2018. Bringing together musicians not only with different influences but allowing the individual influences to be heard in the music. Ranging from symphonic metal, industrial, melodic death metal, black metal, doom, nu-metal, alternative, rock, hardcore, progressive metal, and everything in between.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

MOATS: Cradle Of Filth, Fear Factory, Mötley Crüe, Static-X, Kataklysm, Black Sabbath, Fallujah, Epica, Nightwish, Eluveitie, Vision Of Disorder, Bleeding Through, Heaven Shall Burn, Within Temptation, Evanescence, Suffocation, Dimmu Borgir, SepticFlesh, Lacuna Coil, Pink Floyd, etc.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

MOATS: Our single “Unraveling Sanity” released last week on all streaming platforms accompanied by a Lyric Video on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram. This song is pretty different from the songs we wrote before. Has some symphonic metal, industrial, deathcore, blackmetal, numetal type sounds. The best way I could describe it is IndustrialCore. If you are tired of carbon copy “scene” bands, then you’ll enjoy “Unraveling Sanity.”

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

MOATS: Visually we recently upgraded our live shows with not one but two almost nude little people in full body corpse paint jamming tribal beats on a couple floor toms. Sonically “Inherently Lost” takes the listener on a journey of apocalyptic visions as well as some dark personal truths of mental health and life experiences.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

MOATS: Hopefully we can squeeze out another album or two and tour regionally.

Interview: The Letter Black’s Mark Anthony Talks New Project World Gone Cold

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I was recently given the chance to interview Mark Anthony (The Letter Black) about his new project World Gone Cold. You can check out that chat below. The band, which also features Traa Daniels (P.O.D), Tim “Yogi” Watts (Demon Hunter), Andrew Stanton (Disciple), and Ryland Raus (Attack Attack!), will be releasing their self-titled EP on March 17.

METAL ANARCHY: First Of all, how did World Gone Cold come together?

ANTHONY: It started out as a solo project that I was starting. I realized that it sucks to just do a solo project since you have no one to bounce ideas off of and that when me and Ryland got together and started writing all the songs you know of today.

METAL ANARCHY: How does this project compare to your other bands?

ANTHONY: It’s a completely different monster. You can hear all the influences if it’s from our other bands or just other badass bands we love but it’s definitely a whole other thing by itself.

METAL ANARCHY: I think it’s cool how you all come from such different musical backgrounds. Did your individual styles meld well together?

ANTHONY: It did and I think it’s something that really shines when you listen to the whole EP.

METAL ANARCHY: How would you describe the overall sound of your upcoming EP?

ANTHONY: Heavy vibes with a dark melodic pop finish.

METAL ANARCHY: What lyrical themes do explore on the effort?

ANTHONY: Lyrically there is a lot of emphasis on perspective and how important perception can be in relationships. There are stories about witch hunts, exploration and cannibalism referring to historical events.

METAL ANARCHY: What was the recording process like?

ANTHONY: We do things a little differently. I usually write all the music while Ryland handles all of the lyrics and melodies. Once that is formalized the rest of the guys put their pieces on it to make it very unique to the sound you now know of as World Gone Cold.

METAL ANARCHY: The effort’s first single, “Opposites Attract,” is killer! What would you like to tell readers about that song?

ANTHONY: It’s about heart break. Remembering two different sides of a relationship. The bright and shinny feel good memories and the dark and emotional ones. It has heartbroken melodies and aggressive pleas for reason. This song will challenge you to understand how opposites attract.

METAL ANARCHY: What are some of your personal favorite tracks from the EP?

ANTHONY: All of them really. Each track has a unique character to it. Each has a different vibe and tells a unique story.

METAL ANARCHY: Are you planning any tours in support of the effort?

ANTHONY: Yes we are. We have a headline tour starting in July. Tour dates and venues will be announced soon.

METAL ANARCHY: Lastly, what does the future hold for this project?

ANTHONY: Easy. World domination!! We want to be on the road a lot and tour the world.