LOCAL NORTH CAROLINA EXTREME METAL TO CHECK OUT

During the early part of March Mayhem I had the opportunity to check out some newer North Carolina Extreme Metal bands. Here are three of them for you to check out.

Band Name - COLUMNS
From - Boone/Winston Salem, North Carolina USA
Genre - Death Metal

I saw this band recently at a Brewery show. Yes I was at the Brewery and I haven't been surrounded by that many virgins since fuckin grade school. I was only there to check out another band who were supposedly Black Metal. So I purposely went there late in the hopes of missing any opening bands. Unfortunately when I walked in there was this horrible "emo/screamo" band on the Brewery's sparse stage. Thankfully I only had to hear the end of their set. But they still drove me to drink faster than usual. You can always gauge a band by how many trips you make to the bar. For a good band you stay and watch em but for the bad ones you turn your back on. And for this one band, who I will not give a free plug by mentioning their name, were "mall core".

The band which came up next, COLUMNS, was a surprise for me. They're a four piece who blasted old school Death Fuckin Metal. Nothing fancy just straight in your face (literally, the singer got off stage and into the crowd) Death! Another thing about COLUMNS is that they're not doing this modern "Tech Death" shit. Well yeah they are a young band (early 20s?) so they could just evolve into one in a year or two. But honestly they were not your cliche type of new Death Metal. These guys sounded like they were weened on old MORBID ANGEL or CANNIBAL CORPSE. They have a new guitarist who's only been with em since the Fall of 2007. But you couldn't really tell since they ground down the kiddies in the audience like a well oiled death dealing machine.

I say give them some more practice time. Let em play to more stranger filled audiences (on this night you could tell that they were playing in front of all their friends). Get some gigs opening up for some semi-bigger named bands. And then look the fuck out because these guys are doing something that fans of old Death Metal want. Fuck the flashy shit just get on stage and kick every goddamn ass in the fucking audience.COLUMNS has a few demos out and if what I said interests you. Then go check em out at:

http://www.myspace.com/columnsmusic
http://www.purevolume.com/columns

Band Name - FAITH IN ASHES
From - Cary, North Carolina USA
Genre - Black Metal
This is the band I went to the Brewery to see. I was told about FAITH IN ASHES (not to be confused with FROST LIKE ASHES, a black metal band on Open Grave Records) by a friend and he said they were a local Black Metal band. Of course since I'm a extremely jaded bastard, the "?" mark popped out. Ok I'll be the judge on that one. I checked out their site page and listened to some of their songs. And they sounded like something worth while to check out. Their site says "epic black metal". Also there was something strange about their band photo. At the time I couldn't put my finger on it. But there I was at the club and my friend introduced me to one of the band's guitarists, Adam, and their vocalist, Micah. Then they finally got on stage and it was then that I figured out what so weird about their band photo. Adam, who was wearing glasses when I met him but had them off while on stage, looks like a younger Euronymous. I swear if you put this guy in corpse paint and in a leather jacket you would think that you were staring at the ghost of Euronymous. Whoa what a freaky moment I wanted to ask the guy if he was born in Norway or at least conceived there in say 1988? But hey I didn't want to offend him right off the bat.

Musically, well their opening contained a pre-recorded taped sample of some classical piece. A few seconds later the band starts shredding some good sounding melodic Black Metal. I liked their vocals, Micah's raspy screams were fuckin exciting to listen to. Also his presence on stage was very into the crowd's face with his neck veins popping out for good effect. Guitars and Bass sounded great also although I would like to hear the band in a bigger venue. Their stage presence needs some work. The other guitarist, who also contributes backing vocals, is a lefty which is very cool (follow the left hand path). But dude leave the DIMMU BORGIR shirt at home. Your up on stage trying to raise demonic beasts from the fiery pits of Hell, not advertising that you shop at Manic Panic. Another thing that stuck out like a Pope's Hat at a BLACK SABBATH concert was the drummer wearing a red t-shirt and I could swear he started the gig off with a baseball cap worn backwards.

Were they "Epic"? Not unless they add a keyboardist and were backed by the North Carolina Symphony. I wanted to close my eyes and just listen to them but obviously I couldn't do that where I was. Some audience "mall rat" would look at me and say to his buddies, "Look some one's dad is passed out in the corner!" Also I saw some of these "mall rats" practicing their "high kicking" moves before the music started. Yeah that's all I needed. There I am standing against the wall with my eyes closed listening to FAITH IN ASHES crank out some melodic blackness. And the next thing I know some kid slams his size 7 sneaker clad foot into my nut sack by accident. I'm there to check out the band, not to be brought up on charges of manslaughter.

Anyway as I write this I'm also on the FAITH IN ASHES site listening to the 3 songs which are on it. I can honestly say I like them better live since on that night the majority of their material sounded like Blackened Thrash from the 90s. They reminded me a little of AURA NOIR or even some DESTRUCTION then say EMPEROR But on their site, the recorded songs sound like these guys have listened to their share of COF. As far as right now I'll take em live and hopefully when they record a proper CD, their producer will de-produce the melody out of them. That harsh live sound of theirs is where they need to be. Deep in the depths of the black.The band doesn't have any merch out right now but you can check them out at:

http://www.myspace.com/faithinashes

Band Name - LEGION OF THE FALLEN
Home - Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA
Genre - Black Metal/Death Metal

If someone asked me in what North Carolina city or town would a decent sounding Black Metal band would emerge from. I'd would not have guessed Chapel Hill. Actually I would've said Lizard Lick or one of the bigger cities. But here we have LEGION OF THE FALLEN from Chapel Hill the musical home of Indie Rock and Jangly Pop. Sure I've been using the label "chapel hell" for years but only to exemplify my hatred for the place. One wonders what could the town have in common with Bergen or Oslo, Norway that could spawn some decent sounding Black Metal? Hmmmmm? Well for starters the people in Chapel Hill act like sheep ready to be slaughtered wholesale. They're politically liberal and have Christian religious leanings in name only. The people walk around with congealed smiles of ignorance. Well except for the weather I'd say there's a connection.

I caught LEGION OF THE FALLEN recently at Volume 11 when they shared the bill with SOILENT GREEN and MUNICIPAL WASTE. I was very interested in seeing this band since I had heard that they put on an impressive show. And hey, I was not disappointed. Also I was expecting to see a four piece on stage since their site states that their lead guitarist was also the vocalist. But on this night they had a lead vocalist. A friend said that the guy just got out of prison. Wow, for what, church burnings? This guy was a great vocalist and front man for the band that night. I was hoping one of those "juggalos" who came out to see MUNICIPAL WASTE would've jumped on stage to do a dive. Then the singer from LEGION OF THE FALLEN could've slammed the asshole with that huge spiked gauntlet he was sporting. Blood and Iron is the taste you'll get when you climb up onto their stage.

Actually throughout LEGION OF THE FALLEN's set they had the crowd in their grip. I was watching the their reaction and these people were in awe. And to be totally honest with you so was I to "epic" proportions. They'll be playing Volume 11 on May 24th with SATAN'S HOST and DRAWN & QUARTERED who by the way are on Moribund Records. Which is a great Black Metal label. They are one of my favorites and who knows, maybe those two bands will put in a good word in about LEGION OF THE FALLEN to the label.

The band does have a demo out of material from 2003 to 2007. It's pretty damm good but I'm looking towards the future. They're feet are firmly planted on the well worn path of past Black Metal greatness. You can check out LEGION OF THE FALLEN at:

http://www.myspace.com/legionofthefallen

AND METAL SANAZ WONDERS WHY PEOPLE HATE HER.

DON'T HIDE YOUR HATE by Mr. wolf

So how did all of this backlash against Metal Sanaz, the self proclaimed Queen of Metal, come about? It all started when I checked out a bulletin from one of my Friends/Readers, TRUE METAL MANIAC. The bulletin was titled "THIS SICKENING PLAGUE MUST END!!!" and it was about his dislike for the woman who goes by the name Metal Sanaz and her new myspace site "myspace a place of metal". Here is the whole bulletin:

If you agree with me, repost this in a bulletin and add on what you think as well. This sickening plague must end! Well, your dear Juliya and metal sanaz, or what ever her gay ass name is..Really, they don't know shit about metal.
As for this "myspace a place of metal" bullshit. Really...I feel that metal has now gone down hill, why do I say this? Because..it's getting WAY the fuck over rated.I am sick of all this shit making metal into a scene like SCENE fags and hardcore bullshit. METAL IS NOT A SCENE, IT'S A LIFE STYLE AND THE WAY OF LIFE FOR THE TRUE!
I will NOT give into the posers, the fakes, and all these little fucks who are here just to look "cool" or "hard" or what ever the fuck they think they look.

HERE IS WHERE I STAND MY GROUND AND SAY FUCK YOU METAL SANAZ, FUCK YOU JUYLIA FOR MAKING OUR WAY OF LIFE INTO A JOKE

YOU FUCKED EVERYTHING UP FOR THE TRUE METAL HEADS OUT THERE AND NOW THIS IS WHERE WE STAND!
THIS IS WHERE WE STAND AND SAY FUCK YOU! WE WILL NOT FOLLOW YOUR FLOCK OF SHEEP. METAL FOR

LIVE!!

Of course I answered it and gave my opinion on the subject which was sort of in agreement with his. Basically I have seen the woman's videos in the past. She's a metal groupie of the "Hollywood type" sect of pop metal which is very fake and extremely phony.(Remember Hair Metal?) She talks to bands while her boyfriend tries to film everything without shaking the camera too much. Her job is that of a VJ or better yet a human tapeworm. (Please remember that WENDY O WILLIAMS was also a VJ on the old Nightflight cable music show. The difference is that WENDY O was the Queen of Extreme Metal at that time. She had a resume to back her up.) Just take a look at some of Sanaz's work here:


Like I said, it's the Hollywood version of metal. A cross between MTV's Head Banger's Balls and Entertainment Tonight. It should not be taken seriously since this is fluff for the Hot Topic post MTV generation. From the video you can see that GWAR is not taking her seriously and pretty much makes her out as the real butt of the joke. But this is what the mainstream 18 and under crowd want and get. I don't begrudge this woman her way at earning a living. And to be honest with you she's done a good job at it by whoring herself out on myspace for the past few years. Just like that blonde bimbo with the fake tits, the Asian idiot with a million friends, and that brunette model. All four of these woman have used myspace to become famous, "myspace famous no talent required just have a large quota of friends". That's the career they have chosen, DIY and make everything up as you go along.

Almost every metal band on myspace (even some of the Extreme ones) have her as a "Friend". SCUMFEAST METAL does not because we take our love of Extreme music more seriously. We don't choose or accept "friends" for street cred (hint hint) When it comes to music I consider myself a 1%er. In other words I see the other 99% of music fans to be average, mainstream, and frankly boring. Where as I belong to the 1% crowd who are above all the "scenster" bullshit. Yes I am an elitist and as long as I listen to music that the majority cannot stand then I will always be better than them. When it comes to my love of Extreme Music just think of my 13" jack boot standing on the face of mainstream pop music forever. And if you are a pop metal music fan then please tell me if there's any gum on the bottom of my boot. If so then lick it off, loser. Here's another classic Sanaz moment on video.


But getting back to Ms. Sanaz, recently she launched the site "myspace a place of metal". Soon to be followed by "myspace a place for gangsta rap","myspace a place for pop country" and of course "myspace a place for punk", with one of those clowns from RANCID as the VJ host. I did check out the site since I'm a masochist. Along with Ms.Sanaz's video chats the site also has a forum where juggalos, wiggers, and shut-ins argue with each other kindergarten style. Yeah that's what kiddie metal is all about. Whoever gets on the playground swings first gets to talk the most smack. Actually it's kinda like going to the zoo and watching the monkeys. They're all
screeching, fondling themselves, playing with their fruit and showing off their bright pink bungholes. But the good part is that they're all in a cage. And if they ever tried to escape, you can just shoot them in the head. You can always get more monkeys. You can also show them how to wear clothing, give them licenses to drive and even allow them to vote. But that's another article to discuss at another time. Actually I hate monkeys. I like pissed off tigers who jump out of their cages and maul drunken illegal immigrants.

Here's another classic Sanaz interview and look closely as she talks to King from GORGOROTH. For a second there it looks like she's about to throw up. Fans know King is not some wordsmith when it comes to interviews. He saves all his talent for the music. If she was talking to Gaahl, he would most likely assault her. Also don't you think Sanaz learned some make-up tips from Dee Snider of Twisted Sister? And that Manic Panic skunk hairdo is unflatering to say the least. Well it is the NAMM. I have nothing against King for doing the interview. Like they say, all press is good press, and besides he was being paid to be there.
Check out this video: Interview with King (GORGOROTH) with Sanaz



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Now as I said earlier, I see this all as mainstream kiddie shit. Extreme Metal Maniacs should not take any of what Sanaz does seriously. Nor should fans of GORGOROTH be pissed. The labels tell the bands that they have to do crap like this. It's good public relations and it's also part of the job as "rock star/artist". But this next video seems to have pissed many people off.
Check out this video: TO ALL HATERS....



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How insecure is Ms. Sanaz that she has to make a self serving video like this? Come on lady, you're fucking in your mid-30s and you still can't handle criticism? You give this poor pitiful me act, "Oh they're all out to get me". Were did you learn that one from, Hillary Clinton? No they are not Sanaz! No one is bitter about what you do. Just like you have every right to express your opinion so does everyone else. And if people want to say that you suck, tough fuckin shit! Come on we all can see that smirk on your face. You're there at the NAMM (whoa! how impressive!) talking to a washed up rocker who's past efforts are still being blasted in trailer parks. (What, the guys from WARRANT weren't available?) Getting him to call people names in order to defend your honor. Yes it's true that Myspace picked you to do that "myspace metal" site but let's be honest. How many other people were in the running? How many people are groupies who followed a career path that would turn them into pop culture human tapeworms? How many other "wannabees" have hawked posters of themselves for $15 a pop and a promise to accept their Friend's Request"? Hey at least I know who was singing for BLACK SABBATH the first time I saw them back in the late 70s. And in an interview you claimed you didn't and still don't remember. Metal was around before you were born. It was around before the Internet. What you, Sanaz, are doing is covering the safe and sedate scenster bullshit. It works for all the kids on your sites because they're not old enough to get into a niteclub. Therefore you cover the goings on at the Warped Tour or Sounds of the Underground (which is not underground at all) because they are all daycare centers for kiddie metal fans.

Look just face it, people who actually like Metal are calling you out and expressing their opinion of you. A pathetic and shallow Hollywood phony is basically what they're describing you as. And obviously there must be some truth to that since you have to film some childish video denouncing your critics. To me that makes you a waste of skin. And speaking of skin, looking at your past videos and comparing them to your present ones. It looks to me like you've had some nipping and tucking, along with some add ons of late. You've gotta watch that shit or someday you'll end up with a vagina for a nose and a sphincter for an adam's apple.

And now here's my favorite video of you.

LIMBONIC ART - Legacy of Evil CD review

LIMBONIC ART - Legacy of Evil CD
I was listening to this the other night while doing some research on the web (Warning: you cannot get much work done while listening to LIMBONIC ART) and wondered if I had reviewed this one yet. After checking the official site I realized that I hadn't and I've been enjoying it since early January. What I like about this Norwegian duo's return to form is that this CD is a step back to the Black Metal heyday of the 90s. The three year hiatus that Daemon and Morfeus took has paid off for fans. The song structures are in constant shift. There's a good mix of moody
cuts paired off with maniacal faster blasts of hate. There's a good sounding symphonic charactor but the keyboards on here are kept in the background because the riffs are so fucking overwelming. Daemon's vocals are as sharp as a razor. I
recommend waking up to this in the morning, that's if you live alone in a house and not in an apartment. Otherwise you will drive people insane by playing this loudly at off hours.

"Lycanthropic Tales" has to be my favorite cut on here, for obvious reasons of course. The song simply explodes out of your speakers. I wonder what Ipod wearer's facial expressions look like while listening to this and walking down crowded sidewalks? Personally I believe they would have a seriously twisted look to them. Like a baseball size maggot was chewing it's way out of their brain cavity. Then there's "Infernal Phantom Kingdom" that contains the vengeful lines, "Evil has a way of returning. You cannot hide from Hell's eye. It is always burning." Don't we all
feel that way sometimes when we encounter schmucks on myspace who think they can't be hurt. When I listen to this I can picture some faceless myspace pussy typing some poison e-mail towards me. And seconds after the loser punches "send" a ghostly aparition of my hand reaches out from their monitor and clutches their throat, crushing their pencil neck. It's just a thought, by the way did I mention that my astral projection training is coming along quite well?

Yes this whole release is truly evil and has contributed to my own personal nasty immagination. Think about this sick idea. Wouldn't it be fun to slip into some snotty nosed mall brat's bedroom one night. And while the little twit is dreaming about what childish things to type on the Myspace Is For Metal Forum site. You remove their precious crap CD (place your most hated mall rat type band here) and replace it with LIMBONIC ART's "Legacy of Evil". In the morning when the little shit wakes up and pushes the play button it'll either drive them insane enough to dive head first out their bedroom window (suicide is for the weak ones even if it's
encouraged by music) or the child will be converted to music that actually matters. So what will you be listening to tommorrow morning, hmmmm?
CANDLELIGHT RECORDS

http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com
http://www.myspace.com/limbonicart

DISFEAR - Live the Storm CD Review

DISFEAR - Live the Storm CD
Imagine, if you will, DISCHARGE in a head on collision with MOTORHEAD at a Gothenberg intersection with a melodic death metalhead standing nearby cheering it on. Yeah well that's what you would expect since this is Tomas Lindberg's hardcore project. And if 2003's Misanthropic Generation CD was an experiment in the potencial. Then Live the Storm is definitely the mighty beast unleashed to it's fullest extent. Thankfully Lineberg saved his AT THE GATES influences for this year's reunion shows. Because on here he come's off like a man on a mission, diving head first into a music scene that just doesn't care. The Hardcore Punk music scene has always been suspicious of Metal bands dicking around in the realm of the Underground. But that was in the mid-eighties, by the late eighties and early nineties what people called hardcore was actually full blown Metal. And Live the Storm could've been the best release of 1991.

On here the music is full blown Euro Trash early 80's era Hardcore with Lineberg's vocals more intense than a man half his age. In 1979/1980 we called DISCHARGE and all the bands that copied them Hardcore, not crust-core and not D-Beat. Those are quaint rock revisionist reviewer terms by people who were not around then. If anything they were tagged as another "DIS-band". In fact the opener "Get It Off" almost sounds like an outake from DISCHARGE's "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" or a genuine ripoff. Having former ENTOMBED guitarist Uffe Cederlund on board now
most likely helped in that formula. Because from that opener up until the last cut, "Phantom" a seven plus minute over indulgence, Live the Storm is a retro blast. The only things missing are the anarchy symbols and spikey haircuts.
RELAPSE RECORDS

http://www.relapse.com
http://www.myspace.com/disfear
http://www.disfear.com/

PRIMORDIAL - To the Nameless Dead CD review

PRIMORDIAL - To the Nameless Dead CD

This came recommended to me from someone who saw that I've been getting into alot of "Folk Metal" lately. PRIMORDIAL have been around for close to twenty years but this is my first time reviewing one of their releases. Obviously that's been a bad for me because after listening to "To the Nameless Dead" for weeks now. I've been completely at a loss for words to write something worthy of them. This is my seventh draft for a review so we'll see if I finish this one.

PRIMORDIAL are Celtic Folk meets epic Black Metal while being stranded out on an Irish countryside. Frontman Nailmass Nemtheanga has a powerful vocal delivery where he switches from a folksy homeland style to more harsh tones all across this release. Add to that is the music which is nothing less than a massive wall of orchestral sound and fury. Lyrically you can't deny that this is almost a call to arms for the fallen. A suffering troubadour calling out from the battlefield as the dark riffs carry over the countryside. Yeah this is one of those releases where you can just turn up the volume, sit back in your chair, close your eyes and let the music take you to foreign places. Let your imagination run with it as PRIMORDIAL transports you to places where monuments are crumbling, to the end of modern civilization, public executions, blood soaked battlefields of the past and funeral pyres.

It's releases like this that make Extreme Metal more important then the simplistic cliches we place upon it. "To the Nameless Dead" is more art than mere acting on a theme. Once in awhile you come across a release that effects you in a tribal way. It's as if just listening to this CD is far more important than what I or anyone else will write about it. I firmly believe that everyone who reads Scumfeast Metal should have a copy of this. Musically yes but more importantly for our psyche since it will bring out something alot better artistically that "Infernal Hails Dude". Nuff Said.
METAL BLADE RECORDS

http://www.metalblade.com
http://www.primordial.com

SEVERE TORTURE - Sworn Vengeance CD review

SEVERE TORTURE - Sworn Vengeance CDOne time a friend told me that the best way to describe Death Metal to someone was to turn the FM radio up and then turn the dial as fast as possible. Obviously he was trying to make a joke about the whole genre. I'm not one to joke about Death Metal but the guy did have a point. There are times when the genre can become stale and sterile to the point where you can't distinguish one band from another. But that can be said about almost all musical genres whether it's Extreme Music or the crap the losers listen to.

Which brings me to the latest release by SEVERE TORTURE, a band from my ancestral homeland of Holland. Yes I'm a Dutchman by heart and I'm also part German and Irish. Plus I'm an American which means with all of that heritage behind me, screw with me and you'll be devastated beyond belief. Which is what SEVERE TORTURE is probably doing right now since they're on the European Devastation 2008 Tour. Now as far as this Cd goes I will not say it blasts me out of my chair and across the room. But for Death Metal purists this is very "kick your fucking ass" type stuff. I will say for the so-called "experts" this might be Death Metal template rehash. Thankfully I'm not one of those bored little shits. "Sworn Vengeance" hark ens back to the days of CANNIBAL CORPSE and some of the more twisted aspects of MORBID ANGEL. Yeah we're talking traditional US style Death Metal here folks brought to us from the Dutch.

With this release SEVERE TORTURE are not trying to win you over with techno wizardry (boring) or some grand spectacle of sight & sound (wow theatrics). Instead this is Death Metal for people who have a devilish passion for having that grey matter vibrate within their skulls. If I were to choose a few tracks worthy of hunting down low rent west coast slobs too, I'd definitely say "Dogmasomatic Nausea". It's probably the most hate filled blast on here. Then I'd follow that up with "Countless Villains" and the title track for severe bloodletting fun. All in all this is a great release.
EARACHE RECORDS

http://www.myspace.com/severetorture
http://www.earache.com
http://www.severetorture.com

PAGAN FEST USA 2008 in Raleigh, NC

PAGAN FEST USA 2008 is coming to Volume 11 Tavern on May 20th here in Raleigh, North Carolina. This will be one of the best shows in 2008 for this area. Four great bands from the Viking/Folk Metal genre. They are:


ENSIFERUM from Helsinki, Finland


http://www.ensiferum.com

http://www.myspace.com/officialensiferum


TURISAS from Hameenlinna, Finland


http://www.turisas.com

http://www.myspace.com/turisasofficial




TYR from Runavik, Faroe Islands


http://www.tyr.net

http://www.myspace.com/tyr/




ELUVEITE from Switzerland


http://www.eluveite.ch

http://www.myspace.com/eluveite

MARK YOUR CALENDERS NOW AND TAKE THE FOLLOWING DAY OFF BECAUSE YOU'LL NEED IT. FOR MORE INFO ON PAGAN FEST USA GO TO:

http://www.myspace.com/paganfestusa