Deathcult- Demo

Deathcult is a four piece death metal band from Chicago. The band harnesses that old school sound we all know and love but manages to avoid being lumped in with all the bands currently taking on the style. The demo clocks in at a brief eight minutes but within that time Deathcult gives a decent idea of what they're all about. They are a step ahead of most bands and are churning out tracks with unlimited replay value while still in the early demo stages.

The demo kicks off with what may possibly be the most infectious death metal tune of all time. "Born to Lose" is chalk full of catchy riffs and is an anthem in pretty much every sense of the word. The other track "Mutant Generation" is no different, which brings us back to the replay value. It isn't difficult to play this release over and over again on repeat for an hour. The tracks hold up and I can't see myself getting burnt out on them anytime soon. The vocal delivery here is definitely one of the highlights. Rather than going with the frequently used guttural a more old school raw approach is used. This is nothing new obviously but they are spit out in a vicious, evil manner. The lyrics are also extremely easy to decipher which is all the more reason to chant along.

Overall these two tracks are near perfect all around. If this is any indication of what's to come from the band then their upcoming debut topping album of the year lists wouldn't seem too farfetched. One could complain about the length but with how solid these two tracks are you'd have to be a brainless mouthbreather to even think of complaining. Until the full-length is released this disc is guaranteed to stay in heavy rotation. Any fan of death metal would be doing themselves a major favor by giving this a listen and keeping an eye out for Deathcult's future endeavors.

Maximum Oversatan- Too Evil For Hell

Maximum Oversatan reeks of old school filth. Upon first listen it should be very apparent where this New Jersey duo pulls their influence from. These dudes harken back to speed metal and the earliest days of black metal, an era that not many new bands seem to be gravitating towards. Often echoing Venom's early material (whom they also cover a track from on this demo) but never to the point where it seems like some shitty tribute band. Consisting of three original tracks and two covers the demo gives a nice sample taste of what this band is all about.

The first thing that one will notice when putting on this demo is the raw, throwback sound. Naturally early demos from bands are fairly lofi but if this were to be played with no background knowledge of the band pinpointing a recording date would be an impossible feat. The vocals are delivered by what appears to be a possessed man on the brink of insanity. Little technique is used and it fits perfectly with the stripped down sound Maximum Oversatan churns out. The three original tracks are fairly straightforward and to the point. Sure, at times some of the riffs may seem vaguely familiar but they hit the mark where it counts with this style, delivery. The thrashier moments on these tracks come with a high level of intensity and are sure to whip your neck into a seizure-like frenzy.

Overall Too Evil For Hell is exactly what the name would lead you to believe, a sinister, primitive slab of heavy metal. Satan would be proud but unfortunately he is not evil enough to listen. Given that we only get the chance to hear about ten minutes of original material here it is hard to form too solid of an opinion. I like what I hear though, and if you like the earlier bands that influenced black metal chances are you will find yourself playing this a lot more then once. Give this a listen, thrash around like a barbarian and perform some sort of bloody ritual.

Crypticus/Scaremaker Split CD

Been looking for a split that will pack your shit like no other? Look no further, Selfmadegod has put out a split featuring a double dose of that Razorback attack we all know and love. If you're not already jumping for joy just wait until you press play. If you still haven't changed your mind by the time the monstrous "Baron of the Dark" starts playing then you should break your listening device and give up on music as quickly as possible.

Crypticus kick things off with the punishing "Beauty & Deceased". There isn't much breathing room to be had from this point on so let's hope you packed a studded snorkel. Those familiar with Crypticus won't be surprised with what they hear. This is the typical badassery you expect to have delivered to you when you put on one of their releases. All the tracks on this end of the split have an outstanding flow going for them and it is difficult to play one without following with the others. Crypticus has a nice Swedish vibe going for them but even in the fastest portions of their material things remain catchy and memorable.

Scaremaker is on point as usual. This band has quickly become one of my favorites currently playing this style since they released their Burning Inquisition demo in 2010. Every single track they have put out is worthy of infinite plays and the five they throwdown on this split are no exception. "Demon Slave" might be the best Scaremaker track recorded thus far. It incorporates all the things that make the band great and even shows off a bit of Vanessa's elusive clean vocals within the project. They also dive a bit deeper into death/doom on the crushing "Mansion of the Macabre", which works as a closer for the release. Like most of the bands work the song is insanely catchy. The hypnotic groove grabs hold of your brain and rings it out over the tracks seven minute runtime.

Overall Crypticus and Scaremaker make a great match for this split. There is plenty of variety between the two but it also doesn't just seem like a random pairing of bands. If you don't like your metal raw then it's time to man up and start liking it that way, because if not you're missing out on what might be one of the best splits of the year. It may be a little early to start saying that but, fuck it. Get this, get your shit packed, and don't hold your breath waiting for something this great to come along anytime soon.

Interview With Brandon Mitchell (Swallowed By Apathy) 2

Just a few months ago Brandon Mitchell had moved away and left Swallowed By Apathy behind. The other member (Kevin) credited for writing on Dysgenesis picked up the pieces after Brandon left and was going to continue the project. Just days ago things took a sudden turn when Brandon decided to take the band name back and sever his involvement with Kevin. In this interview we get Brandon's side of the story and get some new info on what is to come in the near future from Swallowed By Apathy.

Foul Feast: There seems to be a disagreement in terms of how much input Kevin had in the writing process of Dysgenesis. Give us your side of the story.

Mitchell: It's simple. I wrote the record while living in Newark, 3 hours away from where Kevin lives. I sent him the tunes to work on his bass parts until I could get up there to track in his studio. Other than that he wrote the lyrics to "Journeyman of the Lucid" and "Cynical Transparency". As far as vocal melodies for those two go, I came up with them myself. While he did program the drums on "Dysgenesis", I was there to translate what drum parts I thought would fit because I play drums myself and wanted to make sure it wasn't impossible to achieve for live shows.

FF: What caused the sudden change of heart? Why not take the band name with you when you first split ways with Kevin?

Mitchell: Well, when I told Kevin I needed to home with my family he flipped out. I was under the impression we would put Swallowed By Apathy to rest for awhile. Out of respect for him I didn't want to just kick him out and take shit elsewhere, I figured it was only fair. Later on he decides to get this childish attitude and say "I'm doing it without you." His tone of voice was basically like "fuck you". I mean this was minutes before I went home. I don't know if being rude to me made him feel manly or what but I'm not one to be talked down to. His father basically made me leave immediately and although I payed for half of the discs I wasn't allowed to take my cut. I financed the mixing entirely out of my pocket as well as other things we needed for the band. I had a job while living up there and Kevin made to effort to follow up on his applications. Working long days were stressful but I still came home energized and ready to rehearse. Kevin always had an excuse as to why he didn't want to practice. It seemed as if rehearsing the same song over and over got old to him. I have a lot of live experience so I wanted to get everything as tight as possible. Kevin had never been in a band in his life before Swallowed By Apathy and live shows didn't seem to be a priority. To me giving the audience my best is everything. Swallowed By Apathy isn't meant to be a studio project. I formed it with the goal of playing live and that is what I intend to do. If you must know about my change of heart, it was losing my Grandmother to cancer on Thanksgiving. It's changed the way that I view everything now and the only reason I didn't take Swallowed By Apathy back sooner is out of respect for Rob and Conor (who isn't with the band anymore). I worked too hard to have someone take it away and get the glory for my blood, sweat, and tears.

FF: Will you be using any of the material that was written when Kevin was still a part of the band on the upcoming release?

Mitchell: After the record was finished I immediately began to write because I am always full of ideas but Kevin didn't want to work with me. What I had worked on before I left Cleveland was constructed purely by me. I got some good material out of that time frame but the stuff I have been working on since I came back home is more evolved.

FF: How do you feel about Kevin's new project Aethereal Inception? Do you wish him the best in his future endeavors?

Mitchell: I was unaware until you had mentioned it. He still has yet to restore my admin rights on the original Facebook page so fuck him. I don't wish him any luck but at the same time I don't wish him harm. I more or less just don't give a shit one way or another. I'm thinking about my band at the moment.

FF: Are you and Kevin still on good terms after all of this?

Mitchell: Nope.

FF: Has a new line-up been considered yet?

Mitchell: A new line-up is already in order. Josh Chilcote is our new guitarist and we back as far as Junior High School. He was actually the first drummer of Swallowed By Apathy and did session work on our 2010 demo. Him and Steven (our new drummer) also play in Vultaria which is a death/thrash band that I was with for almost 2 years. I released 2 EP's with them and I'm looking to have Vultaria play with Swallowed By Apathy any chance that I get because they are insane live. Josh is normally a front-man so for this it's kinda new to see him focusing purely on guitar. He also played bass for the band Only Flesh who are currently label-mates with Goatwhore on Rotten Records. The guy has a wicked stage presence, a professional attitude, and live experience out the ass. Not to mention he knows how to have a good time. Steven is without a doubt the most talented drummer I have ever worked with and I'm willing to bet ever will. He's a blast beat machine and soaks up new techniques like a sponge. He's a really diverse musician and I'm looking to bring his black metal influence into the band a bit. I guess the real "new" guy is Ryan Boggs. He is handling bass duties and is levels ahead of anything Kevin could do with the genre. I hate watching Ryan play because he actually shits on most guitarists I've played with and he uses his fingers. lol

FF: You've been in bands previously in that area, any chance we may see some of the people you have worked with before in Swallowed By Apathy?

Mitchell: haha! This question has already been answered but yes. You will be seeing them! As a matter of fact we are getting ready to do a photo shoot so you can actually see them.

FF: How is the new stuff going to differ from what we heard on Dysgenesis?

Mitchell: More clean vocals! I'm not going to sugar coat it. lol Most bands say, "Oh it's going to be the heaviest thing we've ever done." or something really cliche. It's going to be the most melodic thing we've done yet. It's going to be musically much heavier and very dark at times. But I have a lot of ability as a singer that needs to be displayed on this record. It's not going to be a massive departure from what we've already done. It's just going to be a logical step forward and I'm making it a bit more progressive. The catchy choruses will be there as always. The record is going to be called, "The Oracle of Disarray" and some song titles are, "Death Will Pave Our Way", "Trinity", "Unworldly Entity", "Mark My Words" and "The Imminent Question". I just gave away a good amount of info on that but I can tell you there will be no instrumentals, covers, or filler tracks. It's all going to be full songs and I'm shooting to have about 13 tracks recorded between now and late 2012. Expect an early 2013 release! We're hitting the studio in January to record a new single so keep your eye and ears out for that! Also we will be playing live a lot in 2011! We'll have some hometown shows as well as shows in surrounding states so who knows, maybe we'll be in your area.

FF: Do you plan on keeping Chris Clancy involved in the project at all in the future?

Mitchell: This time around we are recording in our hometown with a guy by the name of Joe Wahl at his home studio. He has the tools to mix and master our record just fine as well as a degree in music recording. We'll be in good hands! haha I love what Chris did with the first record but I wanna try something different this time around.

FF: Any final thoughts?

Mitchell: http://www.facebook.com/swallowedbyapathy is our new Facebook page!!! "Unlike" the old one and "like" the current link because that's where all the current and up to date info is. Oh and keep supporting FoulFeast because he's got tasty reviews and cool info on unsigned metal acts. Hopefully this covers everything!

Psychopathic Daze- Psychopathic Daze

Psychopathic Daze is a metalcore/groove metal band from Chicago. Don't let those tags scare you away, these guys actually show a solid amount of potential on this debut full-length. Blending the crushing moments commonly seen in the groove metal genre with some of the better attributes of metalcore proves to be a successful combination for Psychopathic Daze.

The album is very groove oriented for the most part, that being said the album is also pack full of melody and gives a fairly diverse selection of song structures to keep things interesting enough. The guitar tone is a tad flat for my taste but it isn't distracting enough to throw the album off much. One thing that makes this album standout a bit is it's production. Unlike many bands playing this style with an extremely polished sound, these guys take a different approach with production that is much more raw than the average. Whether this was due to their budget or done on purpose it still makes for a breath of fresh air when compared to the stagnant, overproduced, albums of many bands playing this style today.

The vocals consist mostly of pissed off, mid-ranged screams. The harsh vocals are great but a little more variation wouldn't hurt. Occasionally some clean vocals will make an appearance and although it is rare, when they do show up they are delivered in an excellent manner. One track that seems to stand out the most on this album is "Declaration". This song is a monstrous, mosh pit inducing anthem. It puts all the positive things Psychopathic Daze has going for them on display in a short, four minute time frame. If you are going to test the waters to see if this is something you'd enjoy "Declaration" would certainly be the best place to start.

Overall Psychopathic Daze have delivered a decent debut full-length. I'll be the first to say I'm not the biggest fan of this style of music, but I actually found myself enjoying most of the material here. It's safe to say that if Psychopathic Daze can make it onto my extremely short list of modern metalcore bands I enjoy, that this will most likely fit nicely in the collection of people who actually listen to the style religiously. If you are a fan of groove metal or metalcore this album is definitely worth picking up. For those like me who aren't huge fans, give it a listen anyway. Who knows, you might dig it.

Fell

Fell is the latest film from director/effects guru Marcus Koch. Rather than serving up another fun onslaught of vicious kills and gore like his previous film he took the more psychological approach this time around. Fell has a little bit of everything going for it. It is very artsy at times but it never gets too self indulgent.

Our main character Bill is really going through a difficult time in his life. He's being pumped full of prescription drugs and is creeping slowly down the path to full blown insanity. Everything is falling apart right in front of him and his delusional mind is certainly not helping matters. Though things may seem bad enough they really take a turn for the worst when he awakens to discover a dead body in his bathtub. Bill doesn't remember much about the previous night and he believes it is just a random girl he snagged up at a club. He turns to his best friend for help when he meets his wits end and much to his surprise he isn't too frightened.

The atmosphere in this movie is extremely thick. From start to finish the feeling of claustrophobia is very prominent. Bill is confined in a house that is torturing his psyche every waking moment and as the audience you can sympathize with his mental unraveling. Going into this expecting a straight up horror film may be a little disappointing to some. While the movie does have a very creepy, odd vibe going for it this isn't your typical horror flick, it delves deep into the very real horrors of someone's mind withering away. The blood is very minimal and is never over the top when it makes an appearance. There are also a few nice shots, the best examples of this would be the camera lingering above the bathtub and Bill laying on the kitchen floor on his radio. Moments like this add to the already gigantic atmosphere the film possesses.

Fell is an outstanding film. It may not be for everyone, but those with a taste for this sort of thing will without a doubt be pleased. All in all Fell never really misses it's mark, it takes a depressing, downtrodden atmosphere and runs with it. Given the vast amount of difference between this film and his last (100 Tears), a jump this big in style is a huge risk for an independent filmmaker. Luckily in Koch's case it really pays off. This is the perfect testament that Koch isn't just a one trick pony and opens more opportunities in the future to dive deeper into more story/atmosphere driven films.

Interview with Wilhelm Lindh (The Gardnerz)

The Gardnerz just recently had their debut full-length The System of Nature released via Abyss Records. The album definitely makes The Gardnerz a standout act in a style that is all too often filled with dull, uninspired music. Here we talk to guitarist Wilhem Lindh about the album, the history of the band, and what the future holds.

 Foul Feast: Tell us a little about how The Gardnerz came about.

Wilhelm Lindh: It all started in the summer of 2008 when I came home from a stint in Florida where I had been studying for a semester. Since I had not played guitar seriously for six months, I had to get the poison out. I got in contact with and old girlfriend about starting a band playing something similar to old katatonia but with a more death metal touch. The idea was to have female vocals but that didn't pan out. And after searching for about a year for another female vocalist I gave up that idea and went with a dude. And since then I have had some different members. But since I joined forces with Francisco Martín on bass and Niclas Ankarbranth on vocals I have had a solid foundation. The drummer situation has been the tricky part, on the system of nature Joan Pablo Donoso played session drums and now we are working with Vedran Bencic as our new drummer.

FF: I'm sure you get this often, but what is the meaning behind the band name?

Wilhelm Lindh: You are correct, that question arises often, but that is sort of the point. The main idea came from pre Socratic philosopher Epicurus, who talked about how all you need to be happy in life is a garden, some good friends and simple food. He also talked about how it is virtue to live a simple life. He was a very interesting guy. So from him I got "The Gardeners", but I thought that sounded a bit prententious and also there were many bands with that name. And also if you googled it you got something like 9 million hits. So I dropped on e and changed the s for a z for good measure. We have gotten a lot of shit for the z but I like it, it is a reminder that you shouldn't take everything to seriously. I guess I should point out that the z is taken from Swedish dance music, think mellow country music with really cheesy lyrics. In those bands it is commonplace to replace the s with a z.  Take a listen to this kick ass band http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGGum5OP_zo&feature=related!

FF: The album was mixed by Dan Swanö, how did you guys get into contact with him?

Wilhelm Lindh: Actually the album was mastered by Mr. Swanö. our bass player Francisco had been in contact with him for some reason that I don't remember but he had asked if it would be possible for him to master the album, and he said yes. So I emailed him and set it up. I must say that it was a real pleasure to work with him, he did it really fast and the result was killer.  

FF: When did writing for The System of Nature begin?

Wilhelm Lindh: It started in the summer of 2008, that was how I started the band, just writing songs. My idea was to do a demo in the fall of 2008, but since I didn't have the members I just kept writing. When Francisco joined the band he insisted that we should do a full length album instead of a demo. So that is what we did.  

FF: Did the writing process seem to flow naturally?

Wilhelm Lindh: Yeah I think so, with this band my idea was to do whatever came to my mind. Since I have always felt a bit limited in my previous bands, having had members who not wanted to do the same thing as I or had the ability to play some of my riffs. So just having myself in the band while I wrote most of these songs, I could do precisely what I wanted. And I wrote a few riffs to as exercises, writing stuff I couldn't play so I had to practice and get better. And now with the guys I have in the band I can continue doing it since I know that they can handle whatever I throw at them.

FF: How did your deal with Abyss Records come about?

Wilhelm Lindh: Dan from Abyss records wrote me after finding us on myspace. We were talking with him and another label and we decided to go with Abyss since they had better distros and such. Dan is a really great guy as well so I'm glad we went with Abyss.

FF: The sound displayed on your debut manages to maintain an aggressive feel that is typically lost when blending death metal with doom. Was this something you set out to do or did it just come naturally?

Wilhelm Lindh: Well as I wrote earlier the idea was to mix our style with female vocals, since in my mind most metal bands that have a female as a vocalist have a tendency to be really polished and kind of lame (as for most music these days). I felt that I wanted to do something dirtier, and when I had to give up that idea and go with a male vocalist (not that I'm disappointed about it, Nicke is a amazing singer and a great dude) I just kept it the same way. So Answer your question I would say it was a natural thing.

FF: What influences you most musically?

Wilhelm Lindh: As for bands the top bands are Katatonia, Bolt Thrower, Acheron, Broken Hope, Death, old Nile. I wanted to do slow and heavy stuff but to try to not do it the same as most people do it, you know a few slow power chords and the just riding those chords. I like allot of brutal bands but I have always prefer when the drumming is more down tempo. So I wanted to have some fast riffs but with a more groove oriented and doomy tempo on the drums.

FF: re there any reoccuring lyrical themes on the album?

Wilhelm Lindh: There are a few songs that are antireligious, and the rest are me venting various things that annoy me or that I think should be more talked about. We have songs about: our consumption crazed society, Sweden's sordid part in the field of racial biology, tabloid journalism.

FF: Do all of the members of The Gardnerz have previous experience in metal bands?

Wilhelm Lindh: Yes we have all played in a few metal bands, we are in or have been in Toxodeth, Tristitia, Kanatran, Vandöd, Pandemonium, Insomnis, Savage Harmony. There are more to mention, but my memory lets me down.

FF: Are there any tracks on The System of Nature that stick out to you the most?

Wilhelm Lindh: The first one I wrote was The art of suffering, so that one for sure, I also really like how that one came together, I think everyone added some killer stuff to it. Maybe it's time also turned out really good, good mix of harmony and brutality. Confusion as well, I really like the vocals on that one, and my clean guitar solo is one of my highlights.

FF: How has the album been recieved thus far?

Wilhelm Lindh: It has mainly gotten good responses, allot of people has given it really good feedback. And since we have got it officially released is a big pat on the back for me.  

FF: Do you guys gig often?

Wilhelm Lindh: We have never played live with this band. Since we didn't have a drummer for a long time we couldn't play live. But now when we have Vedran we are trying to set up some shows, but that is not the easiest thing to do. But hopefully we will do some shows next year.

FF: Has there been any thought put into the next release yet?

Wilhelm Lindh: Yes we are planning to put out a ep next year, we have ten songs written but we thought it would be better to do an ep. And the new songs are keeping with the same style as for the system, some might be bit slower and longer but, if you liked the system you will like the new songs as well.

FF: Any final thoughts?

Wilhelm Lindh: Thanks for this interview! And for those of you who haven't heard us head over to www.thegardnerz.com were you can listen to the entire album.
Cheers
Wilhelm