VIRUS

Black hole in the universe

VIRUS is a band that most of music fans would probably see as the successor of Norwegian alternative metal heroes VED BUENS ENDE. No wonder- the band was formed a few years ago by Carl Michael Eide who used to play in VBE. The debut album „Carheart” was released in 2003. Five years later another VIRUS' release hit the stores. It's called „The Black Flux” and featured 9 expressive and complex songs, not preoccupied with stylistical boundaries, pushing the whole genre more forward. The album met with an extremely well response from critics and fans, and was described as the most challenging effort of 2008. I could not find a better reason to get in touch with Carl and talk about things. During our conversation we focused primarily on „The Black Flux” content, but my main goal was to penetrate a bit that strange artistic world Czral lives in... More...

NAPALM DEATH

Natural beauty of the world

Birmingham- based extreme metallers NAPALM DEATH are one of the few groups on the contemporary scene that could last for so long (it's hard to believe, but those guys, or at least some of them have already spent over two decades on slaying metalheads with their brilliant stuff!) and still have the same passion and dedication to music as when their first album came out. At the beginning of this year the UK's finest grindcore act strikes back with the brand new album entitled „Time Waits For No Slave”. Just before the European tour I had an opportunity to talk to Shane Embury. The interview turned out a bit chaotic, but who really cares? More...

EVOCATION

We have nothing to loose

The New Year has begun about two weeks ago so it's high time to stop boozing and come up with some fresh articles on Metal Portal. Actually, recently I got the opportunity to talk to EVOCATION vocalist Thomas Josefsson and the interview turned out quite interesting. Tjompe (this is his nickname) is a garrulous and very honest person so I hope that you will enjoy reading it. And by the way- don't forget to buy the newest release of those veterans called „Dead Calm Chaos”. This is the true essence of Swedish death metal! More...

VREID

Honesty and will

A few weeks ago I received a letter from Indie Recordings including a promo CD with the newest VREID's album called „Milorg”. Well, it's never been my favorite band. I have nothing against VREID but honestly speaking, I've never paid too much attention to them, for a very simple reason. „Kraft” was a very mediocre album. Thrash elements on „Pitch Black Brigade” and „I Krig” surprised me a bit but listening to these albums I never got shivers. So, when the promo of VREID's fourth full length album arrived, I threw „Milorg” into my player without any special expectations. After several listenings I'm no longer sceptical on their music. This is definitely a very interesting album, the best one VREID have recorded so far. Now read to what bassist Hváll had to say, answering some questions concerning „Milorg” and some other things... More...

ANGEL BLAKE

Dark rock is in our DNA

For those of you who haven't heard anything about ANGEL BLAKE- this is a Swedish band founded in 2004 by guitarist Marko Tervonen formerly known from the legendary death thrash metal killers THE CROWN. After the break-up, Marko decided to form his solo project and explore a darker side of heavy/ rock music under a name inspired by one of the DANZIG's classic songs from "I Luciferi" album. The debut album entitled "Angel Blake" was released in 2006. All the instruments for that record were performed by Marko, only vocal duties were handled by session vocalist Tony Jelencovich. The second full length release (recorded in a regular line up featuring new vocalist, bassist, drummer and ... contrabassist) hit the stores a few months ago. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk to Marko the more so because "The Descended" is not only one of my favorite albums of 2008, but also one of the best in dark rock genre from years... More...

DARKANE

Daemon in heaven

When it comes to the most creative and courageous bands on the contemporary metal scene, we mustn't lose sight of DARKANE. Since 1998 they have been consistently working on their own modern thrash metal formula. Thanx to such great albums as "Expanding Senses" or "Layers Of Lies" they achieved a status of the leading thrash metal band from Sweden. It speaks for itself. At the end of 2008 the band released the fifth full length album entitled "Demonic Art". Just before Christmass time I got a chance to talk about that effort and some other things related to DARKANE to band's axeman Christofer Malmström. Have fun! More...

ZONARIA

We make our own music

This band has something untypical within. The music of ZONARIA is a hybrid of melodic black/ death metal with symphonic elements, which we already knows from anywhere, but includes a very strange and very difficult to describe element, don’t letting to put this band on a one scale with the others of sounding similar hordes, which names since a many years are the tools in the hands of giants the music business. I don’t know yet, or the new album of Swedes titled “The Cancer Empire”, released anyway via Century Media will guarantee them the incomes letting to realize the most hidden of dreams, but the attitude of Emil, a guitar player of this group clearly shows a strong feeling of self value, meaningless of time and realities of life. Read, please what told to me this young, but excessively reticent and modest artist. More...

CYNIC

The unknown source of inspirations

A music only for open minded people. Only with this words I could to describe a stuff of the band, that after many years of absence returned now to the world of living, of course with the new album. CYNIC, because that’s exactly a band in question, admired all of fans of extreme sounds before 15 years by the album “Focus”, confirming that death metal sounds absolutely mustn’t be boring by their intensively tempos, blasts and typical brutality, but by the using of samples, jazz fusions and a much of other strange elements can to guarantee a very curious and technical vision of metal beyond all times. A coincidence did however, that a path by the band was walking, ended a break-up and a very long silence. Nothing’s however impossible, so even after so many years CYNIC was able to rise from the grave, not only playing the occasional concerts, but even recording a new, the same excellent but surely not easy perceptive through the only one listening album “Traced In Air”. For a few of my questions answered very nice, although a little bit taciturnity leader of group, Paul Masvidal. More...

UNLEASHED

Marching off to war

Everything shows, that the time of regression is in the case of this Swedish horde a chapter closed forever and for always. As the confirmation could be mentioned not only the wonderful album “Hammer Battalion”, so glorifying by me in the one of reviews, but probably the true death metal passion too, rooted very deep in the every of four warriors from Kungsangen, and especially in the leader of this band. Who knows already Johnny Hedlund a little bit closer, knows probably too his full engagement during the playing shows of that was always famous, commanding this way with the true… hammer battalion, destroying the same effectively by his music as with the help of tanks, canons or bombs. Yes, UNLEASHED in live version stays still the same dangerous like before 5, 10 and even 15 years and I could to experience it myself already the fourth time in my life. The European tour of group, playing in the end of this year was of course the one of elements the promotional campaign of “Hammer Battalion”, not forgetting about a good opportunity to watch Johnny and his comrades in action once again, but before I did it, I asked this very nice and talkative like always musician about a few of questions, which he answered to me of course very well. More...

KRISIUN

A true face of brutality

If I would have to vote for the best death metal album Anno Satanas 2008, I would meet a some of dilemmas, but the latest work of Brazilians from KRISIUN surely find itself among of them. Why? The seventh record of three masters of sonic murder brings another piece of high-quality carnage, shredding the body into pieces, breaking the bones and leaving everywhere the ruins and smoking ashes. Nothing strange, that Moyses Kolesne, the guitar player of this death commando proudly recommends “Southern Storm” as the best album since the times of “Conquerors…”, telling me on the occasion of visit in Berlin not only about the new album, but about the other things too, like for example the essence of death metal purity, supporting the fans all over the world and even a few words about… the Brazilian TV-series. More...