Issue 27 - July-august 2008

CONTENTS PAGE

CHILDREN OF BODOM

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Tours, tours, tours! The news just gets better and better, and the bands visiting our shores are all top quality awesomeness!

HER GAT ND, U O R EN!! LDR CHI

BLACK TIDE

Hopefully you all attended the Children of Bodom concert that happened in Auckland just a few days before we went to press. It was a great gig, and was absolutely jampacked with Metal fans. With turnouts like that, promoters will continue to take notice and bring bands over that they would never have considered five years ago.

N O R T

Hopefully you caught Max and I’s recent visit to the legendary Axe Attack radio show to chat with Paul Martin about Slaughterama. And a few weeks back we also appeared on Rockzilla, another fine Metal show on ALT TV.

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11 NG NGI E BRI H T K BAC FF!!!! I B

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14 E NAG TEE AGE!!!! P RAM

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We also have a new episode of our very own Slaughterhouse TV on the way, so be sure to search for it on youtube soon. Catch you next issue!

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LL EA WE’R RES!!!! O WH

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Greetings readers!

N M D M T

P L U S

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E W S A N O W A R K I L L V D R E V I E W U S I C R E V I E W S H E F L A M E W A R S

Brendon Williams -Editor 2008 SLAUGHTERHOUSE NZ. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ALL ENQUIRIES TO: BRENDON WILLIAMS. PHONE +64 21 146 6477 EMAIL- [email protected]

NEWS

JUDAS PRIEST are coming to Vector Arena in Auckland on September 7 as part of their PRIEST FEAST 2008 Tour, with special guests C AVA L E R A C O N S P I R A C Y. This will be JUDAS PRIEST’s first NZ concert! Tickets are on sale now. Go to www.ticketmaster. co.nz for more information, or to buy tickets.

DOWN — the acclaimed New Orleans band f e a t u r i n g CORROSION O F CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower (EYEHATEGOD, SUPERJOINT RITUAL guitarist), bassist Rex Brown (ex-PANTERA), guitarist Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR), and vocalist Philip Anselmo (SUPERJOINT RITUAL, exPA N T E R A ) — will embark on a short tour of Australia in October.



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D E F LEPPARD are coming to Vector Arena in Auckland on November 14. Tickets go on sale July 9. For more information, go to www. defleppard.

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HILDREN OF BODOM is one of the most recognized Finnish Heavy Metal bands. Since the release of their debut album “Something Wild” in 1997 the guys have enjoyed continuous success and grown to become a force to be reckoned with. Now, 11 years and 6 studio albums later, CHILDREN OF BODOM finally travelled our way to play a one-off show in Auckland to promote their brand new release “Blooddrunk”. Prior to their arrival we got in touch with Henkka “Blacksmith” Seppälä, the bassist and one of the founding members of the band to ask him a few questions about the past, the present and the future... So how’s it going? What’s the news from Children Of Bodom? You are coming to New Zealand soon...

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Yeah, it’s the first time we’re going to be there and we couldn’t get any further a w a y



from Finland. It’s very exciting. How far did you get before? We’ve been to Australia and Japan. And Chile on the other side of the world. What’s your impression from playing in Australia? We played there two years ago. We did four shows and they were all sold out. It was great, we loved the country. Do you think the further away you get from your home country, the crazier the fans go? I don’t know if it’s about that, but when fans waited for us for ten years, then of course they are more excited to see us for the first time. So what are you expecting from New Zealand? I have no idea! (laughs) I just know it’s a beautiful country. I’ve

heard stories from my friends who’ve been there and I saw pictures and some movies, too. Alright. Well the new album, “Blooddrunk” is out now. You happy with your effort? Yes, we are very happy. We’re very happy with the whole package. It’s been out for a couple of months now and it’s going good. I don’t know how the sales are going at the moment, but the response has been very good and we’re very happy.

As time goes by and Children Of Bodom have put out quite a few records, is it easier for you to record an album or is it taking more time instead?

You’re a bassist, and it seems to be an instrument that not too many people pick up first. Everybody wants to play electric guitar or sing. So have you always been a bassist and how did you come to pick up the

I played the guitar first and then I got an invitation to join the band, this band. But they only needed a bassist, so I got a bass. I was always a rhythm guitarist, I was never a skillful shredder. So it was quite natural for me to switch to bass and I think it’s a very good position for me. So do you still pick up the other guys’ guitars at band practice? Of course I do! (laughs) Of course I pick up

the guitar and try to play it, but with those two guys [guitarists Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala – editor] it feels a little stupid. So what’s it like being on the road with Children Of Bodom? Are you guys doing the typical rock star routine, banging the groupies... Yeaaahhhh.... Drinking, partying? You know, everybody’s always talking about groupies, but we never see any groupies. Maybe it’s for “Legends Only” or maybe we’re so bad that we never see those girls. Of course we like to party and with this Australian/New Zealand tour we always get a day off between the shows, so that leaves a little more room for partying.



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The first album we did, “Something Wild” [1997] took us around a week to record. And “Blooddrunk” took us six weeks to record and then another two weeks for mixing and mastering. Of course we’ve become more professional, but it’s really a matter of finances. Now we can afford to spend more time in the studio and in 1997 we couldn’t. I think with this kind of music everybody wants to spend as much time in the studio as possible.

instrument?

Where is the best place to party in the world? Ooohh...... One place that comes to mind is Tokyo; it’s always crazy and full of good looking girls. (laughs) New Orleans is pretty cool, too. You can buy a beer in one bar and walk into another one with it. And of course Las Vegas, if you like gambling. Which I don’t. But everybody gets crazy there.

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Finland’s got so many g r e a t bands coming o u t of the country. S o what’s it like over t h e r e Heavy Metalwise? You know, when I started being interested in this music, all the bands were from Sweden and Norway, and we always felt a little left out. We only had a handful of bands like Amorphis, Impaled Nazarene and Stratovarius. But then Amorphis went abroad and Stratovarius began getting big outside of Finland, and all of a sudden there was a boom of these smaller Metal bands. And of course we have a very strong Metal label here, “Spinefarm”, with great connections in continental Europe. I think what’s different between Finland and Sweden is that all the bands are very different from each other here. People play all sorts of music, like Nightwish, Lordi, HIM, Sonata Arctica, Finntroll – they all have their own unique sound. So are you guys making really good money? Is that the kind of thing you get rich on in



Finland? Finland is so small and the market here is very small too. So if you’re selling a lot of albums in Finland, it’s not enough to make you rich. You have to sell a lot abroad as well. So what about Children Of Bodom? You are obviously able to live comfortably by making records and playing gigs? Yeah, for about six years now we are able to make a living out of it and it’s really nice. Of course in the beginning it was very hard, but I think if you’re able to live by playing music you should be very happy. Is there anything you haven’t done with the band that you always wanted to do? Like play with an orchestra or do the unplugged stuff? Well, I can tell you there isn’t gonna be a symphony orchestra, and there’s not gonna be unplugged. I think what I’d like to keep doing is just be able to play in different countries. Now we’ve got New Zealand coming up, so that’s like my next achievement. So when you’re in New Zealand are you gonna go bungee jumping, do that sort of stuff? Yeah, New Zealand national sport, bungee jumping! (laughs) I think we’re staying there for

about three days, so I think we’ll just go look around, see the local attractions... Swimming with the sharks? Yeah? Is that good? Nah mate, we’re kidding. Oh, okay. (laughs) So let’s talk about the sound. Some hardcore fans (or people who consider themselves being hardcore fans) seem to be upset with what they call the industrial edge of the later albums, like “Are You Dead Yet?” [2005]. How do you feel about that and does the band listen to what people say? I think everybody should do just what they wanna do. That’s how bands get their own style. Of course it’s impossible to avoid their critical

comments, but we just do our own thing. That’s how it should be in the first place. That’s why we’re here. A lot of it is Internet-based, too. I think it’s too easy for people to go on line and talk shit about others. I don’t really know what people mean by this “industrial edge”. We’ve always done music in the same way and the same tradition. We never discussed any directions, we just get together as a band and play music. Well thank you very much for taking time to do this interview for us. Is there anything else you’d like to add for the New Zealand fans of Children Of Bodom? It’s very simple: we’ve been together for over 10 years now and we’ve never made it to New Zealand. And we’re very excited to finally go there. We just hope to see a lot of people at the show having good time! So I’ll see you all there! g

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OTHER BANDS PLAY. MANOWAR KILL. Battle Hymns 1982

Into Glory Ride 1983

Stand out song: Metal Daze

Stand out song: Gloves of Metal

WHY IT KILLS: -Manowar’s debut layed the foundations for things to come -Hollywood legend Orson Welles narrated “Dark Avenger”

Hail To England 1984 Stand out song: Bridge of Death

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WHY IT KILLS: -This is widely regarded as Manowar’s best record -Manowar recorded 2 albums worth of material, so their next album was already almost completed.

Sign Of The Hammer 1984 Stand out song: Thor (The Powerhead) WHY IT KILLS: -This is the only time Manowar have released two studio albums in one year, both of which are very individual and strong in their own right.

Fighting The World 1987

Kings Of Metal 1988

Stand out song: Holy War

Stand out song: Hail and Kill

WHY IT KILLS: -Although it is probably the most commercial sounding album, Fighting the World manages to stay true to Manowar’s ideals and contains many classic Manowar songs.



WHY IT KILLS: -Manowar became the first band in history to sign a record contract in their own blood with Megaforce for this record.

WHY IT KILLS: -This album was the final record with Ross the Boss on guitar. -A 100-voice, all-male Canoldir Choir was used along with an orchestra for “The Crown and the Ring”

The Triumph Of Steel 1992

Louder Than Hell 1996 Stand out song: The Gods Made Heavy Metal

Stand out song: Metal Warriors WHY IT KILLS: -It features a 28 and a half minute song! -It has some of Manowar’s fastest, and most technical material.

WHY IT KILLS: -It is the last album to feature a stripped down Manowar sound -It contains so many great anthems

Gods Of War 2007

Warriors Of The World 2002 Stand out song: Warriors of the World United

WHY IT KILLS: -Eric Adams gets to showcase his amazing vocal ability, singing opera song “Nessun Dorma” -It has an Elvis Presley cover on it!

Stand out song: Die For Metal WHY IT KILLS: -It is extremely EPIC -Musically it is very orchestral, and although the sound is very different from most Manowar albums, it still adheres to all of Manowar’s ideals.

MANOWAR KILL. The loudest band in the world are also the most aligned with the genre of Heavy Metal. They are known by their fans as the Kings of Metal, and their lifestyle and songs reinforce this. The albums shown here are all of Manowar’s studio records to date, in chronological order. This doesn’t include the live albums, EPs, compilations, singles and bootlegs (Manowar even released two double live albums back to back in the nineties, Hell on Stage and Hell on Earth). The way the band continues to be innovative, yet remain true to Heavy Metal’s ideals and lifestyle are a testament to True Heavy Metal.

Check out some of these albums if you haven’t already done so (begin with Hail to England, Louder Than Hell or Kings of Metal) and you will discover the power of True Metal!!!

HAIL AND KILL!!!



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The band is one that music fans either love with a passion, or hate with a vengeance. This is because Manowar are the absolute example of definitive Heavy Metal in every way, from the music, to the look, to the live performances, to the contact with the fans and beyond. There simply has never been, nor will there ever be a band more “Metal” than Manowar.

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ADVERTISING

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tarting up in the late seventies and carrying strongly through the eighties and beyond, the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was one of the largest musical happenings in Metal (especially for the U.K.) SAXON were right at the top of the pile when the movement broke into the mainstream, delivering one of the many signature sounds developed during this historic time period. And they are still around to this day, touring Australia recently. We caught up with vocalist Biff Byford. Here’s what emerged from our scratchy long distance phone call...

(Goldsmith) were a little bit at loggerheads all the time, y’know? What’s it like being such an iconic, classic band? Well, our first big album was 1980 with “Wheels of Steel”... we’re terribly lucky to still be around, really, with our friends Iron Maiden and a few other bands that are still going, so it feels good to be appreciated after so long in the business.

How are you doing?

You guys went through the eighties and nineties with a steady flow of albums... you never really stopped. Was it difficult for you in the nineties when all the grunge came out?

We’re writing the next album, and at the moment I’m travelling to London to do some interviews

Yeah I think it was a difficult time for all the British Metal bands, but I think we managed

And how is the new album working out? It’s sounding good. We won’t know until we finish it how good it is, but at the moment it’s sounding really good. How was your last album “Inner Sanctum” received? It got great reviews. It sold really well, and when all the fans and the press like an album it’s a good feeling. Recently you guys were on reality TV, is that correct?

And did it boost your profile? Oh yeah, definitely, we’re obviously much bigger in Britain now than we were eight months ago. It certainly was one of those programmes where me and him

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It’s quite a while ago now, but channel 4 approached us to get involved with a guy called Harvey Goldsmith, and he was some sort of guru to bring our profile up in Britain... really that’s what it was all about.

to survive through it because our fan following was very strong, so the fans kept us alive when the record sales went down a little bit, which is fantastic. What would you say is the secret for staying in the business so long and maintaining this steady success? I think you have to stay loyal to your belief in the music and your fans, and I think you have to keep the edge. You can’t turn into some connoisseur; you have to keep regenerating your music so that the younger fans keep getting into the band all the time. Let’s talk about lineup changes. Is it quite tough when someone leaves and a replacement comes in? Yeah, it’s quite tough because obviously you’re a very close family and it’s a bit like getting divorced from a bad wife and then getting a new wife. It’s a strange thing to have new people in the band, and it takes a while for those new people to assert their authority and come through as songwriters. Basically we’re talking about the bass guitarist (Nibbs Carter) and the guitarist (Doug Sacrratt), and they’ve really put a lot into the band and we’ve changed for the better now over the years.

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You were one of the original NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) bands... do you remember h o wi t was back then? How different was it to today? Yeah, in the days when Saxon and Iron Maiden and Tygers of Pan Tang and all these bands were touring the clubs, we used to meet each other all the time and there was a very big sense of a new movement

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because the punk bands were very big in those days so it was a great feeling of “yeah, we’re gonna get an album deal, we’re gonna write our own songs and we’re gonna take music a step further from where Zeppelin and Sabbath took it”. If you weren’t doing music. what do you think you’d be doing? I’d probably be a criminal, I think (laughs) What would your career be in the criminal world? (laughing) Probably stealing cars or something... Speaking of cars, does being in Saxon mean that you get to drive any car you want to? Not really. I can’t afford the new Ferrari or anything like that, but we might buy a second hand Porsche or something, drive it for a few months and then sell it again, y’know? A lot of people would like to have your singing ability... how did you develop your voice and how do you maintain it? I didn’t develop it at all, it’s just there really. I used to sing a lot at work in my youth, and I came to music by learning to play guitar and bass... I always thought I was a pretty shitty singer... somebody asked me to sing, so I sang and they went “whoa, that’s a really good voice” - I was like, “really?” and it went from there. I don’t do anything to look after it really... it’s the old thing... lots of water and lots of sex! g

ADVERTISING

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LACK TIDE is a young band from Florida, and by young, I mean young! The oldest member of this Thrash Metal quartet is 20 years old! You might have seen their “Shockwave” video on TV and wondered, who are these guys? Well, following the release of their debut album “Light from Above” we got in touch with the guitarist Alex Nunez for a quick interrogation... First of all, congratulations on your first album! Are you happy with the effort? Oh yeah, definitely. Now the tour is coming up so everything worked out fine. Are you starting to get a following over there in the States? Yeah now people are actually starting to show up! It’s quite unusual to hear a band from Florida, the capital of Death Metal (especially a young band like yourselves) playing Thrash. How’s the scene for this music in Florida?

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It sucks man, it’s no good. It’s not even Death Metal, it’s all this rap and screamo-emo shit, but for the Metal scene it’s horrible. There’s very few bands that keep on doing this stuff here. All the members of Black Tide are quite young. Exactly how old are you guys? I’m 18, Gabriel [Garcia; vocals, guitar] is 15, Steve [Spence, drummer] is 20 and the bassist [Zach Sandler, bass] is 19. When you get a reasonably young bunch of

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people you’d expect to hear whatever kids are into these days, like a Slipknot or My Chemical Romance kinda thing. Do you feel out of place playing old-school Metal? Sometimes, yes. A lot of people are into modern sounding bands. But now you get a few older sounding bands too, like Trivium, bringing back the shred. You are obviously influenced by old-school Thrash bands. So what are your favorites? I really like old Kreator and Testament, Slayer, Carcass. I like At The Gates a lot, which isn’t Thrash, but just an amazing band. You first made it big at Ozzfest, wasn’t it? Yeah. We first were meant to do a one-off thing on the second stage, but after they saw us, they asked us to play on the rest of the tour. We were supposed to play the Jagermeister stage, but once Jagermeister found out we weren’t 21, they kicked us off the show, ‘cuz obviously they didn’t want us to promote the underage drinking. (chuckles) But three days later they asked us to come back and play the opening slot on the main stage. So it worked out even better for us! So being under the legal drinking age, do you have any trouble scoring gigs? No, not at all, actually! On out first tour we mainly did 21+ shows and there always was at least 200 people there. Which was really rather surprising! But that really shows that with this style of music you get a bunch of kids and the older people as well going to the shows. The only problem really was that when we weren’t playing, we weren’t allowed to hang out in the bar area, but the rest was cool.

What about the out-of-band activities? I’m guessing due to your ages you all should be going to school or college. Does the band get in the way of that? Well, me personally, I would be graduating right now. But because we’re touring so much I just can’t finish school. Gabriel really has to do it, because he’s 15. So he’s doing an Internet school. Our drummer finished high school and went to college before he joined the band, so now that we tour so much he had to pull out. . From the young band’s perspective, how do you make it big? I mean, you formed in 2004 and four years later you have your album out and a video on TV, and you played Ozzfest...

we’re doing festivals in France, Spain and some other countries. We’re not going to New Zealand yet, but we’ll see what’s happening. Is it easier to make Metal in Europe? Definitely. Everybody’s into Metal there, it’s crazy! Plus, over there we’re of a legal drinking age, so we’re gonna go to pubs and get shitfaced! Any last words for the New Zealand Metal fans? Yeah, I hope you pick up the record, drink a lot of whiskey and we’ll see you down there some time! g

Yeah, things happened really fast... So do you reckon it’s just dumb luck or is there some secret to it? It’s a little bit of both. You’ve got to be lucky, but you also have to be good, you know. You have to have the winning ambition in you. We never really aimed at making it big, we just played because we love playing, and eventually somebody found us. I get really mixed opinions about Black Tide. Some people absolutely love it, the others think that it’s a “watered-down version of Megadeth”. What would you say about that?

So what are the plans for the future? Well, in June we’re starting a pretty big European tour. We do a few shows with Airbourne, then we’re doing the Download festival, we’re doing Redding,

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(laughs) I really don’t care what everybody else thinks. Actually none of us do. As I said, we just play because we like playing. We’re not trying to please anyone, we’re just doing it for the sake of music. Because we love it.

GIVEAWAY!!!

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Thanks to our good friends at Isaac Promotions and Roadrunner Records, you can enter the draw to win a copy of Black Tide’s ground breaking debut album, “Light From Above” (see interview on page 13 and review on page 16). To enter, simply send an email with the subject “BLACK TIDE COMPETITION” to slaughtermail@ gmail.com. Don’t forget to include your full name and postal address. Entries close 15 July 2008. Winner notified via email. 1 6

D V D REVIEW The band members reside together in a vast mansion called Mordhaus, German for murder house, upon an expansive, privately-owned property known as Mordland. The billion-acre estate is located in a stormy and mountainous region of ambiguous location. REVIEW by Brendon Williams I have yet to find a fan of Metal who can’t appreciate Metalocalypse. The humour is extremely well crafted, the music is absolutely kick-ass, and the characters are awesome. It is surprising that NZ television is yet to screen Metalocalypse (it would be a perfect addition to a Metal video show!) especially considering that other Adult Swim cartoons have been screened (Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Harvey Birdman, Sealab 2021).

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I’m thinking that it may also be a good idea to check out the Dethalbum, which features full length songs from the Metalocalypse series. It’s worth noting that The Dethalbum is the highest charting Death Metal album ever, and when you hear the songs, it will come as no shock why that is the case. mmmmmmmmmm

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etalocalypse follows the exploits of the part-American/partScandinavian death metal band Dethklok. They enjoy a popularity level unheard of in reality, ranking just above Belgium as the twelfth largest economy on Earth. They are so popular that impressionable fans will often do anything their songs tell them, even if it means death, which is usually the case. If Dethklok endorses a product or service, it quickly drives every competitor out of business. Employed by Dethklok are a devoted army of black-hooded employees willing to die or commit heinous acts for the sake of the band. Their monumental wealth allows them to get away with and avoid responsibility for just about anything, and they are recognized by the United Nations as having an independent police force.

So I urge you, if you are a fan of Metal and you haven’t seen Metalocalypse, you should definitely watch it! If you have seen it, you should check out the season one DVD, because it’s the type of thing you’ll want to watch again and again.

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ADVERTISING

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MUSIC REVIEWS

SEPTIC FLESH Communion 2008 Season of Mist

OPETH Watershed 2008 Roadrunner

BLACK TIDE Light From Above 2008 Interscope

How much can you do with only a piano and a drum kit? Obviously quite a lot if you’re “Machine Gun” Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione. The former well deserving the nickname for the talent of spitting out words at speed that would make Eminem jealous. The followup to 2006’s ‘Yes, Virginia’ is yet another trip into the crazy rock cabaret which sounds like Bob Dylan on drugs. Not Metal in any way, but still a great record to check out for people a little more open-minded than your average bogan. Some kickass stuff here, like ‘Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner’ and ‘Sorry Bunch’. A truly unique band. Absolutely essential!

Along with Rotting Christ and On Thorns I Lay, Septic Flesh is one of the most noticeable Greek Metal exports. Their seventh full-length continues the line of great albums with mid-tempo riffing, haunting symphonic keyboards and a contrast between growling and clean vocals. Compared to earlier works of the band, ‘Communion’ seems to be more atmospheric and mesmerizing, with massive slow breakdowns emphasizing the faster parts. I think fans of Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir would be the target audience, however if you just want to hear some melodic, yet very intense Metal, you might want to check this out.

I think everything has already been said about Opeth. The new album carries on in the same direction as ‘Ghost Reveries’ with its massive sound, acoustic stuff, Death Metal, Jazz, Progressive, Folk, all mixed together into a highly depressing brew. One thing I don’t understand about this band is why it appeals to so many people who don’t actually listen to Metal? The other day I was reading an article in a newspaper, by a guy who couldn’t decide whether he should listen to Coldplay, Smashing Pumpkins or Opeth. All I can say is if you liked the last 3 or 4 Opeths – you’re guaranteed to love this one. As for myself, I’m just waiting for the new Judas Priest to arrive.

Now, I’ve heard good things about this band and I’ve heard a lot of crap, too. However all the criticism seems to come from a bunch of jealous little shits, who just can’t get over the fact that these young kids got lucky and signed, while their own bands are going nowhere. Meanwhile the material of ‘Light from Above’ is nothing short of amazing. Oldschool Thrash a-la Megadeth and earlier Testament, with a bit of Iron Maiden melodies and a cover of Metallica’s ‘Hit the Lights’ thrown in for a good measure. Very professionally executed album with some great tracks and kick-ass solos. Therefore – check it out! Can’t wait to hear what these guys will sound like when they’re twenty-five!

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Max Thrasher

Max Thrasher

Max Thrasher

Max Thrasher

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THE DRESDEN DOLLS No, Virginia 2008 Roadrunner

MUSIC REVIEWS

NORT The Age of Violence 2008 Dark Wolf Productions

SAINTS OF RUIN Fairytale (EP) 2008 Dark Ruin Publishing - BMI

Firstly, this debut from Nort is well packaged; a professionally made CD and insert, with a barcode on the back and even a Parental Advisory printed on the front (hehe).

Kicking off with the massive rock sound of “Inside My Head” I immediately imagined how enjoyable this band would be to watch playing a stadium; all the ingredients are there; rock solid foundations, kick ass guitar solos, great sounding (and looking) vocalist, and keyboards completing and filling out the sound (they even have a ballad on the CD! Awesome).

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Often kiwi releases have good packaging and bad music, or vice versa, so I wondered if the music was produced to a similar high standard. Turns out it certainly was. My favorite song by far is the title track, which is Heavy, powerful, and catchy as f**k. The rest of the songs touch on a variety of styles, while holding onto a Metal base, which may annoy those who like a definitive sound, but in this case I found it refreshing, and, hey, it’s only the first record! mmmmmmmmww

Brendon Williams

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THE SYMPHONY OF SCREAMS Heed to the Voices 2007 Red Room Productions Ltd It’s winter here right now, which is great because here we have the best new kiwi album to listen to in the middle of the night when rain is attacking your house. Smoke some pot, pour a strong measure of whiskey and crank up “Heed to the Voices” - it will certainly add some substance to your evening, and feed your imagination.

Saints of Ruin have the best elements of 80’s rock, delivered in a modern spin all their own, quite unlike all of the Evanescence soundalikes which are a dime a dozen these days. Get your hands on a copy of “Fairytale” and stay tuned for more from this promising band!

This is an album I would sit beside music such as Black Label Society’s “Hangover Music Volume 6” - full sounding, yet cruisy enough to be pleasantly easy on your ears while you proceed to alter your mind and indulge in some reflection and introspection.

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Brendon Williams

Brendon Williams

PULSE 8 Tell Me What It Is 2007 PULSE8 Pulse 8 play a muscular type of Groove Metal. The opening track on the album ‘Slipstream King’ is the perfect song to listen to while swilling beer and watching drag racing or some other high adrenaline sport. The entire record is chunky and solid; all of the intruments, including the vocals have an equal amount of staunchness and groove. I would recommend fans of bands like Pantera, Sepultura and White Zombie give Pulse 8 a listen. Not much else to say about the album really, except that it is honest and punchy, and not overdone in any areas. mmmmmmmwww

Brendon Williams

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ORT formed in Wellington, 2003. A studio was built and the four of them got together and wrote, jammed, wrote more and jammed until their fingers were bleeding. All that work paid off, because now their debut album, “The Age of Violence” is out (see review on page 15). We spoke with DuaneNort for the lowdown. Give us a brief rundown on NORT for people who are discovering your band for the first time. Nort is a fast and angry Metal band with a melodic groove from Wellington. We’ve been gigging for a few years around Wellington and in Wanganui, Palmerston North, Tauranga and Hamilton. Your debut album, “The Age of Violence” is out now. What would you say was one the biggest obstacles or challenges you faced while recording and releasing your first album?

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Finding the most affordable way to get it all done and out there. We have heaps of material so finding the best ones to put on our debut album was quite hard. Does being a Metal band located in Wellington have any advantages over Auckland? Or overseas? We have all we need here to get things started - recording facilities, live Metal venues and practise spaces all in a short distance from each other. So it’s kind of what you make it. The sound of the band is quite diverse in that each song appears to encompass a different

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edge. Was this intentional? If so, why? And if not, are you glad that listeners pick up on this? The variety in our songs reflects all our influences. All band members have their music tastes - old school rock, punk and Metal. Having a different edge on our songs keeps a fresh perspective in your (the crowd’s) mind. Keep them guessing as to what we are going to pull out next. We had about 30 songs and wanted a taste of all of them on the album, that’s how it sounds so diverse. Keep it fresh. Unexpected. The packaging of the album is very professional compared to some other local bands’ standards. What was the main reason why you took the extra step that not many local bands take, and presented your CD as a professional product? We put a lot of work into this album and wanted the final product to show that. We want people who buy it to know they are getting a great album by a professional band. The two brothers in the band have a friend in England who does covers for Death Metal bands over there so we had him put the Nort album together. Are there any statements that the band is trying to make with its music? What subjects fuel the song writing? If you’re having a crap day you thrash out new material and feel exhilirated and ready to take on more of life’s bullshit. Our songs are fuelled by anger, frustration, suffocation, death, sadness, lack of control, everyday insanities. They are songs of rage. If you could choose a country other than NZ that you’d like the band to really take off in, where would that be and why? England or the States because they have all

those huge outdoor festivals that we are lacking for our type of music. We want to thrash out on a huge stage. That’s what we are striving for. Now that you have released your first album, when is the second album coming? We have more than enough material for another album, but our sound is growing all the time and old songs could be improved before we start recording again. So watch this space! What’s next for Nort, and where can people stay up to date with the latest happenings?

We are taking a short break while Andy (guitar) is overseas for a month. Then we are going to focus on out of town gigs to promote the album. So keep an eye out for Nort ripping it up at your local live band venue. For the latest updates check out myspace.com/nortnz. Your final message for the readers of Slaughterama... Nort are always coming up with better, stronger and louder music for you to sink your Metal teeth into. Get out there and support struggling Kiwi Metal. Together we can take over the airwaves! g

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THE FLAME WARS

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ast issue, we were discussing the changes that the Internet has made to music industry. It has also altered the way people communicate with each other. Internet forums have made it a lot easier to express critisism of another person (or band). But what happens when comments are unwarranted, go too far, or are not critisism at all, but a form of taunting and abuse, designed to offend and / or humiliate the subject? THE FLAME WARS By Brendon Williams This is something I have been meaning to write about for some time, because I have seen a lot of trouble generate from discussions written on Internet forums.

much better. Now for the downside. Just like in real life, there are online personalities, opinions and behaviors which can be very unattractive, for various reasons from simple personality clashes to different morals, intellects, ideas of humour, etc. This is also not such a bad thing... it would be a boring world if we were all the same, and often contrary opinions can help us re-evaluate our positions, or at least make us appreciate where others are coming from. But what happens when you are reading a forum often, enjoying its content, and you finally decide to join. Then when you start posting your comments, someone comes at you from left-field with insults directed at you, the type of which are quite disturbing? Well, at first it would be easy to completely ignore this person. That’s great, but what if months pass and they’re still on your back? Well, you could complain to the operators of the board. Another good idea, but what if they choose to do nothing? Well, you could leave these forums altogether, in which case you lose out on what would otherwise be a great experience, you could continue to ignore the person and let them dampen your fun through being forced to read their negativity, or you could begin to insult the person back. This final option is the beginning of what is referred to as a “flame war”. Often flame wars go nowhere, especially among experienced forum users who see it as a type of sport to see who can “PWN” the other person (put them down so well that the other person cannot make an adequate comeback, therefore losing). The result can be very interesting to some forum readers, and the amount of views on threads with flame wars is usually WAY higher than the usual conversation threads.

Being able to log in and see what people who share your favorite music or hobby are up to is fun, and can be helpful as they can share new information with you quickly and easily, and vice versa. New friends can be created regardless of where they live in the world, and when everything is working as it should, it doesn’t get

But what about people who find no joy in receiving “I f**ked your Mom” style comments, and who are, quite rightly, offended? I mean, the person posting this stuff can have as little information about who he / she is in the real world as they like. So if “Deathbringer628” calls you a cocksucker and says he’d smash your

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For those of you who have never joined one (you lucky people!), Internet forums are set up by groups of people with similar interests. In the world of music, bands and organisations very often have them (for instance, Slaughterhouse Productions who are the creators of this zine have a forum). They are designed so that likeminded people can come together and discuss the subjects they have in common. So far, so good.

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THE FLAME WARS face anytime, you simply have to sit there and take it, unless he has the balls to say who he is and where he lives!

so quick to believe any juicy gossip nowadays!) then logical, intelligent debate is definitely not on the agenda.

And if that ever happens, boy, can it get messy. I have seen others get to this point, and even been involved in an altercation of sorts myself a few years back that stemmed from this kind of thing. I mean, it is very frustrating to take crap from someone you don’t know... crap that you would never put up with having said to your face without retaliating. What kind of a man would do nothing if another came up to him, spat him in the face, and then proceeded to tell him that he had just finished having sexual relations with his wife (in more colourful language than that, of course!) Well I personally don’t know any man with honour who would. And that is probably why it is quite common for these kinds of things to escalate into real life scraps, and quite possibly more serious acts of violence (though I have yet to read of a murder stemming from a flame war - however, I wouldn’t be surprised if some there are some murder cases).

Another thing that’s weird is that over my years posting on Internet forums, I have met some of these people who start flame wars. And boy, are they ever throwing stones from glass houses. To put it mildly, a lot of these people have serious issues that they should really be putting time into fixing, instead of wasting time on the net. Their contribution in life is normally so small, that the only way they can feel significant is to attack those who actually are contributing something.

The question I’ve always had for flamers is, if they have some kind of problem with this person, why would they take it up with them or talk shit about them on a forum, where they can do little about it, when they could sort it out with them in the real world, the way nature intended humans to sort things out? This is a question I have not had a logcal answer to. When people are obviously just giving themselves some amusement in an attempt to piss others off, generating false facts and twisted information in order to attempt to tarnish someone’s reputation (which they can be so successful at - people are

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To conclude, I have some advice for anyone who has had problems like those I have mentioned, or may have them in the future... first of all, STAY AWAY from any forum which allows flaming. Before you join any forum, read it for a while and see what sort of behaviour they allow. If you find flame wars, then join at your peril. The forums at houseofnoizz.com used to have no rules; I used to think it wasn’t very Metal to moderate any content at all, and I am a strong believer in freedom of speech. But since then I have become more and more geared against flaming, especially after a recent fight occurred between two of our members which would never have occurred if our forums were not allowed to be a vehicle for flaming. So we have tightened up our rules on the forums, and quite simply we don’t allow it. So if someone wants to tell a person that they are a gay donkey raper, they have to either tell them on a different forum, or go and tell them in person. g

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