Kingston Wall - III Tri-Logy (1994)

The third and final Kingston Wall album, originally released in 1994, is perhaps the most challenging of the three to get into. This is largely because by this album the band had largely dived their deepest into psychedelic and progressive territories. The songs are considerably slower with the fast paced hard rocking sections mostly gone, there’s a much larger usage of synths/electronics on each song, the whole psychedelic mood is at an all-time high and in a way the album plays out as one long seventy one minute long piece since each song bleeds into each other. The only real exception to this is the song, ‘Party Goes on,’ which sounds like it could have easily fit on the first album. Oh yes, and I mustn’t forget the industrial/techno-ish/rock piece called, ‘Stüldt Håjt’ that adds a sudden odd twist to the album when you arrive on it.

So that brings up the obvious question, does this album disappoint? The answer is both a yes and no. Assuming you enjoy the bands faster paced hard rocking songs with just a little bit of the psychedelic/progressive touches then you’ll probably have a harder time getting into this album, but if you’re a fan of all things psychedelic/progressive than this could easily be your favorite Kingston Wall release. Either way the obviously noticeably thing about this release is that Petri’s guitar work is not nearly as exciting as it lacks the dynamic riffs and the mesmerizing guitar solos that characterized past albums, and that is truly a shame. The songs themselves also don’t appear to be as catchy, but still are quite good.

It's hard to pick key favorites from this album since it basically flows as one piece, but fortunately the album ends with what’s got to be one of the finest progressive rock tunes every wrote. At eighteen minutes, ‘The Real Thing’ showcases everything that made Kingston Wall so fantastic; catchiness, great riffs, stunning solos, ambiance, psychedelia, progressiveness and excellent passionate vocals. The song has both its fast hard rocking parts, slower psychedelic/progressive parts and even some ambient parts that recall old 70’s Pink Floyd. Sakari Kukko also makes a return on this song with an extensive saxophone solo. Simply a marvelous must hear song.

I tremble at the thought, but I'm certain if Petri Walli had not killed himself in '95 then I'm quite sure Kingston Wall would be one of the most successful and recognized names in the Finnish music scene today, but I must face reality and accept his decision.

In the end there are some great songs on this album, but I would have to say it’s my least favorite of the three Kingston Wall albums, but still it's a fantastic release, truly. However if you keep in mind what I mentioned in the second paragraph, then I think you’ll definitely enjoy this album.

Pestilence - Resurrection Macabre (2009)

Back in 1989, Pestilence created what I believe to be one of the finest death metal efforts ever with their album, 'Consuming Impulse.' A year later singer, Martin Van Drunen split from the band to join the recently formed band Asphyx, but it didn't slow Pestilence down as guitarist, Patrick Mameli stepped up and took the vacant vocal slot and the band released another legendary record titled, 'Testimony of the Ancients' in '91. 'Spheres' followed in '93 with most of the death metal elements disappearing in favor of a fusion/progressive metal sound, which at the time wasn't met with much of a favorable response from fans and eventually it lead to the members splitting the following year and going there separate ways. Pestilence was considered dead forever.

Thirteen years went by with no one hearing from Patrick or even really knowing his whereabouts until he suddenly reemerged with the groove metal band, C-187 in '06 and shortly thereafter people began asking about Pestilence and of course this lead to the reformation of the band in '08. In early '09 the fifth Pestilence album, 'Resurrection Macabre' was released with Patrick handling the guitars/vocals, while Testimony bassist Tony Choy re-joined and new member Peter Wildoer filled in on drums.

It's hard to describe Resurrection Macabre because in one hand it does sound reminiscent of the bands last two records though is seems like there's a little tiny bit of Consuming Impulse within as well as some newer influences that weren't with the band back in their heyday.

Each and every time I listen to this record I think, 'Man, this isn't too bad, not to bad at all.' However it's then I realize that there isn't any single song present that really stands out and grabs me, though the recording as a whole really has some sort of gripping vibe to it, which really doesn't make much sense to me. I mean, I can totally put this record on and headbang and feel myself getting all kinds of charged up, which is great and also one of the things I always enjoyed about the old Pestilence albums, but the fact that no single song stands out must sound just as awkward as it is to experience it.

In the end I feel this is a strong come back album though the three re-recordings were probably not necessary (why fuck with the stuff from your past?). If you're a fan of the old Pestilence albums then definitely give this album a shot as it has a little bit of everything from their heyday as well as some new sounds and I'm quite sure you'll end up enjoying some, most or all of it.

Evile - Infected Nations (2009)

Earlier this year some friends and I witnessed England's Evile opening for legendary German thrashers, Kreator. At the time Evile was completely unknown to me, but there performance that evening convinced me to purchase their latest album, 'Infected Nations' after the show was over. Looking back on that evening I remember Evile sounding like many other retro new school thrash metal bands, and I guess that was indeed the sound displayed on their debut, 'Enter the Grave.' However the sound on Infected Nations is something quite different, in fact I'm not exactly even sure how to describe this album.

Musically Evile sounds very complex on this album throwing plenty of riffs at the listener while the songs are generally in a mid-tempo range rather than the usual frantic chaotic vein that is common with the thrash genre. The songs actually seem to have a sort of epic build to most of them while the music in an odd sort of way has a darker quality to it, but it's hard to define.

With just nine songs present the album clocks in at 58 minutes, which is a bit much to endure when it comes to thrash metal albums. If I actually had to compare this to another album I would say there's similar characteristics to Dark Angel's, 'Time Does Not Heal,' which is honestly one of the worst albums I ever put myself through.

Also it's said that Matt Drake had a total Tom Araya thing going with his vocals on the debut disc, but here his atonal yells sound similar to later day Burton C. Bell from Fear Factory or maybe even Max Cavelara of Soulfly, and I have to say they really hurt this album because they are just plain annoying sounding.

I've listened to this album several times since purchasing it, but no matter the conditions I just find it to be completely lacking something. There are some cool riffs present and some memorable moments for sure, but no single song sticks out and grabs me at all and that's where the album goes belly up.

If for some reason you've been longing for some evolution in the thrash genre than this might just be it, but I'm old, and I was raised on Kill 'em All and Reign in Blood and you know what, I'll just stick to those and those that sound like them.

It's entirely possible that a year from now I'll pull this off my shelf again and like something from it, but it seems more likely that I'll just end up listing it on eBay for a couple of dollars instead. Meh.

Veil - Dolor (2004)

Veil is the solo work of Stolzträger who hails from Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA (though there seems to be some speculation on this matter as I've seen other people say he's from Wisconsin and also Europe) and Dolor from 2004 is his second demo, which was later re-released on CD with a bonus track, though I only own the cassette version.

Stolzträger plays hypnotic depressive black metal with a bit of the classic Filosofem Burzum style, though where 95% of the imitators flat out fail miserably at this sort of thing I think Veil actually succeeds quite well. The guitars have a typical raw black metal tone that's of course filled with reverb and unlike a whole lot of depressive black metal bands I actually find that Veil's riffs carry a sense of melancholy to them as well as a bit of a longing for more ancient times and I guess by that I mean that they have some sort of strange epic character to them that I really don't know how to explain. The music as you'd probably already guessed moves at a slower pace then your average Marduk clone and through these slower black/doomy lengthy compositions Mr. Stolzträger creates a great atmosphere. Also not to make another Burzum comparison, but his vocals do tend to have a little bit of a Vargy thing going on, but it's unavoidable I suppose, there's even a cover of, 'Ea, Lord of the Depths' on this demo to hammer down the fact that he appreciates that fine Norwegian citizens music. Yes...

Anyway, all in all this is some fine material and since I generally avoid depressive black metal like I avoid church it's at least refreshing to hear one that isn't completely awful once in a while. In more recent times Veil has gone on to release a full-length called, 'Sombre,' which I haven't heard just yet, but I guess I should someday.

Oh, and, I guess they say Stolzträger is a skinhead NS individual... so, approach with caution if things like that offend you...

Niflheim - Neurasthénie (2006)

Before Gris and their monumental debut, 'Il Était une Forêt...,' the duo of Neptune and Icare (here known as Orion) recorded under the name Niflheim, which is a name they shared with three other bands as well, which probably explains the eventual name change. As Niflheim the band recorded four demos between '05 & '06 and eventually this debut, 'Neurasthénie' saw release in '06 as well, and eventually re-released under Gris banner.

Musically they offer up depressive black metal that displays key qualities from both raw black metal and doom metal, which isn't entirely different to what the band is doing nowadays. The guitars are played at a slow pace and have the traditional black metal buzz in place, the drums are slow with not a whole lot of variation, there are eerie keyboards for good atmospheric measure, and the vocals are rather standard black metal screams. Acoustic guitars are also used a number of times throughout the album as there are two instrumental acoustic pieces, which serve as a nice break from the gloominess of this album.

Taking a guess I’d say these guys were initially heavily influenced by the likes of Xasthur and Burzum, the latter of which seems to play a huge influence on the song, ‘Lueur D'Ombre,’ which reminds me of, ‘Gebrechlichkeit I’ from Buzum’s, ‘Filosofem’ album. Even so Niflheim manages to conjure up their own unique dark sound that to my ears at least sounds both evil, depressing and quite beautiful as well. Often times happening at the same time.

When all's said and done, Niflheim delivers a great depressive black metal release that has been receiving some regular playtime from me as of recent. I’m quite sure if you’re into the bands mentioned above, curious about Gris' origins or are just looking for a band that blends both beauty and darkness together, you’ll definitely want to pick up ‘Neurasthénie.’

Second Skin - Illa Exuro In Silentium (2008)

First, I must apologize for the lack of updates during the past week, but I've been busy mostly with enjoying the autumn season (taking photos, editing photos, being in nature, ect.), reading a lot, attending a fun Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer gig and in general just being lazy and not wanting to write much. However, I'm back now and ready to report on some interesting releases as always. Please forgive my sluggishness.

Anyway, here's a review for Second Skin

Having formed in Italy over a decade ago, Second Skin plays music in a classic Gothic rock style fairly similar to the British artists that invoked the genre in the early to mid '80's. 'Illa Exuro In Silentium' is the bands 29th musical release (that's counting comps.) and their fourth studio album altogether, though both their homepage and myspace page seem to provide little to no information on this matter.

Anyway, if I had to compare the band to anyone I'd say say they sound quite similar to the early recordings from Fields of the Nephilim both musically and fairly similarly vocally too. The music is mostly mid-paced Gothic rock with vibrant bass guitar work, catchy lead guitar, some backing synths and a bassy front man at the mic that's got a fine Carl McCoy thing going on. Of course some songs like, 'London Bridges' or 'Birthday Girl' provide the doom and gloom commonly associated with the genre too.

What I always like about this sort of music is that it almost always sounds fresh to me even though few if any of the artists involved are doing much to evolve the genre, but thats fine by me as I see no need to change an already great sound. Maybe its just a nostalgia thing, but I never get sick of this stuff, and even if some may say the genre is dead, Second Skin surely proves otherwise.

Vestigial - Aeon (2007)

Hailing from Italy and directed by sole member |:Y:|, Vestigial is a dark ambient project with minimal noise, industrial, and experimental tendencies. Limited to just 99 copies this little 3” CDr four tracker from 2007 has become a much revered recording.

The first thing to know about Vestigial is that when I say it’s dark, I do mean its really dark sounding! Lots of ambient artists tend to receive the dark ambient tag by default, but ask yourself how many of these artists actually invoke feelings of utter darkness and fear through their music. This is what I really enjoyed about these twenty three minutes of music is that the whole recording is very creepy and kept me hanging on for the entire experience. Vestigial is much like a good horror movie as I wait for the big climax where one of the characters of the film gets attacked by some sort of ghastly creature. However like most horror movies the heroes of the film conquers the enemy at the end, but with Vestigial it seems like all is lost at the end and the enemy has won this time.

The synthesizers remain darkened and mysterious throughout this recording and normally melodic too, as distant voices, backward speeches, inhuman growls, samples, and noisy industrial sounds appear throughout these four songs. The effect is outright spine-chilling to say the least and thoroughly engaging. Like a slow descent through hell or some sort of unholy forsaking colony where the sun never sets, Vestigial is up to something delightfully evil on ‘Aeon.’

Since this release |:Y:| has gone one to release a few different Vestigial items, including a split recording as well as two full-lengths albums and generally speaking has made a name for himself within the dark ambient scene. Maybe you've heard some of this work? Now, hear where he started.

Nature and Organisation - A Dozen Summers Against the World (1994)

Nature and Organisation was the solo project of Michael Cashmore, who for nearly two decades helped write and perform with neo folk legends, Current 93. Even though this band was always labeled as just a solo project the strange thing is some of the regular participants in Current 93 in the early to mid 90's (Rose McDowall, Sally Wood, & David Tibet) made contributions to this release and future releases as well. Even stranger is the fact that the music isn’t two far off from sounding like something Current 93 would do; yet it still does have its own unique charm to it.

'A Dozen Summers Against the World' is the projects debut single/EP and although its just nineteen minutes its still quite good. 'Wicker Man Song' is this EP's first offering and its a rather sweet sounding yet melancholic folk song with guitar, flute, violin and bells. The song in question is actually a cover of the song Magnet wrote for the 1973 film The Wicker Man, although it's nearly exactly the same as its film counterpart. The always-impressive Rose McDowall does the vocals on this track and it's amazing how similar her voice is to the gal who sings it in the movie and interestingly if you've ever seen the movie you'll know the enormous effect this film had on the neo folk genre.

The next two songs are short instrumental pieces. Both are under two minutes, and while the first song uses just a violin (or cello) part II sees the use of a bassoon, which really gives off an interesting sound, and adds a nice feel to this short song. The next song starts off with a repeated loop saying ‘loneliness,’ plus some very nice acoustic guitar. Eventually David Tibet’s voice is heard, and he begins to read off some text in both English & French for the next couple of minutes while the guitar and repeated loop continue on. Then at about seven minutes into the song it takes a rather odd turn and suddenly becomes very noisy. All other music and voices disappear and suddenly there are some loud drums and cymbals crashing for the next couple of minutes. Then once again at about ten minutes into the song Tibet’s voice and the repeated loop appear along with some sample of some other strange sounding song, and eventually it all fades out. A very odd, but still entertaining experimental song.

After this EP Michael Cashmore recorded two full-length albums, the first, 'Beauty Reaps the Blood of Solitude' released in '94 as well is considered one of the best neo folk releases ever, while, 'Death In A Snow Leopard Winter' from '98 was completely different as Cashmore went for a neo classical style instead. Unfortunately the three releases of NaO are very much out of print and nowadays Michael occupies his time with his new solo project, which he releases under his own name, but will save that for another time.

Black Sabbath - Tyr (1990)

Back in 1970 Black Sabbath gave the world a new genre of music, which would later on be called heavy metal, oddly enough, but not surprising Black Sabbath is also one of the originators of the Viking metal genre too. Yep, that's right, back in 1990 vocalist Tony Martin was writing lyrics about the god of single combat, victory and heroic glory in Norse mythology, whom is commonly known as Tyr.

'Tyr' the third of the five albums recorded with Tony Martin at the vocal position is truly an under appreciated classic as well as one of Tony's finest moments at the mic, but also quite honestly one of the best albums Black Sabbath has done.

During the 80's Sabbath flirted with the power metal genre with albums like, 'Born Again,' 'Seventh Star' and 'The Eternal Idol,' but they really didn't get it right until 1989's, 'Headless Cross.' Headless Cross was a fair release, some great songs like the title track or 'Nightwing,' but again something was missing. Finally on Tyr it all came together.

It may be additionally important to point out here that the only surviving member of the original Sabbath line-up at this albums time of release was guitarist Tony Iommi, while bass duties were handled by Neil Murray, drums by Cozy Powell and keyboards by Geoff Nichols.

Anyway, power metal is suppose to sound powerful, but rarely does this truly happen, in fact the vocals are almost always corny and the music generally fruity. Fortunately this is one of those cases where almost all of the songs actually are what power metal intended to be, powerful! Several of these songs are total fist pumping anthems with incredible guitar work courtesy of riff master Tony Iommi while Tony Martin's vocals are absolutely colossal sing-a-long mightily charged vocals. Cozy's drumming is also quite competent and Neil's bass is there for sure, but it's Geoff's keyboard work that is also really important on this release since synth is often used in the background and also the forefront of these great songs.

The album opens with, 'Anno Mundi,' which is a slower, but totally epic metal song, which leads into the albums fastest and quite catchy song, 'The Law Maker.' 'Heaven in Black' is also incredibly catchy and, well, sorry to use this word again, but fuck it, it's damn powerful and fun sounding. There's even a cool little ambient/neo classical piece called, 'The Battle of Tyr,' which leads into, 'Odin's Court' brilliantly. The albums only real blunder is the 8th song, 'Feels good to me,' which is a slow corny 80's ballad, but on the plus side there is a killer solo in it.

As I already said this is an under appreciated classic, one of Sabbath's best albums, a gem of the power metal genre and even an early entry in the Viking metal genre. All at once Tyr is heroic, dynamic and captivating and is worth every bit of your time. Check it out!

Todesbonden - Stormbringer (2004)

After the demise of Rain Fell Within in late 2002, four of the six members went on to form a new band called Ephemeral Sun as well as a few other interesting projects.

One such project to rise from Rain Fell Within’s ashes is Todesbonden. Todesbonden is a German word meaning something like Death Bonding, but don't let you the name fool you into thinking this is something grim and evil, because it certainly is not. Todesbonden was formed by RFW members, Laurie Ann Haus (vocalist/keyboardist), Jason A. Wood (guitarist and bassist) and joining them on violin is Patrick Geddes. Probably the easiest way to describe Todesbonden would be to call them a mixture of atmospheric doom metal meets Dead Can Dance. So basically what were treated to is atmospheric/doom metal somewhat reminiscent of Rain Fell Within actually with Celtic, renaissance, neo classical and medieval influences. Plus not to forget the operatic vocals of Laurie, which were limited to just two songs during her tenure with Rain Fell Within. Here however we get to see the full range of her voice and what a voice it is, which again has a Dead Can Dance similarity to that of Lisa Gerrard's voice.

'Sun and Venus' opens the EP as a short neo classical like piece with slow drumming and very beautiful distinctive synth work. ‘Stormbringer’ is again a very beautifully composed song with luscious music and great vocals from Laurie. The third song ‘March of the Cicadas’ is probably my favorite song on the album. Here Laurie’s vocals again sound amazing although she doesn’t actually sing any words, and once again you can totally see the Dead Can Dance influences with this piece. Finally ‘Dark Horns’ is another commendable piece which sounds similar to ‘Stormbringer,’ but in the end seems to be even more enjoyable.

There’s really nothing negative I can say about this EP other than the fact that its only seventeen minutes long and my ears kind of beg for more each time I give it a spin. Four years after this EP the band returned with a modified line-up and their debut album, 'Sleep Now, Quiet Forest' though I haven't gotten my hands on this recording just yet. Anyway, give this EP a chance, it's quite good.

Falls of Rauros Interview

It's been a long, long time since my last interview (well, about two years) and since hearing this band four years ago I've wanted to interview them and decided it was finally time. So, if you haven't heard these guys then read on to learn more. Also definitely consider seeking out their brilliant work, especially their more recent release, 'Hail Wind and Hewn Oak,' available through Morbid Winter Records.

JM: Greetings, sir, let us began this interview by having you tell the readers a little bit about how the band was formed, what you've accomplished thus far and any other details you feel might be relevant to someone that has never heard your music before.
Aaron: The band was formed in the latter half of 2005 and at the time it was composed of just Ray and myself. As stated in another interview, it was more of a "blackened" neo-folk sound at the start. There were no clear plans to create a "band", rather he and I wanted a creative outlet and weren't in any active bands at the time. After deciding that we wanted to create a blend of black metal/neo-folk and whatever else came to mind, we went over his music space/shack of sorts and mostly improvised the track "Contemplation of the Forgotten" that evening. This was our method for all of those demo songs. We'd "write" and record it all in one session.

JM: Metal-Archives states that your name is taken from Tolkien's, 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, though personally even after reading those books a few times and watching the movies dozens of times over the past decade or so I don't recall ever hearing the name pop up. Could you explain what the Falls of Rauros are/is and why you choose the name? Likewise for the sake of my own personal clarity how is Rauros properly pronounced ('Raw-Ross' is what I've been saying for the past four years)?
A: The Falls of Rauros are mentioned in the "Lament for Boromir" in which it is stated: "The Tower of Guard shall ever northward gaze To Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, until the end of days."

They are the falls down which Boromir is sent after he is slain. The reason for choosing the name was mostly just from being a fan of Tolkien's works as a whole. More specifically though, the events at the Falls of Rauros represent the power of the natural world and the inevitable return to the Earth that we all take part in. It is one of the many examples found in Tolkien's work of mankind's inseparable connection with nature and the untameable wild. Keep in mind that despite the name, we shouldn't be viewed as a "fantasy metal" band, as none of the lyrics pertain to Tolkien/fantasy at all. The pronunciation, to the best of my knowledge, would be Row-Ross (as in "how"). If you wanted to get fancy you could add a very slight alveolar trill to it as well.

JM: There's a lot of mystery behind the band. Thus far only one indistinct promo photo has surfaced while the booklet of, 'Hail Wind and Hewn Oak' simply states that, 'all material was captured by four individuals...' Why the desire for such anonymity?
A: There's no specific requirement of anonymity for us. I suppose none of us like our picture taken, especially posing or such things. It's very difficult when we try as almost all the pictures end up being jokes. Also, since we had not been playing live for most of our existence we figured our names in a booklet were rather pointless and didn't aid the record in any way. We did however think we should specify that we were no longer a 2 piece on "Hail Wind and Hewn Oak."

JM: I briefly glanced at your only other interview and read how Falls originally began as a blackened neo folk band, but gradually introduced more metal before arriving at your current style. Do you suppose in the future you'll consider revisiting this early concept or perhaps just write a pure sounding neo folk piece someday?
A: We've thought about it and discussed it a bit, but nothing is in the works right now. If we were to do a "softer" record it would most likely not be purely neo-folk, we would want to experiment with other sounds which would probably include electric instruments as well. At this point it's uncertain.

JM: All of your songs, even the demo songs, are very long in length. Was it a conscious decision from the start to write long songs or did it just happen naturally during the writing process?
A: Writing long songs was definitely not a conscious decision. It just came naturally. The styles of music we try to blend often use repetition to their advantage, and we consider that an important element in the atmosphere we attempt to create. It's not a requirement though and maybe we'll write some shorter tracks down the road. Maybe.

JM: Prior to the release of, 'Hail Wind and Hewn Oak' in 2008 you had two demos and a full-length album, which were gathered together recently and released in very limited cassette format under the name, 'Revisitation.' Do you see all of this early material as simply demos and therefore view, 'Hail Wind...' as your true debut full-length?
A: "Hail Wind and Hewn Oak" certainly felt like our first full-length by the way it was recorded all at once as opposed to one song at a time. However, the physical copies of the "Window of the Eye" demo were very scarce (one small run) so when we recorded the rest of the demo tracks and compiled them as "Into the Archaic" that could be seen as our first full-length. "Into the Archaic" was also released in a small batch on spray painted CD-Rs. I suppose you could consider it a demo OR a full-length in that regard.

JM: Speaking of these early releases were there any physical formats prior to the, 'Revisitation' tape? I think most people (myself including) originally discovered Falls of Rauros through the free downloads of this early material.
A: I suppose I answered that in the last question. A very small run of both "Window of the Eye" and "Into the Archaic" were made DIY style and mostly given out for free or sent out to various places.

JM: There are some brief cleanly sung parts on the early material, but none on, 'Hail Wind...' Do you suppose you'll experiment with them in the future or is that a thing of the past for the band now?
A: I wouldn't consider it a thing of the past for us. We wrote "Hail Wind and Hewn Oak" mostly as an album that could be translated to a live performance without stripping it down too much, hence the general lack of layers. I'm no good at singing so I generally avoid that for live performances. I do expect there to be some clean singing on future material though since Jordan can sing quite well. Perhaps he can take care of that during gigs as well for me!

JM: I realize the band is still fairly new to performing live, but is there a certain mood you wish to achieve while playing gigs? Do you use any special stage props (candles, incense, fog, etc.) or anything of that variety?
A: It's always been expected for black metal bands to use props and such for live performances. Perhaps it goes with the fact that we don't like to pose in pictures, but we also like to avoid too many props and/or gimmicks to aid us. Maybe this detracts from our performances for some, who knows? I'm personally not a fan of overly contrived/theatrical metal shows. Candles are a nice touch... incense as well maybe, but neither are part of our repertoire or to be expected continually. The ideal is for the location of a show to be appropriate. For example, we played on a farm in Vermont this summer and that alone set the mood rather than props. To us that's preferable and I think everyone there really felt the energy of our surroundings that night. We're used to house/basement/punk shows which are generally very simple and stripped down...

JM: Through your logo its clear immediately you don't favor the Christian way of life. What are your thoughts on Christianity? Likewise do you have any personal reason for disliking it? For example was it forced into your life when you were a child?
A: Heh, it's true that none of us are Christians of any sort but it's not some rebellion stemming from our youth. The ills of Christianity and related religions include not only the spiritual, mental and physical captivity of humans but also the massive harm caused to the Earth. Such religions claim dominion of mankind over the planet as well as taming, domesticating and harvesting its life forms for our benefit. If you pair those beliefs with civilization what you end up with is a species completely alienated from the natural world, and a natural world that is reduced to mere resources. Eventually you end up where we are now. I'm not saying Christianity is the only factor contributing to this problem as many modern atheists have replaced religion with technology, science and/or government bodies to do their world-eating.

JM: I've started to notice recently that various bands across the USA/North America are starting to fully embrace some sort of Pagan or pre-Christian religion way of life. Does Falls of Rauros' members belong to this group of bands?
A: Here in Maine we're quite isolated and thus don't associate too much with others on a personal level. There are many bands that are perhaps ideologically on the same page as us, but I would only consider us truly associated with people we know directly.

JM: It's also quite clear through the bands album/demo covers and layouts that you highly appreciate nature. Do you feel a special connection to the natural world and does it empower you mentally, spiritually or physically?
A: I don't want to beat a dead horse but yes, the natural world is a wonderful guide. I feel as though most people understand the balance of nature and its lasting power but for some reason refuse to look there for answers or guidance. I suppose they vote instead. Men in suits are our only hope, of course.

JM: Going back to the anonymity issue you've also chosen to not publish your lyrics. With that in mind could you tell us a little bit about your writings? Is there any special meaning or message you hope to pass onto the listeners?
A: In regard to lyrics, I tend to be rather self-conscious when it comes to lyrics and many of them are quite personal to me. That is the major reason for not publishing them. As far as our older material is concerned, many of those lyrics are lost and I now only know bits and pieces. Since there were no long term plans in those days I simply didn't hold onto them. The lyrics of future material may be published provided I don't dislike them as much as I usually do. The content of them is what you might expect based off this interview... largely misanthropic, frustrated, modernity scorning drivel. That or simply about nature in it's purest form.


JM: Are you satisfied with Morbid Winter Records work on, 'Hail Wind...' and will they be releasing future material from the band as well?
A: Yes, we're very satisfied with his work. He's done a great job of distributing the album to many quality underground distros. I keep seeing it pop up in various places, which is great! As far as future material goes, that's up in the air at the moment. We're starting to record new tracks now and have a couple prospective labels in mind. It really is up in the air though, and as we complete a rough version to demo to labels we'll have a more clear idea of who might release it.

JM: Are the members of Falls of Rauros involved in any other bands at the moment or in the past?
A: None worth mentioning, that's for sure. We've played in some bands throughout the years but you know how that goes... rather not discuss them. None of us are really involved in other bands right now either. It's been hard enough for us to find time for this project...

JM: I personally think in a few years the North American black metal scene might be just as strong if not slightly stronger than the European scene. What are your thoughts on the United States/North American Black Metal scene at the moment?
A: I'd say North American black metal has gone in both directions for me. I've discovered a lot more that I enjoy the past several years, but much of it is losing me as well. Honestly when it comes to black metal it's usually the classics that get the most play. I do appreciate the ideological strength of many bands in North America these days as opposed to stale cliches. Anyhow, there are quite a few bands from here that we all enjoy such as (commence namedropping) Judas Iscariot, Forteresse, Cult of Daath, Panopticon, Sapthuran and the list goes on...

JM: The bands hails from Maine. Unfortunately off the top of my head I can't think of any other bands from this state. Are there any other interesting bands in your area that you feel deserve attention?
A: Ocean. They've got some underground notoriety anyway. They do the whole slowww sludge/art doom thing perfectly to my ears. They're from the same town as us, and have been a band a bit longer than us too. Don't confuse them with the Metal Blade band The Ocean though. Very different. There's also a really great folk group called Fire on Fire who are worth checking out.

JM: It's rather obvious you spend a lot of time on your music, but I'm sure you have other interests, and probably have a full time job or attend college as well. So what do you do when you're not creating music?
A: We all have jobs but generally we try to keep our hours to a minimum and live more simply than most. It's preferable to have more time on hand. I don't really want to get into specifics but I can tell you the other folks in the band are certainly busier than I am most of the time. I just take it easy.

JM: If you could re-visit any point in history where might you go and what might you do while there?
A: That's a tough one. Nothing really jumps out as being a time period I would truly enjoy myself in. It would probably be very, very far back. I'd most likely lay on a rock under the sun if it were a nice day. Perhaps sit under a tree if it got too hot. I don't know...

JM: I don't know if you've had a chance to take a look at Lunar Hypnosis in detail, but if you have what are your thoughts on the zine/blog?
A: I have a little bit, but not too thoroughly. Much of what I've read was from the old website you had up. Everything I have looked at though has certainly been quality, as well as tasteful. It's always good to see a range of styles/genres included. I don't read reviews too often but when I'm feeling up to it I'll give it a closer look.

JM: Lastly, what can we expect from Falls of Rauros during the remainder of 2010 and throughout 2011?
A: We've recently begun recording a new full-length. Hopefully this won't take too long to complete, but issues always seem to come up. Austin Lunn (Panopticon, Seidr) is performing drums on this record as a session musician and he's done a great job. He really saved us from our lack-of-drummer inactivity the past couple years. Other than that, we have a track recorded for a split with Hallowed Butchery, a prog/psych/doom project also from Maine. It will just be one song by each band on this, so most likely a 7" record. Once he completes his half we'll begin searching for a label to release it. Ray decided to practice drums since finding a drummer in Maine is not at all easy. He played drums on the split track and will continue to on future recordings as well as live shows.

JM: I thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and wish you the very best for the future. Feel free to say the final words.
A: The final words...

www.myspace.com/fallsofrauros

Rain Fell Within - Refuge (2002)

Back in the day I was really into the whole, 'female singer in metal bands thing.' Honestly when I look back at those days (I'm talking ten years ago here) I realize the reason why I got so much into bands like Tristania, Lacuna Coil, Nightwish and Virginia, USA's own, Rain Fell Within was because I'd never heard metal with female vocals before and I found it to be refreshing and exciting.

Rain Fell Within, as already mentioned, was from Virginia, USA and during their eight year run they released a demo in '98 titled, 'Solemn Days,' their debut full-length, 'Believe' came in '00 and their final creation, 'Refuge' was released in 2002. Musically they were a female fronted metal band that was heavy on the keyboards while the metal elements are actually somewhat pushed into the background (meaning there isn't any wild Iron Maiden-ish solos or killer riffs here, folks).

Lead singer Dawn used an operatic vocal style similar to someone like Tarja from Nightwish and while I remember back in the day lot's of people complained about Dawn's voice I can honestly say I always thought it was fantastic. There is a bit of a wild edge to her voice though, which some may find corny, but I think that's what added to it and actually gave her a more distinct presence among other singers. Her keyboard work is also the dominating instrument on this recording as it's quite neo classical, dark and atmospheric in character and frankly I love it. Lyrically she sings about pain, sorrow and revenge from a heavily female point of view.

As I mentioned earlier the actual metal portion of the music is a bit pushed into the background due to the lousy production job. The guitars and bass are certainly there and you can hear some cool riffs here and there, but the vocals and keyboards are loud and dominate everything, while the drums, although sounding quite good are merely a suffocating rumble in the distance. In the end though, it's all about the vocals and the keyboards and for that this band succeeds enormously. One listen to songs like, 'Torn Apart,' 'Save your Soul,' 'Into the Tower' or 'Burned Away' and I'm sure you'll be hooked on this band.

I remember quite well shortly after this album was released I was obsessed with it for several months and I even did an interview with the band back in those days. I recall through that interview the band seemed optimistic about the future, but shortly after they suddenly broke up. Five of the seven members went onto a band named, Ephemeral Sun, while Dawn released a solo recording, which frankly I'd rather not speak of, because it wasn't too good. Backing vocalist Laurie also got a new band together called, Todesbonden, which again featured three Rain Fell Within members.

It's a true shame Rain Fell Within couldn't work their inner conflicts out, because I'm quite sure if they'd stuck it out they'd be a big name in the atmospheric female fronted metal genre these days. At least they left us with this fitting final document, which I strongly recommend checking out.

Nothing - The Grey Subaudible (2000)

One of my all-time favorite records within the ambient/industrial/experimental genre was released ten years ago through Italy's Eibon Records. Nothing is Jason William Walton of Agalloch fame and on this release he was joined by Nihk Loiacano (whom I don't know to have played in any other bands).

'The Grey Subaudible' is a unique foray into the electronic genre as I've personally never heard anything that sounds quite similar or as diverse as this massive debut album. Each of the seven songs offer up something entirely different with sounds ranging from power electronics, dark ambient, dark wave and even Jason's own genre defying innovations, which honestly I've never been able to clearly identify or label. A common theme among the songs is that of a very dark mood and five of the songs also have vocals, which typically appear in a spoken manner, though on, 'In Command Of The Constellations' some screams make an appearance too.

I've always found the album to be interesting since most of the songs have a main melodic synth melody that's orchestral and bombastic sounding, while various odd synthetic sounds, vocals, percussion, samples and other oddness' are all blended together to form something that truly is unique and amazingly enough it works too.

As already mentioned, each song has a darkened atmosphere present, though I much like the somewhat laid back and relaxing approach to, 'Explosive Chain Of Lethal Transmission / 022.9,' while others like, 'In Command of the Constellations' are faster paced and some explore a more bizarre electronic side, 'An Intimate History of Insignificance.' The opening and ending pieces are somewhat typical power electronics fair, and in fact were created by Gruntsplatter (Scott E. Candey) for this release.

If memory serves me correctly, I got this album about nine years ago and during all these years I've never really known how to fully describe it, but that's surely never stopped me from recommending it. It also comes in a nice little digipak with a fantastic booklet, buy you don't get that part if you download it. If you're into experimental electronics stuff you'll definitely want to check this one out as its surely one of the best ones out there.