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Hope for the Dying can easily be described as a "breath of fresh air" in my opinion in this upcoming onslaught of metal. Combining awesome solos, well executed vocals, and catchy choruses, this band is sure to grab your attention. Not only is it great music these guys deliver, but genuine attitudes.
Their debut CD was self-relesed in 2008, quickly gaining positive feedback, and then getting picked up by Strike First records, who would later re-release their debut. The debut CD is a, quite astonishing, first effort. The guitars have some beautiful solos, things a lot of bigger bands in the scene seem to be lacking lately. The vocals are not the best that I have heard, they are more of a scream then a grunt too. One of the things I like the most, is the catchy choruses, a perfect example of this would be on "Into the Darkness We Ride". All of the songs are great though, and not easy to get sick of.
I advise you to keep an eye out for these guys, and I have some high hopes for them in the future. From what I have heard they put on a fantastic live show, and have true genuine attitudes. Go head out and pick up their debut "Hope for the Dying"
http://www.myspace.com/hopeforthedying
You can subscribe to the e-zine by sending an email to underground_violence666@yahoo.com and saying you would like to be subscribed. There are usually a handful of Christian releases reviewed, and our own Elan, also writes for the magazine!
Our picture was used as the official cover for this months issue, as well as an interview and a CD review which will be posted below.
Interview:
Interview with Alex Slimm of the Christian Metal Fellowship
By Walter Beck
Underground Violence: I'm here with Alex Slimm of the Christian Metal Fellowship, how are ya,
man?
Alex: I am doing quite well, currently trying to organize all my thoughts and ideas for what is
going to happen this summer with Christian Metal Fellowship.
Underground Violence: Excellent, what exactly is the Christian Metal Fellowship?
Alex: Well, CMF was something that was started back a few years ago by Vandor. It started out
mainly as just a MySpace page, to collect the biggest list of Christian bands that made hard
music, and put links to their pages and have accurate genres with the bands so people could find
exactly what was in their niche. After some time, the page kind of died down, being dormant for
quite some time. After probably like six months or so, he decided that he wanted to do something
with it again. I began talking to him about it, and jumped on the band wagon to help out running
the MySpace page and keeping things up to date. Shortly after I started reviewing some CDs,
then emailed some bands about interviews, then from there on out it just kind of took off, getting
more and more interviews. During last summer we put together a compilation trying to help
expose some of the more unknown acts in the metal scene. We even got asked to attend a music
festival over the summer which I gave a short message at. Last month, Vandor decided to resign
his position, and gave me full ownership over the site. After thinking about it for a little while, I
decided I may need some help running the page to get certain things done, so I looked to some of
my good friends (Nicki, Phil, and Élan) and had them all come together and basically started a
"team". So to summarize CMF in short words, it‟s really just kind of an online ministry, trying to
help promote bands, and expose them to people in the Christian scene, and people outside of the
Christian scene, while showing love to everyone who comes our way, even if they are sending us
attacks.
Underground Violence: So why Christian metal?
Alex: Well, hah, why not?
Underground Violence: Good answer, Haha.
Alex: Haha you can leave that in there, but I‟ll give an actual answer; well, I grew up in a
Christian home, attending an Assemblies of God church. When I was about, 11 or 12 years old, I
stumbled upon Christian hardcore music, and right off the bat, I just took a passion for it. It just
blew my mind at the time, that people could do that for God. Shortly down the road, I got
exposed to more actual metal acts, and then it just kind of took off from there. Looking at a lot of
the acts we have in the Christian metal scene, and just seeing their heart and passion for what
they do, I just have such a passion to make it noticed. Their work should not go in vain. A lot of
the times, people will overlook bands in the Christian scene, because of our beliefs. But does it
really make us any worse? We are still people, and can make music just as well as any other
person.
Underground Violence: This is true; I've heard many great bands come out of the Christian
metal underground. One thing I find interesting and it may just be my experiences, but there
seem to be a wealth of bands in the Christian metal underground that play black metal and I find
this sort of strange, given black metal reputation in the underground as the most extreme form of
metal.
Alex: This is very true. The black metal scene is one I have become very familiar with. Although
we are often times questioned for this, as well as criticized and attacked, it seems somewhat
childish for people to tell us what we can and cannot do. What many fail to realize is its music
despite the lyrics, I understand what black metal was formed on, and I understand what its
original creators intended for it, but things evolve, they do not stay the same. I mean, if that was
the case, then music itself should not be focused on any other thing than praising God, because
music began as a way of expression of praise to God. Obviously things have changed, and it is
not limited to that. I think people just need to realize that things do not stay the same as the way
they began.
Underground Violence: I agree. Besides black metal, what are other prominent subgenres you've
seen in the Christian metal underground?
Alex: Lately there have been a lot of different genres coming up, the grind scene has been taking
quite a rise lately, and I know there are a lot of deathcore bands that are coming up with a strong
passion for God. Here and there, we can find a handful of good death metal bands coming out of
the wood work. I think the only thing we are really waiting on is more folk metal bands.
Underground Violence: Personally, I'd like to hear some good Christian doom metal bands come
out of the new underground; I'm a big doom fan.
Alex: Actually, there have been a few, three great ones I would suggest are, Dalit, Sáwol, and
Entorn. I myself have taken quite a fancy for doom over the past year. Some of my favorite ones
are Doom:VS, Swallow the Sun and Ahab. There have been a few outstanding ones make
appearances.
Underground Violence: And you can't forget the pioneers of Christian doom, Trouble.
Alex: This is very true as well, and of course there is Paramecium and Ashen Mortality.
Underground Violence: So, with others I've interviewed in the Christian metal scene, they
always mention hate mail, phone calls or some other form of menacing action against them. Do
you have experiences with this?
Alex: I have received my fair share of hate mail, whether it is on some of the band fan pages I
run, one of my projects, or even the CMF page. We received a bunch of hate mail the other
week. Most of the time they are just ignorant comments made, and things they cannot actually
back up. Things that is quite easy to respond to.
Underground Violence: Well that's good. Now you mentioned that the CMF has received some
great support in the Christian metal scene, what about the secular scene, any press or
recognition from that end?
Alex: Well thus far, aside from you welcoming us with open arms, I guess as "CMF" we have
not had a whole lot of exposure to the "secular scene" yet, but I‟m hoping to change that this
summer.
Underground Violence: Well you're welcome, Underground Violence is open to the entire metal
community, Christian, pagan or otherwise.
Alex: Which is great to know; I think all organizations, zines, or whatever they want to be called
should have the same attitude.
Underground Violence: Agreed. Now I have a strange question, have you received any negative
feedback from Christians? Some churches will tell you that metal is the "devil's music".
Alex: Aha, well, actually, there are always those hypocritical, prematurely judging Christians
that you will get. Ones that do consider it the devil‟s music, and to be quite honest, most of the
time they are harder to communicate with, or come to an understanding with people who are
opposed to Christians in general. Which to be quite honest is terrible. We are supposed to show
the love of God to everyone. I mean, yeah, like I said earlier, things with heavy music may have
started out bad, and I can understand why old folks would think that, but they need to place the
ignorance aside and see we can‟t witness to everyone with a suit and tie while singing old school
hymns. It just doesn't always work.
Underground Violence: Well hopefully soon, you'll be able to bridge this gap. Now, outside of
running the CMF, what other involvements do you have with the Christian metal scene?
Alex: I am also in two projects, Gondolin and Maugrim, I guess they are more ambient based,
but both have influence of black metal in them. I am technically the "manager" for the black
metal project Vociferor; other than that, just some small here and there things, doing what I can
to help further the scene.
Underground Violence: Hey every little bit helps. Do either of your projects have releases in the
works?
Alex: Both actually do, Maugrim has the debut, Paths of the Damned coming out on EEE
Records sometime next month, and then a split with the project Equilibrium Ablaze sometime
later this year. And Gondolin has a scheduled release with Sullen Records some point at the end
of the summer.
Underground Violence: Excellent. Are you planning any gigs with these projects or are they
strictly studio endeavors?
Alex: Both are studio endeavors, although in the future, I feel called specifically to have a
touring band in the black metal scene.
Underground Violence: Anything fleshing out with that or is it just an idea for now?
Alex: Mainly just some ideas floating around in my head, and some between some friends of
mine and me.
Underground Violence: Well with any of your projects, you're more than welcome to send copies
of your releases to us for review.
Alex: It‟s good to know that we always have support from at least one part of the secular scene.
Underground Violence: It all starts with one, man.
Alex: Then next thing I know Metal Hammer is asking for stuff too!
Underground Violence: Ha! So what are your plans for CMF this year? Are you planning
another compilation release? Your first compilation was outstanding in my book.
Alex: That we are. And thank you for that, it is great to hear that, and am sure it is inspiring to all
the bands that participated as well. I am currently contacting bands, trying to get a nice solid
lineup of songs that flows well. I am also trying to get in contact with some labels and get
assistance in releasing it, maybe have some professional packaging done for this one, hoping to
have some killer artwork as well.
Underground Violence: Excellent, any other plans this year?
Alex: There are possibly some other things that we have planned with some friends of ours, but
nothing I want to reveal, just because they are more so premature ideas. I mean, maybe some
more shirts or something down the line, but I don‟t know if that‟s considered plans.
Underground Violence: With the fourteen bands that appeared on your first compilation and
your wide support in the Christian metal underground, would you consider organizing a festival,
the Wacken Open Air of Christian metal underground?
Alex: That would honestly be more than a dream come true. It‟s something I would LOVE to put
together, and do, but it would be something far down the road, and something I would need a lot
of support doing.
Underground Violence: Well it was just an idea that popped into my head.
Alex: And a fantastic one at that!
Underground Violence: Do you see a lot of bands in the Christian scene playing gigs and
touring or are the bands you interact with primarily studio projects?
Alex: Well there is a handful that plays gigs, but usually that‟s more of the deathcore, metalcore
stuff, which can be fun to attend, but stuff more in my niche usually does not tour, at least not in
my neck of the woods. In order to see any of those bands I would have to attend Nordic Fest,
End Time festival, or some other one over in Europe. A lot of the black metal ones lately seem to
be studio projects though.
Underground Violence: The only Christian metal show I ever went to was Day of Ascension,
which was a fun and wild trip.
Alex: Yeah, I heard you drove seven and a half hours for that!
Underground Violence: No lie; got lost close to a dozen times and almost wrecked the car and I
almost ran out of smokes to boot. Many sacrifices and hard times to get to that show, hahaha!
Alex: I have seen my fair share of Christian shows. I attend secular shows as well; having
attended both pagan fests as well, which were the most fun shows I have ever been to. Quite
honestly, I love Élan, but I wouldn‟t drive seven hours to see the show.
Underground Violence: Well the reason we went is that Pat knew Élan and the guitarist
Yevgeniy, Pat said "let's go" and the rest of us said "why not?"
Alex: Haha, many adventures I have embarked on started with those same words.
Underground Violence: Well, Alex, I think we're gonna wrap it up here, any final words for the
readers out there?
Alex: Thank you for taking the time to read all I have had to say. I hope some of you have
become a little more educated in exactly what it is that we do with CMF. For those of you that
are opposed to Christians being in metal, I hope maybe this changed your mindset a little. Feel
free to message the CMF page anytime with questions, or something going on in your life, we
will answer questions to the best of our ability, and will keep you in our prayers!
Underground Violence: Thanks Alex!
Alex: Take care, brother.
www.myspace.com/christianmetalfellowship
Review:
Various Artists Christian Metal Fellowship: Compilation Volume 1 (Independent)
Review by Walter Beck
Put together by the Christian Metal Fellowship, this compilation rings out strong and hard like a
Christian metal counterpart to Metal Blade‟s legendary Metal Massacre series. Even though this
is a Christian compilation, make no mistake about it, this is some of the heaviest music floating
around in that scene. Don‟t expect sweet acoustic guitars singing out plastic love songs to Jesus,
these bands are crushing the Lord‟s adversaries like sonic angels of death.
The record opens with the track “March of Malus” by Vanguard and it sounds like the march of a
vengeful holy army ready to wage war. The epic sounds are deeply rooted in black metal, but
also have a strong power metal feel. The warrior sounds of this track make it the perfect opener
for this compilation.
Fans of progressive and melodic black metal will find their allies with the next track, “Your
Beauty Embraced” by Grave Declaration. The eight-minute track is filled with raspy vocals,
powerhouse drums and bass and excellent keyboard work. The keyboards are dominant in the
track and add a magnificent and beautiful touch to counterbalance the harsh vocals and heavily
distorted guitars.
Those who prefer a raw black metal sound will love “Dawn of the Ice Hearts” (I wonder if that‟s
a pun on the legendary Mayhem bootleg Dawn of the Black Hearts?) by Wintersoul. These guys
have a sound that‟s soaked in the early Norwegian scene, bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone and
early Burzum. The difference is that production is top notch, compared to the dirty basement-
tape sounds of other raw black metal bands. The guitarist shows his skills quite well here,
shredding as fast as any death metal player out there.
Black metal is presented again with “The Scourge of Existence” by Eulogium. Opening with an
acoustic guitar melody before launching in a wall of brutal sound, these guys have quite a unique
feel to them. The blending of the acoustic with the heavier sounds that kick in creates a dissonant
atmosphere that any black metaller will appreciate.
The death metal fans will finally be pleased with the next track, “He Was Beheaded” by
Encryptor. Encryptor (one of the projects of the relentless Phil Diez) comes out just as brutal as
they‟ve ever sounded. The marks are all here; the down-tuned distortion soaked guitars, the
lightning drums and Phil‟s hydrochloric acid-drenched vocals.
Combining keyboards with groove metal sounds and a mix between harsh and clean vocals,
“Hunted by Flesh” by Veracious will give fans of a more contemporary metal sound something
to enjoy on this record. The keyboards are definitely a nice touch to this band‟s sound, giving it
an almost gothic feel.
It‟s back in black metal again with “Falling Like Ashes” by Whisper from Heaven and once
again, the melodic black metal fans will love the sound of these guys; the massive keyboards and
the choral female vocals add a very gothic touch to the sound of this band. I also love the drum
sounds of this track; they‟re all over the place and still keeping a strong rhythm. Fans of truly
epic sounding black metal and gothic metal will love this track.
The black metal sounds keep rolling with “The Age of Irrationality” by Northern Ash. Unlike the
slick production presented in the rest of the compilation, Northern Ash goes completely old
school with a production just as raw as their sound. But like with many black metal bands, the
raw production is an asset as it adds to the bleak atmosphere this band carves out. Metalheads
who like their black metal raw, grim and Kvlt will find their allies with Northern Ash.
Raw, grim black metal is up again with “The Power of God” by Nattesorg. Their production is
even dirtier than Northern Ash‟s; a lo-fi exercise in old school black metal. The audio assault of
the track, mixed with a dirty production creates a truly powerful atmosphere; this is the distilled
audio essence of an angry God‟s wrath.
Another round of raw black metal comes up with “Onward” by SorrowStorm. This is another
speed-demon, dirty production exercise in lo-fi black metal (although not as dirty as the sounds
of Nattesorg). Fans of the sound of the early Norwegian scene will find another ally in
SorrowStorm.
Mixing a groove metal sound with hardcore-style vocals (and the occasional clean vocal part),
fans of the modern metal sound will like “Determined to Desire” by Amplified. Granted, this
isn‟t the most brutal sounding band here, but it is a worthy addition to the compilation and fans
of the modern metal sound will find another ally with Amplified.
The grindcore fans have their moment with “Prayer Unto Holiness” by Rehumanize.
Rehumanize is one of the best bands in the Christian grindcore scene and they show it with this
track; using their slick-production to bring out distortion-soaked guitars, insane drums and the
throat ripping vocals of Phil Diez. This track isn‟t as focused on pure speed as some of their
other work, but they still create a brutal atmosphere and fans of grindcore will love it.
Black metal is back again with “The Alpha and The Omega” by Vikarbyrgi. Their style is both
melodic and raw at the same time. The melody is heard in the creative use of keyboards and the
rawness is heard with the vocal and other instruments production. The layering of the vocals,
between a higher-pitch and a more guttural sound also adds a duality to the sound of this track,
rather fitting for the title. This is one of most unusual tracks I‟ve heard on here and it is a treat for
black metal fans.
The strange blend of melody and raw continues with “Prognostications of Victorious Travail” by
Borgazur; opening with a haunting melodic instrumental while the Lord‟s Prayer is recited, the
band launches into a torrent of pure, old school black metal. The band also shows some doom
metal tendencies during the spoken interlude. For metalheads who like their black metal strange,
dissonant and a bit melodic, you‟ll find your ally with Borgazur.
Vanguard closes out this compilation with “Hands of Fate” and we get a final blast of black
metal, this time with a strong gothic feel. The mix of epic, gothic sounds with a strong black
metal undertone makes this track a perfect closer for this compilation.
This compilation is a treat for metalheads, whether Christian or pagan. While black metal fans
will get the most bang for their buck here, there‟s a bit of something for everyone here. If this is
the introduction to a new rising Christian metal scene, take note. From the sounds of this album,
they have a place carved out for them in the massive nation that is the metal underground.
Thanks for reading!
If you could start us off by introducing yourself (or selves) and telling us your significance in the Christian metal scene.
Gab: Hello I'm the guitarist/bass player and songwriter, Ecthirion are trying to reach people in the secular world though we still value christian fans a lot. We are one of the few bands playing this sort of music in the christian scene.
Simon - Hi, I play guitar and a little bass, and help with some of the programming.
Growing up, were you raised in a Christian home? If not when did you come to salvation, and how?
Gab: I was raised in a Christian home though only really became a Christian at about the age of 15 by going along to youth group and then eventually over time grew stronger and stronger.
Simon- I was also brought up by Christian parents, and embraced faith for myself sometime a few years ago.
What has motivated/influenced you to create Ecthirion and go for the sound that you have created so well?
Gab- Well I always loved epic music, which had some kind of majesty to it, I also like dark things as all my friends always seem to pick up on. I really appreciate nature which inspires a lot of Ecthirion songs.
Simon- I wanted to be involved in a metal project with a difference, where we could try to bring a wide variety of musical influences together.
How long have you been working on Ecthirion?
Gab- Simon and I started trying to do some projects before but they didn't really work, and the demo that I made a year ago sounded horrible! I have been working on the EP for a good year and a half or so, in this time I have managed to make so many contacts that we have moved up a step in the business. Eugen was interested in singing on it as well as mixing only if we promised to re-record the guitar tracks (they sounded so bad), so we did. We met up every week and recorded all of them as well as going over arrangements. Looking back my technique has improved since the EP recordings and I have improved my compositions too.
At what age did you get into metal? What were some of the firsts you got into?
Gab- I am a late comer to music, I only started liking any rock music when I was about 15 or so, by the time I was 17 I was getting into metal and now at 20 I'm into metal and a lot more. The first metal bands I got into are shamefully metalcore bands, but the ones I still like now are Zao and Demon Hunter. The bands which really got me hooked on metal were Whitecross, Nightwish, Power Quest, In Flames, Saxon, Stryper, Tourniquet, Megadeth.
Simon- I got into music at about 12, although at the time only pop and a little rock. Since then I have tried to listen to music from all genres, and although I wouldn't really call myself a metaller the first metal bands I liked were Metallica, Whitesnake and Van Halen.
What do you think of the Christian metal scene today (underground mainly)?
Gab- To be completely honest with you (this may offend most of the people who read it) I don't think there are many Christian bands better than their secular equivalents. If there are any bands who invent genres it's always in the secular scene and then the Christian bands just feed off them. I always seem to take a look at Christian metal forums and see people saying certain Christian bands are so amazing, and that they are the best in their genre, then I think of how many better secular versions of that band there are who make them look stupid. It is a big problem, and I think some of the causes are that people are just listening to certain styles, it is no surprise they will end up making the style they listen to. I also don't understand why bands can get away with bad production, maybe they can't afford it but there are plenty of people who would mix songs well for free, you just have to email loads of people! I also think a lot of Christian bands are scared of listening to secular music, which is fair enough: if it is because they believe it will make them sin then that's a wise decision.
What are some of your favorite metal bands? (Christian and secular)
Gab- Nightwish, Dream Theater, Lost Horizon, Power Quest, Turisas, Drumcorps, Megadeth, Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, Nevermore, Jason Becker, Iron Maiden.
Simon- Dream Theater, Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, Iron Maiden, Nightwish, Turisas
For the first Ecthirion release, you have been able to work with two very talented vocalists, how did you come about this, and what made you choose them?
Gab- Well when I was working on the demo last year I used to email somebody different nearly every day, not many replied and most who did had not enough time, however Eugen as I said before surprised me a lot with his generosity, and he really is a big part of how we have improved a lot so quickly. Azahel replied and was up for screaming which was awesome. Also, Josh Edwards, the classical vocalist I know from church, is the best singer I have ever worked with and many people seem to not realise how awesome his vocals are.
The CD has been in works for quite some time, are you satisfied with how the tracks came out? How well do you think people will react to it upon its release?
Gab- Yes, I'm very pleased with what Eugen has done, it will be well worth the wait. I think some people will say its a bit broad and we are very genre-confused, though hopefully some will embrace our style. I'm hoping that many in the secular industry will like it and not slate it for being Christian.
You recently got signed to Soundmass, was this a surprise for you at all?
Gab- I was in talks with them a while back about distro for the EP, they offered to distribute it but I wasn't aware they were an actual label so I thought I'd just got another distro deal. (I had origionally contacted many people around the world to get good distro for the EP but now that we have soundmass none of that is needed) So in a way it came unexpectedly, and also some German promoters have taken interest and wish to do a lot of European promo and distro, you can find out who they are if you google search the band.
Simon- I'm not so heavily involved with promoting the band, so I was surprised and very happy!
As a band, what is the biggest goal for Ecthirion?
Gab- To reach people who hate God and to be a light in their lives and lift them up, on top of this I want to try and be inovative in all ways possible, maybe create a new subgenre or something like that if I'm lucky. The aim for Ecthirion is to make as much of the product as possible, I'm at uni studying music tech and also have a module in website design so I'm hoping to be able to record, mix and produce our album as well as doing all the art and myspace/website design like I have done for the EP, in this way I will be able to have something which is completely how I want it. We will probably be recording drums and vocals in the uni's professional standard recording studios.
What other genres of music do you enjoy aside from metal?
Gab- I love so much music as well as metal, I could talk about bands I like for hours, the genres I'm into apart from metal are: classical, folk, soundtrack, flamenco, trance, techno, electronica, prog, rock, jazz, eastern music, punk and ska. Many people try and put me in a box by saying I just listen to metal and I listen to it all the time - I don't, and find it's too limiting sometimes.
Simon- I've always liked rock but also enjoy jazz, funk, pop, reggae, soul and even some hip-hop. I play drums in a jazz trio, and hopefully that influences some of my work with Ecthirion.
What are your top five favorite albums (Christian and secular)?
Gab-
1. Dream Theater- Scenes from a Memory
2. Nightwish- Century Child
3. Muse- Absolution
4. Vangelis- Conquest of Paradise
5. Mike Oldfield- Tubular Bells
6. Metallica- St Anger ................just kidding, haha.
Simon-
1. Jeff Buckley- Grace
2. Handel's Messiah
3. Miles Davis- Kind Of Blue
4. Guns N' Roses- Appetite For Destruction
5. Pearl Jam - Vs.
Favorite song?
Gab- Oh thats a horrible question... at the moment its probably Vangelis- Conquest of Paradise which is just unbelievably epic!
Simon- Good Times Bad Times by Led Zeppelin is one of my all-time favourites.
In the future, do you see Ecthirion touring at any point?
Gab- Hopefully, but first we need a very good keyboard player, a singer or two and a bass player, who shouldn't be too hard to find. I'm hoping that with the release of the EP people will hear about us and ask us if they can join the band.
Simon- I'd absolutely love to tour, but we'd need some great musicians to be able to recreate our music faithfully.
Where do you see Ecthirion going with newer material? Have you begun to plan any out yet?
Gab- Well I'm trying to be as open as possible about the new album, though many of my ideas are too big and take too much time or money to put into action. As things go I have about an album's worth of material, a lot without lyrics yet. I talked to Simon and he said it would be cool to have a whole section of jazz in one of the tracks, this is where his influence can really show through. I also have some ideas about involving other genres such as folk a bit more, one of the calm tracks is a waltz. But if I got all my ideas recorded rather then just writing them down everyywhere I would have 100 songs. I have met many new talented people at uni here in Huddersfield, one is a third year music student who has a beautiful operatic voice which could be compared with the old Nightwish singer, though I haven't yet asked her about being on the album.
As a Christian, do you feel it necessary to spend time reading the Bible daily?
Gab- Of course, it is essential to keep up to date with the word, and of course it is just as important to be at a church where the Bible is well taught.
Simon- I agree!
Do you believe that God still does miracles in people's lives today?
Gab- Yes, definitely, the pastor of my new church has told many a story about miracles, one actually involving a guy who died in hospital then came alive 5 minutes later. He received the name Lazarus from then on.
Simon- I definitely agree, I think God heals physically but can also work miracles in people's lives in more subtle ways too.
Do you place yourself under a specific denomination in the Church? Do you feel there is much division between certain denominations?
Gab- Denominations are silly, for me the word denomination means division. The people of Christ shouldn't be divided into groups which don't like mixing, the Christian Union here at uni is a great example of how Christians from different denominations can be great friends.
What is your favorite verse from the Bible?
Gab- Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgresions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
I find this verse amazing not only because of how it describes the saviour but because it was written so long before he would even be born. The whole chapter is very interesting. I know it as you may have guessed from Stryper.
If I remember correctly, you also do a lot of graphic designing. How long have you been into that?
Gab-I have always had some natural talent for art, more so than music, I really have to work very hard with music. I have been into photoshop for about 2 years, and would like to try some small jobs working as a record label artist or something, so if you know anybody who needs an artist then tell them about me, im also learning Flash, Fireworks and Dreamweaver.
What other activities do you enjoy aside to participate in aside from graphic designing and music?
Gab- A lot of hobbies on top of music, for example I'm into medieval re-enactment, which is awesome, I may be doing my first event at Warwick castle. I also like remote control planes, though I haven't flown mine in a while. I also like fishing, me and my brother used to do a lot of freshwater fishing in our local river. I also like reading when I get the time.
If Ecthirion could tour with any 3 bands (Christian or secular) which would they be in your opinion?
Stryper, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater
Do you get much criticism from the secular scene about your music?
Gab- Nope, we've never had a bad comment from anybody but our friends, who are often very honest in their opinions of our music.
What influenced the name "Ecthirion" and the change from "Axiom"?
Gab- The name is a made up word, mainly because nearly every short word is taken by a band or company. Therefore if you search Ecthirion in google all the results are for us. With AxioM we were impossible to find amongst other bands with the same name. I made the name influenced by the name Ecthelion invented by Tolkien, (the name of the father of Denethor, the stuard of Gondor).
Do you have any advice for small and upcoming Christian bands?
Gab- Try your best in every way you can, never be satisfied with what you have made, reference bands but dont copy them, completely, always look at ways of improving your music, and look outside the box. Keep your life focused and try to keep away from sin.
Simon- I would say be open to trying anything that might make your music better. It won't always work out but it's important to experiment with ideas.
Any last words of encouragement for our readers?
Gab- Use your talents in any way you can to add to the kingdom.
Torment Ridden is a band I had the pleasure of getting to know this summer at Saving Song fest. They are a great bunch of guys and I have stayed in contact with a few of them. Over the fest, I had a chance to get my hands on their EP as well as a few other bands demos/EPs. Out of all the bands there, the only two that stuck out to me were Torment Ridden and To Laodicea.
This EP is a pretty cool small release. The vocals stood out a lot to me when I first heard it, they are not your typical metalcore vocals, which is good, in my opinion. I must say though, the clean vocals didn't do anything for me, I think they could use some work. Guitar-wise there are some pretty good ideas, although there are some transitions that I am not to fond of, and some times when the guitar goes slower where it could have been done better. The drums arent too shabby either, although the double bass sound could use some help.
All in all, I think these guys have a good amount of potential too them. They have made a lot of lineup swaps, and I want to see how things will turn out with new music. For this release, I really like how the song "Barbed Wire Think Tank" starts out. With some better production/recording in the future, it will be a whole lot better. If you are a fan of metalcore I suggest you check this out.
www.myspace.com/tormentridden
This release has been pretty hard to obtain as of late, because of its limited pressing. Though, I am quit good friends with the vocalist though, and was able to obtain a copy. Musically, this is a lot more mature, then anything I have heard come out of any of the musicians involved. They have all worked on various projects throughout their teenage years, and finally came to form Blood Drift.
Although this is only a three song release, it is jam packed, with intense-ness from beginning to end. The production is not amazing, but it is still enjoyable. The two things that I enjoyed most musically on this album, are the drums and the vocals. The drums do not stand out in the music as much as they could, because of the production, but this drummer has some awesome talent. Delivering fast blast beats, ridiculous crashing cymbals and some very well executed gravity blasts. The vocals have a decent range, and there is some various layering on the CD. Some of the layering, could have been done a bit better though, but it is not the worst thing in the world. The thing I like about these vocals, is they stand out from other death metal bands, they aren't a constant deep growl, but more of an agonized scream.
My favorite song on this release is the first one, "Winds of Persecution". The opening riff is somewhat typical, but I feel it fits quite well. There is a good showcase of the vocals in this song as well. The drums have a nice variety in this song, with fast crashing cymbals and nicely done blast beats.
All in all, this demo is pretty good, being their first. I think everything would be a lot more pleasing to the ears if there was better production. I see a lot of potential in this band, and hope to see them go far.
www.myspace.com/blooddrift
Asher is one of the many bands that have recently joined Bombworks Records family. Bombworks has shown recently that their family branches into all different forms of metal, which is a great thing to see. And though Asher is now a deceased project, the CD will be re-issued on Bombworks sometime later this year. Many of the members went on to form Monolith, another great band that Bombworks recently picked up. Monolith has some fantastic orchestral parts, great guitars, and I highly suggest you check them out.
Musically Asher is a blend of heavy and melodic metal. Incorporating some nice keyboard work, great, catchy guitar riffs, and very popish vocals. The popish vocals may turn a lot of metalheads off, but on my first listen, I was quite honestly hooked. Overall, the music is catchy, and has a great message to it. There are also some awesome female growls scattered through out this CD.
If you are a fan of Paramore, or Flyleaf, then this is for you, if you are a metalhead, but open to more things, then surely check this out. Its a fun one to listen to, and both of the girls in the band are very pretty!
Favorite songs: This Burden, Love's So Wrong, Exhortation, Omega, and Enslaved
http://www.myspace.com/harmoniousthought
http://www.myspace.com/monolith
Nightsbane was a project that was overlooked by most of the scene, although this should not have been the case. The CD titled "The Siege" is a great first effort from the band, and should have had a little more publicity The project is now continued on under the moniker of "Gupster", though we have yet to hear music under this name.
Guitar-wise, this release has some pretty great stuff, very progressive, the drums are not very complex, sometimes boring, but they could be worse. The vocals are black metal styled, and fit quite well, although they could use a little bit of work. I think with a little more practice, and better production, this could be a fantastic project. All in all, there are 5 tracks, 33 minutes, of awesome music. This really was a gem that should not have been overlooked. Hopefully the future will bring justice to Guptster.
If you want a copy of "The Siege" try and get ahold of them on the Nightsbane myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/nightsbane
http://www.myspace.com/gupstertheband
