Interview: Tantara - Getting "Based on Evil" released

It has been nearly one year since I published my interview with the mighty TANTARA. In that interview, we spoke about the recording process of their upcoming album Based on Evil. The guys also expressed their excitement in working with legendary producer Flemming Rasmussen as well as the possibilities of landing a record contract.

Soon after, Tantara landed that contract with Ultimhate Records, getting the wheels in motion to release Based on Evil this past March. However when the release date came and went, the album remained in limbo, surprising both the band and its fans who all sat empty-handed and, well…angry!

Sure, release dates change all the time, but it seemed that no one had any answers, and after a nasty falling out, Tantara parted ways with Ultimhate.

The band eventually signed on with Indie Recordings. The label will release a 7-inch single of the album's title track on June 29th, following with the album release on August 24th.

As with my first interview with Tantara, the members (Fredrik, Per, Stian, and Max) prefer to answer questions as a band, enveloping the thoughts and concerns for Tantara as a whole. So when I ask a question, Tantara answers.

In this interview, Tantara discusses their fallout with Ultimhate, their hook-up with Indie, and their preparations in finally getting Based on Evil out to the public.




The Ultimhate label was originally going to release the album this past March. You guys seemed just as surprised as the fans that the album was not out. Is that assessment correct?

Yes. The label fucked up really bad. Not just with us, but with a lot of other bands too. Ultimhate Records is a shitty label, and a huge disgrace to the record and music industry. They don't keep their promises when it comes to promo, and they even lie about their distributors. Getting an answer via email only once or  twice a month doesn't cut it either. If you look at their silly website, they haven't even taken down our album as a feature there (it was still featured there as of this writing - ed.). They even spelled the title wrong (Made of Evil). So to all the unsigned bands out there: NEVER sign a deal with UH, because they and their boss Olivier is just full of shit. Luckily we got out of the shit.



You have had a few choice words to say about Ultimhate. Fans can only assume what is behind those statements. Are you able to speak about what went down between Tantara and Ultimhate? Why would they drop the ball on such a killer thrash album?

As mentioned, they didn't keep their promises and what was stated in the contract. It's not that they didn't want our album, the problem was that they didn't seem to know how to release an album or even how to run a label. We were furious when we couldn't find ANY info or promo about our album at the release day.



Now Indie Recordings is going to release Based on Evil. What finally led you to Indie Recordings? What makes them the best home for Tantara?

Indie Recordings is a terrific label. They actually got in touch with us in January when we already had signed with UH, so we had to say no, but luckily they wanted to sign us when we got back in touch with them late March due to UH's total fuck up.

We have plenty of meetings, both at their office and at our gigs, and they are really supportive and constructive. The fact that they even wanted to release a 7" vinyl single says how professional and cool they are. We are looking forward to stay with IR for many years and it's gonna be a great run!



You just recently began streaming the title track to your upcoming album Based on Evil. How have the fans reacted so far?

The fans seem to like it. It's definitely not a "radio friendly" mainstream song, but we thought it was appropriate to release it as a single due to it's brutality.




You're label is releasing Based on Evil as a 7-inch single with the song Court Injustice on June 29th. Why did you or your label decide to do this? What other preparations need to be completed before the full-length is released?


Preparations? Promo for sure. You can't just put an album out on the market, as it is a huge process in front. So that's why they wanted us to release a single, both for the fans, and of course for promotional reasons.

Fans seem really impatient about the release of Based on Evil. That has to feel good that your album holds such strong anticipation.

Yeah, it definitely feels good to have such an anticipated album just waiting to be released. We won't disappoint them! The album is out August 24th!




Do you have any idea if the physical CD copy will be made available worldwide?

It will be available in stores all over Europe, but our North and South American friends will need to buy it from online stores for now, if they want the physical copy. And of course, the album will be on iTunes as well




Now that you are under a new label, have there been new talks about touring support for Based on Evil?

Yes, we have a Scandinavian tour coming up in October, and maybe a bigger European tour coming up later this year, but nothing is settled yet.




Thank you for your answers! Any final words?

You're welcome. BUY THE ALBUM and come to our shows god dammit!

Thrash Or Die interview

As a kid who grew up on comics, metal, USA Network's Night Flight, and The Muppet Show, you could imagine my giddiness when I first laid eyes on Thrash Or Die's video for Wake Up and Smell the Thrash. The video strikes the right chord of comedic absurdity found in those obscure short films from the late 70s/early 80s…only with more gore.

So it's no surprise that within a week of the Wake Up and Smell the Thrash video's posting, it was passed around the metal community - as well as a posting on Funny or Die - earning the once unknown thrash band tons of new fans.

Yes, the video freaking rocks, but we cannot for a second cast aside the killer tune fueling the all the mayhem on the screen. Thrash Or Die writes music that is an uncompromising and brutal take on 80's speed/thrash worship. So although the video may turn people's heads, the music will twist the head right off the body.

And to think that this is only the beginning for Thrash Or Die!

As a new fan of this band, I had to get a little info on what's behind the phenomenon of Thrash Or Die. I shot off a few questions to voKILList Dr. Fukk which he graciously answered. Check it out!




You're 46 years-old and Thrash Or Die is your first band. Most people start bands in their teens and 20s and then later quit to get real jobs. You seem to be doing the exact opposite of that. Why did you wait so long to start a band? What led up to creating Thrash Or Die?

I have always been a Die Hard Metal fan since the ripe age of 13. My older brother owned Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" and it changed my life. For some reason I have never wanted to be in a band,and I didn't think I had the talent. Hell, I still don't think that,but I get away with it. 4 years ago our guitar player "Hellvomit Sodimizer" (It's his real name, it's been certified by his birth certificate) wanted to start a Thrash band. I thought nothing of it until I bought a copy of Onslaught's "Killing Peace" CD. As I was listening to it I thought to myself "Maybe I can do some thrash type vocals". In the end I was right because everyone and their mom say I sound like either Paul Baloff or Steve Souza. Personally I don't think so, but fuck it, those two singers rule so I'll take it as a compliment. In the end Hellvomit, and I got together and started writing songs. The initial idea was to make a funny Thrash band with songs like "Thrash For Breakfast","Thrashing at the Library","I Thrash on your grave", and "Wake up and smell the Thrash". The only one from that list that survived was "Wake Up and smell the Thrash". We hooked up with a drummer and bass player and recorded a demo of that song,and a cover of "Piranha" by a band called Lord Tracy. We included a couple riffs of "Piranha" by Exodus in the middle of the song. Then I made a cheap video for both songs and it started a Buzz down here in South Florida. After that,the next song we wrote was "Fatal Fury"and I got away from the Thrash type lyrics and wrote it about Addiction's of all type. That's when we started to take this a bit more serious and set out to form a band instead of some goofy elitist type band.



You have mentioned that Thrash Or Die is more of a hobby for you. How do you make time for your band?

Its hard. Everyone in the band works and we all have different work schedules. We meet up late at night to practice. Technically it is a hobby but we take it very serious. There is a lot of hard work involved being in a band that hardly has time for anything,yet somehow we manage to squeeze it in our busy schedule. There is a lot of stress involved in what we do. But in the end it pays off since I have cool motherfuckers like you asking me to do an interview!



Personally, I've never had a problem with thrash songs with themes about thrash metal, mosh pits and beating posers. Why are some people put off by the name of your band and the song titles? Does all thrash metal have to be super-evil serious?

Well, people are different. Some of them like their metal to be serious while others don't. I just write shit I like. The day I write songs for others is the day I should be strung up by my testicles and beaten with a rusty pipe. I really don't care what anyone thinks unless its positive. Then I care and I am honored that others like what I'm doing. As for those who don't...they can all go choke on a bowl of jagged fucks! Damn proud of what I'm doing.



What does the whole Thrash Or Die concept mean to you personally?

For me its more of a lifestyle, like Metal. Its a combination of music and attitude. The music is the soundtrack to the attitude. Metal is the underdog. People have been trying to kill it off for over 40 years now and it keeps coming back. I try to incorporate that vibe into the music. FUCK YOU WE ARE THRASH! If you don't like it, GOOD! I take pride in pissing the insecure off that think they know how I should act and what I should say.I do what I like. And if they don't like it...pick a finger.



You guys seem to have a great sense of humor, but how serious are you about the songwriting process?

We're very serious,and those who love us know this. What I write about is how I feel. Be it in a goofy mood, or serious. I wont be writing about the rain forest or how I worship God or Satan. I write what i feel,and i write about things i know.Sometimes I write fantasy type of stuff like killing posers and ruling the planet with the power of Thrash Metal. You know, serious stuff like that...



Who writes the main bulk of the music? What bands influenced your songwriting?

Hellvomit and I would get together and write most of it. I wrote all the lyrics except for "Terrorvision" and some of "Zombie Assault". Our drummer is great at piecing it all together. Its like we bring him an unfinished jigsaw puzzle and he puts it all together. As for bands,everything from Black Sabbath to Vio-Lence. Bon Scott is a major influence when I write lyrics. Though I don't think anyone can come close to how amazing he was. Including myself.



It seems that many thrash fans are hearing about Thrash Or Die thanks to the spectacular video for your song Wake Up and Smell the Thrash. Are you surprised by its immediate popularity? Did you know you had something special when the video was first completed?

Yes, I am shocked its taken off so quick.I knew it was very special. But you never know how people are going to react to it, but I knew it was something that if enough people were to see it we were going to be the mega rock stars we are today! Hello Wacken!



How were those killer set designs done, especially the ones paying tribute to classic metal album covers?

You would have to ask the Pupper Master, Dan Jackson. There was a bunch of computer mumbo jumbo shit involved that I know nothing about. There was also alot of work with a green screen. I had to get into a tight green screen type suit for the "Pleasure to Kill" shot. He super imposed the puppet's head on me. So yeah, Dan Jackson is the guy who came up with most of the ideas and did all the filming and editing. He Rules!



I have a feeling that this video is going to put Thrash Or Die on the map. I know it's only been out for a short time, but I'm curious if anyone surprising has contacted you based on the WUASTT video?

Metal Sludge actually wants to interview the puppet! And a few other sites have asked for an interview as well as a radio show in Argentina. The band Lich King loved it and posted it up. The biggest surprise for me is how many people are praising the video and the song. That to me is better then anything else. As I'm writing my response to this,the video has only been up for a week. Who knows what's going to happen in the coming months. So Far, So Good, So Kickass!



How does it feel to have thrash fans lose their minds (in a good way) over music you helped create?

To me that is the best part about playing live. To see fuckers rage at our shows never gets old. It's the ultimate high. I put it up there with injecting cat tranquilizers in my eye balls.



Is there time in the Thrash Or Die schedule to pull off a tour?

If someone gives us an offer we are there! But please make us at least break even because I have to take time off of work.



Final words?

My final words are for our haters. I am not sorry that I busted a load in your moms and didn't come back when I went out for that pack of smokes.





Check out Thrash Or Die here.

Interview with Diamond Plate

Diamond Plate have been a busy band. Their debut album 'Generation Why?' has hit the literal and virtual shelves today and they are prepping for the upcoming America Torn Asunder tour with headliners Warbringer.

Still, Diamond Plate guitarist Konrad Kupiec was able to take some time and answer a few questions about the new album.



Since you signed to Earache, things seem to be moving quickly for you - from recording, getting the record out and hitting the road. Does it all feel like a whirlwind to you? How are you handling everything?



This past year has definitely gone by insanely fast because of how busy we’ve been. Even though we took a considerable break from playing any type of shows, we’ve been busier than ever. Our work ethic has definitely been at an all-time high, so everything is going great for us. We all couldn’t be more excited to finally hit the road and really push the record to future fans that haven’t heard of Diamond Plate yet.


You all started this band at a very young age. Did you ever dream it would go this far?



Being in a band is the only thing I’ve ever dreamed about as a kid. I still dream about everything that we still have yet to accomplish as a band, because for me (and the rest of the guys), this is only the beginning of our dream. I’m 19, and still have a lot of room to grow as a guitarist, songwriter, and human being; I’m nowhere close to reaching my potential in any of those areas.


How did you hook up with Earache?


We’ve been on Earache’s radar ever since our first ‘Mountains of Madness’ EP was released in 2008. A close friend/fan of the band showed our music to Digby, the owner of Earache. It wasn’t until the summer of 2010 that Earache finally decided to give us a chance to prove ourselves and offered us a record deal.


Has Earache gave you any indication into how they want to market Diamond Plate to the metal community?



It’s the label’s job to stamp a genre on a band and then sell the band to that specific market. As artists though, we can never have that in mind when we’re writing music. We’ve never tried to write music to fit into a certain type of market. We’ve always just played we felt, and let the market ‘come to us.’ And that’s the only thing we’ll ever do. At the end of the day, the music just speaks for itself.


I am a huge fan of Generation Why?, and bridging from your first EP to the new album, there is an obvious evolution to your sound. How did those changes evolve and what decisions were made in how to incorporate them into the new material?



Thanks! There wasn’t ever a conscious decision to change our “sound.” The change heard from the ‘Mountains of Madness’ EP to ‘Generation Why?’ is just a natural evolution. Three years of practicing, playing shows, writing songs, and going through different stages of our lives helped shape the music on the album in a very natural and pure way. On top of that, it was our first time recording in a professional studio, so the vibe while tracking was completely new and exciting to us; people can hear that when they listen to the songs. It’s a different kind of energy, but it’s undeniably there more than it ever was before.


How long was the recording process for Generation Why?



We spent a few months writing and doing preproduction with all the songs, but once we entered the studio, we recorded the entire album in only 10 days.


Since this is your debut album for a big label, how did it feel to get the finished product in your hands?


Absolutely incredible, as you might imagine. We’ve never been prouder and felt more accomplished after recording our music. Having the CDs in our hands was the most gratifying thing after putting in months of hard work into finishing the album.


How are you preparing yourselves for life on the road?



We’ve just been trying to stay as organized as possible, and in addition to practicing all of our songs, we’ve been in a way mentally preparing ourselves for the long road and hard work ahead of us. We plan on living out of our RV and touring for the entire year, write the second album, and start the cycle all over again! But we’re all ready for the best times of our lives as well!


Thrash metal has enjoyed a lifespan of approximately three decades with tons of fans from different generations. Do you feel that Diamond Plate can attract the old-school thrash fans? Do they show up to your gigs?

Diamond Plate has always had a strong ‘old-school’ following. There are always a ton of old school fans at our shows. To me, ‘old-school’ isn’t a type of look or a type of sound. It’s not wearing hi-tops and jean jackets, or having a record that sounds like it was produced 20 years ago. It’s an energy and an attitude. I think that is what attracts those fans to us. We’re just trying to write the best and heaviest songs and deliver them with as much energy as possible. And above all, we want to stay relevant without sounding like anyone else. That’s exactly what the bands that we idolize did in the ‘80s, and old-school fans can feel that in our music and at our shows.


What do you want people to take away from a Diamond Plate concert?


Although we accomplished a lot on record with ‘Generation Why?’ we’ve always felt our live show is where the band truly shines. There’s a quality in our music that’s best represented live and in its rawest form. I want people to be able to feel our music like they’ve never felt it before. And I want them to keep feeling it on the ride back home, the next morning at school/work, a week later, a month later, and up until they see us the next time around. And then have it happen all over again. Maybe the word I’m looking for is whiplash…And lots of it.


Chicago has a killer metal scene. Do you have any hometown favorites?


There are a ton of great bands here in Chicago; off the top of my head: Dawnbringer, High Spirits, Bible of the Devil, Zuul, Jungle Rot, Trouble, Smash Potater, Nachtmystium...


Final words?

To all the readers, don’t take my word and or anyone else’s word about Diamond Plate, check out ‘Generation Why?’ and decide for yourself! Thanks for using your ears! And thanks for a killer interview!

Interview with Lich King

As the Massachusetts thrash generals Lich King make preparations to embark on their first ever US tour, the Lichmaster Tom Martin, took some time to answer questions about his life in art, graphic design, and (of course) music.


What were you into before the other: drawing or playing music?

Drawing. Music was always just a hobby thing, I'd relax by plugging in and chugging along to Anthrax between art jobs. Years later, I started writing actual songs and putting them up, people liked them and music started taking over. These days art is still winning, but music is the hobby I never took seriously, and it snuck up on me and started taking over.


Many bands usually have a tough time to budget for good album cover art and posters. Could you comment on how awesome it is to be able to do your own art and graphic design?

Honestly, it's pretty awesome. I've saved thousands of dollars by just being me. Add in our drummer who does all our (post-WGD) recording and sound work in his home studio and we are raking in the bank by not spending anything. And by that I mean we're only slightly less poor than your average metal band that has to shell out for a logo, cover art, graphic design, studio time and mastering.


Where did you study art and design?

I went to the JOE KUBERT SCHOOL OF CARTOON AND GRAPHIC ART in New Jersey. I went in around the time comics were big, intending to come out a comic artist. The comic market crashed spectacularly before I graduated and now, here I am, doing whatever art I can so I can afford canned peas for dinner.


Is graphic design your full-time job?

Yup. I sit around and leave Netflix on all day so it can rattle off documentaries while I do album covers, logos, layouts, illustrations, concept art, creative consulting, lots of stuff that sounds great and doesn't pay nearly as well as you think it does. ...OH WAIT, you're a graphic designer too, right? High five for low living.


How often do you get hit up by other bands to do art or design work for them? How many want it for free or trade?

I get hit up pretty regularly. Here's how it usually goes.
Band: Hi, we're (forgettable name you've never heard of). We were wondering how much it costs for art.
Me: You're going to have to be more specific, my price quote depends on the details and how much time it's going to take me.
Band: We were thinking of having a zombie invasion in a post-apocalyptic city with a mushroom cloud over it and fighter jets going overhead and these radioactive stormtroopers are waging war against the zombies and these wicked undead bats are flying everywhere and there are ghosts n' shit.
Me: (thinking okay, this is going to take a ton of time. I'll work it out so that by the hours spent, I'm ALMOST making minimum wage.) $600.
Band: WOW, really? We definitely can't pay that. How about you do it for forty bucks and a pack of gum? We'll put your name in the booklet, it'll be great exposure for you.

See my "canned peas for dinner" answer above. This is why.

A lot of the bands are very good about it but my main gripe is that no one respects that this stuff doesn't just fly out of me and I rake in the cash for pressing a button on my talent. It takes hours of concentration to turn out this shit.


What are some do's and don'ts when asking the Lichmaster to design a band logo or album cover?

Good question.

DO:
• Give me tons of details on what you want, as opposed to just asking "how much for art."
• Understand that I make my living doing this and I need money to survive. I'm not going to do this for you because we're all brothurrs of metallll.
• Try to come up with a concept that's going to stand out and be interesting, it'll motivate me.

DON'T:
• Ask if you can get the art before you pay.
• Ask for something that's almost exactly like another cover but with your logo.
• Ask for it to be set in a city. ...just because I'm terrible with rigid backgrounds.
• Ask for stuff that bashes a religion. I don't do it. I'm not religious, but it's a personal choice. Deal with it.


What do you do to begin designing another band's logo? I imagine that you want it to fit the overall "feel" of the band.

Yeah. I never listen to a band for inspiration, as what I get from a band and what they want to project are very rarely the same thing. Instead I ask them for the SORT of logo they'd like, by band name. It helps give me a flavor of what they're looking for. There are a lot of different logo styles out there and I don't think anyone's looking for something completely original. If they say they are, I think they're a bit out of touch on what's best for a metal band. ...I bet the Metal-Archives crowd would jump all over me for that sentence.


When I first heard your band name, I didn't think of World of Warcraft, I thought of the cover to the AD&D module Tomb of Horrors. How did you come up with the name and the look of the mascot?

Well aren't you as sweet as a baby junebug baked into a blueberry muffin. ...I just made that up, I don't know what it means. Anyway. Yeah, D&D was the inspiration for the name and the mascot. I just thought it'd be cool to have a huge enemy that's an undead wizard that's taken over the entire land. Once I had the idea, I just sketched out a skeletal dude with a crown, a sword and a suit of armor. I lost the armor, over time, and I'm glad I did- the WoW Lich King is heavily armored. I can't say our mascot is too terribly original, as everyone's got a nigh-undefeatable undead dude as their mascot, but the crown and the story kinda lend ours a weird spin, I feel. The King's story in album four is going to take a very strange turn.


What decisions do you make to have your artwork for Lich King fit the feel of the music?

In the first two albums, I just kinda made generic thrash metal art- main undead guy, army of zombies, radioactive stuff, not much creativity to it. With album 3 and 4, the art is matching what's happening in the King's song, almost like the cover of a book. WORLD GONE DEAD's cover featured the destruction of Boston by a horde of fiends, and the next album will feature a very different kind of plot point.


Do you get the same feeling of satisfaction when you finish a killer piece of art or design as you do when you finish a new Lich King song?

... ....I dunno, it's hard to compare the two. I definitely get a rush out of both, but the flavor's different. I guess I'm more excited when I turn out a new song, because the feedback you get is much more visceral. With art, the best people can say, usually, is "wow, looks great!" With a great new song, people really seem to lose their minds. Maybe it's just that I haven't been doing music quite as long, but I'd say I get slightly more satisfaction out of a song.


It seems to me that your song Black Metal Sucks is the most talked about of all Lich King songs. Did you think that it would cause such waves when you were writing the lyrics for it?

Nope. In fact, I looked up stuff I said at the time, and a word I was using for it when I made it was "filler." I was calling it filler before anyone had heard it, and just thought I could use a two-riff joke song to get some laughs. The way that frickin' song took off is... well, I mean, it's great promotion but as I always say, if I'd known it was going to be that big, I'd have put some effort into the songwriting.


I've admitted that I am not a huge fan of blackened thrash (although the actual music can be great). From what I gather, you are not a fan of blackened thrash either. Am I wrong about that, and if it's true, why?

I CAN be, it can be good, but honestly what I like about blackened thrash and death-thrash is just the thrash part. You can leave all the other stuff at home.


Does Lich King's sense of humor piss off a lot of the "angry thrash only" guys?

Not so much from the angry thrash only guys, but the serious metal only guys hate us and the original metal only guys hate us more. We also irritate the troo thrash only guys... the phonies that think you're making a mockery of thrash metal if you're not playing about satan and evil and wearing the thrash metal costumes when you do. L.A. is thick with thrashers, but from what I can tell, they may or may not completely turn their backs on us when they see we're short-haired dudes wearing regular clothes. There's lots of image-conscious bullshit in metal, and the only way to make everyone happy, it seems, is flying under the radar by looking and acting just like everyone else.


A couple more questions: Were you surprised by the success of your van fundraiser? (This past April, Lich King held an online fundraiser to help buy a touring van. -r.)

Yeah, honestly. We knew Razormaze (and you should check those guys out, by the way) had gone in and done a successful van fundraiser through Kickstarter.com. We started up our own, shooting for $3,000, and being very careful to not annoy people by mentioning that we were panhandling too often. Halfway through, we had- like... three tenths of our goal, and I was starting to give up hope. Then in the last week we did a push and were shocked to see the money pouring in. We actually shot 300 bucks over our goal, a day or two before the fundraiser ended. We were kinda shocked. Occasionally, still, we stand in the van and say "free van." It's really odd to think that the VEHICLE you're standing in was a gift from your fans.


How is the van holding up?

It's great, it runs beautifully and the air conditioning is like an arctic blast. The seats could be more comfortable, but ehh. I just left Brian's house yesterday, where we were building a bunk platform into the back. This thing's going to be great when we take it out. This is our first tour so we're probably overplanning things. We take off in about exactly one week from now, as I write this.

-----------
Thanks to Tom for the killer interview. Here is a list of dates for Lich King's upcoming US tour.

• 8/11/2011 Thur Philadelphia PA Jr's Bar
• 8/12/2011 Fri Virginia Beach VA Cozumels
• 8/13/2011 Sat Richmond VA Strange Matter
• 8/14/2011 Sun Raleigh NC Volume 11
• 8/15/2011 Mon Johnson City TN The Hideaway
• 8/17/2011 Wed Columbia MO Cafe Berlin
• 8/19/2011 Fri Chicago IL Reggie's Rock Club
• 8/20/2011 Sat Fort Wayne IN Brass Rail
• 8/21/2011 Sun Lansing MI The Blackened Moon
• 8/22/2011 Mon Toledo OH RamaLama Records
• 8/23/2011 Tues Chillicothe OH First Capital Music Hall
• 8/24/2011 Wed Cleveland OH Tower 2012
• 8/25/2011 Thur Pittsburgh PA The Smiling Moose
• 8/26/2011 Fri Buffalo NY The Funeral Home

Interview with Tantara

Things are moving fast for Norway's newest thrash band Tantara. Since forming in 2009, they have self-released the critically accliamed Human Mutation EP in 2010, and are already in the recording stages of their new album.

Tantara's first full-length is bound to get metal fans talking since they landed the legendary Flemming Rasmussen to record and produce the album.

As busy as Tantara is at the moment, the guys graciously answered a few questions I emailed them regarding Human Mutation, recording the new album, and possible touring plans.

NOTE: When Tantara sent me back the answers to my questions, some were answered by the individual band members while most were labeled as answered by Tantara "in unity."

Tanara is: Fredrik Bjerkø - Rhythm Guitar and Vocals, Per Semb - Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals, Stian Sannerud - Drums, Max Warnby - Bass

-------------------------------------------

NWOTM Blog: Human Mutation is a fantastic thrash metal release. How has the fan response been since its release last year?

Per: We've got a lot of positive feedback, can't really think about any negative things being said actually! I was surprised of the positive feedback we got (mostly production-wise) when we first released the EP on CDBaby and later put the songs on YouTube. Since I mixed the whole album, I expected to get at least some complaints about the production.

We also got the EP reviewed on a pretty well-known Norwegian heavy metal homepage, and the fact that the reviewer gave us a bigger score than Exodus' latest release (Exhibit B) was very cool!

Another thing that's also been really, really cool is that some fans actually have covered our songs and put in on YouTube!

NWOTM Blog: As you get ready to record your new album with a batch of new songs, how do you think you have grown as songwriters?

Tantara: Since we started to make new songs after the EP was done, we've been more progressive so to speak. We try to stay away from the typical/cliché song structures (like intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-verse-chorus-end). We're also thinking more about musical climaxes in the song, taking care that the climax is not in the start so the song is going downhill from that. At least if there's a climax it's at the start, we make a bigger one later in the song!

NWOTM Blog: As you listen back to your music, what makes them uniquely Tantara songs?

Fredrik: Though question! The first thing that strikes me is that our songs never get "boring" in some sort of way. At least we feel that way, that there are no "dead spots" that can be found in a lot of other songs (not all, of course). That's a number one priority when we make songs - make things we like ourselves, and boring songs were you feel that "time stops" is something that we don't like. "Prejudice of Violence" is an good example - it lasts in 9 minutes and 30 seconds, and when it's done, you feel like its only been on for 4-5 minutes tops. Our album will probably be one of the longest thrash albums our there, roughly 60 minutes divided into 8 songs - and trust me, you won't get bored at any time, unless you're not into thrash - which in that case would've been understandable (haha).

NWOTM Blog: What is your recording schedule for the new album?

Tantara: First it was the pre-production a month before the recordig took place, and then we hit the studio last week! We've been tracking drums, which are soon to be done, as well as the guitars which we do right after the drum track is done. Later on we will put on bass, vocals and leads. The last days we'll mix it and do the mastering - and voila, it's done! 25 days in total (included days off in the weekends).

NWOTM Blog: Legendary producer Flemming Rasmussen is working with you on the new record. How did Tantara hook up with him?

Tantara: Well, legendary as he is, it wasn't hard to hook up with him! Fredrik just sent him a well written e-mail with a link to our myspace and asked if he was interested in recording and producing our album - and he was! He liked our songs, and I think that was a big part of his decision to go through with this. Even though a little money is in the picture, who wants to spend a whole month recording music they don't like at all? He also told us the other day that he rarely does metal records anymore, so we take that as a huge compliment that he wanted to do it with us! (Even though he later said; "But I made an exception for you guys" - with an sarcastic undertone.) Haha!

NWOTM Blog: I imagine that working with Rasmussen would be a dream for many thrash bands. What are your feelings about working with him?

Stian: We think that it is totally awesome to work with Flemming, especially for me, as I've been a huge fan of Metallica's 80's sound since the first I heard it. You know you'll get a quality when you're working with Flemming, at least sound and production-wise.

On the other hand he is a really down to earth guy, and a REALLY cool guy! He's like, 54 years old!? When we're hanging out with him, he's like a guy on our same age, loofing around and having a good time! The energy between us is so good, we've never expected it to be that way, it's just so awesome! There's always a joke around the corner, some laughing, or some shit-talking about other things we don't like, haha! At this point, we could've never thought of a better man to record an album with! It's just amazing.

NWOTM Blog: What expectations do you have for the new record?

Tantara: First of all, we hope that we get signed with a record label, so we don't need to have another self-release. The good thing to release things yourself is that you get the money for yourself, but if you want make physical copies and send it to your fans, it will cost a little after a while. If we get a record label behind us, we'll have get more publicity, and the chance for a tour outside of Norway is bigger.

NWOTM Blog: Are there touring plans in the immediate future? What places would you like to tour?

Tantara: We're in the planning stage of having a tour later this year, so we hope that'll work out! We need to promote our album well and hook up some new fans. It would've been awesome to actually play a gig were people actually KNOW our music! Most of the gigs we've played before have been in rock/metal-bars where no one has ever heard of us, which actually is good because it motivates us to kick their ass and make 'em like us - which almost everytime has turns out well! The last gig we played, lots of people bought our Human Mutation EP right away, and even wanted us to sign them! That's a pretty awesome feeling, it's makes you feel like you've made a big impression! But yeah, we're going to tour our asses off when we get the opportunity to do it, and we would love to travel around in at least Europe to do that! Touring the USA would've also been a huge dream!

NWOTM Blog: Any last words?

Tantara: Thanks to fans that support us and spreading the word about us! If it wasn't for you, we probably wouldn't grow this fast as a band as we have! Starting in the second half of 2009, performing for our first time in 2010, recording a EP at a local studio for 3 days the same year, and one year later record an album with mighty Flemming Rasmussen is just great! Thank you all, and hopefully we'll see you on tour not too far in the future!

In Defence: a quick plug

This post is just a quick plug for a killer Minneapolis hardcore/thrash band called In Defence. As I usually do with newly discovered bands I like, I looked up a bunch of crap about them online.

First off, you gotta check out their vid for Don't Call Me a Moshist. Watch and love it.



After you enjoy the tune, click here to read the Head Check blog's interview with In Defence vocalist Ben Crew.

After you read the interview, check out In Defence's online store here.

There. A quick plug.

So enjoy! Try not to break anything while listening.

Interview with Lasse Skov of Essence

As I wrote the review for Lost in Violence, the spectacular debut of Denmark's Essence, I eagerly jotted down a few questions regarding the creative process behind the music.

Essence's own frontman Lasse Skov offered up some detailed answers, giving us a look into the young band's approach to songwriting, their influences, and highlights of their aborning career.


NWOTM: Are you surprised by the amount of critical praise Lost in Violence has attracted? Do you think this will put pressure on Essence to write a killer album #2?

Lasse Skov: We are definitely surprised about the critical praise of the Lost in Violence album. It is our first album, besides a short demo tape, and it really means a lot to us that people seems to dig what we are doing. Especially the fact that many people from different parts of the world tell us that they have heard the album and enjoyed it. That is pretty awesome. We take this positive energy very personal and it helps us stay in contact with ourselves and the music we are writing. It kind of makes us rest at ease in our music and that is a very privileged thing when you think about it.

It sure puts a pressure on us and the writing of our 2nd album, but it is not a pressure that wouldn’t be there, even if people didn’t like Lost in Violence. We always push ourselves and our abilities to their limits and a littler further than that. In this way we insure that everything gets better automatically and without we really feel any changes. We adapt pretty easily so we are pretty confident that the next album will be a real tsunami in the genre. We can already now reveal that the next album will contain a somewhat new form of thrash metal. It will be very interesting for us to see how people react to this and if they will take it in, or reject it.


The songs on LiV are so well crafted. When writing music, once you have the basic skeleton of a song ready, what steps does the band take in the songwriting process until its completion?

Thank you very much. When we wrote the music for Lost in Violence,(I pretty much) came with the basic skeletons for the songs. Then we all contributed to the details and stuff. These details can lift a song to new levels, if the basic material is of the right caliber. Each person in the band has his individual role in the process. In this way we ensure that we are working together as a team.

On the next album it is more or less free for all. We are working in a much more dynamical way, as we write most of the music in our rehearsal room together. It is a lot more fun to write in this way. Though, this form of group work can only be possible if you have the right personalities in the band who know how to make the process work. This determines if it will work really slow or really fast. There is no middle way or third way for us at least. On Lost in Violence we weren’t ready yet to engage in this type of working process. Luckily we know how to benefit from it now.


Songs such as Shades of Black are not your standard thrash numbers, yet they fit perfectly side by side with Essence's other thrashier tunes. What motivates the band to musically touch on so many diverse elements?

We want to create diverged music and not that typical 10 track album, where you can’t separate the songs from each other. It is boring and it does not show the full potential or all the skills that the band and the individuals in it possesses. There is no real challenge in writing the same music on and on – you have to have a natural and healthy maturing process. Music needs to grow and you should not contain it or stop it from doing so. In there somewhere you find the answer to why Shades of Black got on the record. It would be wrong of us not to put it in there, out of respect for the music. This is our motivation for writing different types of songs all inside the thrash genre. Our only holding point in the song writing process is that it has to be thrash – that is our only rule or law, if you prefer. Thrash is a really broad genre and perhaps the single most diverged genre in metal. When you first get to understand the ‘secret of thrash metal’, you can basically write whatever you want to, as long as you keep this understanding in mind.


Which thrash and non-thrash influences drive Essence's songwriting?

On the first album we where inspired by bands and songs. We admired the classics and the stuff that helped shape us as musicians. In its own way Lost in Violence is a original piece of thrash metal, but you really have to listen to the details in the album to figure it out. Our understanding of music grew a lot when we wrote the record and it can be seen as a listenable image of our first 5 years as a band. All the stuff combined with starting a band, learning how to play in a band, getting to know how the music business works and all that, can be a very very difficult process.

Today we get inspired by people and not really specific bands and songs. We have grown a lot over the past years, and especially in the last year, which has been amazing for us in so many ways. Personally I get inspired by persons as Mille Petrozza, Peter Tägtgren and Olve Eikemo as far as metal goes, but also personalities as Eddie Izzard and Danish pop-producer, Sören Rasted. It is hard to explain in few lines how this fully should be understood. It is a lot more about ‘mind sets’ today, than it has ever been. In this way of thinking you also get the concept of originality. You are forced to push your own limits and be creative, instead of just listening to what other people make and get inspired by their songs and hook lines.


What newer thrash bands are you into?

There are many good performers out there and some of them will probably make it to the metal history books. In these books Warbringer and Evile could get the honor of being catalysts in the new wave of thrash metal, but it has many more elements in it than that. They played the right music at a time where many weren’t satisfied with what the scene had to offer.

I spoke to John Kevill at a Warbringer show some time ago here in Denmark, and he told me that Century Media Records approached them and not the other way around. This really shows how much a new age in metal was needed, when one of the leading labels contact an unknown band, with the purpose of making them the most successful act in the NWOTM. There are many great bands out there, but there’s without a doubt many times more less good bands.


Now that you are promoting the new album, where would you like to tour?

We are planning different tours at the moment and we will be heading out on the European roads with Vader in June. This is the first tour we have made official, but more will follow, together with festivals and single shows. We are looking very much forward to have the honor of playing in Europe, and get to play for people who have never seen us live before. That is always great fun. It is of course also a great honor to support historic bands, such as Vader.


As a young band moving up in the ranks of the NWOTM, what has been the highlight of your budding career?

There have been many highlights in our career from the beginning to now. Playing on MTV’s The New Era Tour was a great deal of fun, but touring with Vader and playing at Vagos Open Air in front of more people than we have ever done, will defiantly be the two most important highlights so far.


Final words?

We are only playing music for the hell of it! And that will never change. Thank you for showing interest in our work!

Interview with Søren Crawack of Impalers

I had sent these interview questions to Impalers lead vocalist and guitarist Søren Crawack as I gave his band's new demo multiple listens. I could try to offer up a long introduction on the genesis of my queries and how I wanted to work some serious soul searching with a mastermind who is moving up ranks in the NWOTM...but that would all be crap.

Truth is, I listened to the tunes on A Necessary Evil and thought they kicked ass, so I shot off a few questions. Thankfully, Søren's answers are as involved as his music, putting on display his adoration of Sodom, playing gigs, and E string meyhem.



NWOTM: What originally attracted you to thrash metal?

Søren: Back when I was just starting to get into metal, I kept looking for more and more extreme stuff. Some of the first heavy metal I really listened to was Pretty Maids and Yngwie Malmsteen. But when it came to finding new and more extreme stuff, nothing could really fit my taste. Metallica was my first real taste of thrash, and Master of Puppets from the Seattle '89 video made me want to play metal. My real infatuation with thrash however began with Sodom. I was on my way to Wacken in 2007 and the bus that I was riding in kept playing the same compilation CD over and over again. What really caught my attention from that CD was the track Axis of Evil by Sodom, I really dug that a lot so I decided to check them out at the festival. That's when I knew that when I would eventually start a band, THAT kind of thrash is what I wanted to play.


In your opinion, what can make or break a thrash metal riff and how do you apply that to your own songwriting?

Good question! I think it varies a lot. It depends on my mood, sometimes I just want E string mayhem, like the more extreme kinds of thrash and other times I'm more into intricate stuff or even technical riffs. But most of the time I think what makes or breaks the riff is what goes on around it. What the bass is doing, or the drums. Drums can really affect a riff. If the drums are played in a fast style, the riff just seems faster obviously. But if the drums go down in to more of a what I like to call "headbanger" rhythm, that's got a whole different feel to it. However, when you listen to A Necessary Evil it's pretty clear that we have a thing for E string mayhem stuff, haha. We just like the aggression that comes out of the riffs that way.


Who are some of your personal guitar and vocal influences?

In terms of guitar I would say, as a rhythm guitar player, something like Gary Holt, James Hetfield, Mille Petrozza and Eric Peterson. They are insanely good with downstroke rhythm chops, which I'm a huge fan of. I'm not so much the alternate picking style player. Vocal vise I'm clearly more into the guttural German stuff. I like all kinds of vocals, but that kind is what feels best to me. So that would be people like Tom Angelripper or Mille Petrozza, and even Jon Nödveigt of Dissection as well.


Your new demo A Necessary Evil sounds great. How long did the recording process take?

Thank you very much! The recording process took waaay too long. It was supposed to just be a project we'd do in a week in October, but we ended up having to push the most of the recording back for many months. The lead guitarist we had back then didn't really care to record his solos, so we had to wait for him. Eventually we got a guy named Jonas Quist to do the lead guitars about a month and a half ago.


Many bands dislike the recording process. How do you feel about recording?

Well there's no doubt I would much rather be playing live than recording, but I don't really dislike it. Sometimes it can get a bit annoying when the producer tells you to record the part again after a hundred attempts, haha. But mostly we just hang out, drink some beers and joke around.


The solos in your songs take them to such epic levels. When writing songs, how do you approach the solo sections?

As I said we had a guy do the solos for this demo, except the first one in Nuclear Nights. I'm not a solo guitar guy at all, I like playing rhythm. But I do have a couple. My approach is trying to figure out some kind of hook that then leads into something that will keep you interested, which could be a cool melody, some tapping or shredding. Stuff like that. But it's not really what I want to do, so I try and stay somewhat out of the whole lead role.


Are there any plans to tour in support of A Necessary Evil?

There's not really a tour planned out, but we do have a couple of dates as well as some festival stuff. But not of that is tied directly into the release of A Necessary Evil. It's mostly meant as a promotional tool coming up to the recordings of our debut album late 2011, as well as a way to show people how we've progressed since the Army of Darkness demo, which is now over two years old.


Has Impalers played shows outside of your home country?

Not yet. There just haven't been the right opportunities. But we'll probably do a little Scandinavian stint later in the year.


What gear do you use when playing live?

I play a white Gibson Explorer from '97. My amp is a G200R HD Hiwatt transistor amp, with a BOSS GT-6 effects board in between the guitar and the amplifier. I use only a single kind of pick which is a black Dunlop with a thickness of 1 mm. If I'm playing with any other picks I feel kinda handicapped in a way, haha.


How do you physically or mentally prepare for an Impalers gig?

Right before the gig I usually just walk around in my own little world with my guitar for half an hour. I just walk around playing all kinds of stuff, mostly downstroked stuff. I also tend to kind of envision the gig, maybe thinking about something to say between songs. I also like to get in a certain mood, because our music is certainly aggressive and I think our attitudes should represent that.


Have you played with any notable metal bands? If so, how was that experience?

Well for one we've played with one of the best thrash bands ever, Artillery twice. Those gigs were definitely landmarks for me, and it was just awesome. Great guys as well. We've played a couple gigs with other bigger bands, some from labels like Metal Blade and such, but nothing really interesting thrash wise.


Who would you like to open for?

Metallica. Still one of my favorite bands. Sodom and Kreator would definitely also be a major thing for me.


Final words?

We hope you all like and buy the new demo, and that you spread our word as much as possible! We're trying to get out on the road as much as possible, so hopefully we'll see you out there! And thank you for the awesome interview!