Blood Pack Vol. 6.66 released!

It's that time of the year once again! A new year and a new compilation album celebrating our 6th birthday as a webzine.

Review: Various Artists – 'We're In This Together: A Tribute To Nine Inch Nails'

VARIOUS ARTISTS 'We're In This Together: A Tribute To Nine Inch Nails' TRIBULATIONS

Review: Various Artists – 'We Reject: A Tribute To Bile'

VARIOUS ARTISTS 'We Reject: A Tribute To Bile' TRIBULATIONS

Review: Ritual Aesthetic – 'Wound Garden'

RITUAL AESTHETIC 'Wound Garden' CLEOPATRA RECORDS

Review: Axegrinder – 'Satori'

AXEGRINDER 'Satori' RISE ABOVE RECORDS

Friday 28 April 2017

Modern Myths - To Make an Album in 2017



A few days ago, I got the first mixes of my album.
Obviously, I've been listening non-stop. For anyone reading this who's ever had a child, it's a bit like obsessively staring at your last ultrasound before actually giving birth. It's as close as you've ever come to seeing how your baby's gonna look like, yet it's still not quite actually what it should be, so you can only muse upon the final outcome.
I'm not there yet, but I'm as close as ever, and I couldn't be more proud. In all honesty, I wasn't expecting the album to be this good. I'm quite impressed with what I've created.

During one of my listens last week, I found myself diving into the momentum of the album utterly and completely. It was like time didn't matter, nor what happened during my day, nor what I had planned for the next one. Space didn't really matter either, nor did the outcome of the future. In that moment, there was me, pure me, and the songs, gliding into one another, and their stories, weaving together the bigger story of Original Game itself.
I found myself reconnecting to each of these stories and ultimately reconnecting to the bigger story -the reason behind my Original Game in the first place.

And then, I understood what it means to write and release an album, in 2017 -versus writing and releasing a song, which is what most artists do these days.

At that point, I told myself This is why I wrote an album anyway. Because it mattered to me to tell this story.
Each song is a chapter. You can listen to just one song, if you'd like, but then you're not getting the whole tale, nor the reason behind the song.
Listen to the album, or any album, really, in its integrity, and find yourself surrendered to a modern legend, myth, or folklore.

We owe it to each other to keep telling stories. This is written in one of Neil Gaiman's books somewhere.
It's true. We owe it to ourselves to keep folklore alive, renewed, and up-to-date. 70 years from now, people will listen to the albums we've created, and they'll be able to get a glimpse of the reality of our times. They'll be able to know what our stories were; they'll know what we dreamed of, what we fought for, what we delighted in, and what the shape of our desires was.

Let us keep making albums -capture complete sonic tales. Otherwise, we only leave boundless chapters behind, without any beginning or end. I mean, chapters do have beginnings and ends of themselves, but they have no frames to hold them in. Which is fine, if that's what you're aiming at, all things considered.

Point is, the Art of the Album is not lost, or gone, or done with. It's a way into modern myths, and a way into another universe.

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Wednesday 26 April 2017

Review: Mortiis – 'The Great Corrupter'



MORTIIS
'The Great Corrupter'
OMNIPRESENCE PRODUCTIONS


Mortiis' latest album cycle has perhaps seen the band on their best and most aggressive form too date. 'The Great Deceiver' along with it's singles in the forms of 'Doppelganger' and 'The Shining Lamp Of God' as well as the 'Demons Are Back' video showed the band giving it their all, and the results naturally were excellent.

Fast-forward and the remix companion, 'The Great Corrupter', sees release in several formats (including a streamlined vinyl offering) and boasts an impressive 28 tracks. A lot of remix albums tend to be short and hardly worth releasing in a physical incarnation, but Håvard Ellefsen seems intent on giving everyone as much bang for the buck as possible.

The names included who have lent their skills to the album is pretty impressive as well. The likes of Godflesh, Merzbow, Chris Vrenna, Pig, Apoptygma Berzerk, Je$us Loves Amerika, Martin Katscan, Wumpscut, Rhys Fulber, John Fryer, and Die Krupps – whose contributions on their own would make the album worth your cash – are just the tip of the iceberg. Acts such as Purient, Axegrinder, Le Prince Harry, Technomancer, In Slaughter Natives, Cease2xist, and Deutsch Nepal also contributing some fantastic work.

The track list moves from hard and heavy industrial metal, through to dark ambient, ebm, futurepop aggrotech, and noise inspired flavours with every band adding their own slants to the original and in turn showing off the strength and versatility of the core tracks.

Production-wise the album moves seamlessly between genres and despite some drastic sounding overhauls still keeps it's identity as a Mortiis album. That clean modern mixing with just a hint of grunge and grime around the edges keeps the continuity from the original album intact.

This is a very strong remix album. One that by virtue of it's scale will easily please a lot of people, no matter which “Era” of Mortiis originally hooked you. The dark ambient style pieces hark back to the tail end of Era I, while the more electronic orientated contributions are reminiscent of Era II, and so on. It's a lot of material to absorb but it is a rare occasion where the quality and quantity on offer actually matches up.   

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Tuesday 25 April 2017

Review: Freakangel – 'How The Ghost Became'



FREAKANGEL
'How The Ghost Became'
DIGITAL WORLD AUDIO


Despite starting life as a side project, Freakangel has coalesced into a monster of a band in its own right. Over the course of seven years the band has developed from a dark ebm project into an industrial metal powerhouse. The band's fourth full-length studio effort, 'How The Ghost Became', is their heaviest offering to date, like punch through a brick wall heavy. Sounding more like NDH guitars meets Nothing Records grooves, with a sprinkle of modern aggrotech electronics, the band have have become a bludgeon of raw and frantic emotion.

Songs such as 'Witness The Fall', 'Insight', 'Make Me Disappear', 'In The Witch House', 'Death walks With Us', 'Kingdom Of Fire', and 'Devotion' exemplify this sonic formula best with their heavy guitars, throat-shredding vocals and strangely enticing electronics hinting at their club-friendly past, but pushing harder than ever before into that metal scene. The development, no matter how this may disappoint anyone who prefers their early incarnation, feels totally organic and right, much in the same way that the recent releases from Cyanotic, Combichrist, and Dawn Of Ashes have.

There are the odd songs that retain an almost dance feel such as 'Giving Up The Ghost', and 'Hell And Back', but even these are firmly punctured by heavy guitars rooting them in the metal end of the band's sound. But that's not a bad thing. There is still that strong electronic presence that while not be 100% dance-friendly isn't a total about turn from their roots.

Being a metal album the production is geared towards balancing the guitars with the aggressive vocals and making sure the electronics aren’t swamped by either. The band, know their stuff, and despite this significantly heavier approach achieve this balance with relative ease with no one element dominating another to its detriment.

This is perhaps the strongest and most well-rounded Freakangel outing to date. In fact it really sounds as though they have found themselves on this album. Everything seems to have come together to create a confident, heavy album that perfectly balances their aggression with their electronic prowess. It has been a well-paced evolution to this point, but this album feels like year zero, from which they can launch a wider assault on the metal scene. Time will tell how they attempt to evolve the sound further, but 'How The Ghost Became' will certainly be looked on as a pivotal moment.  

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Monday 24 April 2017

Alestorm releases self-titled single from 'No Grave But The Sea'


Pirate metal band Alestorm, from Perth, Scotland, are about to release their 5th full length album 'No Grave But The Sea', set for May 26th via Napalm Records, but as a preview of what it will sound like, this Friday, April 21st, they showed the first single, which is also self-titled. Watch it down here!
Chris Bowes, the lead vocalist and keyboards of the band, says that he: "hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed filming it. It features all the classic elements that people have come to associate with Alestorm: beating up little people, explosions, and the Serbian countryside. The song is pretty good too."

The official tracklist for 'No Grave But The Sea': 

1. No Grave But The Sea
2. Mexico
3. To the End of the World
4. Alestorm
5. Bar und Imbiss
6. Fucked with an Anchor
7. Pegleg Potion
8. Man the Pumps
9. Rage of the Pentahook
10. Treasure Island

In support of their new album, Alestorm will be on tour this year with shows in the States and Europe, including the legendary Vans Warped Tour. If you want to be present in any (or all if you're a hardcore fan,) visit Napalm Records' website and save the dates they provide!

Visit the Band at:
Website
Or write a direct email to them at: band@alestorm.net

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Thursday 20 April 2017

Review: Caïna / Cara Neir – 'Split'



CAÏNA / CARA NEIR
'Split'
BROKEN LIMBS RECORDINGS


Split albums can make for strange bedfellows, but there is something that just works on this latest 7” from Broken Limbs Recordings. On the one hand is the UK's most impressive and original post-black metal act Caïna. With phenomenal albums such as 'Mourner', 'Temporary Antennae', 'Hands That Pluck', and 'Setter Of Unseen Snares' walking a fine line between ambient, shoegaze, black metal, post-punk, and industrial sounds each release hinges on creating a unique and independent listening experience.

The other sees Texan Blackened Crust merchants Cara Neir, who with their own impressive legacy due to releases such as 'Portals To A Better, Dead World', 'The Overwatch', and 'Perpetual Despair Is The Human Condition' have crafted their own unique and creative voice within their genre.

The coming together of two such unique forces is always a joy to behold and despite differing styles, with Caina's 2014 cut of sprawling and ambient infused black metal on 'Rhosneigr', and the short, sharp and groovy cut 'stained Grey Bones' from Cara Neir, are perfect companions.

The production is no-frills and rough across both tracks, but neither are unlistenable. Long gone is that “necro chic” of the black metal scene, and even lower budget doesn't mean low quality. The songs are visceral and direct. There's no room for polish or pretence, just raw and passionate music.

The end result is a fine split release that sees two great bands come together and create something genuinely pleasurable. Caina may be being put to sleep, but with this, the vinyl re-release of 2007's 'Mourner', and a solo album from
Andy Curtis-Brignell due later this year we can take solace in the fact there is still more to come. As for Cara Neir, they are an act who's star is still very much on the rise and despite nearing their ten-year-anniversary, this is a perfect introduction for those who haven't had the pleasure yet. 

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Review: Dawn Of Ashes – 'Daemonolatry Gnosis'



DAWN OF ASHES
'Daemonolatry Gnosis'
METROPOLIS RECORDS


After last year's spectacular return 'Theophany', it's good to see the Californian black metal / industrial outfit capitalise on their newly found momentum sooner rather than later. The result of which is another incendiary and heavy offering in the form of 'Daemonolatry Gnosis'. The symphonic elements this time are pushed to the fore while the black metal backbone is once again pushed harder than ever before.

The vocals are the most demonic too date and any resemblance to their earlier hellektro style is now 100% lost to time. There are still industrial elements floating within the electronic textures, but once again under the guiding hand of Anaal Nathrakh's Mick Kenny, the band continue to metamorphose into a more brutal and extreme incarnation.

The album is an unrelenting discourse in modern black metal. Sumptuous symphonic elements frame a core of blistering drums, violent guitars and throat wrenching vocals. Songs such as 'Gods Of The Antimonian Path', 'Guardians', 'Sermon From The Horned God', 'I Am Nephilim', 'Rulership Of The Inner World', and 'Magick For The New Aeon' provide the album with a solid metal back bone that shows a great leap forward in their song construction and execution. While tracks such as 'The Initiation', and 'The Ritual' provide nice, if short, counterpoints to the metallic mayhem with their sinister symphonic industrial construction building tension nicely.

The only track that doesn't really work is the pretty straight cover of Mayhem's 'Freezing Moon' which, while heavy in its execution, lacks a lot of the individual stylistic elements that makes the previous eleven tracks really pop. It may have faired better hidden after an outro that book-ended the core tracks to be discovered.

The production is nice and heavy. It's always great to see the signature of someone such as Kenny so perfectly interwoven with a band's sound so as to create something big and bold in its own right. 'Daemonolatry Gnosis' picks up pretty much where 'Theophany' left off, but pushes everything harder and faster this time round.

This is a big step, perhaps even a milestone in the development of the band. Whereas 'Theophany' was an exciting and visceral push forward, 'Daemonolatry Gnosis' is a consolidation of their intent into a focused and brutal assault. Dawn Of Ashes are very much a black metal beast now. And while it would be interesting to see how they reconcile their older sounds moving forward, it is safe to conclude that if they can continue on this path and incorporate that previous progressive and experimental mindset of their early work, then there should be no limit for Dawn Of Ashes.  

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Wednesday 19 April 2017

Universal's upcoming movie, 'The Mummy', has its second trailer


Upcoming film, The Mummy, directed by Alex Kurtzman, has released its second trailer not long. The film, written by Jon Spaihts and Christopher McQuarrie, is a reboot of The Mummy franchise that started in 1932.

The film stars, among others, Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis and Jake Johnson, and it’s scheduled to be released on June 9, 2017 in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D. This is also intended to be the first instalment in the Universal Monsters shared universe.

If you're into dark fantasy, horror films, the this should be in the group of your most awaited movies of the year. The special effects are nothing to amazed about, but it is the proposal of the end of the world that intrigues me, as this idea hasn't been used that much for a while.

Official Synopsis:
"Tom Cruise headlines a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: The Mummy.
Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.
From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters."


And, in case you missed it, here's the first trailer:

Learn more about the movie on the official website.

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Singing 101: A Crash Course in Singing with Olivia Hyde


On Saturday 20th of May 2017, Olivia Hyde, the vocalist from ban Bad Polyanna, will give a course for aspiring singers that want to improve their singing techniques from 10am until 6pm. The place where the meeting will be is at Quarry Lodge Studios, Golcar, HD3 4PS (UK).

In the publication, the singer says the event is for "Learn scientific, cutting edge techniques designed to improve your singing in record time. Understand how to interpret songs and the psychology of performance. Gain the tools to improve in your own time after the workshop. Learn in a fun, relaxed and supportive group environment."

Along with different individual and group prices, those who pay the amount of £80 will get the chance to perform as themselves the next day. The singer also published a mail and phone number for her fans to to arrange a fifteen-minute consultation for free or to book a place.


For more information about the event, visit the band's bandcamp and Olivia Hyde Coaching's facebook page.


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Tuesday 18 April 2017

Review: Defeat – 'Rise'



DEFEAT
'Rise'
SELF-RELEASED


It's been two years since Defeat's last outing 'You Know Who You Are', but the Hertfordshire-based electro duo have definitely spent their time well. The band's old school ebm meets industrial flavours have been further honed on their seventh studio release, 'Rise', and the result is definitely a shift in gear. 


The album still keeps the fundamental influences of Nitzer Ebb, Front 242 and Front Line Assembly at the head of the charge, but as with their last outing, the modern club elements see another big increase in presence. The result is bigger beats, bigger synths and bigger dance floor potential with tracks such as 'The Phoenix', 'Dirty/Sick', 'The Fatalists', and 'Nothing You' providing a strong and driven presence.

While the likes of 'Rage', 'The Hurt', and 'Rise' as well as the sumptuous closer 'Live Your Life' up the emotional quota of the album with a more minimal and focussed approach reflecting their old school roots and adding a couple of little twists for good measure.

Production-wise this is the best the band have ever sounded. There are still the odd rough spots, but in comparison to the last two albums, 'Rise', is easily their strongest showing to date, that is accessible, dance-friendly and, at times, emotional.

'Rise' is a short, but strong album. It mixes up their previously tried and tested formula and takes risks where it needs to. The end result definitely pays of for the duo, particularly with tracks like 'Dirty/Sick', 'Rise', and 'Live Your Life'. They're moving out of their comfort zone with every release and the results speak for themselves. It would be great to get a follow-up to this album sooner rather than later but with the last two-year gaps between albums it is evident that Defeat like to take their time, and to be fair, it does yield results for them.

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Review: Various Artists – 'Under What Flag (A Tribute To Fad Gadget)'



VARIOUS ARTISTS
'Under What Flag (A Tribute To Fad Gadget)'
COITUS INTERRUPTUS PRODUCTIONS


Frank Tovey, AKA Fad Gadget was a pioneering force in electronic music as a movement. His work may be somewhat under-appreciated by the public at large compared to some of his contemporaries, yet his work was and is profoundly influential on electronic artists to this day. Avant garde, rhythmic, melodic, confrontational and socially aware, Tovey's output is long overdue a musical tribute such as this.

The album is a not-for-profit release compiled and produced by DJ Seraphim, and mastered by Jasyn Bangert for Coitus Interruptus Productions and features acts/artists such as
Bioassay, Canter, Laether Strip, NOIR, George Sarah, Cylab, Microchip Junky and more adding their spin to classic tracks including 'Collapsing New People', 'Ricky's Hand', 'Lady Shave', 'Back To Nature', and 'Insecticide'.

Genres such as synthpop, ebm, industrial, futurepop, darkwave, and post-punk run rampant over the original compositions reforming them into fresh and modern hits that show just how groundbreaking Tovey's originals are. The likes of Bioassy, Blakk Glass, Canter, Cylab, Laether Strip, Maleagant, Microchip Junky, Noir, and Shrapnihil in particular take the source material and add some interesting twists through their own unique styles.

The production and mastering is excellent throughout and each track flows nicely into the next without jarring against differing styles. And overall the listening experience has the feel of a complete album as opposed to a compilation.

This is a great tribute from a collection of very talented contributors to one of the greatest electronic artists of all time. The songs have been lovingly reconstructed to reflect the sounds of 2017, and in doing so highlight the strength of the originals. The only issue would be that there are a lot of other great Fad Gadget songs that could have been featured rather than have some artists doubling up on songs. But other than that, what has been featured here is excellent, and it would be nice to maybe get a second album in the future. But in the meantime, this is a great album not only for Fad Gadget fans, but also fans of modern electronic music.

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Monday 17 April 2017

None More Negative: In praise of Peter Steele



On the anniversary of the death of the enigmatic force behind gothic-doom metal pioneers Type O Negative, Peter Steele. We take a look back of the unparalleled career of the innovative front-man and composer.

It always seemed apparent that the time that Brooklyn born Petrus T. Ratajczyk - better known to fans of Goth Metal as the basso perfecto frontman of Type O Negative, Peter Steele - last felt truly free was while working for the New York Parks Department. At this time his 80’s Hardcore/Thrash Metal band Carnivore had come to an apathetic demise after just two albums, and the thought of starting a new band was the last thing on his mind. Instead he’d occupy himself raking leaves, mending fences, and thinking up new euphemisms for maggots ("dancing rice" being a popular one among his colleagues).

Then it all went wrong. He broke up with his long-time girlfriend, attempted suicide, and wrote an album that saw him signed back to his old record label. The album was 1991’s ‘Slow, Deep and Hard’ a Hardcore/Doom Metal crossover about infidelity, self-loathing, and everything that pissed off and depressed the six-foot-six-inch tall Steele in the previous year. The album was loved by some, and hated by others (including Steele).

“… it was only supposed to be a demo. I was drunk and pissed and I wrote the whole thing in 4 hours. Little did I know that demo would be pressed into an album. So we were pretty much trapped into something I wrote in a span of a few hours […] If I had to do it over, Bloody Kisses would be the first album.” - Rock Out Censorship 

The band were initially condemned by domestic audiences as communists and homosexuals for Steele’s Russo-Icelandic heritage and sensitive lyrics. Internationally they feared little better, with most of their inaugural European tour cancelled due to anti-fascist groups labelling them a Nazi band (despite keyboardist Josh Silver being Jewish).

The disastrous tour was immortalised by the band when Roadrunner Records gave them money to fund the recording of a live album. The band instead spent the money and recorded a fake live album in a basement with their friend’s heckling them with the now familiar “You Suck” chant as an overdub. The album 'Origin of the Faeces: Not Live at Brighton Beach', became a cult hit for its dry humorous take on a Type O Negative live show as well as their cover of Jimi Hendrix‘s ‘Hey Joe’ (re-dubbed ‘Hey Peter’). Their label, however, did not see the funny side of it. The album, despite being reworked tracks from their début, displayed a different approach to the song writing. Under Steele’s direction, Silver’s keyboards were mixed higher and became more ambient and gothic in sound.




This stylistic change of face carried over onto the band's 1994 sophomore album ‘Bloody Kisses’. This time the anger was running second fiddle to elaborate gothic hymns to female stereotypes (‘Black No.1’ and ‘Christian Woman’), as well as misery and heartache (‘Too Late: Frozen’ and ‘Bloody Kisses - A Death in the Family’). The album was originally released with many instrumental and humorous tracks, but after the videos for ‘Black No.1’ and ‘Christian Woman’ received airplay on MTV, a re-edit and re-release of just the core tracks propelled the album to gold status. A first for the band and their record label. 






With the band’s stock rising internationally and domestically they crafted a dramatic stage presence on tour with bands such as Mötley Crüe and Nine Inch Nails, with Steele’s vampiric persona and trademark red wine consumption dominating reviews. The label eager to capitalise on the band’s success pushed Steele for a follow-up.

“I don't know what drugs they were on. I guess they wanted to make another remake of Bloody Kisses, Bloody Kisses II or something like that. They didn't get it.” - NY Rock 

The album that Peter wrote instead was a milestone in what came to be known as “Goth Metal”. Part gothic rock, part psychedelic, and filtered through Black Sabbath style doom metal guitars - 1996’s ‘October Rust’ turned Type O Negative into an international force. The band embarked on tours with Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne, and headlined festivals in the USA and Europe. MTV once again came calling and the romantic and playful videos for ‘Love You To Death’ and ‘My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ turned Steele into a reluctant sex symbol. 






This new-found status even lead to Steele appearing on mainstream talk shows such as Jerry Springer and Riki Lake as an example of the definitive “Metal Male”. It wasn’t before long that Playgirl Magazine invited Steele to do a spread - though Steele was said to be embarrassed after finding out that most of the magazine’s subscribers were in fact men. Steele would later look back on the incident with self-deprecating humour, though the publicity certainly didn't do the band any harm.

“After I did it, I thought, "Oh my God, what did I do?" It was more than upsetting that so many guys had it. Girls, OK, but there just seemed to be at least as many guys. Not that I'm homophobic, but it was certainly irritating.” - NY Rock 

Though it was the band’s most successful period it was one of the hardest in Steele’s personal life. The heights of success inevitably opened the doors to chemical influences taking hold of the front man and personal tragedies sent him into another spiral of depression. At this time, burnt out from two solid years of touring, Steele dreaded the phone calls from the label asking to write and even more successful record than '… Kisses' or '… Rust'. Though an album was finally finished it was evident that Steele was writing to exorcise his demons, not to sell records. 




1999’s ‘World Coming Down’ returned to the melancholic dirges of ‘Bloody Kisses’ sans the humour. The album was the darkest since the band’s début with songs like ‘Everyone I Love is Dead’, Everything Dies’, and ‘World Coming Down’ dominating the track listing. The album wasn’t as well received as previous efforts, but it still fed the hungry waves of fans and the resulting tour saw Steele motivated and attempting to clean up his act. An interim best of album called ‘The Least Worst of Type O Negative’ was released while Steele focused on himself.

“What asshole starts to drink and use drugs every day when they are 36 or 37? It’s a real F**king disgrace. I’m kind of shocked at myself, I’m embarrassed […] That slump of doing too much drinking and cocaine is becoming a thing of the past and I’m starting to get myself back a little bit.” - Terrorizer Magazine 

The band’s next album ‘Life is Killing Me’ showed that Steel was indeed getting back to his old self. Though dark, the album had the most humorous and playful feel than any album since ‘Origin…’ and ‘Bloody Kisses’, it even included a cover of ‘Angry Inch’ from the musical 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch'. The supporting video for ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Me’ made a modest impact on radio and TV play lists, but ultimately the band was left to tour to promote the album. This proved to be the last album released by Roadrunner under the contract Steele had signed back in the 80’s with Carnivore. The band parted ways with the label, and soon after European competitors SPV signed them to release the bands next album.


However, another spell of silence befell Steele and co. With the band’s webpage proclaiming “Peter Steele: 1962-2005” creating a stir of wild speculation that the imposing figure had suddenly died. It turned out to be a joke, if not an eerily prophetic one. On the interim live DVD ‘Symphony For The Devil’ and other interviews Steele explained that the length between releases was down to his incarceration in Riker's Island and "the psych ward at Kings County Hospital" at the hands of his family for his psychological and drug problems.

“I violated probation because you know due to drugs and alcohol and just having a case of like all I had to do was like show up once a month and put my hand into a fuckin machine […] I didn't show up for like six months and then I'm like so, let them come and get me and you know what? Bang! Bang! Bang! Is Peter there? Housekeeping!" - MK Magazine 

But an album did materialise on SPV records soon after the DVD release. ‘Dead Again’ saw Steele once again working through his feelings, this time regarding drug addiction and betrayal (‘Tripping a Blind Man’), as well as his conversion/reversion to Catholicism (‘Ode to Locksmiths’), and opinions on abortion (‘These Three Things’). Unlike ‘World Coming Down’ however, Steele maintained his sense of humour and the album received a positive run with one of the highest chart positions since ‘October Rust’ as well as good radio and TV coverage of the band’s singles ‘Profit of Doom’ and ‘September Sun’. The subsequent tour received positive reviews for the newly sober Steele, and the band continued on supporting the album, in 2009 signing up for the Jaegermeister tour with fellow New Yorkers Hatebreed and 3 Inches Of Blood.

“Apparently, when you’re drunk you don’t realise how badly you’re playing and how badly you’re singing. People have told me that I sound much better and I’m playing much better. I don’t really see it as much as other people do because I was drunk. But I realise that I was primarily responsible for almost destroying this band. The last five years of tours have been full of coke and alcohol and I didn’t think the thing was apparent […] If I’m fucked up, half the band’s fucked up […] So I’m trying to rectify the damage that I’ve done by just doing the best job that I can…” - Hardtimes.ca 

Tragically though, Steele’s new sense of optimism was unfortunately cut short on the 14th of April 2010. The cause was widely reported as heart failure. Rumours of the front man’s death had flooded the internet but were initially met with scepticism after the infamous 2005 prank. However, the news that Steele had died aged only 48 years, was later confirmed by the other members of Type O Negative and soon tributes flooded in from friends, bands and fans.


Peter Steele was buried in Saint Charles Cemetary, Farmingdale alongside his parents. His legacy and influence has continually been paid tribute in the years since his death with many bands still citing Type O Negative as a major influence on their own songwriting. 


Steele's talent was a multifaceted one hidden behind a shy and sensitive shell. His vocal range is one of the greatest in modern music, his song-craft, composition and ear for melodies was beyond comparison. And his single-minded determination to create something unique in the form of Type O Negative took the band to international acclaim. Though he struggled with his demons, his body of work is one of the most consistent and genuine output of any artist around. And it is an output that will withstand the test of time.  
“Well, that's it, that's all we have. I hope it wasn't too disappointing…” - October Rust, 1996 

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Editorial: April, 2017



Whoops! OK, so I'm even later with this month's editorial. Once again, life and the days seem to be flying by quicker than I can get through my to-do list. So apologies if you actually read this and were wondering what the hell I've been up to (I doubt it but it is nice to believe sometimes).

As usual I'm going to start by once again thanking everyone who has downloaded our latest compilation so far, and give double thanks to those who have donated some money for it. If you have already downloaded it please recommend it to your friends. If you haven't got round to downloading it yet (and if you haven't where have you been so far?) and can just spare a £1 donation, it will all go towards kicking blood cancer's ass! If you can't donate, that's fine too, but please do make sure you check out more from the awesome band's that made this possible!

But what is my topic of conversation this month. Well I think it has to be a brief look back at the tour de force that was Peter Steele seven years on (Good Friday to be exact) from his untimely passing.


Everyone has a band that speaks to them. That one band that you ‘Get’, that has never released an album you didn’t like, that has a song for every mood you’ve ever had or will have. Type O Negative were that band for me. A band to be a little fanatical for.

As I’m writing this I’m on my third rotation of 'October Rust'. Ask any genuine metal fans though, and there will be nods of agreement amongst them that this album was the bands finest moment alongside their breakthrough 'Bloody Kisses', and it ensured their place in the annals of music. For me it was the first album I genuinely and whole-heartedly loved. In the eighteen years since buying it, whenever I need motivation, a pick me up, or something cathartic to help put my mind at ease – this album has been the soundtrack.

When the news first broke of Peter Steele's death in 2010, I suppose like a lot of people I was sceptical at the news at first. The band famously made a bad joke about Peter’s death in 2005 on their website, when in fact he was at the time detained in a psych ward due to his substance abuse. But the second time around, it felt different, the outpouring of grief from people was so immediate and all too genuine.

It was later confirmed by the band to be true and in the weeks/months that followed it was confirmed that heart failure, possibly linked to Peter’s well documented years of substance abuse, was the cause of his untimely death. A cruel twist due to his newly found sobriety and at what would have been at the start of the next album writing cycle for the band.

Type O’s musical legacy is one fuelled by Steele’s personal demons. From substance abuse, bad break-ups, and family tragedies they all went into creating a palette to draw from. But it was also one that drew from his passions and humour too. Songs like ‘We Hate Everybody’, ‘Kill All The White People’ and covers such as ‘Angry Inch’ showed that it wasn’t always doom and gloom, even if the humour was a little black. Instead the band , with Peter at the helm, created a unique sound that bridged alien influences such as The Beatles, Black Sabbath, and The Sisters of Mercy and moulded them to suit.

But that was Type O Negative and Peter Steele - unique, contradictory, brilliant, and genuine.
In other news, we're on the hunt for a few new regular contributors to add to our staff. If you're interested in doing some reviews or even just a monthly column, please contact us at intravenousmagazine@gmail.com and we'll take it from there. What kind of person are we looking for? Well we're after people who are motivated, committed and eager to take the time to build up a list of PR and label contacts.

For more information on writing for IVM please visit HERE.

Finally in other news, I'd like to again extend the invitation to established scene DJs, artists, and bands to contribute guest DJ mixes that we will host on Mixcloud. What we're thinking is a series of hour-long mixes showing off new and classic acts which we will feature on Mixcloud as well as the Intravenous Magazine website. If anyone is interested, please contact us at the above email address.

And as always make sure you have these links in your favourites:




PS: The new logo is nearly finished...

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Friday 14 April 2017

World premiere: The Walking Wounded - 'Assimilate'



The Walking Wounded today unveil their cover of the Skinny Puppy classic 'Assimilate'. The band, always willing to push boundaries, take the song from it's industrial roots and tanspose it to an orchestral setting. 


"It is our great pleasure to present to you our cover of Skinny Puppy's "Assimilate," featuring cellist Jackie Gee.  We know the rulebook says "Thou shalt not cover Skinny Puppy," but when the idea struck to do an "orchestral " version of the song, the temptation was too great.  This cover arose from a sincere love for the Skinny Puppy's masterpiece - the sonic majesty of which still remains unchallenged."

The song can be heard below via the band's official Spotify account.


For more information, including download details and other releases, please visit the band's official website.

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Tuesday 11 April 2017

Review: PIG – 'Swine & Punishment'




PIG
'Swine & Punishment'
METROPOLIS RECORDS


Hot on the heels of the extraordinary comeback album 'The Gospel', the lord of lard Raymond Watts offers up another slice of pork for those hungry for more. This time in the form of remix album 'Swine & Punishment', featuring fourteen reconstituted and reformed cuts, plus the inclusion of 'Violence', a track only previously released on vinyl.

A lot of people can take or leave remix albums, but when they're done right, they can be damn good. With a list of contributors including SKOLD, Android Lust, Pull Out Kings, Inertia, KANGA, London After Midnight, tweaker, MC Lord of the Flies, and Mortiis, even the most hardened remix cynic would be hard pressed not to have their interest piqued.

The album takes in a myriad of styles informed by the creators, from Skold's dark and sinister take on 'The Diamond Sinners', through to delicately demented version of 'The Fly Upon The Pin', and the heavily electronic mix of 'Viva Evil' courtesy of Mortiis. It's a great collection of remixes that give the original versions some great and even unexpected twists. Some perfect for the dancefloor, and other perfect for you mp3 player.

Despite the big mix of styles the tracks flow quite nicely and even with some going for a grittier sound and others favouring a more polished approach, the production finds a nice balance between them all making sure each track has the right kick to it.

This is a remix album, and while it might not garner the same attention a release of brand new material, it is nonetheless a well-constructed effort that has seen a lot of incredibly talented artists create some genuinely interesting contributions. For PIG completeists and long-time fans it will undoubtedly be a must have, but even if you're relatively new to PIG, this is still a good companion to 'The Gospel' in its own right.  

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Review: Cubanate – 'Brutalism'



CUBANATE
'Brutalism'
ARMALYTE INDUSTRIES


The influence of the legendary British techno-rock outfit Cubanate cannot be understated. One of the first acts to cross frantic techno and rave electronics with gritty rock guitars they both courted controversy and intrigue in equal measure. They even managed some mainstream flirtations with a track featured on the Gran Tourismo video game, as well as a soundtrack appearance on Mortal Kombat, plus extensive tours with the likes of Gary Numan, Rammstein, The Sisters of Mercy and Front 242.

The band may have been relatively short-lived but, as the millennium came and went, the number of bands taking a direct influence from began to increase, thus securing their place in the annals of industrial rock.

The band's new release, 'Brutalism' is a retrospective that covers their first three albums, 'Antimatter', 'Cyberia', and 'Barbarossa' which yielded classic singles ‘Oxyacetylene’, ‘Body Burn’, and ‘Joy’. The fourteen tracks featured here represent the finest cuts of the band's early and perhaps most groundbreaking work. The tracks have been giving a loving remaster and as a result sound as though they were written and recorded yesterday, showing really just how far ahead of the curve Heal and Barry were back in the early-mid 90s.

Tracks such as 'Autonomy', 'Body Burn', 'Hatesong', 'Oxyacetalyne', 'Industry', 'Vortech I', and 'Joy' can still compete with the freshest industrial rock tracks today. Combining a punk rock abandon of convention, experimentalism and fundamentally good songwriting, this track list is a perfect introduction to the band.

The tracks are wild and anarchic rides perforated by techno beats, rave electronics and searing guitars that despite their quick and on the fly original recordings still measure up in 2017. The remastering has allowed the songs to shine through once more and though the scene may be home to more illegitimate offspring than ever, 'Brutalism' shows that Cubanate are definitely the daddies.  

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