Tag Archives: Hansel Lopez

Putting In Work – Todd Jones Of Nails Talks Touring

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nails YWNBOOU album cover
In Part II of our exclusive chat between Hansel Lopez of Ghost Cult and Todd Jones of Nails, Todd discusses touring with the band, while keeping things stable as possible on the home front. He also goes in-depth about playing on bigger festival stages with more mainstream bands such as Ozzfest, This Is Hardcore, New England Metal And Hardcore Festival, and the possibility of another new Nails album in the works soon.
I noticed that you guys are going to be making an appearance at the Ozzfest this year.

Yeah, we’re going to be playing Ozzfest. We got asked to play. I don’t know what was the deal. We got the phone call saying “Hey, do you want to play with Black Sabbath?” I said “Yeah, for sure.” They put us on. I’m pretty psyched to play that shit.

I’ve noticed, it’s a diverse bill since it has bands like Kataklysm, and brutal bands like that. But at the same time, Disturbed and other mainstream acts. How do you think the audience are going to react to you guys? Do you think it will be a good show?

It’s a process man. It’s fucking mainstream metal. What do you expect? How are people going to react to it? I don’t know. I don’t even know if there is people there. It’s 1:50 in the afternoon, that’s our set time. I imagine people will come to the stage when we play, and we’re going to get up there and do our thing, and use it to the best of our ability. I don’t know how people are going to react to us. Like I said, I mentioned Oz Fest is fucking cool cause ongoing to get to see Black Sabbath for free.

That’s pretty much it. We’re going to go play and do our thing, and hopefully, people dig on us. If they don’t, they don’t. We’re only going to be playing for 30 minutes, so we’re not going to waste our stage time. I don’t know what to expect, and I don’t have any expectations other than I’m going to drive an hour away from my house to go play a show and then go watch Black Sabbath, and that’s pretty much it.
I’ve always understood that you guys work day jobs, but sporadically will tour across … I know you guys have a date coming up I think in Boston next month.

We tour for about 1 month to 6 weeks per year. We take time off of work here or there, just go off and play some shows from June 17th to June 26th. We’ll be going from Chicago to Raleigh, North Carolina, and just playing about 11 shows from the Midwest to the East coast of the United States. That is correct. We will be playing Boston at the Middle East, and that’s pretty much it, man. We do tours sporadically, and we do tour one week at a time. With Nuclear Blast, they didn’t require that we play more shows. When we contacted them, we told them what we were willing to do and what we weren’t willing to do, and they told us what they needed from us and what’s they didn’t need from us, and that was pretty much it. They didn’t want to change the format. It’s pretty much just business as usual for Nails, man.

Nails, by Emma Parsons Photography

Nails, by Emma Parsons Photography

Outside of the little summer tour you guys are doing, and the Ozzfest appearance, what’s next for you guys?

We’re going to go to Europe in November, and then I’m sure we’ll find our way to … We’re going to be playing This Is Hardcore Festival in Philadelphia in August. We’ll find our way around the country a couple more times before we start making another record. We’ll probably be playing Boston, I think we’ll play Boston four times, so we’ll probably get out there and play some more shows, some more festivals. They’re still doing New England Hardcore Fest (Editor’s note: New England Metal And Hardcore Festival) and if they want us to come back, we’ll definitely come back. It’s just playing shows, man. That’s pretty much it. We’ll probably start working on another record in the next year or so.

Really, that quick?

Yeah. Typically, bands put out records every 2 years. We put out records every 3 years, but who knows what will happen, man. Maybe it’ll take another 3 years to make a record, but … If our record comes out in June, and Nuclear Blast wants to try to get another record out within 2 years, that means we’ll probably have to start writing about a year from now and record. You have to follow the idea of a year. Who knows? Who knows what’s going to happen? We’re just stoked. We’re ready for our new album to come out, and we’re just ready to have fun, play shows. We’re just grateful that there’s people who want to see us play, and that’s pretty much it.

Nails, by Emma Parsons Photography

Nails, by Emma Parsons Photography

Just speaking of the writing really quick, ‘They Come Crawling Back’, which in my understanding is the longest song you’ve ever written at 8 minutes?

Yeah, that’s fair. Yeah, that’s our longest song.

That’s my favorite track off this new album. I thought it was killer.

Thanks, man. We’re going to have to play that song live because I’ve been getting so much feedback like that. We’re starting to play our songs live too much, but we’re going to have to rehearse it and get it together. I really like that song too. It’s just, it’s fucking long.

But it’s rewarding. It’s almost like for me it’s like when you listen to Godflesh and Neurosis, it’s like that crushing heavy sound.

Yeah, man. It’s like my favorite bands, and my language was referencing those 2 bands.

Great minds think alike, right?

That’s what’s up man.

 

INTERVIEW BY HANS LOPEZ
CONCERT PHOTOS BY EMMA PARSONS PHOTOGRAPHY

 

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Business As Usual – Todd Jones of Nails

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Nails. Photo credit by Jimmy Hubbard

Nails. Photo credit by Jimmy Hubbard

After years of toiling in the underground, Todd Jones of Nails finds himself in an interesting space. With the highly anticipated release of their new album You Will Never Be One Of Us (Nuclear Blast) the band is riding the crest of critical acclaim, playing big festivals, and major press. None of that likely phases front man Todd Jones, who mainly cares about respect from fans and peers, and staying as pure to his vision as possible for his music. Interviewed by Hansel Lopez for Ghost Cult on the eve of this new release; Todd discussed the new album, seeing the world, signing with Nuclear Blast, their relationship to the current music scene, expectations, and much more.

 

Right off the bat, we inquired about the title You Will Never Be One Of Us, and how ominous it sounded to us:

Todd: Thank you. You Will Never Be One Of Us isn’t something that I thought of. It’s like how … It evolved into something like hardcore metal punk, so you feel like something connected special, and underground that not every person in the world really knows about. That’s what the title means, You Will Never Be One Of Us, and it’s definitely an inclusive thing, not an exclusive thing. It’s about the culture that just surrounds all of us that are involved in hardcore metal, and the cover is like that too where there is this demon dude, and people surrounding him trying to take something, trying to push something into him. It sums up the title and the concept of the album as well.

I take it that you feel like in modern, metal, and punk, there’s some unnecessary elements or bands going on?

I don’t know. I think that being involved in metal, it’s like there’s that your peers at work or your peers at school, they don’t really know … It’s like you get the into punk rock, or you get into hardcore, or you get into metal, you feel like you know about something cool that like not everybody knows about. Do you know what I mean?

You look at the world a little bit differently, and like the way you shape your thoughts are a little bit different. It’s just about that, like we have something special, and they don’t.

 

That probably explains your love for punk and metal, and probably explains how you know people up here in the Merrimack Valley (Editor’s note: New England), being from California.

Yeah, exactly. That’s how I know people. I’ve met a lot of people across the world and stuff, just touring and being a band, just being part of a culture.

 


It seems like you’ve been in a healthy place.

Yeah. I like my life and I like my position with my band, so I suppose so, yeah. Sometimes, it’s not so healthy. Sometimes it’s a very unhealthy thing, but music is just like anything. It’s what you make of it, so if you make it into something good for yourself, then it’ll be good for you. If you make something bad for yourself, then you’re going to have a problem with it.

 

You mentioned making something bad for yourself, how does, for example; should a band go down that route, where you see it becomes unhealthy for them?

I think it’s easy to get, it’s easy to be in a band and have a lot of ambition to do things when you shouldn’t necessarily be doing them. That can go a whole lot of different ways. You could get yourself in a financial crisis with the street press or the rental properties, the touring agencies, or you could just be taking in way too much more and you already have a mountain load of responsibility in your shoulders. That’s one way that it could be bad for someone. You’ve just got to … It’s just like in life. You’ve got to go through life, and you’ve got to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t work for you, and maximize in the positive things and minimize on the negative things. In time, you’ll learn what works for you as a person.

 

We next asked if there was there any pressure to write the followup to Abandon All Life, considering that it was a killer record and well acclaimed:

Yeah. There was a lot of pressure. We had the band, we had the fans who were going to expect us to deliver an album that’s like those records that would show the equality, but also there was a way to show expression. We still have a lot of pressure on our shoulders that will give us a decent amount of money to put together a record. We have that type of pressure as well. Through the process, we just realized that if we do the same thing we’ve always done with a band and it’s like we just make the music that we like, we can’t try and be something that we’re not. We can’t try to be a band that we’re not. Let’s just do the same thing we didn’t make those records, and just do music that we like, and make sure we like it. If you write a song that you don’t like, how are you going to expect other people to like it, you know what I mean? We just did our thing and made the record. I do think that it is of  the quality of a band in our lives, and the fabric. I think our fans are going to like it a lot.
Nails – You Will Never Be One of Us ghostcultmag
This is your first record with Nuclear Blast, and how did that relationship come about? Did those they come and court you guys?

Yeah, what happened was we were at a contract, but we weren’t really looking for labels because we didn’t have any material to go and court, so there was no point to go and sign into a record label because we don’t have anything to offer. That was in 2014, but great, it followed our escape plan, and we went to play with Kill Or Be Killed which are on Nuclear Blast. They went to Monty Connor and said “Hey, I like Nails. You should look into them. They’re a really great band and they’re not in the contract right now.” Monty hit us up and we talked. We went back and forth, and we told him what we’re about. He told us what he’s about, and what the expectations of the label were. We told him what the pace of the band was, and we were able to reach a great contract. So far, they’ve done a great job.

If you’re also familiar with our past material, it’s obvious that we haven’t really changed at all. You Will Never Be One Of Us is a record that we would have put it out regardless of what label we were signed on. We were signed, it didn’t really matter what label we were signed on. That’s the record we were going to put out at this time anyway.

Nails, by Emma Parsons Photography

Nails, by Emma Parsons Photography

 

If anything, it seems like you guys are getting angrier by the record. What seems to be bothering you, Todd?

Just being a human being. Having to deal with just being a human being and the s*** that come along with being that.

 

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts

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Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts album cover ghostcultmag

The old adage is that there is no true substitute for experience. While for the young and easily impressionable tend to view that sentiment as trite, it rings mightily true for Katatonia on their 10th studio album, The Fall of Hearts (Peaceville). Over twenty years of masterful work are on display over the course of 12 new compositions in which hardly a moment feels out-of-place or without purpose.

All of the familiar elements from Katatonia’s previous works are present, ranging from the doom/death of songs like ‘Serac’ and ‘Sanction’ to numbers dripping with weariness and melancholy such as in ‘Old Heart Falls.’ Take note young musicians, you don’t have to always aim to reshape the genre. Sometimes just a strongly honed craft and sound songwriting chops are all that is needed.

Need an example on how to appreciate these Swedes’ proficiency? Check out how Jonas Renkse’s dusky vocals interplay so well with the serpentine guitar work on ‘Takeover.’ And notice how said flowing guitars work their way seamlessly right into ‘Serein.’ Much praise to veteran guitarist and producer Anders Nyström and recently added Tiamat axeman Roger Öjersson for their precise and lush fretwork.

But it’s not just a guitar showcase and subtle elements such as new drummer Daniel Moilanen’s slight yet echoing cymbal and footwork add much more dimension to ‘The Night Subscriber’ and ‘Passer.’ Mixing and mastering were of course handled by veteran engineer Jens Bogren to ensure maximum aural richness and clarity.

The Fall of Hearts’ greatest strength is in its precision and economy of song. Lesser outfits would have buckled under the weight of gothic miasma or overindulgence. Author Malcolm Gladwell argues that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. Katatonia have obviously put in their time.

8.5/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Fallujah – Dreamless

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fallujuah - dreamless ghostcultmag

I think it’s safe to say that if you’ve been keeping your ear to the extreme metal ground you remember Fallujah’s The Flesh Prevails. And chances are you harbor good memories about that album. Can’t blame you as The Flesh Prevails, in the parlance of our times, was a motherfucker. It was my pick for 2014 album of the year and that was a year with stellar recordings from At The Gates, Machine Head and plenty more.

So here we are, less than two years and a record label later, with a new Fallujah offering, Dreamless (Nuclear Blast). With the new (and likely more beneficial) Nuclear Blast contract serving as catalyst, Fallujah did not let the quick turnaround and spotlight affect their output.

And if the initial trio of singles, ‘The Void Alone,’ ‘Abandon’ and ‘Scar Queen,’ were any indication you were breathing a little easier. These signaled from the onset Dreamless was meant to be a cut above The Flesh Prevails. But were they up to the task of delivering something above and beyond The Flesh Prevails? That 2014 collection was what from elevated the San Francisco natives from underground darlings to persons of interest in the music industry.

As it turns out, Fallujah have the ability and savvy in spades to match their towering vision. ‘Face of Death and ‘Adrenaline’ are immediate indicators that they plan on living up to their recently acquired atmospheric metal designation. Much like another surging Bay area act, Deafheaven, the core of Fallujah is in extreme metal, but they like to play with mood, tempo, and high drama as much they shred. Throughout tracks like ‘Lacuna,’ ‘Abandon’ and ‘Wind for Wings’ you’ll find beautiful vocal passages from Tori Letzler and Katie Thompson that serve as sonic contrast to Alex Hoffman’s powerful, albeit occasionally monochrome growls. The true showcase for atmosphere here is the title track, ‘Dreamless’ with contributions from the aforementioned Letzler and Thompson plus a haunting solo from Tymon Kruidenier formerly of Cynic.

But behind all the beautiful and gloomy moments lies some of the most technical death metal being produced today. ‘Scar Queen’ and ‘Wind for Wings’ make much rhythm room for Robert Morey’s elastic bass lines and Andrew Baird’s cacophonous fills and speedy feet. Guitarists Scott Carstairs and Brian James shred and channel Paul Masvidal on numbers like ‘Prodigal Son’ and ‘Adrenaline.’ ‘Amber Gaze’ has Fallujah briefly abandoning the atmospherics in favor of their harsh and calculating Harvest Wombs days.

Dreamless successfully follows up on the well garnered hype of The Flesh Prevails by delivering well-informed technical/brutal death metal that is encased by haunting samples and the occasional melodic left turn. I can already predict that Fallujah is destined to become one of those bands the elitists will love to hate. However to dismiss this band over something as petty as uninformed public opinion is straight up foolish.

9.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Mantar – Ode to the Flame

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mantar ode to the flame ghostcultmag

Hamburg Germany’s Mantar claim that their blend of extreme metal is an amalgam of black metal, doom and punk. And without a doubt there are glimpses of the three on their latest LP, Ode to the Flame (Nuclear Blast). So does Ode live up to Mantar’s “kill, destroy, fuck shit up” mantra?

Short answer is I guess. The music on display on Ode to the Flame is a simulacrum of what bands like Anaal Nathrakh and Kvelertak have already finely honed. ‘Era Borealis’ and ‘The Hint’ are supposed to be doomy in nature but they don’t have the solid riffs needed construct memorable songs. The punk bits lack speed or sneer. And as far as the black metal quotient only ‘Schwanenstein’ feels authentic with its short spurt of blastbeats and (albeit melodramatic) keyboard outro.

With nothing really designed on the initial 17 minutes to keep you awake (more on that later), the listener has ample time to realize how monochrome Mantar’s sound really is. And I concede that it’s a fairly spartan act with Hanno Klänhardt handling guitars and vocals and Erinc Sakarya on the drums. That said, there is no excuse for Sakarya’s flat style. His contributions on ‘Born Reversed’ and ‘Carnal Rising’ can be distilled to just keeping time. Plus not having much in the way of atmospherics or a rhythm section expose Klanhardt’s lack of vocal range.

While Ode to the Flame is habitually rote for most of its duration, there are some positive (and frustrating) breakthroughs. ‘Oz’ and ‘Born Reversed’ have proper stoner/sludge riffs and swagger to warrant a good song. ‘I, Omen’ pisses in the wind musically for about a minute and a half before settling on a meaty groove.

Mantar aren’t quite the metal wrecking crew I expected, but certain fans will find enjoyment in their limited, but loud aesthetic.

5.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Entheos – The Infinite Nothing

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Entheos – The Infinite Nothing album cover ghostcultmag

In the world of extreme metal, Entheos is what the experts like to call a blue chip prospect. They’re fairly new (a year and some change, roughly), but they’ve already released the well-received Primal EP and have got some serious roadwork done with the likes of The Contortionist, The Black Dahlia Murder and Revocation. And about one year after the release of Primal, they’ve already cooked up their debut full length The Infinite Nothing (Artery Recordings).

With a work ethic like that it’s easy to understand the prized prospect status. But the secret to these young turks success also can be drawn from the members individual pedigrees. For starters, bass wunderkind Evan Brewer spent some quality time in The Faceless while drummer Navene Koperweis kept rhythm for Animals as Leaders. And before that they gigged in the underappreciated in their time Animosity. You may also remember vocalist and human furnace Chaney Crabb from Systems or the Veil of Maya audition video that made the internet rounds. Guitarist Malcolm Pugh is a one man band in A Loathing Requiem.

So you’re probably asking what The Infinite Nothing sounds like. It sounds exactly as how you imagine it. The Infinite Nothing is as fine as tech-death gets. Brutal slam and technical proficiency is dealt out in equal measure while wrapped in a vague sci-fi theme. The oddly titled ‘Bad Chemicals’ and lead single ‘Neural Damage’ are some stellar examples of technical finesse that still bludgeons the reptile brain.

And if you’re thinking it sounds like I just described Unique Leader’s entire catalogue, then you’re not entirely wrong. This is death metal with sci-fi sounding song titles. However unlike most in that quickly crowding field, there is an uncluttered feeling to Entheos’ style. ‘Mind Alone’ crushes like anything their contemporaries can muster, but not relying on studio trickery or heavy samples. Also kudos to Crabb on being a standout growler in a field full of mic cuppers. Think of her voice as an extra angry Mark Hunter from Chimaira who also just stepped on a tack before walking into the booth. Pugh rips into solos like a motivated Michael Keene, while Brewer’s bass acrobatics fill in for the lack of a second guitarist.

Noting their consummate hunger for work (long layoffs were Brewer’s reason to quit The Faceless), Entheos will continue to evolve and scale the extreme metal ladder. Wouldn’t doubt another strong release by next year.

8.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Walls of Jericho – No One Can Save You from Yourself

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Walls of Jericho – No One Can Save You from Yourself ghostcultmag

Hard to believe that’s it’s been 8 years since The American Dream. Not the American Dream you’re thinking of. I wouldn’t know anything of that as I share a house with way too many roommates and pinch pennies for booze money at the end of the week.

Sagging economy jokes aside, it has been nearly a decade since we heard any new music from Walls of Jericho. And while the Michiganders have been busy starting families and with other musical endeavors, they apparently haven’t lost an ounce of the fury that brought them notoriety in the mid aughts. One Obama presidency later and Walls of Jericho are still spitting venom on latest album No One Can Save You from Yourself (Napalm).

With the exception of album bookend ‘Probably Will’ that venom is still potent. And ‘Probably Will’ is a well put together song, but its clean vocals and orchestral arrangements just don’t gel well with the rest of this sulfuric set.

But allow me to clarify to both naysayer and cautious devotee alike; Walls of Jericho are not on a mission to reinvent themselves. Much to my heart’s delight, frontwoman Candace Kucsulain still has those varnish peeling vocals. If you were expecting a post-hardcore or tech makeover then this album is not for you. That said, if you enjoyed With Devils Amongst Us All and All Hail the Dead then you’ll be dancing to your hearts content on tracks like ‘Relentless’ and ‘Cutbird.’ ‘Damage Done’ follows suit as it switches from gradual pummel to short Slayer blitzes. ‘Reign Supreme’ as a title may seem like an easy hardcore wink and nod, but its suffocating groove will kill any cynicism.

It’ll be easy for the dismissive and jaded to file No One Can Save You from Yourself as derivative. But to do so would be to disregard quality work from a band who’ve long paid their dues. And if we’re going to adopt that philosophy then we might as well expect musical metamorphoses from Ringworm or Integrity. Who wants that?

7.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Boris with Merzbow – Gensho

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Boris with Merzbow – Gensho ghostcultmag

The dizzying heights of pretentiousness. Oh, that’s what I decided to rename this split EP between legendary Japanese artists Boris and Merzbow. Some who may read this review will probably consider me an asshole for not caring about this collaboration. Fine by me. See this whole affair lasts just shy of 150 minutes. Two hours, 29 minutes and 25 seconds to be exact. So I had a fair amount of time to daydream and check e-mails during Gensho’s (Relapse) running time.

And I can already hear some of you dismounting from the high horse to let me know that both the Boris and Merzbow LPs are meant to be played simultaneously. Well thanks for enlightening me. That only makes this slog last 74 minutes, which is about 20 minutes longer than it should be.

Maybe I should be commending both acts for deciding to take the path less traveled on. But the more I think about Gensho’s gimmick, the more annoyed I get. By sticking with the simultaneous premise you limit how fans can consume the music. I can’t truly listen to it in the car, or through my headphones while at work, now can I? And if I cue it up at home I better have two sets of turntables.

There are some non-drowsy moments. During ‘Rainbow’ I was digging the fuzzed waves of guitar distortion that accompanied the whispery vocals. Boris’ ‘Sometimes’ also plays around with this soft/harsh dynamic with results that are sort of like a drum less Radiohead B-Side.

From what I gather the concept for Gensho was born after a joint gig between Boris and Merzbow. See, that wouldn’t be as frustrating as it’s a one off event that most in attendance likely enjoyed, but don’t ask of me to pay for as an experience that doesn’t translate to listening at home. You remember Metallica and Lou Reed’s Lulu? Gensho doesn’t stray far from that level of self-indulgence.

4.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Coffins/Ilsa – Split EP

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coffins ilsa split ep ghostcultmag

You can file Coffins and Ilsa’s Split EP (Relapse Records) under heaviest thing you’ll jam out to for a while. No time to waste here with pretentious orchestral arrangements or cliché samples; Coffins and Ilsa immediately start their brutal eardrum massage with relentless riffs and grooves.

Case in point? You only get roughly 12 minutes of music on this EP. Maximum effort and distortion crammed into two songs.

Japan’s Coffins gets first crack at it with ‘Tyrant’ and they somehow make it sound more demonic than on last year’s Craving to Eternal Slumber. The guitar tone remains Coffins gnarly, but the production has dialed up the grit and smoke inhalation. Jun Tokita’s grunts sound like the product of a lifelong sand and gravel diet and are perfectly paired to Uchino’s skilsaw on asphalt guitar tone.

Tempo-wise, Ilsa aren’t as jackhammer intense as Coffins, but they certainly bring the decibels on ‘Cult of the Throne.’ But what they lack in speed, they make up for with an even grimier atmosphere and steady double bass stomp. Orion Peter’s pained howling and the crawling breakdown at around the 4:15 mark conjure up images of prime Eyehategod.

You may not get much in the way of running time, but Coffins and Ilsa satisfy if heaviness is what you crave. Can we get a tour now?

8.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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Beseech – My Darkness, Darkness

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Beseech – My Darkness, Darkness album cover ghostcultmag

Is it possible for a band to take its work a little too seriously? Can the love of eyeliner and theatrical stage attire be pushed past the point of no return? And most importantly, does this make for good music? These are some of the questions I’m left to ponder over a cup of coffee (black, of course) after listening to Beseech’s My Darkness, Darkness (Despotz Records).

And I know the metal genre as a whole is a bit ridiculous. After all I’m a 29-year-old man with a college degree whose wardrobe is made up mostly of black shirts. I willingly own a denim vest with more patches on it than the average Nascar driver.

However, Beseech seem to operate on a level where ridiculous and deadly serious function as one. Just look at the album title, My Darkness, Darkness. I don’t know what that means, but it sounds like something scribbled in the back of a Mead notebook by a 14-year-old goth kid.

And their biggest problem is its inability to move past the ho-hum goth numbers. ‘Mr. Uninvited,’ its title-track and ‘Atmosphere’ are virtually interchangeable and I don’t mean that in a good way. For most of its running time Beseech is confined to muddy tempos, subdued guitar parts, all the while vocalist Klas Bohlin dominates the mix with his weird Christian Bale as Batman whisper-mumble. The most criminal aspect of this record is the underuse of second singer Angelina Sahlgren. We only get brief glimpses of Sahlgren’s range on ‘Beating Pulse’ and ‘The Ingredients.’ Sahlgren’s turns add some color to the drab musical canvas.

‘One Last Call’ has the band finally finds release from its songwriting restrictions as does the unexpected (but totally rad) Highwaymen cover ‘Highwayman.’

Metal is a business that’s always existed on the border of parody, especially when you decide to throw in some of that goth seasoning. Not every band has to go the Type O Negative route and play it tongue in cheek (although it paid dividends for them). Katatonia and Moonspell have had long careers accented by classic albums, but they always relied on the songs. Beseech doesn’t quite have them here.

5.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

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