Terror Universal (Ill Nino, etc)have introduced their new frontman ‘Plague,’ who replaced Chad ‘Rott’ Armstrong, following allegations of sexual assault made against him by Otep vocalist Otep Shamaya.
The band posted a statement on the newest addition:
First and foremost, we are very excited to welcome our new singer “PLAGUE” to the TERROR UNIVERSAL family and introduce…
Posted by Terror Universal on Tuesday, April 14, 2015
The Civil Unrest Tour has added some new names to its ever growing list of confirmed acts. While the basic tour consist of Ill Nino, Kittie and 36 Crazyfists, Straight Line Stitch and The Bloodline have joined the list of acts performing on select stops, alongside Motorgrater, Thira, Lydia Can’t Breathe opening the run, and other special guests in select markets include:
Unloco
Davey Suicide
Gabriel And The Apocalypse
The Convalescence
Erasing Never
Xiting The System
Happy Accidents
Myzero
Jun 03: The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
Jun 04: The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
Jun 06: Skyway Theatre – Studio B – Minneapolis, MN
Jun 07: Mojoes – Joliet, IL
Jun 08: Q&Z Expo Center – Ringle, WI
Jun 09: Emerson Theater – Indianapolis, IN
Jun 10: The Reverb/Spicoli’s – Waterloo, IA
Jun 11: Cheers Pub – South Bend, IN
Jun 12: The Music Factory – Battle Creek, MI
Jun 13: The Warehouse – Clarksville, TN
Jun 16: Trees – Dallas, TX
Jun 17: Scout Bar – Houston, TX
Jun 18: The Dirty Dog Bar – Austin, TX
Jun 19: 210 Kapone’s – San Antonio, TX
Jun 20: Jake’s Back Room – Lubbock, TX
Jun 21: Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX
Southern California metal outfit Matriarchs are streaming a lyric video for “Deadman,” off their forthcoming album Scandalous Jointz, out this summer via Five Rings Records below. The band features current and former members of Hoods, Ruckus and The Faceless.
The band has these upcoming shows:
Apr 12: Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA (with Bane)
Apr 25: Sports Arena Campground – Pico Rivera, CA (Spring Breakdown Music Festival with Otep. As Blood Runs Black, Ill Nino and more)
Southern California experimental metal outfit Chrysalis has an upcoming US headline tour. Dates are posted below. Stream the Alexander the Titan directed music video for “My Forsaken,” off of their latest album Focus On The Center here.
CHRYSALIS Tour Dates:
Mar 14: The Maya – Barstow, CA
Mar 18: El Sierra Bar & Grill – Lancaster, CA
Mar 19: The Epic Lounge – Downey, CA
Mar 20: The Epicentre – San Diego, CA
Mar 21: Whisky a Go Go – West Hollywood, CA w/ Orgy (Orgy Album Release Show)
Mar 22: Dipiazza’s – Long Beach, CA
Mar 23: Katz Alley – Redlands, CA
Mar 24: Chinatown Youth Center (CYC) – Fresno, CA
Mar 26: The Colony – Sacramento, CA
Mar 27: The Rock Shop – San Jose, CA
Mar 28: The Ash Street Saloon – Portland, OR
Mar 30: The Pin – Spokane, WA
Mar 31: El Corazon – Seattle, WA
Apr 03: Louie G’s – Fife, WA
Apr 05: Black Forest – Eugene, OR
Apr 25: Summer Breakdown Festival – Pico Rivera, CA (w/ Escape The Fate, Otep, & Ill Nino)
May 01: Aerie Hall – Henderson, NV
May 02: The Rogue Bar – Scottsdale, AZ
May 03: The Hive – Flagstaff, AZ
May 05: Blue Phoenix (FKA The Compound 2) – Albuquerque, NM
May 06: Yellow City Bomb Shelter – Amarillo, TX
May 08: RBC – Dallas, TX
May 09: The Conservatory – Oklahoma City, OK
May 11: Fatso’s – Lawrence, KS
May 13: Flux Capacitor – Colorado Springs, CO
May 14: Seventh Circle Music Collective – Denver, CO
May 16: The Green Triangle – Chubbuck, ID
May 17: The Crux – Boise, ID
CHRYSALIS is:
“Yessi Burton” – Vocals, Studio Guitars, Keys
Gabe Gallego – Guitars
Gabe Gallego– Guitars, Vocals
Jared Sturgis – Bass
Billy Norris – Drums
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Chrysalis on Twitter
Chrysalis on Instagram
Wacken Open Air 2015 has started announcing bands who will be taking part on their event, happening July 30 and August 1, 2015 in Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany.
The confirmed acts so far include:
Alkbottel
Amorphis (Special Tales From The Thousand Lakes set)
Angra
Armored Saint
Asrock
At The Gates
Biohazard
Black Label Society
Cannibal Corpse
Cryptopsy
Death Angel
Ensiferum
Epica
Exumer
Godsized
Ill Nino
In Extremo
In Flames
Judas Priest
Kataklysm
Khold
Kommando
Powerwolf
Rob Zombie
Running Wild
Sabaton
Samael
Savatage
Sepultura
Shining
Stratovarius
Subway To Sally
Tears for Beers
The BossHoss
Thyrfing
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
U.D.O. with Bundeswehr Musikkorps
Latin metal band Ill Ill Niño have had a lot on their plate with the release of their seventh studio album, Till Death, La Familia (Victory Records), a spot on 2014’s Mayhem Festival, and a tour in Russia, all while finding balance between their lives as musicians and as men with growing families. With about a decade and a half with the band under his belt, vocalist Cristian Machado gave us some insight as to how the creative process has changed over time as their lives have progressed
“We’re trying to be more mature songwriters and in different ways, not every album has the same approach. It’s just like you put it, every album has a very different flavor going on even though it can all be interpreted as Ill Nino, it’s got the very traditional Ill Nino signature rhythm and tones, but, I think every album is from a completely different point of view. On this album, I think we wanted to get back to our own instinctual place. I think we wanted to write more from a fan’s point of view and just ourselves in general, from the point of view of a fan, a music fan, and what we want to hear in Ill Nino’s sound. I know, personally, doing albums when you’re self producing an album, it can psychologically be this maze where you can get into the over-contemplation of a lot of parts, and different creative ideas, and things like that. We do try to get everything to flow very naturally, vocally. I was given some really awesome songs by Ahrue Luster, Laz Pina, Diego Verduco, and Dave Chavarri. I definitely wasn’t sure on any musical inspiration. I just wanted to come from the gut a little bit more; things that feel good. From a melody side, sound refreshing to my ear and tones that suit the songs as much as possible. As far as words and themes, I think that a darker side of me came out after going through the birth of my daughter and starting to realize that the world is really screwed up and full of violent images and has a very angry media presence. I think my defensive, protective, father side came out and perhaps it translates a little violently onto the lyrics but it’s really trying to do the opposite. I’m actually trying to not glorify criminality and try to make sense of the world a little bit more while still hoping for a better future. I think that a lot of that was just instinctual, you go as an individual and, hopefully, within a band, you grow as a musician and as friends. A lot of trust went into this new album, we looked up to each other very much and there was this very big, open creative space and there weren’t these huge battles about parts and I think that’s what music is supposed to be at the end of the day. When five or six people form a band, and they have a hugely successful first album, the fans can read into the creative decision making when a band feels comfortable and it will translate to them and they can relate to the music. We wanted to write as cool as we could write right now and take into consideration everything that we’ve done in the past, the grooves we’ve used, the bilinguality of the band, and the duality of our sound, but we wanted to be more refreshing, to feel more grown, and to, obviously, continue to grow and expand as musicians and song writers.”
You mentioned that you’ve noticed a change in yourself coming from a producing standpoint. When working on material now, do you actively see yourself switching into that producer mindset and then switching back into the musician?
On the two records prior to Till Death, La Familia, we were self producing and not really working with anyone outside of the band, and I think that was growth that we needed to experience ourselves before getting to present where we worked with Eddie Wohl who’s an amazing and very talented producer. Even though there really wasn’t this huge change to anything that I was bringing into the studio, there was the sense of relaxation, that I’m working with someone great, and that I trusted. On past records, I did have a battle within my own mind; where do I draw the line between recording the album with the band and getting down to where I need to do which is to write vocals and tell a story? On this album I was able to do that, I was able to focus on what I wanted to say and the tone that I wanted to bring to the band. At the end of the day, I wanted to compliment the songs that Ahrue, Laz, Diego, and Dave had written as much as possible. I was lucky, I’m very lucky and I wouldn’t want to go back to doing it the other way where we’re just self producing albums. For me, it was easier than Ahrue who wrote a lot of music and did a lot of arranging without having to record himself. Vocally, I was blessed this time around and I look forward to doing things this way where I can just focus on the creative element and not have to worry about too many other things. I think it definitely gets in the way of myself as a musician. In order for me to expand and grow as a song writer, I have to commit to that first and foremost. I’m very grateful for the way I was able to do this album. I have to give a lot of credit to the guys in the band and to Eddie Wohl.
Speaking of the guys in the band…You’re no strangers to lineup changes but you’ve had a solid core team for a number of years up until Daniel Couto’s decision to leave the group; what has the band dynamic been like with Oscar Santiago carrying Danny’s torch after his departure?
“Having Oscar in the band is a blessing, he’s probably the origin Latin percussion player in metal. He’s somebody that we’ve looked up to for years and Puya, his band that he’s played with for so many years has been a huge influence on us so having him in the band definitely changes the dynamic in that we want to start moving more towards his rhythmic direction. On this album it was difficult to incorporate everything that we wanted to but I think that having him in the band now is truly a blessing and we’re going to be able to move, rhythmically, closer to territory where we used to be while still keeping in mind the things that we’ve expanded upon. As a band with a fifteen year career, at our level, it’s very tough, it’s not like any of us are making a bunch of money. At a Metallica level, where a band is universally famous, there’s a lot of money to be made and it’s easier to stay in a band where you can support your family and have them travel with you. In our case, where we’re at that medium theater to large theater touring circuit, every penny matters and we leave our families at home a lot. Some of the people in the band felt it was necessary to have more time at home. The older we get, the more we realize why they left and we can’t really tour just to tour. It has to be something extremely worthwhile to the fans and it has to be worthwhile to us as well because we have to leave our families behind. As far as changing band members, Danny, who played percussion before Oscar, he’s staying home with family and recently had a baby. Jardel Paisante has a family as well. Besides that, we changed a couple of band members after the first album but that was a creative and personal difference more than anything else.”
ALEIDA LA LLAVE
In Part I of an interview series with Cristian Machado of Ill Niño, among the many topics discussed with Ghost Cult scribe Aleida La Llave were the common bonds of Latinos in the metal community. One of the things that has always stood out about the band has been how heavy music has been intertwined with Latin culture and influences. Aleida asked Cristian about some of his experiences and how he feels about the state of Latinos in the metal and rock communities now, as opposed to when he first started out in the scene.
“Until I became a musician, a Latino in a metal band, and I got to meet a lot of the other bands that I had looked up to for years, I never realized how many Latinos were actually in those influential bands. The first time I met Tom Araya and Dave Lombardo from Slayer, we spoke Spanish. Fifty percent of Slayer was hanging out with us and speaking to us in Spanish so that was a really cool experience. Also, Robert Trujillo, a Latino who’s now in Metallica. Another hugely influential band, Suicidal Tendencies, and even hardcore bands like Agnostic Front and Roger Miret being a Latino and being able to speak Spanish with him. It depends on what band you’re looking at but there’s so many Latinos in the metal scene. Dino Cazares (Fear Factory), definitely one of the top five most influential guitar players in metal, he’s Latino and we talk in Spanish when we hang out. To me, it’s something that is already embedded in metal. Latinos are everywhere. They’re in a lot of bands that you would never even think that those guys speak Spanish but they do. It’s something that I never really took huge notice of until I started playing culture metal and started meeting people and they would be drawn to us more because we were pushing the culture thing and we came from the same part of the world rhythmically. They’ve always been there, we’re definitely not the first ones. We’re far from inventing anything, we’re just approaching it differently and definitely very focused on culture in metal.”
ALEIDA LA LLAVE
Following on from their self-released debut album Reformation in 2013, Poughkeepsie, NY based Meridian have been gathering an impressive following across America in the past year. Despite their age, with every member of the band being under 21, this fresh out of high school quintet have already landed themselves a spot on the roster of Victory Records for their sophomore album The Awful Truth alongside bands such as A Day to Remember, Ill Nino and Sister Sin.
It seems there is an endless procession of bands proclaiming that they have emerged as saviors of a genre recently, and this band is no exception stating Meridian was formed to save a dying scene. Despite these claims, the band doesn’t rigidly stick within the confines of one genre, rooting themselves in hardcore, but mixing in lashings of metalcore and a distinct pop sensibility. It’s not too often you find an abrasive genre like hardcore mixed in with the catchy nuances of pop music, and this album proves this is for good reason. Their attempts to tackle hard-hitting topics like depression and childhood neglect are marred by catchy pop vocal lines that distract from their message. The impact is lost under layers of auto-tune and awkward breakdowns.
Although the vocals generally dominate each track, switching between screams and clean melodic lines they are quickly revealed as the weakest part of the music. The screams lacking depth and cleans are over-embellished which rapidly proves irritating. While the catchy quality may gather a teen following, their music creates very little impact for the more seasoned hardcore listener.
2.0/10
CAITLIN SMITH
Chances are if you’ve followed mainstream metal in the past 15 years or so that you will have seen many a band come, many a band go and many stick around trying to re-create their previous success. Back in the early 2000’s Latin metallers Ill Nino were a regular feature of the scene, their first album Revolution Revolucion (Roadrunner) garnering them more than a few fans. Cut to the present day and Ill Nino are still alive and kicking, although their latest album isn’t quite as alive or kicking as the band themselves as Till Death, La Familia (Victory) leaves a feeling of indifference.
Starting with ‘Live Like There’s No Tomorrow,’ the song doesn’t give off the sense of urgency the title suggests it should have, the cries of “live like there’s no tomorrow” falling flat. After this, things do improve but only sporadically, with tracks such as the aggressively melodic ‘Not Alive In my Nightmare’ standing alongside such bland affairs as ‘Blood Is Thicker Than Water.’ It’s a running theme throughout the album with the good songs only really turning up in the middle section of the LP, which may be a bit too late for some listeners. ‘Pray I Don’t Find You,’ a slow starting but ultimately menacing track is one of the pick of the bunch, as its quick instrumental work and hostile shouts combine to create something very much worth listening to. Following number ‘World So Cold’ keeps up the angry entertainment, while ‘Dead Friends’ is yet another contender.
The problem, however, is that Till Death, La Familia doesn’t have enough of the above types of songs. Dull in some places and great in not many others, the results are an album that gives no real reason to listeners to draw them to keep coming back. Of course, there are a few tracks that you should hear but even these aren’t strong enough to warrant purchasing this album as for all but the most ardent of Ill Nino fans Till Death, La Familia is far from being a must have in your music collection.
5.0/10.0
EMMA QUINLAN
Ektomorf are one of those bands who stick to what they know. Back in Hungary in the mid-nineties, front man Zoltan Farkas stumbled upon a simple formula; groovy down-tuned riffs, tribal drumming, lashings of guttural aggression and the odd Nu-metal influence. Unfortunately Max Cavalera’s Soulfly got there first.
Queue 20-odd years and 9 albums worth of music many deride as some form of Cavalera worship, flattery, or plagiarism. Their latest effort, Retribution (AFM Records), does little to silence the critics, but gives the fans a well-crafted and energetic slab of what they like. Opener ‘ You Can’t Control Me’ is a pummelling slab of aggression, primal but satisfying. ‘Ten Plagues’ and ‘Who The Fuck Are You’ keep up the primal feel, tinges of 90s Machine Head and early Slipknot can be felt in amongst the mix.
Yes there’s little here that hasn’t been done already on various Sepultura, Soulfly or even previous Ektomorf albums, but the band keep the music up to a decent quality it’s rare to say that a whole album is basically free of duds. With a 45 minute run time, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Few songs breaking the four-minute mark with every song short and straight to the point. There’s plenty of hooks and shout along moments throughout, whether it’s ‘Mass Ignorance,’ ‘Numb And Sick’ (featuring Ill Niño vocalist Cristian Machado) or the self-explanatory cover of Verbal Abuse’s ‘I Hate You,’ and even a mis-judged acoustic love song in ‘Collapsed Bridge.’
With Max taking his Tribe further into Death metal realms, Ektomorf sound more like classic Soulfly than Soulfly themselves do these days. Which is no bad thing. They’re a decent band who know what they do well and do it unapologetically time and time again. Retribution is no exception to that rule, and that’s ok.
6.5/10
Ektomorf on Facebook
DAN SWINHOE