Josh Graham has long been a leading light in underground art and music. Highly influential as a musician, graphic designer, and live show art designer, when you are able to walk in this many wolds and do so with authority, you are bound to make as many champions as you are detractors. Josh’s talent is not up for debate, however, as his body of work already is admirable and lasting. With A Storm of Light, most of these releases are noteworthy, but none of the previous albums may make an impact the way the new album Anthroscene (Consouling Sounds/Translation Loss) will.Continue reading
Tag Archives: Politics
EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Ondt Blod Streams New Single – Start Han Opp
Rising Norwegian melodic post-hardcore Ondt Blod is just weeks away from dropping their new album Natur on the world, from the always high-quality Fysisk Format label. The band has partnered with Ghost Cult to drop their newest single, ‘Start Han Opp’, which continues their penchant for catchy, heavy, and politically charged tracks that have made them one of the up and coming bands in the world right now. Jam out to ‘Start Han Opp’ now!Continue reading
Ministry’s Al Jourgensen Shares His Predictions For 2018
Ministry will be releasing their highly anticipated new album, AmeriKKKant, on March 9th via Nuclear Blast. In a new interview with the label, front man Al Jourgensen shares his bold predictions for 2018. Continue reading
Marilyn Manson – Heaven Upside Down
Nearly a quarter-century into his career, Marilyn Manson continues to explore the grimy underside of humanity that makes other artists shy away to safety, and enthralls his fans. This is not an easy task and while his missteps have been very public, it would take a very jaded listener to find fault with the recorded consistency he has put down, especially of late. I’m not sure why 2015s The Pale Emperor (Hell, etc) took so many off guard; as if the man wasn’t capable of holding our attention any longer. That album exuded a mature brilliance; an almost “an elder statesman of rock” type of vibe. A modern classic rock album, the type we used to get often, but are now scarce since real rock gods are dead or in hiding. Manson is not ashamed to swing his sticky rock star dick around, but it’s his writing, lyrics and vocal delivery that really sent that album over the top. In some ways he has actually done one better on the follow-up, Heaven Upside Down (Loma Vista/Caroline International).Continue reading
Nightmare Logic – Riley Gale Of Power Trip Talks Trump, Texas And More!
Power Trip has released one of the undeniably great albums of 2017 thus far with Nightmare Logic, out now on Southern Lord Records. While on tour with Iron Reagan, Ghost Cult’s Keith Chachkes caught up with front man Riley Gale at Webster Hall in New York City to discuss politics, radical philosophy, metal and more. With inspiring music and a chaotic live show, Power Trip are one of the most impressive bands on the scene today. Continue reading
Nine Inch Nails – Not The Actual Events
One thing about Trent Reznor, he never seems to get complacent. Part of that is the artist inside of him won’t allow atrophy of his creative muscles very long. The strength of his need to keep growing forward and evolving, Reznor continues an over decade long hot-streak of new and varied output either as a solo artist, entrepreneur, film composer, visual artist, fashion designer, his other band projects such as How To Destroy Angels and of course with Nine Inch Nails.
Chuck Billy Of Testament Talks Brotherhood Of The Snake
It’s the hottest day of the year so far in London and before you start imagining a lovely picture of a sundrenched European capital with happy citizens, joyfully going about their business, well, think again. The heat is cloying and claustrophobic; offices without air conditioning units become like bakers ovens. Everyone is sweaty and grumpy. Everyone it seems with the exception of Testament’s lead vocalist and driving force Chuck Billy. Continue reading
Video: Anthrax – Evil Twin, New Lyric Video
Anthrax has released a new lyric video and single for a brand new song, ‘Evil Twin’. You can watch the lyric video at this link or below:
‘Evil Twin’ comes off of the long-awaited new Anthrax album, coming in early 2016 from Megaforce in North America and Nuclear Blast in the Europe/UK. The track is also available digitally, and can be purchased via Apple Music, iTunes and Amazon.
Charlie Benante comments on the thrashiness of ‘Evil Twin’:
“Yeah, that opening riff is really evil. We had done a lot of touring with Death Angel and Exodus, so I was in a really thrashy state of mind when I starting writing the riffs for that song. I think along with Scott’s lyrics and Frank’s melodies, we came up with a really great, old school thrash metal feel.”
The pointed lyrics of the track denounces the self-righteous religious extremists who spread their bloody terror under the guise of a Holy War.
You represent your discontent
Slaughtering the innocent
Insolence
You’re no martyrs
Scott Ian comments on the lyrics of the track:
“I was very affected by the Charlie Hebdo massacre as I have been with all of the shootings that have taken place at schools and movie theatres. I can’t figure out what would cause someone to think that was the right thing to do. ‘I’ll show the world, I’ll make my God happy.’ It’s just such bullshit. I’m not bagging on religion, that’s not my intent, but people who go to that extreme, who feel they have become judge, jury and executioner over their fellow man because you or I don’t believe the same thing they do, I think that’s the ‘Evil Twin’ of humanity. Writing words about that is my only catharsis.”
Anthrax remaining tour dates, with Slayer:
Oct 25: Theaters Tilburg- Tilburg, NL**
Oct 26: Zenith Paris, Paris- FR**
Oct 28: La Cooperative De Mai- Clermont-Ferrand, FR
Oct 30: Santana 27- Bilbao, ES**
Oct 31: Coliseum- La Coruna, ES**
Nov 01: La Riviera- Madrid, ES**
Nov 03: Razzmatazz- Barcelona, ES**
Nov 05: Alcatraz- Milano, IT**
Nov 07: Planet.tt Bank Austria Halle Gasometer B- Vienna, AT**
Nov 08: Haus Auersee- Leipzig, DE**
Nov 10: Zenith, die Kulturhalle- Munich, DE**
Nov 12: Columbiahalle- Berlin, DE**
Nov 13: RuhrCongress- Bochum, DE**
Nov 14: MHPArena- Ludwigsburg, DE
Nov 16: Jahrhunderthalle- Frankfurt, DE**
Nov 17: AB Main Hall- Brussels, BE**
Nov 19: Rockhal- Esch Sur Alzette, LU
Nov 21: Newport Centre- Newport, UK**
Nov 22: Plymouth Pavilions- Plymouth, UK**
Nov 24: O2 Apollo Manchester- Manchester, UK**
Nov 25: O2 Academy Glasgow- Glasgow, UK**
Nov 27: O2 Academy Birmingham- Birmingham, UK**
Nov 28: O2 Academy Leeds- Leeds, UK**
Nov 30: O2 Academy Brixton- Brixton, UK**
Dec 03: Kulturvaerflet – Helsinger, DK**
Dec 04:Sentrum Scene – Oslo, NO**
Dec 05: Lisebergshallen- Goteborg, SE**
Dec 09: Stadium Live – Moscow, RU**
** w/ Slayer
Swedish Intuition Part II– Adam Zaars of Tribulation
For Part II of our interview with Adam Zaars of Tribulation, Ghost Cult’s Armen Haczmerian touched on a few more topics surrounding the new release, The Children of the Night (Century Media). It will be released in a few different formats. Century Media has also prepared a special box release with extras such as… a pendant with cord. But jokes aside, the band has added a couple of extra tracks to that release.
“There will be two bonus songs on the CD. One of them is ‘Laudanum Dreams’, we had released on our last 7″ we were selling on our last tour in America. The other one is a cover of The Cure’s ‘One Hundred Years’. We like this song and recording it went really well. There are also two demo songs on a 7 inch EP, which is also included in the box release. Also, we might publish another cover we recorded in the future. I can’t reveal anything now, you will find out soon (laughs).”
Signing to one of the biggest players in heavy metal market, Century Media, which is another shift from band’s recent stance on big labels. But Adam offers a firm clarification.
“Century Media has been great so far. To make things clear – we wouldn’t have signed a deal with any label that didn’t put us in full control when it comes to song writing. The reason we signed was purely commercial – to get a better promotion… and so far it seems to be working! We don’t regret not signing to a bigger label before releasing The Formulas of Death. But we’ve always known we’re something else… shape-shifters, I guess”, Adam chooses his words carefully but with confidence. “I think it was the right time for us to show everyone what Tribulation is really about. It was great to work with Invictus and Ajna Offensive, but we can’t stay in one place for too long. So when we got a real chance to show everyone what Tribulation is, we made the decision.”
Tribulation hit the road again in April, before going on European tour with Melechesh and Keep of Kalesin in May. Adam speaks of the band’s touring plans for the next few months.
“We have not many festival dates confirmed as yet, but we’re playing at Tons of Rock in Norway in June. We will be at Temples Festival in Bristol in May, and Hellfest in France a month later as well. We are not planning a UK tour at the moment, but we play at London’s Incineration Fest, and Temples so at least we have two dates in the UK now (laughs).”
Speaking of touring, there were huge controversies on Tribulation’s recent Polish tour with Behemoth, who were the headliner. One show in Poznan was cancelled, and all the supporting bands played in a different (and smaller) club.
“Well, it’s quite bizarre, I’d say. Especially for us, coming from a very secular country like Sweden. It would never happen over here! It was a huge shame, that local government was persuaded by religious fanatics, and managed to get the show cancelled. Those groups of catholics were protesting outside venues on every show. But that was fine! It actually helped the tour (laughs). However, it’s ok to speak your mind up, but if you try censoring, it just turns really ugly.”
Tribulation are destined for success, as their music gather new auditorium, and their style expands further beyond the frames of death metal. But while we can be sure the band will be constantly evolving, Adam does not rule out a return to more vicious and primal variety. Perhaps teaming up with Tobias Forge again, and doing another long-awaited Repugnant record would be an idea?
“Of course! I still listen to the extreme music, so I’m still into it. Tribulation is a journey, it’s something else now, and also at the moment I’m quite busy with the band. But in the future, why not?”
ARMEN HACZMERIAN
Fight The Power – Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell Talks Politics
Gothic Metal is more associated with the fantasy genre, so it is perhaps unsurprising that Fernando Ribeiro is not often asked about his political views. A recent post on Moonspell’s website, listed things the band hates, one of which was German Chancellor Angela Murkel. We asked Fernando if he hoped that Portugal follows in the footsteps of Greece regarding the deficit?
“Portugal has been in a crisis, the social democratic government have made things very hard here. It is very hard for musicians in Portugal. We pay the highest tax charges in Europe, our civil rights are being questioned, this government changed all the processes and we feel we are digging deeper into the trench between the very rich and poor. The IMF (The International Money Fund) has imposed all these measures on us which are making things more difficult here. There are not enough beds in hospitals and the government wasted the money on submarines to keep us and the Greek’s in debt. I hope we get a government that does what the Greeks are trying to do because this deficit is crippling us. We don’t want to be caught by these vultures anymore.”
ROSS BAKER