For Want Of - Self Titled 7'' (2010)

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Despite that this is mostly a skramz blog, in the last couple of weeks I have been getting requests from various genres, which you can actually see if you scroll down a bit and there is a lot more left to be posted. Don't really know how it got to that, I'll consider it a compliment or something. It has been quite a while now since I posted some screamo, so it is time to go back to the roots.

This will definitely be a short writeup, since this release has been around for a while now and there is no need for me to be all philosophical about it. It is already up on a lot of blogs, but Brian from this band asked me to post this here and I'm happy to do so. "For Want Of" is a four piece project from Austin, Texas playing thrash-fused screamo. They have been playing together for two years now and this is their first release, containing four songs with roughly seven minutes of tunes. Yes, this is quite a "fast" record, so much in fact that you have a feeling that you are listening to one song instead of four. The tracks are very well connected, which gives you the feel of continuity and constant aggressiveness.

A lot of people have been associating "For Want Of" with "Hot Cross", the best way to describe their tunes would definitely be "an angry version of Hot Cross". This comparison is definitely not a bad thing, since when you think about it, if HC had a release like this one they would absolutely have more "fans". I'd also add "Wolves" to the basket with influences for this project, several times while listening to this st you can sense some chest pounding melodies like this legendary band had. Of course, being together for two years allowed "For Want Of" to dress all of that into a suit of their own. I really enjoyed hearing three members being on vocals, which very much adds to the overall chaos, as well as the fact that there is literally no stopping for this band, their songs a constant rush and just charge from start to finish. The last song "The Orchestrated Decay of Self Sufficiency" is an excellent example of that (and the whole record actually is), a three minute song that is just flowing with speed and melody change, a track you listen to in one breath.

Overall, definitely a project worth keeping an eye out for. Brian told me that they are doing a tour in the Midwest USA with The Reptilian this December, so if some of you lucky bastards get a chance to see them, do so. You can also get in touch with them here. Hopefully it won't be too long until they release some new material, but until then enjoy this excellent seven inch!

Lion Cub - Seneca (2010)

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Quite a big coincidence that while I am still in a floating mood from the Went gig this release comes along to the blog. It is present in my inbox for a long time now and I have been dying to post it ever since I heard it when Chad contacted me. Sorry for the wait, hopefully you will enjoy the writeup.

I usually don't listen to this type of music, but the few bands that fall into that basket I really love. Obviously, Lion Cub will be a new addition in with the rest. This project grants our speakers with indie tunes hailing from Massachusetts, USA. I say project because this band has some unusual member composition, with just one member, Chad, who is omnipresent and the rest of the lineup differs with each song. Quite an interesting set up, since during listening of Seneca you sometimes get to hear songs with just a drum machine (like "Poison Tree") and sometimes played with a drummer (like "Narration"), sometimes tracks with just a few instruments, the others with almost an orchestra. With change in band composition goes different song structure, so you have the first song "Paintings of Hungry People" which a slow, dreaming, humming six minute tune, while the next song "Southern Salt Baptist" is a mid-tempo mellow rock song. All in all, this is some very gentle music, a band you listen to when you want to give yourself a damn fine day.

There is also quite an interesting approach to music by these artists, especially by Chad. Inside the download link you can find an eighteen-page booklet with pictures, lyrics, song explanations and several writeups and details on what Lion Cub is all about. One could say "quite artsy", but not in a pretentious kind of way, yet quite honest and emotional.

On a technical side, Lion Cub has been released by "Topshelf Records", same as Caravels who you have already seen posted on here. "Seneca" features eleven songs with over 40 minutes of music. This last bit of the post I must take some space and say sorry to Lion Cub, they asked me to post just three songs from their album, but apparently either me or my mediafire account (or both) is retarded and I couldn't upload. So the download link comes directly from Lion Cub. If the full album is a problem, I'll put it down, no problems. Basically this is very new stuff, so if you really like their songs, contact Lion Cub (either on myspace here or their blog here) and support by buying their album! Download and have a fine day!

EDIT: Lion Cub isn't retarded as I am, so here is a four-song download yay! (changed the download link obviously)

Gig review: Went

Ah, finally some time and energy to write something for the blog. I didn't really imagine that my new "job" would be so tough, one would think that when your job is just to write you can't get tired. Trust me, you can. Anyways, there is quite a lot of stuff I need to post, so I'll grab what time I have, but first I need to look back at Fridays amazing gig.

The concert took place three days ago, on October 22, in the "small club" of "Akademija" ("Academy"). Yeah, you guessed it, there is also the regular sized club next to the small one, but there was another gig there at the time. "Academy" has been around forever and it really has a cult status in Belgrade, but for some reason I don't like it. In the beginning when I was younger I really enjoyed and liked the place for it's design, the club having a catacomb look being composed of several connected halls. But as time passed by I started kinda hating the place, probably because of all the kewl peps who tend to go out there and the realization that the club tends to have an awful sound.

So as the gig poster suggests, before the band there was supposed to be a dj duo as support, but I kinda missed it, since I arrived somewhere around 10:30 PM. My girl, a friend and me wanted to get there on time, but we kinda failed and in a moment I was actually freaked out that we were gonna miss Went's opening. Luckily they kicked off around 10:45 PM, if I remember correctly. Oh damn, I completely forgot how beautiful their music is. A calming, mellow voice in a sea of instruments, sometimes peaceful and sometimes rending and chaotic. That would be their music in a nutshell. What I find fascinating about this Serbian quartet is that when you listen to their music, you really don't know what they are going to hit you with, a floating folkish tune or a whirlwind of fast-paced melodies. Their sets are unpredictable and all you need to do is just sit tight and enjoy the ride. To be completely honest, I haven't listened to some of their songs on myspace (which I will do just now and you can to if you go here) and I only have the "How Are You" release in digital format, so I know just two songs. Lucky for me both songs were played, so I got my share of singalongs. Despite several technical problems they had while playing and the overall catastrophic sound the club has, they have set up an excellent show.

A really short review, but hey it's just one band. At the end of the gig they announced another show coming up on 12th November in one excellent venue, plus they are playing with one foreign band, so that is definitely going to be something to look forward to. Expect a review on that as well. Until then, I strongly suggest that you boys and girls check Went out. I posted "How Are You" quite recently in one of the howling compilations, so it is just a few clicks away. Check them out, you will definitely enjoy!

Interview:Vestiges

1. First and foremost, I would like to thank you for taking your time for this interview. To start off, please introduce yourself and the rest of the band.

We are Vestiges, a three-piece band composed of two guitarists and a drummer. The band was formed as a two-piece in January of 2010 by one of the guitarists and the drummer. The second guitarist was added in April, shortly before entering the studio in June to record The Descent Of Man.

2. What is the story of the formation of Vestiges?

All three members have been closely knit in their local music scene for years prior to the formation of Vestiges; sometimes crossing paths and playing in the same band, sometimes just enjoying each other’s bands, and sometimes touring extensively with one another, but this is the first time that all three members have been in the same band. Once we got together, discussed exactly what we were looking to accomplish, and actually started writing the music, we knew that this was more than just a creative outlet for us. We knew that one of the members would be moving across the country in the fall, so we insisted on recording what we had written up until that point. However, we knew that we needed more perspective before entering the studio, so we asked the second guitarist to join the band and help us with the project. Even though the structure of the album was already written, the new guitarist added a whole new depth to the music, which we are extremely grateful for. The lyrics were written after all of the music had been recorded and the vocals were performed by the two original members. We will be touring as a five-piece, adding a bassist and a drummer to the lineup so that the original drummer can take over on vocals.

3. Vestiges has a strong concept flowing through its music. Tell me more about the whole idea behind "The Descent of Man."

The concept behind The Descent Of Man is the fact that many of us will not admit that humans are not perfect or the most advanced species, nor are we unsusceptible to extinction. We conduct ourselves as if we are above the natural order and can do as we please without consequence. As we have stated before, we were meant to be a part of nature, we were not meant to conquer nature. There is no conquering nature. We have failed to realize this fact, or rather chosen to dismiss it on account of our greed and “progress” as a species. The band feels that a big part of what led to this was the establishment of the church. Man created deities and stories of an afterlife to help apply a sense of purpose to our existence. We were not content with the fact that we lived and died not unlike every other species on this planet and that we were no more important than the next, so we lied to one another, we lied to ourselves, and we created another world in our minds that was superior to this world in every way. We lost sight of what really mattered and began treating this world and everything on it as subhuman. The Chain of Being, which is essentially a rating system for all life through the eyes of God (or rather man), is a perfect example of how ignorant and pretentious we have become since adopting religion. Man created God, so you will notice that God and man are interchangeable within the lyrical context of The Descent Of Man.

4. What inspired you to take the band down that path?

The current state of humanity and the fragility of the environment inspired us to take the band down this path. It’s hard not to question what we have done, what our motives are, and where we are headed as a species, especially as threats of overpopulation, depletion of natural resources, war, famine, and global warming loom over our heads. It was a more recent discovery for each of us that a message in music can sometimes distinguish art from entertainment. There is a big difference and we feel that music should be a dialogue and a purely uncompromised form of self-expression. We just consider this to be the most important message for us to be talking about, especially at this point in time.

5. Could you give me some more information about the film being produced?

The film is being produced by the founding guitarist and a close friend of the band. The guitarist was a producer on a documentary that our friend released and they have worked on a number of shorts together as well. The film will capture the narrative of The Descent Of Man without the use of human imagery, meaning that there will be no people or actors in the film, just images of nature and what humans have done to disrupt the natural order. With that said, it will also serve as a tour documentary, so everything that is featured in the film will be from a place that we have traveled to on account of the band. We don’t want to give too much away, but we plan to release it on DVD as a part of a final box set along with our forthcoming EP and LP.

6. Do you think it is possible for your band to be "eye-opening" when it comes to humanity's behavior toward nature? I really find your lyrics and music in general to be quite heavy.

A lot of things have opened our eyes, including music, so it was inevitable to incorporate these ideas and philosophies into our music, as well as our lives. It would be a lie if we said that we wouldn’t be flattered to be regarded as an “eye-opening” or “influential” band, but this album was written only to provide a different perspective on a broader timeline than most of us are accustomed to thinking. We didn’t want to just harp on our current situation; we wanted to start from the beginning, explain where we think we went wrong, and reiterate the fact that there are consequences for every single one of our actions against the natural order. This is what has been on our minds for some time now and we felt that the concept was timely considering the plethora of environmental issues we have been faced with - issues we are responsible for creating in the first place.

7. It is quite obvious that you mix a lot of different genres into your tunes and your songs are very complex. Personally I love the black metal/crust overlap. How does the process of song writing go for Vestiges?

The Descent Of Man was written as one song from start to finish the same way that it plays out on the album. We knew that we wanted to write it this way so that the message was not lost amongst different tracks, each possibly having their own sound and structure. The only reason that the album was broken up in different tracks, which we were very hesitant to do, was to make it more accessible to the listener. We felt that the use of different genres at specific times throughout the narrative would help express each idea and help set a mood for each section of the album. We are very excited to start writing the EP and we promise that it will only be heavier and more intense than this album, especially considering what we have planned for the continuation of the narrative.

8. What are your plans for the future as a band?

To continue to write music with a message and a passion that is nothing short of honest. We feel that there is no reason to write music unless you have something to say or some emotion to convey, so that is what we will continue to do. We currently have a winter tour planned for the Midwestern and Southeastern areas of the United States. Beyond that we hope to tour and cover as much ground as humanly possible. As far as future releases are concerned, we plan to release an EP and another LP to complete the narrative that The Descent Of Man has started. We honestly don’t know how far the concept can go past those two albums, but you never know.

9. Vestiges is quite a new band, so there isn't much information about you on the internet. Do/Did some of you participate in other music projects?

Yes. We have been in different bands, we have been in bands together, and some of us are currently in other bands. We don’t care to associate any of those band names with this name; we feel that Vestiges should have its own identity and be free of our individual identities. It should not be about us, it should be about the music, which is why we have chosen not to list our names, post any pictures, or specify any locations. We have all toured before, so we realize that we could be recognized eventually, but until that time we are merely Vestiges.

10. You mentioned to me once that band members are spread across the country, in different time zones even. Did it make things tough for you when it came to writing music and rehearsing?

We were very fortunate to have spent about 90% of the writing and recording process together, but the remaining 10% towards the end was very difficult, especially considering that it was one of the most important parts of the process. Only the founding guitarist was present for the final mixing and mastering of the album, so everything needed to be relayed for approval to the other members, and then revisited in the studio. It was a painstaking process, but we learned a great deal from the experience and came away with a better idea of how we should approach the next album. In the future, we will be writing everything via video and audio sessions when we cannot get together. We have a better understanding of what we are capable of, what each of us are looking for, and where the music will be headed, so writing the EP remotely will not be an issue.

11. Do you have some hobbies outside of music?

Of course! We enjoy photography, sports, fitness, cooking, reading, and traveling, as well as finding new vegan restaurants and participating in locavorism.

12. Time for you to ask a question!

Vestiges: What is your interpretation of the album?

I took the task of listening to your release without previous notion of the whole concept of the band and it is quite interesting how it actually managed to strike me. You managed to create such music that it easily transfers your message to the listener in the exact way like you answered my third question. There are everyday examples of how man is ignorant and selfdestructive and completely blind on the matter of how much pain he is causing to our planet. We completely forget the fact that we are all very insignificant and unperfect, yet we put ourselves on top of the food chain. Everything from war and disease to overpopulation and enviromental damage, it is all humanity's fault. "The Descent of Man" has a very direct message and an atmosphere with a sad, yet hope filled tone. It present the true fact, that humanity will just continue to decline and will never stop. But Mother Nature is bound to wake up and swallow us one day for our sins, an ending I find quite happy.

13. In the end, thank you so much for doing this interview. Do you have some final message for the blog, "fans", bands, the world?

Thank you for taking the time to interview us, Stefan. We cannot express in words how much we appreciate this or how much we appreciate all of the mail, reviews, and support we have received from everyone all over the world. Just knowing that people have taken the time to listen to our album means more than you will ever know. It is amazing to see this band grow from nothing. We had no Internet presence or promotion prior to the release of the album on 10/10/10 and we are at a loss for words about what has been accomplished within the span of a week. We honestly didn’t expect to receive any of this, and we owe it all to the “fans” (which still seems weird to say) and to the blogs that were willing to share our music with anyone and everyone. We will forever be in your debt and we just hope that we can play for each and every one of you. Thank you!

Things I missed and a report

While I wait for the interview answers from Vestiges (so excited about that!), I thought I upload some recent stuff that I missed reviewing due to interviews and what not. Probably all of you have these releases already, but just in case I wanted to have them on the blog.

I just want to inform you all that the buttons are long gone, packaged and sent, now it's up to the post-office to do the rest. There will probably be more buttons made in the future, but we will see about that. Currently, I'm planing many things that I need to set up that diy workshop at my place, I really hope that it will bare fruit in time. I managed to find an online writing job and it's slowly starting to consume my time, but if nothing else some of the money will definitely go on that project. Have a bunch of stuff I need to review and post, but the job kinda kills the blog writing mood, so please be patient with all of those.

Before we move onto the download links, I just want to draw your attention onto a band that was hosted here a while ago. Jakuzi's Attempt is the band and they recently recorded a sequence shot video. Check it out here.

Alpinist - Lichtlærm (2010)

Downfall of Gaia - Epos (2010)

Envy - Recitation (2010) *

Sed Non Satiata - Self Titled (2010)

The Saddest Landscape - You Will Not Survive (2010)

My oh my, 2010 is a good year.

*Big thanks to Behemoth Skin blog for the link, I have shitty net for uploading stuff bigger than 100mb.

Vestiges - The Descent of Man (2010)

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Ok, this post has been provided by my extremely urgent and abnormal wish to share this masterpiece. I was introduced to this band yesterday by my friend, moments after the previous post was done, saying that I should take a listen to Vestiges "who sound very much like Fall of Efrafa". Needless to say, I have been entranced since yesterday with this band. Combined elements of crust, screamo, black metal, hardcore and postrock, this project is a behemoth just waiting to be unleashed in the form of a 40 minute monster crashing down and choking you. Heart-stopping, atmospheric tunes, backed by inspiring and breathtaking lyrics...just perfect. This here is what FoE should have evolved into after their first release.

This is complete nonsense that I have piled up and wrote, just random words due to the fact that they absolutely stunned me beyond words. I have asked them are they willing to do an interview, since writing a plain writeup is just not good enough for such a release. Despite waiting for their answer I just couldn't sit in place and not share this. I urge everyone, even those who don't like crust or black metal or postrock, I urge you to check this band out. The band itself offers this download from their site found here. Please, just take a listen.

...So Yeah, We're Werewolves - Cadavers (2009)

http://soyeahwerewerewolves.bandcamp.com/

Seems to me that this will definitely turn out to be a non-screamo week, but why the hell not. You see, there is this band Colors from Colorsland and they turned out to be a well of infinite wisdom, since through them I found out about two more bands that are going to be posted on this blog. This happens to be one of those bands and I'm quite excited about posting it!

Back when I did the Colors interview, I hanged out on their myspace page for some research and stuff, and I saw these guys on their friends list. And as you all know, I am such a sucker for band names that include the words wolf, wolves, werewolf, werewolves, fucking werewolf and so on. One click after I got on their profile and boom, instant love. Even better, Eric happens to be ubercool, so he approved of their posting here and gave me a download link.

There is not much information online about "...So Yeah, We're Werewolves", despite the band having both a myspace page and a bandcamp. They hail from Colorado and judging by their myspace pictures, they are a three piece. No matter their numbers, this pack of wolves makes a lot of noise playing some very interesting punk/post hardcore in the vain of "From Ashes Rise", just less crust and more melodic. I usually don't like comparing bands, but I guess that is also a part of criticism. Anyways, vocals backed up by bass and drum playing, as well as occasional keyboards make the base of this band to be quite unique. The songs they unleash upon your speakers are very hard to describe, since it is a combination of very deep tones, but at the same time the sound has a splash effect and is not focused onto a specific spot, but it's everywhere. That virtue reminded me of the above mentioned "From Ashes Rise", namely the song "Concrete and Steel", just with Werewolves it's minus the d-beat moment, as I wrote already. In addition, their tunes are extremely chaotic, but also melodic at the same time, absolutely creating rushing and chest pounding music. Of course, there are slow tempo instances here and there, but not even long enough for you to rest, the band exploding quickly yet again. See what I mean that it's hard to describe?

One major contributer to the overall chaotic nature of this band is the fact that there is a lot of pack screaming and singing and sometimes you have no idea who is saying what and when. This combined vocal effort really compensates for the lack of a guitar player. Don't be fooled though that a bass alone is not enough! Bass playing here is absolutely stunning in it's own right, really serving well to the whole deep-splashing sound. On several occasions you get to hear the bass almost alone and you actually see that it has a very buzzing sound, but once mixed with both vocals and drums you realize there is a lot more to it. Drumming is, of course, very aggressive, fast and exceptionally pounding, highly enjoyable, especially if you just focus on it.

I am very glad I found out about this project, basically I loved them from the moment I took a listen to them on their myspace page (found here btw). The fifteen minutes on this release really fly by you, one of those albums that you listen to in one breath. As far as I heard, they had a little break, but now they are back together and ready to tear your ears apart once again! Highly recommended band, be sure to check them out.

Hidden by the Grapes & Lambda - Split 7'' (2010)

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I'm a bad, bad man. I have been contacted by Martin from Sooder Records ages ago about this split and although I was listening to it intensively I completely forgot about the duty to post it up here. Basically, I avoid posting non-screamo stuff on the blog, not because I don't like anything else, but because of the fact that I tend to write lesser quality reviews for such bands. I don't have so much "musical education" as far as other genres go (which I listen to less) and I hate giving good bands sucky reviews. Guess that makes me a bad critic then, so I'll try and correct myself in the future. Anyways, sorry to Martin and these bands for the wait.

So, what we have here is a nice two-way split made by bands hailing from Graz, Austria. The record opens with the song "Blowout" by Hidden by the Grapes, carrying a little bit of postrock/punk a little bit of indie sound. Imagine Interpol being sad on a rainy day, but playing a bit faster, something like that. This three piece creates great balance with different tunes, composing a song with equal amount of slow, depressive, atmospheric melodies with faster flowing tunes. Hidden by the Grapes definitely has quite an interesting style, setting you in some specific mood from the first moment you take a listen. The vocal exceptionally goes well with the instruments, since it melds well with the rest of the band, so the whole song just flows by you. I would definitely like to here something more from this project, they definitely have talent.

After four minutes dedicated to Hidden by the Grapes, follows Lambda and their song "Weiter Geht". The quartet greets us with sounds of drumsticks and very interesting guitar playing. I have to admit that the guitar was the center of my attention during the nearly four minute song, constantly shifting between various effects, almost acoustic here, distorted here a la "Queens of the stone age", indieish there. (go go retarded description) Like their split partners, Lambda plays a combination of indie, postrock and postpunk, though they are purely instrumental and a bit more intense and turbulent. Quite excellent fast pace music, with vast differences in melodies throughout the song, incorporating buildups, tone drops, start-stop playing and flowing melodies.

All in all, this is a really great split. Only two songs, but with eight minutes of excellent tunes. Due to the fact that the bands carry various elements within themselves (as far as genres and song structure go), sometimes you have a feeling of actually listening to more bands or more various songs. There is one important thing must be told near the end. This review and above download link is for the said 7'' release which has two songs by both bands and is limited to 300 hand-numbered vinyls, 150 colored ones. There is also a digital release by Sooder Records, which has two bonus tracks and you can find it here. Also, check out Hidden by the Grapes on myspace here and Lambda here as well as Sooder Records here.

Endless howling XV and a short report

I have been meaning to post some new stuff (which I promised I will post soon actually), but the fact is that I am so damn tired. The last few days were quite brOOtal for me, Friday was consumed with me helping out a friend with her master degree work, but yesterday was even worse. At noon I had a job interview, which luckily went good, so I got a new job. It pays shitty, but it seems it is not so hard and time consuming so we'll see. But the day didn't stop there, I had another job interview later that night, applied for some writing job over the internet and I had to write three articles...fuck, that was so brain melting. Needless to say, I pulled it off, only for the employer not to show up...

But enough talk, I'll just post some old stuff tonight, since I really can't push myself to write, yesterday killed me. Just for the record, this post seals the old link threads, so this is the final "endless howling" compilation, if we are to call it like that. The good thing is that it ends pretty well, me getting this job will help out the diy workshop project I mentioned in the previous report. These "compilations" didn't really contain a lot of old tunes that I love, but I will definitely be posting those older screamo projects, some time in the future. Hope you enjoyed the howling...

Watership Down - 7'' (1997)

Went - How Are You (2009)

While You Wait - A Life For A Life (2008)

Interview:Colors

Ok, not only does their music kick, but these guys are so damn rad! Honestly, such a friendly bunch, made me enjoy this interview to the fullest, jokes and laughter flew all around, I even forgot to ask some questions that were actually important! Take a few minutes and read this and please if you didn't take a listen to their tunes, check a few posts below and download, you will not regret it.

Stefan:

First I'd like to thank you guys for taking your time and doing this interview and also to thank the whole band for being interested in NWNP. Really appreciated!

Andrew:

Of course, man. we love what you're doing. It definitely helps to promote a sense of community within the music scene.

Stefan:

Thanks for the recognition! So, we will start this the old fashioned way, please introduce yourselves and the rest of the band.

Luke:

I'm Luke, I play bass.

Andrew:

I'm Andrew, I play guitar, Josepfine and Devin aren't here. but they do vocals and drums, respectively.

Stefan:

What is the story behind Colors? How did you guys come together?

Luke:

Haha, I love this story. Andrew's going to type it out though.

Andrew:

Back in 2008, I met Josepfine at a Fear Before show, and we started talking about a lot of music. We eventually decided that we wanted to play music together. This was originally supposed to be a Post-Metal project, actually, along the same lines as Isis and Russian Circles. Once we started writing songs they didn't really turn up as that, though. We started looking for members, and I had just joined this band, In Search of Shorelines, that Luke was playing bass in, so I talked to him about it and he really liked it, so he went with it. At the same time we had gotten a second vocalist as well, who isn't in the band anymore, but is still one of our really close friends. And as odd as it sounds, we met Devin through Craigslist. haha. He posted about looking for a band and he posted pg. 99, Circle Takes the Square and City of Caterpillar as the bands he wanted to play like and we hit it off instantly. This is all over the course of about a year and a half.

Stefan:

Wow, a chain reaction of events. You guys came out with some very creative tunes in the end. Was it weird playing with someone you just recently met?

Andrew:

Not really, we had all become pretty close really quickly. I mean, there were definitely the awkward silences the first few times we hung out, but it didn't last all that long.

Luke:

We'd just usually try to break the awkward silence with some stupid joke about music. Haha.

Stefan:

Haha, stupid jokes are always a cure! In contrast to awkward silences, how "free" were you with one another when you started writing songs? As far as suggestions and ideas were concerned.

Andrew:

I think we all have a pretty good amount of freedom when it comes to writing. I mean, we've all had to compromise parts that we really like just because they don't fit in the song and things like that, but I think, overall, we all have our say.

Luke:

We always try to include everyone in the writing process before actually doing something, so literally everyone in our band has some input which gives us a more creative sound, in my opinion, because it's coming from four minds instead of one.

Stefan:

Quite a nice approach. Usually only one or two members are active in the writing process. I already praised you for the mix of various genres, so we'll not go there now haha

Luke:

Haha, well thank you, that truly means a lot.

Andrew:

We really appreciate that, man. seriously.

Stefan:

While we are at the theme of song writing, which bands/projects do you find to be your biggest influences?

Luke:

Oh, man. Haha.

Stefan:

Tough one, eh?

Luke:

Yeah, haha. Well, we all listen to so much random music but some of my biggest influences on this band are Daughters, Saetia, Hot Cross, Circle Takes the Square, and Converge.

Andrew:

A lot of skramz bands haha. Circle Takes the Square, pg. 99, Saetia. And then stuff like Botch and Dillinger.

Stefan:

Haha, we would fit well with band choices. Just not Dillinger, I never could get into them.

Luke:

Bummer. Love that band.

Andrew:

Great band with some really talented musicians in it haha.

Stefan:

Ok, since it would mean you listen to those mentioned bands in your free time, how about sharing some guilty pleasures? Boy bands...pop queens...pokemon music?

Luke:

What are you saying?? Are you saying Pokemon is a bad thing?? Haha. Regardless, Pokemon music rules. Hahaha.

Andrew:

I listen to a lot of old Drive-Thru bands like The Starting Line and stuff like that. that's really all I can think of haha.

Stefan:

Haha, no, Pokemon rule!

Onto some normal questions, what's the "scene" like in Denver when it comes to this type of music?

Andrew:

Oh god.

Luke:

Oh, God. Hahahaha.

Stefan:

Hahaha

Luke:

If you don't play in a m3t4l band with br00t4l vocals and siq breakdownz, you aren't "good".

Andrew:

It's 95% Metalcore, 4% Electro-Pop and that last 1% is a mix of bad bands with a really good attitude towards music and some really good bands.

Luke:

With our type of music, we're literally the only band out here with this type of sound so everyone thinks we're just weird as crap.

Stefan:

Oh, damn, a completely copy/paste situation like here. Metalcore and deathcore are a majority.

Andrew:

Yeah, it's not a lot of fun.

Luke:

Yeah, I'm so sick of it. Haha.

Stefan:

Do you guys have a "fan" base there, as far as shows go? Considering the described situation.

Andrew:

We've got some friends that come to our shows every once in awhile. We've gotten some great reactions some nights, and some really bad ones other nights. A lot of it honestly depends on what bands are headlining the show or what shows are going on at the more commercial venues on any given night. We're more of a last resort for most people here.

Stefan:

Too bad to hear that. I always imagined that the situation is a lot more "stable" for this type of music in the States

Andrew:

It might just be where we're at as a band. I mean, we're still relatively new, so I feel like a lot of people still don't really know who we are.

Luke:

I feel like it's better in a lot of other states, it's mainly just Denver and surrounding areas.

Stefan:

Did you play some shows outside of Denver, some other states?

Andrew:

Yeah, actually, we played in Wyoming in July and in Iowa at the end of August. both of those were really great shows with some really great bands/friends.

Stefan:

Ever consider going out of the USA to tour? And what are generally your plans for the future?

Andrew:

I think we want to get a US tour under our belts before we can really decide to tour outside of it. Eventually, I would really love to. I've heard some really, really awesome things about touring Europe and I think it would be a lot of fun to meet the people out there. Other than that we want to tour, write a few more records and meet as many people as we can.

Stefan:

Are any of those already planed or beginning to be planed?

Andrew:

Tour is kind of being planned, the biggest roadblock for us right now is a van. But we've got some friends that we'd really like to go out with and I feel like we could all work something out. A split will probably be written before a new record is, but we'll see haha.

Stefan:

By the way, now that you mentioned Europe, I noticed that you guys listed only bands from the states that you listen. Do you have some loved euroscreamo?

Luke:

Oh, yes. Haha.

Andrew:

Most definitely. we listen to Daitro, Raein, Suis La Lune, Le Pre Ou Je Suis Mort, and stuff like that too. Love it all.

Stefan:

Haha, I just had to ask, I have a keen eye for retarded details.

Luke:

Suis La Sune, Raein, Daitro, Le Pre Ou Je Suis Mort, La Quiete, etc. haha.

Andrew:

No worries! I feel bad for not listing any of them hahaha

Stefan:

Also, I forgot to ask you at the beginning...I noticed you have a regularly updated blog on myspace as well as a tumblr page. Is only one member updating those or are you all on it?

Andrew:

Josepfine usually handles the MySpace blog (no one reads it anyway, so we give him free reign), and the Tumblr is pretty much Devin and I talking about the pointless shit that goes on in Colorsland. haha

Luke:

I don't really handle anything over the Internet. Haha.

Stefan:

Hahaha, yeah I just browsed through the tumblr page, seems like it's always good time in Colorsland!

Luke:

Haha, Most of the time.

Andrew:

We were all living together for awhile(minus Joespfine), so we spent a lot of time just messing around haha.

Stefan:

Haha, poor Josepfine, we'll give him and Devin some screamo points in return.

Andrew:

They need them hahaha.

Luke:

Hahaha.

Stefan:

Moving along, do you all have some (weird) hobbies beside hanging out in Colorsland?

Luke:

Haha, this is a good one. I have the most worthless talents in the world.Bowling, ping pong, etc. Haha.

Andrew:

He can also make a lot of pointless noises with his hands/mouth.

Luke:

Hahahaha.

Stefan:

Hahaha!

Andrew:

We also watch a lot of movies. Luke and I have been on a huge Dragon Ball binge for the last two months. It's been great.

Luke:

Best decision of my life was downloading all of Dragon Ball. Haha.

Stefan:

Ah, anime...don't get me started! Highly addictive

Andrew:

Which in turn led me to start watching the first season of Pokemon and reading a lot of comic books haha. You know exactly what I'm saying hahaha.

Luke:

Hahaha.

Stefan:

Yeah I saw your tweet regarding Akira, nice stuff!

Luke:

Yes! One of the greatest series ever!

Andrew:

Best comics I've ever read. I'm reading the Watchmen series and some Spiderman ones as well. good stuff.

Stefan:

Despite this being a skramz blog, care to share your favorite anime? You get extra points for all those anime loving girls reading this!

Andrew:

Akira was a great film as well as the comics. DBZ is way intense. I need to find a lot more. haha

Luke:

Hahahaha, Akira is definitely my favorite. Manga and Movie.

Stefan:

At the end of the interview I tend to leave space for a question from the band to me. Care to ask your humble host something?

Luke:

If you were a hot dog, Would you eat yourself??

Stefan:

Well, if I was a vegetarian hot dog, sure why not!

Luke:

Hahaha, So skram.

Andrew:

What got you into listening to Screamo/starting a music blog ect..

Luke:

But in all seriousness, haha, my question would be, what gave you the idea to start doing this awesome blog?

Stefan:

Well, I must admit that it was a completely lame way of me entering the whole screamo scene. Back in around 2000 I was a thirteen year old boy listening to some hardcore punk/crust stuff I picked off from my brother. I was browsing some local hcpunk forum and there was this band Saetia constanly being mentioned and the term screamo. And I found it quite kewl haha. So I checked it out and it was instant love. Followed by Envy and so on.

Luke:

That's better than how we got into it, haha.

Andrew:

That's not a bad way at all haha. You've been into it for awhile, then. that's awesome.

Luke:

Haha, That's cute you're listening to our album right now. :)

Stefan:

Yeah, I'm in it for about ten years. It's surprising since I'm in an enviroment where basically two or three people I know in Serbia know about this genre. That is why I started this blog, I couldn't find a band to play screamo with (I play bass btw), so the next best thing was blogging.

Hehe yes it's inspiring ;)

Luke:

Awh. I just teared up a bit. Hahaha. Move out here and make some jams with us!

Stefan:

Haha would love too! I'm planing to leave this country anyway after I finish faculty!

Andrew:

Yeah! we'll kick Luke out and you can play with us! hahaha

Stefan:

Hahaha, well he is getting a considerable amount of screamo points now! It's only fair that I take his place haha!

Luke:

Awh, man!

Andrew:

Hahaha. He doesn't have that many. I think you have at least double his skramz points.

Stefan:

Aw, fear not Luke, if anything we are gonna make a band with two bassplayers then!

Luke:

YES!!! Hahaha. This is going to be the most skram band ever. Hahahaha.

Stefan:

Finally, do you guys have some final message for your fans, the blog, other bands?

Andrew:

Just thank you, thank you, thank you. We really appreciate everything anyone has ever done for this band. Coming to a show, taking a CD, helping us with a show, hanging out with us because you legitimately enjoy us as people. All of it means so much to us. And to you, sir, thank you for taking a few hours out of your day to talk to us about our band and for taking another chunk of time out of your day to sit and listen to the album to review it. you're doing a really awesome thing, and we really appreciate it.

Luke:

Perfectly said, A. :) Thank you so much for taking time out of your day and just talking with us! It really means a lot to us.

Stefan:

Nothing to thank for, it was a pleasure!

Endless howling XIV and a report

I have increased downtime between posts, but for several reasons. As stated before, the buttons got me completely disorganized. I was so busy talking to people who wrote about the buttons and the blog in general and I was absolutely stunned at what some of you think about all of this...but that deserves a special note and a post for itself. Second, concerning the button thing, I was quite motivated to take the next step and to set up a sort of diy workshop at my place, so a lot of planning and talking to people (yet again) consumes my time. On top of it all, there are a lot of geek projects I'm indulged in (for which you can get hints on my twitter page) and the fact that there are some things about my faculty which are worrying me and which I must take care of, as well as the fact that I'm trying to get a job to manage and finance the diy workshop. On an extra note, I have been added to the contributors list for the CMHWAK blog, so a bit of time will fly over there.

Despite it all, do not worry, this blog will not die and in fact I think it will blossom. I have some more ideas and plans for it, one new interview also coming up and a bunch of releases I need to post. So fear not, this is really something that I want to keep going and it really makes me happy along the way.

Umbra & 3cm tour - Split

V.A. - Death to Fake Screamo part I

V.A. - Death to Fake Screamo part II

Interview:MOTIM

Okay, so this interview is quite a big deal for me since it was my first interview done live. I loved how it was a lot more personal and interesting than just sending a list of questions, so this will probably be a future practice. Hope you enjoy it and be sure to check the bottom of the interview for the download links. Here we go...

Stefan:

Ok, well this is my first live interview, so bare with me if I get slow with the questions. Classic things first, please introduce yourself and the rest of your bandmates.

Felipe:

My name is Felipe and this is my first interview ever. I'm Motim's vocalist. We have Mauricio and Guilherme on guitars, Vinicius on bass and Alexandre on drums.

Stefan:

How did you all come together and started playing?

Felipe:

I used to play in a band called "Liberdade Após a Raiva", one day, during one of our concerts, Mauricio invited me to form a band with him. It was going to be a straight edge hardcore band, but we just left this idea behind. He also called Vinicius (his brother) and a friend of his, I've invited Liberdade Após a Raiva's drummer and Deko (who used to sing on a death metal band called "Claustrum Burial") to share the vocals with me. At the beginning we sounded more like a metalcore band...

Stefan:

Interesting begining, most of the times bands are born from mutual friendships rather than different projects.

Felipe:

Yeah... I always formed bands based on friendship, it was nice to do it different. This band has made me build a strong friendship with people who I didn't even know.

Stefan:

Seems so, since you guys already released two EPs, that alone could be considered a major success already. Strong bonds and all.

Felipe:

Yeah, we're kinda hasty when it's about releasing stuff... Specially me.

Stefan:

You mentioned how you were a more metalcore band at the beginning and yeah listening to both EPs the style change is apparent. How did that come along?

Felipe:

People were associating us with stuff like "hardcore youth crew", but our lyrics were not about that at all, they were about frustrating stuff! We started to feel that our lyrics weren't matching with the music itself, that's why we changed.

Stefan:

Did it came tough on the band or was it a natural thing to do? Your songs took quite an "epic" turn.

Felipe:

It was a natural thing. Mauricio is the guy who creates our songs, he started to listen to more and more screamo stuff (and also black metal) and naturally absorbed into as an influence for himself and for the band. He's the mastermind behind it all.

Stefan:

Since we touched the theme of what you guys are listening to, care to share some bands you like in your free time?

Felipe:

I am REALLY into japanese music, my favorite bands of all time are Envy, Boris, Killie and Mono. Besides japanese music, I like black metal acts (like Lantlôs and Wolves in the Throne Room) and screamo bands (lately my favorites have been Zann, June Paik and Loma Prieta).

Stefan:

Hehe, I actually saw that people compare you to June Paik, definitely a compliment I would say.

Felipe:

Indeed! We love them!

Stefan:

Do you find those bands being an influence to your tunes, musically or lyrically?

Felipe:

Musically, yes, lyrically not much since we can't understand german/japanese. Our lyrics are basically influenced by books and some brazilian bands like Colligere.

Stefan:

Speaking of your local bands, what is the state of the Brazilian "scene" when it comes to this genre of music?

Felipe:

It doesn't exist. A few years ago when I was on a band called "Hipnagógica" we had a collective focused on emo/screamo bands. At the time we had bands like "3 segundos antes da queda" and "insimetria", and we even made a screamo-only festival! Sadly, they've all disbanded. Nowadays there are some other bands who play this kind of music, like "Dancing Ghosts", "Lobo-guará" and "Paramorte" (Motim's bassist also plays there).

Stefan:

Heh, "3 segundos" I know, "Lobo-guara" was actually featured on my blog, great project.

Felipe:

People should check Dancing Ghosts and Paramorte as well!

http://dancingghosts.bandcamp.com/

http://www.myspace.com/paramorte

Stefan:

Hm, actually, come to think of it, Paramorte sounds familliar. Thanks, I will definitely check those bands out! Is there collaboration between those existing bands (Motim included)?

Felipe:

With Paramorte, yes, we're always playing together and we have plans of releasing a split.

Stefan:

And what about work with bands from the surrounding countries?

Felipe:

We have played with some hardcore/metalcore bands from Chile (Nouvelle Gaia, Forsaken and To Feel Alive), but that was all. We also run a label here and we had plans of releasing an EP from a chilean band called Omayra Sanchez, but it never happened though.

Stefan:

Please tell me a bit about the label you mentioned. Do you find the whole diy attitude being a tough part of this type of music?

Felipe:

It was called Natan Discos (now it's called Cena Depressiva). And yes, it's a tough part, specially being unemployed hahaha. We had a lot of releases scheduled including an awesome Hammers' tape, but they were all left behind because we didn't had money to release it.

Stefan:

Haha I get you there! I also want to start a label, but being unemployed sucks. But diy gives a sort of passionate approach to the whole thing, don't you agree?

Felipe:

Yeah! The best part of being a fan of DIY bands is that you can contact them easily.

Stefan:

Hehe, completely true!

Do some more members from Motim contribute to the label work?

Felipe:

Well, kinda, hahaha... It's ran by me and a Paramorte's member.

Stefan:

Do you have some plans for the future? With both Motim and Cena Depressiva? New releases, tours, splits, gigs?

Felipe:

We're looking for a foreign band to split with us, that's why we've recorded a new song. Touring in Brazil is expensive, and sadly we don't have enough time to do it since the biggest part of the members have their jobs and studies... but yes, there are some plans!

Stefan:

Well I hope that this interview helps you out with finding a split partner!

Felipe:

Thank you, haha! It would be awesome!

Stefan:

Appart from jobs and music, do you guys have some other hobbies?

Felipe:

We all love bicycles and videogames.

Stefan:

Haha, great!

Near the end of the interview I like to leave space for me to be questioned and make this whole thing less one sided. So if you have a question, fire away!

Felipe:

When did the idea of starting a screamo blog came up?

Stefan:

Hm, well living in Serbia is not that grand when it comes to screamo (or any similar "underground" music) and I always wanted to somehow contribute to the wonderful community which sprung from the genre in the rest of the world. At the time I was a follower of "Skream Your Lungs Out" blog and by chance managed to become an uploader (later an administrator) there. After that I started thinking of doing this whole blogging thing on my own and try to incorporate a bit more writing into it. So here I am!

Felipe:

Your new blog is awesome, I love what you write and the idea of hosting interviews!

Stefan:

Thanks for the kind words! It's alway great to see that bands also enjoy the blog!

Well, in the end I'd like to thank you Felipe for taking your time and doing this interview! Any final message for the blog, "fans", bands?

Felipe:

I'd like to say that people should start more blogs like yours, haha, that's all. And thanks for interviewing me!

Stefan:

My pleasure!: ) Hope you enjoyed as much as I did!

And as promised, two Motim's EPs:

Sobrevivendo a uma rotina de incertezas (2009)

21'50'' (2010)

Colors - Palindromes (2010)

Download

Up front, I'd like to apologize to the one member of Colors who contacted me about posting their music here. The writeup should have been posted a few days ago, but as I stated in the shoutbox, the buttons got me disorganized, as well as did an interview that was planed for a while, yet sadly got delayed. There are several more submissions that I'm aware of in my mailbox and I will definitely get to them and I'm sorry if I neglected some of you, I really appreciate every one band that contacts me. For now I will focus on this project, so thanks to Colors for the patience and for the interest in being here.

Colors is a quartet hailing from Denver, Colorado, playing some very interesting self-designed screamo. Why self-designed? Well, during the listening of this release you just can't pin point any influences from which this band draws inspiration. You think you hear something which some certain band has, but it simply slips away from your mind before you can remember the bands name. And not only that, but Colors style of playing incorporates some other genres on top of the screamo base. The most noticeable genre addition is mathcore, recognized easily in songs like "Last Interview" and "Fancy Nancy at the Museum" which start off with speed riffs, bombed with start-stop technique of playing, as well as the song "All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling" which is constantly slashed with the choking, chest beating melodies of mathcore. This style of entwining math and screamo (and some elements of hardcore as well) goes very well together, since the chaos following math in its wake is excellently composed and fits perfectly.

With all of the explosions, screaming and chaos all around, amazing production stood up and it has done it's part great. You can hear every little change of pace or shift in melody just fine, since despite their chaotic nature, the songs are very clean in sound. What I especially enjoyed is the fact that every instrument is omnipresent which makes way for you to focus on all song aspects, thus discovering all of the genre elements that are fused together into Colors. Of course, my attention was drawn onto the bass playing, which is amazing, carrying in it's sound some hardcore effects contributed to the band. Guitar playing, as stated above has a lot of mathcore elements, ranging from start-stop to some breakdownish riffs, but the guitar also brings in a lot of screamo portions, with melodies that after a lot of thought sometimes remind me of tunes from "The Fall of Boss Koala" and "City of Caterpillar". On a special note, the drum playing is something very interesting in this band. I don't know is it only me, but when you focus on the drumming in various songs, you get a feeling like it's shifting it's place between the songs. Sometimes, like in "Three Toes of Harding County" the drums are somewhere behind the rest of the band, sounding a bit distant with a dull sound. But then in the next song, "They Built These Towers That Stretch Onward for Miles", the are launched up front and are more aggressive and bearing a stronger sound. Maybe it's just me tripping or something, but either way, drum playing is excellent. Vocal performance is amazing, with a raspy nearly broken and maniacal screaming, spitting out some very, very interesting lyrics. It is worth to note that the lyrics are found in a "booklet" inside the link along with the songs and it is a must to check them out! Also, judging by the booklet, Colors tend to have guest vocals on their song, which by itself is a very awesome thing.

All in all, you drove through "Palindromes" over eight songs and seventeen minutes of various tunes. To my shame, I didn't know about this project before and they actually released a four song demo in the summer of 2009, which absolutely kicks. And what to say other than that I'm very glad their eye caught "Natures With No Plagues" in it's flight, since something needs to be written about Colors, they deserve it. Excellent project with a lot of potential and already great material behind them. If you like them you can contact them over myspace here and check out their blog, since they tend to update it regularly. Download and enjoy, you won't regret!