UK’s own bringers of gore are back with their third full-length beast, their most personal album so far reflecting different struggles they’ve gone through in the past five years.
Influenced mostly by Death Metal pioneers from 90’s the likes of Carcass, At the Gates and Dissection, while also presenting modern elements in their music, as well as Black Metal hints to the mix to make the music sound even darker and more intense, London, UK-based Melodic Death Metal beast Gorebringer has just unleashed upon us their third full-length opus, entitled Condemned to Suffer, the follow-up to their demented previous releases A Craving For Flesh and Terrified Beyond Measure. Formed of Serpent “Bilge Özce” on vocals and Stench “KAZ B” on the guitars and bass, with the support of session drummer Carrion, Condemned to Suffer is the band’s most personal album so far, showcasing lyrics that are more mature and complex, mostly reflecting different struggles that the duo has gone through in the past five years as a band, having worked really hard to make the entire album sound truly profound.
An overdose of brutality and rage flows from all instruments in the opening track Under the Full Moon’s Pale Light, bringing to our avid ears an amazing job by Carrion on drums while Stench slashes his stringed axe nonstop, providing Serpent with exactly what he needs to roar like a beast. The band continues to hammer their instruments mercilessly in the title-track Condemned to Suffer, again showcasing elements from Black Metal and even Melodic Black Metal added to their core essence; and get ready to slam into the circle pit like there’s no tomorrow to the sound of the venomous Melodic Death Metal feast Infernal Symphony, with Stench yet again stealing the spotlight with his caustic riffs, whereas Ants is absolutely devastating and obscure, with Serpent’s gnarls and Stench’s unstoppable guitars being flawlessly supported by Carrion’s drums, not to mention its official video might be one of the best AI-generated ones ever.
There’s no time to breathe, nor any sing of peace, as Gorebringer bring gore and savagery to our putrid ears in Lady Midday, with the hammering beats by Carrion being complemented by the thunderous bass by Stench, followed by Théâtre of the Grotesque, a pulverizing tune that reeks of At the Gates, proving how much those guys love their idols, with Serpent barking manically nonstop for our total delight. It’s then pedal to the metal in the infuriated aria Visions of Terror, with the strident riffage by Stench matching perfectly with the infernal drumming by Carrion in another lesson in melodeath; and last but not least, get ready for almost seven minutes of melodious yet infernal sounds in Embodiment of Aggression, which certainly proves the band has infinite stamina and passion for extreme music as they don’t stop blasting heaviness and fury from their instruments until the very last second of the song.
Serpent and Stench are undoubtedly one of the most hardworking duos of the current Extreme Metal scene in the UK (and probably also worldwide), and you can give them a shout and let them know how much you love their austere, visceral music and their resilience by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their venomous music on Spotify or on Apple Music, and of course by purchasing their excellent new opus from the Great Dane Records’ BandCamp page. Put differently, Serpent and Stench are condemned to suffer under the full moon’s pale light, and they’re inviting us all to join them in that eternal darkness to the sound of their most bestial album to date.
Best moments of the album:Under the Full Moon’s Pale Light, Ants and Théâtre of the Grotesque.
Worst moments of the album: Absolutely none.
Released in 2024 Great Dane Records
Track listing 1. Under the Full Moon’s Pale Light 6:37
2. Condemned to Suffer 4:57
3. Infernal Symphony 4:32
4. Ants 3:56
5. Lady Midday 5:34
6. Théâtre of the Grotesque 5:19
7. Visions of Terror 3:39
8. Embodiment of Aggression 6:56
Band members Serpent “Bilge Özce” – vocals
Stench “KAZ B” – guitars, bass
As the days get shorter and the nights grow darker and colder, our metal lady of the month of November at The Headbanging Moose definitely had to represent all the heaviness that fills the air in preparation for the coming winter. She’s the epitome of underground heavy music, lending her raw and intuitive bass sound to amazing bands like Sacrifizer and Triumph of Death, always with a badass attitude, while at the same time also venturing through non-extreme lands like with her Coldwave project named Letten 94. Her name is Jamie Lee Cussigh, also known as SlaughterWytch or Dolorès, depending on which band she’s working on at a specific point in time, and she will kick your ass mercilessly with her more than thunderous bass lines.
Half Bulgarian and half Italian, but born in Switzerland (where she currently resides), Jamie nurtures a deep passion for all things heavy music from a very young age. “I started to listen to metal very young, around 11 or 12 years old and the first album I discovered and bought was the Kill Em All by Metallica. I started to play bass at 13.” Also a private music teacher, either online or in person, Jamie went to Conservatoire de Musique de Neuchâtel, in Switzerland, where she perfect her skills as a musician, which is probably one of the reasons why she can fluctuate between styles without any effort, always sounding sharp and in sync with the rest of the band she’s working with.
Her main band or project since 2019 has been undoubtedly Zurich, Switzerland-based Speed/Thrash/Black Metal entity Triumph of Death, Tom Gabriel Fischer aka Tom G Warrior’s personal tribute to his iconic band Hellhammer, with the name of the band being inspired by the infamous title-track of Hellhammer’s 1983 cult demo. The vast body of Hellhammer’s work remained unperformed for years, with Tom’s other bands Triptykon and Celtic Frost only playing a couple of songs here and there, until the inception of Triumph Of Death. Currently formed of the aforementioned Tom Gabriel Warrior on vocals and guitar, our diva Jamie Lee Cussigh on bass, André Mathieu also on the guitar, and Tim Iso Wey on drums, the band has already has played a number of highly acclaimed concerts, such as Hellfest (France), Wacken Open Air (Germany), Party.San (Germany), Brutal Assault (Czech Republic), Psycho Las Vegas (USA), Merry Christless (Poland), Inferno Festival (Norway), Maryland Deathfest (USA), UK Deathfest, and Mexico Metal Fest, among others.
“I was lucky to be contacted by Tom Gabriel Fischer and he gave me this big chance and opportunity. I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to him. He’s a beautiful person and I’m very thankful to him,” commented Jamie, who also mentioned the release of new material when she joined the project. “It’s a long-term and permanent project. We will release live material (Hellhammer music) and likely eventually even a studio album with our own material in the style of Hellhammer.” Well, after that interview the promise of releasing live material has already become a reality with the release of the amazing live album Resurrection of the Flesh by the end of 2023, recorded during three festival performances in 2023 in Houston (United States), Munich (Germany) and Barroselas (Portugal). Some of the songs became official videos on their official YouTube channel, including the excellent Decapitator and Massacra, but the band also offers live footage from other festivals in their channel like the songs Massacra, Visions of Mortality, Aggressor and The Third of The Storms (Evoked Damnation), from their 2022 concert at Maryland Deathfest, and you can also click HERE to grab your favorite version of their live album.
Apart form Triumph of Death, Jamie can be found as the bassist for a fantastic French Blackened Speed/Thrash Metal band named Sacrifizer, in this case under the moniker SlaughterWytch, having joined the band a little after their inception back in 2017, and having already recorded with them the 2019 EP La Mort Triomphante, and more recently the full-length album Le Diamant de Lucifer, back in 2022, and both can be appreciated in full on Spotify. According to the band, they were “created after a midnight ritual”, and our dauntless SlaughterWytch alongside Sexumer on vocals, NightReaper and H.K.A. on the guitars, and Lethal on drums continues to pave a path of destruction with their only goal being “to spread the mighty words of our lord Lucifer.” I highly recommend a detailed listen at both their 2019 EP and their 2022 album, as both are ass-kicking beasts of blackened thrash, as you can easily see in this incendiary live version of Le Diamant de Lucifer.
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However, don’t think that Jamie is simply blasting the heaviest of sounds all the time with her bass, or that she only loves heavy music, as she has also been part of a very interesting Coldwave project called Letten 94 since 2019, going by the name of Dolorès in this case. “Letten 94 is a project we created with a friend, Freddy Van Ballast. I’m on vocals, bass and soon guitar and he plays synthesizers, samplers, drum machines etc.,” commented Jamie. This Swiss Coldwave duo takes a mental image of Letten (as the disused Letten station in Zurich was the largest open drugs scene in Europe in 1994), and more widely of Europe in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall, as a starting point to try to create electronic music which is sometimes aggressive and syncopated, sometimes dark and mysterious.
Letten 94 is a band that plays music for its own sake, carrying no political message, therefore having a zero-tolerance policy for racism and discrimination, such as discrimination based on gender, ability, or age. This includes all political ideologies that are extremist, totalitarian and/or oppose fundamental human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Hence, you can enjoy Letten 94’s music in their official video for Empty Landscapes, listen to their other songs on Spotify, or click HERE for all things Letten 94. She was also involved with a French Black Metal horde named Myrkvid, playing bass with the band between 2019 and 2020, although she didn’t record anything with them. “The vocalist and guitarist, Myrk, is a friend of mine since a long time ago and he needed a new bass player. I played with them for a year but I decided to leave the band,” she commented, and you can also find her as the bassist for a band named Trauma, again with very few information about her involvement with the band available online, including zero details on when she started playing with them, or if she’s still with them.
As you might have noticed, Jamie has a lot of different influences in music. “At the very beginning of my teenage years I started with Thrash and Speed, and then I discovered Extreme Metal around 14 years old. I’m mostly on Black/Thrash, Black, some old school Death Metal sometimes and some Heavy/Speed but besides Metal I’m a fan of coldwave and post-punk music and it’s also a part of my inspirations. Jazz music too.” Moreover, when asked to list her top five albums of all time, she said that it’s tough to mention only five albums because she loves a lot more than that, but she would try to list some that struck her. Those albums are Blood Fire Death, by Bathory, Envoy of Lucifer, bu Nifelheim; Sister, by In Solitude; Black Metal, by Venom; and Dawnrazor, by Fields of the Nephilim.
In addition, she mentioned a very interesting list of newer bands she enjoys, including Division Speed, Hällas, Flagellant, Whoredom Rife, Blaze of Perdition, Denouncement Pyre, Drab Majesty, Lebanon Hanover, Condor, Hellripper, Antichrist, In Solitude, Saqra’s Cult, Tryptikon, Tragediens Trone, Riot City, Ultra Silvam, Beastmilk, Heresi, Tribulation, Matterhorn, Satan Satyrs, Vulture, Quintessenz, Whiskey Ritual, Warmoon Lord, Midnight and Nocturnal Graves, also saying that live she really enjoys to see Aura Noir, Satan Satyrs, Venom and Midnight. When asked about new or mainstream metal, she said she doesn’t like those labels, as she believes what really matters is to play with (and for) passion before anything else. “When this is the case, everyone who plays with his guts and works hard deserves his success.” And guess what’s the definition of true metal music for Jamie? “You feel it or not!”
Crafted in the style of ethnic Extreme Metal, the newborn spawn by this Ukrainian horde will take you on a journey into the world of ancient gods and mysterious rituals, reflecting the depths of wisdom of ancient civilizations.
Crafted in the style of ethnic Extreme Metal, blending Death, Groove, and Thrash Metal, the breathtaking Secrets of Ancient Gods, the sophomore album by Kyiv, Ukraine’s own Groove/Death Metal beast Arhat, will take you on a journey into the world of ancient gods and mysterious rituals, reflecting the depths of wisdom of ancient civilizations. Mixed and mastered by Dmitry Kim, re-amped by Oleksandr Chernikov, and displaying a badass artwork by Viktor Gudkov, the new album by Alex Sitkoff on vocals, Anton Skrebov on the guitar, Anton Inov on bass, and Ivan Semenchuk on drums offers ten striking songs imbued with the spirit of mystery and magic, embodied in sophisticated melodies and epic arrangements, with the band also utilizing the Turkish ney, sitar, percussion, and cinematic sound design throughout the entire album, blending symphonic orchestrations with ethnic elements.
Get ready to be dragged to the mystical world ruled by Arhat to the sound of the album’s Intro, a mesmerizing, enfolding wall of sounds that will captivate your senses before we face Abyss Of Flame, a full-bodied, whimsical Groove Metal attack by the band showcasing darkly poetic lyrics (“Out of your body, / Your mind is free / You see the things, / As they should be / Power and energy / Of purity / The waves of life, / Vitality”) amidst sheer devastation blasted by Anton Skrebov, Anton Inov and Ivan. Their fusion of Groove and Death Metal with ancient, ritualistic sounds gets even more striking in Karnak, with Ivan dictating the pace while Alex roars nonstop in the name of the ancient gods; and Ivan leads his bandmates in the also embracing and obscure Arcana XVI, offering more of the band’s incendiary hybrid of extreme music styles. Moreover, the bass by Anton Inov sounds absolutely metallic, hitting us hard in the head mercilessly. And after that, the visceral riffage by Anton Skrebov will pierce our minds in Nasha Khoda Nevpynna, which is Ukrainian for “our walk is unceasing”, keeping the adrenaline flowing in the album to the devilish roars by Alex.
Then featuring Oleksii Syrota of Voracity, Symbols is a demonic song where the quartet will crush our souls with their groovy and infuriated sounds, with the deep Brutal Death Metal-style guttural by Oleksii sounding simply amazing; and let’s keep raising our horns and banging our heads while worshiping the ancient gods in Path Eternal, where Ivan sets the pace with his heavy and vile beats and fills. The band puts the pedal to the metal in the faster tune Wheel Of Fate, an excellent choice for some sick circle pit action, with Anton Skrebov extracting strident sounds from his guitar supported by the rumbling bass by Anton Inov, followed by The Great Unknown, featuring Dmytro Moskalenko of Violateress, offering us all another round of their otherworldly words (“You are alone in dungeons / Sharp stones are cutting your skin / Uncanny voices from darkness, / Are filling you with doubts and fear / The Great Unknown!”) boosted by a massive, detailed sonority. Finally, Shlyakh Do Prozrinnya, or “the path to enlightenment”, is an amazing closure to one of the most powerful albums of the year, with Alex once again stealing the show with his demonic roars supported by the crushing drums by Ivan.
Allow yourself to immerse in the captivating world of mythology from past epochs and feel the sounds of antiquity that remain relevant even today in Secrets of Ancient Gods by streaming the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and even better, by purchasing a copy of it from Arhat’s own BandCamp page, and remember you can also keep an eye on all things Arhat by following the band on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Despite all adversities the country is facing, Ukrainian extreme music is blooming and getting stronger than ever, and we must thank Arhat not only for being part of that beautiful scene, but also for offering us in their newborn spawn exactly what we need to unveil the darkest secrets of ancient gods.
Best moments of the album:Abyss Of Flame, Arcana XVI, Symbols and Wheel Of Fate.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2024 Independent
Track listing 1. Intro 1:44
2. Abyss Of Flame 5:36
3. Karnak 4:48
4. Arcana XVI 4:58
5. Nasha Khoda Nevpynna 4:18
6. Symbols 3:31
7. Path Eternal 5:27
8. Wheel Of Fate 5:12
9. The Great Unknown 4:40
10. Shlyakh Do Prozrinnya 3:26
Band members Alex Sitkoff – vocals
Anton Skrebov – guitar
Anton Inov – bass
Ivan Semenchuk – drums
Guest musicians Oleksii Syrota – vocals on “Symbols”
Dmytro Moskalenko – vocals on “The Great Unknown”
Let’s dive into the auditory abyss with this Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore entity armed with their newborn beast, inspired by the rare neurological disorder known as “Ekbom syndrome.”
Formed in 1998 in the French city of Saint-Étienne with roots deeply entrenched in the macabre realms of Extreme Metal, the vicious Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore entity Benightedhas evolved from a side-project into a malevolent force, captivating fans worldwide with their skull-shattering sound and thematically explorative pieces. Now in 2024 the band formed of Julien Turchan on vocals, Emmanuel Dalle on the guitars, Pierre Arnoux on bass, and Kevin Paradis on drums invites us to dive into the auditory abyss with Ekbom, their latest offering inspired by the rare neurological disorder known as “Ekbom syndrome.” Recorded, engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Kristian Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studios, and displaying a Stygian artwork by Róbert Borbás of Grindesign, Ekbom is a nightmarish album that drags listeners through the darkest recesses of the human psyche, a grotesque journey where the ferocious music mirrors the unsettling sensations of delusional parasitosis.
Benighted are definitely a band that knows how to craft wicked, phantasmagorical intros, like Prodrome, inviting us all to a world of gore and darkness in Scars, a pulverizing feast of Grindcore tailored for admirers of the genre where Julien and Kevin will hammer your heads ruthlessly with their respective devilish roars and blast beats, followed by Morgue, presenting a demented sound for a song with a cadaverous name, with Emmanuel slashing his stringed axe like there’s no tomorrow and, therefore, making the atmosphere even heavier and more disturbing. Le Vice des Entrailles, or “the vice of entrails” from French, is another hurricane of Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore by the quartet, with Julien’s vile gnarls cutting our skin deep supported by the always demolishing drums by Kevin. Then featuring guest vocals by Oliver Rae Aleron of Archspire, Nothing Left to Fear is highly recommended for some brutal slamming, with the unparalleled vocals by Oliver matching perfectly with the band’s bestial sounds; followed by the evil title-track Ekbom, bringing forward their trademark violence while still sounding very groovy, technical and detailed.
Metastasis, the second single released by Benighted, will pulverize your cranial skull, as Julien couldn’t have sounded more demonic than this accompanied by the caustic riffs by Emmanuel, and the quartet shows no mercy at all for our souls and keep delivering the most demented form of Grindcore in A Reason for Treason, with the beats and fills by Kevin sounding and feeling absolutely brutal. Guest vocalist Xavier Chevalier of Blockheads lends his roars in Fame of the Grotesque, perhaps the most infernal of all songs where the entire band is on fire, especially Kevin with his stone crushing drums; whereas Scapegoat is another two-minute explosion of sheer dementia and violence by the quartet where Julien once again roars manically while Emmanuel keeps firing his sulfurous riffs and solos. The second to last attack by those Grindcore beasts comes in the form of Flesh Against Flesh, once again inviting us all to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow; whereas lastly we’re treated to Mother Earth, Mother Whore, a charming name for a Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore assault, with Julien’s roars walking hand in hand with the chaotic sounds blasted by his bandmates.
Can you feel it crawling under your skin? If your answer is yes, you can grab a copy of Ekbom, available for a full streaming on YouTube and on Spotify, from the band’s own BandCamp page, or by clicking HERE or HERE. Also, don’t forget to check what the band’s is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, including their insane tour dates. Ekbom is undoubtedly a chilling sonic landscape that will linger in your consciousness long after the last brutal note thanks to a band that knows how to sound extreme yet melodic and captivating at the same time, penetrating deep inside our skin like parasites of brutality and gore in the best way possible, of course.
Best moments of the album:Scars, Le Vice des Entrailles, Metastasis and Fame of the Grotesque.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2024 Season of Mist
Track listing 1. Prodrome 1:18
2. Scars 3:14
3. Morgue 3:22
4. Le Vice des Entrailles 3:05
5. Nothing Left to Fear 2:43
6. Ekbom 3:42
7. Metastasis 3:32
8. A Reason for Treason 3:17
9. Fame of the Grotesque 2:19
10. Scapegoat 2:22
11. Flesh Against Flesh 3:17
12. Mother Earth, Mother Whore 4:28
Band members Julien Turchan – vocals
Emmanuel Dalle – guitars
Pierre Arnoux – bass
Kevin Paradis – drums
Guest musicians Oliver Rae Aleron – vocals on “Nothing Left to Fear”
Xavier Chevalier – vocals on “Fame of the Grotesque”
“Whatever your age may be, when you go to a heavy metal gig, you’re a teenager again.” – Rob Halford
I believe that quote from the Metal God himself perfectly represents the year of 2023 for most of us metalheads, including of course myself and my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi as we’ve been to countless metal gigs this year (and you can see detailed reviews with amazing professional photos for each one of them HERE), keeping our inner fires burning during such difficult times for the entire world. A never-ending economic crisis that’s dragging tons and tons of people to poverty everywhere, the Russo-Ukrainian War that persists for almost two years now, the extremely sad and inhumane Gaza–Israel conflict, all environmental disasters that in the end are all mankind’s fault, and so on. On the heavy music side, we witnessed the final concert ever by KISS, the end of great bands like The Agonist and Betraying the Martyrs, and the deaths of Sebastian Marino (former guitarist of Overkill and Anvil), Michael “Majk Moti” Kupper (former guitarist of Running Wild), Jon Kennedy (former bassist of Cradle of Filth and former vocalist of Hecate Enthroned), Hiroshi “Heath” Morie (bassist of X Japan), Charlie Dominici (former vocalist of Dream Theater), and several other talented musicians.
Despite all those losses, it was a very good year for heavy music, as bands kept fighting for rock and metal no matter what, putting on fantastic albums and memorable tours for us fans, with some already voicing their dissatisfaction against Live Nation and Ticketmaster for their sky-rocketing ticket prices, shady fees, and an obscure ticket reselling “mafia” running in the background that inflates those prices even more. In 2024 we’ll surely (and hopefully) see more of this insurgence against their ticket monopoly, and while we wait for that let’s enjoy The Headbanging Moose’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2023, excluding EP’s, best of’s and live albums, offering our avid ears the perfect soundtrack to every single moment in our lives, even if that moment is the apocalypse.
1. UADA – Crepuscule Natura (REVIEW) One of the rising stars of the current Melodic Black Metal scene returns with their majestic fourth album, unleashing upon us five sonic vessels.
Best song of the album: Retraversing the Void
2. Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite (REVIEW) Fear the devourer of earth in the form of the brand new and absolutely majestic album by California’s own Deathgrind masters.
Best song of the album: We Eat Our Young
3. Overkill – Scorched (REVIEW) One of the pillars of old school Thrash Metal will scorch the earth to the sound of their breathtaking new album.
Best song of the album: The Surgeon
4. Hellripper – Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (REVIEW) Behold this infernal storm of Blackened Thrash Metal by a one-man army deeply rooted in his Scottish origins.
Best song of the album: Goat Vomit Nightmare
5. Viscera – Carcinogenesis (REVIEW) UK’s own Technical Death Metal/Deathcore monster returns with their striking sophomore album.
Best song of the album: Sungazer
6. Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific (REVIEW) The mighty Corpse is back with another pulverizing album of old school, undisputed Death Metal, blasting gore, blood and violence.
Best song of the album: Chaos Horrific
7. Primal Fear – Code Red (REVIEW) German Power Metal masters are back with their thirteenth opus, a hard-hitting metal lesson and living proof of the healing power of music.
Best song of the album: Play a Song
8. Werewolves – My Enemies Look and Sound like Me (REVIEW) The most savage Blackened Death Metal band from Australia returns to the battlefield in full force with an even more demented offering.
Best song of the album: I Hate Therefore I Am
9. Vomitory – All Heads Are Gonna Roll (REVIEW) All heads are gonna roll to the sound of the infuriated new album by one of the most important bands in the history of Death Metal.
Best song of the album: Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead
10. Marduk – Memento Mori (REVIEW) One of the pillars of Swedish Black Metal is back with a devilish new album, reminding us that we all must die.
Best song of the album: Blood of the Funeral
And here we have the runner-ups, completing the top 20 for the year:
11. Angelus Apatrida – Aftermath (REVIEW)
12. Immortal – War Against All (REVIEW)
13. Blackbraid – Blackbraid II (REVIEW)
14. 4ARM – Pathway to Oblivion (REVIEW)
15. When Plagues Collide – An Unbiblical Paradigm (REVIEW)
16. Hrothgar – Rise of Ragnarök (REVIEW)
17. Mystic Prophecy – Hellriot (REVIEW)
18. Tsjuder – Helvegr (REVIEW)
19. Hyperia – The Serpent’s Cycle (REVIEW)
20. Sarcoptes – Prayers to Oblivion (REVIEW)
In addition to all that, let’s bang our heads with our Top 10 EP’s of 2023 to prove once and for all that not all great albums of the year have to be so long. The EP’s from this list are simply awesome, showcasing the band’s talent and their ability to sound epic even if the music lasts for only a few minutes.
1. Imperial Demonic – Beneath the Crimson Eclipse (REVIEW)
2. Spectral Lore – 11 Days (REVIEW)
3. Admire the Grim – Rogue Five (REVIEW)
4. Saint Vermin – Together as None (REVIEW)
5. Lost Brethren – Dimensional Rift (REVIEW)
6. Cryptosis – The Silent Call (REVIEW)
7. Nemesism – Nemesism (REVIEW)
8. Decompose To Ashes – In The Eternal Silence (REVIEW)
9. Dysease – Era of Decay (REVIEW)
10. Throat Locust – Dragged Through Glass (REVIEW)
Do you agree with our list? What are your top 10 albums of 2023? Also, don’t forget to tune in every Tuesday at 10pm BRT on Rádio Coringão to enjoy the best of classic and underground metal with Jorge Diaz and his Timão Metal, and every Thursday at 8pm UTC+2 on Midnight Madness Metal e-Radio for the best of underground metal with The Headbanging Moose Show! And if you lost some of our latest special editions of The Headbanging Moose Show, including our Top 20 Underground Albums of 2023 – Parts I and II, go to our Mixcloud page and there you have hours and hours of the best of the independent scene, sounds good?
Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! See you in 2024!
And before I go, I need to talk once again about Savage Lands, a nonprofit featuring members of Megadeth, Sepultura, Obituary and other legends of metal to support forests in Costa Rica, who released an amazing single titled The Last Howl back in November. The Last Howl is a howling tribute to the howler monkey, which are endangered in Costa Rica. The song features Savage Lands co-founders Sylvain Demercastel and Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), as well as support from John Tardy (Obituary), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Poun (Black Bomb A) and Etienne Treton (Black Bomb A). 100% of the song royalties will help fund nature sanctuaries, establish green zones and other land preservation projects in Costa Rica. Having said that, why don’t you go and make a nice donation to the cause, and learn more about Savage Lands on their official website? I’m sure Sylvain and Dirk, plus everyone else involved in this magnificent project, will love to receive that Christmas gift from you!
This multi-national Technical Black and Death Metal entity will crush you with their vicious debut album, one of the most extreme displays of aggression in the style in recent times.
After simmering behind the scenes for quite some time, the multinational Technical Black/Death Metal horde Arborescence of Wrath has finally unleashed their vicious debut album, simply titled Inferno, which promises to be one of the most extreme displays of aggression in the style in recent times. Comprised of a beyond formidable lineup with members from France, Germany and the United States, those being vocalist Jason Keyser (Origin), guitarists Michel Beneventi and JP Battesti, bassist Charles Collette (Benighted), and world renowned drummer Simon Schilling (Marduk), the band offers some superbly composed music with thought out structures and variations in their newborn spawn, only delivered out of pure anger with blistering speed and oppressive intensity. Add to that the incendiary artwork by Santiago Francisco Jaramillo of Triple Seis Design and there you have one of the strongest candidates for Death Metal album of 2023, a must-listen for fans of Hate Eternal, Krisiun, Hour of Penance, Origin, Depravity and Deathfuckingcunt, among other names who definitely know how to blend the most visceral side of metal music with first-class musicianship.
Wrath is a freakin’ massacre from the very first second, with Simon proving why he’s the drummer for Marduk and now also for Arborescence of Wrath while Jason also provides us all with his bestial roars in a lecture in Black and Death Metal. Then we have Carnage, and the name of the song says it all as Michel and JP sound inhumane with their ravenous riffage, supported by the thunderous bass by Charles. Needless to say, this is not recommended for the lighthearted. Their infernal onrush of extreme music goes on in full force in Hangman, again showcasing Jason’s demonic screams while Simon continues to hammer his drums in the name of Black Metal; followed by Relentless Infights, another bestial devastation by Arborescence of Wrath spearheaded by the fulminating blast beats by Simon, whereas after a sinister, operatic start the music explodes into sheer savagery in Holier Than You, again presenting a demented guitar work by Michel and JP for our total delight.
There’s no sign of slowing down for this multi-national blackened beast, as they keep destroying our souls with Cleansing Termination, bringing to our avid ears more of their sick riffs, fulminating drums, and the venomous guttural by Jason, and it’s then time to slam into the circle pit like there’s no tomorrow to the sound of Temple of Ashes, keeping the album at a high level of aggressiveness and insanity while Simon blasts his drums in great fashion until the very last second. Repentance, the last original song of the album, will send shivers down your spine, with its initial eerie intro merging flawlessly with the song’s deep, demonic sonority, resulting in six minutes of top-of-the-line Technical Black and Death Metal. And lastly, we’re treated to their cover version for Immolation’s classic Into Everlasting Fire (check the original version from their 1991 album Dawn Of Possession by clicking HERE), with the band’s own rendition of such demonic aria sounding just as hellish and thunderous as the original one.
This demonic album of first-class Technical Black and Death Metal can be appreciated in all of its (devilish) glory on YouTube and on Spotify, but you should definitely purchase your favorite version of it from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp page or webstore as a digipak CD in the US or in Europe, or as special CD + shirt combo also in the US or in Europe. Don’t forget to also start following this demented creature from the underworld on Facebook for news and more of their music, and hopefully we’ll be able to see this multinational entity live somewhere in the near future. Inferno is not only about pure hatred and aggression, but it also showcases a band that’s beyond focused and sharp, consequently placing the album as one of the best of 2023 and the band as one of the driving forces of the newest generation of Extreme Metal.
Best moments of the album:Wrath, Carnage, Relentless Infights and Temple of Ashes.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2023 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Wrath 3:55
2. Carnage 3:58
3. Hangman 4:42
4. Relentless Infights 5:01
5. Holier Than You 6:10
6. Cleansing Termination 3:06
7. Temple of Ashes 4:06
8. Repentance 6:03
9. Into Everlasting Fire (Immolation cover) 5:33
Band members Jason Keyser – vocals
Michel Beneventi – guitars
JP Battesti – guitars
Charles Collette – bass
Simon Schilling – drums
A German Blackened Deathcore outfit arises from chaos with their fourth studio album, pushing the band’s sound to new blacker intensities.
Rising from the ashes of personal and professional chaos, Karlsruhe, Germany-based Blackened Deathcore outfit Mental Cruelty has been blasting our ears with their incendiary fusion of Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Symphonic Deathcore and Brutal Deathcore since their inception in 2016, becoming standard-bearers for the sound in Europe. Now in 2023 the band currently formed of newcomer Lukas Nicolai on vocals, Nahuel Lozano and Marvin Kessler on the guitars, Viktor Dick on bass and Danny Straßer on drums returns in full force with Zwielicht, or “twilight” in German, the fourth studio album in their career. Mixed and mastered by Josh Schroeder at Random Awesome! Recording Studio, and displaying a classy artwork by Mariusz Lewandowski (R.I.P.), the album pushes the band’s sound to new blacker intensities forged in emotional riffing, heavy “back to the roots” breakdowns, and epic orchestral arrangements that surpass the already elite standards that have become synonymous with their name, being highly recommended for fans of Lorna Shore, Ingested and Vulvodynia, just to name a few.
The cinematic intro Midtvinter will embrace your soul and take you to Mental Cruelty’s demonic lair for all eternity, exploding into Obsessis a Daemonio (or “possessed by a demon” in Latin), where Lukas sounds truly possessed on vocals while Danny smashes his drums nonstop, all spiced up by grandiose, epic background sounds in a flawless fusion of Symphonic Black Metal and Deathcore. As imposing and sinister as the previous track, Nahuel and Marvin continue to deliver sheer aggressiveness and insanity through their riffs in Forgotten Kings, another pulverizing creation by the quintet; whereas not a single space is left empty in Pest thanks to the rumbling bass by Viktor and the stone crushing beats by Danny, making a beautiful paradox with the orchestral and symphonic elements in the background. Then drinking form the same Stygian fountain as Lorna Shore we have Nordlys (“Northern Lights” in Norwegian and Danish), offering more of the demonic, enraged roars by Lukas and sounding absolutely grim and infernal form start to finish.
Leaning towards pure Symphonic Black Metal, the band will darken the skies in Mortal Shells, showcasing their always thunderous kitchen supporting the venomous riffs by Nahuel and Marvin, whereas the interlude Zwielicht brings to our ears an embracing dosage of poetry declaimed in German by Lukas, before the band takes our minds and souls by storm with Symphony of a Dying Star, bringing forward more of their undisputed hybrid of Black Metal and Deathcore with symphonic elements, sounding absolutely thrilling from start to finish with Danny stealing the show with his demolishing drums. In The Arrogance of Agony we’re treated to wicked lyrics (“The glance of death as I look into the mirror / The faceless staring back at me can’t recognize this person / This is something that I used to be”) amidst a solid display of extreme music, followed by the breathtaking A Tale of Salt and Light, offering us all one final round of their poetic words (“Blessed are the ones who walk the salty desert / Blessed are the ones who conquer their fear in the ocean / Every second I battle the current / Swim against the whim of nature / Hunters of the deep circle of my path / Hopes washed away by the pull of the tide”) while the band’s guitar duo keeps slashing our ears with their riffs and solos, resulting in a climatic conclusion to such diverse and vibrant album.
“Let us embrace a new era of darkness by bringing the ‘black’ into blackened heavy music. Join us on the way down to infernal gates of hell to be rebirthed back to life. The album will contain the most mind-bending variety of different heavy musical influences and sounds. Epic symphonic orchestras accompanied by slam breakdowns; this will have it all. Inspired from metaphors written by nature, death, and inner demons,” the band commented about their newborn beast, available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, and you can purchase a copy of it by clicking HERE or HERE, not to mention the guys from Mental Cruelty are also eagerly waiting for your feedback on their music on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube. Just like the name of the album, the music by Mental Cruelty perfectly depicts the feeling we all sense during twilight, as their music gets darker and darker while there’s still fragments of light in our sight throughout the album, and may this new version of the band keep on delivering amazing albums like Zwielicht to us fans of heavy music for many years to come.
Best moments of the album:Obsessis a Daemonio, Symphony of a Dying Star and A Tale of Salt and Light.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2023 Century Media
Track listing 1. Midtvinter 1:43
2. Obsessis a Daemonio 5:07
3. Forgotten Kings 5:57
4. Pest 5:52
5. Nordlys 5:19
6. Mortal Shells 6:11
7. Zwielicht 1:33
8. Symphony of a Dying Star 4:11
9. The Arrogance of Agony 5:22
10. A Tale of Salt and Light 7:31
Band members Lukas Nicolai – vocals
Nahuel Lozano – guitars
Marvin Kessler – guitars
Viktor Dick – bass
Danny Straßer – drums
Four metallic beasts cranked the heat with their undisputed music on an already scorching day in Toronto, inspiring us all to get caught in endless mosh pits.
As the “gods of weather” decided to crank the heat in Toronto this past week, with the thermometers breaking the +30oC (or +86oF) mark, it was more than obvious that the temperature inside The Phoenix Concert Theatre last night was going to be insanely high due to the feast of Grindcore, Thrash and Death Metal blasted by CREEPING DEATH, SACRED REICH, MUNICIPAL WASTE and the mighty CARCASS, four amazing bands that are highly recommended for admirers of some good old mosh pits. And oh, there were so many mosh pits for all metalheads at the venue to bathe in (and most of the time that mosh pit bath included a lot of sweat, beer, and even some vomit)! A special shout-out to Embrace Presents for organizing such epic event, and another to the venue staff for keeping everything clean (because dealing with vomit is one of the most disgusting things ever), for keeping everyone safe, and for always being nice to everyone before, during and after all concerts. That’s how fans should always be treated!
I was not even 10 minutes inside the venue when the first band of the night, Denton, Texas-based Death Metal/Hardcore act CREEPING DEATH, kicked off the night with their brutality and heaviness, already inspiring everyone at the venue to slam into the pit, and that high level of violence went on until the last second of their performance. Gearing up for the release of their new album Boundless Domain, which should become available mid-June (and of course, I’ll have a very good time listening to it, and probably reviewing it too), frontman Reese Alavi and his bandmates put on a fantastic show, with their brand new song Intestinal Wrap (don’t forget to check out the studio version featuring the one and only George “Corpsegrinder” Fischer on guest vocals) and The Edge of Existence being the highlights of their pulverizing concert for me. Let’s see when those American metallers will return to Toronto for another round of insanity armed with their classic Death Metal; maybe as soon as their new album sees the light of day?
Setlist Humanity Transcends
Doused in Flames
Skinned Alive
The Edge of Existence
Bloodlust Contamination
Intestinal Wrap
Specter of War
Band members
Reese Alavi – vocals
Trey Pemberton – guitars
A.J. Ross III – guitars
Rico Mejia – bass
Lincoln Mullins – drums
After the usual bathroom/beer/cigarette/whatever you want to do break, it was time for Phoenix, Arizona’s own Thrash Metal institution SACRED REICH to hit the stage spearheaded by the iconic vocalist and bassist Phil Rind, and as expected their entire performance was absolutely amazing, blending songs from their most recent album Awakening, released in 2019, such the opener Divide & Conquer, Manifest Reality, Salvation and the title-track Awakening, with really old stuff the likes of Death Squad and Ignorance, from their 1987 debut album Ignorance, and The American Way, from their 1990 album of the same name. There was a lot of interaction between Phil and the crowd, with the most beautiful moment being when Phil talked about how music unites people, and how we make good friends through music, which is more than true. Without music I might not have become a friend of Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, who once again provided me with the amazing photos for this review. Back to the concert, Sacred Reich kept kicking our asses with their classy thrashing tunes, ending with their circle pit hit Surf Nicaragua, and leaving us eager for another one of their stylish performances in Toronto in a not-so-distant future.
Setlist Divide & Conquer
The American Way
Manifest Reality
One Nation
Salvation
Ignorance
Awakening
Independent
Death Squad
Surf Nicaragua
Band members
Phil Rind – vocals, bass
Wiley Arnett – lead guitars
Joey Radziwill – rhythm guitars
Dave McClain – drums
It was then time for the highly anticipated concert by Richmond, Virginia-based Thrash Metal/Crossover squad MUNICIPAL WASTE, and they didn’t disappoint at all their Torontonian fans; quite the contrary, it was an unforgettable show by Tony Foresta, Ryan Waste, Nick Poulos, Landphil, and Dave Witte, who were visibly excited to be playing in Canada, jumping up and down, headbanging and raising their horns nonstop as if they were the crowd, and us fans in the mosh pit were the main attraction. Maybe that’s exactly how they felt last night, right? Furthermore, all songs from their sensational 2022 album Electrified Brain worked really well live, such as Grave Dive, High Speed Steel, and in special Crank the Heat, which was played by the band only because “they were having an amazing time” according to Tony himself, mixed with thrashing beasts the likes of Beer Pressure, Thrashing’s My Business… And Business Is Good, and Headbanger Face Rip.
And speaking about Tony, the man was on fire during their entire performance, having fun with the inflatable orca (don’t ask me why that was brought to a metal concert) and all the cardboard boxes flying around, joking it was a miracle they were allowed to cross the border to Canada, asking for more crowd surfing to keep the security guys busy as they were getting “bored” due to the lack of action, and thanking everyone for attending their concert on a Sunday night. It was awesome when he asked the crowd if they liked to party for Jesus, or if they liked to party for Slayer, and I bet you already know what the fans answered, right? Right after they closed their flawless performance with the headbanging classic Born to Party, you could see the smile on the faces of all fans at the venue, all demanding for more Municipal Waste in the city, including myself, and hopefully it won’t take long for a new visit by those partying thrashers. As the lyrics from Born to Party say, Municipal Waste is gonna fuck you up!
Setlist I’m a Rebel (Accept song) Demoralizer
Breathe Grease
Mind Eraser
Beer Pressure
Thrashing’s My Business… And Business Is Good
The Thrashin’ of the Christ
Poison the Preacher
Grave Dive
You’re Cut Off
Sadistic Magician
Slime and Punishment
Crank the Heat
Headbanger Face Rip
Blood Vessel
High Speed Steel
Pre-Game
The Art of Partying
Wave of Death
Born to Party
Band members Tony Foresta – vocals
Ryan Waste – guitars, backing vocals
Nick Poulos – guitars
Landphil – bass, backing vocals
Dave Witte – drums
Exactly 135 days after their last visit to Toronto (when they opened for Amon Amarth), UK’s Grindcore/Extreme Metal trailblazers CARCASS returned to the city with more of their visceral, infuriated music, this time as the headliners of the night. Jeff Walker, Bill Steer, Tom Draper and Daniel Wilding were sharp, evil and caustic from the very first second of their undisputed performance, kicking some serious ass and proving why they’re still the most important Grindcore band of all time. They did a fantastic job blending songs from all of their albums, with a higher focus on their latest opus Torn Arteries, their 2013 infernal album Surgical Steel, and their 1993 masterpiece Heartwork. Songs like Kelly’s Meat Emporium, Under the Scalpel Blade, This Mortal Coil, and The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing sounded demented live, with all four band members playing those to perfection, of course.
The mosh pits kept going like crazy, the band was in total sync with their fans, and the temperature inside the venue kept going up to the point Jeff began throwing bottles of water for people to rehydrate. He even asked why it was so hot in Toronto, as Canada is supposed to be cold, but apparently he doesn’t know how hot and muggy the GTA can get during the summer. Well, I must admit the summer-like weather in Toronto in the middle of April was a big surprise, but still when it gets hot here, it gets REALLY hot. After playing my favorite Carcass song of all time, the brilliant Heartwork, plus the outro to Carneous Cacoffiny, Jeff and his henchmen returned for what I would call a ruthless, supersonic attack with one of the most violent encores I’ve ever seen, with the songs Exhume to Consume, Tools of the Trade, and 316L Grade Surgical Steel putting every single person at the venue to slam into the pit, bang their heads and raise their horns together with the band. It was beyond infernal, and if Carcass wants to return to Toronto in another 135 days for more of that, I’m totally in!
Setlist The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (Intro) Kelly’s Meat Emporium
Buried Dreams
Incarnated Solvent Abuse
Under the Scalpel Blade
This Mortal Coil
Tomorrow Belongs to Nobody (Intro)
Death Certificate
Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in B)
Black Star (Intro)
Keep On Rotting in the Free World
The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing
Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Ruptured in Purulence (Intro)
Heartwork
Carneous Cacoffiny (Outro)
Encore: Exhume to Consume
Tools of the Trade
316L Grade Surgical Steel
Band members
Jeff Walker – vocals, bass
Bill Steer – guitars, backing vocals
Tom Draper – guitars
Daniel Wilding – drums
Get ready to have your sinful soul dragged to hell by this Portuguese Blackened Death Metal outfit to the sound of their infernal sophomore opus.
The result of loss and sacrifice, the culmination of pain, and absolute detachment from life, O.M.E.N., or Omnis Malum Et Noceo, which translates from Latin as “everything evil and harmful”, is the sophomore opus by Lisbon, Portugal-based Black/Death Metal horde Okkultist, representing the band’s strongest effort since their inception in 2016 and, consequently, a huge step forward in the career of one of the most interesting names of the current Portuguese scene. The journey of an obsolete sense of desperateness from walking out of the void weighting us down that is depression, into the high state of spiritual healing, O.M.E.N. has everything a diehard fan of Blackened Death Metal desires and more, showcasing the undeniable talent and passion for the occult by vocalist, lyricist and visionary Beatriz Mariano, lead guitarist and co-founder Leander Sandmeier, rhythm guitarist João Corceiro (who by the way pre-produced the album), bassist David J. Rodrigues and drummer Eduardo Sinatra, all of them more than ready to drag your sinful soul to the pits of hell.
The title-track O.M.E.N. feels like the band is summoning evil spirits from the underworld (“In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas / Luciferi Excelsi / Ave”), resulting in a very extensive intro that opens the gates of hell for Okkultist to attack our senses with Death to Your Breed, where the Melodic Death and Black Metal drums by Eduardo create a rumbling ambience for the witch-like roars by Beatriz, providing us with everything we love in extreme music, being fast, furious, heavy and absolutely evil. The band continues to fire their acid fusion of Death and Black Metal in Meet Me in Hell, inviting us all to bang our heads nonstop to the devilish, piercing riffs by Leander and João; whereas the hellish sound of their guitars permeate the air in Blood on Satan’s Claw, bringing to our ears four minutes of undisputed heaviness and obscurity. And in Demonic Warfare we face another round of first-class Black and Death Metal spearheaded by the inhumane roars by Beatriz while Eduardo dictates the pace with his pounding drums, not to mention the striking solos by Leander.
9th Layer of the Abyss is a song that can be considered Okkultist’s ultimate black mass, taking us on a one-way journey to the pits of the netherworld while Eduardo brings forward sheer doom through his slow and steady beats; whereas back to a more infuriated mode, this unstoppable horde will darken our minds with the brutality and harmony found in Thy Blood, Thy Flesh, Thy Sacrifice, showcasing once again striking riffs and solos, devilish blast beats, and the always mesmerizing she-demon gnarls by Beatriz. Then in loving memory of the one and only Alexi Laiho (RIP), it’s time for their rendition of Children of Bodom’s hit Sixpounder (check out the original one HERE) from their 2003 critically acclaimed album Hate Crew Deathroll, presenting a fantastic job done by the entire band from start to finish. Lastly, closing the album we’re invited to slam into the pit one last time to the sound of Crimson Ecstasy, with Beatriz growling viciously while David’s bass and Eduardo’s drums make the earth tremble in the name of Extreme Metal. In addition, not even the unnecessary lengthy silence at the end of the song (before one final invocation of around one minute comes up) ruins the track’s overall quality. I wonder if they had to release an album with over 40 minutes of duration as requested by their record label, and that was their way of doing it.
The caustic and thrilling O.M.E.N., which is available in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, and on sale from the Alma Mater Records’ BandCamp page and webstore, as well as from Apple Music (or you can click HERE for links to the album and all other things Okkultist), will certainly open countless doors worldwide for the band, and you can also show them your support and admiration by following them on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube. “Dark times exist so we can harness that power through them, and rise above anything or anyone that has tried to put us down. This album is for YOU – YOU who have survived through the worst of your days, YOU who didn’t know what to do when things got tough, YOU who’ve felt hopeless, blind, beaten up, not knowing where you have to be in life. You are not alone. Take this album, and use its strength to show you how endless your inner power is. It’s all in your hands,” commented Beatriz about their newborn spawn, an album that will feature among the best hailing from Portugal this year hands down.
Best moments of the album:Death to Your Breed, Meet Me in Hell, Thy Blood, Thy Flesh, Thy Sacrifice and, obviously, Sixpounder.
Worst moments of the album: None, except for the length of the first track and the extensive silent break of the last track.
Released in 2023 Alma Mater Records
Track listing 1. O.M.E.N. 4:00
2. Death to Your Breed 3:24
3. Meet Me in Hell 4:31
4. Blood on Satan’s Claw 4:05
5. Demonic Warfare 4:33
6. 9th Layer of the Abyss 4:13
7. Thy Blood, Thy Flesh, Thy Sacrifice 4:05
8. Sixpounder (Children of Bodom cover) 3:26
9. Crimson Ecstasy 10:12
Band members Beatriz Mariano – vocals
Leander Sandmeier – lead guitars
João Corceiro – rhythm guitars
David J. Rodrigues – bass
Eduardo Sinatra – drums
Heavy metal is our way! Loud and fast is what we want!
Happy 2023, my dear metalheads! Are you ready for another year of underground awesomeness here at The Heabanging Moose? I’m sure you are, and in order to properly kick off such promising year for heavy music let’s continue our tradition of honoring a badass bass player as our metal lady of the month of January, just like what we did in all previous years, sounds good? And you better get ready as our ruthless bassist will crush your skull with her rumbling bass and rebellious attitude, helping to put her homeland Switzerland in the map of Heavy and Power Metal together with her also extremely talented bandmates. I’m talking about Jeanine Grob, the red-haired bassist for Switzerland-based all-female Heavy/Power Metal coven Burning Witches. Having said that, it’s time to bang our heads and raise our horns to the sound of the thunderous bass by Jeanine Grob, and let the witches burn in the name of heavy music.
Born on June 4, 1990 in Brugg, a Swiss municipality and a town in the canton of Aargau, the talented Jeanine, or simply Jay as her friends like to call her, considers herself some sort of “novice” in music, as she explained that after meeting Romana Kalkuhl (rhythm guitarist with Atlas & Axis who had been looking for a cast for an all-female metal band for a long time) at a party she actually went to her music school for guitar lessons just for fun, but after a while Romana asked if she could handle the bass guitar. Needless to say, she fell in love with that instrument, and of course Romana asked her if she wanted to be part of her all-female band, leading to the creation of Burning Witches. “Romana is something of the fun factor. She didn’t start the band to be famous or anything like that. She just wants to have fun and see how an all-female band works. For me that was great. I could stand on stage with my best friend and bang my head. Never thought it would develop this far with the band,” commented Jeanine in one of her interviews.
It was during the spring of 2015 when Swiss Heavy/Power Metal act Burning Witches was officially formed by Romana, with Jeanine becoming the band’s first official member, later being joined by vocalist Seraina Telli, drummer Lala Frischknecht and guitarist Alea Wyss. Although there have been a few changes to the band’s lineup since their inception, Romana, Jeanine and Lala have remained as its core, with vocalist Laura Guldemond and guitarist Larissa Ernst being the other two current members of the band. As you all know, Laura is from the Netherlands, which means her mother tongue is Dutch and not German like the rest of the band, but that’s not an issue at all for the band according to Jeanine. “Our band language is now English. Of course, situations can arise from time to time in which you have to ask exactly what that was meant to prevent misunderstandings. But before we quarrel about it, let’s talk about it. But it’s definitely not a problem – and then there’s Google.”
When asked about how the band managed the transition from Seraina to Laura on vocals, and if there was a lot of pressure to find the right replacement for a much-vaunted frontwoman like Seraina as quickly as possible, Jeanine said that because Romana writes the music to sound like Burning Witches no matter what, there were no issues nor pressure during that period of change, complementing by saying she thinks Laura sounds even more metal than Seraina (although she considers both great vocalists). “And what makes us very happy, of course, is that Laura is very well received by the fans, and that is ultimately what counts. In terms of character, Laura fits perfectly into the band, she’s just as crazy as we are,” said Jeanine, who doesn’t know exactly where the band could go, while also saying the band would never change their style just to be more successful, and that it was never their declared goal to become such popular metal band. “Hey, we were allowed to perform in Wacken – the dream of every musician who is at home in the metal scene. But we kept our feet on the ground and didn’t take off. And I’m not planning where I want to be in five years, for example to tour with Iron Maiden. We take it as it comes and enjoy every single step!”
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In terms of her idols and influences, Jeanine and the rest of the band are of course inspired by bands the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar, Amon Amarth, and Switzerland’s biggest metal band of all time, Celtic Frost, always listening to a variety of music ranging from Jazz to Extreme Metal. Our dauntless bassist is also a huge fan of Exodus, but of course she said the biggest dream tour for her would be with Iron Maiden or Judas Priest, saying she would probably faint if she could go on tour with Iron Maiden. Furthermore, as their musical roots are definitely in the 80’s, Jeanine said there are many parents who attend their concerts and take their kids with them, which certainly has a positive impact on the future of heavy music. Speaking about touring and the life on the road, Jeanine mentioned that playing at Bang Your Head, one of the biggest festivals in Germany, was a fantastic experience to the band and a moment that will be remembered by them. And when asked about the band’s cover version for Manowar’s classic Battle Hymn, Jeanine said that “we’re all Manowar fans and Romana had the brilliant idea of asking Ross The Boss to play on our cover version. And to our delight, he absolutely loved the idea. His bassist Michael Lepond (Symphony X) also found the suggestion exciting, and that’s how the whole thing got rolling.”
Jeanine also has an interesting view on the use of Spotify, YouTube and other streaming services today, and how they impact her music. “Everything is more fast-moving today, especially with all the media platforms that are now available. But I think the real fans who are interested in our music will listen to everything online as well. What was certainly better for us musicians in the past, when everything was still released on disk or CD, is that there were no platforms from which you could simply download music for free. A lot of people are not even aware that we musicians are not doing us any favors because we don’t get anything for our work. On the other hand, these new technologies also offer completely new possibilities. Nowadays it’s much easier to reach people and make them aware of us and our music. If you used to walk into a record store and see a CD from a band you’ve never heard of in your life, you probably hesitated rather than grabbing it spontaneously. Today you’re online, just listen to one or the other song, and if you like it, then you buy it. Everything has its pros and cons.”
In one of her interviews, Jeanine said she likes the fact that the Burning Witches are known as an all-girls group, complementing by pointing out to the importance of having more women in a male-dominated scene. “As a woman, it takes a lot of courage to stand up and fight to be taken seriously. When it all started for us back then, we had to fight against the prejudice that we didn’t set it all up ourselves. It was rumored that we first got a record deal and only then gave concerts, which of course is nonsense. And you really have to want success, because the music business isn’t always a bed of roses. What I can also imagine is that female bands quickly get in each other’s hair and then the whole thing falls apart quite quickly. Luckily, that’s not a risk for us, because we’re all very direct and open when dealing with each other and discuss differences of opinion straight away,” also saying that being called “witches” makes total sense for them, as in metal music no woman wants to be a “princess”. By the way, although Jeanine said the band doesn’t have any male groupies, there’s a fun video on YouTube from when the band played in St. Louis, a major city in Missouri along the Mississippi River in the United States, where one of the guys told Jeanine he loves her, and of course the band played along to make the experience even more fun.
As it happens to many, many bands and musicians out there, the girls from the Burning Witches have what can be called regular jobs, including of course Jeanine, but she said that luckily they all have great bosses who support them, saying that if they’re absent for several weeks then they take unpaid leave. “I work in sales, where it wasn’t always easy for the last three years – a lot was promised, but when it came down to it, they suddenly said I was here to work and you couldn’t make money with music anyway. But I was lucky enough to find a new job where I am now really supported. The whole thing is always based on reciprocity. I’m willing to give a lot, but I expect something in return. But this flexibility is not a matter of course, especially in sales, so I was really lucky.” Moreover, on the music side of business, Jeanine is very happy with all the support the band gets behind the scenes from VO Pulver (Poltergeist, Gurd), Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer (Destruction) and Damir Eskic (Destruction). “It’s definitely not the case that Schmier dictates anything to us, like getting involved in the songwriting or something like that, we really enjoy total freedom there. But of course we are also extremely happy about his input, after all he has been in the scene for over 30 years and brings a lot of experience with him. In the end we design the songs the way we want them to, but we also have an open ear for tips and ideas.”
Serpent and Stench are undoubtedly one of the most hardworking duos of the current Extreme Metal scene in the UK (and probably also worldwide), and you can give them a shout and let them know how much you love their austere, visceral music and their resilience by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their venomous music on Spotify or on Apple Music, and of course by purchasing their excellent new opus from the Great Dane Records’ BandCamp page. Put differently, Serpent and Stench are condemned to suffer under the full moon’s pale light, and they’re inviting us all to join them in that eternal darkness to the sound of their most bestial album to date.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 