Interview By Blackdiamond Progressive death metallers VOICE OF THE SOUL started life in Kuwait in 2007, now based in Lebanon and Dubai. Their first EP “Winds Of Apprehension” was released in 2009, followed by “Eyes Of Deceit” in 2010, before going on to release their most successful EP “Into Oblivion” in 2011.
VOICE OF THE SOUL recorded their debut full length album “Catacombs” in April 2014 at Haven Studios with Hadi Sarieddine from BENEVOLENT. The album was released last September in the UAE and at the end of March 2015 in Europe.
Blackdiamond caught up with vocalist and guitarist Kareem Chehayeb to discuss the new release and other topics, including the metal scene in the Middle East. On this subject Kareem stated:
“I think it’s getting better overall. Dubai is having a lot of club shows and a lot of bands are starting to look at Dubai as a place to hit before continuing on to Asia. So we’ve seen bands like Obscura and Krisiun. I think in terms of pulling off these big fest shows it has to be the legendary bands, like the Big Four kind of bands, Sabbath and so on.Lebanon has a big history with the scene and local shows with hundreds of people. But there’s a bit of government corruption despite it being a semi-democracy – the police break into clubs and cause some problems. It’s easy to mess around with such a small group like metal fans, as opposed to the electronic scene which is funded by big nightclubs and sponsors. But bands still play here, there was a bit of a slump but I think it’s going up right now. But I think it depends on the political climate.” You can listen to the full interview on the audio player below:
For more information on VOICE OF THE SOUL, visit their official Facebook page at this location and Bandcamp here.
NADER SADEK is an Egyptian-American death metal band, created and named after the artist with the same name. Known for his stage masks and costumes design for Mayhem and Sunn O))), he decided to create a band and started to write lyrics. So, after months of songwriting, he released in 2011 the first album “In The Flesh” along with members of Aura Noir, Morbid Angel, Mayhem and Cryptopsy. In 2014, together with members of Cryptopsy, Aura Noir, Sepultura, Cattle Decapitation and Decapitated, Nader Sadek released a new EP called “The Malefic: Chapter III”.
One of Metal Shock Finland‘s readers, Carla Predan had a chance to do her first-ever interview with Nader Sadek himself, talking about his music, art, latest project “The Malefic: Chapter III” and his upcoming EP.
Hello Nader, how are you doing?
NS: I’m great, thanks. Looking forward for my next projects and next year.
You are known as a visual artist, when did you start doing this and why do you make music?
NS: I started drawing as a child, some people noticed it and encouraged me to continue. Eventually, growing up I realized that life is an art, we are all artists, one way or another, just because someone can draw, play the guitar or sculpt, that’s not that makes an artist and to me making art is mental process, the ideas and chasing to realize and materialize into reality. And so with this philosophy I decided to tackle everything, I was ambitious to experiment with every medium out there. I like music a lot so naturally I was drawn into producing something into that field.
You do masks and you also made the stage costumes and masks for Attila Csihar of Mayhem and for Sunn O))). What material you are using to create them and are there any other artists you made such pieces for?
NS: It’s made of silicone, a two part chemical compound, it’s what I use for most objects I create, whether sculpture or masks/costumes and yeah I made for a few artists, one of them is David Nesselhauf, also a band I made the video for and I made the masks for, I made also for the super-star Andrew W.K, he is a big fan of Attila Csihar and he loved my work so he asked me to make one for him as well.
Let’s talk about music, in 2011 you released the album “In The Flesh”, who are the musicians you collaborated with for this album?
NS: Everytime I do something it involves many people, most of them are people I worked from the beginning, Attila Csihar, Tony Norman and Destructhor.
Was it a success?
NS: Most people seemed to like it more than I expected so I guess yeah.
Last year saw you released a new EP “The Malefic:Chapter III”. How did the recordings go? Did you record it with the same line up as your first album?
NS: Not really, I decided to stay with 3 of them from the previous album and the process was very different.
How was the songwriting process for this EP? Was it you who wrote the songs?
NS: I together with Rune Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir) and Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy). I wrote the very first riffs on the record on Deformation By Incison song, I wrote all the lyrics and phrasing too. Originally I had a different idea for vocals, but this turned out great, but I had something else in my mind, especially I liked using Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation) for the voice effect, he adds so much with his unreal lows screams, but for his lows I find them unemotional and kind of flat. I made the phrasing so that it suits my taste exactly which is an attempt to be catchy, but also make an effort to not be as repetitive music and make it being boring. It was quiet a challenge because I was doing it for the first time.
Can you tell me about your influences? What inspires you?
NS: As far as art is inspiration, my favorite is Gustave Dore, it’s pretty breathtaking but as far as outside I guess my life is so fucked up sometimes that it makes me do some things to move on and that’s the inspiration, enough.
And music-wise?
NS: Well at the moment I am not listening to music, I’m concentrating on our next record and I don’t like hearing things, even new ones. I’ll listen whatever a friend played, it helps me get motivated to search a library in my mind.
Have you started already to record some new stuff?
NS: Yes, the new EP is near completion and the next one is about to be recorded.
What is the theme of the new EP and who designed the artwork for it?
NS: I made the painting for the cover. The theme that is told throughout the three chapters of The Malefic and this is the end of the chapter.
Between heaven and hell, it’s about souls being trapped and a man’s mission is to free them but ends tragically for everyone. I don’t want to spoil it, I think people will enjoy reading the illustrated book which will be along with the 3 chapters of the story.
Do you see a bright future with your band in metal scenes, especially in death metal?
NS: I see a bright future for this project, yeah, but it’s not a band actually, it’s just a collection of musicians to create an album. It has never had such ’’solid” members.
And to close this interview, a message to your fans?
NS: Thanks to everyone who has been following me into this crazy journey.
Thank you Nader for your time, wish you all the best!!
Polish black/death metal machine NEOLITH, formed in 1991, recently released their new album “Izi.Im.Kurnu-Ki”(“Fire.Wind.Hell”) via Non Serviam Records. The album was recorded at Creative Studio and Kola Studio (Winter 2013/2014), mixed and mastered by Tom Zalewski at Zed Studio (March 2014). The new tracks are far more advanced, aggressive and brutal if you compare them to the familiar black/death metal style of Neolith from earlier recordings.
The lyrics speak of the Gods that are. The Gods that have been. The Gods that shall be. The concept might seem vague, misleading and deceitful in its meaning. Make no mistake here! These words are first and foremost to honour En-Ki – Lord of the Earth and His incredible journey from the stars to us, His flesh and blood. And yet it is just a humble touch of “The Lost Book of En-Ki”.
Recently Tarja Virmakari had a chat with NEOLITH‘s drummer Irek “Beast” Gawlik, which was his first ever audio interview in English. Tarja and Irek discussed in detail about this new effort, but also their 7″ vinyl release together with the resurrected Polish Death Metal legend BETRAYER. Join the chat below to hear all about this and more:
Since releasing their debut album “World Detonation” in 2012, British metallers REIGN OF FURY have been pretty busy lads! They are very active on the live circuit and also personally planned and performed a 12 date UK tour for the charity “Headbangers Balls” (raising funds and awareness for testicular cancer and the Teenage Cancer Trust) two years running.
The band have recently announced they will appear at this years’ Bloodstock Open Air Festival, which takes place at Catton Hall, Derbyshire, from 6-9th August. REIGN OF FURY also have a run of UK dates, the first one starting today, 3rd April.
I caught up with vocalist Bison Steed recently and we discussed newly released album “Death Be Thy Shepherd”, touring, future plans and more. Check out the full chat on the audio player below. (Apologies for the echo in places, due to the Skype recorder)
Listen to one of the new album tracks ‘All Is Lost’:
One of the most beautiful Italian metal voices, ROBERTO TIRANTI (Labyrinth, A.P.D., Mangala Vallis, Ken Hensley’s Live Fire) released his debut solo album “Sapere Aspettare” at the beginning of February 2015, via Old Mill Records, capturing the essence of Roberto’s 26 years of music. The album has many friends as guests, involved in the making of this important first step towards what Roberto defines “freedom”, including: Stef Burns, Aldo De Scalzi, Irene Fornaciari, Mattia Stancioiu and Marco Barusso.
Active on the national and international music scene since 1996, Roberto Tiranti was in NEW TROLLS for seven years, participating in two Sanremo Festivals and taking part in more than 400 live shows. From 1997 to 2014 he was the lead singer of LABYRINTH, the leader of the heavy metal genre in Italy recording 7 albums and touring worldwide. Roberto’s career includes several collaborations with Ian Paice (Deep Purple) Martin Barre and Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull), Glenn Hughes, Fairport Convention etc. Currently he is the lead singer/bassist with Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep, recording the album “Trouble” in 2013. Other band members are Ken Ingwersen (guitar) and Tom Arne Fossheim (drums), with whom Roberto Tiranti launched the project, WONDERWORLD.
Recently Tarja Virmakari “met” Roberto Tiranti via Skype webcam, talking about his years in NEW TROLLS and LABYRINTH, how his collaboration with URIAH HEEP’s Ken Hensley started, about new project WONDERWORLD he launched with Ken and other members, and of course Roberto talked in detail about his debut solo album “Sapere Aspettare”. Among the topics was also VERDE LAURO, a Cultural Project which has added music to some of the poems belonging to Francesco Petrarca’s opera: “Canzoniere” (commonly Anglicised as Petrarch (1304-1374) was an Italian scholar and poet in Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists). At the end of the interview, Roberto offers to Metal Shock Finland‘s readers the exclusive acoustic live version for the song “I Remember” from his debut “Sapere Aspettare”, to listen to it and to discover more about all the discussed topics, please join the chat below.
How do you introduce, in a proper way, one of the most searched musicians, teachers, songwriters and producers worldwide? Maybe it’s better leave the name speak for itself: Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you Mr. ALESSANDRO DEL VECCHIO, involved in several bands, projects, and in Music with all it’s flavours and genres.
Hardworking Italian Bluesman, with an international Rock edge and attitude! His curriculum vitae features some of the highest names in the rock scene. Worldwide artists such as Morris Albert, Ian Paice, Glenn Hughes, Steve Walsh, Andre Matos, Bob Harris, Bobby Barth, Axe, Eden’s Curse, Ken Hensley, James Christian, Robin Beck, Clive Bunker, Carmine Appice, Jeff Scott Soto, Clive Bunker, Time Machine, Scott McGuill, Igor Gianola, Marcel Jacob, Tony Franklin, Bernie Marsden are just few of the many that had Alessandro playing, singing both background and lead vocals, arranging or producing. He’s known for his Hammond playing, his furious key solos and his high-tenor vocals. He has records out with labels like EMI, EMI-Toshiba, Sony Music, Universal Music, Universal Music Japan, Nippon Crown, Spiritual Beast, King Records, Frontiers, Mtm Major Music, 7Hard, Avenue Of Allies, AFM, Metal Mayhem, Warner Bros Records. He has performed on more that 80 records and toured worldwide since 1999 as a pro musician.
Here would be enough material to write a book, therefore Tarja Virmakari found herself in the front of accurate Artist Study to be able to find the right key words to conduct an interview as an overview of Alessandro’s musical life. So, last week Tarja and Alessandro “met” via Skype webcam, and during this 1:14 hours long and pleasant chat, among the many topics, Alessandro talked about the recent and upcoming activities of REVOLUTION SAINTS, HARDLINE, EDGE OF FOREVER, VOODOO CIRCLE, RATED X, LEVEL 10 and VERDE LAURO. Besides these, Tarja and Alessandro talked about his production work at Frontiers Music and the upcoming second edition of Frontiers Rock Festival, and his work as teacher and vocal coach at Lizard Academy. Alessandro also paid his own tribute to Fergie Frederiksen and Mike Porcaro, also talking about the great Jason Becker and his inestimable career. He also revealed his big dream about the band he would love to work with… To discover more about these and all the discussed topics, please sit down and join the chat below.
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
For more information on VOICE OF THE SOUL, visit their official Facebook page at this location and Bandcamp here.
Since releasing their debut album “World Detonation” in 2012, British metallers REIGN OF FURY have been pretty busy lads! They are very active on the live circuit and also personally planned and performed a 12 date UK tour for the charity “Headbangers Balls” (raising funds and awareness for testicular cancer and the Teenage Cancer Trust) two years running.
