Vendetta Metal Magazine Circa 2015

 

 


 

Vendetta Metal Magazine mission was to provide unsigned and small bands a platform that would allow them to reach a wider audience.
For several years, this was their website.
Content is from the site's 2015 archived pages providing a brief glimpse of what this site offered
To listen to the music of some of the bands that promoted go to:https://vendettametalmagazine.bandcamp.com/.

 

Vendetta Metal Magazine is an attempt to provide unsigned and small bands a platform to distribute names, records and interviews to a wider audience. It seems as if (online) magazines, these days, are dominated by record companies and in the times of digital demo submissions these same magazines are swept over with demos. Even upon sending a physical copy, review of the record, which is always a financial loss to early-career bands, is not guaranteed.

We intend to reverse this. We provide a guarantee for review when our demo submission guidelines are met.

~~~

Compatible: Jump ahead to 2021. It was just a year ago, just before the Covid 19 pandemic hit the US that my mother moved into Hart Heritage Estates, an assisted living facility in Forest Hills, Maryland. What a wretched, stress filled year it has been. Once it became clear that nursing homes and other facilities housing elderly people were seeing high morbidity rates due to the virus, the two Hart Heritage Estates facilities put into place rigid safety rules. The only contact we had with my mother was via facetime. It wasn't until last month that family members were actually allowed to visit. All residents and workers at Hart Heritage Estates have been vaccinated as have I and now my young adult children. My son came to visit his gramma last week for the first time. They both have a love of music and when Vendetta Metal Magazine still was live on the web, my son, then a teenager and very much into the desire to play in a band and have their music reviewed by Vendetta Metal Magazine, would intently discuss with his gramma why his music was as good as what he read about and listened to on the Vendetta Metal Magazine website. My son still is playing in a band and writing music, but he now has other interests that he is pursuing. He spent the afternoon with my mother outside photographing birds and the emerging spring flowers on the 6.5 acres of park-like grounds surrounding the Hart Heritage Estates facility. Being able to enjoy nature in every season is one of the reasons that helped us decide this was a good place for my mother. If you live in the Bel Aire area of Maryland I would suggest you check out their web site.

~~~

The Vendetta crew:

Polaris

Is the founder of Vendetta Metal Magazine and the editor, writer, reviewer and interviewer. Has been involved in the metal scene for almost 25 years and plays in several Black Metal bands. He is a researcher and works as deputy editor for a renowned research journal.

Miguel Sanchez

A 35-year-old, avid consumer of metal. Has been listening to metal since he was about 8 years old. Is also a professional teacher, so has over ten years of practice in the line of evaluating and grading. His objective is to bring more of a listener centered approach to reviewing. Reviewer and co-founder of Vendetta Metal Magazine.

Rnt

Web-designer and co-founder of Vendetta Metal Magazine.

Mickey Thin

23 year old Mickey Thin has been playing in bands for 8 years ranging from pop punk to alt-rock. He is the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist of alt-rock band Never A Hero and has a strong passion for anything hardcore.

Raud Ulf

A UK based Freelance photojournalist. For 10 years I have been covering some of the biggest names in metal, striving all the time to go above and beyond to bring out the best of each artist I cover.

Peksi Nyrhinen

Aged 19 for eight years and running, sporting a blond hair that borderlines on angelic and a killer moustache that borderlines on Freddie Mercury, this man is truly a sight to behold. Likes to rock out to The Hellacopters for 25 hours a day, and spends what time is left over writing for the Finnish Kaaoszine, and now Vendetta as well!

Pedro Ribeiro

He lives in O’Porto, Portugal and loves to write and learn new languages. Music is his passion especially when it comes to metal.

Dedicated to helping smaller bands he puts his writing skills at heavyhardmetalmania disposal and now joins Vendetta to the cause.

C:R:A

…is a 37-year-old native northern German, who got infected with KISS at the age of 7. From that time on music became an essential part of his life that led to him to being in bands from the age of 15 on. All for the fame, the fortune, the money and – of course – girls! Sadly as it is, the fame, fortune and money part did not work out, but still he is active in 3 bands. His listening-range in metal – or music in the whole – is widely spread, although he prefers the rock, doom or really harsh things. “A good song is a good song – no matter what musical style it is.”

Austin

Austin hails from the United States. The fun and thrill of hearing a band’s demo or early work is what led him to Vendetta. With an open mind and a black keyboard, he’s ready give some honest thoughts about this crazy thing called “metal”!

 

Schwarz

Ex officio member of Vendetta Metal Magazine. He is the lead guitarist, vocalist and composer in the band Crimsonology as well as lead guitarist, composer and manager of Roadkill Decorum.

Álvaro Madrid (a.k.a. Vegazza Valentine)

A close collaborator of Vendetta Metal Magazine and owner of European Metal Channel.

 



SPECIAL FEATURE: Negative Vibe Records

January 23, 2015

Uniting and supporting the underground of metal is an outspoken goal of Vendetta Metal Magazine. But we are not the only ones with this attitude, of course. Another approach is presented by the small Norwegian label Negative Vibe Records!

Building A Strong and Positive-minded Underground

Metal scenes are something which used to be divided into fragments hailing death metal, black metal or groove metal. But then things changed and the different camps merged, joined each other and fused to become one. But then in places like black metal Mekka Oslo, Norway, a scene hadn’t really existed at all for quite some time and consisted mainly of scattered elements. This is what in 2010 two young Norwegians, Kristoffer and Audun, wanted to change. Having played in a hardcore/metal band called Blodspor, the two planned to organise a festival called ‘Unite the Underground’ “showcasing a vast variety of hard-hitting hardcore and metal acts and give them a chance to shine”, as they say. Because they saw that there were many bands that had fantastic material and were awesome live acts but having no professional promotion. However, they confess that also a ‘my band is better than yours’ mentality was indeed present, blocking a concerted effort to support one another. But while the festival never materialised, Kristoffer and Audun decided to take matters into their own hands and form a music collective under the banner Negative Vibe Records (NVR), that helps each other out to reach the same goals rather than competing for it. “A good old ‘if you’ll scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’-mentality.”

But starting a record label in times when physical CDs become more and more replaced by digital releases is a challenge. Yet, the NVR-folks, by now are group of seven people, are neither naïve nor deterred by challenging market conditions. Negative Vibe Records is after all a “DIY non-profit label and we feel that the most important thing is to spread good music we believe in, be it digitally or physically.” And it is their conviction that metal and hardcore fans stay true to their genre and purchase records one way or the other. And although NVR is a metal label the collective does not shy away from incorporating other elements, too. Because, as they say, “metal is a state of mind rather than just a musical form.” And to this end Negative Vibe Records hosts bands, such as Serenity Trace, which is “a futuristic hardcore band fueled with aggression and a lot of electronic supplements. Then there is the unsettling six-headed beast that is Shaving the Werewolf; Provocative lyrics, relentless riffs, trumpets and psychotic electronics drizzled with almost jazzlike parts!”

Negative Vibe Record

To this end, it is the mindset that steers the path of NVR and the unity and collaboration that comes with the interest to support one another. There is a belief in the strength in number and the power of networking to reach the same goal. To this end, their printing takes place in Oslo-based Tunes Printing and also collaborate with a small DIY-label called Disiplin Media. And bearing in mind that selling records is becoming increasingly difficult, “playing live is one of the most important and best ways to promote your band.” To this end, a solid live performance is one of the main criteria for Negative Vibe Records to sign a band, which, in turn, gets promoted through release gigs, radio spots, online and print media, and through the label’s Facebook and web pages. But apart from the strengths on stage, great emphasis is put on the band’s attitude. Therefore an informal chat takes place before signing in order to determine whether the bands “share our point of view, have positive values and want to contribute and be dedicated to what we try to do.” Negative Vibe Records is therefore not interested in musicians that choose their instrument or genre based on how much money they can get: “No bullshit, no image-before-quality piss, just solid people that want to have a lot of fun.” But a better known band would of course be a welcome way to spread the name and attitude of the label, as long as it “fits the profile of the label and supports the same causes as all the other bands.”

At the moment the label has focused on Norwegian bands only, because of the logistics related to creating a “strong and positive-minded, underground community.” But this does not mean that foreign bands will not be signed in the future “as long as bands fit our label and can relate a 100 percent to our cause.” All demos are listened to and the Negative Vibe Records attempts to respond to every submission personally. Indeed, there is always a look-out for new bands and therefore demo submission is encouraged. Also, the label hopes that likeminded smaller independent labels and distros get in touch in order to build reach the goal of a united metal underground.

If you feel you fit the profile of the label, get in touch at contact@negativevibe.net

On 2 February 2015 Blodspor will release their second album ‘A Healthy Dose of Hatred’ via Negative Vibe. Vendetta Metal Magazine is proud to offer an exclusive stream for the record between 26 January to 2 February. Also Shaving The Werewolf’s new EP ‘You Say Tomato, I Say Fuck Off’ will be released on the same day.

 



 

2Metal for Nepal Earthquake Relief

May 13, 2015

Nepal has been struck by two major earthquakes and experts fear that more are to come. With a GDP of around 19.9 billion US dollars, the country is considered one of the poorest countries in the world. As a consequence, help for remote communities that suffer from the earthquake’s consequences is tenacious.

Nepalese bands, whose members also reside outside Nepal, have now come together to release a Nepal earthquake relief compilation. By donating a few dollars you can listen to some awesome Nepalese punk and metal. All donations go to the Jai Nepal Youth Group, a DIY group to provide different kinds of help for the survivors of the quake in the Kavre, Sindupalchowk, Makwanpur and Nuwakot districts. JNYG cooperates further with the Energy Environment Research and Development Center.

Every dollar counts!

 



 

Interview: Victor Brandt (Entombed A.D. and others)

July 15, 2015

Vendetta Metal Magazine is a zine for underground and demo bands only. But sometimes we make an exception to that rule. This time in the form of Victor Brandt, bassist for the legendary Entombed A.D. and, as you will see, several other bands. Spoiler alert: there is some serious death metal coming our way. 

Hey Victor! Thank you so much for taking some time off your busy schedule in order to answer a couple of questions for our humble Vendetta Metal Magazine. First of all, how is it going with Entombed A.D.? You’ve been quite heavily touring the new album, haven’t you?Hi Polaris! Thank you for doing the interview. Always a pleasure. Things are going well with Entombed A.D. We are currently working on our next album and also doing a few festivals in Europe. We have been touring quite a lot for our album “Back to the Front”. Asia, Europe, North and South America. Sometimes it has felt quite intense and exhausting but since we had a bit of a problematic situation with an ex member it has been a relief and true pleasure to finally be able to work as much as we want. So it feels great. As long as we get a few breathers in between the tours we can go on forever. You’ve been also playing in Entombed before the band became Entombed A.D. Apart from Hellid not being in the band, does the band also stand for a new musical era? Or will you continue where Entombed left off?Yes. After I left Satyricon I joined Entombed. Well, we are basically doing the same thing in my opinion. Check out our album ‘Back to the Front’ to hear for yourself.

Victor1

Speaking of new musical eras… You’ve been quite a beast with regard to pushing metal forward. Starting off with Dominion, you’re still active in Totalt Jävla Mörker, performed as bassist for Satyricon, Six Feet Under, Witchery, Aeon… joined Entombed and now even have a new band starting up: Firespawn. How do you manage to do all these things at the same time? You obviously feel some kind of passion for performing, don’t you?

Well thank you very much! Very cool to hear! I have written, recorded and performed with Akani(with members of At the Gates, Merauder and ex. Dark Tranquility/Soilwork), Science(looks like the album won’t be released though) and Djerv(only live) from Norway. It has always been a huge goal in my life to be a full time musician and I really enjoy a new challenge. As long as I can fit it into my schedule. Firespawn is very exciting since I have written all the music myself. But we are a band and every members opinions or ideas are important. I also get to play guitar here wich feels quite forbidden since I usually play bass:) Well to answer your question. As long as you love doing what you are doing, I think it usually works really well to find time and make time to make things work. It is also very important to have fun and enjoy what you are doing. That is key to keep a good work ethic. Performing live is probably my favorite part of playing music. I really enjoy the social part of being in a touring band as well. But I think I MUST give my all to music. In a way it’s a blessing and a curse. It has always been that way but I am grateful for it. Music has been my Only interest for as long as I can remember but now I am very interested in craft beer too. It’s nice to do something not related to music sometimes. Or a good book.Aren’t you getting tired of the constant touring, the constant drinking and the constant noise? Or is this pure bliss for you?

Victor3

I really love touring and as long as it is a well organized tour with good conditions I think I could go on non stop. You really appreciate a good venue with nice people working there. A nice tour bus always helps too. I don’t drink that much, in my opinion I guess. Since I discovered craft beer industrial beer does not taste the same as i used to. So if we don’t have anything I really enjoy to drink I stick to water. People don’t drink alcohol every day on other more regular jobs so why should I? We did a long tour with Grave last year. 38 gigs in a row. No days off. That was kind of rough but if you get enough sleep and don’t drink too much you’ll be OK.

The constant noise can suck. I always have earplugs in my pocket and if you have some time of during the day you can go for a walk or something. I try to see “tour problems” as kind of a receipt of that you are where you actually want to be. If you are in a touring band, this is part of it.

I think many young bands would like to tour all the time. What would you say to them, given that you have a long history of metal performing? What should one be aware of? What should one bear in mind before embarking on a tour? Are there may ripping-off jerks out there or are there mainly good organisers etc.?

Keep up the good work! Apart from that I would also advice to do the gigs and tours that makes sense. You don’t wanna lose money or get burnt out. I think there’s mainly good organizers but of course there are a few bad ones too. Talk to friends about their experiences or recommendations. Maybe get in touch with a booking agency? The music businesses – as any other businesses – is relentless and there are many voices out there that the age of record labels is over. Would you subscribe to that point of view? Or where do you see the main (dis-) advantages of having a record label in your back?

Well, I don’t think that much about that. Regardless of what happens  I still want to write music, record and perform, tour and then tour again. As long as you have a strong will and a vision, just keep going. Focus on your goal.

One of the reasons for the decline of the music industry in very general terms is often ascribed to illegal downloading as well as the rather recent streaming websites such as Spotify. I think, as a matter of fact, Century Media, Entombed (A.D.)’s label, were at some point not present on Spotify. What’s your take on the issue? Do you think downloading and streaming help bands and labels or rather compromise their success?

I do not download myself and I too think that Spotify for example is “too good to be true”. But I don’t care so much about it. Another reason to go on tour and sell merchandise to the good people that comes to the shows.

Victor4

Speaking of Century Media, aforementioned Firespawn have now signed with that label. Something tells me that we’re not dealing with a reggae band here. After all, the band consist of (former) members of Entombed, Necrophobic, Unleashed, Dark Funeral… how did this collaboration come to be? And what can we expect? Disco pop? No, wait, probably hip hop. Right?Yeah we are very excited to work with Century Media. It’s kind of hard to describe a creative process when you are in the middle of it. But it is definitely Death Metal. I think bands like Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Slayer might come to mind. I try not to label it, just focus on if we like it or not. If we do, it is good enough for us.

Can we expect some live shows with Firespawn? Or is this merely side project that is living in the confines of records only?

Yes! The first show is already booked. A Swedish festival called Mörkaste Småland in September.

I remember having heard Dominion for the first time – unfortunately only with the first and thus far only record ‘Born God and Aware’. Please, make my day and tell me that you have more Dominion-stuff coming out as well!

Thank you very much! But I’m afraid there’s nothing going on with Dominion right now. But I think you will enjoy Firespawn instead.

Anyway, Victor, I don’t want to keep you off the road for too long. After all, you probably have something to do. But if you’d like to say something to our humble readers, please do now.

I am actually tracking guitars for the new Firespawn album. So far it sounds great. Matte’s (Modin) drums are ready and they sound amazing! That guy can play! Thank you for the interview and thank you for reading, Keep supporting Metal and craft beer! All the best, Victor.

Thanks a lot for your time and I’m looking forward to hearing Firespawn and seeing you soon on stage (with whichever band)!

Firespawn

 

~~~~~

 



 

New Tenants – Unity by Collision

July 17, 2015

New Tenants – Unity by Collision

Origin: Buchloe, Germany
Type: Full-length
Songs: 9
Length: 36:10
Year:  

I realise now – this is definitely the final sign – that I’m a kid of the 1990s. Because around 15-20 years ago, there was this music genre which everybody seemed to get hooked on: Crossover! For me it started all with the legendary Body Count. Goddamn, what a killer time we had in high school listening to ‘Cop Killer’ (uhhhhh… illegal!). And then, a fews year later, came downset. and their self-titled debut. Do you remember ‘Anger’? And not to forget bands like H-Blockx or Clawfinger. And, of course, the brilliant hybrids: Anthrax/Public Enemy, Slayer/Onyx or Helmet/House of Pain. In other words: metal meets rap. Those were the early to mid 1990s. Then in the late 90s, early 2000s came a new wave: New metal. First of all, of course, Limp Bizkit. I’ve always, always, always hate those idiots. Korn and all those folks then came along and created something I’ve always despised to the bone.

It’s 2015 now and the year is more than half over. And something is coming back: Rap metal. Let me write that again, so that it really sinks in. Something is coming back: Rap metal. Rap metal? What?! I was truly in the belief that those days are over for good. But the first modern encounter I had with is was on Torture Pit’s new record ‘The Assassins Sessions’ and their rap metal song ‘Meine Armee’). But while that was just one song, the record under review now is a whole full-length: New Tenants‘ rap metal debut ‘Unity by Collision’.

When I held the record in my hands for the first time, saw the title and listened to it, tears of (teenage) joy ran down my cheek. It is really back! It think this has nothing to do with new metal and the hollow trash can people call Limp Bizkit. No, this record, from start to finish, captures what I just friggin’ loved as a teenager: the somewhat political lyrics, nicely performed by singer Jimmy, paired with stomping and groovy metal that just invites for some brutal stage-diving, pogo and all the stuff you did (I did) as a teenager when going to hardcore concerts. Yes, because once again I feel like bands such as New Tenants don’t care about genre boundaries. They just do whatever the hell they feel like. That alone deserves respect! And they feel like riffs that are not necessarily innovative, but that rather fulfil the purpose of further percussion instruments (take the opening riff of ‘You only know the half’, for example). In that sense, the focus of this record is not on the harmonic side of the string instruments, but rather on the rhythmical one.

Every now and then the vocals even make use of some heavier sounds. And every now and then I therefore even feel reminded of Slipknot although the brutal, groovy explosions of the Americans cannot be found on ‘Unity by Collision’. In fact, I sometimes found myself thinking that it could all be a bit heavier. Read: groovier. While the production is one thing, which I would consider all in all a little thin in light of the potential heaviness of the music, a notch more speed could add a nice extra portion of groove to the music. But then again, as said, New Tenants are not about heaviness or groove, but rather about rap. And I think that needs to be borne in mind.

Sure, there is something very odd about this record and rest assured, if you are absolutely not into rap kind-of-metal stay away from this! To me, this kind of music has the potential of being extremely annoying after a very short time. Luckily, New Tenants don’t push it and this record, with its 36+ minutes, seems to be over very quickly. And as said before, ‘Unity by Collision’ has in so many ways captured the essence of 1990s crossover, rap metal, rap core, or whatever the heck you want to call it. I know that I’ll get back to this one. Not all the time, but every now and then. And now I check my old CDs for some downset…. ‘Anger, hostility towards the opposition…’

Rating: 8 / 10

 



What Awaits Us – AWAKE

July 29, 2015

Origin: Hämeenlinna, Finland
Type: Album
Songs: 10
Length: 41:27
Year: 2014

Lately, my faith in destiny, justice and karma have once again taken a beating. Bad guys always seem to win. The world is a cruel, evil place. Like today for instance, I had one of the worst days of my life. I haven’t had a day this bad in who knows how long. Years, maybe decades. So, before we start, let me get it all off my chest, so hopefully I can make it through the week without ending my own life. Here goes: I lost four times IN A ROW at beach volleyball. I haven’t lost four times in a row at anything before, and boy, just thinking about it still hurts like hell.

So, in an attempt at cheering up, I started browsing through some of the albums that we had up for reviewing. Decent stuff for the most part, nothing extraordinary. Then an album, without any assigned genres or other details, shone through the masses, much like that one star did to Moses or whichever biblical character it was in one of the stories.. or something along the lines.

This analogy might’ve worked out better if I knew anything about the bible, come to think of it.

The album shone through like the neon “OPEN” -sign on the door of that one bar you hadn’t been thrown out of yet tonight does through the darkest of nights, guiding your way towards salvation.

See, this one worked out much better. The neon sign was a band from Finland, called What Awaits Us, and their debut album ‘AWAKE’.

It was love at first sight, really. I’m not much of a core fan, aside from exceptions like Parkway Drive, and — this is where I had to go and see what core bands I actually like – All That Remains. As if I’d strategically picked these two examples (by no means was it a complete accident), I also just realized why What Awaits Us works so well for me. It masterfully combines the melodic elements, and the constant changes in tempo à la Parkway Drive, with some of the more rock-influenced bits that are more up All That Remains’ alley. Thrash also makes an appearance, and there’s enough of it here to satisfy my needs.

You would not be entirely in the wrong if you called their music generic. Indeed, they seem to proudly wear their influences in their sleeves, so to speak. I’m pretty sure people who know more about core than I do could name influences even more spot-on than those I named. But that’s fine. Using a working recipe is fine, it’s how most music is made. It’s the little things What Awaits Us does that lifts them to the upper echelon in the packed-to-the-rafters sub-genre that is metalcore, and also what separates their kind of generic from the other kinds of generic. The bad kinds of generic.

They are not afraid of using elements that could be deemed unconventional. Interesting, non-typical chord progressions, song structures that are not afraid of experimentation borderlining on progressive at times, unexpected and seemingly very original drum patters, and so on. The music is not genre re-defining, but it’s original enough to stand on it’s own two feet, head and shoulders above the ten thousand million other core bands formed within the last week or so. To separate themselves from the masses, and that’s what it’s all about, really.

There really aren’t any weak songs on the album, but I’d like to specifically point out the three songs that ended up as my favorites. I also feel that these three best highlight all the things the band does right. You can easily find the tracks on Spotify and probably Youtube as well, so go and take a listen to at least these three. If you don’t like them, fine. If you can’t be assed to listen, then you’re just a straight up god damned moron, with no hope of redemption.

‘Ascend’ is possibly the purest metalcore track on the album. An easy introduction to what they do, and while it is indeed the easiest track on the album, it’s also just a damned good piece of metalcore, pure and simple. ‘Event Horizon’, then, showcases some of those interesting spices I mentioned earlier, while not forgetting for a second that they are here to kick ass and chew bubblegum; and the bubblegum reserves are getting thinner by the minute. ‘Ghosts Recede’ is the most aggressive and thrashy song here, and quite possibly because of that, it also ends up being my favorite song on the album.

I’m having a bit of a hard time coming up with negatives here. The woman on the cover of the album isn’t smiling, and I like women who smile. And the font size in the back cover varies in size from song to song. It’s that kind of half-assed inconsistency that leads to genocides. I can’t really even complain about the production here. It could be better, since the production could ALWAYS be better, but there’s nothing particularly wrong with it either. Maybe it’s a bit on the metallic side of things, and on the other hand, would benefit from a slightly larger soundscape. But that’s the best I can do as far as negatives go. The more I listen to this album, the more I like it, and I’m normally not a big fan of the genre.

I’m rambling again. Bottomline, this album is worth both your time and your money. Masterfully crafted, and full of little surprises, like a two dollar Taiwanese prostitute. While it’s still very much metalcore at heart, it dances merrily around the usual shortcomings of the genre, and gives the old rulers of the genre a good run for their money. Brilliant debut, fellas. Keep it going.

Rating: 9.5/10

– Peksi –

 



 

Interview: New Tenants

October 5, 2015

Polaris thought new metal was dead. Well, he was wrong. New Tenants from Buchloe, Germany, show how it’s done. Let’s see what singer Jimmy has to say.

Hey there, 
let me begin by saying that you really (positively) surprised me with your long player ‘Unity by Collision’! Are we back in the 1990s and you’re going on tour with .downset? Or are you paying a tribute to a music genre which appeared to have disappeared?

First off…Thank you very much! :) Well..sadly we are not on tour in the 90s….but yeah it is a tribute to the great bands of the 90s that we all grew up listening to and who of course started this whole genre.
Also we wanted to create our own new style and show people that it has not completely disappeared. We‘ve had so many people come up to us at concerts with huge smiles on their faces saying that listening to us made them feel like 16 again…like back in the day.

Has the style that the New Tenants play been a natural choice due to your musical influences or have you made that choice consciously, given that there has been a significant lack of convincing crossover/new metal bands (until the New Tenants that is)?

New Tenants3

It was definitely a natural choice. This is the music we all grew up to. So it was clear to us from the beginning that this is what we would be doing.

Back in the day rap metal / new metal, or whatever you want to call it, was a rather prominent thing in Germany. Just think about H-Blockx. Was it difficult to reinvigorate this style and find musicians that actually want to write and perform this style?

Oh man…yeah…it just really blew up here in Germany…then all of a sudden it just…sort of vanished. So it did take a few years to find the people that were on the same page.

How long have the New Tenants been around as a band anyway? Have you always played with this line up? And what are you guys the new tenants of?

Alex, Pirmin and Marcel knew each other a long time before the band was formed but have always been making that style of music together. Then around the end of 2013 Marcel got into a conversation with me and asked if I would like to join the band.

You guys are from the small town of Buchloe in Bavaria. I suppose there is not a big music scene there or am I mistaken? Or will Buchloe become the centre of new metal in Germany?

Well…I‘d say there is quite a present music scene here. Especially in the surrounding towns and citys like Munich, Kempten or Füssen. But of course it would be nice if we could Buchloe on the map.

Obviously your lyrics play an important role, given that the rap-elements cannot be underestimated. Does ‘Unity by Collision’ follow a concept, a red thread, or does each song is lyrically a stand-alone piece?

Some songs are inspired by…trials and tribulations, struggles, overcoming obtacles. You know…..Life!! And of course things going on nowadays that should be paid attention to. Then others are just to have a good time to. But we try to make each one a indivdual for itself.

Have you taken your sound onto Germany’s (or other countries’) stages a lot? Or are you planning on doing so?

We‘ve played in several towns and citys here in the area…and yeah we would love play in different countries someday soon.

New Tenants2

‘Unity by Collision’ has a very solid and professional sound although you released it yourselves. How did the recording and production come about?

Thanks! Well we were lucky enough to know somebody who has a friend with a recording studio. It was financed with whatever we took in from our shows.

How have the responses to your record been in the press and by the fans?

The responses and support that we get from our fans and the press here is just incredible. They‘re absolutely awesome! And we appreciate them all.

How does the future of the New Tenants look? Do you have any plans for touring and/or for recording a successor to ‘Unity by Collision’?

We have a few things planned in the near future….one being our first music video release next month during our Bavarian tour. And there will definitely be another Album. Obviously we would love to play at some festivals…But I‘d have to say that one of our biggest dreams right now is to play the ‘Vans Warped Tour’. :)

Thanks for your time and all the best to you in the future! If you’d like to say something else, please do so!

Thanks alot for this great interview. We really appreciate it. Message to everybody: SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SCENE!

Cheers!

 



 

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