THE METAL TIMES

Friday, March 22, 2019

Phrenia / Perspectives

The story has begun in 2012 with a musical project named AFZ, which had two members, Zoltán Nagy and Szabolcs Sebők. AFZ had a repertoire of covers of famous pop and rock songs. They interpreted it with acoustic instrumentation. They have gained a bigger following after they covered Mizu by Flour in a rock version. It was after this event that they have decided to carry on the path of making heavier covers of popular songs. A new member joined the gang, Julián Gordán, who was a local guitar player. The success have contiued to grow so they kept pushing it to the next level. Lately they recorded and produced a cover of a cartoon soundtrack. It was the theme of Pokemon, in Hungarian, which they covered in the genre of metalcore. In 2013 the trio decided to start performing their songs live, so they started looking for new members. Soon they have found the first few band members: Péter Horváth - drums, Attila Nagy - guitar, Zsolt Kovács - bass, Zoltán Nagy - vocals, Julian Gordán - guitar, vocals, Szabolcs Sebők - keyboards. It was at this point they choose the name Phrenia for their band, which comes from the word schizophrenia.
AThe genre of Phrenia is a crossover between modern pop music and metalcore. Their sound comes from combining elements of heavy, riff centric guitar playing with ambient, trance parts. The influence of electronic music plays a big role in their music, so does the catchy vocal melodies, infused with screaming vocals at parts. The purpose of making this sound was to make the crowd feel that they are listening to a pop and a metal band in the same time. They also wanted to please fans of both genres. In 2014, the band Phrenia has recorded their first music video for their song called Falling Down. The video editing and shooting was performed by Tamás Kiss (TK:Filmproduktion). This video gained a lot of attention. Around 10,000 people have watched it. Their second music video was for the song We Are The Clowns, which was also directed by Tamás Kiss. While the song Falling Down dealed with the inner struggles of a person, We Are The Clows was their first critique of the society we live in.

In 2015 the band had to change their pass player Zsolt Kovács due to personal reasons. The new bass guitarist was Iván Simoni, who influenced the sound with his funky-oriented playing style. In 2016 Phrenia has recorded yet another music video, but this time for a cover. They interpreted Hello by Adele, which was a very popular song at that time. Thanks for the song choice, a lot of new people have discovered the band. It was the same year they managed to put out their debut full-lenght album named Million Miles. The album came out thanks to a local record label, Nocturne Media. They put out another music video for a song in the album, named Perfect Life. It was also directed by Tamás Kiss. They premiered the album Million Miles live at the Zeppelin Club in Senta, with the help of other local bands. This event was a really memorable one, it was a full house concert.
In 2017 Phrenia have played their biggest show yet, supporting the band Road at the venue called Barba Negra Track. It was at the same year they had to let go one of their guitar players, Attila Nagy. Their first TV appearance was in 2017, when they were interviewed live on M2 - Petőfi TV, in the program called „Én Vagyok Itt”. In the same year their have started working on new material. The sound has matured but embraced even more electronic influenced than before. Their named the new EP Perspectives and it was released in March of 2018. The reason this was a unique release was that they wrote two song with Hungarian lyrics. They have also released a lyric video for one of the songs on the EP, which is named Invisible. This video was made by Endre Szabó (Orkotic). Thanks to the songs with Hungarian lyrics the band have gained an even bigger following in Hungary. Later on they released another music video directed by Tamás Kiss, for their song Vakfolt. Phrenia's EP Perspectives was performed live at Zeppelin Club. The two supporting acts were the bands Nova Prospect and Down For Whatever. Thanks to the success of this event, they managed to go on tour in Hungary and Serbia as well, with the two bands mentioned.
The band is amongst the few who managed to gain a following in Serbia, Hungary and in other countries as well and is still active. The band is quite popular in Vojvodina, which is the northern region of Serbia. Phrenia also had the chance to share the stage with successful bands such as Jinjer (Napalm Records), Subscribe, FISH!, ROAD, AWS, Plavi Orkestar, Nagy Feró, Fatal Error and many more. They are now preparing to play with band USEME at a venue called A38 in Budapest. Their most viewed cover is the one they interpreted the theme of Pokemon. This upload has around 230,000 views on YouTube. This song is the most popular in the US and in Hungary as well. Besides that, their original songs are fairly popular as well. Their biggest hits are the tracks Vakfolt, Falling Down and We Are The Clowns.
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SIGNS OF HUMAN RACE Delve Into An ‘Inner Struggle Of Self-Acceptance’

Italian progressive, avant-garde metal group Signs Of Human Racewrite songs that deal strongly with human psychology and feelings.
Those core ideas are explored in depth on Inner Struggle Of Self-Acceptance, the band’s first full-length album. The album is made of five songs, each one having its own style, influence and meaning, showing the band’s sound evolution.

Track by track: (in the words of the band)
The first song, Dreaming Reality, refers to one of the singer’s favorite psychological topics: lucid dreaming. It talks about how our dreams are strictly connected to what we live each day and the possibility that reality is hidden inside our nocturnal visions.

Following this is Above The Languages Of Life, a song that explains the importance of non-verbal communication in social interactions.

The third track, called Journey Into Self Reflection, explores the mind of a person affected by different kinds of personality disorder and his attitude towards other people.

The fourth song is Of Love And Misgiving. It describes the feelings of a man who falls in love but hesitates to get involved in a relationship because of his fear of disappointments caused by strong human relations.

The last track is named Choking In Hopeless Agony and it’s an introspective song describing the feelings of a depressed person who has lost trust in the world and struggles between desperation and hope of a new beginning.

Inner Struggle Of Self-Acceptance | Released March 26th, 2019 on Sliptrick Records

Track Listing:
01. Dreaming Reality | 02. Above The Languages Of Life | 03. Journey Into Self Reflection | 04. Of Love And Misgiving | 05. Choking In Hopeless Agony

Signs Of Human Race are:
Remek James Robertson – Vocals | Diego Lorenzi – Guitars | Davide Brighenti – Bass | Samuele Leonard Sereno – Drums

Band links: Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | On Sliptrick

UK Thrashers REAPER-X Are On The ‘Rise’

British thrash metal group Reaper-X arrive on the scene with their debut album Rise, released worldwide via Sliptrick Records. The album consists of 9 tracks, each with its own story to tell and covering a range of topics and current day events such as war, suicide and even simply going to metal shows to mosh and have a good time.

Track by track:
The album starts with a dark and looming instrumental entitled Death Resurrected that sets the tone for the album.

Instantly afterwards, you are met with Carl’s monstrous drum solo that starts the track Blood In The Air. Scott Austin’s powerful vocals kick in and give a clear sense of what this song portrays which is that Reaper-X mean business, with vocal lines such as “we’re here to destroy, we’re here to make noise” giving an adrenaline fueled deliverance on the topic.

The following track Reaper is a dark, brooding, slow paced song which mirrors its title, deep heavy low end guitar and almost limerick style vocals make this track hard and heavy throughout.

The song Fury In Flames is a flashback to all of the thrash metal of old with lots of palm muted riffs and solos and catchy chorus lines that made thrash metal so popular to begin with.

In a change of pace, Adrift shows the diversity of the band as it is a ballad of sorts, combining clean guitar and vocals with the more aggressive distorted guitars and solos. This is really Scott Austin’s moment as he shows off his vocal range and portrayal of emotion through his voice. Mark Innocent also delivers a powerful and emotional solo to close out the song.

The track Diplomatic Solution is a perfect mix of hardcore metal with a hint of power metal as the dynamics of the song change throughout, touching on powerful subjects such as war, this track is very complex.

Then comes the albums title track entitled Rise. This song is slow and heavy with catchy lyrics and breakdowns throughout, encouraging people to “rise up” against violence and stand their ground through impossible odds.

Red Menace follows and is a fast, aggressive song touching on the subject of communism and oppression. It is full of melody and high energy segments to get the blood flowing.

Finally, the album closes with Noose which tells a story of dealing with suicide. With its hard and aggressive style followed by its clean melodic chorus, tells the tale from both sides and ends with the decent into madness which is portrayed by the quickness in tempo and the shred solo that closes out the album.

Rise | Released March 12th, 2019 on Sliptrick Records/M2BA

Mixed mastered and produced by Neil Hudson at Initiate audio and media.

Reaper-X are:
Scott Austin – Vocals | Mark Innocent – Lead Guitar | Drew Reilly – Rhythm Guitar | Carl Sheldrick – Drums | Jake Coles – Bass Guitar

Band links: Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | On Sliptrick

SEPSISS INTERVIEW

CAM LOUD - (sepsiss guitars) .What is the name of your band and how did you come up with it? What is your name and what do you do for the band?

We are Sepsiss. We honestly wanted something that rolled off of the tongue well and something anyone could could say. I'm Cam Loud I play Guitar

2.Tell us where you are based and describe the scene. How do you think where you are located influences your sound.

We are from Manchester NH. The scene is not what it used to be, it is extremely hard for New England bands. Also the winters are Very cold so there is plenty of time for practice, recording, and writing if you are not a fan of the cold.

3.Who influences your sound that would surprise people?

konnakol

4.Are you endorsed by musical companies , if so who , and if not who would you like to be endorsed by?

I would love if ESP endorsed us. I know Will would prefer Shecter.

5.When you started what was your ultimate goal? And how close to the goal are you now?

To be a Professional Band and we are one. This is not a hobby although we have a lot of fun doing it, This is something we all put a lot of work into and are very Dedicated to and are constantly trying to improve on

6.In today's digital environment it takes creative strategy to keep things moving. What creative ideas do you have to keep your band relevant over time?

We make sure that are digital content is amazing but even more important we focus on making the actual live experience is even better. I really think there are a ton of people right now that really need to get off their couches and go see an awesome live show.

7.We've all seen a terrible live band that is awesome on CD. Is that cool with you or do you lose respect for bands that cannot pull it off live?

To me its honestly like saying you painted a picture that you pulled out of a printer tray. I think those bands have great producers and great ideas which is why the cd's sound amazing but being a band is being able to entertain people live and not hiding behind a studio.

8.Tell us your “core” are you Metal , Rock , Punk , Pop etc because people just have to categorize these days you know?

We are New England Metal. Not that we sound like bands from New England but we are from New England. And we are Metal.

9.This is a tough question but a very real reality, Is your band actually talented or just popular? Many bands make it with a cliche or publicity stunts etc. Would you accept fame even if it was just because of being the “ in” thing or is it actually important to you that you gain favor with talent?

I love the talent in this band but what I like and appreciate as much if not more is the fact the we are unique and i think becoming famous as a band requires a happy medium of the two.

10.Tell us what to expect from you live. Nothing is more boring than watching bands stare at the floor and bob their heads to music nobody but the band knows. What can your band offer in a live setting that people will remember?

We put a show you will not forget. If you come to one of our shows be prepared to have fun and stop leaning on the back wall and come and move around a little bit

11. What releases have you put out , When will we see something new?

We have several singles out at the moment. You can find us on Sepsiss.com, Spotify, Apple Music, Reverb Nation, and most other Music platforms. Our EP Badd Blood mixed and Produced by Glen Robinson will be out on April 9th

12. If you have videos where can we see them?

Facebook, Youtube, Reverb nation, ect. If you want any updates or more content you can always find more at Sepsiss.com

13.Everybody has Bandcamp , ReverbNation , Soundcloud , etc

Why do you think this is so important? Doesn't it seem like everyone is giving everything out for free?

Its very important as musicians and Artists for people to see it. There's no point in writing Stairway to Heaven or Painting the Mona Lisa if no one else can experience it.

14.Best moment of your career so far?

Joining Sepsiss

15.Your message to the fans?

Thank You so much For your support we couldn't do it without you all and we love you for it. SEPSISS SOLDIERS

Bonus Question who do you bring back

Dime , Cliff , Dio , Lemmy , Randy
It's Cruel to make me choose But Randy Rhoads is my favorite Guitarist and he only only gave us two amazing albums and I would give anything to hear what he would of gave because everything he did was so amazing.

https://www.facebook.com/Sepsiss/

ROOF DOWN Prove They Are Far From ‘Lost’

The new album Lost from the Swedish grunge inspired band Roof Down from Stockholm represents a journey and an exploration of identity. It’s about breaking boundaries and in the same time finding a way of living in the world of today. With their specific and yet familiar sound, they take a journey in the present but with a foot in the past.

The songs are based on groovy well thought through riffs with a clever mix of energy and melancholy. No unnecessary debauchery needed. It will not come as a surprise that listeners will recognize the big influences of the band – in a positive sense. This is Roof Down at their best!

Characteristic lead singer Johan Sjöberg (Stonesilk) leads the squad containing Mats Stille on lead guitar with large open chords, Thobbe Hermansen on energetic bass and punishing his drums like a steam locomotive is Staffan Westelius, always with a fierce grin on his face.

Produced by Roof Down, recorded, mixed and mastered at SweSoundStudios, Stockholm.

Lost | Released March 19th, 2019 on Sliptrick Records

Roof Down are:
Johan Sjöberg – Vocals | Mats Stille – Guitar | Thobbe Hermansen – Bass | Staffan Westelius – Drums

Band links: Official Website | Facebook | Youtube | On Sliptrick

Sliptrick Records Welcome US Metal Group THE LESS FORTUNATE

Joining the ranks at Sliptrick Records this week:

The Less Fortunate (US) Metal | Metalcore | Nu Metal

The Less Fortunate is a 6 piece metal/metalcore/nu metal band from Joplin Missouri (SouthWest Missouri) which was formed in 2016 the band and was composed by founding (and still active members), Logan Kelley (Percussion), Bill Cottrill (Bass), Cory Taunton (Vocals), Dalton Golden (Guitar) and Blanca Molinero (Vocals). Starting to play live shows in 2017, the band gained attention for their dual fronted male/female vocalists. This allowed the band to fuse melodic chorus’s with a high energy stage performance to separated them from other bands.

Not long after breaking into the local scene, the band released their 1st studio track titled We Will Rise on March 21st 2017. Over the next year, The Less Fortunate focused heavily on playing live shows around the 4 state area (Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas) and building a solid fan base across the region. The band returned to the studio and worked with producer Kevin Brooks for their 2nd studio track titled Oculus on May 5th 2018.

After releasing their official label (TraumaSphere Records) debut single Alive on July 14th 2018, the band continued work with producer Kyle Simpson to record their debut album which is set for release in 2019 via Sliptrick Records along with with their 1st official music video.

Russian Alt Rockers MASSFACE Re-Release Self-Titled Debut Album

The self-titled album by Russian alternative rock group Massface is influenced by all kinds of music. The group consider music to be beautiful in any manifestation and sometimes interesting solutions can be found in the most unexpected tracks.

Massface wrote the album as organically as possible starting at rehearsals, or even at home, when an idea or a ready piece of music that came to mind. Then it is all polished and a demo tape is gradually produced, although this is still far from the final sound. Each track got the final coloring in the studio, somewhat like cooking – when you add spices and the dish gets its final, unique taste.

The tracks on Massface are reflections, about the meaning of existence, about the purpose of each of us. The fact that things are sometimes not what they seem. The group only ask that the listener arrives with a clear and unprejudiced mind, then give the album a chance to flow.

The cover of Massface is a real picture that was digitized specifically for the album. The picture demonstrates the whole life process of a person from the moment of birth until his death and what is possibly waiting for us after …its creator was Edgar Invoker.

Massface | Released April 9th, 2019 on Sliptrick Records

Band links: Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | VK | On Sliptrick

NIGHTMARE TOYS