+++ An Interview With KING +++

1) First off, I would like to congratulate you all on the great work on your debut CD. I guess the first bit of business is the standard bio/introduction of the band?

O.D: King was formed back in early 2006. We recorded a demo and a split (which we never released due to drama, which is too bad because one of my favorite songs is on that album) with the old line up. For various reason three members left or were kicked out and we recruited T. Pill for drums and M. Tozer (Malaria) for guitar. I myself moved from playing keyboards to bass and D. Kerr took up the vocal duties and remained lead guitar. Our style and philosophies have changed a few times throughout and I think we have finally solidified something. Alas!

2) Upon listening to the CD, I noticed that it flows quite easily and stays within a certain framework. Were there any concepts or themes that were pre-planned during the conception of the material to achieve this aesthetic?

D. Kerr: Not really, In fact, this album is just a compilation of everything we had written at the time. It just so happens to sound the way it does.

O.D: not this time, next time a solid concept will be formed.

3) One of the interesting things I found on this recording is how there is a certain relaxed calm throughout the tracks regardless of the intensity of the track in question. I think this is one of the things that make this release very different than what is currently floating around the Black Metal scene these days. In a way I find it similar in overall vibe to Ancient’s early demo material (when they were good). Any comments on this? Did you have any influences in mind during the recording process that lead to this sound?

D. Kerr: I wasn’t exactly influenced by any exclusive band or feeling, it was more or less what I thought sounded good. The whole calm thing is how we like to take things. There are different factors one must consider when writing music, the main two being melody and chordal accompaniment. This is what creates different sounds, emotions, and feelings. Being an experienced song writer apart from KING, hearing black metal fans say “Fuck off melodic this and that,” makes me laugh.

O.D: We all have very different influences individually. They conflict and are hard to reconcile. The conflict of influence may lead to something great if they can be reconciled. Each of us wants this band to be many different things at once; which I think leads to elements of each concept and influence subtly leaking into the whole.

4) Still on the topic of your debut release, I was pleasantly surprised by the title track “Sufferance Obsolescent” and it’s experimental nature. Any further plans for avantegarde-ish instrumentals in the future?

O.D: I would like to continue this in future albums, but by taking a different approach to the generic “black metal ambient interlude.” With the direction we are taking in the newest material I believe a far more experimental and untraditional interlude would be appropriate. Surprises will ensue.

D. Kerr: For sure, were heading more in this direction with every song we write. (Not the slow clean type stuff.) However, were doing a lot that hasn’t really been done in the black metal genre.

5) As being one of the Toronto area Black Metal bands that frequently performs live, how do you see the local scene? Getting better, worse?

D. Kerr: Scene rules, I don’t give a shit.

O.D: A lot of people complain about it, but I honestly have nothing better to compare it to. I have been surprised at dismal turn outs and unenergetic crowds (me being among them at times) but this could be the norm (but not the constant state, as I have been to amazing shows) in every underground scene for all I know.

6) In speaking with you the day before your gig opening for Peste Noire & Akitsa, you mentioned that you had compiled a lot of new material. Has your style changed or evolved? Are you treading a similar path with these new songs or experimenting with your sound? Any plans for your next release label wise? Theme wise?

O.D: We are taking a more jazz inspired approach. Personally I think that we don’t experiment enough, maybe we still feel constrained by the idea of “genre” and the preconceived notions of the metal community… something we must rid ourselves of. Genre is restrictive, something I do not want King to be hampered by. It is something everyone must rid themselves of if unique and innovative music is to be created. Blurring, mixing, innovating, experimenting and annihilating restrictions and paradigms to create something new. From destruction we can have creation. As for label and theme, NHR Records has interest in releasing our next album I believe and the themes are moving deep into the realm of the abstract and the esoteric.

7) Speaking of the Peste Noire/Akitsa show, how did the show go?

O.D: It was lame. Our set was decent but the crowd was dreadful during the sets of all four bands. The only thing I really enjoyed was having easy access to Peste Noire merchandise. The boring crowd caused us to be relatively boring on stage and reciprocated back into the crowd and so on and so forth.

8) Personally speaking, I find that there a lot of scummy pricks in the Black Metal/Metal scenes. Anyone you guys would like to call out for being a fucking rip-off artist or general degenerate in the scene? No time like the present to encourage some defamation of character.

D. Kerr: I would rather have 300 pricks that enjoy heavy metal come out to a show than 10 guys who stand there with their arms crossed. In my opinion, those are the scummy ones. My message to them is, “Cheer up, its rock ‘n’ roll.”

O.D: I have come across a lot of people in the metal scene who I would be pleased never to hear of/from and meet with again. We have finally rid ourselves of the drama (and those parties involved) that we and a few other bands were involved in at the infancy of King.

9) Thanks for the interview and for the excellent release. All the best to everyone in the band and we’re looking forward to hearing much more from King in the future. Any closing comments or announcements?

O.D: Thanks for the interview; this is the only one out of the good number we received that we have done. The others really were not worth doing. We are playing at the Black Swan, December 12^th. Come out, as it should be our best show to date.

+++ Voices from the Underground +++

Greets Everyone, NHR is proud too announce the release of our very first volume of Voices From The Underground. Our own free compilation of some of the best underground music acts out there. Check it out at www.vftu.blogspot.com and SUPPORT UNDERGROUND MUSIC!!!

+++ FUCK YOU RED BULLS +++

Sometimes a picture says a thousand words but I'll add a couple more.
Fuck you Shite Bulls!!!

Saturday night brought us a 3-1 victory for the boys in Red and those 3 points leave us just 3 points out of the last playoff spot (hellooo Shite Bulls) with FC Dallas and TFC Reject Jeff CUNTingham up next this Saturday. Keep it up boys and give us here at NHR something to do come November!

+++ AVSKY REVIEW +++

+++ Avsky - Mass Destruction Review +++

Nowadays Black Metal comes in many forms and styles, from blasting to sludgy and everything inbetween. Avsky falls pretty much directly inbetween. Playing a mid tempo brand of predominantly 4/4 Black Metal, this Swedish duo manage to successfully create a dank and drab atmosphere over the 41 minutes of this disc. "Mass Destruction" comes equipped with a suprisingly warm and full production which aids in the overall heaviness of the release. Not some grim as fuck, tin-thin sounding reheashed rehearsal here but something more in the lines of what you might expect from the likes of Faustcoven or something more on the mark stylistically, Khold. This album actually carries many similarities to the before mentioned Khold; from the pace, to the plodding guitars, to the near doom segments, Khold would stand as a pretty fair comparitive to Avsky. Sadly, much like Khold's previous releases the whole affair can become quite tedious over it's duration. Now that's not say that their aren't some grade A riffs on this disc because there sure are (some great ones in fact!). On "Vultures" for instance, the meaty riffs reminds me instantly of the early "hip shaking" rythyms found on some of Ancient's earliest recordings. That's a good thing in these books but more often than not, these awesome riffs tend to wear out their welcome. A little more variety would surely shake this release up a bit and add some much needed dynamics to the material. When they choose to speed things up to blast/thrash beats such as the beginning of "Vultures" and the Today is the Day sounding intro to "Mushroom Cloud", they are successful in breaking the monotany of the near unending 4/4 poundings of the previous song(s) but sadly these breaks are relatively short and far between. Overall, this release offers a different take on the slower end of the BM scale and thankfully stays (far) away from the way too fucking overdone Burzum/Xasthur thing. A mostly enjoyable release despite my half-assed criticisms but not too sure of how much replay value this will hold over the long run.

6.5/10

http://www.myspace.com/avskyband

+++ End of the Season +++

+++ Toronto FC's Sophomore Season is Winding Down +++

As you may or may not know, we at NHR are avid supporters and season ticket holders of our beloved Toronto FC. As this second year winds down we have had a slew of ups and downs this season: from the early promise of a playoff spot and our early season acquisitions to the typical downfall after the international calendar matches begin. As of today, a chance at the playoffs is bleak and with a coaching/management staff with their heads firmly impanted up their arses it might as well be as bleak as it was last year at this time. Which brings us to the all important "6 pointer" against the New York Shite Bulls this Saturday. A win here prevents our burial and renews hope in TFC land. Here's to you boys!!! Bring us the 3 points and show those NY Fuckers we're nothing to fuck with.

+++ Those Poor Bastards Review +++

Those Poor Bastards - The Plague

Ah, now here's a band that has been releasing some top drawer material for a while now but whom almost no one knows about. Aside from the ever popular "Pills I Took" song making an appearance on Hank III's live set & most recent CD, not much is known about this duo other than they are the finest purveyors of gothic country around and that their live show seems excellent.

What we have on tap here is the band's fourth release (and third full length) following the all amazing "Bullshit Country EP", "Songs of Desperation", and "Hellfire Hymns" CDs. Still following on an odd path of grim ( I say it's pretty grim) tales which possess some touches of old (and I mean 1940's old) country and some really uneasy listening material. Standout track for me is the lead off "Sick and Alone" as when I first heard the vocals I thought it was Johnny Cash. I mean it's that close. This could've been recorded by the man's ghost as it's so close to the Man in Black and all hells eerie to boot. After that the band experiments with some harsh vocal distortions and near Black Metal vocals ("The Curse" and the "The Plague") but they are at their best when the vocals croon in a way not heard since your grandparents where young and fresh. "You Belong to Me" and "I Cannot Escape the Darkness" fall right into this mould with really weird music accompanying Lonesome Wyatt's ghoulish croon. This CD is not for the faint of heart or anyone unadventurous. I personally love this band and all of their works rank highly in my eyes. This release isn't as strong as the blistering "Hellfire Hymns" but it is in no way a disappointment. Just different. You be the judge and check out this hidden gem.
http://www.thosepoorbastards.com/index.html

8.0/10 (can't wait for Satan is Watching - released Oct 31st, when else?)

+++ Had to Be Done +++

+++ Metallica - Death Magnetic Review +++

It had to be done I guess so here it is. You see, I am old. I was around when "Master of Puppets" came out. I bought it straight away and listened to that fucking cassette until it was worn to rat shit. I picked up "Kill 'em All" & "Ride the Lightening" shortly after and proceeded to wear them out beyond repair. Same with "Garage Days" and eventually (my favorite Metallica album) "..And Justice for All". During this time period I saw them live countless times, spent tons of cash on T-shirts, back patches, VCR Tapes, you name it. Then came the fucking "Black Album". Never in my life had I been so disappointed in anything. Never even made it through one full listen. The rest is history. 18 years of absolute horseshit followed culminating in the hopeful yet awful "St. Anger" release. Now everyone's heard the bitching about their career tanking and the whole therapy bullshit but through it all I actually had hope. I still thought that if (big if) they could learn how to write an actual song again and not pro-tools together frankenstein-like mammoth versions of jam riffs then they could somewhat repeat their former glory. Didn't look too good but I thought they could do it.

Forward to September 2008. A new Metallica album comes out with a decent cover. It has the old logo on it and a production job by the notoriously god-like Rick Rubin. Word has it that this album is a throwback to the old days and a good fit as the album that should've squeezed between "Justice" & the "Black Album". I'd hate to say it but all the hype and bullshit is actually true. Yeah, I heard it all with the "St. Anger" hype machine but somehow this time it seemed real. So here I am with the CD in the tray getting ready to take a usually most unenviable dive into potential boredom & anger. First tune hits; a heart beat followed by actual thrash riffs that sound like they were constructed by a metal band of all things. One song leads to the next and the next and the time sort of flies by. Now I could give you a track by track breakdown but really who gives a shit about all that. Here is the deal; this album has decent songs that represent the Metallica that never should've left and been replaced by the lazy and bloated rockstar version that plagued us through the 90's and the lost in therapy version that whined us through the 2K's up until now. This album has a certain heart to it and an excitement that I haven't heard in their music since the late 80's. The sound is cracker without a retarded ping-pang snare to be found. The production itself is very hot and seems to be tweeked to the point of distortion at times (the ballad type songs no less) but fits the music well and actually adds to the material. The best part of this new album is a return to a guitar sound that sounds like METAL and a restrained from trying to croon vocal performance by Hetfield. I give full praise to Rubin for that. I guess Bob Rock didn't have the balls to let the front man know that he isn't Pepper Keenan and Metallica isn't C.O.C or Down. Leave the singing to singers because some people just can't do it and Metallica was all over that for years.

Bottom line, if you liked their shit in the 80's and have been disappointed since 1988 or have been waiting for a regular metal album that isn't filled with high pitch faggy vox like "Dragonforce" or other such gayness then this one is totally worth getting. You'll hear the detractors call it "Load Pt III" and that the songs are too long but that (minus the 3 minutes too long "Suicide & Redemption" instrumental) is all shite. This album flows better than anything they've done since "Justice" , it's actually filled with a multitude or great riffs, it contains a mother load of quality guitar solos, and has some good, non-whiney lyrics to back it up. The packaging itself is cool at first but I hate digipaks so even though this is a stylish one I would have still preferred a jewel cased version instead. For me, I am going to grab some beers and crank this fucker up and just hope that they make one affordable pass through T.O on their upcoming tour because for the first time in 19 years they can count on a ticket being sold to me.

A deserving 9/10 (color me shocked by the quality of the music on this disc)