Interview: As I Lay Dying (Jordan Mancino)

As I Lay Dying will soon be converting the non believers with a string of national shows throughout Australia and New Zealandl kicking off later this month. Metal Obsession recently had the pleasure to speak with Jordan Mancino about the band’s upcoming new album”The Powerless Rise” and their upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.


Metal Obsession: Welcome to Metal Obsession, Jordan.

Jordan Mancino: Thank you!

MO: As I Lay Dying are currently working on their forthcoming album “The Powerless Rise”. Could you give us an update on how the album is going so far and how many songs we can expect on the final product?

JM: The album is coming along nicely. We can’t wait for everyone to hear it! We are currently mixing all of the tracks with Colin Richardson and his assistant Martyn Ford, and it couldn’t be sounding any better.

There will be 11 songs on the initial release of The Powerless Rise, and we will have one bonus track that will be released at a later date. We are not sure yet when or where this bonus track will end up though, so more info to come on that in the near future.

MO: Is there a main concept or story behind the new album?

JM: There’s quite a few topics within the lyrics for this album, but the main concept of the record is the “rise” of all of the people that have been forgotten or neglected by society.

MO: Most of As I Lay Dying’s music is directed towards human emotions and life in general. It’s quite clear when listening to AILD that not everyone who is Christian has a good life or is completely happy with themselves. Have you found music to be a good outlet to exercise your feelings, or do you think its harder due to being under a magnifying glass from the general population?

JM: I think it’s very important to be honest with others and ourselves about the struggles and imperfections of life. You are right in saying that being a Christian doesn’t always mean ‘life is good’. I do find our music to be a great outlet for my frustrations, struggles, emotions, etc., however, at times it can be hard to really feel comfortable opening up to the general population when you aren’t feeling up to getting an unknown reaction.

***Click here to read the full interview***

Metal Obsession benefit gig photos

A huge thank you to LORD, Dreadnaught, Frankenbok, Toehider and Septerrus for putting on an amazing show at the Corner hotel in Melbourne on Saturday night. I was weary at first of how this gig would turn out, as most of Melbourne that day was under water due to the aggressive storm which set in early afternoon.

Thankfully, the gods shined upon us in the final hours and cleared the rains for the rest of the evening. There was a bit of a hiccup with LORD's arrival time in Melbourne, but again, everything was resolved within the final hours. We got a great turn out for our first official Metal Obsession gig. Over 200 people braved the ridiculous weather to witness what was one of Melbourne's best nights of metal so far.

Apologise to Dreadnaught. I wasn't able to photograph them as I was helping Damien in LORD set up his drums.

Here are a selection of photos I took of the night. You can view more on my Flickr or DeviantART profiles.

LORD:



Frankenbok:



Toehider:

Savage Circus - Of Doom And Death

Following in the footsteps of Blind Guardian’s post “Tales from the Twilight World” era, Savage Circus return with their second full length album “Of Doom and Death”. Having a strong Blind Guardian influence due to the fact that lead singer Jens Carlsson (Persuader) sounds exactly like Hansi Kürsch, while the band execute Blind Guardian’s early 90’s material to a tee. It’s no wonder these guys have been dubbed Blind Guardian clones.

To be fair, Savage Circus have created a somewhat unique sound within the power metal spectrum, yet it’s hard to walk away from the fact that these guys sound pretty much like Blind Guardian. Subsequently, former Blind Guardian drummer Thoman Stauch started Savage Circus while he was still in Blind Guardian, but due to health problems had to leave both Blind Guardian and Savage Circus and the band has essentially become a new hybrid over the past 5 years.

The new album hits all the right buttons for speed metal freaks. Powerful introductions, fast double kicks and the addition of soaring vocals adds all the great characteristic of a solid power metal release. There are a few melodic shifts to break up the albums intense speed, but essentially, it’s a speed metal fans wet dream.

Jens Carlsson does a great job to imitate Hansi Kürsch’s vocal arrangement, but sadly there is little variation, or lack of thereof. The delivery is solid and holds up to the man himself, yet throughout the whole experience I didn’t hear much change in tune.

Many obsessed Blind Guardian fans will surely get a kick out of this treat, yet many wanting more will surely lose interest in this squawking parrot. Musically, the album mimics elements of Blind Guardian’s “Tales from the Twilight World” and “Imaginations from the Otherside” time period with a few lavish levels of layering. It imitates Blind Guardian’s sound respectfully, but doesn’t entirely counterfeit it. I give kudos to guitarists Emil Norberg and Piet Sielck for offering a unique and fitting sound to the album. It’s not over the top nor cheesy. It’s the perfect blend of power and speed. Drumming has essentially stayed its course, as new drummer Mike Terrana, (Axel Rudi Pell) fits into Thoman Stauch’s shoes quite well.

I wish I could say more about this album, but sadly I can’t. There are some fantastic songs on the album with many passing the 7 minute mark. I wasn’t extremely blown away, yet I did have fun listening to this album and will surely go back for more in the near future. If anything, I’d say this is a major improvement over the band’s first album “Dreamland Manor”, as this time round it’s not a blatant Blind Guardian clone. If you love the combination of speed metal and early Blind Guardian, this album is for you. If you are looking for a bit of variation and finesse, I urge you to look elsewhere. 7/10

For fans of: Persuader, Blind Guardian, Iron Savior

Band: Savage Circus
Album: Of Doom and Death
Year: 2009
Genre: Power/Speed Metal
Label: Dockyard 1
Origin: Germany
http://savage-circus.com

Tracklisting:

1. Of Doom and Death <- Reviewer’s choice
2. The Ordeal
3. Devil’s Spawn
4. Chasing the Rainbow
5. Empire
6. Ballad of Susan
7. Legend of Leto II
8. From the Ashes
9. Dreamland” (Instrumental)

Devin Townsend Acoustic Show (Melbourne Only)

Due to the recent success of Devin Townsend ticket sales in Melbourne, Allan’s music are proudly presenting an intimate acoustic night with Devin Townsend. This is a once in a life time experience for all Devin Townsend fans.

This event will only be held at Allan’s Music, Bourke street (Melbourne) on Monday 15th at 7pm. Entry is free, but it is advised to pre-register your attendance via the Allan’s music website.

For more information go to: www.allansmusic.com.au

Allans & Peavey present:

DEVIN TOWNSEND

Some 15 years ago, Steve Vai dubbed the then 19 year old Devin Townsend “The Boy Genius”. Vai was being most sincere, rather than sarcastic.

Since then Townsend has amazed, beguiled and occasionally baffled all comers in numerous incarnations spanning the extreme noise metal of Strapping Young Lad to the intricate melodies of Ocean Machine; Devin has had his hand in almost every genre of music, from industrial metal to progressive rock to ambient sounds. All of these projects had one thing in common: GENIUS.

Allans Music 152 Bourke St Melbourne – SOLO SHOW – See, hear and experience Devin!
15 March @ 7pm FREE
For more info click here

Devin Townsend Pre-Show Meet Up

Metal Obsession presents The United Church of Dev. Followers unite!

This event is a pre-show gathering for the Melbourne Devin Towsend Project show. It will take place at the Exford Pub upstairs from 4:30pm onwards on Sunday 14th March. Admission is free so come on down and have a beer or two with some of Devin Townsend's fans and followers.

...who knows, Dev may even pop in for a visit.

Details:
Date: Sunday, March 14, 2010
Time: 4:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: The Exford Hotel - Upstairs
Street: 199 Russell Street

For more information click here!

Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe 2

It should be no surprise that Rob Zombie was raised in a carnival upbringing. His fascination with horror movies and grotesque imagery has helped shape him into the director and music creating monster we all know today.

After numerous delays and an unpredicted release date due to the filming of Halloween 2 – Rob Zombie finally releases his b-music esque equal “Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool”.

“Hellbilly Deluxe 2″ borders on a sound of Alice Cooper meets Ministry, with a dash of southern blues and rock. The cliched 1950’s monsters and ghouls motif, along with typical Rob Zombie flavoured audio sampling has given the album a distinctive vintage early 90’s industrial punk rock sound.

The delivery of the new album is typical Rob Zombie. ‘Sick Bubblegum’ and ‘Jesus Frankenstein’ have somewhat of a vague similarity to the classics ‘Dragula’ and ‘Superbeast’. The tracks ‘Mars needs Women’, ‘Virgin Witch’ and ‘Cease To Exist’ all offer some tasty and melodic tracks to sink your teeth into.

Ironically, the album is more driven from a melodic aspect. The heavier dimensions which were present on Rob Zombie’s previous releases are few and far between on “Hellbilly Deluxe 2″. It all seems to fit though, more so with Rob Zombie’s famous “Yeah” and steady flow of atmospheric ambiance throughout. Musically, its quintessential Rob Zombie material. It’s a primitive sound, but it works.

The appeal of ghouls and horror will surely entice many of Rob Zombie’s hardcore following. The album may not offering anything new, but perpetuates a familiar sound which I’m sure many will appreciate. From a horror movie perspective, I’d consider this album a cult classic. Some will love it, others will despise it. 7/10

Band: Rob Zombie
Album: Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool
Year: 2010
Genre: Industrial/Goth Rock
Label: Roadrunner Records
Origin: USA
myspace.com/robzombie

For fans of: White Zombie, Ministry

Tracklisting:

1. Jesus Frankenstein
2. Sick Bubble-Gum
3. What?
4. Mars Needs Women
5. Werewolf, Baby!
6. Virgin Witch
7. Death and Destiny Inside the Dream Factory
8. Burn
9. Cease to Exist <- Reviewer’s Choice
10. Werewolf Women of the SS
11. The Man Who Laughs

Interview with Dani Loble of Helloween

Helloween has survived the music industry for well over two and a half decades through various incarnations and resurrections. The band’s fundamental sound started a chain reaction which saw the birth of the power metal movement in the early 80’s. Now, in 2010 we see the release of “Unarmed” which celebrates the band’s 25th anniversary. The album takes on a completely new approach in terms of a “best of” album. It offers a more lounge rock and orchestral approach compared to the band’s traditional sound.

Metal Obsession recently had the pleasure to speak with Dani Löble about Helloween’s latest album and some of the band’s upcoming projects.

Click here to listen to the interview