Track By Tracks: VALYRIA - The Crossing (2018)

Track By Tracks: VALYRIA - The Crossing (2018)

Screamer   13:10:00

The EP as a whole is a piece of progressive melodic death metal with strong power and modern metal influences. It is bookended by an intro and outro track that tie into the previous and next releases, and that are inverse of each-other – the intro is medieval, primarily orchestral and piano driven, whereas the outro is cold and futuristic with synth pulses and choirs. The songs in between are meant to journey the listener through five different stories in very different settings, culminating with the climax in ‘Floating World’ and each using a different mixture of our influences to paint their worlds.

1. ‘Steel Inquisition’ is a fast, technical melodic death metal song with a strong power metal chorus and an epic conclusion designed to get the crowd moving and start things off with a bang. This is an updated recording of our 2016 single, with entirely new vocal tracks, slight differences in composition, and a new mix and master. The song is a retelling of Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy novel Mistborn, with a particular focus on the character Kelsier and his actions in creating a legend to lead a revolution through sacrifice.

2. ‘Tome of Shattered Vessels’ is a more mid-paced progressive song that features some of the heaviest and modern riffing on the album, but still loaded with symphonics and melody. The song is tragic in tone, focusing on the legend of the Golem of Prague, the long exile of the Jewish people, and concepts of Kabbalah, told through the narration of a dying mystic. Diego Fernandez from Eye of Horus has a guest vocal appearance in the second verse.

3. ‘Of Sky and Sea’ is the purest example of power metal on the album; its seven minutes of high speed double kick driven metal, but with hint of After the Burial in the two breakdowns…  that still have cheesy choirs on top. Of Sky and Sea is the album’s high point in guitar theatrics, with plenty of harmonies, leads, and a sprawling solo section. Lyrically, the song is about the story of Peter Pan in Spielberg’s Hook – a hero reclaiming his lost legacy and living out one last adventure before passing on the torch.

4. ‘The Crossing’ is the most succinct example of our sound – equal parts djent, death and power metal, with even a tiny hint of skate punk. This song is filled with glittering keyboard and guitar melodies, brutal chugging, and soaring vocal harmonies, surrounding a lush clean section that builds up into trade-off solos bookending the album’s heaviest breakdown. The Crossing is based on Haruki Murakami’s novel ‘Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World’, an existential cyberpunk odyssey that sees our protagonist confront and cross through his own demise and live on in the world of dreams.

5. ‘Floating World’ fades into a burst of blast beats and black metal that turns into a technical melodic death metal track with a pounding chorus and bouncing breakdown riffing. The coda after the second chorus is the album’s true climax, with layered vocals and an 80’s style guitar solo to close things out on an uplifting tone. This song focuses on the concept of space travel and man’s desire to seek transcendence and something greater than the confines of war, politics, and lust that keep us bound to the ground. It’s influenced in part by the historical space race between the US and USSR, as well the related anime film Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise.

Leechmonger - Kingdom Of Bones (2018)

Leechmonger - Kingdom Of Bones (2018)

Screamer   13:05:00

A - Z Interviews: Crossing The Limits

A - Z Interviews: Crossing The Limits

Screamer   5:31:00

Launching from Norwich, pop-punks Crossing The Limits recently released 2 video singles: catchy debut ‘Won’t Settle’ here and what the band regard as their best track yet, ‘Reverse’ here. Both feature on their newly self-released, debut EP ‘Perseverance’. Rachael Holland, the vocalist for the newcomers, sets the scene: “Its about walking through the storm. Life gets rough, but you have to keep going. You can't just sit there in your rut and give up, you have to persevere through set backs to grow.” Now the band are here to give a further insight into who they are, as they answer 26 questions… 

A Song Which Made You Want To Make Music:

Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi

Best Album Ever Written:

This is way too hard! Personally I'm gonna say Riot! by Paramore. I think that really broke the door down for women in pop/punk, it never gets old for me.

Craziest Moment You’ve Experienced In The Band:

Seeing our bands name in Kerrang magazine was a moment, we got a decent 3 Ks for our EP, but just to see Crossing The Limits printed in there felt so good!

Deepest Lyrics One Of Your Songs Features:

"You wrap me up in your lies but I can see through the lines this time" from a song called Reverse on the EP. I feel that line intensely for so long I was stupid to believe that this person cared about me, even though she was doing all these really hurtful things over and over again. It's about opening your eyes and seeing it all for what it is. Eventually I did.

Easiest Song You Wrote:

Predictable! we wrote that song in about 30 minutes, we were getting ready to play a song and Tom was messing around. He played this small riff and I said oh my god play that again! Ben threw a beat and the lyrics just came out really easy it was so fun to write and one of my favourites to play, it's so fun.

Favourite Show You’ve Ever Played:

We opened for Against The Current in our town, the crowd was amazing to us and it was a really cool experience.

Guest You’d Most Like To Feature On A Your Record:

Derek DiScanio (State Champs)

Happiest Moment In You’ve Experienced In The Band:

Putting out our EP Perseverance!

Interesting Fact About One Of Your Members:

Tim apparently was in line for some big manor hall, apparently his family use to be really upper class, they lost the documents so could never claim the rights to it. I honestly think it's the funniest story, then he ended up in a pop/punk band with us haha!

Jokes You Have In The Band:

Dan is a constant joke to be honest, he's always making everyone laugh.

Kicking Off Your Set Is Best With Which Song:

Predictable straight in with the bounce! Gets everybody moving.

Longest Distance You’ve Travelled To Play A Show:

Manchester from Cheltenham when we were on tour.

Most Inspiring Musician You’ve Ever Experienced:

Hayley Williams hands down. That girl kills it on stage everytime.

New Band You’d Recommend:

I'm really digging Stand Atlantic right now.

Opening For This Band Would Be Ideal:

Neck Deep their from our side of the world and they're great. Hey, Neck Deep, give us a call!

Place You’d Most Like To Tour:

America! That'd be sick. They seem to be really nice to the British. Nashville was my favourite place to visit.

Quote That You’d Like To Pass On To Readers:

"People who say they can and people who say they cant are both usually right"

Reason For The Title Of Your Recent/Forthcoming Release:

It is called perseverance because sometimes when you're going through bad times all you can do is keep going or else you stay in a miserable rut.

See Us Live At:

Norwich Waterfront on Friday 20th April! more dates to come for the summer.

The Old Days Of Music Were Better Than Those Current, do you agree:

Nope not at all! I'm all for the current and it's most of what I listen to now.

Unusual Merchandise:

Nothing too unusual yet! Haha!

Variations You’d Like To Do On Any Of Your Songs:

Reverse acoustically sounds really cool.

What Bands Have You Seen Live and Regretted:

I honestly can't think of one I've really regretted being at, I guess if I did I wouldn't have the heart to name and shame anyway.

X-rays or any other treatments needed for band related injuries:

Not as of yet!

You could have written any song in history, which would you pick:

Roll With It by Oasis, I really stand by the lyrics in that song and it's super feel good to listen to.

Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band: 

Probably a monkey, they're pretty crazy and like to do their own thing – like throw shit at you if they feel like it – they’ve got the sass going on!

Probably a monkey, they're pretty crazy and like to do their own thing. y've got the sass nailed. 

Umbralia - The Dark Path (2018)

Umbralia - The Dark Path (2018)

Screamer   21:55:00

Interviews: Shark Infested Daughters

Interviews: Shark Infested Daughters

Screamer   21:51:00

In this new occassion we have had the opportunity to interview the Metalcore band Shark Infested Daughters, from Canada. Check out this band and give them a like on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1.Where did you get the idea for the Shark Infested Daughters name, you planned it or came out just like that? 

During our inception, we played around with a couple names in our infantile stage. We ultimately chose SID because it didn’t put us in a box where we felt like we had to sound a certain way (Any band name with DEATH BLOOD BRUTAL etc.) and it lets us get away with murder. We can play very dark serious songs, and really upbeat synth laden stuff without feeling like it doesn’t suit our name.

2.Why did you want to play this genre? 

As kids we were heavily influenced by the first wave of American heavy metal. Bands like Killswitch Engage, God Forbid, As I Lay Dying ect. It allows us to perform heavier music while not giving up melody and pinch harmonics.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? 

Some we did and some we met along the way.

4. Each band member’s favourite band? 

Dan Mccormick - Pantera

Chris Thoresen - Killswitch Engage

Erika Leah - Queens of the Stone age

Yannick Mathieu - Trivium

Oliver Carter-Wells - Bucket Head

Tyler Beninger - Integrity

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

We write about personal experience, or draw from experiences from those close to us. We formed SID to have a message in our music, and not write senseless breakdowns with empty lyrics about “Br00tality”

6. Where was your last gig? 

Sold out show in Edmonton, Alberta Canada

7. Where would you like to play? 

The United States! Hopefully in 2019.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

We recently featured Frankie Palmeri from the band Emmure on our new single “Cetra” 

We would also like to collaborate with Jason Butler of Fever 333 and AJ from Fire From the Gods.

9. Whom not? 

Cardi B or 6ix9ine

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that? 

If you’re in a band with other people who are doing their part, you can’t be the one to fold and let everyone down. Stay focused and remember the team you’re on stage with.

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, I Killed the Prom Queen, Feed her to the Sharks, Make them Suffer.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

The shirts off our backs post show.

13. What do you think of your fans? 

We’re very lucky to have our dedicated Fan base in Canada, who support us time and time again on the road.

14. What do you think of our site?

We love what you guys are doing for the underground scene.

NOVEMBER - And Everything Returns To Dust (2018)

NOVEMBER - And Everything Returns To Dust (2018)

Screamer   21:37:00

Behind The Artworks: Polynove Pole - On The Edge Of The Abyss (2018)

Behind The Artworks: Polynove Pole - On The Edge Of The Abyss (2018)

Screamer   21:35:00

The cover design is made from dark impressive photos of an old temple walls. Giving a visual feelings, assotiated with the music of an album, as if you were looking up on the vault. In the center of the front page there is a ghost woman, symbolizing the memories of the past, following you wherever you go.

Track By Tracks: Polynove Pole - On The Edge Of The Abyss (2018)

Track By Tracks: Polynove Pole - On The Edge Of The Abyss (2018)

Screamer   21:32:00

1. Сивий Ангел (Grey Angel):




The song tells about a wicked and tired angel's visit to tell a sad truth. What is the Earth and what is waiting to all of us, living today? The lyrics written in impression from a picture, named "The Old Angel". An angel with wings, but resembling an old man with a long and grey beard, looking down at humanity, dying in sins and hostility.




2. Каїнові Діти (Cain's Children):


This song tells about lost souls, bringing useless hopes to the indifferent God. They stand above endless road, among the dust and gloom, and crows cry over them. They fall in hopelesness and fear, trying to save themselves.

3. Вогні В Тумані (Lights In The Fog):



Instrumental piano track. The name was found during a walk along autumn streets, seeing the lanterns lights in the evening fog and rain.

4. Нічні Птахи (The Nightbirds):

The song was written in 2008, and appeared in "On The Seven Winds" LP album. Threr is a remake on the album "On The Edge Of The Abyss", re-arranged and in lower tunning. The lyrics tells about lonely birds, leaving the Earth in the night sky, their farewell to all they knew and loved.




5. On The Edge Of The Abyss:


The main song of the album. The lyrics in English, dedicated to feelings of the author about band's history. Hopes and losses, rises and fails, despair and pride. No other way, than to believe in his dream and struggle to make it real.