Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genres: Blackened Death Metal, Melodic Black Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Belphegor’s blackened death is much more death this time around, taking a huge step towards Morbid Angel worship (especially in the second song, “Rise To Fall And Fall To Rise”), but still full of blackened atmosphere and Satanic intent.
Technicality in the instruments is pushed, while production of the album as a whole is catapulted. Each instrument is heard as it’s separate little whole within the whole, and Helmuth’s voice is even more evil, sometimes taking on a more David Vincent/Domination underwater sound effect to affect the listener more. Melody is present, even in the vocals, and wonderfully used to obtain some of the most catchy blackened death ever recorded.
The art, like all Belphegor albums, is gorgeous. Nudes, animal heads, and Photoshop are all used wonderfully to create a perfect companion to the listening experience.
This one is for fans of Morbid Angel, Behemoth, and Lucifer himself.
8 out of 10.

Belphegor on Facebook.
Belphegor on MySpace.

In support of their latest masterpiece, Erebos, Polish extremists Hate are set to take North America by storm with a massive tour that kicks off in two days (March 9th) at Jaxx in Springfield, VA. For the first leg of the tour, Hate will team up with Rotting Christ, Melechesh, Abigail Williams and Lecherous Nocturne for 30 shows. For the second tour, which begins on April 18th, Hate will support Sepultura, Belphegor and, on select shows Nevermore, during a 38-show run covering the US and Canada. The band has also been confirmed to play some extra concerts between the mentioned tours. The Hate North America invasion will contain altogether 76 shows in the period of three months! Bandleader ATF Sinner comments,

“We’ve been looking for such an opportunity for years. It’s going to be the biggest and most prestigious tour we’ve taken part in, and we just can’t wait to be there to spew Erebos songs on the crowds! I know such a long tour is a challenge, but I’m sure we’re well prepare for it. It’s gonna be our second tour in North America after last year’s raid with Hypocrisy which was a great experience for us.”

Hate North American Tour Dates

with Rotting Christ, Melechesh, Abigail Williams and Lecherous Nocturne:
March 9 @ Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
March 10 @ Championship Bar & Grill – Trenton, NJ
March 11 @ Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
March 12 @ Rocko’s – Manchester, NH
March 13 @ The Webster Theater – Hartford, CT
March 14 @ Crazy Donkey – Farmingdale, NY
March 15 @ Petit Campus – Montreal, QC – CANADA
March 16 @ Mod Club – Toronto, ON – CANADA
March 17 @ Blondie’s – Detroit, MI
March 18 @ Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
March 19 @ Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
March 20 @ Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
March 22 @ The Republik – Calgary, AB – CANADA
March 23 @ Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB – CANADA
March 25 @ El Corazon – Seattle, WA
March 26 @ Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
March 27 @ DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
March 28 @ Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA
March 29 @ The Key Club – Hollywood, CA
March 30 @ Brick by Brick – San Diego, CA
March 31 @ UB’s Restaurant & Bar – Mesa, AZ
April 1 @ The Nat Ballroom – Amarillo, TX
April 2 @ The Marquee – Tulsa, OK
April 3 @ Rail Club – Ft. Worth, TX
April 4 @ Emo’s – Austin, TX
April 5 @ Walter’s – Houston, TX
April 7 @ Brass Mug – Tampa, FL
April 8 @ The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
April 9 @ Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
April 10 @ The Casbah – Charlotte, NC

with Sepultura, Belphegor, Keep of Kalessin, Neuraxis and Bonded by Blood:
April 18 @ The Opera House – Toronto, ON
April 19 @ Imperial de Quebec – Quebec City, QC
April 20 @ Club Soda – Montreal, QC
April 22 @ The Palladium – Worcester, MA
April 23 @ Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
April 24 @ The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
April 25 @ The Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
April 26 @ Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC
April 27 @ The Club At Firestone – Orlando, FL
April 28 @ Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
April 29 @ The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
May 1 @ Clicks – Tyler, TX
May 2 @ Scout Bar – Houston, TX
May 3 @ Trees – Dallas, TX
May 5 @ Jake’s – Lubbock, TX
May 6 @ Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
May 7 @ The Clubhouse (feat. D.R.I.) – Tempe, AZ
May 8 @ Club DV8 (feat. D.R.I.) – Tucson, AZ
May 9 @ House Of Blues – San Diego, CA
May 10 @ The Knitting Factory – Reno, NV
May 11 @ The Grand Ballroom At Regency Center – San Francisco, CA
May 12 @ Hawthorne Theater – Portland, OR
May 13 @ El Corazon – Seattle, WA
May 14 @ The Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA
May 16 @ Gothic Theater – Englewood, CO
May 18 @ Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
May 19 @ Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
May 20 @ Blondie’s – Detroit, MI
May 21 @ Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
May 22 @ Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH

w/ Nevermore, Keep of Kalessin, Neuraxis, and Bonded by Blood:
May 23 @ Expo Five – Louisville, KY
May 24 @ The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
May 26 @ The Zoo – Winnipeg, MB
May 27 @ The Exchange – Regina, SK
May 28 @ Dickens – Calgary, AB
May 29 @ Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB
May 31 @ Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC

Notice to the reader: there’s two shows in Edmonton, one in March, one in May. Expect two show reviews from myself, with tons of photos.

This interview was conducted just a very short time ago, but as anyone who follows the site could see, it’s been awhile since I’ve actually posted anything. So finally, I have the time and the means to do so, and here it is, my interview with Mike May of the Kentucky death metal band Abominant. I hope you enjoy it. Unlike my usual pretty-making, I decided to NOT do that with this interview, keeping even grammatical and spelling mistakes.

You guys are from Kentucky, a state better known for its horse racing and whiskey more than it’s metal. What is it about Abominant do you think that has kept the band going strong despite not having an easy access to a larger metal fanbase?

PROBABLY BECAUSE WE WERE NEVER REALLY LOOKING FOR A FAN BASE. I MEAN, EARLY ON.. I’M SURE THERE WERE DREAMS OF TOURING THE WORLD AND SIGNING TO CENTURY MEDIA, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE REALLY ONLY HAVE EACH OTHER AND THIS BAND HAS REALLY BEEN THRU ALOT OF BULLSHIT. MYSELF, PERSONALLY I’M NOT TOO CONCERNED WITH ALBUMS , SHOWS OR WHATEVER OTHER SHIT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH, I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING SOME BEERS WITH THESE GUYS ON THE WEEKEND AND WRITING SOME GOOD METAL SONGS. THAT MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME AND I THINK THAT’S ALL MOST OF US ARE LOOKING FOR. USUALLY THERE IS ALOT OF DRAMA AND EGOS INVOLVED WITH A BAND AND ALL THATS KINDA BEEN BURNT AWAY WITH US. I CAN STILL BE PLAYING A NEW SONG WITH THESE GUYS , WITH NOBODY LISTENING OR WATCHING US AT ALL AND ILL BE GRINNING EAR TO EAR.

You’re now on album number nine, definite achievement for any band. How easy was this album to write? Was there any pressure from fans or the label?

IT GETS EASIER AS WE GO , I THINK. THIS TIME WE TOOK A BIT LONGER THAN THE LAST 2 RECORDS AND ALSO TRIED A DIFFERENT STUDIO, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE FUCKING AWESOME, SO THERE IS NO HURRY FOR US AS FAR AS TIME IN BETWEEN RECORDS. ALOT OF PEOPLE KINDA FREAK OUT THAT WE HAVE 9 RECORDS, BUT IN REALITY THAT’S REALLY JUST ABOUT 1 EVERY OTHER YEAR, SO I GUESS ITS MORE INCREDIBLE THAT WE HAVE SURVIVED THAN OUR ACTUAL BODY OF WORK.

What is it about metal in general that keeps you writing?

I ONLY CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF , BUT I JUST REALLY ENJOY WRITING SONGS WITH THESE GUYS. AS I GET OLDER , I AM REALLY GETTING JADED ABOUT THE HUMAN RACE IN GENERAL, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THESE GUYS ARE THE PEOPLE I DO ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH AND CREATING METAL WITH. OUTSIDE OF THE BAND, I DO LISTEN TO METAL EVERY DAY AND HAVE AN ALMOST INSATIABLE HUNGER FOR HEARING NEW STUFF. I DO ADMIT MOST OF WHAT I HEAR IS EITHER TERRIBLE OR PRETTY DERIVATIVE, BUT FINDING THAT ONE GEM REALLY KEEPS ME EXCITED ABOUT METAL IN GENERAL.

Is Abominant a full time job for you guys or do you have day jobs?

IN ALL REALITY, WE ARE PRETTY MUCH WEEKEND WARRIORS AT THIS POINT. ALL OF US EXCEPT JIM HAVE FAMILIES, MORTGAGES
AND SO ON, BUT PLAYING TOGETHER IS VERY THERAPUTIC AND MAKES THE 40+ HOUR WORKWEEKS A BIT MORE BEARABLE.

Mind if I pry about those day jobs? What do you do, and how much do they piss you off?

I WORK AT A PRINTING COMPANY, TIM WORKS AT A BRAKE FACTORY, JIM IS A FORKLIFT MECHANIC AND MIKE BARNES WORKS AT A MEAT PROCESSING FACTORY. FOR ME, WORK IS TEDIOUS AND SOMETIMES INNERVING, BUT REALLY NOT THAT BAD. I’VE HAD WORSE JOBS AND MOST OF THE THINGS I GET PISSED OFF ABOUT ARE HUMANS IN GENERAL, IN OR OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE.

Do you think you’ll ever experiment with other genres, such as doing a pure doom album, or a grindcore album?

ME, NOT SO MUCH. IM A PRETTY HARDCORE HEADBANGER AND ABOMINANT REALLY HITS THE SPOT AS FAR AS THAT GOES, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO DO A GRINDCORE ALBUM. NOT TOO MUCH INTO DOOM, BUT SLOW DEATH METAL LIKE AUTOPSY OR COFFINS WOULD ALSO BE SOMETHING I WOULD BE INTO TRYING. I THINK WE HAVE SLIGHT GRINDCORE ELEMENTS AND A FEW SLOW PARTS SO I DONT THINK I WOULD NEED TO GO ELSEWHERE.

How often does Abominant play live?

NORMALLY ABOUT 8 -1 0 TIMES A YEAR. WE DID 18 SHOWS IN 2008 AND THAT WAS FUN, BUT I’M NOT AS SOCIAL (EVEN AROUND METALHEADS) AS I USED TO BE. I DON’T LIKE TO DO SHOWS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF PLAYING OUT, SO IF IT’S NOT AN EVENT OR WITH SOME BANDS I LIKE, I’M USUALLY NOT INTO PLAYING LIVE MUCH AT ALL.

Who have you played shows with in the past?

WE’VE BEEN LUCKY OVER THE YEARS TO PLAY WITH SOME OF MY FAVORITES FROM THE UNDERGOUND. MAYBE NOT SO MUCH ON A COMMERCIAL LEVEL BUT BANDS THAT I ACTUALLY LISTEN TO. SOME OF MY FAVES HAVE BEEN DECEASED, IMMOLATION, NUNSLAUGHTER, GOREAPHOBIA, SUMMON, INCANTATION, ESTUARY, BELPHEGOR AND CARDIAC ARREST.

Any plans for an extensive North American tour?

NOT REALLY. I CAN ONLY STAND SO MANY NIGHTS IN A ROW OF PLAYING FRONT OF 20 PEOPLE, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WE LIKE TO DO THE 3 DAY WEEKEND THING AND BY THEN I GET A BIT HOMESICK AND BROKE, SO THATS ABOUT WHAT WE LIKE TO DO.

Outside of death metal, what do you guys listen to? How about outside of metal in general?

I LISTEN TO ALOT OF TRADITIONAL METAL LIKE MANOWAR, DIO AND THE LIKE AS WELL AS ALOT OF OLDER STUFF LIKE BLUE OYSTER CULT, DEEP PURPLE AND RUSH. I’VE ALSO BEEN INTO ALOT OF 70′S STADIUM ROCK LATELY LIKE JOURNEY, FLEETWOOD MAC, BILLY SQUIRE, HEART AND OTHERS WHICH ACTUALLY KINDA SCARES ME. DON’T WORRY THOUGH, MORBID ANGEL AND INCANTATION CAN SNAP ME OUT OF IT..

I am personally a major gear hound, so I almost always ask: what brands of guitars and basses are you rocking out with, what what kind of effects do you use?

TIMMIE MAINLY PLAYS ESP GUITARS, BUT LATELY BEEN TEARING UP A JACKSON DINKY HE PICKED UP. I’VE BEEN PLAYING THE DAVID VINCENT DEAN DEMONATOR FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW AND I LOVE IT. IT IS MY FIRST DEAN AND I AM 100% SATISFIED WITH THE BASS. I’VE HAD A GIBSON THUNDERBIRD ON MY WISHLIST FOR SOME TIME AND THAT IS WHAT THIS IS MODELED AFTER SO……..

What kind of drum set up does Jim have? Any really odd things in there?

JIM PLAYS ON AN OLDER TAMA SET, I THINK THE SAME SET IMMOLATION USES LIVE. I THINK JIM PLAYS LEFT HANDED SO THE SET UP IS DIFFERENT AND HE HAS REALLY SCALED IT DOWN QUITE A BIT SINCE WE STARTED PLAYING WITH HIM. I THINK HES DOWN TO A 5 PIECE SET LIVE…..

How about your amps; what kinds are you using, and are they tubes or solid state?

WE ARE ALL TUBES. I PLAY THRU AND ANCIENT PEAVEY ROADMASTER TUBE HEAD AND A 4 X 12 CAB WITH BLACK WIDOWS. TIM ALTERNATES BETWEEN A CARVIN TUBE HEAD AND A MADISON SOLID STATE BUT I THINK HE PREFERS THE CARVIN.

Are there any effects used on your vocals?

I THINK MIKE USUALLY HAS A BIT OF REVERB ON THERE TO HELP ROUND OUT THE SOUND, BUT THATS IT. NO DELAY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

Where do you get your inspiration when writing? Literature, movies, other music, etc.?

FOR THE LAST FEW ALBUMS, WE’VE BEEN LEANING HARD ON WAR INSPIRED LYRICS AND IMAGERY , WHICH I THINK GOES WELL WITH THE MUSIC WE ARE TURNING OUT. I THINK WE HAVE A FEW SONGS INSPIRED BY MOVIES BUT I DONT REALLY ANALYZE OUR LYRICS THAT MUCH. IM SURE ALOT OF OUR INSPIRATION COMES FORM ANGER AND FRUSTRATION IN LIFE MORE THAN OTHER BANDS OR WHATEVER. WE DO LIKE TO KEEP THINGS PRETTY EVIL AND HEADBANGING, THAT’S AWAYS IMPORTANT.

What is your favorite topic to write about lyrically?

GOD ONLY KNOWS WITH MIKE BARNES, BUT I THINK OVERALL IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD AND MANKIND DESTROYING ITSELF. WE LIKE TO KEEP OUR LYRICS DARK AND OBSCURE…OPEN TO INTERPRATATION…SO IT REALLY DEPENDS FROM SONG TO SONG , ACTUALLY.

Who did the cover art for the new album, and who was it that penned your logo? Are these artists for hire, and if so where can people get in touch with them?

HIS NAME IS JUMALI KATANI AND HES BEEN DOING ALOT OF COVERS RECENTLY. HIS EMAIL IS JUMALIKATANI@GMAIL.COM. A GUY NAMED DANIEL DID OUR LOGO YEARS AGO AND FUN FACT… SAME GUY DID MARDUKS LOGO AND OTHER BANDS LIKE AFTERLIFE.

How old were the members of Abominant when you discovered metal? Who got you into the genre, and with what band or album?

FOR ME, THE FIRST BAND WAS ,OF COURSE, KISS. SURELY, THE FIRST BAND I LIKED MORE THAN 1 SONG BY AND I STILL LISTEN TO THEM TODAY. FROM THEN, OF COURSE ON TO AC/DC, VAN HALEN AND THEN INTO METAL, THRASH AND BEYOND. I REALLY NEVER WANTED TO TRY AND PLAY METAL UNTIL AROUND 86-87 WITH BANDS LIKE KREATOR, POSSESSED, SODOM AND THOSE STYLES WHERE I REALLY WANTED TO TRY AND TAKE A STAB AT WRITING A SONG.

What do you think of popular metal, stuff like Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, etc.?

TO BE HONEST, I DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THOSE BANDS. I KNOW I DONT LIKE WHAT IVE HEARD, BUT TO EACH THEIR OWN. I MOSTLY ENJOY MORE DIRTY SOUNDING DEATH METAL BANDS LIKE AUTOPSY, INCANTATION AND SO ON. I KNOW THIS MUSIC IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHAT I ENJOY ABOUT IT!

Were any of you guys fans of 90′s nu-metal?

UMMM…..KORN AND THAT STUFF? AGAIN, IM NOT REALLY THAT KNOWLEDGABLE ABOUT IT, SO I JUST SAY IT’S NOT FOR ME. SOME OF IT SEEMS HEAVY BUT I WOLDNT CALL IT METAL…HEAVY WIHOUT THE METAL. NO THANKS.

Are there any really cool underground bands that your fans might like that you’d like to namecheck?

I GET INTO BANDS LIKE FUNEBRARUM, DEAD CONGREGRATION, CEMETERY URN, AZARATH, GRAVEHILL, DENIAL….MOSTLY PURE DEATH METAL …BUT MOST THINGS I LISTEN TO ARENT NEW OR ANYTHING…. SODOM, POSSESSED, AUTOPSY, ASPHYX, INCANTATION… THATS WHAT I LISTEN TO THE MOST.

Are there any last thoughts you’d like to share?

JUST THANKS A TON FOR THE INTERVIEW AND THE SUPPORT. METAL ABOVE ALL!

Belphegor, the Austrian blackened death metal band, is currently looking for a talented live guitarist. If you meet the following requirements, you can email their management with photos, MP3s, and videos depicting your playing abilities.

Requirements:
* Must be European, with the ability to travel;
* You are a prof. musician – stage / tour experience preferred;
* You are tight with rhythm and can play leads as well;
* You are 100% into rehearsing, practising, touring, festivals, shows;
* You are generally interested in Metal musick and can fit with bands appearance.

If you meet these requirements, email belphegor@aon.net with your credentials.
Belphegor on MySpace.