Heaven's Metal, Issue 75 (June/July 2008)

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June/July 2008 Issue #75 $2.95

Becoming The Archetype soul embraced kreyson apostle + tons of album reviews

Issue #75 June/July 2008

KREYSON On The Run

which embraces his heart. Music can evoke a feeling that it is not futile to live. By the way, right now Kreyson incorporates a song called “It is Not Futile to Live” into its repertoire for this year’s festivals.

How did you manage to restore the Czech metal legend called Kreyson?

LK: I can say that I didn’t even dream about raising Kreyson from the dead. At the time when we didn’t play, I was not idle. I fell in love, and my love was the studio and the whole alchemy that goes along with the processing of sound. I could feel in my heart passion and excitement again. I had been listening to the recordings of foreign groups and also domestic ones, and I could hear that world of difference, above all, in the quality of sound. I asked myself what I could do for our Czech big-beat, and then I began to hunt for the most wonderful studio boxes in the world. A studio emerged from that – which I had always dreamt about – full of high technology and the little boxes which are able to produce the quality of sound the foreign groups have.

However, in that moment, I began to realize that life was about people and not about things. When I cooperated with the sound man Jirka Markvart for the first time, I told him openly, “If you want to stay … stay. Work with you is a pleasure for me.” Jirka is the chief sound man today and I’m engaged mainly in mastering. At that time, I met one more sound alchemist – guitarist with a big heart, Radek Reddy Kroc – with whom I could listen to almost all guitar apparatuses that were available in the world. Somewhere there, in our discussions, there came a word about Kreyson and how “Carovná Noc” (“Magic Night”) would sound in an acoustic form. And then life came up with a literal revival of our fan club, and the members of the fan club said that the acoustic versions were very nice, but they wanted to hear some real big beat as it used to be in the past. All the other steps followed (smile).

®

INTRO / EDITED BY JONATHAN SWANK

A

NYONE REMEMBER THE SCORPIONS INFLUENCED MELODIC METAL BAND FROM CZECH REPUBLIC THAT RELEASED TWO VERY SOLID ALBUMS – ANGEL ON THE RUN AND CRUSADERS – BACK IN THE EARLY 90’S? WELL, TAKE NOTE: THEY ARE BACK TOGETHER, HAVE BEEN TOURING EUROPE (WITH DORO PESCH) AND RECENTLY (IN 2007) RELEASED A NEW “BEST OF” CD/DVD – WITH LIVE CONCERT FOOTAGE – CALLED TIME CANNOT BE REGAINED? “CZECH” OUT THIS QUICK INTERVIEW – BY AN ANONYMOUS WRITER – WITH LÁDISLAV KRÍŽEK, BAND FOUNDER AND VOCALIST, WHERE HE DISCUSSES THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THIS PIONEERING WHITE METAL BAND.

In what sense was your cooperation with Doro and other foreign groups enriching for you … apart from a new experience and getting to know new places?

Of course it enriched us very much... We will still need to learn, for a long time. On the other hand, I could realize how many skilful people we have at home and how much important for our growth a contact with their experience was. I began to realize that we had lived for too long behind that thorny wall. 40 years of communism and the Iron Curtain is a long time.

I’m talking here not so much about the qualities of individual musicians, but rather about organization and thinking. The differences are huge. To be with them ... to be in a live contact with the world of musicians is alpha and omega for Czech big beat.

On the new CD/DVD, there is a song called “Salome” by a legend – a fighter against the communistic regime named Karel Kryl, who had to leave the Czech Republic to live in Germany.

Why did you choose it and what does the legacy of Karel Kryl mean to you?

I had a chance to meet with Karel only once and, of course, it ended in a party where he played the guitar and sang long into the night. He was a good friend of a boy who takes care of Kreyson as if it was his child, and that is Jožka Ko enek. He told me “Hey, let’s try to remake the “Salome” composition by Kryl. I replied, “‘Salome’ by Kryl?” In that way I got closer to the songs composed by Karel; I listened to them one by one and I got goose bumps. In them, apart from the tireless rioter whom Karel was, you can hear a great truth. Karel had a great personality. His songs will live forever because they are a prayer, “Salome” as well.

I opened my heart and began to sing “Salome.” In doing so, I thought about Karel Kryl and Jesus Christ, in whom he believed, who he loved and revered. Today, “Salome” is brought into the world in the version made

by Kreyson, and only our fans and time will reveal how successful we were in doing that.

Speaking of the lyrics, I have always been curious to know what inspired you to write such a strong confession as the song called “Nejde Vrátit Cas” (“Time Cannot Be Regained?”)?

I don’t know. I had always been working on the lyrics, and when I finished them I kept asking, “God, where did I get this from?” But I can tell you that as the life ran, I really lived through many of them. Some things and feelings can be communicated only with a great difficulty. It is the way my friend says, “Experience cannot be handed over. But one thing I know today for sure – to have a home and a background is one of the greatest treasures on earth for a man.” I had to fight for it very much in one period of my life. I cast down my head, closed my eyes, and tried to understand everything. He, who loses his home, loses everything.

That was the only thing, fortunately, I could realize at that moment. I realized that he who runs away at that moment runs away from himself and will keep running for the rest of his life. I realized that true love is self-sacrifice for others and forgiveness. I fell on my knees and cried for a long time. I don’t know how it happens to a man, but perhaps it is common. The song you mentioned (“Time Cannot Be Regained”) I lived through. “By a single word you destroyed your whole castle where you enjoyed the warmth/when the worst times came, where did you run?” (loose paraphrase)

ELEMENTS

It has been a year now since you’re back on the scene. How have you enjoyed your comeback?

An unbelievable rocket (ride). I could not even think of the number of fans Kreyson still had after the period of pause. When you see them under the stage and in the DVD, how they sing along with us… Then you must realize that it is the mirror every musician needs … to give out energy and get it back so that he could live and create. That exchange of energy can be felt very strongly in that DVD. It has charisma and the ending is something great. Fans sing along with us and you can feel that they’re enjoying themselves. Beautiful.

Kreyson isn’t only about the Czech Republic anymore. You’ve toured with Doro in Europe; opened up for groups like Scorpions and Gamma Ray; you will play with Judas Priest. How does it feel to arouse emotions in people through your music, let’s say, despite the language barrier? Half of the songs you sang in Czech…

When we were twelve or fourteen years old and we began to listen to AC/DC, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Slade, Nazareth, Sweet, Suzi Quatro… Who could understand them? Look, music is a phenomenon.

Either there is energy and the message comes from the heart or it is not there. Fans from Munich came to us, who traveled so long to reach Braunschweig, and they said, “We enjoy it more when it’s sung in Czech!” I was, as they say, positively consternated.

I said to myself, “Is this possible at all?” They got to all our recordings. For me, it was really moving.

Music is a phenomenon. It has its own dimension.

When you listen to it, it strikes whole your being. It is understood by everybody from an Eskimo to a savage in an African forest. Everyone finds that sort of music,

We have touched on the past and present, but what does the future hold? Will there be new songs, a new record?

Also I would like to know what will come next. Does anybody know it at all? Does anybody know what will happen in an hour? I say that everything is in the hands of God.

You spoke of God several times during our conversation. Has your attitude towards Him changed in some way? Does He bring inspiration to you?

In Crusaders in 1992 I tried to touch God perhaps most intensely. But as the time goes I realize what a difference there is between true living with God and only singing about Him. In that “meantime” I was baptized, which was for me, as for a Christian, the first crucial step. When we performed in a jail for prisoners, I felt as if I could see there my own sons … so I told them, “Children, this fellow behind me – Jesus – died for those who can turn and do good. And when you turn to do good, be ready, because the evil won’t like to leave your heart without a struggle. If you believe in His power, you will never be alone in a fight with evil.

Through Christ you will be able to understand many people and things you could not understand before.”

04 Metal tracks DeGarmo & Key, Kekal,

Perhaps, a new record?

I can’t say anything specific about the new record.

Perhaps only the fact that so far its working version is called Guardian Angels. Of course, we will work thoroughly, so that it could see the light of the world and so that our fans would enjoy it.

Your lyrics have always been a strength. Each of your albums had a theme, lyrically. What message will be delivered by the “new” Kreyson?

The title Guardian Angels is much telling. Many fans with whom I’ve met, told me for example how they fell in love listening to the song called “Vzdálená” (“Remote”) for the first time and they are together till

8

Mortification, Rob Rock, Seventh Angel,

Bill Menchen, Hemotheory, and more.

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08 Kreyson Czechs rock! Doc Swank

Heaven's Heavy Metal

Do you have a projected date that you are shooting for to complete and release it?

My, oh my… Can you say “metal?” This issue was a pleasure to bring together because it exemplifies everything we try to do with the fanzine to keep all of you up to speed with the hottest bands in the current Christian metal scene, as well as informed about the happenings of your metal heroes of yesteryear. It is just so refreshing to see Rocky (Soul Embraced) back in the metal camp after his long stint with Evanescence; and Becoming the Archetype have nicely developed into a band that fans of both old school and the newer extreme metal can really enjoy – without compromising in the lyrical department. The reunions of Kreyson and Barren Cross (this one probably the biggest and most exciting news of the year for our scene) were both huge surprises to the karew, and we pass their stories on to you with both excitement and great hope for their futures.

And yes, metal is still alive… Just check out the plethora of great bands we have reviewed this issue. From the crushing new death metal riffage of Soul Embraced to the innovative extreme metal of Synnove; from the classic sounds of Steve Rowe’s Mortification back catalog (reissued in all their glory) to the new Martyrs Shrine disc (featuring Mick Carlisle on guitar) your ears will be bleeding with joy. And for those that love melodic metal, check out Random Eyes – an incredibly talented act from Finland – or their fellow countrymen HB – who deliver an extremely credible symphonic metal sound in the vein of Nightwish! And there’s so much more… Hopefully you can catch some of these bands on tour this summer … but if not, then do yourself a favor and check out their music. Have a happy and safe headbangin’ summer … and remember that metal is medicine for your soul.

Jonathan “Doc” Swank

Michael: No date as of yet, but we are starting now to consider everything and what we are probably going to do is put the feelers out there. We are now looking for producers. If anyone is interested and wants to make an offer, we are ready to hear them!

Steve: Whatever album that we do we’ll always have, as in the past … deal with real life issues … and it all steers back to Jesus Christ and it all steers back to repentance and repentance towards Jesus Christ. It’s gonna be amazing.

BARREN CROSS IS BACK... ...Preaching Repentance

BARREN CROSS HAS BEEN OFF THE RADAR SINCE THEY RELEASED RATTLE YOUR CAGE BACK IN 1994.

BUT LAST YEAR THEY GOT BACK TOGETHER FOR A FEW SHOWS. DID IT LEAD TO MORE? YES IT HAS! HEAVEN’S METAL CAUGHT UP WITH ¾ OF THE BAND IN JIM LAVERDE, STEVE WHITAKER AND MICHAEL DRIVE F/K/A MIKE LEE AND GOT THE NEWS STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE.

NEW ALBUM? CHECK! TOUR? CHECK! NEW MISSION AND MESSAGE FOR AMERICA? CHECK! Todd: It’s been 1994 since you last released an album, RattleYour Cage.

What made you decide that now was the time to get together and bring back Barren Cross again?

Jim: It’s completely God’s doing, absolutely. Slowly but surely God’s been building up in me the desire to play like I never have before … to play for His glory. We all started talking and said, “Hey, let’s do a show” and BOOM it was there. It’s been an amazing ride so far.

Michael: We all of a sudden have an amazing desire for the first time since 1994 to do a brand new Barren Cross album! So we are planning it now.

Holy Soldier S/T

Steve: I think the kids of today are going to dig it and I don’t think we are going to disappoint our past fans at all. I think everyone is going to enjoy the sound we are going to come up with on this album.

Michael: I agree with that 100%. I think it will be extremely well rounded and I don’t think anybody’s going to see it as being too untouchable or too out of date. It’s going to reach a lot of people I think.

Jim: We have to keep writing along the lines of music that counts. We have to always remind ourselves that we need to be men of the times and what is going on in our world now. Things that were going on in 1994 are not the things happening in 2008. There are different things that concern the young people of today and we want to be concerned with what they are concerned about. We definitely want to stay on the cutting edge of the issues. BC has always been about the issues.

Have you started writing for it yet?

Michael: All of us have a little material for it from what we have been writing, but now that we have a vision in mind we have more of a direction for more songs that we will be writing for it.

Jim: I am excited to start gearing songs towards another BC album. I think God is really gonna bless it.

Steve: I just purchased a 4-track recorder, so I will be able to lay down my ideas and then forward them on to the guys, and also so I don’t forget any ideas.

Would you care to elaborate on what your vision is?

Jim: Our vision is “repentance” for the nation of America.

We really feel like God has called us to that theme and that is probably the theme you are going to hear in our records, and the theme you are going to hear when we play our concerts. We go back to the Old Testament Scripture that says, “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, repent from their

My father told me America is now the 3rd largest mission field.

Jim: If you really do a study about the church, there is an age bracket that is missing, and that is the age bracket between 17-25 in young men not being there because there is something that is missing. We are hoping to fill that gap and to help bring a revival back to the young people of America. I believe that is part of what we are supposed to do.

Michael: Much more than ever I think the Lord is leading us. As Jim told you, God is basically telling us that now our message is repentance. That is our big fat message now because of the fact that this is something that is extremely lacking in the churches today. In the Bible … we are actually in the end times … it talks about that: "in the end times people are having itching ears to listen to whatever doctrines that tickle their fancy" and let them be able to hold onto their idols and their sins, and still let them believe or still pretend that they are going to heaven, when in fact they are not going to make it unless they repent. Jesus was very adamant about that.

This is what He has made clear to us, that we need to go out now and make it very clear to the church and to the world in general that the only way to Jesus Christ is by repenting. Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.” In fact, the first thing he began His ministry with was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

this… We are to go out and make our main message as repentance. It really motivates us to get out there.

Steve: We are waiting on as many dates as we can possibly get. That is up to Jeff. I am sure this interview is going to help get that started. I am sure there are many people who don’t know we are back together and with something new coming out.

"translates" the interview for us.

Michael: We have to get the word out that we are available.

Jim: And one thing to keep in mind, too, is that when we started reforming it was right at the end of booking season for the summer, so it’s really hard to get into festivals this year and have us play, because they have already booked their bands. Probably this time next year we will have a whole lot more dates to consider and see what God does. Also, we do have a MySpace account that you can visit. We have had a wonderful time responding to emails and we do. We the band respond to every single email and we are actually answering questions, a lot of ministry questions.

12 Barren cross Todd Walker grills 3/4 of

Jim: Exactly. That is what you are going to be hearing about at our concerts.

So, there will be a tour?

Steve: Whatever doors God opens up for touring and doing shows in the midst of families and our lives. It really is up to God. We are all up and open to whatever that is.

If touring, then we know that God’s gonna open the door to how much touring that really is. The way Jeff (McLain, manager) came into our ministry and his heart to guide that aspect of our concert and tours … it’s all a perfect fit.

Michael: Actually, we are extremely motivated with what God has recently told us. As Jim was saying earlier in regards to repentance, I believe God specifically told us

Steve: If the fans could email into the BarrenCrossSteve@hotmail.com, if BC came to their town, what 10 songs would they most want to hear us play that we have done.

Jim: That would be great!

Jeff McLain: To just jump in … we have launched a new website: barrencrossband.com. Fans will be able to upload pictures and videos of the band. We are going to build up an archive and timeline of the band that will be interactive. So people are welcome to come and submit that to us!

the BC gang (Jim, Steve, & Mike).

Michael: Also, there is a brand new BC t-shirt available.

They can go to MySpace and they will have the link to where it is being sold. They can also go the michaeldrive.com and find it there as well.

Jim: We covet everybody’s prayers and we ask that you all lift us up and spend 5 minutes a week asking God to help guide us and direct us. myspace.com/barrencross michaeldrive.com barrencrossband.com northcoastagency.com (for booking)

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14 Soul Embraced Chris Gatto welcomes Will the band do more touring now and how will Living Sacrifice's reunion affect that?

SE will tour more than ever. We’re already booked up until August and plan on touring the rest of the year in support of Dead Alive. Living Sacrifice is only doing the Demon Hunter tour and a show here and there when SE is off, so it should work out OK. I have to ask… Is there a certain satisfaction in returning to the music you love, even if it means

me a better husband and father as well.

Did you find that suddenly everyone knows your name after Evanescence?

Not really.

Guitars or drums… You play both, but which is your first instrument or your preference?

I played drums first and I’m better on drums, for sure.

I don't have a preference, really. I play whatever is

Rocky Gray back into the metal fold.

should be doing. We should take what we have and expand on it, take it past where you got it from.

Do you think that "death" is becoming an overused motif in metal today?

"Death" is an element of metal symbolism and so I don't think you can have metal without ever having some sort of "death" imagery. It is what it is. It's like saying "the cross" is an overused motif in churches.

“Death is an element of metal symbolism and so I don't think you can have metal without ever having some sort of ‘death’ imagery.

It is what it is. It's like saying ‘the cross’ is an overused motif in churches.”

SOUL EMBRACED Resurrection Time

coming back to square one and leaving behind the sold-out arenas and platinum albums behind?

Yes, there is satisfaction in doing what you know is right for you. Do I miss playing in sold-out arenas every night?

Yes, I do. Do I miss waking up everyday wishing I was doing something else? Absolutely not. I love the music I’m playing; it has purpose and I know this is where God wants me to be right now. I'm a better Christian and a better person being in this band and in turn that makes

needed at the time.

CG: Hi Rocky, Welcome back from all the metalheads!

RG: Thanks. It’s great to be back.

It's been 5 long years since the last Soul Embraced album. Why did you restart SE and what was driving you with this new album?

I just wanted to be in love with the music I was doing again. I had been doing music just as a job for so long that it really felt like it was time to get back to doing it because it was my passion and not just to pay the bills. We always planned on doing more SE records, but we hadn't had the time to do it so it just worked out.

Dead Alive is your most diverse – from metalcore and death metal, to the new and incredible classic metal guitar solos, Zakk Wylde style squeals, melodic Demon Hunter moments, and even lush instrumentals. Is this where the band is progressing or just where Rocky is right now as the driver?

We worked on this record for well over a year or so before we got to the studio, so the music stems from writing while I was still in Evanescence to after I left and from when we got Jeff and Devin in the band and started working with them… So it came from all these situations and refining everything we had until we thought they were the best songs they could be. I personally wanted to love every song on this record and I do.

Hard Edged Music for your Soul

shoutlife.com/hemotheory

What made you decide you wanted to play music? Did you always want to do music that was related to your faith?

Alex: Growing up, I never really wanted to be a pro musician. I just started playing guitar as a hobby and tried to develop my playing to the point where I was able to play whatever came into my head, but it eventually became much more serious. I am a rather private and withdrawn person, but ultimately God had a plan for my life that I just could not get away from. Every time I focused on music, doors would fly open; and conversely, every time I strayed away from it, doors slammed shut in my face. Sometimes you have to be still and listen for guidance, but other times it just smacks you on the head in a way that you can't ignore.

What have been some influential albums or bands in your personal development? What things stand out to you about these (positively or negatively)?

Alex: As far as influences on my playing goes, I was inspired to play guitar after I heard a few Steve Vai songs just before my 14th birthday. I was pretty much obsessed with the late 80's/early 90's shredders like Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Michael Angelo, etc., as well as transcribing Bach and Paganini pieces for guitar (which was an obsession for a few years). I listened to a whole lot of heavy stuff and prog/experimental stuff growing up, but I was not interested in a traditional 'band' format … but somehow it just happened. As far as what stands out about them, I was more interested in musical excellence. The guys that pushed the envelope of playing and writing and that were attempting to do something different and exceptional. I think that there are many ways that you can glorify God and be a witness, and one of those is to discipline and train the abilities that have been given you to the height of their effectiveness. Whether the music is secular or spiritual, God is always glorified by excellence in using the abilities that he has given you.

BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE

What have been some influential albums or bands in the development and inspiration of Becoming the Archetype as a band?

Jason: We have a wide variety of influences, but in the metal world we draw from bands like Living Sacrifice, Extol, Opeth, Dream Theater, Death, Mastodon – to name a few. Now that we have been writing music for nearly a decade we are starting to find our own niche and hopefully developing a sound that is somewhat unique to BTA.

BY LOYD HARP

ATLANTA’S OWN BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE HAVE TAKEN THE FAITH-BASED METAL WORLD BY STORM. THEIR SOUND IS A REFRESHING MIXTURE OF OLD AND NEW, WITH A TECHNICAL BENT RIVALED BY NONE. I RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH THE BAND VIA EMAIL, BETWEEN STOPS ON THE BRING YOUR OWN BEARD TOUR. Loyd: What was your first exposure to Christian metal? Was it a positive or negative experience?

Seth: All of our exposures to Christian metal were positive and almost life-changing.

For Jason it was Mortification and Tourniquet, for me it was Extol and Zao, for Alex it was Believer and Living Sacrifice (and King's X, etc.). Those bands really opened our ears and minds to the whole concept of Christians playing aggressive music as a means of ministry and spreading the Gospel. Personally, when I went to concerts of Living Sacrifice or Luti-Kriss, I experienced something that would have been very difficult to put into words. Those shows and that atmosphere were like a whole new world into which someone can immerse themselves and get lost for a lifetime.

When/how did you become Christian? Did you grow up with a Christian background/foundation?

Seth: We all grew up in church and all were taught the Gospel from an early age and have accepted Christ as our personal Savior. It's a beautiful thing, getting the truth from a congregation that loves you enough to tell you the truth from the start, so that instead of wasting years in sin and futile endeavors, we were able to pursue our love of God and life and create a strong testimony of God's grace throughout our whole lifetime. Watching our friends fall away and ruin their lives has been very hard at times and those things really have had an effect on our lyrics and opinion about this music scene. You love your friends and you don't know what to do when they

Vardoger Whitefrozen

lose every bit of faith in their lives to the extent that when you talk to them about it they call you a self-righteous hypocrite. You just feel at a loss.

How did your Christian upbringing shape your views of this genre and the world in which it exists?

Seth: Well, that's a complicated question that would take way too long to answer completely, but in a concise form, it's precisely that: the world is a super-complex place now and I think the metal/hardcore scene is merely a microcosm of that.

Because of technology, the world is connected in ways that it never has been before and the world has become a truly huge place. Depending on where you look, there's amazing things going on and there's horrific things going on. Same with the music scene: there are bands that are absolutely incredible if you look in the right places and they can bring you a lot of joy. In the same token, there are so many generic, annoying bands that are a complete waste of time and you'll only burn yourself out trying to hear them all or even appreciate half of them. In this scene and in the world, you have to choose carefully what part of the whole thing you become a part of.

Jason: My perspective on the music we are playing started from a place … that we were using it primarily as a ministry tool and beyond that as a way to worship and glorify God with our talents. To this day, that continues to be my view (of course there have been many struggles along the way). I have to remind myself regularly that God

[Ed – See review this issue.]

talks to Solid State's metal giants.

ZETA Hemotheory 22 columns Steve Rowe and Pastor Bob.

is at the helm and He will not only steer the ship but He is also in control of the conditions on the ocean and the weather around us. Ultimately, the landscape of the music industry shouldn't phase our ministry goals or our musical aspirations.

Paying Homage to the Christian Metal of the Past

Plug your album, tour, etc.

Dead Alive is in stores now and online, so go get it!!!

Also come over and say “Hi” at soulembracedfans. com and myspace.com/soulembraced. Thanks for all your support! God bless.

20 Becoming The Archetype Loyd Harp

NEW CD

hemotheory.com

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16 album reviews 24 of 'em.

Where should Christian metal or Christians in metal be in 2008?

Good question. I think Christian metal should be thinking a little more outside of the box. It’s getting a little redundant out there. I’m older, so I see things a bit differently from the way the kids do, apparently, but it just seems that when something catches on everybody and their mom wants to do it and that's not what we

INTERVIEW BY CHRIS GATTO

IF YOU THOUGHT THIS BAND WAS BURIED BACK IN 2003, YOU’RE DEAD WRONG. AT ONE TIME A SIDE BAND OF LIVING SACRIFICE MEMBERS ROCKY GRAY AND LANCE GARVIN, SOUL EMBRACED SCORED HIGH MARKS WITH THE EXTREME METAL COMMUNITY, ONLY TO LANGUISH IN THE YEARS SINCE LIVING SACRIFICE DISBANDED AND ROCKY STARTED PLAYING DRUMS FOR ANOTHER BAND FROM LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS NAMED EVANESCENCE. THAT BAND, OF COURSE, WENT ON TO SELL A LOT OF RECORDS, BUT MANY METAL FANS WHO FOLLOWED ROCKY WITH HIS “NEW” BAND BECAME DISENFRANCHISED AS FRONTWOMAN AMY LEE DISTANCED THE BAND FROM THE METAL COMMUNITY AND CHRISTIANITY IN GENERAL. SINCE LEAVING EV., ROCKY HAS BEEN WORKING ON SEVERAL MUSICAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE REUNION OF THE LEGENDARY CHRISTIAN METAL BAND LIVING SACRIFICE, AND THE RESURRECTION OF HIS OWN BRAINCHILD SOUL EMBRACED WITH NEW MEMBERS JEFF AND DEVIN JOINING ROCKY, LANCE, AND LEAD SCREAMER/GROWLER CHAD MOORE ON THE BAND’S CRUSHING NEW RELEASE DEAD ALIVE. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THIS BAND, BECAUSE THIS TIME THEY’RE NOT TAKING ANY PRISONERS! WE RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH SOUL EMBRACED’S MAINMAN ROCKY GRAY FOR SOME INTERROGATION TIME.

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Tourniquet Psycho Surgery

Michael: I know we have progressed a lot musically since 1994. This album will contain not only songs that are more meaningful lyrically, but musically will be very meaningful. I think that they will be really great songs. God is been blessing me in that my songwriting is vastly improved in the past several years. I know that it is going to be great.

wicked ways.” God basically says if you will repent I will come back and heal the land. I believe that God has given us an incredible platform to go ahead with His message of repentance. I really believe that God has given us that, given us the dream, confirmed it through pastors and people I have known and the travels I have taken.

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Look for these hot titles now:

Bloodgood S/T & Detonation

this very day. The lyrics of Kreyson were always about life and interpersonal relations. Life itself will always stay a big book, which opens and closes with our birth and departure. Imagine that the rules of the Law of the universe will be broken and your soul departs from your body. Your guardian angel will lead you over to the other side to the very threshold of eternity where you will be able to see all the fruits of your deeds on earth. There his task ends; he embraces you for the last time and parts with you forever. You will meet with the universal truth and everything will be so clear all of a sudden. I think that this song could be called “The Last Mercy.”

Yes, in the next record of Kreyson there will be songs about life on earth but also about life after that.

Alex: In terms of sheer musical inspiration, Bach is always at the top (and Steve Vai in terms of guitar ability), but it took bands like Death, Cynic, Spiral Architect to prove to me that you can combine really heavy metal with the progressive mindset; but

““Sometimes you have to be still and listen for guidance, but other times it just smacks you on the head in a way that you can't ignore." then it took Believer, Living Sacrifice, Zao, The Crucified, Circle of Dust, Klank and all the other front-runners of the Christian heavy music genre to show me that it could be done in a way that is also a ministry as well.

Having lived in Atlanta for 6 years, I had the privilege of being exposed to the band from very early on. My first exposure was when you were first known as the Remnant. It was at an all-ages warehouse venue in Lilburn/ Norcross opening for As I Lay Dying. How did the active hardcore/metal scene in Atlanta at the time play into the formation and development of the Remnant and later Becoming the Archetype?

Jason: That old venue was called The Extreme and that was the first and last time we were privileged to share the stage with As I Lay Dying. Honestly, the "scene" in Atlanta really didn’t do a whole lot for us as a young band. We got a lot of support from small church crowds in the metro Atlanta area, but the scene hadn't really reached into those areas very much back then. To this day, BTA continues to be this weird sort of "anti-scene" band no matter where we go. That is not to say that we are actively trying to go against the scene, but our musical choices seem to pit us against them. The huge crowds of "scene kids" turn out for whatever the new flavor of the month is, but the crowds we draw tend to be people who just love heavy music and could care less about fashion or the coolest new trend.

I, for one, am glad BTA has stuck to their guns, devoid of following trends.

Here’s hoping for many more years of innovative metal to come!

BTA: Thanks and God bless!

Heaven's Metal Editorial Team: Chris Beck, Bob Beeman, Jeff Collins, Mark Blair Glunt, Chris Gatto, Genifer Groff, Loyd Harp, Ed Hellig, Daniel Jesse, Johannes Jonsson, Mike Larson, Jeff McCormack, Trevor Ray, Steve Rowe, Jonathan Swank, Doug Van Pelt, Todd Walker  

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4

METAL TRACKS Hard-news-for-metal-heads

News bullets

1. HB - Frozen Inside 2. Random Eyes - Invisible 3. Stricken - Ain’t Got Nothin’ 4. Fire Throne - Song Title 5. Borgazur - Song Title 6. Winter’s Dawn - Wandering through the Realm of Frosted Beauty 7. His Witness - Kingdom Come 8. The Seventh Power - Dominion and Power 9. Grave Robber - Skeletons 10. Bandname - Song Title 11. Synnove - Rhythms of the Apocalypse 12. Soapbox - Close To The Fire 13. Cottonbomb - Hold On 14. Warlight - Snake Blood Artwork from the history of Heaven’s Metal.

This image, with a determined face pointed towards Jerusalem, was on HM #79, featuring the work of Matt Frantz.

This disc prepared exclusively for Heaven’s Metal Fanzine

by Retroactive Records and partnering labels & bands, who own the song copyrights. ©2008

Hemotheory released their first official video for their song “Life” as planned in April. See it now on their official site (hemotheory.com) as well as YouTube and GodTube.

Last year’s ASCAP Awards Dinner featured a brief set by Christian rock pioneers DeGarmo & Key, recipients of the Visionary Award. Long known for their live performance, hit songs, and ground breaking videos, the band stepped on stage for their first live performance in a dozen years.

The performance was so well received, the Gospel Music Association requested an encore live performance for the 2008 Post Dove Award Party at the Sheraton Music City, and they have also been invited to play select dates including the K-Love Friends & Family Cruise and at the Cornerstone Festival.

Transfigural Form is working on two new songs for a limited EP to be released sometime in the near future.

Untitled for now, yet musically as well as lyrically, are an in between step from Destroyed to the follow up album.

June 28th is the date for Blessfest VI, which will feature headlining act Neon Cross, as well as Recon. Both bands will be debuting new material, and Recon will be performing their first full performance with Vett on vocals in nearly ten years. Stricken will also be playing, and will be celebrating the full release of their new CD. Steve Rowe of Mortification has a one hour podcast on his site’s May Update section (roweproductions.com), which is an interview discussing his perspective of his last eighteen years in metal.

by Trevor Ray Doing an interview with Bill Box, one of Apostle’s past drummers from Florida, this is what I got to learn about the band. Apostle started off as a 5 piece band in its early years of 1982/3 which slowly stabilized as a 3 piece band for most of the band’s lifetime. The band went through a number of a members but its main brain child was Matt Harding. Bill spent his strongest time with the band during 1984-87. The band would mainly record its songs onto tape cassette, which many underground bands were doing at the time. The band created a following over a period of 6 years and released 5-6 demo tapes: The first release was Metal for the Master (1983) with 18 tracks; Apostle (1984), a 4 song demo EP; White Metal (1985); King of the Saints (1986). The band went through some more changes but recorded with the help of Glenn Kaiser, recording two albums Chariots of Iron (1987) and Hymns (1988).

In 1989, Bill returned to help with the band’s next album, called Steel Armada (1989), and then went on the road with another band, Little Maggie, straight after its release. By the mid 90’s they disbanded, but the last album they released was Prepare To Meet God (1994), which was more melodic metal – a departure from their previous, more neo-classical power metal. After that, Matt Harding disappeared off the scene and has let Apostle take a back burner.

Apostle was popular with fans because they were considered by some to be heavier than bands like Stryper. Bill Box puts the reasons why Apostle never reached the status of Stryper or Saint to be most likely due to the fact that “we didn't have any management – a good band manager.” For most of the band’s life, they tried to make it on their own. Also, the band didn’t understand the dynamics of putting together a good product to present to a label. Fans appreciate Apostle because the band represented serious musicianship and an earnest zeal for Christ and God. Bill had a serious drum kit and Matt Harding was a disciplined guitarist practicing Paganini scales at 5am in the morning. Apostle, like many other past bands has made an appearance on Myspace – site run by drummer Bill Box. One of the latest developments for Apostle, which didn’t reach much success, was the pursuit of avid fan Scott Moore trying his hand in restoring the music of all the releases with the original masters; he had hoped to release a 3 CD digi-pack in 2008. But finding some of the masters of the albums not up to a digital quality standard, he soon lost interest.

The idea of the project was to release the material as a love gift for the band and no money was sought out of the project. So now, everything is on hold for the band except for Bill Box manning the band’s website at myspace.com/apostlebandonline.

Here is a run down on the current line-up for the various Cornerstone stages: Bombworks Records stage includes: Penny for the Old Guy, Castaway, Sotahuutto, Deus Invictus, A Hill To Die Upon, A Plea for Purging, Frosthardr, Dagon, Immortal Souls, Common Yet Forbidden, and Drottnar. The Raging Storm Records stage includes: Under Command, To Laodicea, The Goodnight Horizon, As Bound With Them, The Blood Reckoning, The Burial, Hail the Blessed Hour and Awake the Suffering. The Sanctuary Stage includes: Cage, Neocracy, Frosthardr, Bridgeshadows, Aletheian, Frost Like Ashes, Hero, Faith Factor, Strangeland, 7th Overture, and Souljourners w/ Mindflow. On the Metal Pulse Radio stage: Kennebec, Skyliner, Rent Veil, Shining Force, GraveRobbers and Feast Eternal. The Soul Joy Records stage will include: Brother, Lordchain, Eden's Way, Jesus Joshua, Wisdom's Call and F.O.G. It has been announced that the title of the new Kekal release will be Audible Minority. The band says “This title is based to the fact that the music on the album has mapped itself into the extreme minority status; something beyond recognition of the musical norms.

Audible Minority is a stateless, nameless, and label-less manifesto made from all the bitterness and pain. The album that is entirely bleak, gloom and dark.”

Lust Control insists on still not getting back together.

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METAL TRACKS Page-six

[nothin' but] News bullets

Doug'smailbag review 'ski' gone wild

Hi Doug, thanks so much for the copies of the zine, it's awesome, love the CD comp, too. Have to be honest … was a little disappointed in the review by Mr. Swank. I don’t think he likes our style of metal. I wish you had someone there who liked this style of Christian metal. I really wonder if he listened to the CD at all. We have never gotten a bad review in any secular or Christian zine and I know it’s only one man’s opinion. I love the Cage interview, they’re a great band. Can’t wait to see them at CS 08. Well txs for all your help and support.

–Norman Kiersznowski, via internet Doc – I did, in fact, listen to the Faith Factor CD (with only 3 songs, mind you) about 5 times (which is my habit) before I drew up any words ... and I do, in fact, love that style of metal (Sacred Warrior, Veni Domine, Rob Rock, Iron Maiden, Queensryche – just a small sample of what I listen to day in a day out) better than any other kind (prog metal a close second), which is precisely why I am more picky about what I am willing to endorse. If you had read any of my other reviews, like the Cage review from last issue, or if you had read my writer profile of my top CDs of the Heaven's Metal era or my top picks for 2007, you would know that I have a love for metal with complexity and melody. I just don't understand how one negative comment (I just don't like the wailing parts, the other vocals sound cool) makes for a negative review when I used words such as

“passionate, edifying, evangelical” or” “would make Steve Rowe proud” or “fans who miss Sacred Warrior will…” (one of the best Christian metal bands ever in my opinion) to describe the tunes. If as a reviewer, I'm not honest about how the music makes me feel or how it sounds (in reference to the gold standards in the genre) then how can I have any credibility? If everything I review gets the same positive marks, how sincere or accurate can that be? Just my two cents. It is disconcerting, however, that you were so quick to judge me based on one negative comment; but in the spirit of reconciliation, I can assure you there are no hard feelings on my part.

Mahogany Rush ... alive?

Have you ever interviewed Frank Marino from Mahogany Rush? He claims Christianity, and has sent out one time about a 30 page manifesto about his beliefs. I know he hasn't been in the headlines lately but he may be an interesting story.

–Al Ortiz, via internet Ed – As a matter of fact, I did interview him back for HM Magazine, Issue #93. He is a believer, and one of the best guitarists alive. He describes his faith as "orthodox" and points to being predestined, as opposed to a "born again" experience. It was an interesting interview. He had a lot of good things to say, including some criticism for the rock journalist cult hero, Lester Bangs.

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BECOMINGTHE ARCHETYPE

Rob Rock is currently in the studio recording vocals for the new Impellitteri CD titled Good and Evil. Rob reunites with long time friend and guitarist Chris Impellitteri for their first collaboration together since the Crunch album.

According to Chris Impellitteri "this is by far the most amazing recording he has been involved with." It is filled with amazing riffs, fast shredding solos, screaming vocals, and of course a brutal rhythm section. And now for all of the patient fans --- Rob Rock is officially back in the band.

In other Rob Rock news, Japanese melodic metallers AREA51 released their second album Daemonicus on March 5 in Japan, and on March 12 through the iTunes Store, with distribution in 22 countries. The CD features a guest appearance by singer Rob Rock, who is singing in the last track, "Lord Knows." In this sixteen-and-a-halfminute song, with lots of intricate changes, Rob has shown his versatile abilities and many of his approaches to singing.

Influential British metal band Seventh Angel has announced that they have reformed. The band, who were (UK) labelmates with the likes of Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth, are working on a new, yet unnamed studio album and are set to hit the festival circuit later this year.

The line-up is a mixture of the early and final line-up of the band before its split in 1992. Ian Arkley – Vocals, Guitar, Tank – Drums, Simon Bibby – Guitar, and Mark Broomhead – Bass.

Bill Menchen is again joined by Robert Sweet (Stryper) for the new Seventh Power release entitled Dominion and Power, which should be available on Retroactive Records by the time you read this. According to the press release, this album “comes together to create a cohesive slab of dark metal with perfect flow, and an escalating sense of creepiness powered along by Menchen's Ozzystyled brooding vocals – both monotonous and hypnotic!

Lyrically, the album gallops forth with doom n' gloom, book of Revelation vintage apocalyptic themes countered with both salvation and redemption. Brilliant artwork

by Finnish artist Jan Yrlund only rounds out the thick, beefy production and unabashed heaviness unleashed

by The Seventh Power. This is New Wave of British Heavy Metal at its finest. Check it out (myspace.com/ theseventhpowerdotcom).

Heaven's Metal Fanzine has ran an advertisement on the back page for the second issue in its history with this June/ July issue. The last time it was done (Girder ran a Christmas ad with a poignant message on it), there was some crossover between the typical message reserved for that page and the advertising copy for that client. With the circulation Heaven's Metal Fanzine has now (which includes basically no retail newsstand distribution), the purpose or vision isn't quite the same (it won't "arrest someone's attention" sitting on a newsstand). "It was always a personal thing I did," states editor Doug Van Pelt, "just kind of giving it to the Lord as my heart purposed. It was never a required, legalistic thing. Not having it there is not a statement we're making nor implying that it's not God's publication to do with as He wills." (To voice your concern, please write a "Letter to the Editor" via post or email to: editor@hmmag.com)

Photo: David Stuart

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For more news, visit hmmag.com/heavensmetal

Satisfy your soul...

FEAR THIS! GRAVE ROBBER – BE AFRAID +1 If you like your gothic/horror hard rock spiked with a little arsenic and a healthy dose of dark humor, check out Be Afraid! Band members Dr. Cadaver, Nameless, and Maggot offer you chainsaw guitars, super-tight arrangements, and blatant morbitity wrapped around insanely catchy choruses. Wretched provides elite vocal skills in a mezmerizing Danzig/Rob Halford sort of way! For fans of Alice Cooper, Type-O-Negative, The Misfits and Danzig! See them in concert at Cornerstone 2008! Includes industrial remix by Angel mainstream metal band DOPE! [ myspace.com/graverobberpunk ]

WHITECROSS – NINETEEN EIGHTY SEVEN (with 6 bonus tracks) Complete Re-recording of original debut self-titled 1987 release featuring the bonus SARDONYX – MAJESTIC SERENITY / REBEL OF REASON tracks “Love On The Line” and “Re:Animate” (all Rex Carroll guitar jam/solo) + 4 hidden Remastered and reissued, this previously rare & crunchy thrash metal release now out takes. Fans of Ratt, Motley Crue, and Stryper won’t find anything more worthy of their includes the band’s original demo! For fans of Testament & early Megadeth! money than this release! Originally released on Girder Records, this instant classic now finds new life with Retroactive Records.

ULTIMATUM – INTO THE PIT THE SEVENTH POWER – DOMINION & POWER The masters of thrash between metal are back!!!extraordinaire Into the Pit qualifies as a/ Final juggernaut Another colossal collaboration axe-shredder Bill Menchen (Titanic Axe) and world-class drummer Robert of North American the peers Exodus, Sweet of Stryper.

Menchenmetal. exceeds hisFollowing lofty reputation withfootsteps addictive riffsof andfellow fast, fluid, emotion-filled guitar solos ala Randy Rhoads.

Dominion & Power comes together to create a cohesiveOverkill, slab of dark metal with perfect flow, and fiery, an escalating sense of creepiness Tourniquet, Vengeance Rising, Megadeth. and Forbidden, expect powered along by and Menchen’s Ozzy-styled brooding vocals – both monotonous and hypnotic! blowtorch riffs scorching solos, thundering bass, fast drumming and aLyrically, wealththe album gallops forth with doom n’ gloom, book rifferry, of Revelation themeslearned counteredfrom with both salvation and redemption.

Dominion & Power of Mastodonian thevintage boysapocalyptic have clearly their elders, and proves to be an essential building block in putting together the perfect heavy metal collection. [ theseventhpower.com ] learned well!

ROSANNA’S RAIDERS – FIRE FROM HEAVEN: The Collective Works (Collector’s MAIN LINE RIDERS – SHOT IN THE DARK Edition) 3 albums on 2 CDs. The 1987 release Calling Down Fire and the 1988 Anthemic hooks, cleverly mixing snarl and attitude, the band has no problems release Clothed In Fire (both originally on Pure Metal Records) in their entirety paying homage to their musical rabbis, AC/DC, Guns-n-Roses, and Skid Row, are both on disc 1. Disc 2 has the extremely collectible and previously impossible while appealing to fans of modern day bands Vains of Jenna, Buck Cherry, and to find 1985 pro quality 10 song demo called We Are Raiders. Thoroughly remasThe Showdown. tered for brilliant sonic clarity. For fans of Vixen, Rez, Barnabas, and Heart.

All releases available from radrockers.com, cdbaby.com, Northwestern Christian Stores, amazon.com, girdermusic.com, Mardel Christian Stores, christiandiscs.com and your favorite online stores!

Distributed by brutalplanet@gmail.com | retroactiverecords.net

Retroactive Records

Kreyson On The Run

A

intro / edited by jonathan swank

nyone remember the Scorpions influenced melodic metal band from Czech Republic that released two very solid albums – Angel On The Run and Crusaders – back in the early 90’s? Well, take note: They are back together, have been touring Europe (with Doro Pesch) and recently (in 2007) released a new “best of” CD/DVD – with live concert footage – called Live 2007 Noc Plna Hvezd. “Czech” out this quick interview – by an anonymous writer – with Ládislav Krížek, band founder and vocalist, where he discusses the past, present and future of this pioneering white metal band.

8

How did you manage to restore the Czech metal legend called Kreyson?

LK: I can say that I didn’t even dream about raising Kreyson from the dead. At the time when we didn’t play, I was not idle. I fell in love, and my love was the studio and the whole alchemy that goes along with the processing of sound. I could feel in my heart passion and excitement again. I had been listening to the recordings of foreign groups and also domestic ones, and I could hear that world of difference, above all, in the quality of sound. I asked myself what I could do for our Czech big-beat, and then I began to hunt for the most wonderful studio boxes in the world. A studio emerged from that – which I had always dreamt about – full of high technology and the little boxes which are able to produce the quality of sound the foreign groups have.

However, in that moment, I began to realize that life was about people and not about things. When I cooperated with the sound man Jirka Markvart for the first time, I told him openly, “If you want to stay … stay. Work with you is a pleasure for me.” Jirka is the chief sound man today and I’m engaged mainly in mastering. At that time, I met one more sound alchemist – guitarist with a big heart, Radek Reddy Kroc – with whom I could listen to almost all guitar apparatuses that were available in the world. Somewhere there, in our discussions, there came a word about Kreyson and how “Carovná Noc” (“Magic Night”) would sound in an acoustic form. And then life came up with a literal revival of our fan club, and the members of the fan club said that the acoustic versions were very nice, but they wanted to hear some real big beat as it used to be in the past. All the other steps followed (smile).

It has been a year now since you’re back on the scene. How have you enjoyed your comeback?

An unbelievable rocket (ride). I could not even think of the number of fans Kreyson still had after the period of pause. When you see them under the stage and in the DVD, how they sing along with us… Then you must realize that it is the mirror every musician needs … to give out energy and get it back so that he could live and create. That exchange of energy can be felt very strongly in that DVD. It has charisma and the ending is something great. Fans sing along with us and you can feel that they’re enjoying themselves. Beautiful.

Kreyson isn’t only about the Czech Republic anymore. You’ve toured with Doro in Europe; opened up for groups like Scorpions and Gamma Ray; you will play with Judas Priest. How does it feel to arouse emotions in people through your music, let’s say, despite the language barrier? Half of the songs you sang in Czech…

When we were twelve or fourteen years old and we began to listen to AC/DC, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Slade, Nazareth, Sweet, Suzi Quatro… Who could understand them? Look, music is a phenomenon.

Either there is energy and the message comes from the heart or it is not there. Fans from Munich came to us, who traveled so long to reach Braunschweig, and they said, “We enjoy it more when it’s sung in Czech!” I was, as they say, positively consternated.

I said to myself, “Is this possible at all?” They got to all our recordings. For me, it was really moving.

Music is a phenomenon. It has its own dimension.

When you listen to it, it strikes whole your being. It is understood by everybody from an Eskimo to a savage in an African forest. Everyone finds that sort of music,

which embraces his heart. Music can evoke a feeling that it is not futile to live. By the way, right now Kreyson incorporates a song called “It is Not Futile to Live” into its repertoire for this year’s festivals.

In what sense was your cooperation with Doro and other foreign groups enriching for you … apart from a new experience and getting to know new places?

Of course it enriched us very much... We will still need to learn, for a long time. On the other hand, I could realize how many skilful people we have at home and how much important for our growth a contact with their experience was. I began to realize that we had lived for too long behind that thorny wall. 40 years of communism and the Iron Curtain is a long time.

I’m talking here not so much about the qualities of individual musicians, but rather about organization and thinking. The differences are huge. To be with them ... to be in a live contact with the world of musicians is alpha and omega for Czech big beat.

On the new CD/DVD, there is a song called “Salome” by a legend – a fighter against the communistic regime named Karel Kryl, who had to leave the Czech Republic to live in Germany.

Why did you choose it and what does the legacy of Karel Kryl mean to you?

I had a chance to meet with Karel only once and, of course, it ended in a party where he played the guitar and sang long into the night. He was a good friend of a boy who takes care of Kreyson as if it was his child, and that is Jožka Kořenek. He told me “Hey, let’s try to remake the “Salome” composition by Kryl. I replied, “‘Salome’ by Kryl?” In that way I got closer to the songs composed by Karel; I listened to them one by one and I got goose bumps. In them, apart from the tireless rioter whom Karel was, you can hear a great truth. Karel had a great personality. His songs will live forever because they are a prayer, “Salome” as well.

I opened my heart and began to sing “Salome.” In doing so, I thought about Karel Kryl and Jesus Christ, in whom he believed, who he loved and revered. Today, “Salome” is brought into the world in the version made

by Kreyson, and only our fans and time will reveal how successful we were in doing that.

We have touched on the past and present, but what does the future hold? Will there be new songs, a new record?

Also I would like to know what will come next. Does anybody know it at all? Does anybody know what will happen in an hour? I say that everything is in the hands of God. Perhaps, a new record?

I can’t say anything specific about the new record.

Perhaps only the fact that so far its working version is called Guardian Angels. Of course, we will work thoroughly, so that it could see the light of the world and so that our fans would enjoy it.

this very day. The lyrics of Kreyson were always about life and interpersonal relations. Life itself will always stay a big book, which opens and closes with our birth and departure. Imagine that the rules of the Law of the universe will be broken and your soul departs from your body. Your guardian angel will lead you over to the other side to the very threshold of eternity where you will be able to see all the fruits of your deeds on earth. There his task ends; he embraces you for the last time and parts with you forever. You will meet with the universal truth and everything will be so clear all of a sudden. I think that this song could be called “The Last Mercy.”

Yes, in the next record of Kreyson there will be songs about life on earth but also about life after that.

Speaking of the lyrics, I have always been curious to know what inspired you to write such a strong confession as the song called “Nejde Vrátit Cas” (“Time Cannot Be Regained?”)?

I don’t know. I had always been working on the lyrics, and when I finished them I kept asking, “God, where did I get this from?” But I can tell you that as the life ran, I really lived through many of them. Some things and feelings can be communicated only with a great difficulty. It is the way my friend says, “Experience cannot be handed over. But one thing I know today for sure – to have a home and a background is one of the greatest treasures on earth for a man.” I had to fight for it very much in one period of my life. I cast down my head, closed my eyes, and tried to understand everything. He, who loses his home, loses everything.

That was the only thing, fortunately, I could realize at that moment. I realized that he who runs away at that moment runs away from himself and will keep running for the rest of his life. I realized that true love is self-sacrifice for others and forgiveness. I fell on my knees and cried for a long time. I don’t know how it happens to a man, but perhaps it is common. The song you mentioned (“Time Cannot Be Regained”) I lived through. “By a single word you destroyed your whole castle where you enjoyed the warmth/when the worst times came, where did you run?” (loose paraphrase) You spoke of God several times during our conversation. Has your attitude towards Him changed in some way? Does He bring inspiration to you?

In Crusaders in 1992 I tried to touch God perhaps most intensely. But as the time goes I realize what a difference there is between true living with God and only singing about Him. In that “meantime” I was baptized, which was for me, as for a Christian, the first crucial step. When we performed in a jail for prisoners, I felt as if I could see there my own sons … so I told them, “Children, this fellow behind me – Jesus – died for those who can turn and do good. And when you turn to do good, be ready, because the evil won’t like to leave your heart without a struggle. If you believe in His power, you will never be alone in a fight with evil.

Through Christ you will be able to understand many people and things you could not understand before.”

Your lyrics have always been a strength. Each of your albums had a theme, lyrically. What message will be delivered by the “new” Kreyson?

The title Guardian Angels is much telling. Many fans with whom I’ve met, told me for example how they fell in love listening to the song called “Vzdálená” (“Remote”) for the first time and they are together till

9

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Barren Cross Is Back... ...Preaching Repentance Interview byTodd Walker

Barren Cross has been off the radar since they released Rattle Your Cage back in 1994.

But last year they got back together for a few shows. Did it lead to more? Yes it has!

Heaven’s Metal caught up with ¾ of the band in Jim LaVerde, Steve Whitaker and Michael Drive (f/k/a Mike Lee) and got the news straight from the source.

New album? Check!

Tour? Check!

New mission and message for America? Check!

Todd: It’s been 1994 since you last released an album, RattleYour Cage.

What made you decide that now was the time to get together and bring back Barren Cross again?

Jim: It’s completely God’s doing, absolutely. Slowly but surely God’s been building up in me the desire to play like I never have before … to play for His glory. We all started talking and said, “Hey, let’s do a show” and BOOM it was there. It’s been an amazing ride so far.

Michael: We all of a sudden have an amazing desire for the first time since 1994 to do a brand new Barren Cross album! So we are planning it now.

12

Have you started writing for it yet?

Michael: All of us have a little material for it from what we have been writing, but now that we have a vision in mind we have more of a direction for more songs that we will be writing for it.

Jim: I am excited to start gearing songs towards another BC album. I think God is really gonna bless it.

Steve: I just purchased a 4-track recorder, so I will be able to lay down my ideas and then forward them on to the guys, and also so I don’t forget any ideas.

Do you have a projected date that you are shooting for to complete and release it?

Michael: No date as of yet, but we are starting now to consider everything and what we are probably going to do is put the feelers out there. We are now looking for producers. If anyone is interested and wants to make an offer, we are ready to hear them!

Steve: Whatever album that we do we’ll always have, as in the past … deal with real life issues … and it all steers back to Jesus Christ and it all steers back to repentance and repentance towards Jesus Christ. It’s gonna be amazing.

Michael: I know we have progressed a lot musically since 1994. This album will contain not only songs that are more meaningful lyrically, but musically will be very meaningful. I think that they will be really great songs. God is been blessing me in that my songwriting is vastly improved in the past several years. I know that it is going to be great.

Steve: I think the kids of today are going to dig it and I don’t think we are going to disappoint our past fans at all. I think everyone is going to enjoy the sound we are going to come up with on this album.

Michael: I agree with that 100%. I think it will be extremely well rounded and I don’t think anybody’s going to see it as being too untouchable or too out of date. It’s going to reach a lot of people I think.

Jim: We have to keep writing along the lines of music that counts. We have to always remind ourselves that we need to be men of the times and what is going on in our world now. Things that were going on in 1994 are not the things happening in 2008. There are different things that concern the young people of today and we want to be concerned with what they are concerned about. We definitely want to stay on the cutting edge of the issues. BC has always been about the issues.

Would you care to elaborate on what your vision is?

Jim: Our vision is “repentance” for the nation of America.

We really feel like God has called us to that theme and that is probably the theme you are going to hear in our records, and the theme you are going to hear when we play our concerts. We go back to the Old Testament Scripture that says, “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, repent from their

wicked ways.” God basically says if you will repent I will come back and heal the land. I believe that God has given us an incredible platform to go ahead with His message of repentance. I really believe that God has given us that, given us the dream, confirmed it through pastors and people I have known and the travels I have taken.

My father told me America is now the 3rd largest mission field.

Jim: If you really do a study about the church, there is an age bracket that is missing, and that is the age bracket between 17-25 in young men not being there because there is something that is missing. We are hoping to fill that gap and to help bring a revival back to the young people of America. I believe that is part of what we are supposed to do.

Michael: Much more than ever I think the Lord is leading us. As Jim told you, God is basically telling us that now our message is repentance. That is our big fat message now because of the fact that this is something that is extremely lacking in the churches today. In the Bible … we are actually in the end times … it talks about that: "in the end times people are having itching ears to listen to whatever doctrines that tickle their fancy" and let them be able to hold onto their idols and their sins, and still let them believe or still pretend that they are going to heaven, when in fact they are not going to make it unless they repent. Jesus was very adamant about that.

This is what He has made clear to us, that we need to go out now and make it very clear to the church and to the world in general that the only way to Jesus Christ is by repenting. Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.” In fact, the first thing he began His ministry with was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jim: Exactly. That is what you are going to be hearing about at our concerts.

So, there will be a tour?

Steve: Whatever doors God opens up for touring and doing shows in the midst of families and our lives. It really is up to God. We are all up and open to whatever that is.

If touring, then we know that God’s gonna open the door to how much touring that really is. The way Jeff (McLain, manager) came into our ministry and his heart to guide that aspect of our concert and tours … it’s all a perfect fit.

Michael: Actually, we are extremely motivated with what God has recently told us. As Jim was saying earlier in regards to repentance, I believe God specifically told us

this… We are to go out and make our main message as repentance. It really motivates us to get out there.

Steve: We are waiting on as many dates as we can possibly get. That is up to Jeff. I am sure this interview is going to help get that started. I am sure there are many people who don’t know we are back together and with something new coming out.

Michael: We have to get the word out that we are available.

Jim: And one thing to keep in mind, too, is that when we started reforming it was right at the end of booking season for the summer, so it’s really hard to get into festivals this year and have us play, because they have already booked their bands. Probably this time next year we will have a whole lot more dates to consider and see what God does. Also, we do have a MySpace account that you can visit. We have had a wonderful time responding to emails and we do. We the band respond to every single email and we are actually answering questions, a lot of ministry questions.

Steve: If the fans could email into the BarrenCrossSteve@hotmail.com, if BC came to their town, what 10 songs would they most want to hear us play that we have done.

Jim: That would be great!

Jeff McLain: To just jump in … we have launched a new website: barrencrossband.com. Fans will be able to upload pictures and videos of the band. We are going to build up an archive and timeline of the band that will be interactive. So people are welcome to come and submit that to us!

Michael: Also, there is a brand new BC t-shirt available.

They can go to MySpace and they will have the link to where it is being sold. They can also go the michaeldrive.com and find it there as well.

Jim: We covet everybody’s prayers and we ask that you all lift us up and spend 5 minutes a week asking God to help guide us and direct us. myspace.com/barrencross michaeldrive.com barrencrossband.com northcoastagency.com (for booking)

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Soul Embraced Resurrection Time

Interview by Chris Gatto

If you thought this band was buried back in 2003, you’re dead wrong. At one time a side band of Living Sacrifice members Rocky Gray and Lance Garvin, Soul Embraced scored high marks with the extreme metal community, only to languish in the years since Living Sacrifice disbanded and Rocky started playing drums for another band from Little Rock, Arkansas named Evanescence. That band, of course, went on to sell a lot of records, but many metal fans who followed Rocky with his “new” band became disenfranchised as frontwoman Amy Lee distanced the band from the metal community and Christianity in general. Since leaving Ev., Rocky has been working on several musical projects, including the reunion of the legendary Christian metal band Living Sacrifice, and the resurrection of his own brainchild Soul Embraced with new members Jeff and Devin joining Rocky, Lance, and lead screamer/growler Chad Moore on the band’s crushing new release Dead Alive. Keep your eyes on this band, because this time they’re not taking any prisoners! We recently caught up with Soul Embraced’s mainman Rocky Gray for some interrogation time.

CG: Hi Rocky, Welcome back from all the metalheads!

RG: Thanks. It’s great to be back.

It's been 5 long years since the last Soul Embraced album. Why did you restart SE and what was driving you with this new album?

I just wanted to be in love with the music I was doing again. I had been doing music just as a job for so long that it really felt like it was time to get back to doing it because it was my passion and not just to pay the bills. We always planned on doing more SE records, but we hadn't had the time to do it so it just worked out.

14

Dead Alive is your most diverse – from metalcore and death metal, to the new and incredible classic metal guitar solos, Zakk Wylde style squeals, melodic Demon Hunter moments, and even lush instrumentals. Is this where the band is progressing or just where Rocky is right now as the driver?

We worked on this record for well over a year or so before we got to the studio, so the music stems from writing while I was still in Evanescence to after I left and from when we got Jeff and Devin in the band and started working with them… So it came from all these situations and refining everything we had until we thought they were the best songs they could be. I personally wanted to love every song on this record and I do.

Will the band do more touring now and how will Living Sacrifice's reunion affect that?

SE will tour more than ever. We’re already booked up until August and plan on touring the rest of the year in support of Dead Alive. Living Sacrifice is only doing the Demon Hunter tour and a show here and there when SE is off, so it should work out OK. I have to ask… Is there a certain satisfaction in returning to the music you love, even if it means

me a better husband and father as well.

Did you find that suddenly everyone knows your name after Evanescence?

Not really.

Guitars or drums… You play both, but which is your first instrument or your preference?

I played drums first and I’m better on drums, for sure.

I don't have a preference, really. I play whatever is

should be doing. We should take what we have and expand on it, take it past where you got it from.

Do you think that "death" is becoming an overused motif in metal today?

"Death" is an element of metal symbolism and so I don't think you can have metal without ever having some sort of "death" imagery. It is what it is. It's like saying "the cross" is an overused motif in churches.

“Death is an element of metal symbolism and so I don't think you can have metal without ever having some sort of ‘death’ imagery.

It is what it is. It's like saying ‘the cross’ is an overused motif in churches.” coming back to square one and leaving behind the sold-out arenas and platinum albums behind?

Yes, there is satisfaction in doing what you know is right for you. Do I miss playing in sold-out arenas every night?

Yes, I do. Do I miss waking up everyday wishing I was doing something else? Absolutely not. I love the music I’m playing; it has purpose and I know this is where God wants me to be right now. I'm a better Christian and a better person being in this band and in turn that makes

needed at the time.

Where should Christian metal or Christians in metal be in 2008?

Good question. I think Christian metal should be thinking a little more outside of the box. It’s getting a little redundant out there. I’m older, so I see things a bit differently from the way the kids do, apparently, but it just seems that when something catches on everybody and their mom wants to do it and that's not what we

NEW CD

Plug your album, tour, etc.

Dead Alive is in stores now and online, so go get it!!!

Also come over and say “Hi” at soulembracedfans. com and myspace.com/soulembraced. Thanks for all your support! God bless.

[Ed – See review this issue.]

ZETA Hemotheory

hemotheory.com

Hard Edged Music for your Soul

shoutlife.com/hemotheory

16 Surf this: nightmare-records.com, retroactiverecords.net, roweproductions.com, ulterium-records.com, silentmusic.com.br, arkeynsteel.com, myspace.com/michael_bloodgood

album reviews Six Minute Century

Time Capsules Nightmare Records continues to provide some of the most amazing metal music around today. This new release features some superb power / prog metal out of the Houston area. Melodic vocals, great production, and musical precision are at a high, and while there is no new ground broke here, this is still sure to fill the hunger of most any fan of this style of metal, like myself. [Nightmare Records] Jeff McCormack

Grave Robber

Be Afraid This one goes out to all the horror punk kids – small niche though they may be. The band sounds like Sim Wilson (Undercover) singing for the Misfits, while wearing zombie masks. Thankfully, the band steers clear of pop punk territory and delves right into some Cannibal Corpse style themes, all while sharing the Gospel quite ingeniously and kicking out some catchy choruses, like “I Wanna Kill You Over and Over Again.” Guaranteed to scare the “willies” out of your mother or youth leader. [Retroactive] Chris Gatto

mortification

Re-issues How to review your best friend’s album in one easy step: Don’t do it. Okay, so I’m a rule breaker.

Steve Rowe got a Polish label called Metal Mind Productions to re-release the entire Mortification studio album back catalog (plus a live album and a live DVD) in a fine digipack format of a kind of quality that makes fans drool. Now, let’s be honest, Mortification has seen better days. They’ve had peaks and valleys in their career. The most valuable album in their collection is easily Scrolls of the Megilloth, which didn’t need the live bonus tracks added to be an essential must-have. A couple great gems not to be overlooked, however, are Post Momentary Affliction and Blood World, which showed early signs towards Rowe’s great love for the classic metal flavor that’s tinged their tunes since. Primitive Rhythm Machine was an offshoot experiment with different players that

really seemed to work. The latter material was certainly not outstanding, nor did it suck. The band has been able to bring it live (as the DVD and 10 Years Live Not Dead somewhat attest), as well as stay consistent for these last few above-average studio releases. [Metal Mind Productions] Doug Van Pelt

Incrave

DEAD END Incrave (formerly Evergrace) play mostly mid-tempo metal with heavy grooves. On Dead End, their second release, they have improved in all areas (songwriting, skills, production quality). With the melodic vocals and the dancing keys, this could easily be categorized as commercial progressive metal; think melodydriven Parallels era Fates Warning rather than chops-driven Dream Theater. While they are still missing the big hit song with crushing hooks, I really admire the consistency of the output here.

In the “dead end,” this is a solid release. Look forward to greater things to come from this young band. [Ulterium Records] Jonathan Swank

Spirit's Breeze

NONE SHOULD PERISH Brutal death metal from Brazil that features… What the crap?!

Female vocals?!? I remember reading about a brutal new female fronted band in Metal Maniacs about 10 years ago.

The band was Crisis, and the reviewer was going on and on about how brutal lead screamer Karyn Crisis sounded. I dare the reviewer to listen to Spirit’s Breeze and then re-think said opinion about Crisis. Listening to the CD from start to finish, there were only minute portions where I could tell it was a female vocalist. The music shreds too. This is not melodic metal or anything -core, just brutal death metal. While previous releases from Spirit’s Breeze have suffered in the production and packaging departments, this one delivers the goods. The drums are a little high in the mix for my tastes, but it’s a minor complaint that can be remedied but turning up the volume overall, so that all the instruments come through nicely. Several songs have lyrics contributed by Heaven’s Metal’s own New Zealand correspondent Trevor Ray, making this a truly international project.

[Silent Music Records] Loyd Harp

SceleratA

DARKNESS AND LIGHT All is not as it seems with this young band. Though they sound like Euro power prog metal and singer Carl is a Steve Perry (ex- Journey crooner) look-alike, they really hail from Brazil and sonically resemble Stratovarius (RIP) with Yngwie Malmsteen worthy riffs strewn throughout. The lyrics are boldly Christian without seeming cheesy or forced (see “Holy Fire”). “Darkness and Light” is the standout cut for fully fleshing out the band’s epic sound and displaying the full range of the singer’s voice. Scelerata comes highly recommended for power metal fans and the band is already recording their follow up album.

[Nightmare] Chris Gatto

Scarlet Rayne

THEATER HUMANITARIAN Originally released in 1990, this limited-edition remaster includes four bonus tracks, for a total of 12 songs. High-quality metal in the vein of Queensryche, Sacred Warrior and Haven, Scarlet Rayne was definitely one of the better unsigned bands back in the day. With the original now difficult to find, don‘t miss out on this overdue re-release. [Arkeyn Steel] Chris Beck

Michael Bloodgood & Friends

THE CROSS CHANGES EVERYTHING This seems to be “the solo album that had to get out of Michael Bloodgood.” It’s probably a good thing it finally got out, so that this talented bassist can concentrate on what he’s great at – honing some hard rocking metallic forces with his namesake band. There’s a couple of moments here that’ll please the Bloodgood fan (like the “Frankenstein”-ish “Hosanna in the Highest” with Les Carlson hitting lots of high notes or “Soon & Very Soon”), but tunes like “Oh Happy Day” and “God You’re So Good” are mid-tempo to slow grooving rockers that could be played in an old folks home (granted, one for rockers). “Glory, Glory Hallelujah,” though, shines bright as a true 1964-era Beatles worship tune (if there ever was one); and “Strong Tower” could be its Americansounding counterpart. “Lord I Lift Your Name On High” stands out quite a bit with its deep Steve Miller groove (it sounds very similar to “The Joker”). [B. Goode Records] Doug Van Pelt

17 Surf this: soundmass.com, bullroser.com, roweproductions.com, nordicmission.net, solidstaterecords.com, lordchain.net, retroactiverecords.net

Synnove

THE WHORE AND THE BRIDE I liked the first EP from this band a lot, it truly showed promise.

This is miles ahead of the EP – that’s for sure! Blistering is a word that comes to mind, particularly the drumming and the vocals. What a classy scream.

I've got to tell you, I didn’t expect to love this disc like I do. Seriously, this has all the strong points of the EP without the “flowery” stuff – blackened and blistered, just the way it should be. This disc has solid raw production that seems to sound better the louder it goes. Great guitar tone, great drum patterns, and very nice arrangements, then mix in that blood curdling scream and this is definitely a must have! Seriously, the extreme metal scene keeps getting better and this band is no exception. [Soundmass] Michael Larson

HB

FROZEN INSIDE Imagine Nightwish with “praise and worship” style lyrics. Yep, ya heard that right. This fairly new band from Finland – yeah, I know, where do they keep getting all this talent – is the real thing. If you love uplifting and praise-filled, yet spiritually bold and challenging music that is ethereal and powerfully punchy then this band is one you will want to check out – very diverse, very well mixed, very impressive.

Lead singer Johanna is extremely capable – she has a beautiful and versatile voice – and the rest of the band follows suit. Fans of femalefronted symphonic metal will find this irresistible.

[Bullroser Records] Jonathan Swank

Grave Forsaken

DESTINED FOR ASCENSION Our mates from down under demonstrate growth with this new release. They still wear their love for old school Christian thrash on their sleeves, but the slower numbers have a doom metal feel like fellow Aussies Paramaecium. Vocals are shared by all 4 members (one of whom sounds a little bit like Luke Easter of Tourniquet) and are either shouted or growled, with special guest vocals by Steve Rowe. The lyrics are bold “Jesus metal,” but lack some skill in the art of

storytelling that may come with age. “Warriors of Light” is by far the best song, so perhaps fast and furious will be the key to their success.

Great to see Grave Forsaken coming into their own. [Rowe Productions] Chris Gatto

Grave Declaration

THE NIGHTSHIFT WORSHIPER While Grave Declaration’s music will be touted by many as black metal, that nom de genre is way too limiting. Sure, The Nightshift Worshiper has atmospheric, treble-heavy, cold moments, but there are also death growls, a few clean vocals, thrash riffs and gothic elements as well. And perhaps the most inspiring part of this release isn’t what genre people will try to throw them into, as it is the conceptual mindset Georg (the one-man show behind the band) is coming from. The title says it all – this is a worship project from start to finish. What’s not to love about this length 4-song EP? Inspired lyrics, brutally beautiful music, exceptional production (especially for a limited indie release of only 850 units) and quality artwork all grace this fine release. Don’t delay in getting ahold of this. Here’s hoping the followup will come soon, and won’t be a limited run!

[Momentum Scandinavia] Loyd Harp

Soul Embraced

DEAD ALIVE In 2007, the bar for Christian extreme metal (no, not mental) health was set very high – with stellar releases by Becoming the Archetype, Immortal Souls, As I Lay Dying, Pantokrator and Demon Hunter. In 2008, input of a Living Sacrifice reunion encourages, but the output thus far has been sparse … that is, until now. Enter Soul Embraced. Rocky Gray (LS, Evanescence) has successfully resuscitated his death metal band (after 5 years) without any major sequelae – easily eclipsing any prior efforts from this cohort of musicians. In fact, if this injection of metal epinephrine – enhanced with gut-wrenching rhythmic grooves, pacemaker perfect Garvin-beats, virulent guitar solos and puissant death/black vocals – doesn’t jump start your heart, then truly, you are better off dead than alive. Head-banging metal – when so perfectly purified – is just so good for your health … your soul. [Solid State] Jonathan Swank

Random Eyes

INVISIBLE Melodic metal fans are going to rejoice with this new release from Finland’s Random Eyes.

For those that enjoyed last year’s Mehida or Essence of Sorrow releases, this one tops them both. These tunes are filled with huge guitar hooks and catchy melodies; singer Christian Palin – a good mix of Klaus Meine (Scorpions) and Sonny Larsson (Motherlode, Leviticus) – nails every song here with passion and fire. Mikko Härkin (Sonata Arctica, Mehida) provides the right touch of keyboard support for this 5-piece, giving them an expansive commercial metal sound that demands your attention. Highly recommended.

[Bullroser Records] Jonathan Swank

Lordchain

FINDING BALANCE Lordchain have unleashed their fifth full-length. Five albums – where did the time go?

Apparently, the time didn’t go anywhere as Lordchain is still paying homage to their mid-90s groove metal heroes. It’s not that there’s nothing here to like, it’s just when they branch outside of those influences that the sounds get more interesting. It was almost 2/3 of the way into the opening track “Mystery,” when some pseudo-classic/doom riffs caught my ear (ditto on track 4, “My Story”). Bottom line: those who bow down to the groovy rhythms of mid to late 90s alternative metal might want to pick this up, while those looking for newer territory will want to steer clear.

[Corduroy Boy Productions] Loyd Harp

Pain Remains

IDENTITY Here is a young, solid hardcore act from Finland in the vein of N.I.V. These guys aren’t exactly riding the waves of revolutionary hard music, but you can hear plenty of angst and passion here amidst the tumultuous breakdowns.

Yep, this is hardcore. As with the other Bullroser titles reviewed this issue, the production – surprisingly so for a hardcore band – is very clean.

Recommended for fans of … well, hardcore.

[Bullroser Records] Jonathan Swank

18 Surf this: hemotheory.com, nightmare-records.com, soundmass.com, ladakrizek.com, blooddrift.com, versaillesrecords.com

Hemotheory

ZETA This independent Virginia 5-piece surprises with a solid crunchy modern sound that mixes elements of post-grunge, groove and rap rock. Scott Till’s charismatic vocals front a band that sounds solid and tight – our own Jeff McCormack on drums. I like the diversity of sounds/styles here and the “colorful,” uplifting and challenging lyrics. Fans of groove/rap rock with an evangelical bent need to give these guys a listen.

[God Centered Productions] Jonathan Swank

Sacred Dawn

GEARS OF THE MACHINE This four-piece from Illinois plays mid-tempo power metal with occasional hints of Megadethinfluenced thrash. The songs on Gears are well structured and supported by a reasonably strong musical performance.

However, the vocals are mediocre at best and the production is inconsistent throughout the album. Lyrics mostly deal with modern issues such as war and government; note a couple words may be offensive to some listeners. From the unimaginative album title to the decent but been-covered-too-many-times-already “Devil Went Down to Georgia” that closes out the album, this release is exceedingly average.

[Nightmare] Chris Beck

Martyrs Shrine

MARTYRS SHRINE Mick Carlisle (early Mortification, Cybergrind) and drummer Mike Forsberg (recent Mortification, Cybergrind) collaborated on this loosely conceptual death metal project and the results are very good – a nice mix of death, thrash and doom. In fact, Mortification’s classic Scrolls of the Megilloth comes to mind, but doomy Paramaecium tones permeate this disc as well. Sonically, this is solid; and lyrically, they illustrate the brutality of the World Wars and honor our fallen heroes. If you miss Carlisle’s frenetic guitar attack and old school metal with deep guttural, yet mostly discernable growls, then check this out. Well done, mates!

[Soundmass] Jonathan Swank

eternal Emperor

IN THE BEGINNING I didn’t know what to expect when I put this six-song EP in, and I was extremely pleased with what I heard. The first tune on this disc is great! Seriously, there are some great vocals, cool riffs, good aggression, and raw production on this – everything that is needed for a solid underground metal release. Ok, here are the drawbacks. When this band is on, they are on.

Seriously, half these songs rule, and the other half … well, they don’t necessarily rule, per se. On one song, the cool raw production ends up working against it; there are these hard stops where the snare ring ends up making me think of St. Anger.

Then they have these great riffs, and cool vocals, and all of a sudden out of left field there’s a part that just seems completely out of place. These spots are really far between and overall this disc is really good, but the odd spots did stick out. I have heard that this was originally just a demo that ended up being released as an album. If that’s the case, then some of these things are understandable.

Anyway, despite anything negative I said, the songs that rule on this truly do make the disc worthwhile. [Soundmass] Michael Larson

Kreyson

LIVE 2007 NOC PLNA HVEZD Remember these Scorpionsinfluenced melodic metal warriors from the Czech Republic? Yep, they’re back … and they sound better than ever on this live CD/DVD combo. While I can’t understand a word (it’s all sung in their native tongue) this is just great stuff. They play a lot of songs from their infamous Angel On The Run album, a few from Crusaders and a few I didn’t recognize. Lada’s voice is very healthy and he can still hit the high notes with ease. The DVD is pretty amazing … I mean, really high quality stuff here (Dolby Digital). There is a cool “retro” photo gallery, a discography, a short “pre-show” type video and an incredible video of “Deep in the Night” with Lada and Doro Pesch (Warlock) singing a duet in English … wow! It’s great to have these guys back … and yes, they can still “throw down” with the best of ‘em. [Indie] Jonathan Swank

Blood drift

THRUSTING PLAGUES This is a three-song demo / EP from a young band, and it absolutely slays! Seriously, this brought me back to the days of hearing Bathory or Possessed for the first time (sorry, my secular roots are showing). They may not sound like those two bands, but they have that same raw aggression and flair, absolutely solid music here. Despite it being raw, the songs are well written and finely performed death metal with many other influences thrown in. I love the syncopation that they utilize so well. There is something to be said for people who love what they do – this shows it seriously! If this band can make it through all the stages that a young band has to go through, expect great things from them.

[Indie] Michael Larson

LIberty N Justice

Independence Day This release came out last year, but we somehow forgot to review it (sorry). LNJ have given us yet another great compilation bringing together some amazing big name Christian and secular singers coming together to play some great music. This time around they go for more of an acoustic rock feel, though not to be confused with an unplugged style, as these songs still rock. Production is a little weak in places, but overall still a lot of great music contained.

[Independent] Jeff McCormack

LIberty N Justice

4 All: The Best of LNJ If you are not yet familiar with the all-star projects that Liberty n’ Justice have been pumping out since 2005, this is a good place to catch a glimpse. Featuring four brand new tracks just for this release (some of the best so far), and tracks from each of the three preceding, this is a great compilation of different style and different voices. Includes a very nice twenty-page booklet insert with bio information the artists.

[Versailles Records] Jeff McCormack

Paying Homage to the Christian Metal of the Past

Becoming The Archetype

by Loyd harp

Atlanta’s own Becoming the Archetype have taken the faith-based metal world by storm. Their sound is a refreshing mixture of old and new, with a technical bent rivaled by none. I recently caught up with the band via email, between stops on the Bring Your Own Beard Tour.

Loyd: What was your first exposure to Christian metal? Was it a positive or negative experience?

Seth: All of our exposures to Christian metal were positive and almost life-changing.

For Jason it was Mortification and Tourniquet, for me it was Extol and Zao, for Alex it was Believer and Living Sacrifice (and King's X, etc.). Those bands really opened our ears and minds to the whole concept of Christians playing aggressive music as a means of ministry and spreading the Gospel. Personally, when I went to concerts of Living Sacrifice or Luti-Kriss, I experienced something that would have been very difficult to put into words. Those shows and that atmosphere were like a whole new world into which someone can immerse themselves and get lost for a lifetime.

When/how did you become Christian? Did you grow up with a Christian background/foundation?

Seth: We all grew up in church and all were taught the Gospel from an early age and have accepted Christ as our personal Savior. It's a beautiful thing, getting the truth from a congregation that loves you enough to tell you the truth from the start, so that instead of wasting years in sin and futile endeavors, we were able to pursue our love of God and life and create a strong testimony of God's grace throughout our whole lifetime. Watching our friends fall away and ruin their lives has been very hard at times and those things really have had an effect on our lyrics and opinion about this music scene. You love your friends and you don't know what to do when they

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lose every bit of faith in their lives to the extent that when you talk to them about it they call you a self-righteous hypocrite. You just feel at a loss.

How did your Christian upbringing shape your views of this genre and the world in which it exists?

Seth: Well, that's a complicated question that would take way too long to answer completely, but in a concise form, it's precisely that: the world is a super-complex place now and I think the metal/hardcore scene is merely a microcosm of that.

Because of technology, the world is connected in ways that it never has been before and the world has become a truly huge place. Depending on where you look, there's amazing things going on and there's horrific things going on. Same with the music scene: there are bands that are absolutely incredible if you look in the right places and they can bring you a lot of joy. In the same token, there are so many generic, annoying bands that are a complete waste of time and you'll only burn yourself out trying to hear them all or even appreciate half of them. In this scene and in the world, you have to choose carefully what part of the whole thing you become a part of.

Jason: My perspective on the music we are playing started from a place ‌ that we were using it primarily as a ministry tool and beyond that as a way to worship and glorify God with our talents. To this day, that continues to be my view (of course there have been many struggles along the way). I have to remind myself regularly that God

is at the helm and He will not only steer the ship but He is also in control of the conditions on the ocean and the weather around us. Ultimately, the landscape of the music industry shouldn't phase our ministry goals or our musical aspirations.

What made you decide you wanted to play music? Did you always want to do music that was related to your faith?

Alex: Growing up, I never really wanted to be a pro musician. I just started playing guitar as a hobby and tried to develop my playing to the point where I was able to play whatever came into my head, but it eventually became much more serious. I am a rather private and withdrawn person, but ultimately God had a plan for my life that I just could not get away from. Every time I focused on music, doors would fly open; and conversely, every time I strayed away from it, doors slammed shut in my face. Sometimes you have to be still and listen for guidance, but other times it just smacks you on the head in a way that you can't ignore.

What have been some influential albums or bands in your personal development? What things stand out to you about these (positively or negatively)?

Alex: As far as influences on my playing goes, I was inspired to play guitar after I heard a few Steve Vai songs just before my 14th birthday. I was pretty much obsessed with the late 80's/early 90's shredders like Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Michael Angelo, etc., as well as transcribing Bach and Paganini pieces for guitar (which was an obsession for a few years). I listened to a whole lot of heavy stuff and prog/experimental stuff growing up, but I was not interested in a traditional 'band' format … but somehow it just happened. As far as what stands out about them, I was more interested in musical excellence. The guys that pushed the envelope of playing and writing and that were attempting to do something different and exceptional. I think that there are many ways that you can glorify God and be a witness, and one of those is to discipline and train the abilities that have been given you to the height of their effectiveness. Whether the music is secular or spiritual, God is always glorified by excellence in using the abilities that he has given you.

What have been some influential albums or bands in the development and inspiration of Becoming the Archetype as a band?

Jason: We have a wide variety of influences, but in the metal world we draw from bands like Living Sacrifice, Extol, Opeth, Dream Theater, Death, Mastodon – to name a few. Now that we have been writing music for nearly a decade we are starting to find our own niche and hopefully developing a sound that is somewhat unique to BTA. Alex: In terms of sheer musical inspiration, Bach is always at the top (and Steve Vai in terms of guitar ability), but it took bands like Death, Cynic, Spiral Architect to prove to me that you can combine really heavy metal with the progressive mindset; but

““Sometimes you have to be still and listen for guidance, but other times it just smacks you on the head in a way that you can't ignore." then it took Believer, Living Sacrifice, Zao, The Crucified, Circle of Dust, Klank and all the other front-runners of the Christian heavy music genre to show me that it could be done in a way that is also a ministry as well.

Having lived in Atlanta for 6 years, I had the privilege of being exposed to the band from very early on. My first exposure was when you were first known as the Remnant. It was at an all-ages warehouse venue in Lilburn/ Norcross opening for As I Lay Dying. How did the active hardcore/metal scene in Atlanta at the time play into the formation and development of the Remnant and later Becoming the Archetype?

Jason: That old venue was called The Extreme and that was the first and last time we were privileged to share the stage with As I Lay Dying. Honestly, the "scene" in Atlanta really didn’t do a whole lot for us as a young band. We got a lot of support from small church crowds in the metro Atlanta area, but the scene hadn't really reached into those areas very much back then. To this day, BTA continues to be this weird sort of "anti-scene" band no matter where we go. That is not to say that we are actively trying to go against the scene, but our musical choices seem to pit us against them. The huge crowds of "scene kids" turn out for whatever the new flavor of the month is, but the crowds we draw tend to be people who just love heavy music and could care less about fashion or the coolest new trend.

I, for one, am glad BTA has stuck to their guns, devoid of following trends.

Here’s hoping for many more years of innovative metal to come!

BTA: Thanks and God bless!

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Pastor Bob’s International Report

By Pastor Bob

Hey! Here are three reports from interviews that I did with each of these bands. [myspace.com/pastorbobbeeman]

Pilgrim (Crimson Moonlight) Sweden

“I think it is so important and such a privilege to keep on this work – to play extremely black and grim metal – with a good message about life itself and how God is always there to help us through. The lyrics are personal … we have faced the hard times in life. I went through a divorce, and I wrote many of the lyrics about pain and suffering and also about the hope that never dies – and faith in Christ Jesus … in our weakness, his power is the strongest.

We really admit and say to God, “It is only you now, and I can’t do anything in myself.” I live in the forest in a cabin that is 300 years old. I have Viking inspired ornaments. The

Sweden, Portugal, Norway & metal

Pilgrim, Jasmin & Peter

Vikings have a huge respect for nature. They find strength and inspiration for home in nature. I also share that point with them a lot.

I really like their fantastic handcrafts. I am a member of two Viking organizations who do our own clothing – fight with swords and go on pilgrimages in nature. I love Church history, the things the church fathers did, and our spiritual tradition. We use that in our meetings.

We do it with a lot of respect and reverence.

It is something that I sometimes miss in the modern church. The Creator God and his greatness. The Muslimssay “Allah is greater.”

But it comes from the Christians.They said it before. The old church fathers used to say it, “Christ is Greater.” I am studying Theology, and ChurchHistory in Bible College. I have a huge interest in theology.Maybe I will write something, and maybe I will preach a little bit – I still ask God about his will for it. It is such a privilege to meet all the wonderful people (that we play for). It is always great when people say they like the music – but the best thing is when they say they experience God in our music. When they recognize the path of life in the lyrics, then it’s worth everything – all the travel to rehearsals, the problems and pain with my throat, it is worth it.”

Jasmin (Triplet) Portugal

“The concept of our band comes from 1 Corinthians. These 3 things remain, faith, love,

and hope. The greatest is love. We want to inspire our generation with music and with faith love and hope. Our heart is to reach nonChristians – so we wanted to have a concept that would make sense to them too. Our style is punk rock/screamo. We write about real life situations that seem impossible that God seems to get you out of. We write lyrics in a prophet way, speaking out “that which is not yet.” Speaking to people who don’t yet believe. Declaring things of God. In Portugal, there is no other band with Christians in it that is anywhere near where we are with our message. The way we live, really, is the most powerful place where we want people to get impacted. We play and people get shocked, and get amped, and then they find out we are Christians. And that is what we want.

We like people to come to ask us questions.

Our generation needs the “pure” things and nothing else. And we try hard to do that.”

Peter (Extol) Norway

“We have been playing for 14 years. It has been quite a journey. We started out doing experimental death metal. Our favorite bands were Vengeance, Mortification, and Believer.

But we have done a lot of different styles.

We had a couple of demo recordings. We were going to play Texas Rock fest in 1998.

It was a dream come true for us. It was the

only show we had. And then we decided to go to Cornerstone to hang out. We were forced to take another flight than we planned.

In Detroit, where we were not supposed to go, we met LAMENT. They were playing at Cornerstone. They said, “We have a very long set time – do you guys want to play in our set?” We said, “SURE!” We had to ask Doug Van Pelt since it was the HM Stage. But Doug really wanted to see us before we could play on his stage. So we played on another stage, and he liked us and let us play. We were just kids playing at a big time festival. It is so obvious that God did this.

David and I and some other friends started SubChurch here in Norway. We started just meeting, and it has become a big church with a lot of crazy people – people into metal and punk and dance and actors. I love the place!

It has been very important to have the church behind us. The church we grew up in was supportive in a way, but they would never understand our passion for the people. But SubChurch understands why we do what we do. Extol is resting now, but we don’t know what God is going to do in the future. I have become a married man. I am not sure if I want to be on tour 100 days a year and be away from my wife. I admire those people who can have a family and really work with the touring life. But there are many lonely wives and kids around – missing their dads.”

23

throwing down the gauntlet

By Steve Rowe

Try Hard There is a nasty saying here in Australia. A good example is a small kid trying out for the Football team and besides having no Football talent he is labeled by his peers as a "Try Hard."

I am sure other cultures have similar nasty reflections upon others. I know in my life both in sport & music when I first started out I was labeled a Try Hard by some.

There is a champion Australian Rules Footballer called Shane Crawford, who was labelled this way as a kid because he was too small, despite his incredible athletic ability. There are small guys who play Aussie Rules Football, but they are generally heavy across the shoulders and naturally very strong.

Shane was told he would never be a top AFL Footballer and is one of very few top players who never played state Football first. He was told he would never be tall enough or strong enough. Shane rejected these ideas and as a 17-year-old found a way to prove the critics wrong. He spent an entire summer running

through sand dunes with a truck tire dragging behind him attached to his shoulders and torso with ropes.

Shane has since played over 200 games at the top and has captained his team, Hawthorn, currently the top team in the League. Shane has also won the Brownlow Medal for being the best and fairest player in the league. There are 352 players over 16 clubs, plus the same number in the reserve teams. Shane still drags that truck tire through the sand dunes and is one of the most feared and revered players in today's competition.

I stand by the following philosophy. Better a Try Hard than a try nothing. So, we should never be discouraged by someone else's opinion. The Bible tells us: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." You might not be the best at what you try, but at least you are having a go. Winners never quit and quitters never win. If someone says you're no good at something you enjoy, go ahead and prove them wrong.