RMP Magazine #17 by RMP Magazine

THANKS TO

CEO Kenny Leys // CEO

Mitch Pinney

David Marote // Managing Editor

Mallory Guzzi

James Cross // Photo coordinator

Adam Elmakias

Design Jolien Krijnen // Chief designer

Writers Cameron Smith // Copywriter liaison David Gilmore Stefan Van Den Broek

Editors

Arne Vangheluwe

Frederik Geuvens // Editor in chief

Jason Anderson

Krystal Cole

Marianna Rousaki

Jesse Mouart

Renske Gommers

Photography Daria Colaes Charlotte Davidson Jarrod Makaua Wil Barnes Lisse Wets

www.rock-metal-punk.org 2

RMP Magazine #17

James Copland Holly reijs

CONTENT

Inter view//Biohazard

Inter view//Basement

14 I n t e r v i e w / / Adam Amakias

I n t e r v i e w / / Born From Pain

Photo special //Breakout 2014

Album r eviews

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Thanks To

A W

FROM THE EDITOR

Hello again! It’s official, the summer of 2014 is over, but what a magnificent one it was. Filled with great festivals, amazing bands and happy, smiling people to celebrate along with. I, for one, closed this season at Masters@Rock and even took the liberty to get some questions out from some of the bands playing that particular weekend such as Biohazard and Born From Pain. Now autumn is creeping in and the temperature dropping, so it’s time to hit the club shows again. The announcements of new tours and shows are being published as we speak and I’ve already noticed some magnificent artists coming over to Europe again to take our stages. But until then we’ll leave you with our latest release of RMP Magazine 17, another issue packed to the rafters with interviews of up and coming bands and seasoned veterans such as Born From Pain, Basement, photographer Adam Elmakias and Biohazard, along with our catch of the month in our reviews column and a new delicious recipe to help you fight famine. Or what about this month’s three biggest parties, looks promising so shine up those dancing shoes and get out there. And there’s no way getting around our exquisite pick of live photography by our RMP photographers, they’ll take you right into the action.That should keep you busy for a while! Meanwhile we at RMP Magazine are already browsing again to get you the best for our upcoming magazine. See you in a month!

David Marote

Managing editor RMP magazine

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YOU MAY WANT TO LIS

STEN TO... F. O . D . – Tr i c k s O f T h e Tr a d e Named after a Green Day song, the Belgian band F.O.D. recently released a new full album titled “Tricks Of The Trade”, another display of their talent for melodic punkrock and catchy vocals. Seventeen tracks of pure poppunk are the end result for this new release only a few months after their EP “Something More” and already the second full album on their curriculum. “Tricks Of The Trade” does live up to its name by combining the best of melodic poppunk throughout the years into one band that bounces back and forth between all those influences. One moment you hear the Green Day that inspired them to get this band started, while the next track will have a more Blink182-oriented sound. Or what about the opening riff of “Cease To Exist” that is vintage Satanic Surfers. Expect all those well-known names from the Fat Wreck or Epitaph stables back in the ‘90s combined with that personal 2014 F.O.D. touch. It seems that F.O.D. masters these tricks all too well and are set to leave their trademark out there. These fellows are on a roaring rampage to claim their fame across the borders of Belgium, after recently completing a succesful tour through Canada and soon their own F.O.D. fest happening on the 11th of October to celebrate the latest release!

Grizzlylyncher– O’cetacean Just when you thought all possible music styles had been combined to create something fresh, Grizzlyncher appears at the scene, taking the hardcore approach and combining hard rock, stoner, sludge and psychedelica into a melting pot resulting in a filthy rocking monster that will get the horns up of all those headbangers out there. Another Belgian revelation from the scenic city of Bruges, this four-piece however does more than only enjoy their history, they are taking steps into the future. Their latest EP “O’cetacean” is sort of a concept EP and refers to the group of mammals that whales belong too. That whale is also featured on the psychedelic, futuristic artwork and continues to remain a red thread throughout this release with the track “All Hail The Space Whale”. Grizzlyncher are voyagers that have set sail on an ecliptic trip through space and time and I’m hopping aboard for more.

Ve n t e n n e r

– Distorture

So this release by the London-based band Ventenner was already featured in our previous magazine by yours truly, but I royally screwed up last time. Instead of ‘Ventenner’ I kept referring to ‘Venterrer’ and that’s not their actual band name so time to make amends (sorry guys, my bad). So, Ventenner have recently released their album “Distorture”, an album chockfull of a chaotic and metal-influenced sound that was made famous by bands such as Nine Inch Nails or even the German digital hardcore band Atari Teenage Riot and even some electronic influences such as Gary Numan. This conjunction of influences leads to a dark, atmospheric sound combined with riffing rock and a voice that set the hairs on your back straight-up. “Distorture” drags you into all those different atmospheres in the blink of an eye. From heavy riffs and repetitive drums to soothing calm parts, the tracks are as eclectic as can be. Ventenner delivers quite a unique sound compared to today’s bands that dominate the scene and since I’ve been getting more and more into this style of music this recap was perfect to grab the moment and hear some great tunes again.

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Writer // David Marote Photographer // David Marote

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hen the legendary New York crossover band Biohazard came over to play the Masters@ Rock festival in Belgium, we grabbed the occasion to have a talk with current guitar player and vocalist Billy Graziadei to discuss their influential status and of course the new album that is rumoured to be released soon. From the streets of Brooklyn to global domination, Billy let us take a quick peek at Biohazardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current state and plans.

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INTERVIEW // BIOHAZARD

Welcome back to Belgium, it’s your second show here this year. How does it feel to be back? It’s great man, Belgium is like a second home to us. Two of the most memorable places we’ve played in Europe were Holland and Belgium. It were the first two countries we played. We still have friends that we met on those tours with Mucky Pup in 1990 that still hang out. It’s great to be back. We’ve had some great times, we never had any bad times in Belgium. I’ve had a sword pulled on me, someone tried to stab me, been in the hospital a few times. We’ve had some great food, we had food poisoning. Overall it’s like a second home for us. There’s talk of a new Biohazard album coming soon, end of 2014 perhaps, can you tell us something more? No, it will be for next

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year. Biohazard doesn’t work like that. We don’t say “let’s do a record now”, when it’s done, when we have the songs we’re all psyched about, then it’s done. And that’s the way we work. Everyone else says, “it will be out...” and we don’t work like that. Will tonight’s set list include any of the new material? And how has the response been so far? There was, then United Airlines lost my luggage. All my guitar equipment for my spare guitars was in there so I can’t do the tuning because the new songs are all in a different tuning. You can write United Airlines to tell them. Biohazard has been around for over 25 years, with a small hiatus early 2000. How does it feel to still be doing something you probably thought would never succeed

or last that long? We didn’t think we would make it out of Brooklyn. We were surprised when other people than our girlfriends liked us. So to make it out of New York and make it into Europe was a pleasure for us, it was an honour. A day doesn’t go by that each member of Biohazard now isn’t thankful for what we have. We don’t take it for granted. If there are ten people that come to see us or like ten thousand or someone who wants to talk to us. For us it’s an honour, it’s a pleasure and we remain humble to the fact that we still remember what it was like when only our girlfriends came to see us play. Keeping ourselves in check, keeping it real for so many years makes it all well-worth. You and Danny also operate a recording studio called Firewater Studios.

Have you recorded the new album yourselves and any other material that we should know the studio of? Yep, we did. The last record we did in my studio and the new record weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure yet where we are going to do it. I just finished a Belgian band and they changed their name and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember their name. I just finished a record by a band called Arythmia, from Italy, great record. And then smaller LA bands. Biohazard hails from Brooklyn NY, the band was always associated and close to the NY hardcore scene but do you consider Biohazard a hardcore band? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, we never really labelled ourselves with anything because we really never fit in with anybody. New York hardcore, it was and is a huge influence to us, growing up, especially myself.

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INTERVIEW // BIOHAZARD

Both whenever we play with hardcore bands growing up we were too metal and when we played with metal bands we were too hardcore, not metal enough. We were always like that redheaded stepchild, we were like the outcast. Even though it followed us, then they’ll be like “Oh you’re hardcore.” Part of me was like “I love hardcore!” Tonight we’re playing with Agnostic Front, I idolized those guys growing up,

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and I still can’t believe we are friends with those guys. For me it’s a huge part of what we have going on. New York hardcore, we’re proud to be from New York, to be part of that scene. And what would you call the biggest NY band that influenced Biohazard (back in the day and currently). Biggest influences from New York, that’s though. We were influenced by so many different bands,

for the New York bands I would say Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags were big in our beginning. Carnivore too, Bloodshed, Terror, those bands and then sprinkle in Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Discharge, we are playing with them tonight. Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Sugar Hill Gang, it’s a weird mixture. To be in a family of NY bands from Sick Of It All to Madball to Agnostic Front, it’s an honour to call them friends.

" it is what it is, my past made me who I am today and I’m proud of who I am." We just toured the Rebellion fest with Madball, phenomenal fest, probably one of the best fests we ever toured. You mentioned Carnivore, back in the days people called you racist and fascist for that. Yeah, especially since Evan and Danny are Jewish. People talk shit. I think because Bobby and I had shaved heads, we were skinheads, they assumed we were fascists,

white power skinheads, which we weren’t. We fought more white power Nazis in our career, I could be here for hours telling you stories. Just because these assholes came to shows and started shit. Whatever, it is what it is, my past made me who I am today and I’m proud of who I am. Biohazard was one of the first bands to mix metal, hardcore and hip hop. Many have followed that, some stayed, some evolved,

most faded away. How do you feel on that topic? That’s a tough thing, I don’t know. We just did our thing. We never tried to sound a certain way, we didn’t try to create anything. I think a lot of that stuff was immediate, at the time Headbanger’s Ball was like still playing and then they started crossing over and played a lot of Biohazard. A lot of stuff we had nothing to do with.

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INTERVIEW // BIOHAZARD

The popularity of Biohazard exploded really quickly, but the heart and soul of Biohazard is here and it never changed. A lot of the media, I think, kind of capitalized of certain movements in music, from like the grunge scene to even the hardcore-metal scene. But no matter what happens you have a strong foundation that survives. So for us, we still do what we love to do. The difference between now and when we started is when we started we didn’t know anything about the music business. Now, we don’t care about the music business. We don’t need money to live, we’ve all got jobs

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and we’re here because we love to be here. It’s more enjoyable that way, I think you’ll see tonight. It’s great to be a band and have it not being your job. Billy, from photos on Facebook we can see that you’re into Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you even bring your training gear backstage. You even have Nike endorsing you. How come the jiu-jitsu and what does it mean to you and in relation to Biohazard? I don’t think it influences Biohazard. There’s a saying what came first, the chicken or the egg? We all grew up fighting in the streets, for some reason trouble always found us, especially Bobby. But we weren’t tough guys.

We don’t walk around thinking we are tough guys. My life is much deeper than the physical side. Growing up we had a lot of issues and we started studying different martial arts and we found jiujitsu, after UFC, in 1993, started trying in 1994 and I stayed it with. I’m sober, straight-edge, I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. It’s my personal choice; I don’t look down on people who smoke, drink or party. Martial arts give me some balance in my life, to help bring me away from the darker things in my life. facebook.com/BiohazardDFL

The Catharsis Kavka 2014, Belgium Photographer // Lise Wets RMP Magazine #17

Writer // Kenny Leys Photographer // Mitch Pinney

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Basement are back with a new release, the EP “Further Sky”. After hiatus of two years only moments after the release of their acclaimed “Colourmeinkindness” album, the urge to tour and record has led to a new and revived Basement. We at RMP considered it our duty to get you the latest info on their return and find out more of their future plans. Come discover the new Basement with us and get the lowdown on why the hiatus happened and what led to their return, or their current signing with Run For Cover records and even some insights on Andrew’s side project Honey Milk. Basement are back and here to stay!

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INTERVIEW // BASEMENT

You have a small tour in October: 3 UK dates, 1 in Belgium. Why only that many dates? Due to everyone’s work commitments it is incredibly hard for us to find time when we are all free. And when we do it is only a limited amount of time. The way things seem to look I don’t see it changing any time soon. The only mainland show is in Belgium. Any special reason for this? It wasn’t too far to drive [laughing] plus Belgium is a beautiful place. If we had more time I would love to play some more mainland shows, maybe next year. Tickets for these dates are going very fast. Do you think it’s because you’re back together, or because you didn’t tour that much with “Colourmeinkindness”? I guess a bit of both. I forget that when

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we play songs from CMIK for a lot of people, it is the first time for them ever seeing them being played live so that’s cool. We are all so grateful for people buying tickets and coming to the shows, if our shows in America are anything to these shows in Europe that would be great.

So, what’s the story about “Colourmeinkindness” and quitting in the same few months? We went on hiatus so some of the band members could focus on their careers, but we still had songs written for the LP. It seemed foolish not to record them, so we spent 9 days in California in between touring Aus-

“ It’s just something we had to let go for a while. Looking back I think we made the right decision.”

tralia and America and wrote and recorded the album. It was a big highlight for us, we all had so much fun and the whole process with Sam Pura was great. Do you ever second guess this choice? No. We were committed to taking some time to get our lives/ careers sorted; it was something that had to be done. However that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean we still wanted to play shows, hang out and tour. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just something we had to let go for a while. Looking back I think we made the right decision. The hiatus ended after 2 years. Did you miss the band that much? I missed everyone in the band that much. I missed just hanging out, writing music and traveling. Some of the most fun moments in my life have been with those guys on tour so yeah I missed it a lot.

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INTERVIEW // BEARTOOTH

I’m glad we have time to play shows again even though it’s only a few dates here and there, I appreciate it so much. Looks like the band has gained a lot of fame, since “Colourmeinkindness” was released. Did you expect that? It has definitely grown, but it grew in a natural way. No crazy marketing or non-stop touring. There was an interest in that record which is cool. I don’t like the word ‘fame’, we’re not famous, Beyonce is famous. We’re just 5 friends that just happen to be in a band and we’re lucky enough to travel and play some shows. When the hiatus started, Alex went to work for Run For Cover Records in Boston. Alex, how big was the culture shock? Not that different. I think people in America

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are a lot more friendly. The weather is significantly better and that definitely has a positive effect on people’s attitude. How can you be mad when it’s 24° C outside and the sun is shining? Other than that there are only minor differences, I love it here though. I could see myself living here all my life. But I could live in England too. I guess I will see what happens in the next few years. Alex, the band is back together, so I presume you left RFC? Nope, I still live and work in Boston for RFC. As the band isn’t fulltime I can still work for the label and maintain the work load. I love working for RFC, it’s a label I believe in and one that is doing great things for music in general.

Alex, how did you agree on working for them in the first place? You basically had to give up everything you had in the UK? I met Jeff in Boston whilst on tour, and he had seen some of the videos I had done and offered me a job at the label. I thought he wasn’t being serious, but we talked more and eventually I was like “Okay, I’m going to move to America.” I bought a ticket to Philadelphia with the last money I had and packed a bag and my camera gear and moved into my friend Neil’s house in the summer of 2012. I then moved up to Boston in December. It’s been amazing so far, I owe Jeff a lot for having faith in me and giving me a chance. Looks like the love for RFC hasn’t ended; you released the new EP “Further Sky” on it.

How was it received by the fans? The most important thing for me is that we, the band, like the songs we write. And all of us loved recording and writing “Further Sky”. If people like it that’s great, if they hate that’s great also. From what I have seen I think there are mixed opinions. When we play the songs people seem to be into it, so that’s cool. All I know is my mum likes the song “Summer’s Colour” and she hates rock music. So who cares about anything else right? I presume you started working on it before you announced the comeback? How did you manage to keep it a secret? We just didn’t tell anyone. Only RFC knew we were in the studio. It was pretty easy really. And we had demoed songs previously that Christmas;

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INTERVIEW // BEARTOOTH

then the guys met up and wrote some songs while I was away. We just sent ideas back and forth. First time I went to the UK, I ended up in Ipswich. Let’s say that it’s not the typical place to start a post-hardcore / emo band. How did you manage to get this big through the years? I honestly don’t know. You are right about Ipswich, there are no venues, few bands and even less people who seem interested in live music. I guess we just tried to play shows anywhere but our home town. It just went from there. I interviewed Architects once and they told me people kept comparing every release with “Hollow Crown”, since it was “their best”. Are you Afraid that the same will happen to you,

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with “Colourmeinkindness”? Not at all. I know we can write better and more interesting songs. We always try and push ourselves to be more creative and try new things; writing and recording are so much fun. So whatever we do next will be something we all care about and genuinely believe in. Public opinion is something we tend to disregard, if people don’t like our records that’s fine, I didn’t write it for them. Clearly, “I Wish I Could Stay Here” isn’t a bad album either. This only increases the pressure for upcoming releases. How do you handle this? I guess there is some pressure not to write an awful record, but the songs we have already written and demoed are something I am really happy with. I think we can better our

song-writing with each release and be more creative in that process and I look forward to that. What are the future plans for the band? Play shows when we can, record a new record, have as much fun as possible. Back in April 2011, you toured with More Than Life and Brutality Will Prevail. A bit of an unusual match, how did that tour work out? That tour was really fun, the whole tour was one big family on the road, it was great. The weather was amazing, the shows were crazy and I look back on that tour very fondly. Mixed bill line-ups are the best. Are there any bands you’d like to tour with? Jimmy Eat World, Failure, Manchester Orchestra, Deftones, Brand New.

"So whatever we do next will be something we all care about and genuinely believe in.”

There’s so many honestly. But any of those would be amazing. Andrew, during the hiatus, you started Honey Milk. You released the demo for free. Whatever happened with that project? It’s still there, I just haven’t done anything with it. I’d like to record more with a full band because I still write a lot for it. It’s just a case of finding the time and people who would be interested in helping me out.

Andrew, do you feel like this could have been big, if you’ve put more effort in promoting it? (By touring,..) I have no idea. You can’t ever really answer questions like that. I never wanted to tour or promote it. I really enjoy creating music and this was just another outlet for that. I like the physicality of recorded work. Sometimes I just need to have it somewhere physically, even if it’s just on my phone. Recording with a friend was just an

extension of that. Putting it online was sort of like an experiment. A “let’s see who finds it” sort of thing. I put it out there and then just forgot about it. Andrew, are you going to continue with this, or do you feel that this is a chapter that should be closed? I think so. I’ve written a lot of songs for it, songs I’m happy with and would like to record. Like I say though, it’s all about timing. I’m in no rush and I don’t want to force anything. We’ll see what happens. New Album : “Further sky”

Out now!

facebook.com/Basementuk

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Kamikaze Mechelen 2014, Belgium Photographer //Lise Wets

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Writer // By David Marote Photographer //David Marote

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orn From Pain has been one of the leading bands within the European hardcore scene for over 15 years. Their pure hardcore assault laced with social commentary has raised many fists during shows. When they recently played the Masters@ Rock festival in Belgium RMP took some time apart with vocalist Rob Franssen to find out more about the new album thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s due to be released by the end of the year.

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INTERVIEW // BORN FROM PAIN

Welcome back in Belgium, Masters@Rock today, how has the tour been so far and what may we expect today? Just to test new songs for audiences like we did over the last couple of shows. When you play new songs you never know how it’s going to go. We can’t complain, the tour has been great so far. One of the new tracks ‘Cause And Effect’ was featured on a Beatdownhardwear sampler. How has the response been to the new track? Very good, a lot of people like it. Some people took our last record as being something experimental. We had a couple of experiments on that record but I think mainly we did what we usually do. But I think for a lot of people they think that we gone back to our old style now.

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The other record was basically just the same but with some other influences. That album got received very well, even more people were happy that they didn’t they hear a song that has an electronic element here and there. It’s going over great; I think we will play that track tonight too. We’re actually doing a video for that song too. But that’s all coming in the upcoming months when the album comes out. Rob, you are one of the only original members, after a couple of line-up changes, Servé returned some time ago. How does it feel to play playing together again? Obviously, Servé was one of the people that started the band with me, or that was in the original line-up. He left because he wanted to do a different kind of

music, something more metal, maybe experiment some more with his guitar playing or whatever. For a while we had be going on as a four-piece, because for like when Karl left, he had been in the band for a long time, we wanted to try as a four-piece which was OK for us but we felt in the end it didn’t have the power that we wanted it to. Then we just figured it, let’s just get Servé back, because he expressed interest, after like eleven or twelve years. Actually he came back and he was extremely motivated, still is. Easier to get along with in some ways then back in the days. [laughs] We’ve known each other for almost eighteen, nineteen years or so.

“That’s where we get our influences from as well. If a band like Slayer would never been around Born From Pain would have sounded different too.”

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INTERVIEW // BORN FROM PAIN

I’m actually happy that someone from an older line-up came back instead of always having new people that come to the band, and that they are very motivated, don’t get me wrong. But he has more of a connection with the band. Very stoked to be playing with him again. When you took up vocals that meant leaving playing the bass behind. Do you miss it and do you still play bass when writing new songs? No and no [laughs], I don’t miss it. The thing was, in all honesty, I wasn’t the best bass player in the world, that’s an understatement. I mean, I could play the Born From Pain songs but I wasn’t the tightest. Live that’s not always, you couldn’t always tell, sometimes you could, sometimes you

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couldn’t. If I was to stay on bass I needed to step up my game and I wasn’t motivated to do that as bassist. In a way it was a natural progression to go to vocals. I always used to sing before I played bass in all my older bands, so everybody said why don’t you try and sing. We had a couple of people that didn’t work out and we had a couple of guest appearances on tour so we really couldn’t cancel. In the beginning it was kind of hard but that started working out just fine. The thing is I feel way better on the microphone then I do on the bass. Like I said I’m not a natural bass player. It just shows that I always tell our drummer to speed up the songs more on stage, when you look back, they’re always too fast.

I get a lot of shit from that from my band. That’s definitely a characteristic that a bass player should know, tempo. I still have my old bass but more out of emotional reason. When I write songs with the band then I just hum them. You’ve toured from Europe to the States and even in Asia. In 2010 you played some shows in China, how was that considering the cultural differences? Yeah, I think there’s been more western bands touring there like the last three or four years. It’s definitely a country that isn’t toured as much as normally in general by western bands. There are a couple of great things about being in a band like this. I’m very grateful that we get appreciated so much even around

the world. We’ve been in South America, USA, everywhere in Europe, Japan, everywhere. I’m grateful to get these opportunities and not just play my music in front of these people and express myself but also like experience their culture. Obviously when you go to Japan and the next day you’re in Hong Kong and the next day in Indonesia. It’s great, I enjoyed it a lot. We had people in the band that weren’t stoked about it, they weren’t as adventurous. But most people in the band like a great adventure. I’m glad to get my music out there. To be honest on shows themselves it’s not that much of a difference. Either a crowd is into it or they’re not. The people sing along or don’t. It’s not like a big thing of culture that is different.

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INTERVIEW // BORN FROM PAIN

Even like a country as China that’s like more suppressed, where people have a different way of showing emotions and feelings. You don’t even notice that at shows because those are already people at the shows that are already used to go against the grain. Love it. Born From Pain always get stated as being influenced by bands like All Out War, Marauder,... Any bands that you consider an example or that have influenced the band greatly? Those bands were really important for us, bands like Hatebreed or Stigmata didn’t invent the music they played themselves either. You can clearly hear that, All Out War is influenced by Slayer, all those other bands probably too. That’s where we get

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our influences from as well. If a band like Slayer would never been around Born From Pain would have sounded different too. There are a couple bands like that. There are influences on different levels. If like Agnostic Front wouldn’t have been around, if they wouldn’t have started playing songs like “Cause For Alarm”. That metal heaviness. I think if that wouldn’t have been there we wouldn’t have played this music either. The bands that really made us start this band, like when I started with our old singer Che, we were constantly listening to Integrity, All Out War, Stigmata, Hatebreed, all those bands. We just said “We want to a band like that.” Today you’re playing the same stage as Agnostic Front,

Roger Miret once made a quote that stated, “Never trust a hardcore kid that hasn’t listened to punkrock”. How do you stand on that? I do not wholly agree. I know what he means by it, I think. I think he means that if you’ve been into punk and listen to punk music that is the object of hardcore. If you really want to get what hardcore is about, not just the music but also the attitude and what the whole scene is about then you’ve got to know where it comes from. I do not wholly agree, I agree to a certain extent. Everybody’s got their faults. There’s kids that haven’t listened to punkrock before and that do understand the whole thing. Especially if you’re coming from a band like Agnostic Front it’s a valid statement to make.

Would you consider Born Of Pain a political band? I’d say we are a socially critical band. Political depends on how you define political. If you go out and try to be part of a political party and then influence what goes on in the world then we’re not political. But if it means trying to get people aware and raise attention to certain things, try to get a voice heard be it in a demonstration or on stage or by reposting videos or giving an opinion in an interview, yeah, then we’re political. That’s the person I’ve always been, and my former bands have been like that. I’m like that now, so I wouldn’t know why I would want to change that. The world is getting crazier every day and I think a lot of people sometimes miss

the point of what is happening and who’s responsible for what’s influencing their lives. I don’t want to tell people what to do, or what not to do. I try to analyse stuff, connect the dots, research some stuff and then voice my opinion. How do you feel about hardcore in 2014, Rob, you have a link with this area, Torhout, West-Vlaanderen or H8000. You used to play in the early Roeselare-based band Wheel Of Progress with Hans Verbeke (Liar). How did that come by? I used to date his sister. That’s how I ended up spending time in Kortrijk. That’s how we got the idea, I always hung out with UJ and Josh of Congress and Hans and we decided that we wanted to do a band that became Wheel Of Progress that later progressed

into Liar. We did that seven inch and they wanted to go on playing music, then I broke up with his sister by that time and I didn’t come around anymore so they just started doing Liar which turned out pretty cool and very influential for the scene in Europe, especially for the metal parts; a little bit different than the bands that came after. I still listen to a couple of those albums, still as good as it was then. Next Album : “Dance with the devil”

Unknow

facebook.com/BornFrom PainOfficial

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Webster Hall , NY 2014, USA Photographer //Mallory Guzzi

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ADAM ELMAKIAS F

rom shooting the Vans Warped Tour to band shoots with bands like NOFX and Yellowcard, Adam Elmakias has explored them all and documented them into permanent memories with his photography. RMP Magazine took the liberty to discuss today’s photography with Adam and find out some more on how the ‘photo industry’ works. We even got Adam to share some of his wisdom and knowledge with us for all of you budding photographers out there. From using drones and GoPro’s for unique pictures to editing like a graphic designer, find out how in this interview.

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Writer // By Kenny Leys

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INTERVIEW // ADAM ELMAKIAS

At this day of year, everyone can buy himself a DSLR and call himself a “photographer”. Only a select few can make it their job, let alone tour the world. When did you notice that you could make a living from it? It wasn’t really a revelation as much as just the next step in progressing in my career. There was no “big break” moment for me. It’s taken a long time to get to where I am, and I just continue doing what I love and focus on growing the relationships I have with my clients, as well as seeking out new ones. To be one of those ‘select few’, you have to stand out in what you do. How did you handle this? Any tips for our readers? I like competition, but I usually just compete with myself! It helps motivate me to get

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better and reinvent my style. Always trying to switch it up a little bit at a time. How did you manage to get on your first tour? My friend took me to Canada for a few shows, and I got stuck in Buffalo. Long story short, I called my manager and begged him to get me on the Man Whores And Open Sores tour with Just Surrender that was coming through town, and I spent a week with a band who didn’t know me. My first REAL cross-country tour was with Four Letter Lie. I had been shooting them for a few years when they came through my area in Wisconsin. We were pretty good friends by the time they let me go on the road with them.

Is it safe to say that it’s more than just taking a few perfect pictures? It’s more about being a brand yourself? Definitely. The internet has made it simple to connect with fans on a whole new level. That, plus the fact that people don’t value photographs the way they used to, has made it crucial to find my

place and market myself to make a living through other ways (merch, Lens Bracelets, and print sales). I don’t care about the money, but I need it flowing to be successful in what I do. It’s a balance and I am constantly learning. A lot of (new) photographers struggle to find paid (music) as-

signments. Do you remember your first? How did it go? I got 50 bucks from a local band to drive two hours, shoot all day, and drive home. I remember telling my mom how much I was making and being really stoked. She nicely told me “uhhh that’s going to just cover your gas” - I never really listened to her when I was younger though, too stubborn, but I did learn over time.

way where it ruins their career. It’s up to each photographer to define their own style and create images that don’t need credit to be identified as theirs. That’s easier said than done of course, but it comes with a lot of time and practice. I don’t like when people don’t credit me--but I never go out of my way to make a fuss of it, too time consuming and boring. I would rather be shooting.

I think one of the biggest struggles of a photographer (starting out) is not being credited for your work. Would you agree with this statement? Not sure about that one. For the most part, photographers first starting out probably aren’t getting their photos published or shared in a

I presume it is still a struggle for “famous” photographers. Has it happened to you too? How do you handle that? Do you reply or do you ignore? Any tips for readers that have the same issue? Honestly, this isn’t really an issue for me. As I mentioned earlier, the internet has completely changed photography and people’s perspectives.

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INTERVIEW // ADAM ELMAKIAS

Images circulate on Tumblr like wildfire, and with the mass amount of photos I publish on a regular basis, it would be impossible for me to go after every person who shares an image without credit. My main goal is for as many people as possible to enjoy and share my images, so if they want to print out a copy for their wall or make a phone case, more power to them. I just hope they decide to buy a t-shirt or official print in the future. Have you ever had to contact a lawyer? I had to trademark my lens bracelets…. that isn’t too interesting, but I used a lawyer for that! I have never had to legally get angry with someone if that’s what you are asking. What’s your opinion about doing pro-bono

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work? It’s tricky. I guess I would just say…. be careful, once someone gets something for free, it’s hard to convince them to pay for it. How do you figure out the price you ask? I presume everyone gets a custom rate? It honestly just changes on a client to client basis. I don’t really take work based on pay; I take it on what I want to shoot and work out a fair rate with the client. Long story short: Day rate + expenses + image buyout = rate. Some (new) photographers don’t really get how much effort they have to do in photoediting. True or false? I guess it depends. Photographers who don’t start out as graphic designers or something usually don’t understand the

power of Photoshop. Ideally you want your images to look as perfect as possible in camera, but learning to perfect them in post is part of the process. How many hours do you edit your pictures a day? As little time as possible. I usually import right when we get back to the bus and then wake up before the band to edit everything and deliver it by breakfast so we can start all over again. I have been doing it the night before on the current tour I am on, and it’s nice to wake up and not have anything to do. I usually search through 1k images a day and edit a good 50. Are there any blogs or books you use to get your photo-editing skills up-to-date? YouTube. I also really liked Aaron Nace

â&#x20AC;&#x153; I just continue doing what I love and focus on growing the relationships I have with my clients, as well as seeking out new ones. â&#x20AC;&#x153;

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INTERVIEW // ADAM ELMAKIAS

(phlearn.com). His photo manipulation skills are off the charts. I think I am about 600 videos behind now.

time to make it happen. I like to teach. I am also very good at being anxious so its a slow process for me.

You have some old tutorials on your blog. Have you ever thought about picking up where you left? Yes! I have something in the works, but it’s a matter of finding the

You’re using CANON, any reason for that? Not really. I have a Sony also, and a few GoPros, and will shoot with basically anything. I don’t like spending much

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time on gear. I just like the brand and how the cameras feel in my hands. I’m not going to ask what gear you use, since it’s displayed on your website, BUT how did you figure out your “perfect” configuration? I wouldn’t say I have a “perfect” configuration.

There isn’t an ideal lens for any situation--it’s how you want to see/capture it--so it’s really a matter of trial and error and seeing what setup gives me the desired results. I just trust whatever my friends tell me ‘cause I don’t know much about the technical aspect. Is there still anything you’d like to add to your current configuration? Of course! There’s always something I want, but right now I’m pretty happy with Carl, my GoPro drone that has gotten me some pretty unique footage. I want to get the

Ronin, but it is huge and rather expensive, and I am pretty sure it’s one step away from the whole “robots smarter than humans” stage of this world. Do you follow or start a lot of hype? I notice you’re using Go Pro’s and drones? I don’t follow trends on purpose, but I’ll do anything to add a new perspective. Give me an excuse to fly my Drone around all day and I’ll take it. That being said it’s kinda nerve wracking and not very legal to use over crowds, so I am still hesitant to use it during the shows. Start? errrr maybe. I’m not sure; I’ll have to ask twitter or something. Follow? I like peanut M&Ms, that seems to be in. How did you come up with the idea of selling lens-bracelets? How many people

are wearing a bracelet? I actually started Lens Bracelet as a memorable business card, and mass production only happened once people started asking me how they could buy their own. They still kind of act as a business card for me since my name is printed inside each one, only people pay for them now. Total sold? I am not sure…60,000? Ever thought about taking pictures of your food? Concerts and festivals may spoil you, when they notice that! Taking a picture before eating means I have to wait longer to eat, and I would never do that to myself. No, but really, I do with my cell phone just to send my friend. facebook.com/adam elmakiasdotcom

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Webster Hall , NY 2014, USA Photographer //Mallory Guzzi

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BREAKOUT FESTIVAL 2014 Photo special Photographer// Will Barnes

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PHOTO SPECIAL // BREAKOUT 2014

will barnes 1. The One Hundred 2. Silent Screams

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PHOTO SPECIAL // BREAKOUT 2014

will barnes 3. Funeral For A Friend 4. Glamour Of The Kill

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PHOTO SPECIAL // BREAKOUT 2014

will barnes 5. Fathoms 6. The One Hundred 7. Glamour Of The Kill

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BEST THREE PARTY’S

Three of the biggest parties taking place over the next couple of months. Do all those concerts and festivals make you feel dizzy? Don’t you really know where to start or do you just want to try something new? No worries, we’ve put out some of the top upcoming events that you sure as hell don’t want to miss.

GET YOUR TICKETS!

Photographer // Carl Battams

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BEST THREE PARTY’S

ASKING ALEXANDRIA’S FROM DEATH TILL DESTINY EUROPEAN TOUR 2014 // Europe and UK, starting 6th of October till 19th of November.

Asking Alexandria is going on tour again. The tour lasts for over a month and has some wonderful support bands such as Secrets, Crown The Empire and The Ghost inside. Get ready for some real metalcore action! The opening band Secrets is a very young band from San Diego, California. Their metalcore-ish music is packed with melancholic clean vocals accompanied by a harsh voice that blows you away on one of the occasional beatdowns. If you are a fan of the electronic elements in the post-hardcore genre, you will be very pleased with the Texans of Crown The Empire. They’ve played Vans Warped Tour a couple of times now and are now ready to conquer Europe. So get ready to be taken over by these young bloods. The Ghost Inside is the perfect band to put some blend into this tour. The LA guys introduced some soft touches into their rough hardcore sound, which makes it fit perfectly with the other bands. They will also be releasing their new album anytime soon, so maybe some previews? We’re sure hoping for a treat. Asking Alexandria has been around for quite a while now and had their third studio album “From Death Till Destiny” released half a year ago. This highly anticipated album met with the expectations and stands today as one of their best albums. Growing up to the rockstars that they want to become, it is obvious that this show is all about the party.

By Jesse Mouart

RMP Magazine #17

BEST THREE PARTY’S

WHITE CHAPEL’S OUR ENDLESS WAR USA TOUR 2104 //USA, starting 10th of October ‘till 19th of November.

At the other side of the globe a brutal line-up is forming. The amazing Whitechapel is teaming up with Upon A Burning Body and newcomers Glass Cloud for one hell of an awesome tour. If you like that heavy stuff, we can assure you, things are going to get crazy. If you never heard of the opening band before, we cannot blame you, we didn’t either. Nevertheless we believe that you will be hearing lots of Glass Cloud in the future. Their progressive music with obvious djent touches has a technicality which is going to get noticed at some point in time. So guys, forgive us our ignorance and prove that you can bring it live. Let’s party Texas-style tonight because Upon A Burning Body is presenting their new album in an even more classy way than we are used of them. Get overwhelmed by the grooves of their new tunes and be sure to shout those words right back at them. Don’t get carried away too hard with those awesome beatdowns, it is not the end of the night yet. Being a European citizen, I envy the Americans over one big thing: the frequent touring schedule of Whitechapel in the USA. Whitechapel is one of the only bands that were able to reinvent themselves for each and every album, without losing their personality. They’ve also just released a new album, which fits their timeline perfectly, that will make you kill and destroy every single thing in that venue. Something to look forward to, isn’t it?

By Jesse Mouart

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BEST THREE PARTYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

TESSERACT AND ANIMALS AS LEADERS EUROPEAN TOUR 2014 //Europe and UK, starting 30th of September till 9th of November.

For the progressive and djent lovers, this tour must be a wet dream. TesseracT is doing a double headliner tour with Animals As Leaders with the support of Navene K. If you are heading out for this battle of epicness, be sure to double check the show in your town because for some shows they will split up the touring party. Navene Koperweis is a legend in the technical and progressive metal world. Now he is going global with his solo project Navene K as support act for this tour. Having experience as a drummer with Animals As Leaders, Animosity and The Faceless, it is clear what kind of technicality he will bring to the table. Add some dubstep and other electronic elements to it and you have a good idea on what his solo project is all about. TesseracT is probably the only band who uses a voice to complete their music, which is almost strange if you look at the other bands on this tour. Keeping in mind that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve replaced vocalists like you would change clothes, we are quite sure it is not about these fragile vocals, but more about the musical concept in its nature. Being one of the pioneers in the djent movement, they are definitely a worthy force on this tour. This tour is packed with talented artists who are leaving their mark into the world of progressive metal. One of those highly appreciated artists is Tosin Abasi of the instrumental band Animals As Leaders. Their progressive sound with a splash of jazz every once and a while, which is almost hallucinating, will suck you into a new world of sounds. Just let yourself go on their fine tunes and get overwhelmed by their work.

By Jesse Mouart

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BLOG // FOOD

There is no love sincerer than THE LOVE OF FOOD.

Photo’s // Jarrod Makaua

SAVOURY DOUGHNUTS //Ingredients • 150 ML MILK • 7 G DRIED YEAST • 2 1/4 CUPS OF FLOUR • 125 G BUTTER • 1 EGG • A PINCH OF SALT • 60 G SALAMI • 30 G MOZZARELLA • 10 G ALMONDS

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• 10 G PISTACHIO • 10 G SESAME SEEDS • 10 G MOROCCO SPICES • 100 G CARROTS • 3 SPRIGS OF THYME • HUMMUS (OPTIONAL)

//Method 1. Put your flour, yeast, egg, butter and salt in a bowl and mix it all together. 2. Knead until the dough is elastic and shiny. 3. Proof in a warm place until the size doubles. 4. Knock back the dough then roll it into a ball. 5. Add salami and mozzarella into the ball of dough. Then wrap the edges around the mix to form a ball. 6. Make a dukkah mix by grinding the pistachios, almonds, sesame seeds and spices into a dust. 7. Deep fry the doughnuts until they are golden. Then toss with dukkah mix and salt.

//Assemble Serve the savoury doughnuts with spiced roasted carrots and hummus.

Recipe from chef Jason Anderson Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the head chef at BREW instagram.com/chefando

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ALBUM REVIEWS

Hawthorne Heights The Silence in Black and White Acoustic Version

Escapethecult All You Need To

Superheaven Jar

Re-recording and reworking your debut album into an acoustic version for its ten-year-anniversary would be a daunting task for any band to get into and Hawthorne Heights deserves props for even attempting this project. The album works and tracks like “The Transition” and “Speeding up the Octaves” gain a new lease of life in the new format. Fan favourites “Niki Fm” and “Ohio is for lovers” stand up well to the conversion without any diminished returns and I actually prefer those versions to their originals.

Escapethecult is a super-group consisting of members from A Perfect Circle, King Diamond, Kamlath and Uneven Structure which is quite a pedigree to live up to but one that they, for the most part, achieve. “All You Need To” is a progressive journey that’ll bring lots of joy but also the occasional drift into mediocrity.

The night scene has been set in stone. You’re in a rocker’s bar with sunglasses at the ready and a tall frosty one in hand. The shades of flashing lights are in sync with the drums and there is enough leather to keep the 70’s alive forever.

When bands decide to do acoustic versions of songs the fans already love, it can be a death sentence. This is not the case for Hawthorne Heights, throughout the album’s duration the band consistently show their skill as musicians as well as song writers.This anniversary record will likely do little to gather new fans but will surely delight long-time fans of the band.

By David James Gilmore

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The album really shines when guitar legend Mike Wead is given space to shred but overall the band plays incredibly well together. First track “Feel the Flight” sets the tone admirably and single “I’m Absolute” is a beautiful exercise in melodic, progressive metal and showcases the skill level of everyone involved. An interesting prospect that’s well-worth listening to particularly for those that like their music to be as challenging as it is rewarding.

By David James Gilmore

Superheaven, formerly known as Daylight, has managed to produce a clean-cut album of good old rock. Think fast cars speeding on by whilst sipping extremely hot coffee. The Pennsylvanian group has captured the true urban charisma of blue collar, young adult life. In a nutshell, this collection of super speedy highway tracks are sure to get the listener amped for a holiday not too luxurious but filled with a lot of beer and fun.

By Cameron Smith

ALBUM REVIEWS

Amy Lee Aftermath

Reverted Splutter the Worms

After almost two decades of being Evanescence’s front woman, Amy Lee temporarily separates herself from the band to create a solo soundtrack album “Aftermath” for Mark Jackson’s film “War Story”.

“Splutter The Worms” is a blistering, hard-hitting and passionate debut for London natives Reverted. The record clearly owes a lot to early Metallica and Alice in Chains. The group combines an old school trash attitude with a more contemporary groove resulting in an amalgamation of styles that makes this album an intriguing prospect.

The album varies from relaxing tones to more up-beat sensual sounds, all orchestrated with a classical quality and harmonised melodies so definitely not the expected rock songs, but dark and haunting. Considering the conceptual nature of the record and the many collaborations, it is almost expected that it would be very different from her usual work. However, I was pleasantly surprised to feel the album grow on me the more I listened to it. One thing I missed a lot was her vocals, who are almost absent in most songs. While lacking lyrical presence, the album is nonetheless a high-quality, beautiful composition of songs.

By Marianna Rousaki

Quite often during its 57 minute run I found myself absentmindedly nodding my head and humming along. This showcases the band’s skill in writing catchy songs that still remain heavy enough to inflict a serious case of whiplash. With “Splutter The Worms” the band has written a great modern metal record with some surprising curveballs thrown in for good measure. It is interesting to hear an album that is equally heavy grunge and thrash metal. As a result this is as an exciting and unique debut!

By David James Gilmore

Godsmack 1000hp Godsmack’s new album “1000hp” is everything a good hardrock album should be: shout-along worthy and gritty, but at the same time simple and clean. Songs like “1000hp”, “FML” and “Locked And Loaded” are the typical ‘ride your motorcycle with sunglasses on’-kind of songs. “Something Different”, “What’s Next” and “Living In The Gray” show us there is even more to Godsmack than that. However, for people who aren’t familiar with Godsmack, they might take some getting used to. With their rough, jagged guitar riffs and seemingly off-beat singing, Godsmack’s music isn’t what you would call ‘easy listenanble’. But please, try it anyway, because I can tell you: it pays off in the end!

By Renske Gommer

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ALBUM REVIEWS

No Bragging Rights The Concrete Flower No Bragging Rights has got every reason to brag. Get your hardcore buddies and join the band in the moshpit. “The Concrete Flower” is the successor of, the in 2012 released, “Cycles”, the album that for the most of us really puts them on the map. Energetic hardcore combined with enough melody to attract fans from different other genres. It’s an album that radiates energy. Songs like “Outdated” and “Brave hearts” highlight the power that Mike Perez has in his voice. He succeeds in bringing that additional punch into the songs. Lyrically the songs express the struggles that overcome the band on a daily basis like pain, suffering and disbelief. It’s not the most outstanding record for me but I’m sure that a lot of you guys out there will enjoy it nonetheless.

By Arne Vangheluwe

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Motionless In White Reincarnate Motionless In White has always been an exciting band to listen to and it seems like that hasn’t changed with their latest album “Reincarnate”. While they have kept their known industrial style and Marilyn Manson influences, clean vocals and occasional breakdowns have been added to the mix. It’s mostly faster, more uptight and aggressive than before with the varying vocals to keep the balance. Slower songs like “Wasp” still get you in the mood to move and do stuff. Collaborations with Tim Skold, Maria Brink (In This Moment) and Danni Filth create songs that shake you hard. Altogether a very enjoyable album to listen to if you’re a fan of the genre, and even better live I would imagine.

By Marianna Rousaki

The Hate Colony Navigate The press release of this record stated quite emphatically that Norwegian metalcore newcomers The Hate Colony are joining the metal elite with their debut album “Navigate”. This statement seems a, somewhat too enthusiastic, industry hype. It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong with the record, it is simply that the band isn’t doing anything that hasn’t been done a thousand times before. There are moments on the record that show sparks of innovation but nothing that really makes the album more than various shades of grey on a rather blanc palette. Things do brighten up towards the end of the album with “Path Of Resistance” and “Welcome To The Hate Colony”, but not nearly as much as I was hoping for. The band is already recording their next effort so let’s hope that they learn from their mistakes and find the individuality they desperately need.

By David James Gilmore

ALBUM REVIEWS

Siberian Modern Age Mausoleum

Mongrel Evolution

Scandinavian music and I are not the best combination if you ask me. But I gave this record a shot nonetheless. “Modern Age Mausoleum” is the first record by Siberian previously known as Shrine.

Fight music, raucous and angry fuelled by female angst. That best describes the album “Evolution” from Mongrel. Opening the carnage with “Snakes” this female-fronted band places the listener’s head gently on the ground and smashes it to pieces with a crack. Powerful female vocals and heavier, stronger riffs remind me of Trivium. In the song “Oxygen Mask”, vocalist Jessica Sierra brings echoes of punk and grunge to the plate. Her voice slowly builds in the song, gradually letting rip a tidal wave of chaos.

As the name says the record is a combination of many genres and styles together. The combination of death metal and sludge are the ones I dislike the most because I’m not really a fan of slow-paced song that puts me to sleep within seconds. Weird thing is Siberian really nailed it. Highlights of the album are “Moth” and “Heirdom”. Where “Moth” delivers some spine-chilling riffs, “Heirdom” makes up for some doom metal. Still not my favourite genres, but it’s really lovely to hear a not-so-boring execution of it. The influences are strengthened by the addition of hardcore, which give that extra kind of slamming next to the somewhat slower sludge and doom. So yeah, it’s a really decent album and you have earned my respect, Siberian!

By Stefan van Den Broek

“Over and Over” is the song that wraps up this bundle of savage violence. With a steady bass riff Mongrel entices the listener once again into a rhythm of panic. The song comes together with full force in the third minute causing ears to throb and heads to ache. Altogether Mongrel has recorded a fantastic debut album. The band has successfully produced a fast-paced, exciting album that fears no man. Only one plea can be made after listening to this manuscript for destruction and that is ‘give us more!’. Congratulations to Mongrel for an epic debut album. This band is going places. Let’s get ready for the ride.

By James Copland

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ALBUM REVIEWS

Texas in July Bloodwork

Amber Pacific The Turn

Texas in July is a band that always gives me mixed feelings. I loved their first records, hated their sophomore record, and appreciated their third record. Now we have arrived at the fourth record, and I have to say that it really took me by surprise when I fired this one up. The first song’s intro starts, I am expecting something really recognizable, and a few minutes and breakdowns in I thought I was listening to August Burns Red. I took another look at my music player and it read: Texas in July.

The pop-punk gang from Seattle are back with their fourth album “The Turn”. Opening track “Undone” kicks off with a very pop-punk feel. From listening to this track, it is obvious to see what the rest of the album is going to sound like with the constant singalongs throughout the tracks, just like any band in that music genre.

Hot damn, that was a kind of a shocker for me. There are of course some differences between the two. For example the guitar tones, the cleans vocals and that Texas In July lend their strengths from death metal. The structure of the songs seems a bit off, as in a bit worse than previous albums, it’s okay they don’t follow the typical song structure all the time, but at some logical moments, they seem to be a bit off.The biggest pro of this album is that they’ve improved on like every aspect they could improve on, and that’s what makes this album worth a couple of listens, if not; a nice spot on the top 10 list of bands that really improved and reinvented themselves!

By Stefan van Den Broek

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The third track “When I found You” features All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth. Lead vocalist, Matt Young’s vocals do not seem very strong on this track. Gaskarth’s vocals seem to take over. The lyrics are very down-to-earth and catchy. It’s an obvious love song but it makes you listen to the rest of the story. “Next To me” kicks off with a female singer, making you think that this is no longer Amber Pacific. Matt Young kicks in making it a very emotional duet. For me, this song ruins the whole feel of the album because it’s too focused on feelings and emotions. It would have sounded better at the end of the album. Overall, this album is very different to their previous albums. It isn’t a bad thing; it just wasn’t expected from the gang of five. Their lyrics are very practical and sentimental but they grab the listener, making them finish the whole album to see what else Amber Pacific can sing about.

By Holly Reijs

ALBUM REVIEWS

Exotype Exotype

Exotype, a really unknown band, that recently signed to Rise Records are in for a party. Being a mixture of Born of Osiris meets Linkin Park having a child with I See Stars, made me really curious to the outcome of this totally unknown band for me. And I have to admit the result is something really promising. On the first full listen, you’ll don’t know what you’re listening to. Going from harsh vocals, to Linkin Park-ish vocals to clean vocals to electronic samples, it’s tiring to get it. But during the second try the special things and lyrics start to make a little more sense. The mixture isn’t always that clear and easy to understand, but the conclusion makes up for something I haven’t ever heard in this form.Yes, they sound like I See Stars, but in a mature form, with less bouncy blieb-blobs going on in the background. And the lead vocals, in clean form, it seems like the younger brother of Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington is singing, but still, it’s quite different. Those little things make the band something else than we are used to, even with a healthy switch between harsh vocal songs and some sing-alongs. Still, some will totally hate this, just because of the electronics going on or they will bash on the (mature) clean vocals, but that’s their choice. Bet they all grew up with Linkin Park, and are in denial now!

By Stefan van Den Broek

The Acacia Strain The Coma Witch

Deathcore has always been loaded with pure rawness and butchering breakdowns. But we have to admit that bands tend to have too many similarities nowadays. The Acacia Strain has proven that this is not the case for their new album “Coma Witch” which is two discs long! That’s because TAS wrote a 28-minute track called “The Observer” that covers the whole second disc. But is the first disc worth a listen next to this drawn-out masterpiece? The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no’. The amount of hype around this album is enormous in the scene and “Cauterizer” and “Nailgun” didn’t achieve to overcome this hype. It’s not that it’s your typical deathcore album, but more like ‘it’s the good stuff’ again. The drums are decent to good, the vocals are the same as before, and the guitar work is good for some tasty riffs here and there differentiating themselves from other dime in a dozen deathcore bands. So the album isn’t really worth the hype that is lingering in the heavy metal regions, but it’s not bad, not bad at all; it still gives you the angriness you need to slap someone in the face without a damn reason, and that’s how we love The Acacia Strain, don’t we?

By Stefan van Den Broek

RMP Magazine #17