GLORIOUS TIMES

GLORIOUS TIMES PRESENTS: MAUSOLEUM / GRAVE DESCENT & GUESTS MARCH 31 2012

2012-02-11T01:52:00.000-08:00

MARCH 31 2012 @ THE FUNERAL HOME, BUFFALO NY

NEED MORE INFO?

CONTACT: glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

GLORIOUS TIMES PRESENTS: CANCERSLUG, LEWD DEWDZ, MURDER CITY OUTLAWS & AREA DENIAL

2012-02-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

TUESDAY APRIL 17 2012 @ THE MOOSE LODGE NORTH TONAWANDA NY

NEED MORE INFO?

CONTACT: glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

GLORIOUS TIMES & CLUB INFINITY PRESENT: DYING FETUS & GUESTS - MARCH 3 2012

2011-12-22T04:40:00.000-08:00

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

CONTACT: glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

SEE YOU THERE!

INTERNATIONAL POSTAL MAILING HOLIDAY HIATUS

2011-12-13T20:28:00.000-08:00

Due to the holiday and the hassles associated with this period, Glorious Times will be placing all International orders made directly with us, on hold, until after the New Year.

Mailing will resume again after the New Year celebrations.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM GT

GLORIOUS TIMES & CLUB INFINITY PRESENT: LOCK UP & GUESTS FEB 8 2012

2011-11-23T00:00:00.001-08:00

Glorious Times is proud to announce that Lock Up will be doing a limited 9 show USA/Canada tour in early February 2012 with supporting acts Goatwhore and Strong Intention. We are even prouder to say that day 1 of the tour will be presented by Glorious Times and Club Infinity on Feb 8 at Club Infinity in Williamsville, NY with Gas Chamber and Hubris opening the event.

Lock Up, Goatwhore, Strong Intention, Gas Chamber and Hubris.

Wednesday February 8, 2012
$15 advance, $20 day of show

Club Infinity
8166 Main St., Williamsville, NY

Tickets are available at The After Dark Box Office (630 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo) , The Record Baron (3048 Delarare Avenue, Kenmore), The Club Infinity Box Office (8166 Main Street, Williamsville), Spiral Scratch (291 Bryant St, Buffalo), through the local bands or online at www.ticketweb.com

18 and over admitted with proper ID
Under 18 must be accompanied by parent or guardian

METAL FOR TONY LORENZO

2011-11-09T07:13:00.000-08:00

In early 2011 things were looking up for Glorious Times so I decided to try to organize a fest. I approached Kam Lee and asked him if he'd be up for performing Massacre's "From Beyond" album in its entirety as a one-off special event for death metal fans here in Buffalo. Kam was hesitant but agreed to it, so my next task was to find him a backing band. My thought was to use a local band so I turned to Seplophile, a band compromised of guys who had previously been in bands that had toured. Like Kam, Seplophile was up to the task. Very early on Greg DiPasquale (guitar) contacted me to let me know that their other guitarist (Matt Backlas) would be unable to do the show because of a wedding in his family, but Greg told me not to worry because their friend Tony (Lorenzo) would fill in.

Tony Lorenzo at A Day of Death

Months passed by and finally the day arrived. A Day of Death, July 16, 2011, the day for Kam Lee's performance. Each band of the fest played and each band played to perfection. As the time neared for Kam's set I grew a little worried on how the backing band would perform...would they live up to the day? I had seen them in rehearsals with Kam on July 13 and 14 so I knew they had the songs down perfectly, but wasn't sure how they would fare on a large stage.

Tony Lorenzo and Kam Lee at A Day of Death

The lights dim and the intro plays for several minutes, then the band takes their positions on the stage. Allen Malkiewicz (drums) hits a 4 count on the ride and the opening riffs to "Dawn of Eternity" start, the lights come up and almost immediately I knew I had selected the correct band to back Kam. Greg and Shawn (Gomez, bass) commanded their sections of the stage like seasoned pro's but I was even more impressed by Tony. Tony was banging his head and running all around the stage putting on a show for the ages, showing the younger bands in the crowd that just because you're playing death metal doesn't mean you have to stand like a statue. With people from all over as witness the band and more especially Tony made me proud, they made Buffalo proud.

Shawn, Allen, Greg, Kam and Tony after A Day of Death

Fresh from his performance at A Day of Death Tony had renewed interest in playing death/grind and looked to form a band. It wouldn't take Tony long to form Ritual Quarantine with Derrick Sadkowski, Britt Wagner, Jessika Marvin and Doug Luke. Soon the band had a Facebook page and 4 tracks up for our listening pleasure. The four tracks just made me want more and want to see them live, which they had not yet done. Finally, on Sept 24. Ritual Quarantine made their debut at the Funeral Home in Buffalo. They did not disappoint, it took them a mere 3 songs before I knew I had heard my new favorite Buffalo band.

Tony at Ritual Quarantine's debut gig

A month later disaster would strike. On Oct. 26 Tony was out walking with a friend when some coward came up behind them and shot Tony in the back. The bullet was lodged in his spine. For many of us older folk that are into death metal it was a story eerily similar to when we heard about 20 years earlier when Jeff Becerra (Possessed) was mugged and shot in the back. Word spread quickly throughout the Buffalo scene and then around the metal world about what had happened to Tony. Almost immediately I began planning a benefit concert.....a truly great benefit concert for the guitarist that brought back my feeling of pride in Buffalo bands.

tony interviewed after the shooting

Local bands immediately started contacting me and offering their help and services. I thought to make the benefit special and to draw the most people we would need a national head liner so I started asking around. Several potentially head liners were asked but each couldn't do it for various reasons so at that point I settled on just using local bands. On a whim I decided to take a stab at a long shot and sent a message to Alex Webster asking him if there is any way he would come up for a Beyond Death reunion - Tony is Frank from Beyond Death's nephew. Alex was completely open to the idea but only if the other 3 would also do it. So, next I asked Frank Lombardi (guitar/vox) and he was up for it as well. Next up was Darrin Pfeiffer (drums). It took Darrin about 1 min to respond to my message with "I'm 10,000% in". It was looking like a reunion could take place. All that remained was Jack Owen. I send Jack an email, not even knowing if the email address was still active so I wasn't sure if I'd even get any response. In short time I got a response from Jack and it was a go. On January 7, 2012 the original line up of Beyond Death would perform for the first time since Dec of 1988. Now, we had a head liner for the benefit.

Beyond Death 1988

(L-R): Jack Owen, Alex Webster, Darrin Pfeiffer and Frank Lombardi

Dennis John Glinski (Grave Descent) was set to perform with special guests a one-off performance by his old band Mayhemesis. Dennis John realised there was a brief window of opportunity for something special to happen and that it was for a great and noble cause so he set about calling another old friend to perhaps bring another old Buffalo band to life one last time. A few phone calls and emails were exchanged and then I got the message. "well, it's official.... TIRANT SIN!" Another of Buffalo's old school would be back to show Tony support. This time it wouldn't be a full fledged reunion, but still would be something quite special. Tirant Sin 2012 would be Dennis John Glinski, Rich Ziegler and Paul Mazurkiewicz from the classic 1987 line up joined by Rob Barrett (Dark Deception) and Jim Nickles (Leviathan, Malevolent Creation) on guitar.

Tirant Sin live 1987

Thus, Day 1 (Jan. 7, 2012) of the benefit for Tony was set - Beyond Death, Tirant Sin, Avulsion, Abdicate, Demented Dream States and Seplophile. A show for the ages, a likely last chance to see Tirant Sin and to see the original line up of Beyond Death. Day 2 (Jan. 8, 2012) of the benefit for Tony was also set with Long Island legends Suffocation headlining a show with guests Embalmer, Seplophile and Cain. Both events will be held at Club Infinity, 8166 Main St., Williamsville, NY. Raffles and auctions of donated items from bands/companies from around the world will also be held at both shows. Day 1 is $15, Day 2 is $15 (advance), $20 (day of show). Tickets can be purchased through Glorious Times (paypal to glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com), www.ticketweb.com, at the Club Infinity box office, Spiral Scratch Records in Buffalo and through any of the performing bands.

Donations to aid Tony can be made via paypal to helpingtony@gmail.com all monies will go directly to Tony and his family.

Don't miss out on this historic event and much more importantly come and show your support for a talent guitarist and our metal brother in his time of need.

Download the special radio public service announcement mp3 made by Brutal Existence Radio's Metal Mark (host of Audio Aggression/MMV) right here:

METAL FOR TONY LORENZO BENEFIT WEEKEND PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT MP3 - PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND SPREAD

GLORIOUS TIMES & CLUB INFINITY PRESENT: BRUTAL TRUTH WITH GOREAPHOBIA & GUESTS

2011-09-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

BRUTAL TRUTH'S GIG IS A ONE OFF SHOW (NOT PART OF A TOUR)

GOREAPHOBIA'S GIG IS 1 OF ONLY 2 SCHEDULED FOR THE EAST COAST

2 KILLER LOCAL BANDS OPEN PROCEEDINGS: AVULSION & RESIST CONTROL (BOTH OF WHOM PLAYED THE LEGENDARY A DAY OF DEATH 2011)

JOIN US AT CLUB INFINITY DECEMBER 18 2011

GLORIOUS TIMES PRESENTS: SUFFOCATION

2011-09-01T05:40:00.000-07:00

Suffocation at A Day of Death 1990 (photo - Ed Farshtey)

The death metal scene had continually grown in numbers during the 1980's. Florida had become known as the death metal capital by 1989, but those of us in the northeast knew the scene in NY State was just as strong if not stronger. New York had acts like Cannibal Corpse, Baphomet, Immolation, Mortician, Apparition (who would later become Sorrow) and many more. While the scene in Florida was really limited to Florida, the scene in NY reached beyond the boundaries of the state. In the northeast there were strong connections between bands and 'zine editors from Buffalo to Pittsburgh to NYC to NJ to Philadelphia. It was not uncommon for a band in the northeast to release a demo in their home city and have it spread throughout the northeast in mere days....and remember this was the time before downloads, before the internet, when word of mouth and personal communication ruled the scene.

Suffocation at A Day of Death 1990 (photo - Ed Farshtey)

In 1990, Sean Panek (Psychoslaughter 'zine from Pittsburgh) was touting a new demo by a band from Long Island that he was sending me. The band played this fast technical style of death metal and the vocalist had a slightly unique sound which was catching the ear of many 'zine editors. The demo was "Reincremation" by Long Island's Suffocation. Suffocation's popularity quickly spread beyond the northeast as the 'zine editors and tape traders of the northeast pushed the demo on our fellow underground fanatics throughout the world much the same way that a label A&R rep would push a newly signed band.

Goreaphobia at A Day of Death Oct 20 1990 (photo - Ed Farshtey)

The peak of the early death metal scene can be pinpointed to an exact date, location and event. Oct. 20, 1990 The Skyroom in Buffalo, NY and the event was A Day of Death. The event had a couple of bigger bands - Autopsy, Repulsion and Disharmonic Orchestra, but largely it consisted of demo or newly signed bands - Cannibal Corpse, Baphomet, Immolation, Mortician, Lucifer's Hammer, Radiation Sickness, Deceased, Incantation (who were scheduled to appear, but made a surprise appearance), Suffocation and Goreaphobia. People from as far away as France and Australia made it to Buffalo for the show...again, remember this is pre-internet so word of the show was spread by flyers and word of mouth alone. A Day of Death was a huge success and in the eyes of many still stands as the benchmark to which all other fests are compared.

Goreaphobia at A Day of Death 1990 (photo - Ed Farshtey)

The strong connections in the northeast led to strong friendships and it was inevitable that bands, 'zine editors and promoters from various regions would begin to work together. Brian Pattison (Chainsaw Abortions 'zine from Buffalo) and Ed Farshtey (Book of Armageddon 'zine from NYC) began to plan a show together shortly after A Day of Death. Both of us being big supporters of the underground scene it was a no brainer for us to want completely underground bands. Our proposed lineup came together fairly quickly as we both liked many of the same bands....Deceased, Abominog, Suffocation, Maelstrom, Nokturnel, Beyond Death, Morpheus (who would later become Morpheus Descends), Goreaphobia and Apparition (who by the time of the show had signed to Roadrunner Records and changed their name to Sorrow). The date was Sunday December 16, 1990.

It is now 21 years later and almost to the day it is with pleasure that Glorious Times (in association with Club Infinity) is able to bring both Suffocation and Goreaphobia back to Buffalo on Sunday December 18, 2011. It is surreal to look back and know that these 2 bands that we booked on the strengths of their demo's in 1990 have continued on and become legends, titans within the death metal scene.

If you're in the northeast this December be sure to make your way to Club Infinity on December 18 to witness what will surely be an unforgettable show by two old school stalwarts.

GIG UPDATE

The show has been moved to January 8th 2012, and EMBALMER takes the place of GOREAPHOBIA.

GOREAPHOBIA will still be playing the original December 18th date, but the full band line up is TBA.

HERE'S THE NEW FLYER:

BORN TO BURN IN PAGAN FIRE

2011-08-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Limited patch included in the 'Hymns For The Wicked' vinyl release by Witches' Tone Records (photo - Alan Moses)

It's been a good while since we set our sights on DRUID LORD originally, more than a year ago in fact. Not long into the life of GT blogspot we caught up with long time crony Pete Slate, one of the pivotal forces from the old Tampa scene and last known whereabouts within the fabric of Florida's EQUINOX. The piece was named SLATED FOR VICTORY and remains one of the top ranking GT blogspot pieces of all.

Pete Slate, pictured here at GT Presents: A Day Of Death 2011 (photo - Maga Chapucera)

During this catch up session, which also included rare insights with drummer Stephen Spillers and brother-in-arms Mark LaVenia, the subject ultimately came to and ended with DRUID LORD. The proposed new band to carry on the genetic fingerprints of many of the guys who've spent the better part of half their lives working and creating music together, albeit in a framework of sounds not so much befitting EQUINOX as befitting the doom/death styles serving as life-time inspirations to pretty much all fans and musicians alike (in this pioneering element of what is extreme music these days.).

Since a busy and productive year has passed by for everyone concerned, we felt it needed to catch back up with the lads now that DRUID LORD has been born and proven to be more than a force to be reckoned with.

Postcard flyer issued by Horror Pain Gore Death Productions heralding the forthcoming debut album by Druid Lord (courtesy Mike at HPGD)

GT - So since a year has passed and one of the parting comments in our first chat after years of being wrapped up in our own lives warned of an impending Druid Lord demo, it never really surfaced did it? The band came out both fists brandished in the form of 'Hymns For The Wicked' - an entire album worth of material, released quite quickly it seems by Horror Pain Gore Death. We bet you guys were pretty thrilled to by-pass the whole demo phase of things?

'Hymns For The Wicked' CD release front cover (scan - Alan Moses)

Pete - I have to admit it was cool as hell to get to release a CD right away. We really had every intention to do a demo. In fact the first four tracks of "Hymns" were meant for the demo. We ended up writing more material and we got such a positive response from the raw tracks on Myspace that we decided to get a full length. I had talked to Mike from HPGD and he was totally into. I give the guy total props for giving a shot and getting the CD out there.

Right down to the disc face you get artwork by Putrid! (scan - Alan Moses)

Tony - It's all a blur now, but yeah, we are psyched! The whole idea was to just get some songs out there and see if anyone liked them. When we started working on the demo, we started talking about maybe doing 2 more songs and making it an EP, then when we all agreed that 2 more songs would be enough for a full-length and we just went for it. I really give credit to Pete for coming up with all those riffs and Stephen for helping to make sense of it all.

There's a lot of history in this album, GT totally recommends it. (photo - Alan Moses)

Stephen - We were pleased to have so much initial interest that we could skip making a demo - we've all been there and we knew we had to start there but it worked out better than we had imagined. It definitely says something when you let a label hear some scratch tracks w/ no bass or vocals and they want you to do an entire album. We were surprised at the amount of interest we had in Druid Lord from the very beginning. It still amazes us that we've gone from an idea to preparing for our 2nd full length in less than two years. A big thanks to all of our supporters (especially Glorious Times!) and all of our fans!

The inner tray design for the debut CD (scan - Alan Moses)

GT - It's a wicked little debut and in GT's experiences about the place it appears to have been justifiably well received by the fans. The fickle media is another story all together of course, what's the scoop on their understanding of what you guys are doing?

One of the early Druid Lord promo shots (courtesy Pete Slate)

Pete - Well it's kind of funny really. You've got the writers that totally get what Druid Lord is about. Pure old school Doom/Death metal music with Horror/Occult type lyrics. Then you have the writers that love the music but think the lyrics are silly and immature. Then you have the people that don't understand why we aren't playing a million miles a minute. The fact is we are not trying to get all complicated with our music and lyrics. We are keeping it simple and heavy..that's it. Our lyrics aren't going to change the world and we are not making any kind of statement. This is what Druid Lord is all about. Tales of horror and dread. We don't want to play blast beats and all that. We do have faster parts but more in the Autopsy or old Death vein.

Druid Lord's first gig, January 14 2011 at Will's Pub Orlando FL (photo - Tiina Chapman)

Tony - We knew that doing a Doom band during the height of all these other bands obsessed with speed would be risky, but even the hardcore Death Metal fans seem to like it as well as some Black Metal fans. Reviews have been extremely generous. I haven't seen anyone totally dog it, yet.

Preparing for their first show, Will's Pub Orlando FL Jan 14 2011 (photo - Tiina Chapman)

Stephen - That's the thing with playing metal- everybody has different tastes so some are going to like it and some aren't. That's just part of the scene. The bottom line is that we play metal that we enjoy listening to regardless of what genre we get our influence from. We like doom a LOT but we're all fans of the classic death bands so I'm sure a little of that creeps into our music. One thing I've come to find is that listening to the exact same type of metal ALL the time is limiting and so is playing it. Dynamics in metal are different than those of most music styles. They tend to be expressed in tempo and not pitch or volume. That is a result of playing at full volume in one key all of the time. Therefore, to acheive altering dynamics you alter the tempo. Doom, obviously, has very slow tempos while death tends to have mid-paced to fast tempos. I've found that I don't like playing the same tempos constantly as it all tends to sound the same (no dynamics). We structure our songs around the tempo we like the most: slow and heavy. To inject varying dynamics into our songs we'll offset the slow tempos with mid-paced tempos. That way our songs don't wind up sounding the same.

(At this point Glorious Times wishes to direct people to an outstanding interview conducted with Pete by our friend Brad over at Nocturnal Cult webzine, so earmark that one and go check it out after you get done here)

NOCTURNAL CULT WEBZINE

Outer Tray design for the debut CD (scan - Alan Moses)

GT - Recording in Tony's home studio must have been a relatively pressure-free experience?

Pete - Yeah man, it's great. No pressure at all. If we don't like something we redo it. We work on the mix until we are pleased with the outcome. It's a total DIY approach and many bands are doing it now. What also makes it cool is that we usually get more of an original sound instead of some overproduced mix.

Pete doing some sight seeing while in NY for A Day Of Death - taking a trip to Niagara Falls (courtesy Pete Slate)

Tony - It's really cool to have the flexibility of recording at home. It's a very relaxed atmosphere. There's a lot of laughing and joking around. But, when I say to the guys "OK, we're rolling" we get to business. I've been in a few studios over the years and I try to take in everything I've learned from that time and use it in my studio.

Tony jamming in their NY hotel room prior to A Day Of Death 2011 - (courtesy Pete Slate)

Ben - I enjoyed it, totally laid back and YES pressure free, haha! I give many hails and horns up to Tony for providing a place to not only record but also to practice, thanks!

Ben Ross and Kam Lee at A Day Of Death 2011 (courtesy Ben Ross)

Stephen - In some ways it is and some ways it isn't. It is nice not having the pressure of knowing that every second you waste is costing you money. There is pressure though because I live 4 hrs. from them and we don't have the luxury of rehearsing whenever we want. Generally, Pete and Ben write the riffs for a song and then the three of us get together and work out a loose structure for the song. We record that and I take it home to work on for a couple weeks. Then we get together again and finalize the arrangements the first evening and the second evening we record the song. That can get quite stressful at times because I haven't really had the time I'd like to have to work out all my parts. After it's recorded I continue to work on the songs- nothing changes noticeably as far as the heart of the drum tracks are concerned- it's mainly fills and accents and maybe a little fine tuning. It's a tough way to do things but so far I'm happy with the results.

GT - How long has Tony been working at getting his studio together anyways? The quality is astounding for a DIY record too.

Tony - My 1st recordings were live straight from the P.A. with maybe 3 mics on the drums, one on the vocals and everything else ran direct. That was back in 2001. Over the years I got more mics and a Hard Disk Recorder. Being able to record 8 tracks at the same time pretty much changed everything. When the guys heard the Serpent Son demo, we decided we should record a Druid Lord demo and it snowballed from there. (GT - we STRONGLY recommend that demo too by the way and you will be hearing more about Serpent Son at GT blogspot in the coming months).

Tony and Stephen at Niagara Falls in July 2011 (courtesy Pete Slate)

Pete - He's been doing this for a few years now and plans on expanding the studio.

GT - You guys got through the recording in how much time then?

Pete - It's hard to say. We usually record the drums and guitars first. Then leads, bass, and vocals. It's takes a few weeks to do everything properly. The whole album took a few months but we did everything the hard way since we didn't know at first if it was a demo or full length..lol

Tony - Well Pete and Ben live about an hour from my house and Stephen is 3 hours, so when we get together we try to make the most of it. We'll meet on Saturday, intent on a 5 or 6 hour session and then it turns into 8 to 10 hours. It's the same thing that would happen back in the day at Morrisound. I would say we can usually get two songs done a day on drums, 2 -3 on rhythm guitar, all 8 in one day for leads and I usually do one song a day on vocals and one song a day on bass. That's just because I'm here and can spend as much time as I want.

Another cool live shot from Mike's party (photo - Melissa Slate)

GT - So between finishing the album and getting the material to HPGD - how time time actually did pass between then and people getting their copies? It felt like no time at all really...

Pete - It took a few months to record the CD. I had it to Mike at very end of September 2010 and it was released on Halloween 2010. So really one month. That's amazing that Mike got it released so damn fast. We really wanted a Halloween release as it's our favorite time of the year. So to us it was very important and special to have it done that way. We all pulled it off.

Tony Blakk, Haven Lounge, Orlando Metal Awards April 15 2011 (courtesy FLMetal)

GT - That's lightning fast turn around, you just never hear about things happening this way, usually things take so much time it's discouraging.

Tony - We started recording in June, sent the CD to Mike in August, had the CD in our hands by October. It was the fastest release I have ever worked on. We begged him for a Halloween release and he made it happen.

Ben Ross, Tony Blakk, and Pete Slate with Doug Burgess from Metal Assault Radio. Doug hosts the Glorious Times Radio Hour and also runs Metal Matters PR and Management. Seen here at A Day Of Death 2011 (photo - Stephen Spillers)

GT - Mike from HPGD apparently dug the idea pretty much from the start right? How much material did he hear that the rest of us weren't privy to? (yeah you know dam well we're fishing for rarities here hehe)

Pete - A few rough tracks is about it. Honestly he didn't hear too much. As we were recording we sent some tracks for him to check out. Mike was into it which really pushed us that much harder.

Ben Ross at A Day Of Death 2011 (photo - Maga Chapucera)

Tony - Not much. He heard the rehearsal track that was on our Myspace with no leads, no vocals and no bass. It was just one guitar and the drums. After he showed interest, we sent him "Chamber of Ghastly Horror" with scratch vocals and scratch leads, just to show him what we were working on. He was really into it and pretty much said "when are you guys going to finish this, I want to put it out".

The masterfully executed 'Hymns For The Wicked' vinyl release on Witches' Tone Records (photo - Alan Moses)

GT - Were you talking to Witches' Tone Records (Germany) about the vinyl version at the same time as Horror Pain Gore Death about the CD version or did these things pan out at different times? How was that maneuver orchestrated ? We'd been talking with Pete suggesting some labels to approach right at the beginning, but the vinyl release took us by complete surprise.

Tony - "Hymns..." had already been released when Anna at Witches' Tone Records contacted Pete. She asked if we had a label to release the vinyl. We never even considered it until that point.

Get yours while there's a handful remaining (photo - Alan Moses)

Pete - I knew I wanted a vinyl release but I wasn't sure where to look first. I contacted a few labels in Europe but they didn't have any $$$ to put into a vinyl release. I came across Witches' Tone Records on Myspace. They had an add basically saying they were searching for new bands. I really liked that the label owner "Anna" was into Doom, Death, Black Metal. I contacted her directly and mentioned who I was. She like of idea of Druid Lord so I sent her the mp3s to check out. Anna contacted me back and said she really liked it and offered us a deal. My only demand was that I wanted something special for the fans and I wanted to do a limited color version. She did an amazing job. Gate-fold LP with insert, poster, and sticker. Then 100 copies on Orange/black splatter vinyl in a collectors cotton bag with patch. That was all her idea. It came out amazing and I'm completely impressed with what Witches Tone did for us. It came out shortly after the CD version so it was perfect timing.

Flyer for the limited run vinyl pressings by Witches' Tone Records (courtesy Anna at WTR)

GT - Indeed, it appeared to just merge together really well. We personally feel that the Witches' Tone vinyl is one of the most superb releases we've seen in years, especially for being a black and white presentation. You guys are happy as pigs in shit with that one right?

Pete - Hells yes!!!! I'm totally blown away with that release. If someone hasn't bought it yet...get it now before they are gone. Contact Witches' Tone immediately!!!! Seriously, it's for the vinyl collector.

WITCHES' TONE RECORDS (GERMANY)

Tony - Definitely! I'll never forget the day Pete came over with my copies. I remember there was some delay with our copies. I think they were lost in the mail or something, so we had been waiting for her to send more. By the time they arrived we were going insane with anticipation. By far the best vinyl release I've done up to this point.

The black vinyl version available from Witches' Tone (courtesy of Anna WTR)

witchestonerecords@googlemail.com

Stephen - Witches' Tone really outdid themselves with that package! I still can't believe how much was included- a poster, sticker, patch and tote bag with the Druid Lord logo on it. Not to mention the wicked colored vinyl and excellent packaging for that. They're definitely a top notch outfit! We'd love to be able to go with them for our future releases on vinyl!

The 'Black Candle Seance' EP on Altsphere Records (photo - Alan Moses)

GT - Can you tell everyone about the new EP's that are out now? There's no CD versions of these, correct? Vinyl only...

Tony - I know the split with Wooden Stake is vinyl only, but the split with Kaiju is a CD/vinyl combo. Pete will have to explain this one.

A wonderful illustration adorns the 'Black Candle Seance' EP cover (courtesy Pete Slate)

Pete - OK, we have a split 7"ep with the band Wooden Stake. Our track is "Black Candle Seance." Two exclusive tracks with original artwork. It was released on Febuary 11th, 2011. This ep is damn great man. This is one of our best songs and our artwork was done by Eric "Rot" Engelmann. Came out really sinister. We just had another release come out. It's a split with the band Kaiju. What makes this package special is that you get a 7"EP with a new track from both bands and also a CD with new tracks from both bands. The songs on the 7"EP are not on the cd. This is for the diehard collector for sure. So really there are four new Druid Lord songs on there. We do have another split coming out with Skeletal Spectre on Horror Pain Gore Death. Our track is called "Dark Age Sorcery". Expect that to come out Sept 2011.

When you get this release, the CD and printed materials are inside the sealed vinyl packaging. Druid Lord's material on this is phenomenal. (photo - Alan Moses)

GT - Now, the debut album was recorded as a 3 piece, Pete, Stephen and Tony - Ben was added exactly where and when?

Foul smells from the cemetery have nothing on what's in this van. Road trip to A Day Of Death 2011 (photo - Angie Hart)

Pete - Ben came in Jan 2011 I think. Tony had met him in his previous band. Ben seemed to really like what he heard of Druid Lord and told Tony to keep him in mind if we were looking for a 2nd guitar player. So the time came to add another guitarist and we gave been a audition. He just blew us away as he knew all the music. Not to mention he's a really cool guy. Perfect for Druid Lord. Must of been that damn beard..haha

Ben Ross and his beard enjoy some tom foolery with Ross Dolan (Immolation) and Pete Slate at A Day Of Death Prefest gig at Chuggers (courtesy Ben Ross)

Tony - I met Ben when I played with Diabolic in 2008-2009. He was in the band next door to our warehouse/studio. He found me on Myspace and when he heard the "Hymns...) songs he asked if we ever considered getting a second guitarist. We were planning on holding auditions later, when the band had more momentum. But, Ben came down and played a couple songs with us and fit right in. That was December 2010, I know, because we played our 1st show in January and he had been in the band for 3 weeks.

Ben on the road to New York with Druid Lord (courtesy Ben Ross)

Ben - I officially joined in January 2011. I did 3 practices with them in late December 2010/early January 2011 and then we did our debut show at Will's Pub in Orlando on January 13th. The rest is history!

The flyer for the first Druid Lord gig January 13 2011 (courtesy Druid Lord)

GT - Does Ben appear on any of the EP's?

Tony - Yeah, he's on all the new stuff. Basically everything with the exception of "Hymns..." and "Black Candle Seance"

Ben - Yes, I do. I tracked 5 solos and helped co-write one song for our upcoming 2011 releases. I'm really honored and excited to have been part of these new songs.

Pathologically Explicit Recordings did a knock up job on this one. Distributed in the USA by GT distro family member: Sevared Records. This flyer was advertising the forthcoming release. It's out NOW - grab it while you can!

Pete - Yes, the new split out now with Kaiju and the upcoming 7" EP "Dark Age Sorcery".

DRUID LORD ARE: Tony Blakk, Ben Ross, Pete Slate and Stephen Spillers (photo - Kam Lee)

GT - Ben seems to be a totally natural addition, filling out the sound and adding another facet to the physical make-up of the band - it appears from your earlier comments that he will be contributing ideas to Druid Lord from now on, or are you going to be the primary song writer as you have been on Hymns? Can you explain a little about the growing dynamic?

Pete - Ben has already been sending guitar parts to me. We usually combine our ideas and the songs just come together. He has totally added to the sound of the band. He'll usually send me some mp3s of riffs he's been working on. I save them on my computer and as I'm writing a song I'll go over his parts to see what fits. Works out really well.

Tony - He's been helping to write the new stuff and I think his style fits right in with ours. I think it will be just like Equinox. Everyone throws in ideas, but Pete will be the main source of song writing. After all Druid Lord was all his idea.

Stephen Spillers coffin pounding April 15 2011 (photo - LizM Photography)

Stephen - A band couldn't ask for anything more from a new member like Ben. The first time he showed up for practice he knew all the songs almost note for note. His stage presence is very dynamic and professional. He's 100% dedicated to Druid Lord and he's a top shelf guitarist. He's big and ugly but he's one of the nicest dudes I've ever met and he's very easy to work with- no ego or attitude. We couldn't have special ordered a better guy to complete this band. Ben wasn't an addition to Druid Lord- he was just one of the original members that showed up late!

Ben - Thanks for the killer words. Me personally, I'm totally fine with Pete being the primary music writer. Being in Druid Lord is satisfying enough to me and I'm so very grateful. I'll email riff to Pete to listen to and if he likes them, cool...if not I'm cool too. I'm laid back about it. Riffs that I write I want to be appropriate for druid Lord, and if they are not appropriate then I do not want them to be used.

Druid Lord at Niagara Falls July 2011 (courtesy Pete Slate)

GT - We aren't together all that sure about how far ya'll live from each other, so how do you guys pull off band practice?

Pete - Steve usually comes up to Orlando twice a month for two days. so we rehearse about four times a month with him. He lives in Naples and that's about 4 hrs away. Ben is about an hour and a half from our rehearsal spot. So we just pick our weekends and meet up. It works out well considering we are all over the state of FL.

Tony - I think it's hard for everyone but me, since we practice in my studio.

Ben - We practice in Orlando. Back and forth for me, it's 3 hours but it's all good. Honestly our practicing per week is minimal, but we all practice at our homes. So when we get together it's like we've practiced 3 times a week and it all falls into place great. Also, we've been playing our instruments for years, so we have no issues. It's awesome to me how tight we are as a band.

GT gets some props from the lads after their first show ever. Orlando FL at Will's Pub (photo - Tiina Chapman)

GT - Druid Lord has finally stepped into gigging and the debut show was really not all that long ago - how have these initial ventures out to the stage gone down?

Pete - The shows are sick man. The Orlando shows especially. The fans are so eager for metal here again so it's exciting. It reminds me of the days in Tampa where they would go nuts for metal. We just played here in FL at the "Queen of Sin II" fest and had a killer turn out. We've played shows in Tampa with After Death and we also did the Day of Death II Fest in NY. Each gig is getting better and better for us. It's also cool to see our fan base grow with every show. We also have the support of a local organization called Orlandooom Promotions. They set up us shows with killer touring bands that play HEAVY music. In fact we are playing with "Cough" in early Sept.

Tony - Incredible! So good to get back onstage. All my friends have been asking me for years when they can see me play and I finally have an outlet. The 1st show was at Will's Pub in Orlando. The turn-out was great and everyone was really into it. I have to give some time to the Orlando Meet-Up group. They have been instrumental in getting fans to the shows. And Jared from Orlando Doom.

At the time this piece is posted - this is the next upcoming Druid Lord gig - if you're in the area come on and show your support for the old blood! (flyer courtesy Pete Slate)

GT - How about other gigs?

Pete - More to come for sure. We hope to play a show a month. I'm even trying to get the band some dates in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Maybe also hit Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Being from FL it's hard to tour up North as we live so damn far away and with the cost of gas it's very costly but we do it for the band. We are dying to get our asses to Europe!!!!

GT - No shit, you guys have a world class sound, it's too easy to envision ya'll on large stages in Europe alongside Paradise Lost or someone - now or back in the day - when listening to Druid Lord.

Tony - Our 2nd show was at the Haven Lounge also in Orlando. It's bigger, and we played with a band called 5 Billion Dead that features an old friend ex-Equinox bassist/vocalist Matt "Darkness" Wagner. The place was packed and that always helps to feed off the energy of the crowd. 3rd show was opening for After Death and 4th show was back at Will's Pub. Our 5th show was A Day of Death in NY.

Stephen Spillers (sporting the Black Candle Seance shirt) at the Brass Mug Tampa FL May 21 2011 at Mike Browning's Birthday Bash (photo - Melissa Slate)

GT - Our mutual friend Mike Browning recently celebrated his birthday at The Brass Mug, in Tampa, which Druid Lord played as well as After Death and the almighty Ulcer. So it had been a while since you guys played our old stomping ground then eh?

A classic shot of Pete and Stephen at The Brass Mug May 21 2011 (photo - Melissa Slate)

Pete - Shit man, I hadn't played there since '94 with my prior band Equinox. Before that it was like '90 I think when I was doing Acheron. That place is a dive but brings back a lot of old memories. We had a damn blast playing there for Mike's birthday. Guys from Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Angelcorpse, Deicide where there. Great nite.

Flyer for the Browning Birthday Bash at The Brass Mug (courtesy Savatage Sue)

Tony - The place had changed quit a bit. It hadn't been that long for me, cause I played there in 2008 with Diabolic, but Pete and Steve hadn't played there since 1993 or something like that.

Druid Lord at the Brass Mug, for Mike Browning's Birthday, Tampa FL May 21 2011 (photo - Eric Grant)

GT - It's kind of bizarre to see The Brass Mug being revered today when back in the day it wasn't really one of the regular places played (unless you were called Gardy Loo! that is made up of seasoned vets) - it seemed more that the 'perimeter' bands played there, like The Guff and Raped Ape, those bands not exactly part of the whole scene really. Any inkling as to why The Brass Mug stands today when so many of the others fell?

Pete - Hard to say really. It's a decent location to have a bar and easy to find. The name is cool too..LOL. They're actually redone the inside a bit. The stage is in a different place. I like the new setup.

Tony - One of the bartenders named Heather ended up buying the place several years ago. She was always cool and remains true to the Metal Underground. Everyone knows her and she actually likes Metal which helps a lot. Some of these club owners don't know the difference between Death Metal, Black Metal or Doom.

Tales of Horror and the Occult spread rampant at Mike's birthday celebrations (photo - Eric Grant)

GT - Hell, to get a bit of a re-education, back in the day of course there was The Sunset Club which shut down in '89, then The Ritz and The Masquerade were places well played along with Club Detroit / Jannus Landing over in St. Pete. You had smaller holes in Tampa like The Star Club (Excel / Paineater) and The Stone Lounge (Chaos UK) as well - seem to remember a club called DNA too....by the mid 90's The Brass Mug was known for more than just being a place to pick up the free Wooden Nickel paper. What's the club topography looking like these days?

Kam Lee performing 'All Hallows Evil' with Druid Lord April 15 2011 (photo - LizM Photography)

Pete - To me personally The Sunset Club was one of the best. Amon (Deicide) played there all the time, Morbid Angel, Obituary. I also really liked Jannus as well. I saw Atheist, Death, Dark Angel and tons others there. I think it took awhile for the Brass Mug to kick in. Once the other places folded up then it got more of the Metal shows.

Harkening back to the days of the Tampa Bay Metal Awards, we have the Orlando Metal Awards

Tony - Don't forget the Rock-it Club. That place was pretty decent. And I'm from Orlando, so I have to mention the Beechum Theater and the Fairbanks Inn. Nowadays there's Gasoline Alley and the Pegasus on the west coast and the Haven, the Dungeon and Will's Pub on the east coast.

Haven Lounge Orlando April 15 2011 (photo courtesy FLMetal)

GT - Of course by now everyone remotely interested in heavy extreme music and the pioneering bands would be aware of June 16 2011 which marks the official return of A Day Of Death in Buffalo NY.

Before the era of the mass fests which pollute the landscape today, there was a time when this was not the case at all. We were quite literally vilified by almost all of the established scene, and the money wasn't there much beyond someone like Metal Mom who laid much ground work with the Milwaukee Death Fest and it's who's who or GT featured bands.

Pete and Kam exorcising the spirit of All Hallows Evil at A Day Of Death 2011 (photo - Brian Pattison)

You guys in Druid Lord were a huge part of A Day Of Death 2011, making the trip all the way from Florida. That's a massive trip. By the way, GT would like to thank all of your families for their support in getting the trip and the appearance together - without their understanding nothing was possible.

A glorious time to look back on in another 20 years (photo - Alan Moses)

To the seasoned musician who has been a part of grooming the thing to begin with, what did A Day Of Death mean to you? Not just to play, but in comparison to the contemporary attitude to such things, where in many cases now, bands will not even tour to support a record in favor of playing only a handful of corporate 'fests' guaranteeing possibly $200,000 for maybe even just 10 gigs in a year.

Pete - First of all we were honored when we were asked to play the event. With such great bands like Sam Biles, Derketa, Rottrovore, Nokturnal, Kam Lee..we knew we had to play it. It was totally worth the drive for us. Also playing with Deceased was a major event for me as I've been corresponding with King for years and have been a huge Deceased fan as well. Since I didn't make it to the 1st fest I wanted Druid Lord to be a part of Fest II. It was a great show!!! It also goes to show that bands can come together for a special event and keep it down to earth not asking for "ROCK STAR" prices.

Ben, King and Pete at A Day Of Death 2011 (courtesy Ben Ross)

Tony - It's a chance to be a part of history. I'm hoping that after this show, the other guys will want to tour. It's really the best way to promote the band. Anyone can sound good in the studio. It's the live show that really cements it into peoples skulls.

Tony Blakk maims Club Infinity at A Day Of Death 2011 (photo - Maga Chapucera)

Stephen - That's exactly the feeling I got when we played the DoD show last month- it was like the old days. I remember seeing many, many shows at Jannus Landing and The Ritz and of course Beecham Theatre in Orlando and the DoD fest reminded me a lot of those shows. I wish more people would put together shows like that!

Ben tearing it up at A Day Of Death 2011 (photo - Maga Chapucera)

GT - To us at least, this outrageously exclusive event is about show casing, in part, Glorious Times' philosophy. A living and breathing representation of the book in so far as the forced hand of DIY comes into play (for us personally) as well. It isn't the monied, corporate trendy 'fest' everyone wants to be seen at or seen talking about either - do you think fans today have the ability to comprehend this or is the dollar just too strong?

After they got home from NY, Ben sent in this kick ass photo of himself with his new GT accessories hehe (courtesy Ben Ross)

Druid Lord Performing 'Black Candle Seance' at A Day of Death 2011

Pete - The true underground metal fans totally get this. These are the people that support bands like us and Glorious Times and get the whole philosophy.It was so cool to see people buying the GT book and asking the bands or band members to sign their pages with their contributions. Hats off to Glorious Times for putting the Day of Death Fest II together and keeping the scene real.

Flyers for the Queen Of Sin II gig at The Haven August 13 2011 (courtesy Pete Slate)

GT - Beyond this event then, what does Druid Lord have on the cards live prior to and post A Day Of Death 2011?

Pete - We are doing a 2 song EP for Doomentia Records next. No split EP, all Druid Lord stuff. This will be HUGE for us. I totally respect this label. Have you seen their CD's and LP's they put out? Total pro packaging the way it should be done. They've put out great releases from Master, Nunslaughter, Hooded Menace, Acid Witch, Claws... I can't wait for this. Once that's complete we will focus on the next full length for a spring 2012 release..hopefully. More gigs to follow as well.

GT - Hell yeah, if the last few EP's are anything to judge by, these next releases will destroy any nerve cells left.

Stephen in the vortex of the beloved Celtic Crosses at Queen Of Sin II (photo - Melissa Slate)

Tony - We just played a show called Queen Of Sin II at the Haven on Aug. 13th.

Pete and Ben at Queen Of Sin II, The Haven August 13 2011 (photo - Angie Hart)

GT - What about the next logical step in a follow-up album?

Pete - Yes, more HORROR DOOM to come my friends. The wheels are always turning to DRUID LORD. We will not stop!!!!!

Pete and Ben doing what they do August 13 2011 (photo - Angie Hart)

Tony - We have already begun writing new songs, but not sure if they are for another full-length or an EP or 7 inch. We've had some offers that we seriously had to discuss and work out the details. All I can say is huge things are on the horizon.

Tony at Queen Of Sin II 2011 (photo - Angie hart)

GT - Quite rightly so we think! So afficiandos know, what merch and so forth do you guys have available currently?

Pete - We have special "Medieval Druid" shirts available, "Hymns" cd's and Lp's are left but only a handful remain. Once we are sold out contact Witches' Tone and HPGD direcly. Here is our main band page for merch.

DRUID LORD BANDCAMP PAGE

This shirt design will be a classic in years to come!

Also keep checking our Druid Lord pages on Facebook, Reverbnation, and Myspace for updates.

Tony - We still have "Hymns for the Wicked" CD's available for $10 US. The vinyl LP is a gatefold and comes with a poster, sticker and patch for $40 US. The split 7 inch with Wooden Stake is $7 US. And we just got new shirts in for $10 US. Not sure how many shirts Glorious Times has left, but those have the split with Wooden Stake cover on the front.

GT has a small number of these limited run shirts available, but you'll have to write us first to make sure we have what you desire.

Stephen - Visit our merch page at http://druidlord.bandcamp.com/album/hymns-for-the-wicked. We keep it updated so our fans and supporters can find all the merch we currently have available.

GT - We think that about wraps up the body in the bag this time around fellas. Think it's a real first to have every band member participate as well, which we're really proud to be able to bring the fans. Now let's hope some of you out there decide to investigate Druid lord and pick up some releases, you won't regret it. A huge thanks for you all coming up to New York for our special event A Day Of Death 2011 - that means a great deal to us lads.

Pete - Alan, I just wanted to say thanks for all your support. You and Brian/Glorious Times, are the real deal. Thanks for the interview and there is more Doom to come. Enter our Chamber of Ghastly Horror!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pete jamming at 3am prior to A Day Of Death (courtesy Pete Slate)

Tony - Thanks to our fans and thank you guys for the interview. You've done more for the scene than most people are aware of. This show was dedicated by Druid Lord to both of you and Glorious Times. You guys rule!!!

Goatcraft's Lonegoat with Tony Blakk at Club Infinity (courtesy Pete Slate)

Ben - Horns up to you and Glorious Times. Thanks to all involved for supporting a killer underground music/scene.

Ben being a hippie in the gardens out from of the national historic monument which is the Buffalo Psychiatric Center (courtesy Pete Slate)

Stephen - Final words? Thank you to Glorious Times! Thank you to all of our supporters and fans!

Pete and Stephen hamming it up outside and risking detention inside the Buffalo Psychiatric Center (courtesy Pete Slate)

* GT wishes to publicly thank: Melissa Slate, Eric Grant, Maga Chapucera, Tiina and Rob Chapman, Angie Hart, FLMetal, LizM Photography, Orlandooom, Anna at Witches' Tone and Mike from Horror Pain Gore Death for their awesome contributions to this Druid Lord feature.

AND IF THIS WASN'T ENOUGH - BOY HAVE WE GOT A TREAT FOR YOU!

THE ALMIGHTY DRUID LORD

We're from the GT era dammit and we love FULL GIGS more than anything - audio and video is something we treasure as much as studio recordings because you get even more of a biological representation of the bands.

With the permission of Rob Chapman, who was present at a Druid Lord gig on April 15th 2011 at The Haven Lounge in Orlando Florida, we can bring you the entire live video of the band's set that night, which Rob recorded and uploaded to vimeo. This is truly priceless material and we cannot thank you enough Rob for not only shooting this and allowing GT to share it, but for keeping your eyes on posterity in doing so. Well done Rob!

ENTER THE CHAMBER OF GHASTLY HORROR RIGHT HERE!
You'll be taken direct to the vimeo page

Druid Lord logo recently created by Nev

A DAY OF DEATH 2011 WEBSTREAM RE-BROADCAST AIRING JULY 30 2011

2011-07-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 30th,2011 (starting 12:00pm est)

One-time only rebroadcastof the streaming video of A Day of Death (July 16, 2011) that tookplace in Buffalo, NY. Final chance to see the entire event, whetheryou missed it or attended it and want to relive it for anotherday........ one more chance to see Kam Lee join Druid Lord on stage,one more chance to see Kam Lee join Derketa on stage, one last chanceto see Kam Lee perform Massacre's "From Beyond" in itsentirety.

Send $10 USD via paypal toglorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com (no later than Friday July 29 at 10pm est)

Link and passwordwill be sent via email approximately 1-2 hours before the event airs.

Grab some beers, invitethe friends over and enjoy this once in a lifetime event, some of thebands of the day will be available in the chat room throughout therebroadcast.

Any questions, email BrianPattison or Alan Moses at glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail...com or poston the event facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/..event.php?eid=152395201503209

lineup:

Lethal Aggression (onlypart of their set was streamed)

Hubris

Seplophile

Resist Control

Sam Biles (HideousMangleus)

Avulsion

Goatcraft

Druid Lord

Derketa (original lineup)

Rottrevore

Deceased

Insanity

Nokturnel

Kam Lee

plus a surprise or twothrown in for this special rebroadcast.

AUCTION: A DAY OF DEATH 2011 ORIGINAL ARTWORK

2011-07-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Official Day of Death ORIGINAL T-Shirt ARTWORK Cthulhu Rising! by Dave Gutierrez (from Lethal Aggression & Social Decay)

VISIT THE EBAY AUCTION HERE

DESCRIPTION: Commemorating the 1st Day of Death in 1990 here we have new ONE-OF-A-KIND artwork
created specifically for this once in a lifetime event by Dave Gutierrez! Day of Death 2011 was a celebration of Death
Metal from the mid 80's thru the early 90's.

This event was put together by the authors of

"Glorious Times A PICTORIAL OF THE DEATH METAL SCENE 1984-1991"

and hosted some of the biggest bands of that era!

Former Mantas/Death/Massacre member Kam Lee
Nokturnel
Insanity
Deceased
Rottrevore
Derketa
Druid Lord
Goatcraft
Avulsion
Sam Biles (Hideous Mangleus)
Resist Control
Seplophile
Hubris &
Lethal Aggression

CONDITION: Clean & flat w/ no rips, tears or bends. Pen & Ink on bristol, signed.

SIZE: 13"x19"

SHIPPING: $12 U.S. $40 Everywhere else, priority mail ONLY!

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have! \m/

A DAY OF DEATH - PRE-FEST SHOW JULY 15 2011

2011-07-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY JULY 15 2011 - 6.30 PM

CHUGGERS - in West Seneca NY

A DAY OF DEATH PRE-FEST

To celebrate our A DAY OF DEATH show at Club Infinity in Williamsville NY (happening on Saturday July 16 2011), the first being having been held at the Skyroom in Buffalo NY October 20 1990, Glorious Times is holding a special pre-fest gig the night before at Chuggers in West Seneca NY (on July 15).

Showcasing some great younger talent in Abysme, Cain and Hellcannon - Glorious Times is exceptionally proud to be able to announce LETHAL AGGRESSION as the headlining act.

This is the first time that the line-up of Saltz, Dave, Todd and Kenny have performed together in A DECADE!

Tickets for this pre-fest gig are as follows:

$6 (if you have an advance ticket to A Day Of Death 2011)

$10 (if you don't have an advance ticket to A Day Of Death 2011)

Get your tickets while you still can, via PayPal to glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

Questions of queries? Get in touch at the same address. You can also reach us through our Facebook and Myspace sites should you so choose.

DON'T MISS THIS !!! LIFE IS HARD ...

BUT THAT IS NO EXCUSE AT ALL!

GOD CAN'T SAVE YOU NOW!!

2011-05-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

It is with great excitement and anticipation GLORIOUS TIMES can confirm the following:

New York underground thrash metal legends PRIME EVIL have reunited with all original members and will be taking part in some epic showcase packages in the Northeast U.S. by late summer/early fall.

Vocalist, Andy Eichhorn, Guitarists Mike Usifer and Gary Day, Drummer Todd Gukelberger and bassist Mary Ciullo have been hard at work on rehearsing the classic material as well as writing absolutely crushing new songs. The band has plans to record and release these songs in late 2011 or early 2012.

PRIME EVIL was formed in New York in 1986 and was a major player in the early days of the underground death/thrash metal scene. We are beyond stoked at the resurrection of
PRIME EVIL and plan to explode back on the scene with increased focus and determination. More details will be forthcoming in the weeks and months ahead.

-- Andy Eichhorn, May 17, 2011

Prime Evil, photo: Ed Farshtey

Interview with Andy Eichhorn

GT: Can you give us a little background info on how Prime Evil first came to be?

Andy: The band formed in late 1985 early 1986 when Mike Usifer & Gary Day had a newly formed band of high school friends who wanted to play extreme metal in the vein of early Slayer/Metallica. They were looking for a singer because they had a show booked and had yet to settle on a vocalist. I auditioned and played our first show (under a different/temporary name) in front a few hundred people opening for a power metal band Savage Choir. The reaction was huge and after that we were determined to start writing originals and play every show possible.

GT: How long after you first formed did you start playing live gigs and how long before the first demo was released?

Andy: After our first show we officially changed the name to PRIME EVIL which completely fit our developing style and attitude. We played some local shows and the scene was just starting to get a buzz. Thrash was still pretty much underground in New York and clubs weren't really booking too much. We resorted to playing illegal clubs setup in old factories packed with kegs and metalheads!! Soon we were refining our originals and making plans to record our first demo in early 1987.

We recorded at Electric Reels studios near Poughkeepsie NY with original drummer Tad Leger (who later joined Toxik)and we couldn't wait to get it out. The reaction was very positive and we started getting reviews and interview requests from all the fanzines that were popping up at the time. The scene was growing exponentially and we really believed in what we were doing. Soon we were sharing the stage with the likes of DEATH, SUFFOCATION, CARCASS, IMMOLATION, WHIPLASH, DEATH ANGEL, FORBIDDEN etc.

it was a glorious time indeed....

GT: Women in thrash and death metal were exceptionally rare in the late 1980's, how was Mary accepted within the band and by fans?

Andy: Early on we were looking for a new bass player without much success. Through a girl I was dating at the time I became aware of this female bass player who was into metal exclusively! Seemed like a no brainer to me....however to be honest the initial reaction from the rest of the band was a little skeptical at first. I pushed hard for her to audition and soon she was an integral part of the band and exceeded our expectations. Mary is an awesome person and really provided balance within the band with her great sensibility. She also became our "PR Firm" handling a majority of the merchandising and correspondence across the globe. She personally dubbed hundreds, if not thousands of copies of our demo tapes and manually mailed them out.

As far as the fans, she really kept up with her correspondence and has friends and supporters from around the world. Everyone always asks about her and I am absolutely thrilled she is on board for the reunion and upcoming studio recording sessions. Mary RULES!! I'm her biggest fan....

Mary Ciullo; photo: Ed Farshtey

GT: 20+ years after its release "The Manifestation" has stood the test of time and is still as pleasurable to listen to today as it was when it was first released. How well did that demo sell back then?

Andy: Hard to say really....we did sell hundreds of demos and received tons of letters from hardcore metalheads all over the globe. I still have boxes and boxes of old letters. I'm very humbled at the comments about our past recordings and can enthusiastically say at this point...the best is yet to come!

GT: Thankfully Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) was a big fan of Prime Evil and brought you to Buffalo a couple of times, did you play many out of town gigs in those years (1989/1990)?

Andy: Those shows with Cannibal were insane back in the day. We were so stoked to be invited to play and really didn't know what to expect. Alex and the guys were fucking awesome to hang with and were great hosts. Each show was packed and I can remember looking down at the front row and seeing everyone singing the lyrics as we were playing....fucking mind blowing at the time.

As far as out of town shows We played New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Washington DC. Plenty of invitations to play all over the US and even overseas back then, but because of work and family circumstances never really feasible.

GT: Prime Evil had a reputation as being an incredible live band, many would say even better live than in studio. Did you feel any pressure to put on a tremendous performance every time?

Andy: I think we had the attitude (and still do) to put on the best show every single time wherever we played, whether it was 20, 100 or a thousand people. I always approached my live performance with a lot of raw determination and intensity as almost a natural reaction to being on stage and hearing those first notes. The current rehearsals are giving me that same feeling. These upcoming reunion shows should be an absolute blast. We have promoters working on some killer packages as we speak.

GT: Did you guys feel any mounting frustration as many lesser bands got signed to bigger and bigger deals and somehow the labels overlooked Prime Evil?

Andy: Not really...we felt we were making progress and pretty much thought it was a matter of time to find the right deal. But in retrospect some of the later material around 1992 was in a different direction and by that time a whole new trend was obliterating the scene and labels were changing their focus.

GT: How did the CD "Unearthed" come about? Did you feel a great deal of satisfaction to finally have a full length cd out, even though it came 10 yrs after Prime Evil had broken up?

Andy: The venerable King Fowley from Deceased approached us and wanted to release the demos on CD through his Battlezone Records label and we were thrilled. I thought it was great to get the songs out in digital format and I thought the booklet and packaging were top notch. The only regret are the 4 "distorted rehearsal songs" that were included on there. Our decision, but I cringe when I hear them, those are really unfinished/arranged works in progress. However with the band now reunited I really think we will release some insane material and the scope and quality will be beyond anything we've ever done.

Ed Farshtey, Gary Day (holding GT) and Mike Usifer

at a Deceased gig in Peekskill on Sept 10, 2010; photo: Brian Pattison

GT: Are you surprised that nearly a quarter of a century after Prime Evil formed and 18 years after it's break up that Prime Evil still gets mentioned regularly by fans of the old scene?

Andy: I really am.....fucking awesome yet very humbling.....and it's the frequency and fervor that these inquiries keep coming that is the primary motivation for PRIME EVIL to reunite. I will go to a show or on vacation and still get recognized or meet someone in the scene who remembers. Remarkable since we were easily missed in certain circles didn't really get proper exposure. Myself and the band are beyond excited at this renewed opportunity and plan to take full advantage!

GT: Is this a reformation or just a short lived reunion?

Andy: We have been getting asked to reunite at different times over the last 10 years or so. The timing or interest never seemed right and to be honest a lot of us have been through our fair share of surgeries, accidents etc and only recently have all five original members been physically able to participate. I think it's incredible we have all original members on board after 20 years!

We have been rehearsing I can honestly say there is a spark there that hasn't been since the early days and it's absolutely electric. Going over the classic material quickly expanded into writing new songs and making recording plans. We will have a future announcement regarding the studio and producer we will be working with. So to answer your question this is the REAL DEAL full blown reunion and we plan to unleash some nasty old school tinged thrash! I can't fucking wait!

GT: Any thoughts/plans on recording new material or a mixture of old and new songs?

Andy: I think people will be pleasantly surprised at the new material and we do in fact have plans to record a few select early tracks the way they were meant to be heard.

Andy, Mike and Gary in the summer of 2010, together for the first time in 20 years discussing the old days with copies of GT on the table; photo courtesy of Todd Gukelberger

GT: When can we expect a live performance from Prime Evil? Will there be a tour or at least shows outside of the NYC area?

Andy: We will play some shows late summer early fall and record for release in late 2011 early 2012. Stay tuned for what will hopefully be a big show announcement in the coming weeks.

GT: Any last words?

Andy: A huge thanks and eternal horns raised to Brian Pattison and Alan Moses for their incredible and unselfish dedication to the underground! You both did an incredible job with your book GLORIOUS TIMES an it's an honor to be included in the publication. Just another motivating factor in bringing PRIME EVIL back from ashes!! See you on stage soon…..

Time waits for no one, your day is at hand

NEW DRUID LORD SHIRTS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH GLORIOUS TIMES

2011-04-19T19:27:00.001-07:00

ALL NEW HIGH QUALITY AND DURABLE TAGLESS HANES SHIRTS

DRUID LORD

Black Candle Seance EP

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PAYMENT VIA PAYPAL TO: glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

BENEFIT FOR JUAN PEREZ (ABDICATE) APRIL 27 2011

2011-04-19T05:20:00.000-07:00

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE FAMILY

Alex was badly injured in a vehicle accident and needs our help towards medical expenses - please consider making a donation of any size.

Glorious Times has also been accepting donations through PayPal to glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

Glorious Times would like to thank everyone involved so far for their donations and offers of support towards such things as the ticketing and flyers courtesy of Black Bear Printing, raffle prize items courtesy of Butchered Records, Severed Records, Nuclear Blast USA and others to come.

LET'S SHOW THIS FAMILY WHAT WE CAN DO!!

A MASSACRE IN WINTER PARK

2011-04-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

VISIT CAISSON FILMS HERE

OFFICIAL CAISSON FACEBOOK

Could you introduce yourself and Johnna and state your official positions within Caisson just so everyone knows who does what etc etc?

BRIAN: I'm Brian Troxell and I do a lot of the writing and directing while Johnna does the producing and most of everything else.

Johnna & Brian Troxell = CAISSON FILMS

What about you Maddie? You're a bit of an intrigue...

MADDIE: I’m a 15-year-old aspiring actress living in Orlando, Florida. I was originally born in Russia and lived there in an orphanage until I was adopted and moved to the United States. I’ve been acting in local, independent films for the last two years and I love it!

Maddie Bright - (photo by Dale Metz)

And of course Kam doesn't need an introduction here amongst the GT family haha Appreciate you taking part Kam, if people into this music don't know who you are then they need to go trade their CD's in for Ke-dollar-sign-huh?

Kam waiving the flag for good ol' Killjoy (and a Red Stripe hehe) at the Deep Seeded wrap up party.

How did the initial spark ignite to create Caisson Films? Could you share just a little background and inspiration?

BRIAN: We started a few years ago while watching low budget horror movies, It really appealed to us and we thought, "It can't be that hard..." Boy were we wrong!! We started out as Scruffy Ruffian productions. We wrote and filmed our own stuff. As we got deeper into it we realized if we were going to continue we needed to get better in all aspects. So we took on a more professional name,"Caisson Films" and started working with Paul Steward from 316 productions. Our production value immediately improved and we started getting into distribution.

Kam, were you familiar with Caisson Films before you were contacted for this role in Deep Seeded?

KAM: Not really... I knew of a few up and coming film companies in the area wanting to do horror films. There's a certain little NETWORK of these people, and it's a ever growing community of us freaks and maniacs. But personally I didn't know of Caisson off hand... No.

What was your first film Brian?

BRIAN: Our first film was called "Grieve", from writing to shooting to directing - we were clueless. But we took care of the cast and had a lot of fun and we learned a great deal.

Brian cutting up during day 5 of Deep Seeded filming

How do you choose which films to make (do you write the scripts for all of your films)?

BRIAN: We do our own writing. I like having that control. As far as choosing story lines its really all about what comes to us while were doing other things. Usually the plot comes to one of us but occasionally a great title will pop into my head and I will write around it.

The films - The Heart Of The Damned, Slip Of The Tongue, Spare The Rod, Zombians - how have the dvd's sold? GT has tried to encourage our people to support Caisson, grab your copies people and support grass-roots DIY ethic!

BRIAN: Heart Of The Damned and Slip Of The Tongue sold ok, not great, but we did see an income. Spare The Rod, which was the first thing we did with Paul Steward as our DP, sold very well. It got picked up by a company in Canada and then was sold to a TV station in Toronto. It was amazing receiving the check and being able to put it back into the company.

Hell yeah, we can really relate to that Brian! Now, we had thought that Zombians was aired at an indie film festival, what were the reactions, or are we off the mark here?

BRIAN: First off, Zombians was Johnna's brain child. She came up with the story line and I helped out on the script. We shot a short promo for it to see if it could garner some interest but the production costs were a little high. Currently its on the back burner although we have been in talks with some folks who could help it re appear. The promo did get screened but that was about it.

The new Caisson address!!

We can relate to that garnering of interest issue certainly, we faced identical problems with doing Glorious Times. It's a HUGE uphill battle when you're doing things outside of the accepted norm. We imagine running Caisson is a full time job, you guys put in more than regular work-a-day hours right?

BRIAN: Oh yeah, We just recently moved into our new office so we were able to get the business out of our house. Even when were not working on one of our projects we still keep busy. Right now we have a few Irons in the fire.

Maddie & Brian (Day 2 of filming)

Caisson has some really killer up and coming talent, to name Maddie Bright and Little Italy as just 2 (we don't mean to leave anyone out here of course) - how have you managed to locate them, just from general casting calls? Recommendations from others within the Caisson world or what? Can you tell us anything about some of the other work Maddie and LI have done that particularly appeals to you.

BRIAN: There is another film maker that we know named Kelly Weaver, he works a lot with the younger set, so we kind of got to know a lot of actors through him. Little Italy did a great job in one of Kelly's short films so we decided to bring her in on ours. Maddie on the other hand, was kind of an unknown to us but her look allows her to play 15 to 20 yrs of age with no trouble. She is very versatile and loves horror.

Little Italy & Maddie Bright-ening up the cast meeting July 2010

So there you go Maddie, Brian spilled the beans and reveals you as a horror fan - what sort of stuff do you like in the genre, and what other films rank high to you regardless of genre?

MADDIE: I really like horror films about unconventional killers and the psychology behind what they do. For example, I loved “Orphan”…not only because the audience thinks this young girl is killing all of these people, but because I thought it was awesome to see a film portraying a Russian orphan. I like pretty much everything in the horror genre with a few exceptions…I hate clowns and I hate paranormal-type stuff. Those two things really freak me out.

Maddie looks genuinely worried here in this behind the scenes shot during the filming of Freddy VS Jason VS Ash (part 2 of a fan-film trilogy)

A couple of notes from Maddie about this photo:

MADDIE: That's a behind-the-scenes pic from a film I recently wrapped called Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. It's in post-production now and should be finished by May. It was a "fan" film, but it goes far beyond a typical fan film. The producer/director is Trent Duncan, a very, very talented and experienced filmmaker and the production values are really high. This film is the second in a trilogy. I played one of the lead roles, a character named Lucy who is haunted in her nightmares by Freddy. Freddy, Jason and Ash battle it out in the film. Amazingly, I wasn't killed in this film! I guess I get to make it to a sequel for a change!

Playing Jason in the photo is Cheyenne Hess, a very talented actor who is able to portray so many emotions with just a slight tilt of his head or hand motion. The girl holding my leg in the picture is Ashley Brooke, who played my older sister, Holly.

The film is already generating a lot of buzz in the industry and the first film in the trilogy, Jason vs. Leatherface, did very well at the horror festivals.

You can see more about it at the official facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/FreddyvsJasonvsAshFanFilm?sk=wall

And you can see more about Trent at:

http://www.trentduncan.com/

Then we can safely state all of you are horror fans! Something we never actually got around to asking you way back in the old Ace's Records days Kam was what are your earliest memories of the horror genre? What's your earliest memory of a horror flick? How does that particular film stand up today to you?

KAM: Well for me it was first the monster films. I would have to say it was the original DRACULA with Bella Lugosi from Universal films. Back when I was about 6 years old... I got to stay up late on night with my Dad and watch this flick. My dad is a big fan of the old Universal Monster films... and I grew up watching a lot of those flicks with him when I was young. So that got me hooked on early horror films.

Although now - I prefer NOSFERATU silent film over the original DRACULA film. I still love the original DRACULA, but Max Shreck as Orlaf just has an eerie creepiness and total ugliness that Bela Lugosi's Dracula doesn't have. And for a silent film from the 1920's - still today it holds up as being just fucking creepy as hell!

1922 Movie Poster

I also grew up on Japanese Giant Monster films, like the GODZILLA movies... then later the HAMMER HORROR flicks and stuff from the 70's. But it was two films that really got me loving horror and gore - the original TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and EVIL DEAD.

I got lucky to see the original T.C.M. at the drive in theater in 1979. My dad would take us to the Drive-In sometimes on weekends to watch Kung Fu films. It just so happened that the place was a huge Drive-In theater with like 7 screens. One of the screens was showing T.C.M. - and I was more interested on what was going on the screen in the lot next to us... then whatever kung fu flick was on the screen...So I ended up watching T.C.M. for the very first time - but not able to hear what was going on.

I also got to see for it's first time U.S. theatrical release - SHOGUN ASSASIN... because my dad is a huge Samuria movie freak, and he really wanted me to see this film with him.
So all the gore and blood thing - I think I got kind'a weened into from all the violent kung fu and martial arts films I would watch as a kid.

And then four years later in 1983 - I got to see EVIL DEAD for the first time at another Drive-In theater, as well as the film PHANTASM when it first came out - at the same Drive-In... that along with GATES OF HELL (CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD), DAWN OF THE DEAD, ZOMBIE, FRIGHTNIGHT, DEADLY SPAWN, IT'S ALIVE 2, MOTEL HELL, and so many others.

That Drive-In was a place of worship for myself, Chuck and Rick back in the early 80's while we were in DEATH.

A huge influence, Evil Dead. This poster, signed by Bruce Campbell for Erik Rutan, hung in the infamous Roads' House basement lair of Ripping Corpse, Redbank NJ Nov/Dec 1990 (photo Alan Moses)

Then came the time when VHS came out, and we would rent whatever horror and gore we could our hands on. We would go to parties with a VHS tape copy of stuff like FACES OF DEATH or CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and take over the peoples T.V.s and
put in these ultra gore flicks and chase everyone away - or get KICKED OUT of the party. Haha!

Little Italy doing some partying of her own Deep Seeded shoot Day 5

It would appear that horror or psychological type films are the Caisson favorite, is that the genre/s you intend to continue to focus on or are you harboring stories of a different nature that you would like to see come to life in Caisson projects down the road?

BRIAN: We really enjoy that line of movies. I like the fact that with horror there are no borders. If you can dream it up, you can film it.

Deep Seeded Day 5 of shooting

Of course the new film Deep Seeded is/will be the main way most Glorious Times followers get introduced to Maddie Bright: what sort of material have you worked on previously so we can investigate the other sides to your acting?

MADDIE: I’ve done a lot of local horror films and I really love them even though I’m usually killed at the end. I’ve “died” in so many different ways! Right now, I’m getting ready to film two dramatic short films that will be challenging in a different way because they’ll require a wide range of really strong emotions. I’ve also been working on a reality series project for the last two years called In Search of Me Café. The show focuses on teen issues and current events.

Maddie's 'throat test'

We imagine this is something you've wanted to do for ages and ages as a fan of the genre Kam - perhaps even an outspoken critic of the genre. What sort of feeling was it for you having played music in front of so many for so long?

KAM: Yes... I always wanted to be in a horror film. Although I never thought my first film that I would actually be playing "the lead monster" in it... haha!

It is way different then "live performance" in music. For one, with music - you get about a 30 min. to 45 min. to maybe an hour of stage time. So when the show is over... it's done.
You get to go and hang out afterwards with friends and fans, party, drink, get drunk, get laid... whatever. Then you just go back home, or if your out on tour - back to the bus and chill out. You pretty much have your band members... (maybe some road crew guys), another band might be sharing the bus, and tour manager, bus driver... and that's it.

Goofing off on Day 5 of shooting

On a movie set... you get there early - EARLY in the friggin mornings... like for me - for the prosthetic scar I had to have applied every day. I had to be there at 6 a.m. for make up.
After make up, then you have roll call, and if lucky something to eat - breakfast - and then you are going over your script because sometimes there's stuff like - re-writes,
or change of location, or different scene being shot today. All this set up time... and lot's of people behind the scene running around. You got grip people, camera people, light people, sound guy - and all these other crew members running around doing things... and with a horror flick with practical FX... then you have all the special FX people and their crew as well.

That's not counting the director - assistant director, assistant to assistant director and whatever. Then you have the actors and actresses for each scene... their own people who are with them, family members and friends. So unlike the time with music performances... where you have ONLY an hour of work... a shoot could last anywhere from 8 to 12 hours... or even longer. And you get really really really bored waiting around for your scene. At least I did...

I guess I'm the kind of person who likes to keep busy doing band business, and networking, and keeping up with things. I also game alot - Xbox 360... and watch a lot of horror flicks.

But when you're on a movie set... you are just waiting and waiting... and you never can really get into doing anything, because you could be called onto set at any moment.

Early Deep Seeded poster

Brian, what's your take on the now trendy 'torture porn' type films? Do you even consider that stuff 'horror'? We have a similar infection in our music scene with the advent of what the kids call 'pornogrind' which has little to do at all with the extreme ethics of the old scene, moreover appearing just an excuse to try to offend rather than exorcise creative demons.

BRIAN: Torture Porn is a really cool term. But personally, its not our thing. I'm sure there is a market for everything but if I show torture,nudity or blood I want there to be a reason for it. Were not going to get really graphic just because we can. There will always be those that will seek out the most controversial subject and exploit it for nothing more than attention.

Kam's about to decimate one of the interesting cakes made for the wrap party

If you could do a single new project Maddie, exactly as you hoped for, what sort of genre/story would it be? What's something really special to you that you'd hope to be involved with at some point in your career?

MADDIE: I would love to do a horror film where I’m not the victim, for a change. I’d love to play a dangerous, brutal killer. I’d also like to play a role that would require the use of sign language or martial arts. I’m fluent in American Sign Language and have a black belt in Karate and I’d love a chance to use either of those skills in a film.

Kam's getting the royal treatment

So Maddie, what was it like working for Caisson? They appear a very amiable group of people.

MADDIE: Caisson is amazing! They’re not only very nice people, they’re the most organized and professional filmmakers I’ve ever worked with. Everything is painstakingly scheduled and planned out in advance so that everyone gets to focus on doing the best job possible. I’ll be filming a short horror film with them next month and I can’t wait!

Hell yeah, well we're looking forward to learning more about this new short then, kick ass!
Have you ever entertained the notion of delving into making music video at all Brian?

BRIAN: Yes we have, Paul already has quite a few to his credit but I would love to story board one and direct it.

Damn, we are already thinking of bands now hehehe

Kam you're no stranger to the stage and the creative process, but had you taken any acting classes?

KAM: No... but I've grown up around the stage. My family was in entertainment. My father was a stage performer. So I kind of felt from an early age I could do well performing in front of people. If you know me... those that know me close... know I'm NOT shy. I'm a pretty bold person, esp. when on stage.

Brian pretty much states that really it was taking your stage persona in front of the camera - is that a reasonable conclusion you think Kam?

KAM: Haha... that and a bit of my off stage persona as well I think. I don't think Brian and his crew knew just how fucking bizarre I really am in person...haha!

Off camera I joke around alot... I goof off and can act pretty goofy. On camera though, I tried my best to get forth my anger as well as my own creepiness. I think the scenes where I'm either really angry or creepy are probably the best scenes I did. I had some other difficult scenes to shoot. There's a couple of scenes where I had to kind'a cry and act like a child.

Well... this is NOT my own personal character in life.

I'm not really a person who shows emotion other than angst and anger. So in these scenes where my character is having these emotional break downs, and hearing his father's voice in his head, for me these scenes where the hardest to shoot. Mainly because it's sooooo different from my own real personality. However, the rest of the stuff... being a creepy dude, being a stalker, and being a freaky torturer... well that was all cake.

Speaking of cake...

It seems the old school death metal community that remains from the 1980's have really embraced Kam's involvement in Deep Seeded, and there's also interest by a much smaller fraction of the younger kids who obviously were not even born or just too young when our scene was starting to begin with, but like the music and respect Kam. How did you meet him originally?

BRIAN: I met him through the owner of CS Studios, Ashli Symanski, who also led the FX team on Deep Seeded.

Deep Seeded Promo Shot

Kam, let's hear your take then, how did you find out that Caisson was casting for Deep Seeded anyways? How did that all come about, finding out, making contact etc etc auditions, can you share a little about that adventure?

KAM: I'm good friends with the crew of C.S. Studios. They are the make up and special effects company that worked on DEEP SEEDED as well as a bunch of other horror films in the area. I happened to be hanging out with them one night and mentioned how I really wanted to do a horror film. I was more or less just thinking like a cameo appearence - or a small walk on role.

Ashli the main owner of C.S. Studios told me about Brian and how he was seeking someone for the role of a serial killer in his new upcoming full length feature. My horror punk band CRYPTIDZ - had just done a benefit show to raise some money for Caisson, and so Brian knew who I was... but only from my stage personna - as we never spoke anything more than a - "Hi - yeah I'm the vocalist - I'm in the band - THANK YOU."

When Ashli first told me about it... I was kind'a just joking and said to her... "Let him know I'm interested." - not even thinking I had a chance of getting the role. So Ashli got in touch with Brian the next day - and then the next thing I know everything was in motion.
A meeting was set up with Brian and his wife... we met up at the local Starbucks. He showed me a rough draft of the script.

He basically asked me one question I'll never forget:

"Are you comfortable around naked women and comfortable with torture scenes, blood and gore?"

I just had to kind'a laugh and say... "Oh yeah... naked chicks - torture scenes - blood and gore - HELL yeah, no problem." Haha!

What sort of reactions did Kam get when he was initially introduced to the rest of the cast and crew? He's a total icon in this music so it's interesting for us to know as life time fans of his music.

BRIAN: Thats funny, I know Maddie was afraid of him at first. But after everyone was introduced, a lot of the cast searched him out online and was able to get a good idea of who he was and what he brought to the project.

There you go Maddie, Brian's snitched again on you being a bit intimidated (for want of a better word) meeting up with Kam for the first time. How was that initial experience? Had you guys known much if anything about his background in music?

MADDIE: I was definitely a little scared! I saw his picture first and thought, “Oh no…this is the guy who’s going to slit my throat? This is the guy who’s going to pick me up and throw me around? He looks seriously scary!” Then I googled him and learned what a huge influence he was on the death metal music genre. But when I met him, he was awesome. He’s intense, but he’s a super cool guy. I like him a lot!

Kam & Maddie Deep Seeded shoot day 2

So Kam, how was it terrifying this little cherub Maddie to begin with and when did she see through the layers to get to know the down to earth dude we know?

KAM: I think the biggest 'goof' I did on set was mine and Maddie's first scene together. It was the abduction scene, I was to pick her up and spin her around and throw her into the back of a truck.

Well, first off - I had these huge FRANKENSTIEN boots on. My stage boots... and they are these really heavy leather GBX motor cycle boots... pretty damned hefty. She was just wearing flipflop sandles.

In the scene where I pick her up... we rehearsed it 3 or 4 times. And each time was pretty good. But then when we actually had to shoot the scene, I somehow stepped on her toe with those big ass boots. I couldn't even tell I was standing on her foot, and somehow I crushed her toe. We shot the scene, and the next thing you know - this poor girl is bleeding from her crushed toe.

I felt like such a heel. But she was a trooper... and she cleaned off her little crushed toe, put a badage on it, and was ready for the next scene. If that wasn't bad enough crushing her little toe... the next scene is where she had to struggle against me while I was forcing her into the back of the truck.

We shot it a few times... BUT Brian kept saying... "it doesn't look real enough. You need to really force her into the truck... push her really hard." Well... we got back into position... Brian yells "action" and she starts kicking. I grabbed her leg and went to push her into the truck... and "BAM!"

I pushed her knee right up into her nose! I mean really hard. I was like... "Oh shit!" You could actually hear the smack it made... and instantly tears came to her eyes.I know it had to hurt. I was surprised her nose didn't break. Now I really felt like such a jerk. I turned to Brian and was like "Duuuuddde... you told me to push her harder. Now look - first I crush the poor girls toe, and NOW I broke her fucking nose!"

I think though after that... and about a thousand apoligies, plus all my goofy off camera stuff, she got to see I wasn't such a demon as the character I was portraying.

How was Kam to work with from the standpoint of a director and someone basically new to the acting world?

BRIAN: Kam was great. This was something he wanted to do and he embraced the challenge. He's no stranger to performing, all we did was take his stage presence and put a camera on him.

The beginning of a little Ed Gein complex perhaps?

What do you think about the support for Caisson and Deep Seeded that is coming from basically Kam's following in a separate 'scene' if you will? How much support is there, are they going to bat for you?

BRIAN: Everyone has been fantastic. I have met and talked with so many of his fans and the support they are giving us is just great.

What about you Kam?

KAM: Well, from those that know about it - I think they are pretty excited to see it.

Another of the Deep Seeded trailer stills

Kam, did you end up having to maybe explain death metal or extreme music to alot of the cast and crew, so they could understand how your fan base would migrate to Deep Seeded due to your involvement?

KAM: I would say joking stuff like... "Now my fans are going to expect lots of gore... lots of blood, and lots of tits!" Although I really never had to explain too much about myself. Seemed that alot of the cast was pre-occupied with their parts. I would talk to the crew once in a while... but I think most of them had an idea of the kind of world I come from.

I would mostly talk about other horror movies ALL THE TIME!

It was fun at first... until people started talking about what kind of horror movies they wanted to make. For example: someone would start to say... "I have this cool idea for a horror movie...", and then they would say what their idea was. And then I would recant by saying... "it's already been done." And they would say "Really? What movie?" and I would then say whatever horror film their idea was from.

I think after a while though I made a lot of people feel really uneasy around me, only because they would be afraid to express any ideas out loud with me around. Mainly because I would just yell out stuff like - "Oh - people being planted in the ground and turned into food on a farm... ummm you need to watch MOTEL HELL!" - or - "What was that you said... dead people being made into dog food. Well, you might want to check out the flick THE CORPSE GRINDERS, although it's cat food in that film."

So people just stopped talking horror films around me after awhile... hahaha!

Kam at the July 2010 cast meeting

What do you think of this music form anyways Brian? How much exposure to do you have to it? Do you have any favourite artists from the GT era of extreme music, whatever styles?

BRIAN: Honestly, growing up I knew death metal existed but I never got into it. I listened to Anthrax, Thin Lizzy and Uriah Heep although I don't think they qualify.

Hell these days people think Hank Williams is extreme so, who knows anymore haha.
Do you have any interest at all in extreme music Maddie? What if anything have you heard? Brian's mentioned that many of the cast and crew did a bit of research online about Kam and just wondered if anyone listened to the music, what they thought etc.

MADDIE: I listened to some of Kam’s stuff when I learned he was playing Brad. I’d never heard anything like it before. It was scary, but cool. It sounded like a demon was screaming the lyrics!

Maddie & Kam at a cast meeting in July 2010

For guys like us at least, Kam is one of the truest icons of the extreme music scene, the original one, AND the legacy lives on. From acting standpoints, who does Maddie Bright admire or who's work really lays at the core of your interest in acting? Who's iconic to you?

MADDIE: When I think “iconic,” I think of someone who stood the test of time. Someone who remains relevant long after their work has premiered. Audrey Hepburn really fits that image for me. Something about her still resonates with people today. I especially like that she was her own woman, not a stereotype of other actresses of her time. She was elegant in the roles she acted and also in her own life. She used her celebrity for the greater good and traveled the world with UNICEF helping children in need.

For that matter what sort of music gets you going Maddie?

MADDIE: I like rap. Will your readers hate me?

We need to get you to some gigs Maddie hehehe

Deep Seeded Trailer Still in Brad's torture chamber

Care to relay a bit about Deep Seeded Brian, for those who may not know anything at all about it?

BRIAN: Its simply a story of a guy who has carried a grudge his whole life and finally decides to settle the score.

Kam day 5 of shooting, Little Italy's gonna get it.

How many days did Deep Seeded take to shoot and over all how long will the finished film have taken to make from absolute beginning to end?

BRIAN: We did it in 9 days. But over all its been almost a year. We started pre production in May 2010.

Are there any plans down the road for any projects that you are at liberty to divulge Kam?

KAM: I'm still looking to do more horror films. I've had some offers... one was to play a cannibal in a film being shot out in California, but I'm still waiting to hear more on that.

I think the film makers are trying to raise the funds for it, so until then, I'm kind'a just waiting.

We've lived well over half our lives with your vocals and lyrics Kam, any plans on writing your own horror movie script?

KAM: I have a few already... but my stuff is sooooo gory, sooo evil, and sooo sexually perverted that it turns the producers and directors off from the start. Plus my stuff is just fucking BRUTAL... that everyone that has seen the scripts or heard about them get turned off from the moment I start to tell them about it.

Seems my stuff is just too hard to pull off. No one is daring enough anymore to go for an unrated or NC-17 rating. Everyone wants their films to succeed, and no one is brave enough to make my stuff into films.

There are film companies out there putting out killer underground material though. I mean TOE TAG is a company that is brave enough to put out this kind'a material, however Fred Vogel usually writes his own scripts. Andreas Schnaas would be another film maker that would most likely do my type of horror film. I just gotta' submit my stuff more, and see what happens. I'm hoping that once DEEP SEEDED get's circulated a bit... that things will eventually come together.

CHECK OUT THE DEEP SEEDED TEASER TRAILER!

It seems like there was A LOT of fun during the shooting of Deep Seeded - are there any particular stories or anecdotes from any of the proceedings that you'd like to share? Sort of like a GT memory but relating to that film, or hell, any other you've done that remains a fond memory.

BRIAN: It was a lot of fun. Stress levels run high as well but looking back everyday was a blast. Every time we got done with a body part or prop guts Kam wanted to take it home. I'm sure his fridge smells really good by now.

Kam's about to dispatch the littlest trooper?

MADDIE: Deep Seeded was a lot of fun, but it was really hard work, too! The torture scenes in the basement with Kam were brutal. It must have been over 115 degrees in there and we were all soaked with sweat. It was so sticky and smelly and disgusting! And so much blood! The floor was slick with it. After spending hours in there with my hands tied above my head it was almost a relief when I was killed and could rest on the floor!

That's just....KILLER....hehe What about you Kam?

KAM: For me personally... the GT moment would have to be me having some of my own music in the film. Some BONE GNAWER tracks being put into the film is a true GT moment for me.

Kam in studio for the Bone Gnawer album 'Feast Of Flesh'

You, Kam, actually took a copy of Glorious Times limited edition first print on set, which we were so happy about man. We're interested if anyone commented on it at all, good bad or indifferent.

KAM: I don't think anyone other then myself and Brian actually had the book. When it finally came time for the scene (which I don't know if the book actually can be seen at all in the shot.) Then Amanda Miller was handed the book by Brian. I think she thumbed through it a few times, and kept saying stuff like "I never knew that." When reading a section in between takes, but the book got man handled so much in the scene that it started falling apart.

For one... it was a hot muggy day, and the book was getting all fucked up.
We had to do several scenes where Amanda had to jump up and snatch the book off the table... and by the time we did the damn scene like 20 million times... the book was a wreck!

Well we're happy to have offered up the sacrifice

On the whole it really appears as if this opportunity was a bit of a dream come true and the realization of a long time goal - we wish you all the best and will continue championing one of the greats in this music and Caisson who fucking rule in aiding and abetting in this killer opportunity.

KAM: Thanks! I hope my fans - GT fans and horror freaks like my work in DEEP SEEDED. I really do hope the day comes I can do my own horror flick, and give the fans and the world a look into a part of my own unique insanity!!

Brian, when do you expect the movie to be released and how will people be able to obtain their copy?

BRIAN: Currently we are eyeing a May 2011 release. We have 2 distributors interested in seeing it once its completed so hopefully it'll get picked up quickly. Once that happens it'll be at their discretion on an exact release date. I'm sure it'll be available on DVD and video on demand.

Very cool Brian, we'll be letting our people know when the film is ready, and of course doing our part to help with future announcements etc, GT is here for all of you. Can't thank you all enough for taking the time for GT, hell, even having a copy on the set which was a total doss. You guys are the real deal and we wish you the very best successes, Maddie, we look forward to great things from you too and forsee a wonderful future.

GT made it to the Deep Seeded shoot - thanks everyone!

OFFICIAL DEEP SEEDED FACEBOOK

BUY OR DIE

BUY AND DIE

SPECIAL MASTER MERCH OFFER FROM GLORIOUS TIMES

2011-04-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

MASTER - CANCELED US TOUR 2011 MERCHANDISE COMBO PACKAGE OFFER

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

As most people know by now, the Master US Tour for 2011 was canceled. Glorious Times was all set to bring them to Club Diablo in Buffalo NY on one of the early dates of the tour, and we've suffered along with the rest of the promoters and the band due to the cancellation.

While supplies last, GT is able to offer a special combo pack featuring the Master 'Slaves To Society' album on CD and the canceled US Tour 2011 T-shirt.

Combo pack pricing: $20 USD (plus shipping)

Shirt Only: $12 USD (plus shipping)

CD Only : $10 USD (plus shipping)

IF INTERESTED, CONTACT US WITH WHAT YOU WANT & WE'LL GET THE FULL TOTAL INCLUDING SHIPPING TO YOU ASAP.

glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

FRONT & BACK

FRONT

BACK

SLAVES TO SOCIETY CD

BUY GT AND GET BUTCHERED FREE UNTIL APRIL 16 2011

2011-04-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, to celebrate the recent unholy nuptials of our good friend Pat Pagan (owner of Butchered Records), we've decided to extend the good will to you.

UNTIL APRIL 16 2011 - if you decide to purchase Glorious Times: A Pictorial Of The Death Metal Scene (1984-1991) revised & extended edition at the regular price for your world region - we'll throw in the Butchered Records CD release of your choice for absolutely free!

We'll eat the extra postage for you!

All you have to do is:

1. Visit the Butchered Records website

2. Select the Butchered Records CD release you'd like us to include with your order

3. Send your payment via PayPal to glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com BY APRIL 16 2011

4. Along with your GT order be sure to include the Artist and Title of the release you want as our gift to you.

REMEMBER - BUTCHERED RECORDS RELEASES ONLY PLEASE

BUTCHERED RECORDS WEBSITE

GLORIOUS TIMES wishes Mr & Mrs Pat Pagan all the very best as husband and wife, congratulations!!!

GLORIOUS TIMES PRESENTS: NUNSLAUGHTER & GUESTS MARCH 25 AT THE FUNERAL HOME, BUFFALO NY

2011-03-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

GLORIOUS TIMES PRESENTS:

Friday March 25 at The Funeral Home

366 Ontario Street

BUFFALO

NEW YORK

NUNSLAUGHTER

BEYOND DEATH

SEPLOPHILE

SARCOUS

CAIN

$8 advance

$10 at the door

ALL AGES

door opens at 7pm

WE'LL SEE YOU THERE!

Advance tickets are available from any of the performing bands, or direct through PayPal from Glorious Times!

glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

GLORIOUS TIMES PRESENTS: KAM LEE / A DAY OF DEATH 2011

2011-02-09T21:48:00.000-08:00

A Day of Death

Saturday, July 16 at 4:00pm - July 17 at 1:00am

Club Infinity, Williamsville, NY

Former Mantas/Death/Massacre member Kam Lee to perform Massacre's legendary debut "From Beyond" in it's entirety for one night only.

PLUS

AVULSION
DECEASED
DERKETA
DRUID LORD
GOATCRAFT
HUBRIS
INSANITY
NOKTURNEL
RESIST CONTROL
ROTTREVORE
SAM BILES
SEPLOPHILE

$25 advance, $30 at the door

tickets available through the bands or via paypal to glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

DON'T GET TURNED AWAY - GET YOUR TICKETS ASAP

GLORIOUS TIMES PRESENTS: MASTER

2011-01-31T17:17:00.000-08:00

GLORIOUS TIMES PROUDLY PRESENTS:

MASTER

at Club Diablo in Buffalo NY

supporting acts:

LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH

STRONG INTENTION

SEPLOPHILE

Tickets can be purchased from Glorious Times directly by writing to glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

By contacting SEPLOPHILE

CANADIAN FREINDS TAKE NOTE!

There will be NO appearance of MASTER at all in Canada on this tour, your only opportunity will be to come on down to Buffalo for the show.

Tickets can be purchased in Hamilton, Ontario by contacting Dr. Disc

CANADIAN TICKETING CAN BE OBTAINED HERE

DON'T miss the experience of seeing one of THE pioneers of extreme metal - get your tickets now!

***UPDATE MARCH 3, FROM PAUL SPECKMANN VIA PESTWEBZINE:

"We arrived Tuesday morning in Holland and after intense questioning we proceeded to the eye and body scan machine. Along with the other passengers we proceeded to the plane. We arrived in Detroit and went to passport control. I waited for about two hours for any word on the guys. The police came to explain that the visa waiver program didn't apply to musicians. So they sent me to customs and proceeded to tear apart everything and sent me on my way. I waited for six hours to get on another airplane and return to Europe. Thankfully the lady at the Delta checkout counter was very helpful and confirmed that the guys would be on the next plane in the evening and I could return with them. The guys were escorted to the plane by four police officers and returned their passports when we arrived in Amsterdam. Since when are musicians and terrorists in the same category? Again I apologize to all the bands, organizers and fans of course.

I guess the CD cover of the Human Machine CD has become a reality!"

http://www.facebook.com/notes/paul-speckmann/expulsion-from-the-usa/129751643763764

RESPECTING OUR DARK PAST

2011-01-30T17:57:00.000-08:00

The demo. Something foreign to most younger people, especially in this form. (photo - Alan Moses)

SWAMP

NYARLATHOTEP(XAR.KAR.)

POUTETSI 10

45532 IOANNINA

GREECE

CULTSWAMP@HOTMAIL.COM

Too many times to keep a count of we've seen feeble attempts to be "retro" or some other less than salutatory action, meant in whatever way to be akin to the ways of old. What is being peddled as innovative is usually a sad watering down of an approach which lacks the viciousness of the original purveyors, or buys directly into a style that has been reconstituted into a somehow marketable form, some sort of musical soilent green.

The once glorious sounds and visionary assaults have become the cheap and tacky, two-bit nickel and dime glam poser attire and lacklustre muzak for the next degeneration, where innovation is OUT and plastique is IN (man).

What we used to sometimes call brutal jungle death or metal or whatever (ie: from Brazil) has escaped the clutches of the media merchants, with the exception of the style pioneered by Sepultura at one point in their time line, giving up to the lucrative allure of profit entrenched in the "stale area sound".

The sound and above all the attitude infected entire continents filled with pseudo compassionate 'fans' who'd just been breast-fed the poison milk from the glossy magazines. NOT SO WITH SWAMP!

Left alone for the most part has been the 80's era Brazilian and Greek elements from the demo phases - and while they've served as inspiration to many, the 'sound' and vibe of those bands basically remains underground, and indeed scorned in many cases. Back during the Glorious Times, you could tell just about immediately if a band was from Brazil or Greece, and with only one ear paying attention.

This tape is a time warp. (courtesy Nyarlathotep)

SWAMP, a band so low on the radar to be pretty much underneath it, has taken their respect for the old times literally and manifested that respect into a couple small releases which caused us to raise an eye brow of extreme interest as soon as we caught wind of it. And that wind is putrid, old and has an underlying reek of the old Greek and Brazilian 1980's completely underground, uncommercial, and unapologetic. It was this initial voice which spoke to us from our own collective pasts, even though this band is from a generation after ours!

Swamp, one of the rare images to exist. (Photo courtesy of Nyarlathotep)

With a keen eye on the past, following of all things vinyl album credits, it came to pass that decades after the fact, Nyarlathotep and his cohort Bill from www.myspace.com/deadfans, made contact with GT, and introduced us to the Swamp Family. This action fully illustrating that yet again, the concept of Glorious Times is a practiced one, and not just some nostalgic peek into former glories.

SWAMP out of the darkness. (courtesy Nyarlathotep)

The existence of the Swamp Family being a direct result of the times, in a practical and global sense.

Advertising insert which comes with the limited edition CD (scan - Alan Moses)

At the end of June 2010 GT had a chance to speak with Haris (aka Nyarlathotep), during a short window of opportunity that existed during his time in the Greek draft (we're looking forward to your release brother!)

GT: Can we have some details about both the demo tape and the ep?

NYARLATHOTEP: First of all, thanks Alan for your support to Swamp, it is a total pleasure for me. Well, "Praise The Goat"demo tape and "Nuclear Death"ep were recorded in rehershal room of Swamp called "Ypogas" studios. It's place who live 10 years ago.Only the drums are recorded in "proffesional" studio. Also the vocals of "Nuclear Death" were recorded in a cave in the mountains of EPIRUS. "Praise The Goat" was recorded in June of 2006. "Nuclear Death" ep was recorded two years after, but a few labels tell us lies about vynil release of this ep. However in 2010 my brother Thomas of Time Before Time records (Poland) helped us and released the demo and ep on cd.(Thanks a lot for support Thomas.)

GT: How long did these sessions take, to complete each project?

NYARLATHOTEP: No much time, because me and Splatter have the same ideas in style of Swamp songs.Also together we have a same music style and idols!!!and this is very good and easy to vomit a Swamp song!!

Swamp's Splatter with a total legend Mike (courtesy Nyarlathotep)

GT: How old are the songs on each project?

NYARLATHOTEP: The songs are not old. The demo songs were finished in 2005, and for the ep they were finished in 2007.

Image from the cave (courtesy Nyarlathotep)

GT: Doing the vocals inside that cave is a killer concept, can you share some details about that?

NYARLATHOTEP: In the winter of 2007-8 me and some friends took a trip to the mountains of Epirus. I take together a double-tape stereo to try some vocal ideas with true echo of a cave. The sound is exellent like the glorious times of the 80s! I recorded the vocals in double-tape stereo - from the first side of radio play the tape with nuclear death songs and from the other tape side I recorded the vocals up from the music because and two tapes play in same time!!!haha! Sorry for my shitty English!and in the end the vocals is ready!!!so easy!

GT: We need some background on your experiences with Varathron.

NYARLATHOTEP: Thank you a lot for your question. First hail and respect to my bloodbrotherStefan and mighty Varathron. I know this person years ago. We have a great friendship and support. More things keep us together such as: 1) Swamp and Varathron are from the same city IOANNINA (not Athens). BIG problems with members and studios! 2) We support together the underground spirit from this small town of Greece. Stefan have a radio station and supports bands from all the world. Demo bands. Me in the past release a zine called NIGHTLY KINGDOMS. 3) For the end. Never stop the ideology of undergound. Never stop to support the underground. Never support the bastard posers.VARATHRON AND SWAMP TRY TO KEEP THE BLACK FLAME ALIVE IN THIS POSER TOWN. Varathron is the big part of Swamp's music and ideology. Hail to these cult diamonds = Varathron.

FUCK OFF TO POSERS! FUCK OFF TO SHITTY DIRTY PEOPLE! WHO DRESSING THE METAL IDEOLOGY FOR MONEY AND PUSSY! SHIT ON YOUR GRAVES!

Respect. Defend. Create. (courtesy Nyarlathotep)

GT: What was the drive and inspiration to start Swamp in the first place?

NYARLATHOTEP: GREAT QUESTION. Well we started the band under the name POSER HOLOCAUST! and try to play music in occult style like Alastis, Mortuary Drape, Varathron, Necromantia,old Samael,etc and with P.H. try to start a tribute to these bands. But with Swamp try to comeback the old ideology and style of 80s music, because today more and more posers try to destroy the great past AND the great passion. Today people don't care about the underground. They only read the big magazines and check the new releases of DOLLAR bands who BURN CHURCHES IN THE PAST OR MURDERS etc. Don't support Dimmu-Burger and Cradle Of Shit. SUPPORT ONLY THE TRUE!BANDS!ZINES!AND DISTROS. HAIL TO IMPIETY, SOULSKINNER, BLACK GRAIL, VARATHRON, GOATVOMIT, NECROS CHRISTOS, ARCHGOAT, HEPTAMERON, COMMUNION, BESTIAL RAIDS. FOR THE END SWAMP MUSIC IS ONLY FOR TRUE MORBID HANDS!SUPPORT THE UNDERGROUND!FUCK THE BIG MAGAZINES!FUCK THE IDIOTS! THE MUSIC LIVES IN PAPER ZINES,DEMO TAPES,AND LETTERS!!! KEEP THE UNDERGROUND CLEAR AND ALIVE!!!!

Small package, BIG homage!

GT: The importance of the old scene, Greece and Brazil in particular, on YOU and the Swamp phenomena - we need some comments from you on that. Why don't people get it?, they want top production and haven't even understood Swamp saluting the old days with making music that is very much like the old times without being trendy or souless music, and it's still Swamp!

NYARLATHOTEP: GREECE-BRAZIL! TWO COUNTRIES WITH GREAT HISTORICAL BANDS!!! BANDS WHO TODAY SELL THE MUSIC FOR MONEY AND PUSSY! IS SO SAD TODAY PEOPLE DON'T LISTEN THE GLORIOUS PAST BANDS OF BRAZIL! AND GREECE! HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOWS SADISTIC NOISE OR AMMEN CORNER? ANYWAY...I know Swamp "Nuclear Death" cd take a big fuck for modern people who wait only to realease the new album of Nevermore, Opeth, Darkthrone. I don't care. That people forget the first day who listen the first Destruction/Sodom/Iron Angel works or Bulldozer!!! We live in 2010 and the stadards of production are too high!! BUT I DONT CARE AND FUCK OFF ABOUT THIS!! LOOK THE PRODUCTION AND DON'T LOOK THE FEELING!!!! ALSO MAGAZINES DON'T LIKE THE SWAMP IDEOLOGY BUT FROM THE OTHER SIDE THE SAME MAGAZINES SUPPORT RETRO THRASH BANDS OF 2000! HAHA! FUCK THE CLEAN PRODUCTION & FUCK THE MODERN! GIVE A SHIT TO THIS! EXTREME MUSIC DON'T NEED A GREAT PRODUCTION OR VIDEO CLIPS. EXTREME MUSIC NEED PASSION! AND SUPPORT!!! BACK TO THE ROOTS!!!! WAKE UP FROM THE DEAD SLEEP!!!!

Get this flashback NOW, if there's even time to!

TIME BEFORE TIME

GT: Any final words or stories from the Swamp camp you want to share pal?

NYARLATHOTEP: First thank you a lot for this interview Alan! Thanks to you who with Brian release this epic book! Thanks who support underground all these years. Thanks for all!! Sorry, my English is not good to tell these stories! Hahahaha BUT I send to you personally! For the end - DEATH TO FALSE METAL! R.I.P. DIO. Hail Sadistic Noise! Brian - Death Courier RULES! Hails to Dagon! With total pleasure Haris "NYARLATHOTEP"

Ultra-limited SWAMP shirts available from STORM DISTRO

STORM DISTRO OFFICIAL MYSPACE

STORM DISTRO ON FACEBOOK

THANKS TO ROBSON FROM STORM DISTRO FOR TAKING THESE IMAGES FOR US.

REMEMBERING NONOS

2011-01-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

Original Mutilator sticker (scan - Alan Moses)

GLORIOUS TIMES is proud to be able to re-connect with a long-time old friend who has done much to champion the extreme music scene, and stood firm for decades flying the flag for the French Connection, which at one time was made up of few but extremely dedicated individuals.

If you have any strands linking you to the beginning - you will rejoice with us in REMEMBERING NONOS!

Michel in Japan (courtesy Michel Dumas)

It's been a long dam time since we had contact (Alan and Michel). I dare say it's been 21 years by now, we were just teenagers back when we used to write to each other concerning Mutilator, and then Mutilated. The 'Psychodeath Lunatics' demo is now universally credited, all these years later, as one of the classic underground demo tapes. Do you still hold that same conviction that the material has stood the test of time?

MICHEL -Well, actually I truly have a great memories from that era but I also do avoid listening to this! The songs were good but our playing back then was so un-tight! And at this time, we exactly knew it lacked of professionalism and that we still had to improve our skills, but the purpose was to play Death Metal, wasn't it? That's also why we didn't want to record any album immediately. In order to leave ourselves time to grow up, musically. So I'd say those tracks are now to me more like a testimony from the past rather than a "true" musical masterpiece.

The legendary post-Mutilator demo (photo - Alan Moses)

You may not agree with this statement, that in general, the Mutilated material bore at least a little inspiration from the earliest days of Florida's Massacre. In the course of the decades to pass, which, if any, of the bands surviving those early years continued to play a part in your musical development and direction?

MICHEL - Maybe there was an influence from Massacre, as we were big fans of them, I don't know.. Any of the bands we'd listen back then may have had a influence anyway, I guess. I remember also Pentagram, Morbid Angel, Haunting The Chapel/Hell Awaits' era Slayer, Repulsion, and many more being part of our inspiration. As for nowadays.. hmm.. I have got rid of any direct influences, I do write songs in a way that I believe is more personal than before, just looking inside of my inner self and letting things flow out through my instrument. I think music really looks like handwriting: once you've learn how to make it and got years of practice behind, you can develop your own manner to draw letters. Same with music. That's why there are so many different ways to play the same song according to who's doing it.

After Mutilated, can you give a time line as to what you've been up to in music since? I am sure there is a lot to tell?

MICHEL - Just after the Mutilated days, I founded Abyssals who recorded a demo a few months later, then I kicked almost everybody out of the band and got a new line-up together but it was like I was the only one truly involved in this project, so after something like one year and a half we split up. Then, began a weird period of my life, on the personal side of things, and although I gave a hand to several bands here and there, I almost did nothing really concrete. But I was still keeping on practicing guitar on my own. After a few months I meet Vincent who I knew for some couples of years from the time his band and Mutilated were sharing the same rehearsal room, and he was on the process of searching musicians in order to play a one and only show with his one-man project band Akhenaton. He asked me if I could help him with this and we started to rehearse, but shortly after the idea aborted due to various issues, and I started progressively to replace the guitarist of his other band Winds Of Sirius, with who I recorded an album as a session member. Right after this I told Vince I would not keep on with the band, as I wasn't satisfied with the music and the line-up. Then, he decided to split up and we formed The Seven Gates, my current gang, and after a mini-cd and one full length album, we are still writing the suite of the history. That's it!

Advertisement for the then forthcoming debut (anyone got a copy of this DVD?)

Did you ever get married during those years Michel and if so, how has life been for you?

MICHEL - Yes Alan, I just got married last year and this is absolutely great! Wearing a necktie was a nice experience too! Haha!

Which, if any, of those early bands we hold dear still remain an influence - to any degree, large or small?

MICHEL - Yes, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi is one of my all-times fave guitarists and was in my opinion the first to play solos the Death Metal's way. Frenzy, chaotic, yet fully mastered. But once again, I don't feel any direct influence from any band by now. Honestly said.

Was any demo officially circulated for The Seven Gates, or was it right into the studio after material was developed?

MICHEL - Yes, we released a mixed rehearsal for the purpose of getting a contract with a label, but although some peoples own it, we didn't spread it as a public demo.

Are your attitudes to recording and getting what you envisage musically still basically the same as when we were kids or are you a lot more strict and tenacious to squeeze out just exactly what you want the recordings to be like?

MICHEL - Well, yes I tend to stick to what I want a track to sound like, but I'm much more open to suggestions from any competent person. It's cool to try things out that I wouldn't have thought by myself, and if it makes it sounds better, fine! But if I don't feel any improvement, I turn it down radically. That's why we have so much arguments with Vincent, because he's a character with a strong personality and we do not agree all the time as to how a song or a riff should be supposed to sound like. But well, in the end we always find agreements we both are pleased with, so this is the main thing.

THE SEVEN GATES (with thanks courtesy of photographer)

The response to T7G has been like what? Do people realize the truly historical connection between the band and the earliest of times for extreme music? Not just from the French contingent, but as a top running musician from the old era on a global scale.

MICHEL - Not at all! Haha! Many people listening to my current band tend to say we are ripping off old-school Death Metal, which is really kinky! I mean.. Shit! We're not playing "old-skull" Death Metal, we ARE old chaps now and still not playing your trendy emo-deathcore shit in order to make one's fifteen years old girlfriend finding we're the hot band to be into just to be cool. On the other hand, the good thing is most of nowadays greenhorns do find it great, regardless on if it's old-school or not. Overall, the response was pretty good. We gained a strong reputation here, and are struggling to spread it worldwide, which is a helluva hard job.

Michel Dumas (courtesy Michel Dumas)

As a fellow "old-timer" (hehe) - and not having had communications for a long time - can you share the most positive and also the most negative things you've seen about 'the scene' on a world level, but also on a personal level. IE: the biggest enjoyment you've gotten and the biggest disappointments. You can apply this to the world scene and then to your personal experience as a musician.

MICHEL - Good question.. I'd say the negative things would be the deviance of the Death Metal movement's codes from people unaware of its essence who transvestite them into mere gimmicks because they found out it makes them look cool, or supposedly. This goes from clothes to music. I can not consider classic arpeggios played at 240 bpm as Death Metal just because it is fast, this is an empty shell. Fast, technical, whatever.. but empty.

Also, on the personal side, playing with musicians whose mouths are full of promises first and who appear then to lack of motivation after a few months.. It's something I ended up finding utterly unbearable!

On the world scene level, the coming of Internet in our lives was both a good and a not-so-good thing: downloading spoils small bands from their money, but helps them getting spread, it also allowed more efficiency to get in touch with people much faster to book live shows, interviews (- ....no comment about my delay, Alan! haha! -), etc.. but it melts the good and the bad, every band get exposure, have their own site, etc.. while crappy outfit were more rapidly cast to oblivion in the hand-written mails' days, good and bad reputation were made quicker.

And the nice one for the end, on the positive side: playing in front of large audiences is such a blast! I do enjoy performing live really a lot! Also I do so much love our work with The Seven Gates, the excitement is way above what it used to be with any of my previous bands! Writing a new song, watching it grow.. Tastes like fatherhood! Haha!

Have your toured much over the years Michel?

MICHEL - Actually, not as much as I'd have wanted, mainly because of recurrent line-up issues, but things should go better now.

The infamously canceled Canadian 2010 Tour - dates seen here left many people devastated to miss legend.

A LOT of people in Canada were very very disappointed that the whole Canadian 2010 tour was canceled. It seems like the tour was just unorganized from the start (?). Do you care to reveal anything at all about that situation?

MICHEL - Yes, we were really pissed off too. Actually, we were supposed to play 19 shows and among this, 3 of this venues were bars/clubs. And we needed work permits for those only 3 dates, and because of this they didn't allow us to enter the country, despite we proposed to simply cancel them. I heard the same thing happened to Monstrosity a few months ago. Canadian customs seem to be familiar with this fucked up way of doing. I was the only one of the band to then stay in New York City for one month, and got a job there, met new friends, hanged out with them at shows, did some evil parties and stuff.. In the end, on the personal side of things, it was rather funny but I regret not having had the opportunity to play in front of our Canadian fans. But this is only postponed, I can tell you!

What sort of stuff did you get up to since you stayed behind for an extra month in NY? Where did you stay and sight see and so on?

MICHEL - Well, once there we got in touch with the french embassy in NY and the girl we spoke to sent us to a friend of her who runs a hotel in Harlem. After a few days, the other guys decided to fly back to homeland, but I couldn't resign myself to leave and I decided to stay, despite I didn't know how to pay for a flat, food, etc.. As some members of my family live now in Pennsylvania, I first intended to get in touch and join them there, but couldn't reach them. So the hotel's owner offered me to work for her what I gladly accepted, and then I started exploring NYC on my spare time, because it's a city I've been loving since I first came here 12 years ago. Randomly walk and discover towns by myself is something I so much enjoy, NYC and Tokyo were my best experiences, as far as this feeling goes.

In NY after news the Candian Tour was bust

For that matter - in keeping with the concept of Glorious Times - would you share a special experience or anecdote about your times in the glory days - anything at all is OK to speak about.

MICHEL - Oh well, there are plenty! But there was this guy from Japan who was craving for Mutilated pictures, and I told him since we didn't own any camera I couldn't send him new pictures of the band. And then a few weeks later, I receive his camera he has just sent me through mail in order for me to take Mutilated pictures! Haha! I believe this sums up the whole Death Metal spirit! "When there's a will, there's a way".. I think you guys say something like that in English.

hehehe Nonos in Japan

What do you foresee as the current agenda for the band once you return to France?

MICHEL - We just got rid of our drummer and got another one into the band, so we're now currently rehearsing the old material with him and writing some new songs. And we shall be headlining a 2 days festival in Switzerland on the 15th of January. Then, we'll keep on working on an Eastern Europe tour, which should hopefully be set up by April/May 2011.

Michel live in T7G (thanks to photographer)

You haven't seen Glorious Times (the book) - I don't think? But what do you think about the concept? How much have you heard about it from others and what is your impression of undertaking a book of the sort we have done (and are trying to get reprinted)? (editors note: by now of course the book was reprinted, in an extended and revised format)

MICHEL - Not yet, which is a shame, but I should get a copy through a friend quite soon. The idea is just brilliant! Death Metal has been a huge part of my life for more than a quarter of century now, and that's great to see someone releases a book on that matter! Moreover, we know each other since something like 1987 and you're definitely not a new-comer, so I know that you know what you're writing about. This is nothing less than a history book, and no history should remain ignored. Congratulations for your work and dedication to the scene, Alan!

FOLLOW THESE OMENS OF DARK FATE!

Links to The Seven Gates

FACEBOOK

MYSPACE

REVERB NATION

HEAVY ARTILLERY RECORDS

(This is the label that released the debut T7G album)

COME ON DOWN TO THE FUNERAL HOME!....

2010-12-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

GLORIOUS TIMES presents

Black Christmas in Buffalo, a night of extreme metal at the Funeral Home

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who showed up, the bands that took part and the lads in Resist Control who make the Funeral Home available for all this!

Enjoy some video samples of the night's bands!! Thanks to the videographer for taking some killer footage.

PRE-ORDER GLORIOUS TIMES REVISED & EXTENDED EDITION NOW!

2010-11-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

DUE OUT MID NOVEMBER 2010!

After MUCH tenuous effort, we are extremely proud to announce that our revised and extended edition of 'Glorious Times' is currently finished, and now in the hands of our new printer.

Bigger and better than before! 160 pages of massively rare and mostly unseen photographs, tied together with sentiment and reflections from the very people who lived the era - the GLORIOUS TIMES.

Bands featured: Acheron, Autopsy, Baphomet, Brutality, Cannibal Corpse, Cryptic Slaughter, Dark Angel, Death, Deceased, Deicide, Derketa, Disharmonic Orchestra, Exmortis, Groovy Aardvark, Hellwitch, Hideous Mangleus, Immolation, Impetigo, Incantation, Incubus, Insanity, Lethal Aggression, Malevolent Creation, Massacre, Massappeal, Master, Morbid Angel, Napalm Death, Nocturnus, Nokturnel, Nuclear Death, Overthrow, Paineater, Possessed, Prime Evil, Revenant, Righteous Pigs, Ripping Corpse, Sacrifice, Slaughter, Soothsayer, Terrorain, Tirant Sin, Unseen Terror, Vomit, Wehrmacht and Where's The Pope?

Every band section is different, some in a small way, many in MAJOR WAYS!

You won't want to miss this!

*USA ONLY: PREORDER AVAILABLE NOW!

Price per copy is $30 plus $3 shipping and handling.
Payment can be made by PayPal to glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com

Get in touch FIRST if making orders of more than 1 copy.

DISTROS: get in touch with us about how many you want, and we'll give you the pricing details.

*OUTSIDE OF USA : Copies will not be available until we get the books back and can quote postage rates based on world region. For overseas orders, we don't know postage yet, but we do know that the more copies you buy the cheaper postage is per book, so if your friends are interested you should all put your orders together to be shipped to one address, you'll save a bunch. ex. for the 1st printing to ship one book overseas it cost $17.64 (book weighed 1.85 #), but to ship 8 books the cost was @ $60 (just under $8 a book).

DISTROS OUTSIDE OF USA: get in touch with us!

BOOKS OF ARMAGEDDON - PART TWO

2010-09-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

We continue the glory, as a testament to the times that were bonded by the selfless exploits of the individuals that made up the zine contingent. We'd originally intended to run a megaton blog, but the sheer volume of material that has come to hand by our friends and colleagues has been mind blowing, so we have decided to run this as an ongoing series as something a little different which adds to the flavour of the Glorious Times.

Zine specific artwork was another feature of the talented Bob Plante from Disturbed zine. This piece from 1987 created for Ed Farshtey's The Book of Armageddon zine . (courtesy - Bob Plante)

There's no schedule to when we'll feature flashbacks from some of the men (and hopefully the women too) who took to propagandizing the pioneers of extreme music, it'll happen when it happens. For now, please enjoy the ultra rare images and stories, and gain yet more insight into what is was to be on the front line of the glory.

ED FARSHTEY from The Book of Armageddon zine:

Issue #1 of The Book of Armageddon. (courtesy - Ed Farshtey)

I first started The Book of Armageddon back in the summer of 1985 with my good friend Mark Sokoll. We both had the same musical interests and we also wanted to be more involved in the underground.Buying records and going to shows was great, but there was more of a calling to actually become involved in this growing scene.

At that time the only way to learn about new bands was through reading the few true metal magazines like Metal Forces, Kerrang, Aardschok, Metal Hammer, World Metal Report and then there were the independent fanzines that would turn up in your local record store that really exposed the underground to the world. Some of the originators were Slayer, D.O.D., Metal Warriors, Total Thrash, Blackthorn, and of course Kick Ass Monthly. So me and Mark decided to put our ideas together and The Book of Armageddon was born.

The logo used for The Book of Armageddon #5. (courtesy Ed Farshtey)

The name was stolen from Venom’s ‘At War with Satan’ record, since it seemed the perfect name for a fanzine. The first issue came out late spring 1986. We had both been contacting some of out favorite bands and keeping correspondence with them, so we did some interviews, through the mail of course. That’s right, back then if we wanted to interview Tom Warrior we would send him questions in the mail and wait a month or 2 or sometimes longer to get them back.

Yeah! Even featuring Papsmear! The 3rd issue of The Book of Armageddon. (courtesy - Ed Farshtey)

After the first issue me and Mark didn’t see other as often, and as he was getting involved in the growing hardcore scene, I was still rooted in the underground so he only contributed a couple items to future issues and I continued on myself. I did only 4 issues, averaged 1 a year. Each issue got bigger and bigger and I managed to get the zine around the world and I am happy to say that each issue was very well received and respected in the underground. Back when I started the zine it was simply xeroxed at a local copy store. So it didn’t cost that much really.

Ed 2010 with GT!

The first 2 issues were straight xerox jobs and I probably made half the copies at my dad’s office on the weekends. I would make an initial 200 or so up at the copy store and then make more as the demand increased. The later issues were more expensive since I started having the pictures scanned first and actually had them printed instead of just copied. The most expensive aspect of producing the zine was of course shipping costs. But that came with the territory.

The content was all about the underground. Each issue would feature the top thrash and early death metal bands from around the world as well as exposing all sorts of up and coming bands. The first issue had interviews with Bathory, Celtic Frost, Death, Possessed and of course Dark Angel. They were always a must. I did extensive interviews with Gene Hoglan in every issue. They were the greatest thrash band ever, so why not.

Dark Angel's Gene Hoglan, at the Dark Angel Altar, which was Ed's room! (photo - courtesy Ed Farshtey)

I would review countless new albums and demos that I got, whether I bought them, traded for them or they were sent as promos. I tried to be honest and I ripped into a lot of releases and praised anything I really liked. I used to take a lot of pictures back then so I always had photos for the zine.

Issue #2 had interviews with Kreator, Slayer, Darkness, Razor, Cryptic Slaughter and both Death and Dark Angel again. Issue #3 had Dark Angel, Voivod, Deathrow, Necrodeath, Aggression, Napalm Death, Thanatos, and more. My final issue came out in 1990, it was my 4th issue and it was certainly my biggest and best yet, with interviews with Voivod, Prime Evil, Sepultura, Armoros, Num Skull, Gargoyle, Dark Angel of course, and more, plus countless album, demo, and show reviews. It was issue #4 that really took off. By that time I had firmly embedded myself deep in the underground and had made countless contacts so I ran through I believe 1000 copies.

Issue #4 of The Book of Armageddon. The issue that blew it all wide open. (courtesy - Ed Farshtey)

I was working on issue #5 when I started working at Roadrunner Records and I just didn’t have the time to get it completed. It was gonna be a monster issue with 18 interviews done including Autopsy, Deceased, Prime Evil, Malevolent Creation, Destruction, Immolation, O.L.D., Death, Ripping Corpse, Mutilated, Exmortis and more. I even had a massive 11 page interview with Dark Angel. I had done plenty of interviews and tons of reviews but it just started getting dated and I didn’t have the time to keep updating it, so I decided to put the zine to rest.

Because I would review anything that I really liked, I would often review demos I received through tape trading. Since I had been involved with trading since 1984, I was always getting new tapes with new demos.Reviewing these random demos led to many of my most cherished friendships from the time. The most important was with the band Prime Evil. I had reviewed their debut demo in issue #3 cause I loved it and after my zine came out, bassist Mary Ciullo wrote me and I instantly built a strong relationship with the whole band that lasted for years, and is still evident today. I ended up releasing their only 7” on my label Rage Records and wrote the liner notes for their cd that King Fowley put out.

Summer 1989 in DC at a Prime Evil gig. Left to Right: Beans from Curious Goods 'zine (holding The Book of Armageddon zine), Prime Evil's roadie, Todd from Prime Evil, Unknown, Gary from Prime Evil, Jeff Vanderrklute from Metal Meltdown zine, Ed Farshtey and Andy from Prime Evil. (photo - courtesy Ed Farshtey)

Mary even attended my wedding. Prime Evil I loved, a band that I openly hated back then was Nun Slaughter. I would rag on their early recordings, and because of my honesty, me and Don became good friends, and still are today. Thankfully as they improved I grew to really like them, but I remember sitting in my car back at a Morbid Angel, Acheron, Revenant show in DC listening to the newest Nun Slaughter and telling him I didn’t like it and him respecting that. It’s this honest relationship we all had that kept us friends and feeding off each others opinions and criticisms.

Mark Odechuck & Bob White (Paineater) with Rob Sexton - whom made up part of the Florida based band TORSO. Seen here in 1989 with copies of Bryan Daniel's Invincible Force 'zine. (photo - Bryan Daniel)

The relationships that formed back then are still the strongest of any I’ve ever had and have transcended time and distance. We were all a part of something new and for the first time in most of our lives, we really felt like this is where we belonged. There were a bunch of us around the world that wanted to spread the music through our writings. We weren’t looking for fame or riches, just to help support the scene. That was the time of the fanzines.

Ultimatum zine editor Kim August (far right) with Chuck Schuldiner (in back) and HenryVeggian (far left). Outside the infamous Streets, New Rochelle, NY 1988 (photo - courtesy Henry Veggian)

Some of my early counterparts included Bloodshed, Cerebral Holocaust, Chainletter, Chainsaw Abortions, Chapel of Ghouls, Codcore, Curious Goods, Death Vomit, Decapitated, Decibels Storm, Disposable Underground, Emanzipation, Eternal Darkness, F.E.T.U., Final Holocaust, Infernal Bleeding, Invincible Force, Metal Meltdown, Metal Core, Metal Curse, Metal Frontline, Metallian, Metallic Butcher, Morbid, Mortician, No Glam Fags, Out of the Underground, Peardrop, Ripping Headaches, Screams from the Gutter, Sick Thrash, Skull Session, Ultimatum, and many more. We all supported one another by printing and circulating each others ads and there was no competition between us. It was all about promoting the music and carving a little niche for ourselves in the underground.

Long before the internet or cell phones or even faxes we had to put a lot of effort into keeping up with our correspondence and finding out about the newest bands, no matter what country they came from. And fanzines were the best way to get the info to the people. We were all drawn into the underground, helped form it, and helped it grow into the monster it became The bands created the music we loved and it was up to the fanzines to help promote them and spread their name around the world.

Morrisound Studios, Tampa Florida 1990 during the Cannibal Corpse 'Eaten Back To Life' sessions - Left to Right: Bryan Daniel (Invincible Force 'zine), Alan Moses (Buttface 'zine) and Bruce Davis (Ripping Headaches 'zine). (photo - Francis Howard from Incubus)

CHRIS FORBES from METAL CORE:

One of the classic zine covers, in this case, Metal Core #3 (courtesy - Chris Forbes)

Way back in early 1986 I was going to some underground shows in Phila, PA seeing bands like Blacktask and Anvil Bitch at the Empire Rock Club and I started buying and then becoming friends with Scott Helig, who was doing a zine called Total Thrash. At one point he asked and I did a few interviews and a few reviews for his zine and at one point I was giving him so much material that he suggested that I start my own zine. I took that up as some sort of challenge and because I was buying demos, zines, etc I decided what the heck I can do this and decided to start my own. I ended up printing up 150 issues of my 1st issue, and I actually printed a couple extra copies, which I still have.

Modern day: Chris Forbes with John Verica (Decaying Visions Video 'zine)

Most of the music I covered, at least in the old days back in the 80's was mostly thrash and early death metal.My first issue came out in December of 1986. My first couple issues I interviewed such bands as Savage Thrust, Savage Death, Black Task, Dark Angel, Possessed, Machine Dog, Anvil Bitch, Faith or Fear, At War, etc. The early issues were pretty much basic stuff like interviews, demo and album (remember no such thing as CD's yet) reviews, zine ads, etc. I did 30 issues before, in 2001, I folded the print version as it was hard getting labels to commit to ads and with the internet becoming a huge thing, print zines at this time were few and far between.

Metal Core #5, showing the variety of bands covered, and also the glowing fire of artist Bob Plante from Disturbed 'zine, whose work was being utilized around the zine world from Australia to Norway to here at home on US soil. (courtesy - Chris Forbes)

After issue 24, I made the zine free, so from issue # 25 till # 30 the zine was free and it was on newsprint and I was printing and getting rid of 10,000 copies. So I had to at least make a certain amount of money from ads and stuff to keep printing 10,000 copies. Actually when I went to newsprint and started giving the zine away, I easily got rid of 10,000 copies. I would drop off over a 1000 at a store in NJ called Vintage Vinyl and also get rid of a bunch at shows and at the Milwaukee and NJ Deathfest's in the late 80's and in 2000 and 2001. All the issues are long gone, but I think I have like 3 extra copies of issue 30 lying around. The zine has never ended and I just do it on line now.

The first issue of Metal Core which was made available free of charge, #25! (courtesy - Chris Forbes)

I explained that above and I was having a problem with coming up with a name and in early 1986 SOD (Stormtroopers of Death) and Overkill did a short 7 date tour that they dubbed the "Metal Core" tour so I thought that would be a cool name for a zine and so I stole the name from that tour he he.

Chris and Maria Abril at NJ Metalfest 2001 (courtesy - Chris Forbes)

Zines were one of the few ways you could discover new bands! There was no internet, no My Space and no big metal mags that were covering this stuff. I mean you had Kerrang and a bit later on Metal Forces, but zines were the way you could read interviews with unsigned bands and read reviews of unsigned bands from all over the world. The best mag I ever read was the sadly missed Kick Ass Monthly. Bob the editor of the mag (rip) was simply the best. I worshipped that mag. When I first started doing the zine I would go up to Rock N Roll Heaven in Old Bridge, NJ and buy every zine I could and then I would go and write (that's right...WRITE) and bands that had demos reviewed and would start requesting them to send me a demo to review.

Chris and Jenn Matthews from Metal Mafia zine at Milwaukee Metalfest 1998. (courtesy - Chris Forbes)

Another cool thing was flooding each letter I wrote with flyers I got from various bands and other zines. Old timers will remember those days as I would write letter after letter and stuff as many flyers as I could fit in a letter and back in the day I also made tons of flyers for my zine. Another thing I did was I was and still am very honest in my reviews. if I love you I will praise you, but if I hate you, I will trash you. I do not kiss ass....

Chris Forbes (Metal Core), Tom Wren (Metal Nightmare) and Chris from Bloodstorm. Milwaukee Metalfest 1998. (courtesy - Chris Forbes)

I'll never forget the first package I got and that was from Combat Records and they sent me Possessed and Dark Angel to review. It was great going to Lamour's in Brooklyn back in the day and seeing Slayer, Overkill, Carnivore, Savage Thrust, Biohazard, and many others. All the great shows I saw at City Garden's in Trenton and at the Slayer "Reign in Blood" tour I dove off the stage during "Chemical Warfare" and everybody moved and I hit the floor and almost didn't get up.

Full of personal highlights, Metal Core #10 still ranks high on Chris' list. (courtesy - Chris Forbes)

Interviewing Metallica for issue # 10. Having Phil Demmel from Violence telling me I was the first zine to review their demo for issue # 2. Having Combat Records invite me backstage when they were doing the Ultimate Revenge 2 taping at the Troc in Phila. All those times after shows at Lamour's, G Wilkers, City Gardens, The Empire Rock Club, Bonnie's and other clubs trying to get people to buy my zine. Seeing 10,000 copies of issue 25 when I went to newsprint and wondering how in the hell I am going to get rid of all those copies. Going to those old Milwaukee Metalfest Shows and meeting people that I had only known from writing letters back and forth. Another thing is I was getting so much mail at one point so I got a Po Box and to this day I still get a thrill going and opening up my box and seeing a cd in there that some band or label sent to me to review.

METAL CORE IS STILL GOING STRONG

Check out one of the longest running underground zine legends:

METAL CORE FANZINE ONLINE

METAL CORE FANZINE OFFICIAL MYSPACE

METAL CORE FANZINE ON FACEBOOK

Seems like such a strange thing to the new breed, but this cover sums up the glory, borderless scenes where anything could happen musically - ushering in levels of creativity alien to today's plastic mainstream of cookie cutter, rehashed music resting on the shoulders of the cliques. Metal Core #2, our scene in a single drawing! (courtesy - Chris Forbes)