Category Archives: Interviews

An Interview With Indian Thrashers CARNAGE INC.

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Even after three decades of what spawned as thrash metal in the suburbs of Bay Area, by sweaty, long haired dudes with an unforgiving punk attitude, it is overwhelming that thrash metal has survived every obstacle in its way. Likewise, the seismic waves of thrash metal have ever since traveled far and beyond continents. Similarly, from the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps, emerges a thrash squad who are adamant on not putting their foot off the throttle. CARNAGE INC. from Mumbai, India are taking forward the baton of Bay Area thrash metal and spreading the “carnage”!

CARNAGE INC. came into existence back in 2011. Hailing from the city of Mumbai, they are adding a new flavour and aggression to what we all dearly call thrash metal. Having shared the same passion for METALLICA, front man Varun and ex-drummer Olav thought, why not materialize this passion into something even bigger. And thus CARNAGE INC. saw the light of the day. Into their sixth year of existence, the band has released an EP, titled, ‘Fury Incarnate‘ through Indian label Transcending Obscurity last year’s summer. The debut EP has received a lot of deserved attention and has put them on the board of country’s rising bands. Fast riffing, lightning speed drumming, groove that will knock your heads off and rashy, pissed off vocals are what CARNAGE INC. offers to the listener for an aural assault.

We recently had a chat with the boys and this is what went down. Take a look below for the interview. Oh and while you’re at it, since Christmas is coming soon, remember to add THIS to your festive melodies!

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Ron DeChant Of STARSET “We’re Not Like Other Bands Where We Just Kinda Throw Things Out There”

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Photo Credit: Coda Photography

 

On January 1st, 2013 a transmission from a star in the Ophiuchus Constellation in the year 2047 was received containing a warning of the fate of the human race. It is said that Dr. Aston Wise of the Starset Society recruited Dustin Bates, Ron DeChant, Brock Richards, and Adam Gilbert, collectively known as Starset, to spread awareness through music and media. The Columbus, OH quartet quickly gained notoriety on YouTube with the release of their first single “My Demons”, which has well over 280 million views, as well as two albums under their belt – ‘Transmissions’ (2014) and ‘Vessels’ (2017). According to their (fictional) background, they aim to spread the contents of “The Message” to the general public through demonstrations (‘shows’ to you and me). They have been summoned by The Starset Society in an attempt to save the human race from its imminent demise, foretold in a transmission that was received in Northern California on New Year’s Day 2013, along with required knowledge of how to avoid such a travesty. The band’s founder/vocalist/keyboardist, Dustin Bates, acquired his Master’s degree at Ohio University, fueling his interest in astronomy and hopes to spread knowledge of science and engineering as well as “The Message”. He says:

“Kids are coming to Starset shows and getting scientific thinking, but they’re just looking for rock,” He states. “The science is sci-fi and hyperbolic at times, but I think it can inspire kids into real science and engineering – and I hope to.”

Starset have crafted a unique way of blending the self-proclaimed “cinematic rock” and ambiance with a bit of djent-style metal. The onstage imagery of the space-like suits donned by the band and the futuristic technology used by Bates during these ‘demonstrations’ really strengthen the band’s backstory, while offering fans a different way of enjoying a show – learning.

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Interview: Puppet Master of Priest says “We’re all very influenced by New Romantics”

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While the Scandinavian music scene is one frequently revered and heavily romanticized, – particularly amongst heavy-metal listeners; – one particular group you might not have heard of is the blossoming figurehead of macabre synth-pop, PRIEST. The group, since their incarnation, have consistently sought to experiment with a diverse array of visual and musical stylings. Their upcoming debut album ‘New Flesh’ is scheduled for release on November 17 2017 via Lovely Records. The album was produced by Alpha (ex-GHOST) Continue reading →

The Bucketlist with RADKEY [Video]

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*In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them*

Missouri rock trio, Radkey, has been making waves in the music scene since their start in 2010.  Besides opening for national acts such as Fishbone, The Offspring, and Black Joe Lewis, they’ve played some of the biggest festivals the country has to offer and if you’ve had the opportunity to see them live, you know exactly what kind of raw, authentic party these guys deliver. Continue reading →

Rita Haney On Pantera Home Video Part 4 “We’re Gonna Prove You Wrong; There’s Still This Strong Cult Following”

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Rita Haney is the late PANTERA guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott‘s long time girlfriend, or Dimebag’s Hag as she is also known. Other than Vinnie Paul she was the closest person to Dimebag in the years prior to his untimely death. Rita has helped keep Dimebag’s name alive by organizing RideForDime shows which also serve as benefits for charities.

 

 

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Ben Flanagan of BLACK MAP On The Location Of A Video Shoot “There Were Just Tubs Of Lube Everywhere.”

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Black Map

 

Black Map has been making the rounds this year on the festival circuit. This years Carolina Rebellion was actually one of the bands first festival appearances of the year. We were there to see their dominating performance and the fans there loved them just as much as we did. Again we were able to see them at Chicago Open Air in July and once again they were one of the most dominating bands of the day. The alt metal trio unleashed their first songs in 2014. First, their 4-song EP titled ‘Driver’ was released in February and all 4 songs were included later on that year on their first full length album ‘…And We Explode’. They put off a heavy 90’s rock vibe with huge, blasting riffs and raw emotion all packed into one punch. Last year the band made a large breakthrough with the premiere of a new song “Run Rabbit Run”. This song took the airwaves by storm and told us to get ready for 2017 because Black Map is quickly on their way to the top. ‘In Droves’ dropped across the US on March 10th via eOne Music. The album was produced by Aaron Hellam at Hellman Sound. Consisting of members from the bands Far, The Trophy Fire, and dredg, the band does a solid job combining all of the project’s sounds into one. Continue reading →

Drum Icon VINNY APPICE Unveils One Of His Biggest “SPINAL TAP” Moments [Audio Interview]

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Drum icon VINNY APPICE (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, LAST IN LINE) is gearing up for a special milestone in his career.  October 27th  he will unleash a new album titled “APPICE – SINISTER” from SPV Records.   “SINISTER” will mark Vinny’s first ever album collaboration with his brother, another drum legend CARMINE APPICE (VANILLA FUDGE, ROD STEWART, OZZY OSBOURNE)  Together the brothers have written and recorded 13 new songs with some of their greatest friends and musicians on the planet.  Vinny spoke to METAL NEXUS about the upcoming album.   In the conversation we discussed what it meant for the brothers to finally record an album together,  the recording process and how its changed during Vinny’s career, and one of his biggest “SPINAL TAP” moments that occurred while touring with BLACK SABBATH for the “HEAVEN & HELL TOUR”.   Continue reading →

Terry Corso Of ALIEN ANT FARM On MTV Reviving TRL “Bring A Little Bit Of Music Back Into An Organization That Has Music In The Title”

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Photo Credit: Jessica Stacy / Metal Nexus

If you lived through any portion of the early 2000’s it’s likely you’ve heard and sang along to Alien Ant Farm’s cover of the classic Micheal Jackson hit “Smooth Criminal” or their original track “Movies” both from the album ‘ANThology‘ which sold over 1 million copies. The band has released 3 albums since their major hit record including ‘Truant’ in 2003, ‘Up In The Attic’ in 2006, and their most recent ‘Always And Forever’ in 2015. Lately the band has been touring with P.O.D., Powerflo and Fire From The Gods, bringing a bit of nostalgia to the touring lineup. Continue reading →

The Bucketlist With Theo Parmenter of VOIDS

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The core of Voids was originally formed in fall of 2012, as a band called From Far Away.  They have played in numerous states and multiple tours, debuting their EP, ‘Recover | Repeat’. In addition to releasing three singles, building a local fanbase, and signing to At Your Command Records; they decided to part ways with the name due to member changes and wanting a fresh start with a different outlook. Which lead them to announce the new name, Voids. Re-forming in late 2015, Voids is a four-piece metalcore band from Hagerstown, Maryland. Their message as a band revolves around the addictions that affect the lives of many in a negative way. They want people to turn towards their music as a healthy way to cope with the problems they are having with their lives; rather than ones that can destroy someone’s personal life and the ones around them. It’s not often that bands like Voids come along. They create music for a specific reason, and a positive one at that. Bands like Void that use their artistry as a reason to help others is something that deserves to be celebrated. The band has recetly released  ‘No Character : No Crown’ which dropped on October 13th, you can pick up the album at all major online music vendors.

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An Interview With Indian Death Metal Outfit DARKRYPT

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From the western most corner of India, there spawns an unheralded force of dark, fast and intense death metal quartet that goes by the name of DARKRYPT, who are currently one among the rising forces when it comes to death metal in this part of the world. They formed back in 2013, with the vision of bassist Amey Bhole and Nachiket Bhave on guitars. After being around for a while with no output, Aumkar Lele and Rishabh Ravi joined in on drums and guitars respectively for the first complete and firm line up. Early 2014 saw Mihir Gaikwad joining the band on guitars but only for playing gigs. After a year in late 2015, Nachiket quit the band, and Mihir replaced the former axe-man’s boots as a permanent member from there on. 

DARKRYPT are a fairly new band but they are absolutely killing it already. With their debut LP ‘Delirious Excursion’ already out one year back via Indian label Transcending Obscurity, DARKRYPT are already making a statement despite being this young in the circuit. Check out their debut LP provided at the end of the interview. Pssht! They have robed in Rogga Johansson of PAGANIZER and thus successfully creating a track where he has lend his fierce vocals. That is the cherry on top of the cake for sure. You really know what to expect when the mixing has been done by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios (CRUCIAMENTUM, CHTHE’ILIST, etc.) and mastering by the legend Dan Swano at Unisound Studios (ASPHYX, BLOODBATH, etc). Fast riffs, relentless and insane drumming, swift tempo changes and brutal gutturals straight from the bellowed depths of hell is what DARKRYPT stands for. We had the pleasure of having them for a short interview, as we talked about their new album, the upcoming Durance of Hate India Tour and a lot more. Check it out below,

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