Final Coil comes to Europe this December

It's not a huge secret for everyone looking at this blog that progressive Post Rockers Final Coil are one of those bands that I'm excited about. Having put out the third full length album "The World We Inherited" this year I think many people out there have already thought about a tour of the Leicester based formation.

But besides a couple of shows with hand picked bands in England and a first appearance at the massive Bloodstock Open Air no other opportunities surfaced (also it needs to be said that every gig that can be confirmed is already something that needs to be accomplished first). Not until now - in December 2024 this is going to change as the band has finally been able to announce three gigs in Europe. 

Those are going to take place in France in Belgium but who know's maybe there are bookers or venues out there who still look for a band to perform? Don't hesitate to contact the band through the form on the band's homepage or use the links to social sites on the left of the page to get in touch through those services.

Confirmed dates:

December 12th - Fury Bar - Rouen - w/ Once Upon The End, Silent Injury
Event page: https://fb.me/e/5ir7Fev9x
Venue information: https://www.facebook.com/furybarrouen

December 13th - The Crossover - Ghent - w/ Far Beyond
Event page: https://fb.me/e/7l8STBYyL
Venue information: https://www.thecrossover.be/

December 14th - Supersonic - Paris - w/ Homecoming, Vestige
Event page: https://fb.me/e/1KFdSU292
Venue information: https://www.facebook.com/supersonicbastille

*please note shows are free entry, except for Ghent, where tickets are 8 Euro in advance and 10 Euro OTD

If you'd like to know how the band sounds these days please try the newest video, with dark and constant pattern you'll be introduced into the band's world of subtle and intensive melodies that are both relaxing and inciting together.

CD Review: Krokodil Dental Plan - Feed my Krokodil (Stoner, 2020)

The music of the french stoner combo gave me hope and power on a cloudy day. Which route does the band take? It's the mixture of direct riffs that leave the speakers a unpolished way to lay the foundation for dirty Rock 'n' Roll.

 

Next to go is that groove that pumps relentlessly and will keep you rockin' out to the music. It makes you want more of the same once you've had taste of it. The second track "Die A Million Times" brings this on point. 

Finally the vocals are rough and mixed more to the background but it's welcomed. I think it would ruin the sound if taken too much to the front.

The biggest strength however is the many faces the band shows during performing it's music. Each of the six tracks has been worked on in detail. While sure it's loud and rude music it's also that Krokodil Dental Plan fine-tuned each number on the EP. 

 

"Né Pour Perdre" for instance is keen on giving you the extra of rough guitar sounds. It centers well around those loud notes but doesn't have the groove monster under it "Die A Million Times" presents.

The title track itself seems to focus on speedy vocal performance but surprises with a softer jamming solo-section. The bass guitar rules "Hot Served Enemy", a straight Rocker with slightly guitar-driven variations. The last song "Old Man of Sorrow" closes the release with midtempo slower music but with the distinct sound that makes this band remarkable for me.

The EP is well worth the money for the many sides of Dirty Rock it provides. The CD is shipped out for 5 Euro plus shipping and handling while the download comes at the same price at Bandcamp.

 

Let's speak with Memories of a Dead Man (Post Hardcore, 2020)

It was the cover of Memories of a Dead Man's album that quickly lead my attention towards their music. A deer crying out while he is standing in ruins - I never saw something similar before.

 

The music turned out to be balanced. Some very rough songs (Shapeshifter) are to be hard while other tracks stick to a far more melodic side. Let's see what stands behind such a diverse post hardcore formation and the newest release (re) M.A.Z.E.d.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: How did the idea with the deer on the cover come up?
Thierry :The stag has many meanings, especially in the post/hardcore world, and can symbolize the everlasting cycle of life, losing its crown and growing it back up. (re)M.A.Z.E.d is a record made after a long break, a sort of rebirth for a 15 years old band with an history, so the image fits well for the record.
 

Does the new album (re) M.A.Z.E.d follow a concept when it comes to the lyrics?
Thierry :There is no specific theme for the whole album, but some “things” came back naturally one after another, and it kind of binds the record together. Every track is based on introspection, feelings, and social unrests, with a changing point of view, depending on the vocalist or on the track itself. 
 
The songs are mixed to a loud volume. Do you want to express something as well this way (maybe inner pressure) ?
Ben : Indeed to give intensity the mix is strong enough, it sticks to our style for a long time and inner pressure is increased !
And in addition we play hard it would appear  ;) 

 
Is the album linked in any way to it's predecessor V.I.T.R.I.O.L - the cover of both records have a similar style and color with them ?
Thierry :In a way, it is linked, because the band has an history, and the records of yesterday made the sound of today. It was a way for us to express the “back to roots” side we did with (re)M.A.Z.E.d, as well as the coming back of the band, while the line up and styles of vocalist are totally different from the previous record.
 
The new output comes around well balanced. Aggressive tunes and more baladesque material follow one another. Do you prefer to build a certain atmosphere inside the listeners mind?
Thierry :If chaos seems to be a ladder, music is a conduct where feelings can bloom and mindblown the listener, following changing time signatures and different tempi. Every track from the album was thought as a “one shot piece”, where the decor and different actors are set for a quick duration.
 
Do you write the music together as a band or are only certain members involved in the songwriting?
Thierry We write together as a band, each one of us bringing his personal stone to the edifice from his musical influences, under the attentive orchestration of Ben, the band’s oldest member and founder. Some passages of (re)M.A.Z.E.d were discussed together, in order to mix things up more efficiently.  

How do the digipak and jewelcase CD formats offered on Bandcamp differ from each other?

Thierry :The current digipack of (re)M.A.Z.E.d contains a special offer for the first purchasers (including one “stag” t-shirt and a pick of your choice color, depending on the stocks left). 
 
Ben : You can have all merch here :
Bandcamp : https://memoriesofadeadman.bandcamp.com
 
Season of Mist : https://shop.season-of-mist.com/fr/memories-of-a-dead-man-re-m-a-z-e-d-cd-digipak
 
Streaming : https://id.ffm.to/remazed  
 
And Exclusive T shirt  on  Season of Mist 
 
https://shop.season-of-mist.com/merchandising/print-on-demand?display_all=label_layer&label_layer=15331

W.R.Ø.N.G put the roughness back in Grunge music

Finally a band that takes the Grunge back to it's rougher coasts. That was my impression when I heard one full song of the upcoming W.R.Ø.N.G EP "Die Alone".

The cover feels a bit unusual at first sight.

 

I had the pleasure to give the second track "Surrender" a pre-listen. The rhythm beats in a unpredicted way and sets a spotlight at the beginning. Rough and loud guitars join in and give a feel-good touch to the listener. They are loud and rude just like you may expect of classic Grunge tracks. But the heavy and dirty vocals finally give the track the destroyer note it needs to create a fully packed grunge release.  
 
Be prepared for the attack. Tomorrow will see the release of the EP "Die Alone". It will contain 4 tracks:

1. Die alone
2. Surrender
3. Poison
4. Ever undo
 
Release date is October 14th, 2020 on every digital platforms!
Be sure to check the Facebook page for all that is about to come.
 
https://www.facebook.com/wrongofficial

Memories Of A Dead Man answer the questions of life

These days so many great people die. Recently Martin Birch passed away. Many of you know him as the iconic person behind the production, egineering and mixing desk of Iron Maiden.

So what's the meaning behind all of our lifes? Memories Of A Dead Man have put out a new single that has some answers in the video. Behind the riffladen heavy music stand's a thoughtout message that Ben described in his own words with a look upon the cover picture of the upcoming album of the band:

I've hardly ever spotted a deer on a album cover. It quickly grabbed my attention.

"The cover would be on a "picture"  of the decline of our society, the subjects are often around human psychology and our flaws and weaknesses.  The deer is a symbol of purity and innocence that we, men unfortunately no longer have  ! "

Make sure to listen and watch closely. You may spot some unexpected instruments on this one like a saxophone solo section. Follow the band further on Facebook to see what happens next. The album release is set for October 2020.

M.U.S.I.C.Records offers discount on services for musicians

When it comes to creating music every cent counts. Sadly making music is not free and all steps to finish a full fledged product are expensive.

So I was all ears when I got the info that until March 31, 2020, Rock Metal Market and Music-Records offer a discount of 10 percent on all products including services (Recording studio, CD pressing, Media promotions, ...).

Simply enter the Promo code: mars2020 on https://www.rockmetalmarket.com/

Pick the flyer as a reminder to this special offer.

This code also goes for all who like to order music (CDs, Vinyl, Shirts etc. ) on the shop's website. They deliver everywhere in France and internationally. Shipping costs are free for all orders of 99 € in total. With each order, a gift is offered to you.

What can this be useful for? For instance you can order the upcoming Trash Heaven record "4 Heads for a Crown"  (set for release in April 2020) this way for less bucks. The first full song already promises a blasting old school thrash package.

Another special offer is the 3 CD Box. Choose from the following list 3 CDs for 20 Euro plus shipping and handling. From all of what I've heard so far I can say that a lot of quality can be found in there. (Lebowskii reminded me of Grip Inc., Eyestral got many influence of Death and U-Bilam dares to mix many different styles to a exciting own mixture).

Make sure to order together with your friends. That way you can save a lot of mony if you use things the clever way. Listen to songs on the YouTube channel of M.U.S.I.C Records.

MEZCLA « Metalmorfosis » – Death Flamenco
VOICE OF WINTER « Childhood of Evil » – Progressive Death
ASHES TO FIRE « Still Waters » – Metalcore/Djent
OVER NEMESIS « Wink » – Sludge Metal
PSYCHOID « Thrash Impact » – Thrash Metal
EYESTRAL « Beyond » – Progressive Thrash
U-BILAM « Evolutions of Mind » – Urban core
LEBOWSKII « Liquidators » – Thrash Metal
BLACK JUJU INC. « Crosses and Crossroads » – Cold Wave Metal
HELLIXXIR « A Dull Light Around » – Thrash Black
TORMENTOR BESTIAL « Supplicium Plus Quam Bestia » – Heavy Thrash

CD Review: Midnight Blackout - Hangover (Post Hardcore, 2018)

Heavy to the brim. But still slightly melodic so it remains tasty enough to listen to it.

The cover says it all what the topic of the EP talks about.

Post Hardcore seems to be a style many bands aim at these days. The only downside in my eyes is that the overall heavyness often tends to make the music less enjoyable. Happily Midnight Blackout have not chosen to go this way.

Instead they composed their music to be more melodic and most of all straight forwards. That's also a point I love. Whilst other Post Hardcore tunes are a bit complicated when it comes to song structures this french based formation keep all the power going directly from the mind to the music without fiddeling all around. This means that you can easily headbang to the stuff like you used to do in the older days of metal.

The only weaker aspect for me was the overall too loud mastering of this record. Sure listening the loud way helps to push the mood but here the guitars scream it out a bit for me. Less of the high notes would make listening a more silk and less rough experience. 

My personal favorite is the song "In Sheep's Clothing" that the band also picked as a single for the promotional music video.

Also this one comes around as a EP the duration feels like it's goin forever. You get a good bunch of music for your money served directly onto your favorite device through the band's Bandcamp page. But listen here for yourselves.

Make sure to create a account on Bandcamp before purchasing. The excellent plattform for up and coming bands let's you re-download music you once bought there. This means that as long as the service is up and running you can always download a copy if you lost your old one or changed your device (e.g. bought a new smartphone and forgot to transfer the tunes to the memory card before the old device broke down).

Finally check out Midnight Blackout's Facebook page and give 'em a supporting like on over there.

Black JuJu Inc. offer new album on green vinyl

There are still wonders happening in this digital age... The coldwave metal band Black JuJu Inc. is currently taking pre-orders for a limited run of their album "Crosses and Crossroads" on green vinyl!

This fits perfectly to the optic of the album cover. The vinyl on demand service Diggers Factory gives the band the chance to release this edition. You can order here. Only if 100 pre-orders are reached the vinyl can be produced, otherwise you will be re-funded. There's a time frame ending in 29 days for the chance of placing your pre-order.

A look on the pre-order website for the green vinyl edition of "Crosses and Crossroads"

The vinyl will be numbered. Compared to the tracklist of the album, there is a song that changes on the vinyl. The song "Don’t Fear" will be in the tracklist of the vinyl and will replace the song "Rude Awakening". So you'll get a song that's not to be heard on the standard edition of the record if you decide to pick this rare item up!

If you've not heard the band before here's a track to check out. It has a cool riff and rhythm with it also the atmosphere remains tight with the ongoing guitarwork. The vocals give it a roasty note rounding out the package perfectly. It's for fans of Alice in Chains & Prong.


You can listen to more songs of the album on the vinyl pre-order campaign page.
Also check out the Facebook page of the band.

Over Nemesis take a catseye look across the stars

Album covers can be something that catches your attention. Some of them may call a emotion or a memory in your heart or your mind.

This time around the cover of Sludge metallers "Over Nemesis" packed me with it's mysterious and big eyes on it looking into a misty surrounding, maybe into a sky or something. It reminded me of the eyes of a cat. I love cats and their eyes share a beauty and look into a different world.

A look at the cover of "Wink". It has been integrated into a nice full background picture that could be a cotinuation of the initial print. (c) by Over Nemesis, used with kind permission

That's maybe something that connects to the music of the band that also leads into another place. Fans of the Black Label Society should feel home very quickly. So don't hesitate and have your own look "Across the stars". The use of "yeah" at the vocals reminded me of older days and was a warmly welcomed cheer up on this very Monday. Thanks for that!

This one is a teaser for the full album "Wink" coming August 31st 2018. The album is available for presale on the webstore of Music-Records.
Alternatively you can also pick it up once it's out from

► the stand of the band as a digipack CD

► On 150 digital platforms for download

► Distribued in Europe, USA, Asia & Oceania as physical edition

Tracklist :
1 - Saint Bâle
2 - Vault of Blindness
3 - Mario and Sergio
4 - Across The Stars
5 - She Become Calypso
6 - Inside
7 - This Man
8 - Tears
9 - Light Of Hopes
10 - Until The End

Keep a eye on the band through Facebook.

Lebowskii hand new EP for special price

Just recently Grip Inc. came back to my mind. Having looked through their releases I asked if any band out there would have taken up their path...

Looks like my question has been answered. The preview track of the coming EP of Lebowskii shoots out the same agressive yet very detailed look towards sharp, compact riffage rounded out with some own nice ideas that shine every here and there. The drumming also goes in that direction going a bit abroad the standard pattern every here and there. Thankfully the vocals are rough but not to over screamed.

In addition to that the band has set up a special pre-order price with their label Music Records from France. From January 16th till February 15th, "Liquidators" will be available as a Digipack hardcopy for 4,50 € instead of 7€ on the webstore of Music-Records.

Lebowskii Liquidators promo banner, (c) by Lebowskii, used with kind permission

Lebowskii will be on tour to promote their new EP in 2018 and 2019. Make sure to check their Facebook account for details.

Eyestral put out horror-themed lyric video

I haven't come across a Thrash Metal band that put's out such stuff in a long, long time. In fact I remember Megadeth put out such stuff way back in their beginnings (just had a look into the booklet of the Peace Sells album and that was a fine reminder of how they wrote song text in those days).

The nice thing about this particular one of french Thrashers Eyestral is that the video doesn't just show the song text but also changes in various ways throughout the song duration. The lyrics make me feel a bit scary at times with it's dark and bad setting. In addition it's great to have some progressive elements in the music. It rounds out the package with nearly 10 minutes of ripping guitars and powerhouse drums very good. It's a fine neckbreaker.

This first full song comes along as a sign of the coming release of Eyestral who will put out their first full length record "Beyond" on digital plattforms on October 25th. The longplayer will be available from November 10th in Europe. You may also pre-order the physical release straight away through the webstore of Music Records.

Just make sure to follow Eyestral via Facebook to be notified in your News Stream about further updates.

CD Review: Chemical Wedding - Don't Look Back (2015)

A massive hardrock metal album showing that good and clear riffs are not of out of date these days. The wonderfull production comes with much heavyness but it never misses out warmth and a little smile.

Introduction

A lonely man stands at the end of a road. The path is small and some vegetation can be seen at the right side. Where does he go? Well, I think you need to take a look for yourselves to find out. Just one thing is clear: he doesn't look back, all of his action takes place in front of him. So, let's follow the story on how we came here told by the french band Chemical Wedding...

The album cover of Chemical Weddings "Don't Look Back", (c) by Chemical Wedding, used with kind permission

Summary

This is a beautiful example of what a band is able to accomplish if they put all of their strenghth into one album. They are making it clear from the beginning that this band knows what they want. Massive, powerfull yet catchy riffs burst into your ears when you start the CD player. The constant pushing rhythm comes all along and it comes to the burst when the vocals come pushing in.

The song structures are kept clear on forward and heavy on most of the tracks. It's the driving power that brings on the fun when listening to the twelve tracks of the record. On some points you'll witness intermissions that bring in a fresh breeze. The track "Dead Man Walkin'" is a good example for that. It contrasts the other songs with a more complex build structure and a bit unusual drum pattern towards the end of the song.

But it's not all just guitar riffs. "Don't Look Back" also lives off the beauty of the slow and silent tracks. It's as strange as it is but many records that roar it out heavy are the most intensive in their slowest and soft moments. It's like this with songs such as "A poor toy in your hands" and "Bereaved Soul" that you realise how much deep emotions this band breathes. It's these breathtaking moments that make you aware how much the musicians give you that you realize the worth of all the work they spent on this album.

All in all this album made me feel good. It comes around with a smile and also doesn't miss some fun every here and there when the tracks begin or end in a unusual way with just screaming the song name.

Purchase-Link and Player

The album comes around as a digipack. It is wrapped in a case of outstanding artwork. This goes for the front as well as for the back cover and also inlay and CD have their own artwork with them. The band sells the album for twelve euro online in their online shop. This is a bit more than you may pay for other albums but keep in mind that you'll also get twelve instead of eight or ten tracks that are up on most records of today. You won't regret purchasing this one.

As a example here's the track "Dead Man Walkin'" of the album.


Contact Link and Tourdates

Chemical Wedding have a own Facebook page where you can get in touch with them.
Also make sure to see them live this summer/fall:

24/09/2016 Brin de Zinc (tribute Lemmy et Camille Marquet)
04/09/2016 Leyment Fest (01)
07/10/2016 Décines Warmaudio

Ways. portrait their musical contrasts in beautiful video

Ways. are a post hardcore formation from France that incorporates many different elements in their music. Some are of the traditional harsh and brutal nature, some have their origins in softer and melodic regions but this band has the ability to melt all of them into a sound that feels as if it has been always like this for them.

The newest video that comes fresh of the video cutting table of the band uses intensive and outstanding romantic as well as rough video recordings of nature phenomenons to express the varity in their musical spectrum. This video will give you a relaxed as well as kicking start into the new month.

The band will play a couple of shows in September 2016 in Spain (!) and France. Just check the flyer below if you can make it to one of their performances.

The tourposter of the upcoming Ways. shows in September 2016, (c) by Ways. , used with kind permission

A look on the bands internet plattforms such as Bandcamp or Facebook is a good idea if you'd like to find out if the other songs of their debut EP "Warching from afar" match your musical taste.

CD Review: Ways. - Watching From Afar EP (2016)

In short a hardcore EP with a clear aim: to bring in fresh elements to a well known genre. Ways. carefully thought out their songs and created a listening experience both being familar and surprising alltogether.

Short Introduction

Ways. are a rock / metal / alternative band from Paris, France. In April the band released their debut EP Watching From Afar. The band first came to my attention when I saw their video for the song "Misty Hope" which made me more than looking forward to their first record. A great track and teaser to this EP.

The cover of "Watching From Afar", (c) by Ways. , used with kind permission

Summary

Listening to this very first release of Ways. quickly will let you identify it has a music of the hardcore genre. The typical elements like the harsh vocals and the strong and strict song structures are easily identifiable.

But it's also clear after a short time that the band ever had the idea in their mind to give new impulses to this. There are hacked riffs in there as well as timing variations ("My Blue Stain"), you'll be confronted with silence packed in the loud message of "Misty Hope" just to reach a hardcore half-ballad with "Something to say..." and come to the end with "Twenty First Sectuary" which closes the release with the classic hardcore style but mixed up with a slight fun-riff. I think you'll be surprised to hear how this sounds but it will leave you with a smile and the good feeling behind.

If you still prefer to stick to some old hardcore sounds don't worry: the second track "As A Duty" offers this so the old core of the genre is not forgotten from this band at all.

Player / Purchase-Link


The EP comes around as a pay what you want offer on Bandcamp. Sure you can pick it up for free but please keep in mind that young bands need a push at the start so they can progress further. If you help them out with a few bucks who knows how their next release may sound like? Or how the tracks sound live? You can help to make this happen by giving a amount of your choice.

Other places such as Spotify, iTunes and Google Play can also be used to stream and buy the "Watching From Afar" EP.

Contact Data

Ways. have some nice social outlets up and running out there, you can choice between Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

French version of Download Festival to be streamed live plus VOD

Yeah, Open Airs are going on to no end in the upcoming months and so do the livestreams. :-)

More Open Air stuff is going to be recorded and streamed by ARTE concert

Just got the news coming in that the french version of the traditional Download Festival is going to be streamed online via ARTE concert this year. You can watch it on the subpage of ARTE concert or directly here since the people behind the TV station have been so kind to let the people share the stream via their website/blogs.

And this is what you can expect to see (all times MEST):

Update 2016/06/11: the complete schedule for the livestream along with the recorded material has been released:

15:00 Lofofora
16:00 Avatar (Replay)
17:00 Children of Bodom
18:00 Beartooth (Replay)
19:00 Rival Sons
20:00 Apocalyptica (Replay)

Sunday 12th June 2016

15:00h  Lofofora
17:00h  Children of Bodom
19:00h  Rival Sons

More stuff from the other festival days including bands like APOCALYPTICA / AVATAR / BEARTOOTH will be available on the streaming page as videos on demand. That's also the place where you can find more information on the bands if you don't know them yet.

Ways. use silence perfectly on first single

"The music is not in the notes,but the silence in between."

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This quote crossed my Facebook feed some days ago and I think it perfectly fits to the song "Misty Hope" of the Rock/Hardcore band Ways. from Paris (France). This is a unique song! Wow, not many bands manage to put out such unique stuff on the first attempt.

Besides putting the silence on the right places it's also the mixture between softer and heavier guitar parts that makes this track sounding so great. The vocalist put's his all and everything into the vocals and it's one of the few times in a videoclip that I have the feeling to stand in the first row where you can feel the rough energy of the musicians coming directly your way.



This is the first single of the bands upcoming EP named "Watching From Afar" which will be available soon via the Bandcamp page of Ways. That's also the place where you can pick up a free download of "Misty Hope" in the audio format of your choice, so don't miss out this chance to grab a great song.

The cover for the EP "Watching From Afar", (c) by Ways. used with kind permission

Make sure to follow them via Facebook or Twitter as well as Instagram for all the latest updates coming along with the impending EP release.

Interview with artist Senyphine (2016)

Short Introduction

The female french freelance ilustrator cover & concept artist Senyphine works on a wide variety of fields. She is active in the character design as well as in environmental art, kid's art, comic strips, tattoo design and album covers. Her paintings speak of a very own language and breathe a own atmosphere. That's why I wanted to take a closer look upon the person behind the paintings and here is some nice look behind the scenes and explanation on her diverse portfolio of art.

A portrait of Senyphine, (c) by Senyphine, used with kind permission

Contact Data

If you would like to get in touch with Senyphine please use one of the links given below:

Website : http://www.senyphine.com
Facebook fan page  : https://www.facebook.com/senyphine
DeviantArt : http://senyphine.deviantart.com
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/senyphine
Twitter : https://twitter.com/senyphine
Pinterest : https://fr.pinterest.com/senyphine

The Interview

Heavy Metal Underdogs: How did you start with painting? Was there something in your life that gave a initial start to this?

Senyphine: For as long as I can remember, I always drew and I never stopped drawing. Painting is cathartic for me. It helps me to turn bad feelings such as anguish or stress into a drawing. Very early and still today, I was fond of comic books, halloween / vampire legends and animation movies (Miyazaki, Tim Burton) and all of this influenced me a lot. Before living from my art, I worked in a metal / gothic record store and I naturally started to collaborate with musicians to design CD Artwork. The initial start was the album « Dusk and a embrace » from Cradle Of Filth. It was not a painting but I really liked the atmosphere that emerged from it. Also I admired ( and I still do) the work of Travis Smith ( Katatonia, Amorphis…)

This is the cover of the album The Great Promenade of Fools & Ghosts of the  Alternative / Musical Mischief / Psychedelic Punk Cabaret band MARQUIS OF VAUDEVILLE, from Dallas, TEXAS (USA) released in 2012. (c) by Senyphine, used with kind permission

How do you go along when it comes to creating a new picture?

Working for a variety of projects, the process is always different. If it is a commissioned work, I have the initial idea given by the client (the universe, history, the structure of the project). I started with rough sketch and I modified it according to the feedbacks in order to closely fit to the project. It is a real collaboration.
If it is a personal work, It is quite different as I have only an idea or just a feeling as a starting point. The details or the colors can change till the very end as I do not plan anything when I paint.

Having looked through your artist booklet (portfolio) on DeviantArt (the link opens a new browser window that directly displays the portfolio) seems that besides cover for music you also set a focus on computer games and illustrations for books for children. How did it all come together? Do you maybe also play computer games from time to time?

You are right, I work on a variety of projects and mostly on book cover and children’s book.   I have sometimes the opportunity to illustrate computer game but I don’t have much time to play to it  ;)  I think that it is a good thing to work on various  projects because you go outside of your conform zone, you push the limits, learn new techniques that you are going to adapt or use on another project. It improves your skill and it is also very helpful to step back on your work.

Picture of the unreleased browser game HEXAL, (c) by Senyphine, used with kind permission

Which painting techniques do you prefer? It seems to me as if you prefer a very fine and detailed look upon pictures when creating them - there's a lot of dedication to details in your work.

I was first exclusively a traditional artist and then I learned to use digital media. Mixing all the traditional mediums, numerated textures and playing with the layers on Photoshop. I always start to draw, paint (pen, ink, charcoal pen, watercolors, acrylic painting) and finish all the details on Photoshop with a Wacom Cintiq tablet.
It is a way for me to explore all the possibilities of each medium and to get the effect that will better fit to the mood. The colors depend on the atmosphere I want to give to the illustrations. The atmosphere is the most important element of my work because it is the very essence of it. And when I find it, I can focus on all the details of the picture.

Where do you draw your inspirations from?

Everywhere, I am curious. I get some inspiration from old legends about witches, Halloween, but also by Tim Burton's movie or by the books of Lovecraft and A.E POE, mangos, Comics, DeviantArt (web), street art.…  My travels through Spain, Egypt, Bali, Germany, England, Canada have all influenced my work in the designs of the houses, trees, perspective....For example, the picture "The Raven" has been painted just after my travel to Egypt. The position of the raven (profile) is reminiscent of Egyptian paintings. The shade of the house in the background was directly inspired by the city of Cairo; you can hardly see the houses there because of the pollution all these elements are inspired by the poem of E. A. Poe.

The Raven (c) by Senyphine, used with kind permission

Do you favor steampunk or other styles of art?

I have a passion for Leonard De Vinci and its wonderful flying machines and I like Jules Verne too.  So, when I paint personal work I usually design some steampunk  machines and characters. So, let’s say that I favor Steampunk style

The proportions of persons you paint are also often different to those in real life. Do you like the people to focus on the face rather than on other parts of a person or other elements in the picture?

No, I prefer that the people focus on the whole picture and the story / message conveys through it. I like to give a eerie atmosphere to my work, painting dreamlike landcapes or odd characters close to the fairy tales, children’s tales and fantasy litterature. So the caricature is a  good way to twist the reality and to enhance the pose and the facial expression of the character.

This a painting of the musicians of the band MARQUIS OF VAUDEVILLE  in a dandy zombie style included inside the booklet. (c) by Senyphine, used with kind permission

Contact Data

If you would like to get in touch with Senyphine please use one of the links given below:

Website : http://www.senyphine.com
Facebook fan page  : https://www.facebook.com/senyphine
DeviantArt : http://senyphine.deviantart.com
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/senyphine
Twitter : https://twitter.com/senyphine
Pinterest : https://fr.pinterest.com/senyphine

Graspop Metal Meeting & Hellfest to be streamed this weekend

Two big names in the world of Heavy Metal festivals are broadcasting at least parts of the big festival line-ups - both totally for free!

First to go is the Graspop Metal Meeting which gives you the chance to see some bands on two different channels. You need to have Silverlight installed on your device to be able to watch this.

Underneath of the stream window you can check out the schedule of the bands that will be streamed - check for the green or partly green marked fields in the overview. Those bands will be shown, or at least some tracks from their set.

Keep in mind that the schedule changes over the day - bands may be added to the broadcast list very shortly (just for example: I saw two changes in the few moments of time I took to write this article - so check back often :-)  At the moment I'm typing this these bands are confirmed for today (Saturday 20th June)

Orphaned Land
Morgoth
Danko Jones
Godsmack
Judas Priest

Update 2015/06/22: It's sadly over but there's still a chance to see stuff from the Graspop Metal Meeting at the concert video archive that has been opened up. Go and watch it while it's up!

The next one to check out is the Hellfest from France. There it's a bit more complicated. Leave the guy with the gray face on the top of the page behind and scroll to the six pictures below. Hover over the stream you desire (they are sorted with the date and stage name) to see the bands that are scheduled for the live stream. One more click and you can watch it. Or even better: see the bands you want directly here on my page. Great to see the people from Arte allow embeding streams to other sites. Thanks for that! The streams start at 17:15h today.

Update 2015/06/22: It's sad to see the festival is already over now. :-( But wait, some stuff can be seen again (or for the first time if you missed it out). The Hellfest livestream page is now a archive of some of the festival performances. :-) You can watch shows from Sodom, Children of Bodom, Scorpions, Faith no more and many, many more on the linked page. Enjoy (again)!

This is what is confirmed for the Altar & Temple stage at the moment for this very saturday:

Desultory 17:25
Finntroll 18:15
Coffins 19:10
Ensiferum 20:05
Skinless 21:10
Obituary 23:35
Venom 00:40


This overview shows what will be shown from the main stage:

L7 17:50
Slash 18:40
Killing Joke 19:45
Faith No More 21:45
Scorpions 23:25

CD Review: Heartlay - Injection EP

Note: If you have a own band or project that you think might fit in well here for a review or as a presentation / introduction please drop me a line or two in a E-Mail. Please see my profile for my E-Mail adress. I appreciate new suggestions very much so please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm also interested in band news / updates / tourdates so please keep the stuff coming. Thanks!

If you're having troubles writing in English please send me a E-Mail in your preferred language or use the free Google Translator to transfer your message to English. I also use that tool, it's of course not perfect but I think it will mostly likely work out for our purposes.

Short introduction

Heartlay is an Alternative/industrial rock band incorporating elements from Industrial rock, Alternative metal, modern electronics and Progressive rock. All the songs are completley conceived and performed by French multi-instrumentalist Aaron Sadrin, writing all the music, from intense vocal melodies to heavy guitar hooks, sonic experimentations, and modern influenced soundscapes. Brought up on piano, switching to guitar, and now, vocal interest has transformed and opened up these visions of music as a whole, without any limits.

The debut EP "Injection" has been released in November 2014.

(c) by Heartlay, used with kind permission

Summary / Player / Download Link

This five track EP contains a very dedicated, unique piece of music with very intensive atmosphere and many, many chilling moments. I love this epicness of the style and sound!

The whole record comes in a very powerfull soundscape. It's from the very beginning up to the last track a very intensive listening feeling you'll have. Somehow it reminds me of a journey - it starts at a very loud beginning, then a lot of things happen which will see you reaching many highs and lows until you reach the end which is a set in a bit more silent way but the last notes give hope that this wasn't the last bit we've heard from the band. I hope the journey can be continued some day!

The sound is set in Rock music style and on various points even Heavy Metal elements come in. Nevertheless you'll hear that it doesn't come along packed in a traditional sound but with a lot of modern ways to produce such a record. Also I'm coming personally from the old-school days I like this modern approach. It brings in a lot of fresh air to the world of Rock music and innovation often comes along with experimentation not with staying the same way all the time in my opinion. It's also very diverse so it won't get boring, the tempo and mood changes quite often in each song.

The record has been set up as a free download on Bandcamp. Since you can name the price for the EP on Bandcamp it would be nice if you could give something back for what you've taken. You know making music ain't free so please consider this. Thanks! The download option on Bandcamp also let's you choice the format and quality. All the fines loseless music file-options this site offers are available with this EP,too.

If you want to keep a eye on what's further going on in the Heartlay cosmos make sure to follow the band on Facebook or have a look from time to time on their official website which also holds more links to other social accounts the band has a presence opened up for.

Track-by-Track Review

1.See You Under
Some soft guitars play some notes before a constant hard and heavy drum pattern gives the track the push movement forward. Haunting, spoken and distorted vocals add a lot to the atmosphere. The refrain kicks in with very dominating vocals and harder guitars. It feels a bit like a phoenix rises from the ashes.
This scenario grows even further as the six-strings go over into a heavy and hard riffing attack which is pushed by a double-bass drum part which makes this the blast part of the song. A slower part follows up which gives some time to breathe before some more intensive but slightly cleaner vocals lead the song back to the heavy style. The drum pattern from the very beginning comes back towards the end of See you under bringing this one to a slow but great ending. A great first track!

2.Leave Them All Behind
A very dark and heavy hitting riff along with pushing drums opens this one up. The tone is very raw and direct. A little change comes in with the vocals. It gets over to a bit more riff- and rhythm-oriented song before a blasting refrain kicks back in again which ends up in the raw tone of the beginning again.   The second verse and chorus go in the same way as the first did but the refrain comes in even more handy which makes this track ringing in your ears for quite some time after you've heard it. The solo section comes a bit softer around playing with the previous elements of melody and riffs in various ways. The refrain is repeated and the riff-hacking part comes back to life. The end reprises the maintheme and refrain and end with distorted guitars abruptly ending the track.

3.It Comes Alive
High peak six-strings open this one up before some softer vocals give a haunting chill to this piece of music. Set in a bit more midtempo structure this one plays around a lot with the various tones and effects of the guitars. While the first half features some vocals they are left oft the second half which goes even further into experimenting with raw and hard noises. This one needs a repeat to get fully through the complex song structure.

(c) by Heartlay, used with kind permission

4.Hidden
Haunting and chilling fearfull vocals open up this one. The refrain offers a tight, bright wall of sound. This has a strong effect on the listener. The following part feels much more frail and intensive after this treatment. A constant played melody brings back the intense atmosphere from the beginning but in a bit softer way. Then a sharp cut surprises the listener - some piano notes come to life making the follow up instrumental section to a very special one. It mixes up the previous used elements along with some riffs to end up in another sound explosion. Another sharp cut and very soft and slow notes bring this excellent piece of music towards the end. A very special gem, a must listen to all the music lovers out there!

5.White Walls
Ghostly drums start this one. Beautifull, soft notes jammed in with harder piano pieces build a very strong piece of sound again. Some drum variations along with some last guitar vibrations end this EP in a soft but very decent way. 

Pro-shot footage from Hellfest 2014 online

The festival season is running on full power. Last weekend the Hellfest 2014 was taking place in France. The TV station ARTE took the chance to capture some of the bands playing at the festival with professional equipment. They've set up a archive where you can watch the bands if you've missed them or want to re-live some of the memories of the festival.

Just head over to the overview page of the archive. There you'll find stuff from SEPULTURA, SABATON, THERAPY?, EMPEREOR, SHINING, DAGOBA, SOULFLY, M.O.D and ELUVEITIE. Just click on the play button in one of the preview pictures to enjoy the show.