Status: Single
City: BROKEN ARROW
State: Oklahoma
Country: US
Signup Date: 7/11/2008
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Wednesday, December 02, 2009
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Category: Music
 Some
of you may have had the fortune of already discovering this new and
promising solo-black metal project, but up until now very little
information was know about War Frozen. The only member, known as
"CHRISTHAMMER" pretty much blasted his way into everyone's speakers
when he launched the War Frozen myspace page with the mind-blowing song
"Ashes of Burning Human Souls".
Below is my interview with CHRISTHAMMER of War Frozen.
You can check them out at www.myspace.com/warfrozen
MBR: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, any big plans this year for Christmas?
WF: Hey MBR, thanks for asking me to be a part of this. No big plans for me this year, just hanging out with friends and family.
MBR:
War Frozen seems to have generated quite a buzz among Christian metal
fans. How do you feel about the positive response to your music? Was it
expected?
WF: I am pretty happy with the response I have had, I know my exposure has been
very limited, I have not been promoting or anything like that, but, the
song I have posted on the internet has been received very well. I was
expecting it to be a breath of fresh air, I know WAR FROZEN is not the
"melodic/triumphant" style that is very typical of Christian black
metal. I feel the style I play is something that is lacking in the
Christian scene, and I feel people want to hear it.
MBR:
Bands come to me by the truckload on the Metal Blessing Radio Myspace
page, but I was absolutely amazed when I heard your music. Two things
in particular surprised me, firstly you are a solo-project and do
everything yourself which you have done very well. Secondly your first
and only song at the time was very well put together. Have you played
in any previous bands?
WF: Thanks, I
appreciate it! I chose to do it by myself for time issues. I have a
very serious band that I play in, it takes up most of my personal time,
and it is a lot easier for me to do it this way. The song I have
recorded was written, arranged, recorded and mixed in about 8 hours. I
had the guitar riffs, but not in order. I had never attempted to play
the song on drums, as it is pretty hard to do when you don't have any
band members to jam with. My friend recorded it, at my jam spot, I
arranged the guitar riffs during the 10 min drive. When I recorded the
drum tracks, I hummed the guitar in my head, I did the drums tracks on
the first take, then I recorded 2 guitar tracks, a bass track, and
wrote the lyrics during the level adjustments after all the instruments
were recorded. I wish I had more time to put into the song, but the
time to record was available.
MBR: How many songs have been written so far? Any idea when we will have an album release?
WF:
"Ashes of Burning Human Souls" is the only song that is complete. As I
said earlier, I have a very serious band who is trying to finish
writing our second album so we can tour on it this summer. After the
writing/recording process is complete for my other band, I will be able
to focus on WAR FROZEN. I am hoping to have an album out by the end of
next year.
MBR: Now the name “War Frozen,” does it have any Christian or Biblical meaning? Why did you choose that name?
WF:
Sadly, no, WAR FROZEN has no special meaning. I was planning on
changing it, but after thinking about possible new names, I decided to
just stick with it. I could not think of a name with a meaning that I
would feel happy with.
MBR: What bands do you draw musical influences from? Also what albums frequent your cd player in your spare time?
WF:
I have always preferred Christian black metal over secular black metal,
death metal on the other hand is quite the opposite. For WAR FROZEN, my
musical influence are DARK FUNERAL and BELPHEGOR. Again, as i said
earlier, I feel this style of black metal is lacking in the Christian
metal scene, and this is one of the reasons I fell out of the scene
years back, the lack of music that appealed to me. I love Antestor,
Vardoger, Vaakevandring etc... but I always wanted to hear the fast, grim
dark sounding style, and I couldn't find it. As far as my favorite music
goes, it would have to be Extreme Death Metal. Bands like, Disgorge,
Defeated Sanity, Severe Torture, Inveracity, Deeds Of Flesh etc. On the
less brutal side of metal, I am always listening to Rhapsody and Luca
Turilli.
MBR: If you were only allowed to own one album what would that be? What is your absolute favorite CD?
WF: As of right now, Defeated Sanity "Psalms of the Moribund" is my favorite album to listen to.
MBR: Lyrically, what sort of topics or themes do you like to cover in your songs?
WF: I am planning on having lyrics for the purpose of encouraging other Christians.
I
am basically going to cover all the issues that I wanted to see in
Christian black metal, the things that I felt I didn't get from bands
when I was 100% in the scene.
MBR: As
I said previously I was blown away by your first song, because
generally a band’s first song doesn’t show off their full potential and
isn’t always that spectacular, but this was not the case with War
Frozen. How long does it usually take you to write a single song, and
about how much time was put into the song “Ashes of Burning Human
Souls”?
WF: My next song I record will
have a very good amount of time and thought put into it. If you like
the song I have now, which was EXTREMELY rushed, then you will be
stoked on the future music from WAR FROZEN.
MBR: Are you currently looking for a record label or do you plan on staying independent?
WF:
I have been talking with a few labels, I think I have something pretty
solid going with one. The label will be announcing the signing when it
happens, until then, I guess it's supposed to remain a secret,
THOUGH.... I will be releasing a 3 song promo through "Unblack Metal
Scene" who is releasing a compilation "Demolishing Diabolical
Strongholds". This compilation features WAR FROZEN's "Ashes of Burning
Human Souls".
MBR: Do you have a favorite scripture or passage you would like to share with us?
WF: Anything that encourages me to stand up for what is right and defend what is still good in this world.
Joshua 10:25
"Do
not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is
what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight."
Isaiah 41:10
"So
do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous
right hand."
MBR: Do you have anything you like to do in your spare time when your not writing music?
WF: Friends, Video Games, Movies, Camping.
MBR: Do you have anything you would like to add to the interview?
WF: WAR FROZEN FULL LENGTH AT THE END OF 2010!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!!
MBR: Thanks for doing this interview, I hope the recording process goes smooth and I’ll be watching for a release.
WF: Thanks again man!!! God Bless!!
-CHRISTHAMMER
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Tuesday, December 01, 2009
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Current mood:  refreshed
Category: Music
 This month we are bringing you a double dose of music! There will be
two featured bands for December to make up for the lack of one in
November. First off we have Ancient Plague, an ambient black metal
project who's debut is scheduled for an early 2010 release on Sullen
Records. If your a fan of the ambient style then this is definitely a
band to watch. The 2nd band interviewed is the new black metal
band War Frozen. Their interview should be posted within the following
week so stay tuned and dont miss it! Below is my interview with Ancient Plague You can check them out at www.myspace.com/bandancientplague______________________ MBR: Hey, how are things this time of year for you guys? Any special plans for this Christmas? Gedaliah:
Christmas for me is pretty much the same each year, spend it with my
entire family, which is easy cause there's only 11 of us! haha Alexis:
I have been very busy this year with university and stuff but thanks to
God I’m almost done. For this Christmas I just plan to do the usual
thing and spend some time with my family. MBR: First off, tell us a bit about Ancient Plague for those who may not be familiar with your music. Gedaliah:
For me Ancient Plague was an idea that i started which didn't really
fulfill what i wanted in a project, i was inspired by Azazel from bands
such as Dusk, Absum, Funeral Silence. I worked with him a lot in Holy
Night and i really loved what he was doing musically, and i wanted to
do something like that, unfortunately my attempt wasn't as good! haha.
Im a drummer, and a vocalist, not really much you can do when you want
to create a dark ambient project! haha. But i gave it ago and it sort
of went from there. I left it alone for a long while because i was busy
with Holy Night projects, but then i heard some songs Alexis had done,
and he was creating what i wanted to be doing! so i begged him to join
me and he did and now we make sweet music together! hahah MBR: I understand you are currently hard at work on your debut album. How is the progress coming along? Alexis: It’s coming along pretty well. We have some crazy ideas we plan to include on future songs. Gedaliah:
Yes we do as much as we can with our time. I let Alexis do all the work
of course! haha but seriously i am pretty excited on how everything is
turning out! MBR: Now Gedaliah, being a
graphic artist yourself do you feel you have a greater freedom and
flexibility on your album artwork? I imagine it probably makes that
stage of your album flow smoother. As opposed to letting someone else
interpret your idea for a design. Gedaliah:
Oh yes very! to be honest being the way i am with designing it has got
me in a lot of trouble in my old band! im very very very picky with
artwork, and in my mind, im always right! but im getting better with
that problem, cause Alexis likes what i do, so im happy! haha. MBR: When did Alexis become part of Ancient Plague, and what role does he play in the band? Gedaliah: Alexis joined this summer 2009. And he plays all Keys in the band . MBR:
Upon his joining Ancient Plague did Alexis bring anything unique and
new to the band, as opposed to it previously being a one-man project? Gedaliah:
Well the reason why i wanted Alexis to join was because of his talent
in Keys playing, the thing i totally lacked originally, so he brought
exactly what Ancient Plague was suppose to have in the beginning, an
amazing keys section. MBR: Since Ancient Plagues conception how has the music evolved? Have there been any major changes? Alexis:
Judging from the demo and from what we are doing now, there’s
definitely an evolution on the sound without leaving the ambient thing
forgotten. Gedaliah: Yeah just to
repeat on what Alexis has said, now we were are able to incorporate
more unique styles which before i couldn't alone. MBR: What is the title of your upcoming release? And how many tracks are going to be included on the album? Gedaliah:
Ohh thats a tough question really, we haven't fully decided on the name
yet, but the way the album is shaping out, something to do with Ancient
Cultures, but i won't say anymore, not to throw away the surprise haha.
And the number of tracks, we are planning on around 10-11, maybe more,
we are just seeing how everything pans out, picking the best of the
bunch. MBR: You are also involved in a
grindcore project called “Infectious Apostasy,” is there a release
being planned for that band as well? Gedaliah: Yeah i hope so in the future, but we have had to put Infectious on hold for now due to personal reasons. MBR: Alexis, do you play in any other bands or musical projects? Alexis: Not at the moment. But I’m dying to form a Gothic Metal band in the vein of (old) Tristania, Virgin Black and Trail Of Tears. MBR: As far as your work in Ancient Plague goes, where do you both draw your musical influences from? Gedaliah:
I would say my main influences have changed over time, in the beginning
of Ancient Plague, my main influences were. Dusk, Absum, Suspiria
Profundis, which was my inspiration really. But when Alexis joined i
opened up to other styles such as: Admonish, Dimmu Borgir, Ecthirion,
Phanerosis, Xasthur, Turisas, Kult ov Azazel. Mainly more guitar driven
artists, but not for the guitar parts but for the vocal styles. My main
influence for vocals has to be Admonish, i just love that rawness. I
obviously don't sing like that! but it has been a big influence for me. Alexis:
For this project my influences come from Gothic/Doom bands like
Draconian, Virgin Black. DSBM like Austere, Coldworld and some Darkwave
/ Neoclassical bands like Ophelia’s Dream and Dark Sanctuary as well as
classical music like Chopin and Satie. MBR:
Where did the idea for Ancient Plague come from? Also what is the
meaning behind your name? If I were to take a wild guess I would say
“Ancient Plague” represents sin, and how it is a plague in our lives
that has existed since the Garden of Eden, making it “Ancient”. Gedaliah:
Well you have pretty much nailed it on the head there! another meaning
for me is the "black death" plague that circled the globe really, the
wiped out 30-60% of europe in the 14th century. We are very very lucky
not to have lived through that! haha MBR:
Typically, how involved is the song-writing process for you? And how do
you normally get started with writing? Do you write the music together,
or do you each write separately and collaborate your ideas later? Alexis:
I usually start with the idea of a song, then I send it to Gedaliah and
he adds other effects, lyrics and the drums. Then he send it back to me
and we discuss what we like, what we could add, etc. MBR: When should we expect your album to be available to order? Alexis: Hopefully next year. MBR: Is there anything else either of you would like to say to those reading this interview? Gedaliah: Just to say thank you for the interview! and we pray that you will be blessed in God! Alexis: Thanks for the interview. And remember that all things are possible through God. MBR: Thank you very much for your time and I will be looking forward to the debut album.
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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Current mood:  rockin
Category: Writing and Poetry
 Christmas is just around the corner, and with it comes the winter season. Many of you have winterized your cars, but now I must ask you...have you winterized your speakers? If not then dont worry, Metal Blessing Radio will be giving away a package of FOUR CDs of icy, frostbitten metal to keep you and your speakers cool, that is if the snow is not enough. Heres how to enter: Send me your best real-life Christmas story from your own experience and whichever is chosen as the best story wins the CDs. Your Christmas story can be funny, inspiring or whatever but remember it MUST be true to qualify, nothing made up. Send inquiries to: metalblessingradio@gmail.comWith the subject titled "Christmas Story". Myspace messages also accepted, but please provide an email address for contact. Upon winning you will be notified and asked for your shipping address, and your story will be published on the website. The winner will receive: Immortal Souls - Ice Upon the Night Immortal Souls - Wintereich Winter's Dawn - Wandering Through the Realm of Frosted Beauty O, Majestic Winter - An Autumn Moon If Santa listens to metal in his sleigh, then he is likely listening to these bands! The winner will be chosen around mid December Good luck!
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Wednesday, November 04, 2009
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Current mood:  awake
Category: Music
For those that do not regularly check the official website ( www.metalblessingradio.com), there is no featured band for November due to my time being focused on relocating. This past weekend was spent moving into a new residence and after the move Metal Blessing Radio is back in full force with only 2 days of downtime! To make up for the lack of an interview this month I have treated you to an extra long podcast this month, so enjoy the new epic, 2 hour podcast where you get to learn the ABCs...Metal Blessing Radio style Podcast can be accessed in a variety of places: - Our Podcast are always available on iTunes for free - Podcasts may also be streamed or downloaded at: www.metalblessingradio.podomatic.com- Finally you may also stream all podcasts directly from our website: http://www.metalblessingradio.com/Podcast.html
 | Currently listening:
Inner Sanctum
By Grave Robber
Release date: 2009-10-13 |
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Monday, September 28, 2009
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Category: Music
This month I am bringing you something special
in time for Halloween. Many of you remember at the turn of the
millennium when Rackets & Drapes started to surface and gained
popularity with their Gothic metal infused brand of shock-rock. After a
number of stellar releases the band unfortunately stopped recording
music. I have had the pleasure of interviewing Kandy Kane this month,
and hopefully we can not only learn some things about the band, but
also learn about Kandy’s latest projects and what the future may hold.
So essentially you will find out, “What is Rackets & Drapes doing
now?”
Also don't miss this month's podcast, it will include
songs from various Rackets & Drapes albums as well as an audio
interview which was recorded back in 1999 on their now rare "The Sick
and the Beautiful" EP
www.myspace.com/racketsanddrapesofficial
________________________________
MBR:
Its great to have this opportunity to interview you, I’ve been looking
forward to this interview. How is everything going for you in Denver?
KK:
Things are great and very, very busy. Life is great and it’s my
favorite time of year here. Fall is just absolutely gorgeous in
Colorado.
MBR: Now
there are a lot of things I want to ask you about in this interview.
I’ll be asking questions about the band, as well as about what you are
doing now, but lets start at the beginning. I have read elsewhere that
the band was originally called Human Soup, is this true? Also how
different was the music compared to the sound we are used to in Rackets
& Drapes?
KK:
You are well informed. We were originally Human Soup (which is a
description of people in a mosh pit) but there were already about 50
bands called that, so we switch in January 1995. It was the same style,
not as dark, but had the same principals. With the name change we added
more synths and that’s what really gave us our sound for the future.
MBR:
I have heard multiple explanations for the meaning behind the name
“Rackets & Drapes” but have never seen an official statement. One
of the more popular ones I have seen is that it means you make a
“Racket” about topics that were usually “Draped” (or covered up, etc).
I have also heard that a “Racket” is a group of people and that in
short it means “A group of people covered by Jesus”.
KK:
That’s one thing about R&D. Everything from our name to our songs
had different meanings to different people. I always thought that was
pretty cool. For me, it was making noise about things that are brushed
under the covers. Subject matter we just don’t want to address or talk
about.
MBR: Looking
back it seems you guys had a pretty awesome ministry going on with
Rackets & Drapes. Did you have a good response at concerts? And did
you incorporate any form of theatrics such as those used by Saviour
Machine?
KK: We got
to experience the worst and the best. From protests to people changing
their lives. It’s really an interesting road we were on. Our theatrics
were much different than Saviour Machine’s. Some similarities, but
presented different. I guess we both just want to put on a great show
and have everyone walk away with a feeling that it was worth the money.
MBR:
It’s no secret that your music was met with controversy so I don’t want
to spend a great deal of time talking about that, because I’m sure
that’s old news to you. I never really understood the problem with face
paint anyway. Clowns look a lot scarier than any black-metaler out
there in my opinion. Did all the Marilyn Manson comparisons drive you
crazy? How did you handle it when someone tried to accuse you of
copying? Sometimes I think I was the only one who never could tell the
similarity in the music.
KK:
Honestly, I knew it was coming once Manson hit the scene. Mind you, we
were doing the shock image at the time MM and the Spooky Kids were
around. In a way it’s a love/hate thing. There always seem to be a
“christian” version of something out there. I don’t care for that one
bit. It’s like saying christian music to secular is like morphine to
heroin. I think most people changed their opinion once they saw us live
or really listen to us. I received a lot of email of people who changed
their minds once they gave us a legitimate listen. My scream is much
different than his, and our riffs were more about moshing than heavy.
You have to remember, we had been around for 3 years before we were
even discovered by the christian market. And when we did hit, it was
right in the middle of the ska/punk wave. Goths didn’t like us, too
heavy. Punks didn’t like us, too metal. Metal heads didn’t like us, too
much keyboard. We were really stuck in no man’s land when it came to
fitting in a scene. Try being us and playing between ska bands at a
festival. Not pretty.
MBR:
Recently I was lucky enough to find a copy of your “The Sick and the
Beautiful” EP along with a Therapy Patient ID Card. After reading the
card I have to say that was a great way to connect with the fans. How
did you come up with the idea to include the ID cards?
KK:
It was a newer card that more people could get. People who pre-ordered
Candyland got the first card. There was only 300 of those made and it
was before we went with MCM. Our old manager had the idea and we all
thought it was a pretty good one.
MBR:
On “The Sick and the Beautiful” the EP closes with “Storytime with
Rackets and Drapes”. This is an interesting interview as it doesn’t
really reveal much about the band, but seems to be just a bit of random
fun (nothing wrong with that). Did you record this specifically for the
EP?
KK: Yes, and we
had no idea what was going to be asked. It was all on the spot and we
kept recording no matter what happened. Listen closely and you can hear
us trying not to loose it the whole time. It was really a lot of fun. I
might do it again.
MBR: What are the other band members doing now? And are any of them in other bands?
KK: I haven’t the slightest idea. LOL. As far as I know, only Larvae has continued music but that’s all I have heard.
MBR:
Now I’m sure everyone is wondering about this new song on your myspace
page “DOA Only the Lonely”. Has this new project temporarily been put
on hold or will there possibly be more music in the future?
KK:
That is something I just decided to throw together a while ago thinking
this might be the sound we were going to go with. But that was over a
year ago and that sound is definitely not what I want now. Everyone
knows that R&D albums change, and this time around it will be
different again. I am in the works with possible musicians to do
something soon. I’m not rushing anything, but it is in the works.
MBR:
I notice there are some songs on your myspace page that don’t seem to
have been released. These songs include “Murder Me” and an alternate
version of “Rotten Apples”. Were these unreleased tracks or were they
included on a foreign release or something?
KK:
There were 3 songs that were pulled. Murder Me, Suicide Machine, and
Kill Your Self. At the time, the Columbine incident was still on minds
of many, so it was thought a good idea to not push the issue. With us
being labeled “goth” and with titles like that, it was going to cause
too much of an uproar, so we decided to hold them from albums and just
do them live.
MBR: Now
from looking at your myspace page it looks like you are working on some
3D animation. When did you become interested in 3D animation?
KK:
Many years ago actually. I really love comics but can’t draw a stick
person. So I got this program to do comics and it’s evolved into
animating.
MBR: It
appears you are working on two mini-series at the moment. “Candyland”
and “Aladdin”. Do either of these have any Christian meaning or
symbolism, or are you just trying to get your name out there in the
animation industry?
KK:
No allegorical meanings there, although Candyland does have twists in
it. The Alladin thing is just something I am toying with, but then
again it’s all about time. Doing full animated films take time and
that’s something I don’t really have a lot of. If anything, in the near
future I will either do 3D animated comics or mini-sodes on you tube.
It would be nice to be noticed and get a chance to work with a large
company but I’m not counting on it right now. Only time will tell on
that.
MBR: Tell us a bit about the Candyland and Aladdin mini-series’ you are working on.
KK:
Candyland is about the return of me. Years ago the message board on our
website was called the Asylum. Crazy things went on there and really
make a great story. I don’t want to say too much and give it away. You
will just have to stay tuned for it. I have a comic done right now, but
am trying to make it an animated mini-series. So much more can be done
movie style versus comics. Again, it’s about time. Alladin is a remake
of the Disney story, only with my vision to it. Lago and Abu are people
and Abu is mute. I plan on redoing 3 Disney stories. Alladin, Peter
Pan, and Sleeping Beauty. Hopefully it might get my name out there, if
not, I will just put it out myself for now.
MBR: Do you have plans on trying to develop video games, or are you sticking with movie-style animation?
KK:
I’m not much of a gamer, although I really like the Assassin’s Creed
style game. If I had a chance to get into it I think I could do it
well. My animation is much like a video game style, but that’s all you
can do without spending millions on programs and computers. What I use
is perfect and can put out quality things in HD, but that’s as big as I
can do right now.
MBR: Do you have a tentative release date for any of your projects?
KK:
Starting in 2010, it will be one after another. I will be spending the
rest of this year getting it done, promotion, and working on the album.
I will have all the info on the myspace page. I’m still casting
characters for Alladin and doing voice acting tryouts. Anyone
interested can send me a message on Myspace and I will get back to you.
MBR:
Well Thank you for doing this interview, its been a pleasure. Is there
anything else you would like to say to anyone who reads this?
KK:
I’m am very blessed to have had the support over the years from the
greatest fans a band could have. The Therapy Patients are what fueled
it, so I think it’s time for something new for them. Shock on and thank
you for your time and interest too.
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Monday, September 14, 2009
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Category: Music
This month at Metal Blessing Radio we bring you
Seventh Reign, a power metal band hailing from Canada. Below you can
read my interview with them.
Be sure to check out this month's podcast to hear some songs off of Seventh Reign's new album!
______________________________________________
MBR: Hello, how are things in Canada? If you don’t mind, would you introduce the band members?
Seventh
Reign: Things are fantastic here in the Great White North. The band is
from the province of Ontario and we all in different areas but are
within 3 hours of one another.
Our line up is:
Marios Panayiotis- Guitars
Adrian Robichaud- Bass
Jared Tomlinson-Keyboards
Johnny Roberts- Drums
And myself Brian Soulard- Vocals
MBR:
I am surprised I had not known of you guys previously before receiving
your material, how long have you been writing music as Seventh Reign?
Seventh
Reign: Marios and I established the band in January of 2005. He had
tons of material written from the past. We incorporated some of that
material into songs for the 1st and 2nd album but there were also many
brand new songs created specifically for 7th Reign. Our debut self
titled album was released in April of 2007
MBR:
I have not had a chance to hear your previous release, but I was
impressed by “Fallen Empires”. Has the album release been met with as
much success as you hoped?
Seventh
Reign: The feedback for the material has been excellent. Of course
being independent means that the music is not reaching as many people
as you would like. But, this album has definitely been a stepping stone
towards possibly having the band signed and seeing the music
distributed properly. We feel that the music is very strong and the
overall album can compete with anything that is currently out and
signed to major labels.
MBR: You know,
its easy to think to yourself, “if you’ve heard one power metal
band…you’ve heard them all.” I had felt this way before listening to
“Fallen Empires”, but I was proven wrong. In your opinion, what do you
feel sets your music apart from other bands in this genre?
Seventh
Reign: Well, good question! We really don’t consider ourselves as being
restricted to power metal only. We are just trying to create passionate
music through the forum that we Seventh Reign: know best, which is
Heavy Metal. There are so many classifications under that umbrella and
we don’t feel like we need to be stifled by one or the other. The music
is varied as is our musical influences. Every musician tries their best
to be original and unique but that is becoming harder and harder to do.
I feel we are lucky to have a writer like Marios who to me writes very
original material that sounds fresh with every new song.
MBR:
You closed your new album with two nice epic songs; Deliverance, and
Requiem for the Dead. Out of curiosity though why did you choose to
have a child speak the spoken portion in Requiem for the Dead? No
complaints here, I thought it was a different, but nice touch.
Seventh
Reign: I am sure you know that the child speaking in Requeim is my
daughter! This was Marios’ idea all the way. This particular song holds
a strong amount of emotion for him and he was able to write the
beautifully poetic speech. My daughter has that naturally sympathetic
voice that just fits perfectly over the music. She did a great job…one
take for those lines by the way!!
MBR:
I have to say my two favorite songs on your new album are Unbeliever,
and 7th Reign. I hear this was the 2nd time the 7th Reign song has been
recorded. Why did you choose to re-record it, and were you pleased with
the result? I have not heard your original version.
Seventh
Reign: Haha, oh boy, 7th Reign, yes we have actually recorded that tune
and mixed it etc numerous times. This was actually the very first 7th
Reign song that was every written and worked on between Marios and
myself. It helped us to establish an identity for the band. At the time
though our recording and post production capabilities were just not at
a high enough quality to properly release this song. Holding back on
releasing this song on our 1st album was very difficult. We knew it
would be well received and would help us obtain our goals. But, even
though we knew people outside of the band would enjoy the song, we were
not totally satisfied and that is what really matters. We need to be
happy.
In the end we finally did the song justice and gave it the
production value it deserved. In the future this will be a good
reference point for us to work with as we write and record new material.
MBR: Do you guys do a lot of touring in Canada? Is there a usually a pretty good response from the audience?
Seventh
Reign: No touring happening at the moment. However, when we have played
the material live it is always met with a great reception. Our music
resonates strongly live even to people who have never heard us before.
As a band we have some unique individuals who make a live performance
exciting and fresh to watch.
MBR: How
is the metal scene in Canada? I don’t know of many Canadian metal bands
in the Christian scene. The only band that comes to mind is Sympathy.
Seventh
Reign: The Metal scene is probably the same as always, it is small but
mighty. We put out some great bands up here. I am really not familiar
with any “Christian” bands as a classification. We really don’t
classify ourselves that way. We are just trying to write music that we
believe in and write lyrics that inspire and send a positive message.
MBR: Where do you draw influences from and what bands inspire you to play music?
Seventh
Reign: We like to say that our musical foundation is built on the roots
of Metal, the godfather’s of the genre that created something unique;
Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Black Sabbath etc. We are also
very influenced by the European scene with bands like Startovarius and
Nightwish at the top. There are so many artists and bands that can have
a positive effect on you from around the world and from time past. We
are all heavily influenced by classical and myself theatrical music
too…….the list goes on and on.
MBR: Have you already started writing material for your 3rd album?
Seventh
Reign: Marios has enough cool ideas floating around for 10 more
albums!! Seriously though, Marios has been slowly constructing material
and as well Jared has some created pieces that I am sure will find
their way to the album as well. I have been writing lyrics and themes a
bit as well. It will probably start taking some shape during the late
fall.
MBR: Is there anything you can tell us about the next album yet? Do you have any surprises in store for us?
Seventh
Reign: We will be keeping close the same format that we have
established with epic like tunes and meaning to the lyrics. All I can
say about the theme is that the “Gate is Narrow”.
MBR: I enjoyed the vocal layering near the end of Unbeliever, will we be hearing anymore of that in the future?
Seventh
Reign: Thanks and yes I believe we will do some more experimenting with
harmonies in the future. I actually love layered thick vocals but as it
turns out the melodies are strong enough to stand on their own and we
end up scraping ideas or tracks and just have me as the one voice
narrator! Some of my favourite vocalist of all time are presented in a
similar way.
MBR: Do you have any plans on touring outside of Canada anytime soon?
Seventh
Reign: Not really at this point. Obviously that would be great as I
believe there are many markets that would love to hear this band. But
without some proper support we really couldn’t tour. There will likely
be opportunities for playing smaller festivals and such though in the
future.
MBR: Do you have a favorite Bible verse or passage you would like to share with everyone?
Seventh
Reign: As was hinted upon earlier, right now there is focus on the gate
and what we need to ensure we are on the right path.
MBR: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, is there anything else you would like add for any of the readers?
Seventh
Reign: Nothing really to add, good thought provoking questions and we
really appreciate the opportunity to showcase our music with this great
station.
Take care and God Bless,
Brian
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
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Current mood:  inspired
Category: Music
Metal Blessing Radio has started it's own forum and is taking requests for official band forums. If you are in a Christian band and are in need of a forum, please request one by sending a message The forums are located at: www.metalblessingradio.heavenforum.com
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Saturday, July 25, 2009
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Current mood:  determined
Category: Music
This month at Metal Blessing Radio I had the
pleasure of interviewing none other than David Benson of Dbeality. I
was able to ask David many interesting questions not only about his
music, but also about himself. David Benson is currently working on
finishing his new upcoming live Dbeality album, so be sure to keep up
and don’t miss its release!
David Benson is known for his
signature vocal style which is often compared to that of Ozzy Osbourne.
Do not be fooled by the comparisons though! David is not a carbon-copy;
his vocals although similar to Ozzy’s still retain their own style and
unique sound.
What are you waiting for? Read the interview and find out more about David Benson!
Check him out on myspace at:
www.myspace.com/dbeality1
MBR: Hi David, It’s quite an honor to have the chance to interview you. How is South Carolina this time of year?
David: It is very warm and humid as you expect South Carolina to be, I love the Summer.
MBR:
My fiancé grew up in Lancaster, and she has told me many good things
about the area. Do the Carolinas have a strong metal scene?
David: Yes there is a small scene, but the artist such as secular Band Nile and myself and Rob Cassels. Thing are pretty good.
MBR: When did you become interested in recording music?
David:
Its just something that has always been inside of me since I was a kid,
It is my destiny and calling, To serve my Savior through music,
dispelling the lie of the evil one, and his deceptions.
MBR:
You previously recorded albums under the name “David Benson,” but your
new material is being recorded under the name “Dbeality.” What was the
reason for the name change? Or are they both considered to be separate
projects?
David: The vision for
Dbeality was to be a band moniker, but evolved into being just another
David Benson release. David Benson and Dbeality are one in the same,
hence David Benson's Dbeality!
MBR: Has the Dbeality album been received pretty well?
David:
It has been well received, it is not that far off from my other albums,
I have released, still just good Doom Oriented Hard Rock.
MBR:
Is there a meaning behind the name “Dbeality”? If I had to make a wild
guess I would say maybe it means that you deliver a message of reality
through sound (decibels), but I could be completely wrong.
David:
You are exactly right in your assumption, it is my initials added to
reality, but the db in dbeality is also not only my initials but
decibel . That was the idea when me and Robert (Sweet) were
brainstorming while recording this album.
MBR:
It’s no secret that your vocals are often reminiscent of Ozzy Osbourne.
But do you welcome these comparisons, or does it have a tendency to get
a bit irritating?
David: No, I take it as a compliment, I think it a blessing, not irritating at all!
MBR:
Have you ever considered covering any Ozzy or Black Sabbath songs?
“After Forever” is commonly viewed as a very Christian influenced song.
David: The thought has crossed my mind a time or two...But we will see.............
MBR: Who are some of the more influential artists in your music? And also what are some of your favorite things to listen to?
David:
Of course there is the obvious Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heap,
Stryper, Rob Cassels, Mylon Lefevre. And alot of cool 70's and 80's
bands.
MBR: I have really enjoyed
listening to your Dbeality album. I notice that Robert Sweet is
credited as contributing to the drums. How did you become acquainted
with him?
David: Thanks very much Bro, for your support and compliment. I got hooked up with Robert, through a mutual friend in Nashville.
MBR:
Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to write the song “C.o.S.”?
Did you have any past experience with Leveyan Satanism before becoming
a Christian? If so, how did God bring you out of it?
David:
No, I actually grew up in Church. As I said in the beginning of
interview, I have been called to dispel the lies and myths. And
hopefully challenge someone who life is driven by this belief or
ideology. To hopefully show them the lie and the other side of the coin.
MBR:
I understand you are working on a live album at the moment. How is that
coming along, and can you give us an estimate of when it may be
available?
David: The Live album will be released and will be supported by a Tour In Europe October and December 2009.
MBR:
In addition to the live album, when is the next official Dbeality
release planned? And is there any information you can give us on the
next album yet?
David: The new studio album will be released in 2010 sometime.
MBR: I see you recently toured in Europe, did it bring good results? Also when do you plan on doing your next U.S. tour?
David: Yes it was great, We are looking at touring in the States next Summer.
MBR:
Out of all of the songs you have ever recorded which song is your
personal favorite or has the most meaning to you, and why?
David:
That is a tough question to answer, because each song is meaningful in
and of its self. But if I had to pick one it would be "Holy
Psychotherapy". I wrote this song to encourage a school friend of mine
that was going through detox.
MBR: Is there any chance that we will someday see some re-releases of your earlier material?
David: Yes, you will see that very soon. The re-issue of all my older material.
MBR:
I want to thank you for doing this interview, it’s been quite a
privilege, and best of luck on your upcoming live album. Is there
anything else you would like to add for the readers?
David: Thanks very much for all of your support of fans , Both old and New! I look forward to meeting all of you on the road.
 | Currently listening:
Self-tiled
By Dbeality
Release date: 2005-10-31 |
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
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Current mood:  accomplished
Category: Music
Thats right, I am happy to announce that Metal Blessing Radio is now providing you with FREE Christian metal ringtones! Ringtones are available for our featured bands, and more will be posted monthly. Check out the website to get your free ringtones! Click Here for your free Ringtones!or use the window below
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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Current mood: accomplished
This month I was able to interview Dave of Within the Torn Apart. Dave's answers are very informative not only about himself and WTTA, but also regarding the genre of drone, and what it's about. Drone is a taste that must be acquired, and hopefully you will acquire a taste for WTTA! Dont forget to listen to this month's podcast! The Podcast of Doom! www.metalblessingradio.podomatic.com_____________________________ MBR: Hey Dave, I hope all is well with you. Can you tell us a bit about WTTA and what you do? WTTA: Wtta is a doom drone band I’ve been working under since 2007, it started under the name “In Emptiness” and made a 2 track demo that is no longer available, although I did include one of the demo tracks on the e.p i just put out, as for what I do I make 90% of the music, Elan makes the other 10, but this will change as soon as the second album gets started on, by then Elan will be making 30% of the music since he will be incorporating drums into the mix, I handle all bass, guitars and drones, and some vox, Elan handles drums, ambience and soundscapes, and some vox, then we have Fire whom is our session vocalist and Mikey Erasmus whom will more than likely do session vox anytime as wellMBR: Now WTTA is a Drone project, which of course is not the most widely popular genre by any means. How would describe drone to a new listener, and what tips would you give to help someone acquire a taste for this genre?
WTTA: First and foremost turn your lights out, sit back first against your sub speaker, turn the bass up full and volume up full, and drone out, thats how our music should be listened to, as for people getting into drone theres no real way to explain it, its all about the (((vibrations))))))), its all about the riff, drone is not meant to be technical or pretty, its about being taken to another realm, or as Greg Anderson puts it its like an audio massage, its about being able to feel the music, not just hear it, but this genre is very hard to accept, so the average music fan cannot nor will not feel at home here, if you have a scene mind then you definitely will hate this music, but if your an open minded and id even go as far as to say spiritual minded person then you will be able to appreciate drone.MBR: If you will, give us a brief history of WTTA and where you are now. I understand that Sullen Records will be releasing your next full-length album; how does this make you feel? WTTA: WTTA started out in 2007, under the name “In Emptiness” as I previously stated, after I found out a satanic band had the name first i dropped it, Mr Morder helped me come up with Within The Torn Apart, it has a double meaning, the first being the Lord living within my torn apart past, wiping it away, making me whole again, and the other meaning is a tribute to one of my all time favorite bands Napalm Death, which has ties to a couple of different drone influenced bands, including Scorn, Lull, and Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine, and of course one of the greatest doom bands of all time, Cathedral, as for Sullen releasing my debut that is sweet, and I really thank James for that, as for future releases we will see eh?MBR: I have to be honest, I am not yet educated in the way of drone, but I am working on it. What are some of your influences, and what artists would you recommend to people who want to find a good example of what drone is all about? I’ve heard you talk about Sunn, but I still haven’t got a chance to check them out yet.
WTTA: I would say your first stop should be Earth 1 and 2, then Sunn o))), listening to Earth's first 2 albums you will hear the birth of doom drone, and listening to Sunn you will hear it perfected, these 2 bands surpass all others, well Earth did with their first 2 albums, now they play drone influenced sludge/stoner doom, if I were to recommend just 2 albums to really get someone into drone I would say Earth 1 and Sunn o))) Alter, or Black 1
MBR: As I write this interview, my dog and myself are listening to your “Drone In – Blood Out” album. If I understand correctly this album is more of timeline of WTTA, is there a change in sound or direction on the new material being released on Sullen?WTTA: Yes it is, and yeah there is a huge difference in sound, to get the best idea listen to the first track and then the last track, and the last track is only a taste of what the new material sounds like,lol
MBR: What are a few of your favorite albums of all time? Also who are some of your personal favorite bands/artists?WTTA:
1.Faith No More-Angel Dust
2.Sunn o)))-Alter or Black 1, and White 1, sorry, cant pick just one
3.Napalm Death-Fear Emptiness Despair
4.Earth-1
5.Saint Vitus-Born Too Late
6.Paramaecium-the first 3 albums, sorry i know i cheated,lol
7.Megadeth-Killing is my Business
8.Metallica-Master of Puppets
9.Argyle Park Misguided
10.Circle of Dust-Brainchild, and the Brainchild project as wellMBR: So how did you acquire your taste for drone and ambient? And when did you become interested in creating this type of music yourself?WTTA: I first got into ambient by listening to some live Pink Floyd with my dad as a kid, 7 or 8 years old, as for drone I got into it in the early 90's after first hearing Earth, doom i got into in 87 when i fell in love with Saint Vitus, Born Too Late was my first favorite album, as for making ambient I’ve been making it as far back as 93, my dad has always been in bands, and always had a recording studio in our house, so I learned early since he always trusted me not to break his instruments and recording equipment, I first started making noise drone with a 4 track, a bass and guitar and a lot of effects, then I moved on to ambient a couple years later, by this time I had a live doom band which was influenced by Saint Vitus and Black Flag, so it was a fast doom,lol, I made over 30 tapes worth of material from my ambient project which was nameless back then, as soon as I can figure out how to transfer them to my computer I will be using them for a project, the material ranges in age from 93 to 2003, as for my noise drone I have 2 tapes worth of that, but I don’t know if I’ll ever release it, I love it personally and listen to it alot, this being the main reason I make my own music, really and truly its for myself, so I can listen to what I want to hear, if I make it then it will be exactly that with no filler,lol, and if people dig my music along the way then its just a blessingMBR: I will be featuring some of your new music on the July podcast, is there anything you would like to tell people before they venture to listen to WTTA?
WTTA: Take a dump first,lol, inside drone joke, um make sure your not busy, you can’t just listen to a track for a minute or 2 and leave and come back to it, the whole point of the song will be lost, if you can’t listen to it from the first tone to the ending tone then you’re missing the point and I’d rather you not listen to it at all, this is not to be rude but I put my heart and soul into this music, and if it’s not taken seriously then i take that personally, point being drone is not just a radio friendly venture into a 3 minute track,lol most intros in drone are double that, you will rarely hear a track under 7 minutes in drone, most go over 10 though
MBR: What kind of things do you like to do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies? WTTA: Music is what i do 75% of the time, when im not working on music i am a pro wrestling fanatic, basball fanatic, i try and catch as many drillers games as possible, and im a video game fanatic, and my 3 kids, they are a part of everything I do, they are my life, and then there's my time with God, one hour a day reading my bible and learning the word of god and 4 hours on Sunday since i don’t go to church, and 15 minutes at night praying to our God for peace in my lifeMBR: How does the song-writing process normally go for you, and how do you usually go about creating some of the unique soundscapes that we hear within the music of WTTA? WTTA: Well thats a hard one to answer, usually I will spend a couple weeks making the very base of the tracks, which starts with alot of ambience which is usually lost during the completion of the song, but it fills in all the cracks along the way, then I lay down the bass lines, and then the guitar tracks, then mold all of that together, then lay down the vox, and then throw some effects over the mix and then master it, usually a typical song can take anywhere from a week to a month to create, but sometimes alot longer,lol it took me the better part of a year to get the sound to where it is now, but i also have to factor in my kids being here, and alot of other things that effect the recording process
MBR: And as far as lyrics and subject matter are concerned, where do you draw most of your lyrical influence from? WTTA: The bible and my personal life, the second album will be alot more biblical themed, but the debut deals alot with my divorce and my depression, and God’s eternal love, and how he fixes everythingMBR: Has the drone scene responded well to your music? WTTA: Very well, the secular scene knowing it’s a Christian project has embraced it as well as the Christian scene, WTTA is doing very well, God has blessed me
MBR: What does the future hold for Within The Torn Apart?WTTA: Not sure, I know the second album will be started on in December but from there only God knowsMBR: Thank you for doing this interview, is there anything else you would like to say to any one who is reading? WTTA: Thank you eternally for listening to WTTA, God bless you
 | Currently listening:
Dalit
By Dalit |
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