INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST/VOCALIST JEFF SUMRELL FROM THE BAND SOLACE OF REQUIEM

I am happy to announce another interview, this one happens to be with Jeff Sumrell from the amazingly talented and dedicated Black/Death Metal band known as Solace of Requiem. 3 words to describe the latest album entitled Casting Ruin would be: EPIC FUCKING BRUTALITY. Here's the interview!

UN: How did you know you wanted to become a musician?

JS: My first love with music came from my father. He was really heavily into music when I was growing up and I had the same kind of love for music that he had, but it wasn't until I went to my first concert that I decided I wanted to be a musician. I got a chance to see Metallica at the Hampton Colosseum in Virginia when I was a kid and I instantly knew I wanted to not only be a musician, but a bass player as well.

UN: What are your favorite songs off of the albums SOR has released?

JS: I have different songs that I call my favorites off of our albums. I'm a bias source of information, obviously, but I guess I have favorites on each of my albums. Having said that, I am a lyrical minded artist so I tend to like the work I've done that I feel best relay my points. From our first album I really like is The Ocean North, which I wrote about my falling marriage. From our second album Utopia Reborn, I like Cry Out For Mercy, which I wrote about the growing problems between the world's religions. From our third album, The Great Awakening, I like Scourge of Wills which is a song about me. And from our newest album, Casting Ruin, I really have many parts to many songs I am extremely proud of. However, if I could choose only one, I'd have to say my favorite is Eroded Absolution. I'd choose that song for a few different reasons. One reason is that I wrote that song completely alone. It is also my personal story about becoming an Atheist. And I just love that second riff! It's just so dirty! Ha ha ha ha ha!

UN: Where has been a favorite place you have performed LIVE?

JS: I love playing live no matter where it is. As long as I have an audience, I love to play! I think all the guys in my band would agree. As long as there are people, that's all that matters. It's really about what you make of it. There's no such thing as a bad show.

UN: Who are your influences both personally and musically?

JS:  In my opinion, as far as sick-genius goes, Liszt was the most complex composer. Out of all the greats, I feel he was the greatest. Maybe it’s because of his extremely dynamic style, but I think I admire him most for his melodies and progressions. His music paints landscapes that are not only complex, but are also “futuristic”, if I used the word while imagining the perspective of a critic from his time. I have a special admiration for his work and I am most certainly influenced by his music. Anyone that knows me also knows I am a huge Jerry Cantrell fan. The only negative he has is that he isn’t an amazing guitarist. He’s good, but nowhere close to guitar god. However, everything else about him is dangerously close to perfect. His music, lyrics, as well as his singing are incredible. His composition is absolutely amazing and I’d say I am influenced by his music very much. Cantrell, as well as Liszt, both have a darker vibe to their melodies, structures and dynamics therein. There are others that I admire and/or influenced by, but those two people are in a tie for first place in my book. UN: Who came up with the name Solace of Requiem? JS: When the band first started back in the early part of this millennium, Chris Young, Luke Downing and I, all sat down and pitched each other ideas. I think it was by mistake that I said “Solace Of Requiem” and everyone seemed to agree on it. We wanted the name to mean something, so we had “solace”, “requiem” and several other words in mind, but it took a while before we put those words together with “of." UN: What band really stands out for you nowadays? JS: Behemoth is definitely a band I have tons of respect for. Nergal is an interesting guy. His life was/is really busy and he’s not a dummy when it comes to music and business in general. However, the honest truth is that I listen to extreme music often, but it’s not my only passion. Like I said before, I really admire Jerry Cantrell and Franz Liszt. Both of those guys have nothing to do with extreme music. So there are other bands that standout to me, but they aren’t metal, nor are all of them bands.

UN: How did the tour go?

JS:The tour with Ulcerate and Wormed went really well. He played tons of great shows, met great people and had a great time. So it worked very well for us on all fronts.

UN: Do you stay in contact with the fans and bands you meet while on tour and off tour?

JS:Sure I do. It’s not uncommon for all the guys in the band to remain in contact with certain people they meet along the way. That’s one of the best things about being a touring musician. You get to meet so many interesting people. Some of them are assholes. There are assholes on all corners of the globe, but most people we meet are really friendly and are there for the same reason I am. For the love of music. UN: What is the next step for you and for Solace of Requiem? JS: SOR will be writing a new album soon. In the meantime, we’ll be releasing our Guitar Pro tablature for Soiling The Fields Of Putridity, which is the song we made our video for. We will also be releasing a new music video and a Guitar Play-Through video for our song Heaving Bile And Ash. As for my personal ambitions, I am going to do a hardrock project that I have recently written material for. I will sing, play the instruments (except drums) and ultimately record 2 or 3 songs as a demo. I will also be doing a black metal project with a friend of mine from Germany. The project is called Gryphus and I will be going into the studio to record the vocals for that project very soon. I have a few other irons in the fire, but I guess those are the major ones on the list. UN: What would you say has been your most accomplished moment in your life so far? JS: I’d have to say the birth of my children. I know how Cliche’ it sounds, but if I had to be honest, I’d definitely say that was my answer. UN: Any last words for Underground Noise? JS: Yes. Thanks Alex and Underground Noise for having me. And also, I would like your readers to know that SOR supports a secular world and we strongly advocate the full use of the brain! We are just now seeing religion catch the mainstream eye and show its true nature to the world once more. Religion is a vile and disgusting thing and it has done nothing but cause grief, misery and contempt since the first time it was used to control the masses and suppress critical thinking. I would like your readers to know that SOR not only gives attention to this within our music and videos, but we also give 10% of our online clothing sales to secular children’s charities in regard to science and/or the arts. It all starts with the kids. We can’t save them from stupid at 35 years old, but we can save them from being indoctrinated into such a narrow minded culture in the first place. HAIL SCIENCE! Thanks!
Jeff W/ Solace Of Requiem

http://www.solreq.com
https://www.facebook.com/solaceofrequiem
http://www.youtube.com/solreq
http://www.reverbnation.com/solaceofrequiem
https://plus.google.com/+Solreq
https://soundcloud.com/solaceofrequiem
http://www.myspace.com/solreq

UNDERGROUND NOISE INTERVIEWS KNELL FOR BEING THEIR FIRST INTERVIEW OFFICIALLY FROM THE USA

REMINISCING ON RAMMSTEIN'S ALBUM SEHNSUCHT

I'm sure a lot of you metalheads recall this band's album. This is something new Underground Noise is trying out while taking a small break from reviews and interviews, we're remembering certain albums we can still jam this day like as if it were yesterday the album came out. Du Hast being the hit off the album is what made them stand out from some bands from when they appeared in 1999 with a Grammy for releasing Du Hast. Now they sing about wonder bras? Hey guys, get back to the Sehnsucht days at least that's the Rammstein I remember and won't forget. EVILVENGEANCE666 is outta here for now, but just wanted to see how this works out for those who can recall old albums that most of us still enjoy today. KEEP YOUR HORNS UP EVERYONE!!!!!!!! \m/-_-\m/

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST KRIS BOLTON OF UNMERCIFUL (HIS FIRST OFFICIAL INTERVIEW!)

UNMERCIFUL.........this band crushes the minds of many in brutal & barbarous ways, and I am pleased to announce the NEWEST interview with the vocalist of Unmerciful; Kris Bolton who will be on the upcoming NEW album.

UN: What prompted you to become a musician?

KB: Honestly, I wanted to be in music as long as I can remember. When my High School buddies and I used to hang out, I was never really instrumentally inclined, but I would always try and do vocals for them...Badly of course at first, but like any skill you practice and improve. I've always wanted to be loud, really fucking loud! Doing vocals grants that wish for me.

UN: Who are your influences both musically and personally?

KB: My parents were always great influences music wise. My biological father would always have records, tapes & CD's to listen to. Music like: Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Ozzy and Judas Priest, but the list goes on. My Dad (Keith- the awesome man my mom married when I was 12) was in metal bands in the late eighties. He had a love for heavy music that he would always share with me and to this day he and I hang out and show each other new bands we're stoked on. My mother was always letting me listen to music other parents would frown upon or judge her character because she wasn't pushing church music or pop crap on me. Alright, here's a list of bands I took influence from for my style: Fear Factory, Machine Head, Motorhead, Behemoth, Bloodbath, Byzantine, Lamb of God, Dying Fetus, Gojira, Meshuggah, Pantera, Hate Eternal, Hypocrisy and Suffocation. There are like a million more I'm sure, but that's all I can remember right now.

UN: Are there any places in the world you haven't been, but have always wanted to see?

KB: Man, I really wanna see Europe of course. I want to play shows there and meet awesome people. Australia would be cool too. Japan, I hear the fans in Japan are crazy!

UN: What has been the worst thing to happen to you while being in Unmerciful?

KB: The worst thing that has happened to me in Unmerciful is kind of a toss up. Most recently, my appendix blew up...twice. I have Crohn's disease so my guts being in pain is kinda normal to me. I went 10 days without going to the doctor because I thought I was just having a flair up. Finally my guts doctor told me to the ER and reluctantly I took his advice. Good thing I finally did or I might not be here to answer these questions now. Apparently I have a stupid high tolerance for pain and also I'm stupid for being hard headed. Anyhow, I got the junk that was festering inside. My body was sucked out with plans to remove my appendix by the end of January. Unfortunately, for me my appendix said "Fuck that!" and blew up again! This time doctors used terms like "Jeez, your appendix is angry!" and "There is just a bunch of nastiness inside you." and my personal favorite was "Kris it looks like a bomb went off in your guts." I'm a little lighter than most people in the intestinal area now, but shit I'm alive so that's nice I guess. The other thing that really sucked was the day/night we lost Justin in Vegas. I really thought for a while there that I was going to have to return to my hometown where Justin & I grew up and tell all of his and I's friends that I lost him somehow and he's now dead. On that entire day, most of Unmerciful was trashed. We all got really lucky that he just decided to sleep in the desert.

UN: What song or songs by your band are your favorites and why?

KB: My favorite Unmerciful songs are the ones that get people going nuts in the pit! Shotgun Sodomy, Legion of Sickness & Cast To Flames. A couple of new songs off the new demo Abscission & Enduring Torture.

UN: Do you keep in contact with the fans and bands you meet while on tour?

KB: Honestly my favorite thing about being in a band is all the badass people I've met while out on tour or having bands come through our town and playing with us. I will never refuse a friend request or refuse to talk to a fan. I love getting into discussions about music and just life with anyone who wants to know me. So many awesome people have opened their homes and lives to us while we are touring. So, I want to say thanks to all of them especially!

UN: What has been the most difficult thing you've encountered while being on tour?

KB: The most difficult thing about being in a band and on the road is being away from your family and friends. My beautiful wife and kids are hard to leave, even for a weekend!

UN: What is the next step for Unmerciful?

KB: Getting this new album done! Seriously, the loyal Unmerciful fans deserve new music! We are getting ready to unleash a heavier, faster, more evil and most importantly; a more aggressive Unmerciful beast upon the world! I cannot fucking wait!

UN: Any last words for Underground Noise?

KB: When Unmerciful comes to town know this: Either get in the pit, or we will. Seriously...Albuquerque, Phoenix, Lake Tahoe & even K.C. knows what's up! It gets cramped up on stage if you aren't gonna use the pit for its intended purposes either the mic and cord or sometimes the whole band (excluding King because you know drums and shit) will get on the floor! Thanks to you Alex and Underground Noise for wanting to interview me! Keep it heavy, and I hope to see all of you very soon! Hail Satan & Awaken Cthulu!

Here is Kris showing off his brutality, LIVE.

KNELL- ZERO HOUR (FIRST USA ALBUM REVIEW)

Here comes yet another Extreme Metal band blasting from Chile known as Knell. These guys are talented in a lot of ways, and use an interesting, yet unique style of Death Metal, Metal & a Black Metal sound. In some spots they remind me of early Vomitory, and in others they remind me of Solace of Requiem. Knell will catch you off guard with their sound. It sucks that some South American Metal bands don't get enough credit. I must say though, I've reviewed a few bands from there and they are amazing. I really like Knell and I think anyone who likes this style of music would have to agree. The vocals are really barbaric, the guitars and bass shred hard & the drums are very clear and proficient. I recommend this to new listeners, because this band is one that will tear your flesh apart. The harmonies in the ending solo in Dead Eons is what makes it memorable to me. Catchy riffs in each song too. I've never in my life come across a band like this before. For instance, the song Machtenkrieg has very little clean vocals to blend into their sound. So folks, give Knell a chance. I'm giving this debut album Zero Hour a 9/10 stars. It's damn good. SO METALHEADS BOTH SISTERS AND BROTHERS, SUPPORT KNELL, SUPPORT UNDERGROUND NOISE, SUPPORT UNDERGROUND METAL, SUPPORT SOUTH AMERICAN METAL FROM CHILE, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSIC SCENE, AND MOST OF ALL: KEEP YOUR HORNS UP!!! EVILVENGEANCE666 \m/-_-\m/

Track Listing:

1. Zero Hour
2. Dead Eons
3. Machtenkrieg
4. Crimson Sky
5. El Descenso
6. Visions of Sacrifice
The Fall of The Light's Empire:
7. Chapter 1- Bright Lights
8. Chapter 2- The Fourth Planet

Members:

Luis Zapata: Guitars/Vocals
Mario Pino: Bass (Additional vocals on Zero Hour & Machtenkrieg)
Jefferson Cartagena: Guitar
Jorge Ovalle Lopez: Drums

Links:

BANDCAMP
FRIEND THEM ON FACEBOOK
METAL ARCHIVES

Here is Knell and what they sound like. Enjoy everyone.

MARASMUS- INFINITE TORTURE (NEW 2014 EP REVIEW)

If you liked Mountains of Dead, then you are going to fucking LOVE the new EP coming soon by Marasmus entitled Infinite Torture. Badass shredding as always with brutal guitars that have added some harmonies to their sound, but bringing a disease with what they do which no one will be able to rid themselves of. Trust me, this NEW EP is EPIC. From what I've heard I am going to give a 9.5/10 stars just by how this band has expanded their sound into a NEW dimension of Extreme Metal music, and I don't think the band gets enough credit. Marasmus has had many opportunities to share the stage with bands like Nile & Overkill to name a couple. So until next time metalheads across the world: KEEP SUPPORTING THE UNDERGROUND METAL SCENE, SUPPORT MARASMUS, SUPPORT UNDERGROUND NOISE, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSIC SCENE, AND YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER BY NOW...KEEP YOUR HORNS UP!!!! \m/-_-\m/ This is your friend Alex Stockholm signing off for now, also known as EVILVENGEANCE666!! HAILS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM UNDERGROUND NOISE!!!!

Happy new year from Underground Noise creator, writer & publisher; EVILVENGEANCE666, better known as Alex Stockholm. I want to say thank you to all the metalheads, bands and anyone who loves underground metal music!! We are still at number one Google search currently. I can't wait to see and hear what 2015 has to bring. Blast your ears with some metal now. More reviews will be coming soon. Stay tuned to the Facebook page for more info. Once again everyone, happy new year and like the page and share it please. And KEEP YOUR HORNS UP!!! \m/-_-\m/

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