Monday, August 10, 2009

NWOTHM & Death Metal - the not-so-secret links


So why do you think there is a connection between the swedish trad death scene and the swedish trad metal scene eg there are members of tribulation in enforcer and also invidious members play in in solitude. Does this link between old school death metal and and trad metal/rock go back to the early days of the scene or is it a new connection?

Answer: Yes, you are right, it certainly seems to be true that especially in Sweden many of the musicians forming the NWOTHM bands are or were very recently in Traditional Death Metal bands aswell (Adam Zaars pictured with Tribulation & Enforcer) Some also come from a Black Metal background too.Many profess to be getting "bored with extreme metal", and yearn instead to play True to the roots HM with songs and powerful vocalist. As for why- well, musicians begin their careers by playing whatever the contemporary style is- in the 80s it would probably have been Glam-type Rock, 90's Death or Black metal,00's metal-core,but time moves on and many of the NWOTHM acts tell me that, although they appreciate death & black metal, they are burned out and kind of over extreme metal now.

I don't think its anything too unusual going on actually, Earache has dealt with hundreds of musicians over the years,and it is pretty normal for musicians to want to experiment with some new styles over time, it often begins under the guise of a project with some like-minded musicians. Somewhat suprisingly, what starts as a 'project band' can very often take on the role of 'main band'.I recall when Michael Amott's Stoner-y Rock project Spiritual Beggars was a bigger seller and a much hotter prospect than Arch Enemy for a year or two, a fact which seems ridiculous now.

As an aside I can forsee a huge increase in one-off super-group type jam-band-projects flooding the live circuit, kind of like Chickenfoot or Them Crooked Vultures right now.As musicians themselves take control of their careers, and labels are taking more of a backseat, many of the restrictions are removed for the first time in their careers, and so fans can certainly expect to see more one off jam-bands starting to appear at a club/arena near you. Wether they will be any good or not, who knows?

A few of the NWOTHM musicians are coming from a Thrash background.Enforcer's singer Olof was until recently in Thrash metal band Oppression who had a retrospective split CD with US thrashers Diamond Plate released last year.

Finland's Cast Iron (recently split up) singer/guitarist Jori Meriläinen was in a Thrash band previously.

Toronto- based Jason Decay of Cauldron was in the more Cathedral style Doomy-ish Metal band Goat Horn until a few years ago.

Powervice went the other way- most of the members quit and went on to form the female fronted doomy-soul-rock act The Devil's Blood, who are highly original and getting kudos everywhere, leaving behind bassist & founder member Richard to regroup Powervice around himself, a process which is still ongoing.

Heres Adam Zaars (read an Interview) of Enforcer playing with his Death metal band Tribulation on tour recently:

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