INTERVIEW WITH ESO-CHARIS

 

1- Why did you decide to form Eso-charis being members of Living Sacrifice?

Well, just to clear that up, eso-charis was formed in 1995, way before Arthur and i had anything to do with living sacrifice. we worked on the album for a little over two years and then recorded in 1997 with barry poynter. he had just finished working on the living sacrifice "reborn" album. we toured semi-heavy for the album, which was released on bruce fitzhugh (LS) label, seize the day. we broke up while we were wrapping up a month long european tour. arthur an i joined living sacrifice about a year later. The album was shelved again for a couple of years until solid state asked if they could release it for a third and final time....(the second release was to a european label, day-glo).

2- Are you satisfied with the way "Eso-charis" (the album) came out? Is there something you would like to change?

i would love to change the lyrics. if i could turn back time, they would be completely re-vamped. we were all really happy with the outcome of the album, especially considering that we recorded it in 3 days essentially, with one extra day to mix. i would have loved to spend more time. But it was expensive.

3- Are you planning some touring to support the album?

We did when it was released in 1998. we aren't planning on doing any shows to promote the re-release. we have been defunct for too long to try something like that.

4- How different is the music on the album compared to the one on the four song demo?

The same songs that appeared on the 4 song demo were re-recorded for the full length. some of the structures changed and the recording was about a jillion times better, but it is the same songs. how the heck did you know about the demo? we only sold those at local shows.

5- Why did you choose originally the name Elliot before changing it to Eso-charis?

Arthur and i were watching E.T. late one night, and we thought that the little boys name from the movie would make a good band name. he was really emotional and misunderstood, so he embodied all of the characteristics of the music we wanted to play. we had to change the name when another band of the same name started to become quite popular. i love the name Eso-charis about 100 times better anyway.

6- Is your main objective to write songs with hooks or the main point in Eso-charis is the energy within each track?

We always wrote whatever came out naturally. Gosh, we never tried to write hooks. i think that our main objective was to make every part of the song give maximum impact...no filler. That's why it took almost 3 years to write 8 songs. geez.

7- Why did you choose Barry Poynter to record the album?

Well, that was bruces idea. like i said earlier, he had just finished recording the "reborn" album and and everyone was obviously really happy with the way it sounded. it was located in little rock , so it wasn't a far drive and we could crash at bruce's place while we recorded. convenience was the key. zao came into the studio a few months after us to record the "blood and fire" album. eso-charis was the second metal band that barry ever recorded. i think he did great.

8- Are you planning to release new material on 2002?

Nope. We arent together and havent been for several years. our final release was in 2000. it was a seven inch with the last 2 songs we ever wrote. 10 songs in 5 years....what a run! it was released on deadself records. we recorded those songs for 3 months just to make them perfect. It is by far the best stuff we ever wrote. Good luck getting a hold if it though. it went out on print about 3 days after it was released. it was called "setting roots for the winter" and the songs were...'house left empty'.....'the absolute progress of a nothing day'. maybe you can find them on ebay or something.

9- Which are the band main influences?

ummm.....smashing pupkins....fugazi....angel hair....living sacrifice..the movie "singles"...alice in chains....honeywell...benchmark.....strongarm....quicksand...c.s. lewis ....blahblahblah..

10- Something more to add?

check out our new bands:

cory - the jade syndicate, welton

matthew - unwed sailor, snailhuntr, living sacrifice

jayson - the handshake murders

arthur - living sacrifice

here are a few links to find these bands:

www.treeofwoe.com

www.esocharis.com

www.livingsacrifice.com

www.unwedsailor.net

www.un-recordings.com

www.therecordcollection.com

www.weltonrock.com

ESO CHARIS - DISCOGRAPHY

4 Song Demo - demo (1998)

Eso-Charis - CD (2001)

REVIEW: REPROBATION - THE COLOUR OF GORE

 

REPROBATION - THE COLOUR OF GORE (Forever Underground Recs. - 2001):

Produced by Mike Sheffield and Reprobation

Photography by Jessi Virtuosio

Track list: 1- Sins of the Sick, 2- Butchered Souvenirs, 3- Crippled Minions, 4- Fuck the Rotted Meat, 5- Lament Suffering, 6- Entropy

Mini-CD from this guys dedicated to the most pure gore/grind/death. The six songs presented here are short and effective, in the vein of bands like Carcass or Incantation (mainly in the sound). A great effort from this band, which I think should use more of those crushing riffs that they use sometimes to avoid the fastest parts , making more original the compositions. I like a lot the work of Rob Whitworth and Shawn Connors on guitars with those pinch that they throw in the middle of the riffs. To remark also are the more rhythmic parts in the tracks (Mike Rees on drums). This band, with a little bit more of experimentation could be a big hit in the underground. Favorite tracks: "Butchered Souvenirs", "Sins of the Sick" and "Fuck the Rotted Meat" . Contact: www.foreverunderground.com or www.geocities.com/reprobation

REVIEW: PROFANITY - SLAUGHTERING THOUGHTS

 

PROFANITY - SLAUGHTERING THOUGHTS (Cudgel Agency Recs. , 2000):

Technical Data:

Recorded at the Brickhouse Studio (August-September 2000) by Albrecht Felsenstein and Profanity.

Produced by Profanity

Cover Art and layout by Profanity

Track list: 1-During the Hours of Darkness, 2-Drowned in Dusk, 3-Soultornado - Hate Burn inside, 4-The Springs Within, 5-Giants of Void Vortex, 6-Soulitude, 7-Strangulated with Thoughts, 8-When Colour Becomes Pallor

Germany´s Profanity have made a really heavy album. Death/thrash metal is the music they play full of souble bass drumming and no subtle things. Music design to crush you down like a ten ton hammer smashed on your head. Thomas Sartor vocals are guttural but at the same time understandable and fit perfectly the mood of the music that the band makes. It is amazing to see that this is a trio, because they have a really full sound, in fact I think that Martl has to make a lot of speed picking on his bass as a second guitar would do to fill every space. Profanity is a band designed to kick your ass and it seems to me that they have achieved their goals with this album (see "Drowned in Dusk" or "Soultornado-Hate Burn Inside" just to name a couple of the tracks presented here). Don´t ask melodies, don´t ask keyboards or female vocals. If brutality and power is what you wnat here is Profanity. Favorite Tracks: "Drowned in Dusk", "The Springs Within" and "Soulitude". Contact: www.profanity.de

REVIEW: PRIMAL DAWN - PRIMAL DAWN

 

PRIMAL DAWN - PRIMAL DAWN (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Mixed at Salt Studios, Dublin.

Design by ADS, Dublin.

Track List: 1- Absorbing the Lies, 2- Let them Die, 3- Blood of The Land, 4-Pull the Trigger

Death metal directly from Ireland!!! I have read good reviews about this guys and they are fair. They are a crushing band and on this MCD they show a lot of brutality. Some of the recording reminded me of the german band Profanity which I think have in mind the same thing as this guys: pure brutality and heavy as hell music. What makes this guys so fucking heavy? First and main reason is the guitar sound which is like the sound you get cranking a Marshall amp up to 11 and cutting the middle ranges...that is a bigger than hell wall of sound!! . Also the interaction with the bass who is playing similar lines in a lower range. Then the drummer who is killer (I think that with a better sound here the results will be heavier). Finally the growling vocals of Mr. John Mc Ghee who adds the final touch to bring this unholy band to the fron of the death metal scene. Favorite tracks: "Absorbing the Lies" and "Blood of The Land". Contact: primaldawn@hotmail.com

REVIEW: PETTALOM - THE WINE OF THE NIGHT

 

PETTALOM - THE WINE OF THE NIGHT (Demise Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Voicing Studio.

Produced and Mixed by Alan de Augustinis and Celso Veagnoli

Design and Layout by Sergio Oliveira.

Track List: 1- Beyond The Castle´s Door, 2- Ashes Garden, 3- Berenice, 4- Irate Lizard, 5- Dungeon, 6- Feelings Buried Alive, 7- Serenade To A Sleeper Fairy, 8- Celibate, 9- Sons of The Light

Since I listened this CD for the first time in Orion Music Entertainment´s shop, I loved it. I think this is the perfect combination of operistic vocals with a really heavy music and instrumental harmonies. First of all I liked the keyboards and pianos which are used in a different way than in most of the bands (sometimes closer to jazz) playing arpegios instead of the usual chord progressions. Then I liked the changes in rhythms that the band has within each of the songs that are multiple (and this showcases the skills of the musicians of the band). And then I loved the omniprescent vocals of Kátia Santana who sounds like a very dark Tarja Turunen (Nightwish) but with a different approach (she uses more her middle range), contrasting with Marcos Riva´s vocals who are deep, sometimes almost spoken (like in bands as Moonspell for example). Also you have to check the guitars who play fast riffs and great solos having a great interaction with the keys and the vocals. One of the most promising bands this year. Don´t lose a step of this guys and girl. Favorite tracks: The whole album. Contact: www.demise.com.br 

REVIEW: PARADISE LOST - BELIEVE IN NOTHING

 

PARADISE LOST - BELIEVE IN NOTHING (EMI, 2001):

Track List: 1- I am Nothing, 2- Mouth, 3- Fader, 4- Look At Me Now, 5- Illumination, 6- Something Real, 7- Divided, 8- Sell It to the World, 9- Never Again, 10- Control, 11- No Reason, 12- World Pretending

I must admit that Paradise Lost is one of my favorite bands (if not my favorite) and I always have a big expectation on what movement they are doing next (they are always a surprise changing record after record). I must admit that even if I liked "Host" it was my least favorite recording from the band. I thought that one of then elements that made Paradise Lost so special as it was the combination of melodies with heavy guitars was gone. But I was completely wrong and here they are again. Crushing you since the beginning of "I am Nothing" here Aaron Aedy and Gregor Mackintosh have found again their sound (check for example "Sell It to the World"). Sounding like a mix of "One Second" and "Host", "Believe In Nothing" is one of the best recordings of the year. One thing that I always admired from Paradise Lost is how Nick Holmes vocals get better on each recording, and here is no exception, he is singing on top of the possibilities with his amazingly personal voice. While the songs are not like the ones in albums like "Shades of God", "Icon" or "Draconian Times", they are the perfect blend of heaviness and gothic flavors. Favorite tracks: All the album.

REVIEW: PAGANIZER - PROMOTING TOTAL DEATH

 

PAGANIZER- PROMOTING TOTAL DEATH (Forever Underground Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded at Necromorbus Studio, 1999.

Recorded, Produced and Mixed by Tore Stjerna

Design and Layout by Bill Smith.

Track List: 1- Promoting Total Death, 2- Brutal Way To Die, 3- Only Ashes Remain, 4- 16 Seconds Massacre, 5- At War, 6- All Hope is Dead, 7- Cyclone of Human Atrocity, 8- Life Slips Away, 9- Pain Has a Face

Some issues ago I interviewed Rogga from Paganizer....he told me that the band had changed the lineup and its name to Carve. I also reviewed the Carve promo. Maybe he decided to keep the Paganizer name after all. Now Forever Underground Recs. is releasing the recording that made Paganizer a famous underground act. "Promoting Total Death" is a burst of brutal death metal with extreme vocals. This is a death metal feast with brutal guitars that are really well mixed and a killer drummer who is a double bass nightmare. Also one point to remark is the bass that is helping to emphasize the guitar riffs while playing very tight with the drums adding heaviness to the final result. Judging from the wall of sound of this band and the quality of their riffs (made for jumping and moshing) I think they are a great band to see playing live. Favorite tracks: "Brutal Way To Die", "All Hope is Dead" and " Life Slips Away". Contact: www.foreverunderground.com

REVIEW: NECROPLASMA - DEMO 2001

 

NECROPLASMA - NECROPLASMA - DEMO 2001 (Neodawn Prods., 2001):

Track List: 1- Intro, 2- Dark Divine, 3- Nightmare (Devillust), 4- Darkness of Hell, 5- Razorwind, 6- Outro

 The sound of Dogs barking and growling and a strange creature scream open this recording of ultra fast and raw black metal. Even if Necroplasma is a band from Sweden, the music here is pure black metal in the Norwegian way. One thing that surprised me here is that the bass is clearly mixed...you can hear it in the fastest parts without having to listen very carefully and in some of the tracks it plays some interesting arrangements while still following the guitars. Bands like Mayhem or Dark throne or even old Bathory came into my mind while listening to this recording. Also it is interesting to listen how iun tracks like "Nightmare (Devillust)" the guitars start playing a slow melody while the drums and bass enter at full speed...The vocals in this recording are in the vein of the darkest bands in the black metal scene. Favorite tracks: "Darkness of Hell" and "Razorwind". Contact: http://go.to/neodawnproductions

REVIEW: NECRODEATH - FRAGMENTS OF INSANITY

 

NECRODEATH - FRAGMENTS OF INSANITY (Avantgarde Music, 2001):

Track List: 1- Choose Your Death, 2- Tanathoid, 3- State of Progressive Annihilation, 4- Metempsychosis, 5- Fragments of Insanity, 6- Enter my Subconscious, 7- Stillbirth, 8- Aucharistical Sacrifice

 Necrodeath is a classic death/thrash metal band from Italy. Avantgarde has released their classic 1989 album"Fragments of Insanity" because the band has now reunited to work on new material. The music here is lying heavily on thrash metal with death like vocals and it is primitive (I think that for the end of the eighties this was the standard, but nowadays...). To give you and idea this band has elements of Kreator, Destruction, Bathory, Slayer and some Celtic Frost. I would like to know which are their influences nowadays...I think that they must have changfe a little bit. In this bands that split up and then reunite after a long time it is always interesting to see the evolution that they suffer between the last recording before splitting up and the first one after reuniting. In this case I am waiting the new Necrodeath stuff to do this comparison. Favorite tracks: "Tanathoid", "Metempsychosis" and "Eucharistical Sacrifice". Contact: www.avantgardemusic.com

REVIEW: NAPALMED - MISCH MASCH MIKSASCH

 

NAPALMED - MISCH MASCH MIKSASCH (Independent, 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded in 4 track by Radek Kopel.

Design and Layout by Radek Kopel.

Track List: 1- 13.31, 2- 11.56, 3- 5.42, 4- 13.45

What we have here is complete experimentation with sounds, noises and other elements that Napalmed main man Radek Kopel brings us. As I commented before Radek likes to combine sounds and mix them in certain ways where they get coherence and structure and then develope it as a musical piece. This is a more ambient and calm album compared to Never Mind the MSBR (which I commented before). The main element here is experimentation, so if you are not afraid of that check this release. Favorite tracks: "11.56" and "5.42". Contact: napalmed@volny.cz