In Ears - September 2016

September is behind us and more and more I have a feeling, plenty of my favourite bands are getting worse and worse. Last few months: Lacuna Coil, Katatonia and now mainly Evergrey. Luckily there are new releases from Leprous and Animals As Leaders, but these are pieces coming out in about two months, so we will look at that next month. However within "Spoiled Spoiler" section, I bring you my opinion on Amaranthe and Testament, still not out yet. The rest of mentioned albums lower are as usual a spectrum ranging from avantgarde metal to crazy Balkan music. But let start with Nick Cave...

Nick Cave - Skeleton Tree
Deep, dark and spectacular. This is the feeling impact, I received while watching a documentary One More Time with Feeling in a cinema few weeks ago. I tend to brag about the quality of movies in cinema all the time, therefore when I had a chance to watch South Korean movie The Handmaiden and came across trailer for Nick Cave's latest "movie" there was no time to wait. Well, I might go to see anything quality-music related, but it looked hell of a good from a trailer, eventhough I usually hate trailers! I'm aware of Nick's global respect, but for me, it was only the guy, who is sending away that naked beauty on the cover of Push the Sky Away album, I enjoyed few years ago on the beach of Greece in my headphones. It's really hard to get into Cave's albums, but this extremely attractive documentary, based on an emotional content filled with Nick's personal loss and unique black-white 3D camera, made the the path to the beauties of Skeleton Tree much easier.

Fanfare Ciocărlia - Baro Biao - World Wide Wedding
As a half-Yugo, I have a deep feeling for Balkan music. Racism aside, gypsies know how to play! Institutions as Emir Kusturica or Goran Bregović know it very well. I was honored to speak to Goran twice, same as other masters as Dejan Pejović or maestros Boban & Marko Marković. However this Romanian twelve-piece Roma brass band was introduced to me by Czech band Circus Problem, which is one of the rare bands among Czech bands, which knows how to work with these elements and has abilities to reach larger crowds. Come on, stand up, everybody dancing!

No Click

Evergrey - The Storm Within
Few years back, you would hardly find a bigger fan of Evergrey than me. But after they released Torn in 2008 and plenty of members left, it was going down. Death Destruction duo returned, but the new album has absolutely no ideas and the lyrics are stuff, which Tom would throw in the garbage few years ago. More in a separate article coming soon...

Deadlock - Hybris
There were great moments on Manifesto 2008 and Bizarro World 2011, especially Virus Jones, but more and more their music turns into melting pile of same old goulash.

Periphery III - Select Difficulty
Is it normal that one loves Tesseract, Animals As Leaders, Vildhjarta but hates Periphery?

Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
Too dry Testament. Don't get me wrong, I would kill for so many of their songs. It doesn't have to be even only their first two albums, as I worship Throne of Thorns. And of course I am aware of the current line-up including Steve DiGiorgio and Gene Hoglan. Therefore, I rather go to see Death To All shows...

Amaranthe - Maximalism
Nutella with sugar, as I love to call their music and sometimes was also fun, turned into Hangover soundtrack with ambitions of Babymetal.

Upcdownc - Black Sea
Solid post rock. Some really tasty instrumental moments, but it doesn't reach the level of the genre's first class. Mainly, as nothing stays in my head, when the next album is coming on my Sony Walkman...

Avantgarde sickness

Kayo Dot - Plastic House On Base Of Sky
I love Hubardo (2013) and Coffins On Io (2014), which we were even discussing together in an interview. Impressive music with elements of 80's new wave (I hear so much Ultravox), Max Payne soundtrack and bits of Devin Townsend. However this time, it just didn't work at all. To be honest, there can be hell of music quality, but I felt weird nausea.
It might change in the future - especially, as I have to see them live. I already blew two options in Czech Republic. They always play in such an avantgarde places. Vila Štvanice - avantgarde evening, including great Czech down tempo-noise band Nod Nod. Lately even some club in the center of Prague, which nobody heard about...

SVIN - Mission
Do u like horror movies, are u party cunt or shoppingholic? Well, I love walking the night city listening to avantgarde music and inventing scenarios. However, only few songs were worth it.

Neurosis - Fires Within Fires
This was a multiple try i gave to Neurosis, glorified by media and numerous classy fans. But the combination of down tempo screamy, apparently post metal doesn't work me. Whole package gives me 2/5 level nausea.

Too early to say

Alter Bridge - The Last Hero
As usual, first impression is always low with these guys. However, it has turned from low into perfect eventually four times, so they deserve more tries from me.

Thy Catafalque - Meta
I was so eager to place Tamás' work into Avantgarde sickness, as I spent huge amount of time with his music because of an interview for Czech web The Aardvark. I felt oversaturated, but more I listen, I am aware he deserves patience.

Respect for the elders

Michal Prokop - Sto roků na cestě. Charles Aznavour for a mother in law, Czech institution David Koller for a train ride and there is always time for some The Beatles - Revolver, in this case. I am also getting back to Steve Harris' British Lion, as a preparation, for an interview with him. Same with going through Glenn Hughes's discography. Steve is a dream come true interview and in the case of Glenn Hughes, I managed to blew the chance to talk to him few years ago. I was supposed to call him at 3am. Two alarms didn't wake me up and I didn't get another phone slot...

Behind the scenes of an Interview with Mark Tremonti

As you may know, Mark is really two sentences expert. It was really hard for him to open up a bit. However, by a mix of friendly questions, finding surprisingly plenty of common ground, we could later cover some sensitive issues. I include few tips on this matter as well...

I first came into a contact with Mark's guitar playing with Creed, back in the day, I was about 14y old. My girlfriend back then loved the band and their catchy tunes as With Arms Wide Open, One Last Breath, My Sacrifice. Well, the whole bloody world did. Next to that, I remember till this day, how My Sacrifice supported this incredible video, with the best football moments ever. When I lived in Serbia, without YouTube, we were sharing this video by any means possible.

Get the guitar hero to talk

Before you may start asking sort of personal questions as: "How come you were always so shy to sing? Was it a bit frustrating to be always called "just" a top class guitarist, even though you are such a great writer of vocal melodies?" The best option is to start with a friendly stuff: I'm a big soccer and table tennis fan, so is he. We both love 80's Bay Area thrash metal band Forbidden and their hardly known masterpiece Forbidden Evil ("This is one of my most favorite albums dude!!"), old Sepultura, Jason Newsted's amazing solo project etc. Add honest compliments on his singing and the interview is suddenly a friendly talk!

Suddenly you see, answers are getting longer and more open, even though the topics of solo career or bravery to sing are sensitive issues. However with a support from a family and friends nothing is impossible, as he says. Afterwards we found some another similar interests at brilliant Australian band Karnivool. The reason was, both of their guitarists are participating in a project Fret12 which works as a platform to connect guitarists with their fans. Established by Mark's younger brother Dan btw.

Sensitive question alert

I have been dealing with a issue to include OR not to include sensitive questions in the past two weeks, more than ever. No matter, if it was Mark, Ritchie Blackmore or Stephen Carpenter of Deftones. It really depends on the mood, length and openness of the interview. There might be great opportunities, as when I spoke with Jason Newsted for an hour, but when some of these guys answer barely in two sentences, interview has given time of 20 minutes, there is simply no time for anything deeper. Plus, I would ruin the whole thing. You might say: "You will never talk again!" It might be true, might not, but I still value the talk and this would be disrespectful. Therefore the best option is to mention upfront, this would be the last question and solve the whole Creed/Scott Stapp going nuts by a simple and honest question (plus Mark felt, I'm sort of obliged to ask it): "At the end, I would like to kindly ask you for all loyal Creed fans, if there is a chance for any new music in the upcoming years?"

There was no tabloid effect in the question, no intention to cover Scott's troubles and the priority of this question, were really the fans. Therefore I received sort of press release answer, as he is used to say these two sentences regularly, but still in a friendly way: "I am not saying, it will never happen. However, currently I'm fully occupied by promoting Dust and writing of new Alter Bridge album to be released next years, therefore the fans of Creed, have to be patient."   

Sth for Alter Bridge fans - Blackbrid Live Amsterdam.
The Best Solo All Time according to Guitar Magazine