Interview: Black Cobra’s Rafael Martinez Talks About Touring, Writing Process For “Invernal” (Audio)

By Andrew Bansal

San Francisco-based Black Cobra are just a two-piece band, but through their four full-length studio releases and incredible live performances, they have proved to be a mighty force to reckon with. I would describe them as a sludge/doom metal band with hardcore elements, and even a bit of a progressive touch that makes it an intriguing blend and has given rise to a musical style not many other bands can successfully pull off. Continue reading “Interview: Black Cobra’s Rafael Martinez Talks About Touring, Writing Process For “Invernal” (Audio)”

Interview: Russian Circles Discuss New Album “Empros”, Favorite 2011 Albums (Audio)

By Andrew Bansal

Chicago-based instrumental rock trio Russian Circles are not only fantastic musicians that incorporate a wide range of styles in their compositions, but also a spectacular live band. Through each of their full-length album releases and live performances, the band has gained respect and admiration in the rock/metal circles, a pattern that’s set to continue for as long as they make music. Their latest release “Empros” came out last month, on October 25th 2011. It’s their heaviest, most compact album till date, and as I found out last night, on November 28th 2011 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, it sounds even better, even more powerful live. Continue reading “Interview: Russian Circles Discuss New Album “Empros”, Favorite 2011 Albums (Audio)”

Interview: Keep Of Kalessin’s Obsidian C Talks About Blogging, Plans For Next Year, Rock ‘N Roll Influence (Video)

By Andrew Bansal

Norwegian black metal band Keep Of Kalessin defy the norms of the extreme metal scene their country is known for, and present something that compels first-time listeners into taking notice straightaway. They add a lot of elements to the conventional black metal sound, which results in music that’s heavy, epic, melodic and technically rich. They have released five full-length studio albums till date. The latest album “Reptilian” hit the US market in early 2010, an outstanding piece of music in every regard. Continue reading “Interview: Keep Of Kalessin’s Obsidian C Talks About Blogging, Plans For Next Year, Rock ‘N Roll Influence (Video)”

Interview: Ex-Tool Bassist Paul D’Amour Talks About New Band Feersum Ennjin (Audio)

 

After being under the radar and away from the music world for more than twelve years, original Tool bassist Paul D’Amour is back with a new band called Feersum Ennjin. The self-titled debut album came out last Tuesday on November 22nd, and features “The Fourth”, with Danny Carey on drums. I feel that the album captures the essence of his previous two bands Tool and Lusk, and also blends in a degree of theatricality that comes from his work in cinema. It’s an excellent release, and should please fans of Tool, and fans of progressive/ambient/experimental rock. Today on November 28th 2011, just a few minutes ago, I spoke to Paul on the phone to talk about this album. Continue reading “Interview: Ex-Tool Bassist Paul D’Amour Talks About New Band Feersum Ennjin (Audio)”

Interview: Between The Buried And Me Guitarists Discuss Headline Tour, On-Stage & Studio Setup (Audio)

By Andrew Bansal

Between The Buried And Me is one of those bands that simply blow you away at first listen. This incredibly talented group of musicians from Raleigh, North Carolina have been masterfully creating music for the past 11 years, music that can only be described as an eclectic blend of various styles. Even though the musical components are hugely disparate, the end result has a compelling flow to it, which is perhaps their biggest strength, and that is what draws people towards them. Ever since the 2002 release of the self-titled debut album, their fanbase has been steadily on the increase with every subsequent album. The latest is a 30-minute, 3-song EP titled “The Parallax: The Hypersleep Dialogues”, a release that further enhances their reputation among fans and critics alike. Continue reading “Interview: Between The Buried And Me Guitarists Discuss Headline Tour, On-Stage & Studio Setup (Audio)”

Interview: Cynic’s Paul Masvidal Discusses “Carbon-Based Anatomy” EP, New Line-Up (Audio)

By Andrew Bansal

Los Angeles’ very own experimental metal outfit Cynic have never been afraid to try new things, and the latest example of that is their brand new EP, “Carbon-Based Anatomy”. The 22-minute EP presents a musical side of Cynic no one has seen before, with the band’s foray into world music that combines excellently well with the usual elements they are already known for, to create an intriguing sound that should interest a wide range of general music listeners, more so than fans of early Cynic. Continue reading “Interview: Cynic’s Paul Masvidal Discusses “Carbon-Based Anatomy” EP, New Line-Up (Audio)”