MIROVIAMAG.COM

Miroviamag.com will be on hiatus for the foreseeable future because I want to focus on my music and...

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:51:00 +0200

Miroviamag.com will be on hiatus for the foreseeable future because I want to focus on my music and see how far I can go with it. Check out http://www.rofsband.com every now and then to see what I’m op to, big thank you to everyone that helped make Mirovia one awesome website. - Neil

MUSIC VIDEO

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:15:00 +0200

Circle Of Contempt have released this video for their first new song in 3 years. Check out “Entwine The Threads”!

MUSIC VIDEO

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:07:00 +0200

Check out this new video by VILDHJARTA for a Djenty / Ambient song called “Dagger”.

INTERVIEW

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:57:05 +0200

RED ENEMY
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLD TIGHT! PR l WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/RedEnemy

What has the road up to the point of recording your new EP “What We Are Contained In, Is What We Are Worth” been like for the band?

We had really been focusing on getting the basics right. We were discovering certain aspects of being in a band for the first time, such as releasing a CD and everything that comes with it. It was a gradual progression up to the point where we recorded our latest EP.

Most bands release a full album after their debut EP, what made the band decide to rather release another EP instead?

Yeah absolutely. I think it just felt right to release another EP. We had absolutely no backing from labels or anyone so I suppose cost was also an issue. We wanted as much studio and recording experience as we could get before we went in and did a whole album.

The 5 songs on the EP sound awesome, how did you approach the song writing for these songs and how did you want to build on the band’s sound compared to your previous recordings?

We focused more on the flow of the songs. I suppose that meant keeping a solid tempo throughout. Our first effort ‘Outsiders’ was a little all over the place to say the least ha! As a band, I suppose you always strive to be that little bit different, but I think originality comes naturally; it comes out in the individuals so it wasn’t something we consciously decided we want to do. You just hope the end product sounds fresh to the listeners.

Please tell us about the meaning behind the title “What We Are Contained In, Is What We Are Worth”?

It came from a lyric Kev wrote in the track ‘No One Will Remember Our Names’. It stood out instantly. It made you think. Ireland’s economy was going down the shitter at the time and it sort of summed up how people felt. Our entire worth as people seemed bounded by the mistakes our government made. Very deep, veeeeery deep haha.

The band’s music is straight forward and in your face and not overproduced. That must be something that really works to your advantage because that same energy people hear on the EP is pretty much what they are going to get live as well?

Yeah I think it really does. I think we all feel most comfortable when we’re playing live so the recording process for us is pretty basic. We write and record the songs pretty much exactly how we jam them. I reckon people can appreciate that.

Is there a specific message in your lyrics and what do you hope people take away with them after listening to your songs?

Most of the lyrical content is quite personal to Kev. The rest is really a running commentary of the state of affairs particularly in Ireland. It’s very hard to tell the listener what they should take away from them, but I certainly think many people could relate in more ways than one to what Kev is saying.

Is there a particular band that stands out in your mind whose music really connected with you and helped to shape you into the musician you are today?

There are so many to mention really. Most of the early thrash bands like Testament and Sepultura certainly had an influence on our style of playing if nothing else. Those bands were so unbelievably tight and in your face. I would say that’s the most important influence we still take with us today.

Monuments guitarist Olly Steele will be filling in for Rob on your upcoming UK tour. How are preparations going for the tour and what are your plans regarding the open spot in the band once the tour is done?

It’s been tough at times for sure. Olly lives in another country so that can be slightly inconvenient ha. But overall it’s going well. We just wanted somebody we knew could play the songs and that we all got along with as friends so we just asked Olly straight up. When we come back from this tour we will be pressing on with writing the album and will begin trying out some dooodz. There is a good bit of interest already, which is cool so we’ll see when we get back.

Red Enemy has played some awesome supporting slots; will there be any supporting acts on this UK tour supporting you guys as well?

Yeah there are some awesome bands playing with us this time around. We Die Tonight and Save Your Grace to name but a few.

I’ve been asking this one a lot lately, but what is the scene like where you guys are from because sometimes you’ll hear a scene is “overcrowded” with too many bands and too many shows while in other parts of the world people are just struggling to keep their heavy music scenes alive?

Ireland is a tiny place with a tiny population. In fact, there is not much of a metal scene and that’s down to the severe lack of metal bands. There are no labels, no management and very few promoters so it’s certainly been difficult to keep any sort of scene going. We have a lot of friends in various types of bands so everyone helps each other out. We somehow do ok!

Any other comments or anything else fans should look out for?

Just thank you guys and everyone else for the support so far, come to a show and be sure to pick up a copy of our EP on iTunes.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

MUSIC VIDEO

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:48:00 +0200

Check out the new music video by Betraying The Martyrs for the song “Tapestry Of Me”.

INTERVIEW

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:55:00 +0200

AVERSIONS CROWN
PHOTO COURTESY OF AVERSIONS CROWN l WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/AversionsCrown

Questions answered by Colin (Vocals)

For those not familiar with Aversions Crown, how did you guys meet and how did things develop into the band we see today?

The boys had recorded a demo cd prior to me joining the band (Colin) and had been too see a few shows of my other band (Widow the Sea), we got talking at one of the shows about some stuff they wanted to do with an album and I jumped at the opportunity of doing vocals on it as their current vocalist was moving to guitar, from there we jammed a little and got strait to work writing servitude.

How did you first get introduced to extreme music and which aspect of it do you think made you gravitate to this type of music more than any other genre?

I personally had been doing extreme music for a long time before working with Aversions Crown, for me it was always about melodic death, I wasn’t a huge fan of a lot of Deathcore but when I heard the grooves and pre-production that Aversions Crown had put down I was instantly hooked, it didn’t sound like anything else that I had heard before.

By the time this gets published your new album “Servitude” will be out and listening to the tracks that are posted on your Facebook it promises to be an 11 track monster. In what ways did you want to push the band further musically with these new songs?

Servitude was written over the period of 12 months and also includes 2 songs of the demo, I think it really has a lot of different influences; the older tracks are more blast beat driven and breakdown oriented with some of the newer tracks having a lot of rhythm and groove.

Is there an overall concept behind the album title and how does the cover art fit into everything and who designed it for you?

It was designed by a Japanese artist named Ryohei Hase, the General concept is about planetary invasion which obviously ties in with the artwork but there are underlying tones of human enslavement, corrupt governments and global control that may seem alien but are a little closer to home, I tied the lyrics in a couple of songs with some more personal aspects also.

Who are the biggest songwriters in the band and how do you usually approach the song writing process?

Chris Cougan. The music is all him baby. I (Colin) wrote all lyrics, except for the two old songs.

I love how the songs have this low heavy vibe (like something is just waiting under the water to attack you) even when things get really fast. When it came to choosing the instruments to record the album with, what did you end up using?

The album was all recorded on an 8 string Schecter guitar with Seymour Duncan blackouts through both an original 5150 and a Mesa Boogie Dual Rec. The bass used was a 6 string Warwick Corvette through a TC Electronic rh450 head into a rs210 cab. The drums used were a Sonor 5 classic kit with Meinl cymbals.

The musicianship in this band is awesome. Are all of you basically self-thought musicians or does some form of musical training here and there have its advantages?

Everyone is more or less self-taught.

A lot of bands seem to take the approach of just recording themselves these days, is that something you as a band have done as well or did you call in “expert” help to get the best results for the songs on “Servitude”?

We recorded all the guitars ourselves and then reamped them in the studio, saved a lot of time and money. We worked with a local engineer but basically new exactly what sound we wanted and how to achieve it. It was sent to Sweden for mastering at fascination street studios and was well worth it.

Your favourite song at the moment and which bands would you say have had the biggest influence on you as a musician?

Way too many influences to name!! Were all digging new Molotov Solution though!

What has your experience of the heavy music scene been like in Brisbane, Australia and what are the main goals for the band after “Servitude” has been released?

The Brisbane (and Queensland in general) scene is pretty fucked at the moment. Too many shows, too many bands. We are cooking up a pretty heavy tour schedule for Australia’s east coast for early next year, keen to get on the road.

Any other comments or anything else fans should look out for?

Pick up our gear form here:

http://aversionscrown.bigcartel.com/

got a Music video for “WE’RE NOT SAFE” on the way too!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

MUSIC VIDEO

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:42:00 +0200

If you are in the mood for something different then check out the new video from Damned Spring Fragrantia for the song “Lost Shores”.

MUSIC VIDEO

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:55:00 +0200

If you haven’t seen it yet then check out the new Megadeth video for “Public Enemy No. 1” from their new album “TH1RT3EN”.

INTERVIEW

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:20:42 +0200

VOLUMES
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SYNDICATE l WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/volumesband

Questions answered by Raad Soudani

How long did it take for the line-up of the band to settle and did you have a clear idea what type of music this band was going to make from the beginning?

We knew from the beginning what sound we were going to aim for after we formed the band within two months. Every person in the band is a long-time musician or engineer. So the experience was there and the collaboration worked well for us.

What lessons did you guys learn when you released the “The Concept of Dreaming” EP that made the recording and release of your new debut album “VIA” a lot easier?

We knew we had to take our two fan favourites “Intake” and “Wormholes” and re-release it onto the album as well as aim for the same element on the new album that these songs provide listeners.

Is this just a straight forward album or does it have a concept behind it and how does the album’s title “VIA” and cover art fit in with everything?

The album does have a concept to it. The cover art for “VIA” is basically a wormhole in the universe / current world that has opened. This portal leads to a new world run by conspiracy, technology, media that people are slowly falling into.

It probably isn’t that rare but seeing a Metal album with 12 songs on these days is impressive. How did the band approach the song writing process for this album?

The band has been working on songs since the beginning of 2009. Our EP came out at the end of 2010 so we have had more than enough time to achieve song writing. Also when we are on the road a lot, our producer Daniel Braunstein can work on any song.

Volumes is also a band that makes use of two vocalists. How would you describe each vocalist’s role in the band and how do they complement each other in the band’s music?

They both are lead vocals. We pretty much let them do whatever they want. They write songs together by collaborating ideas and songs and end up with what you hear. They both sound amazing together in the studio and complement each other so well, that people sometimes can’t tell the difference between their vocals. With a watchful ear, you can easily distinguish who is who.

One thing that I think is awesome about your band is that all the songs are recorded, mixed, and produced by the band itself. What made you decide to be so “hands on” with your music?

Before we even started the band, home recordings/studios were already in full affect. For the band it’s more of a hobby/passion. All members will be career engineers/producers/musicians.

For the guitar fans out there, which guitars do you currently use and did you use real amps or amp modelling for the guitars on “VIA” and what are your favourite guitar tunings at the moment?

Currently using Schecter c-7 hell raiser guitars and Axe-fx live. We used GTR for the recordings from Waves. We are currently in love with the A standard tuning.

When you started to learn how to play your instruments and develop your skills what were or still are your favourite songs by another artist to play?

The Faceless, Veil of Maya, and Meshuggah. These bands were so technical at the time and innovative that we would always cover their songs in the studio.

The band will be touring till mid December. What is your current vehicle of choice to travel with to shows and do people always bring along more things than what there is space for in the vehicle?

We are using the industry standard so to speak, Ford E350 and have two travelling trailers. One big, one small. Sometimes Diego and Raad bring 3 bags each and take up a lot of room in the small trailer. haha we are currently looking to upgrade to maybe a motorhome so we may bring a lot of crew members with us.

What do you guys usually do to pass the time between shows and how often do you get to tour with the same bands that you’ve bonded with on the road?

Party/collaborate with the other touring bands on social ideals or musical ideals. We even love to hang with our fans before and after shows to make it more personal.

Any other comments or anything else fans should look out for?

Purchase VIA at your local hot topic, best buy. Come to a show and meet us. Thank you guys for all the support we have been receiving and we will continue to provide everything people expect in a band.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

MUSIC VIDEO

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:23:00 +0200

It’s the awesome new video from A Plea For Purging for the song “Heart Of A Child”.

MUSIC VIDEO

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:26:00 +0200

It’s the new Bring Me The Horizon music video for the song “Alligator Blood”.

MUSIC VIDEO

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:15:50 +0200

It’s the new video from Machine Head for the song “Locust”!

MUSIC VIDEO

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:50:35 +0200

Here is the latest video from UK Progressive Metal band TesseracT for the song “Eden”.

INTERVIEW

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0200

MOLOTOV SOLUTION
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SYNDICATE l WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/molotovsolutionofficial

Questions answered by Nick Arthur (vocals)

What aspect of heavy music attracted your attention the most in the beginning and how did it influence you to join this band and make the music you are making?

The emotion. Rage. Anger. Violence. Aggression. Not that I don’t like peaceful music, but heavy music is a great outlet to someone without one.

Looking back at your last album, 2009’s “Harbinger”. What lessons did you learn during the recording process for that album that made things a lot easier when you recorded your new album “Insurrection” which is coming out October 25th?

Preparation and experience. The Harbinger was my first time recording a full length record and really my first time recording anything professionally. I definitely made sure I was prepared coming into the studio this time around.

When it came to the actual song writing process, were there a lot of new things that you wanted to try out with the band’s sound?

Somewhat. The vocal range is much broader on this record as well as composition and patterning of vocals. Lyrically I just wrote more from the heart rather than trying to be factual and precise.

Listening to the songs from “Insurrection” it sounds like they are played in a very low guitar tuning. Can you share with us which tuning and gear you use to create that low and brutal sound?

Well the majority of the record was recorded using a 7 string drop G tuning, while three of the songs; The Blood of Tyrants, Cruor Viaticus, and Prophetic Illusions were recorded on 8 string guitars in a drop E tuning.

The band has also had a lot of member changes over the years; has it made you more determined to take this band to greater heights and show people what Molotov Solution can really do?

Yes and no, growth in a band is always key despite having lost old members. We continued our sound which our fans love us for and expanded upon that. New members add new elements, not much of the creative element was lost, I would say more was gained.

Molotov Solution is known for its politically-charged lyrics. In what ways did you build on that theme for this album?

Multiple ways. This album is more heartfelt and emotional. I looked more into origins and used a lot of good quotations taken from the mouths of our forefathers and altered them to fit our style of music as well as related them to current events. Everything is happening now and it’s time for action, this album is calling for that.

When you look at the world at general, what worries you the most but also gives you hope for the future?

Corporate monopolization of the media, energy, communication and entertainment. Also central banks, mainly The Federal Reserve. Our only hope is the human spirit and its natural drive to be free.

At the time of this interview the band is still touring. Having been around for a while now have you seen the touring landscape change much for bands over the years or is it basically more of the same every time you go out on the road?

The music industry is dying, it’s hard for bands like us to survive these days. Let’s face it we’re no Skrillex or Lady GaGa.

I always wonder how bands are able to get on stage night after night after night if you know what I mean. Is it something you get use to over time or are you basically “destroyed” by the time a tour ends?

Not so much after a tour, but after touring for a whole year nonstop you start to feel pretty beat down. Time at home is important, at least for me, and we certainly haven’t had enough time home this year. Let’s just hope all of our hard work pays off.

When was the last show that you remember where the crowd was just on fire and do you have to work hard sometimes to get a crowd going or are people usually ready to go at your shows?

Chain reaction, the last day of the Insurrection tour was insane. Sometimes you do have to work extra hard, but usually if it’s a good sized crowd it’s fun and not “work”.

Any other comments or anything else fans should look out for?

Support bands and buy their music. It really is worth more to us and our survival than you know.

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL

Spotted an article about The Sorrow from Bregenz, Austria on blabbermouth.net and took some time to check them out and it turns out that this is a really awesome band. They are on the following websites:

http://www.thesorrow.net
http://www.facebook.com/thesorrowofficial
http://www.youtube.com/thesorrowofficial
http://www.myspace.com/thesorrowmetal

MUSIC VIDEO

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:55:45 +0200

Here is the new video from Washington D.C. metal titans Darkest Hour for the song “Your Every Day Disaster”.

MUSIC VIDEO

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:26:00 +0200

Rise To Remain (Yes, the band where the son of Iron Maiden’s singer is the vocalist) has released a brand new video for the song “This Day Is Mine”.

MIROVIAMAG.COM

Miroviamag.com will be on hiatus for the foreseeable future because I want to focus on my music and...

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