Interview: Blinder (Cuba)

 

The following interview was conducted with Eric Domenech, frontman and vocalist of the Cuban Death Metal band, BLINDER.  

1. Hails! Can you tell us something about the formation of BLINDER and which bands influenced your sound?

BLINDER is a Melodic Death Thrash Metal band originally from the city of Santa Clara, Cuba, it was formed in 1998 after the disintegration of Medium, one of the most prestigious and energetic Cuban metal bands in those years. In reality, we have been influenced by several bands and different genres, not to mention that each of us has our own references that have benefited us when creating, although we always try to be ourselves.

2. How's the scene in your city Santa Clara? Do you feel like it’s hard to get noticed as a band due to being from Cuba?

Santa Clara is known as the metal city of Cuba for its relevant history within national rock, especially within metal. It is also known for organizing the oldest and most important rock festival in the country called Ciudad Metal, of which I was the organizer for 15 years. It has been quite difficult for Cuban bands to make ourselves known both outside and inside the country and more due to the limitations and obstacles of the system we have, however we are persevering and have made discrete progress.

3. How would you describe the sound of Blinder to those who have never heard you before?

We are a band with 25 years of existence with a sound characterized essentially by a Death Metal base and over time we have been incorporating influences from Melodeath, thrash and technicalism as well as elements of Afro-Cuban folk in search of a certain identity.

4. I listened to your album "Syncretic" from 2016 “and I really enjoyed it. I feel like this album has a unique sound and the underproduced sound gives it an organic feel. What can you tell us about the recording of this album and looking back on it now, are you happy with the result?

In reality, the sound achieved was not intentional, our aspirations were to obtain a high-level product but we did not have a decent recording studio or an experienced producer, so we had to make do with the few resources available, but the most important thing was show our music and in my opinion the objective was more than achieved despite everything.

5. Can you tell us about your lyrics and what kind of topics you explore?

I am quite open when it comes to composing lyrics as long as it identifies with the music we make, Cuba is a quite atypical country and it serves as a source of inspiration for me without fall into social or political issues.

6. How is life for the average metalhead in Cuba? Would you consider music as a form of escapism? I have noticed that people in Cuba are really passionate about music and very supportive of local bands, regardless of the restrictions in your country.

The desire to release and perform the music that we feel and that runs strongly through our veins plus the support that we have constantly had from the public that has always been and will be a great source of inspiration, all of this revitalizes you and gives you energy to face the future and it encourages you to continue composing more songs, make recordings and continue playing as long as we can.

7. What are 10 albums you can't live without?

There are many albums that have marked my life, they are:

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Van Halen - Van Halen I

Mercyful Fate - Don't break the Oath

Slayer - Reign in Blood

Metallica - Master of Puppets

Metallica - Ride the lightning

Death - Spiritual Healing

Entombed- Left hand Path

Morbid Angel - Altar of Madness

Dream Theater - Images and Words

There are many more but remember these have been the most important.

8. I like the cover art for Syncretic! It has an underground aesthetic and appeal. What was the idea behind it and who did the artwork?

I am a graduate of the professional art school so I am in charge of all the design and graphic concept of the band, I had made the cover some time ago as part of a series of drawings that I made and we were given the opportunity to edit the album spontaneously and it seemed like the right one to reflect the idea we were looking for with the album.

9. What albums have you been listening to lately? Do you have any favorite albums from 2023?

I listen to a lot of music and different genres of metal, I liked the latest ones from The Halo Effects, Aborted, In Flames, Orbit Culture, Cannibal Corpse..., and from 2023 one of the albums that impressed me the most was Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite.

10. Does the environment influence your outlook and inspire you to be creative as a musician?

Exactly as I mentioned before, my lyrics reflect the environment that surrounds me and the same thing happens with music in the creation process, Cuba is a very different country and what better reason to make brutal music, haha.

11. Do metal bands in Cuba support each other or is there a lot of competition in the scene?

The Cuban metal scene has always been united and there are no differences, you can see a show with metal, punk or grunge bands at the same time, this unity has allowed us to form a solid movement that is very necessary to confront the prejudices and obstacles we face subjected.

12. Thank you for your time! Before we end this interview, can you tell us something about your future plans and when you will record your next album?

At the moment we are immersed and working very hard on new songs with the idea of recording a new album by the end of the year, in fact we are already handling special guests and we come with a more technical, fresh and aggressive sound. I just have to thank you for the interview and for your great support.

Demo review: Hecatomb - Horrid Invocations (2021)

Hecatomb - Horrid Invocations

Australia/Norway

Invictus Productions

Hecatomb is an international project featuring Rick Warkill from Australia and Mangressor from Norway (Abhorration). Together, they unleash a fierce barrage of raw and bestial death metal that pays homage to the past in the most relentless sense.

"Horrid Invocations" is their debut demo, featuring five tracks of pure unbridled mayhem that give nods to *ahem* yes, Mayhem (Deathcrush era), Sadistik Exekution, and Sarcofago.

Several bands in recent memory have done this style rather well, including Morbid Insulter, Third Eye Rapists, Shitangel, and more recently, Abhorration. They don't try to sound old-school, they just play death metal, and that's what separates them from some retro band made up of members who look as if they formerly played in some shitty sludge or metalcore band (posers in other words). Hecatomb is the real deal. The music is absurdly crude, featuring a foray of harsh screams that sounds like an ancient demon just awoke, along with riffs that radiate nothing but darkness, and drums that plow through the songs with pure unyielding force. In addition, the artwork has that simplistic and underground look, which perfectly reflects what the band conveys with their music.

Overall, if you are looking for some raw, evil, and unapologetic metal of death, then "Horrid Invocations" will satisfy your craving. (HT)

Album review: Maze of Terror - Offer To The Fucking Beasts (2021)

Maze of Terror – Offer To The Fucking Beasts

Peru

Xtreem Music

Peruvian death thrash maniacs Maze of Terror release their second album and follow up to 2016's ripper "Ready To Kill". The latest work is a convincing and ferocious display of skull-shredding thrash infused with sheer aggression as well as some new dynamics at work. 

It seems the band have evolved their sound a little and added more atmosphere this time around, although the vocals are still as hostile-sounding as ever. Each track is packed with pounding riffs, hard-hitting drums and heavy bass lines, while hateful vocals are belched over the explosion of noise.

There are also plenty of lethal guitar solos scattered throughout the album, lightning fast and full of morbid emotion. I really like the way the drums are played and sound on this album. It does not sound overproduced or too dry, but has just the right amount of bite for a thrash album. Also, the main tempo of the music is a little faster than mid-paced and pairs well with the ferocity of the music. 

There is an abundance of head-banging riffs, indicating the band's propensity for violent, old-school metal. The band cites bands like Massacra, Sarcofago, and Protector as influences, so that alone can attest to the fact that this is no pussy thrash. 

Overall, “Offer To The Fucking Beasts” is a deadly album on all fronts and comes highly recommended to fans of gritty and uncompromising Death/Thrash. (HT)

Compilation review: Dugu - Skeleton Nausea Abyss (2019)

Dugu - Skeleton Nausea Abyss

China

Awakening Records

The insane Dugu from China have been stalking the world with their repulsive and noisy brand of death/thrash since 2018. With this release, the Awakening Records label made a compilation of all their material to date, which was released in 2019. Maybe in the beginning you might find the mixing of the songs a bit odd, but that’s exactly how it sounds when it’s a compilation, like amputated limbs of different people forming a new body.

Their ability to make loud music on the Asian continent is admirable. The album is an explosion of noise, but good noise. Everything is perfectly audible and frenzied. That raw and cavernous aspect gives the music a quality essence that – at least from my point of view – I understand what they are doing. The blazingly fast solos are so wild that it sounds like a string might break at any time, although what’s really surprising is the fact that they do not give that much prominence to the guitars. The vocals sound like a hungry growling beast. The band shapes chaos in their own way and not the other way around. The bass and drums have a very good synergy, both sounding very forceful and direct like a fist to the skull. Throughout this compilation the band carries out several covers (showing their influences) although one of them is very notable Poison (Germany). Immediately I could perceive that rancid essence that emanates mostly from the guitar. The music conjures images of the gang feasting on leftover corpses from abominations of decades past, like mouldy fungi that make meat fall off bones.

The passion for the old school is very evident on “Skeleton Nausea Abyss” and I think they are on the right track. Let's hope we are alive to witness the release of their debut album. If not, then they have already left their mark with this production. For fans of: Morbid Saint, Possessed, Poison. (Catacombs Walker)

Album review: Conceived By Hate - Putrid Realms Of The Occult (2020)

 

Conceived By Hate - Putrid Realms Of The Occult

El Salvador

Satanath Records

What we have here is a band that has been smashing skulls since 2003. In the beginning, the band played melodic death/thrash with old-school tendencies, which was quite different from what is reflected here – their third and latest album called “Putrid Realms Of The Occult.”

There is a slight inclination towards black metal on this album, at least with the vocal parts and on opener, "Nihilistic Ecstasy," although it is true that on some songs the band opts for a style quite similar to what they were doing earlier in their career. The only original member left is Jorge Montesino (better known as Morbid) who has been with the band since its inception. Jorge is also responsible for the vocals, guitars, and bass for this production along with Iosif Najarro (drums) who formed part of Conceived By Hate from 2013 to 2018, but was invited as a session musician for this album. He is a renowned drummer in the Salvadoran scene for being involved with bands such as Disorder, Arcane, Invocation of Death, and Morbid Stench. Today Iosif is officially back in the band, and was part of the recent split with Chile’s Soulrot.

Morbid's screams on this album suggest that he was possessed by some demonic entity, as they are fierce and absolutely aggressive. The distortion of the guitars remind me of that classic Swedish sound. I even think that the influence towards this style is remarkable, since it has a bit of that melodic, melancholic vibe, which makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a desecrated graveyard. All songs are shrouded in a distinctly mournful and apocalyptic atmosphere. Something that I must criticize a bit is the lack of keyboards, since it was utilized more on previous recordings and gave the band more personality. Here they make up for it with the final theme of the album, which is a relaxing instrumental to subdue the fury that manifests throughout the album. Recommended! (Catacombs Walker)

ALBUM REVIEW: Paganfire - Wreaking Fear and Death (2013)

Paganfire - Wreaking Fear and Death (2013)

The Philippines

Anger of Metal Records / Bestial Invasion

A few dozen demos and splits later, these Quezon City-based maniacs finally release their debut album upon the filthy masses entitled, "Wreaking Fear and Death." The music can be described as Thrash Metal in the vein of early Sodom, Exodus and Sabbat. The Asian element is quite prominent, as some of their song titles and lyrics are in their native tongue. Often a lot of Thrash Metal bands end up sounding sterile and boring due to over-polished production, that's why Paganfire is a breathe of fresh air as they retain a considerably raw tone, yet all the instruments can be heard in the mix. I find the production rather appealing. There's some Black/Death elements lurking in their sound, like the Necrovore-ish riffs on opener, "Bakal sa Bakal, Laman sa Laman" coupled with the general Mayhem-esque (Deathcrush era) buzz-tone of the guitars. Paganfire's sound will certainly find its appeal among the true metal legions and comes recommended to fans of bands (most notably their early works) such as Demolition Hammer, Mayhem, Exodus, Order From Chaos, Sodom, Sepultura, etc. Paganfire is like the drunkin' offspring of the aforementioned bands. This is not sheltered pseudo thrash with songs about the local pizza scene. Nope. This is raw, violent and uncompromising Thrash Metal that will surely send the hippies packing. (HT)

INTERVIEW: PAGANFIRE (2018)

The Filipino thrash squad known as Paganfire have been stomping poser skulls and catalyzing riots ever since their bloody inception in 2003. I caught up with the infamous Nonoy (Guitarist/vocalist) to try and figure out what goes on in that mad brain of his. Read forth!

Hails Nonoy!!! I'm sure you've done this a million times before, but for the sake of our readers, please give us a some background on Paganfire's history and tell us what the band is all about - your sound, influences, etc.

N: Hails Jim!!! PAGANFIRE have been thrashing since 1999, but in 2002 we had major revamps in our ranks which saw us do the demos and studio fiascos, we have released our debut album back in 2013 and is hopefully still making rounds nowadays, we play true underground thrashing metal, no trendy shit!! We are into most 80’s thrash metal bands and some other genres but most of the time we do not check out erstwhile “modern” bands and albums.

Can you tell us a little about your lyrics and where you draw your inspiration from? What kind of feeling do you wish to transmit through your music? 

N: Our lyrics are about arson, violence, cannibals, poseur eradication, serial killers, religion, the cosmos and beyond, etc., etc. No specific feeling but we would want to melt people’s faces with our material on and off the stage.

What can you tell us about the scene in Quezon City? Do you have much of a following? And how is the reception to local gigs?

N: There is no Quezon City scene or Philippine scene for that matter, or if there is one it’s totally shitty, everyone is just trying outplay everyone and to impress each other, haha. In the end, it’s a competition of shitheads, trendsucking rip offs. As far as we are concerned, we walk our own path and it’s either you are with us or against us. No grey areas!

What can you tell us about the recording/reception/format (etc.) of Paganfire's last album, "Wreaking Fear and Death"? 

N: I am honored that a few metal maniac labels picked it up and thus making it available on all formats, and I am glad that most of the time, the true underground metal maniacs realize it for what it is, and treat it is an underground gem.

Who did the killer artwork for "Wreaking Fear and Death" and how did you hook up with the artist?  

N: He is NORMAN TRINIDAD of KAMBING and TRIDENT NATION 'zine fame! His artwork speaks for itself!! They reek of true metaldom! Not trendy and standard takes on all things metal, his art used on every PAGANFIRE release is representative of the sound: raw, violent, brash and most of all METAL!!

Are there any local music stores over there where you can obtain good metal? Also, what was the last album you bought?

N: NONE. Most people get their metal fix from other people who order stuff from abroad then sell it online, practically it’s a very small community of people buying and selling from each other, no shops to go to regularly where you can pick up Sarcofago or even Slayer’s old albums on a regular basis, I have traded some titles lately but most of them are “standard” thrash metal albums, some notable stuff I caught is the reissue of MUTILATOR – IMMORTAL FORCE and the forgotten RIGOR MORTIS – FREAKS cd’s and yeah I also have the MUTILATOR dvd from Peru.

You've done many splits, but I'm particularly interested in how the split with Nunslaughter came about - also, what are your thoughts regarding the unfortunate passing of Jim Sadist?

N: It took but a couple of years before it finally materialized as NUNSLAUGHTER’s release schedule is always busy!! I just kept in touch with Don until the earth cracked in half and spew out this monstrosity of a split!! I have never been in touch with Jim, but of course when someone of your kind passes away it is sad, but Jim left behind a true legacy based on his music and his friends, all I can say is he is gone but will never be forgotten.

You have a very extensive discography with many demos, splits and EPs - what are the releases you're most proud of? Which particular Paganfire release would you suggest as a "starting point" for someone new to your music? 

N: That’s a hard one, but for me ALL of them are my favorites as each reflects the true underground spirit, from the most D.I.Y. to the extravagant pro releases, each of them are products of hard work and trust, which is slowly dying away in the underground scene wherein everyone just wants to be the next flavor of the month and people measure their credibility with the number of “likes” on their profiles and update us with the food they eat rather than the true stuff that matters!! Their songs and their god damn attitude!!! A place to start with PAGANFIRE should always be the 2004 demo, if you can realize it for what it is, then you will definitely sink your teeth on the rest!! If not, then go the fuck away and look for the next trend that will suit you.

Besides making people deaf with your music, what do you do to relax? Are there any cool places in your City to venture to in case you feel the need to "escape" from the masses of shitheads?

N: I can relax anywhere, just leave me alone and don’t bother me hahaha, I can sit down gobble up some beers by myself and I will be OK, BUT I also prefer to travel, specially going to my hometown, reconnect with friends and relatives, go for a swim (or in my case a dip), binge drink etc., etc. or just go out and eat with the missus and offspring, there is just not so much to do to escape in this 3rd world hellhole, ONLY THE STRONG WILL SURVIVE!

Does the members in Paganfire consume copious amounts of goat piss whilst chanting the hymns of Manggagaway during rehearsals?

N: Goat piss and pig’s blood with meat from the carcasses whilst the rambling of a thousand ogres on through the night!!!!!!!

I demand to know your all-time favorite bands, including a list of 10 albums that are so important to you, that you would simply cease to exist without them. 

N: METALLICA – RIDE THE LIGHTNING, SLAYER – HAUNTING THE CHAPEL, HOLY TERROR – MIND WARS, DEMOLITION HAMMER – TORTURED EXISTENCE, RIGOR MORTIS – S/T, ORDER FROM CHAOS – AN ENDING IN FIRE, SODOM – OBSESSED BY CRUELTY, KREATOR – TERRIBLE CERTAINTY, SEPULTURA – MORBID VISIONS, and INFERNAL MAJESTY – NONE SHALL DEFY pretty much standard fare eh? There are tons of favorites bands, what comes to mind are VIO-LENCE, FORBIDDEN, SADUS, DEATH, MORBID ANGEL, SARCOFAGO, MUTILATOR, PROTECTOR, DEATH ANGEL, DISSECTION, DARK ANGEL, CANCER, DESTRUCTION, HOLY MOSES, ONSLAUGHT, DEATHWISH, POSSESSED, EXODUS, SABBAT (japan and UK) etc., etc.

What's next for Paganfire? Will you eventually pass the fire onto your younglings, so that they may continue the legacy of the Pagancult whilst you slaughter the poser angels in the morbid afterlife?

N: Next is the release of the new 2 track demo, and the start of making the 2nd album, I would be glad if my boys pick up instruments and start a band, but I won’t make them either, it’s their choice, it’s their lives anyway, if they don’t do that I won’t encourage them either, to be honest I don’t look forward to any afterlife, we are all worm food when we go. To die is to rest but METAL is the best!!!!

Thanks for filling the blanks, mate!!! Good luck for the future and keep spreading the antichristian terror!!! 

N: Thanks goes to you as well mate!! I am glad that you still do interviews and reviews, always remember that you are the one and only maniac from South Africa that I know, from the good old snail mail days to nowadays FB networks hahaha yes we will keep that in mind, and as we say TULOY ANG LABAN AT WALANG ATRASAN!!!  Interested maniacs keep in touch: paganfire13@yahoo.com, argh!!! KAMATAYAN SA HUWAD NA METAL!!!!!

Release details:

Vinyl – Anger of Metal Records (Germany)

CD – Bestial Invasion (UK)

Tape – Mandarangan (USA), Afterlife Prods (Malaysia), Eternal Darkness Creations (USA)

Cai Cai Vilu (Chile)

Contact the band at: paganfire13@yahoo.com

EP REVIEW: Voroth - Voroth (2019)

 

Voroth – Voroth – EP – 2020

Russia

Independent

Voroth is a four-piece death/thrash act hailing from the depths of Nevinnomyssk, Russia, and the self-titled EP under review is their debut release. Upon listening to these songs, I have discovered a band with the ability to write interesting and well-crafted material that doesn't border on sounding like your typical death/thrash fare. The music is actually very forward-thinking and executed with vigour. The production brings out the solid performances and I appreciate the presence of the bass in the mix. I also like the fact that the band opted for singing in their native tongue, as the music always sounds more expressive that way. (Definitely an approach more bands should opt for.) The band seems to have a penchant for writing epic songs, since most of them hit the 5-minute mark and are packed to the brim with instrumental support. Overall, I would rate this as a pretty solid EP, but like most releases, there's always room for improvement; in this case, I feel like the band should try to add a bit more depth to their craft, as the songs have a tendency to sound a little monotonous at times. Other than that, a good first entry from a promising band. (HT)

Demo review: Maze of Terror - Death Worshipers (2019)

 

Maze of Terror – Death Worshipers – Demo (2019)

Peru

Independent

Peruvian death-thrashers Maze of Terror released an absolute scorcher of an album back in 2016 titled, “Ready To Kill.” I loved the aggression and ballsy attitude of that album. Fast forward to 2019, after a split and two EPs, the band released this killer demo called “Death Worshipers.” The four songs on this demo are very well composed and contains absolutely no filler at all. The music can be described as thrash metal, although in the most uncompromising sense imaginable. They also incorporate some black and death metal elements into their sound. The vocalist is a maniac and sounds like he is hell-bent on murdering someone. All instruments are well played and blend together nicely, coupled with a solid production that enables you to hear everything. The guitarist's penchant for solos is impressive and it definitely sounds like he knows what he's doing. I must say, for a thrash metal band, Maze of Terror sounds more extreme than a lot of black and death metal bands. The music on this demo is raw, unapologetic, and fierce. I love the sample on the first song, 'Incubus,' which is taken from the cult horror movie The Entity. Anyway, if radio-friendly “pizza thrash” is your thing, then stay far away from Maze of Terror. These Peruvian maniacs will skin you alive. (HT)

https://mazeofterror.bandcamp.com/