Meza Virs Performing At Ignite! Music Festival

Catch the imposing symphonic black metal band Meza Virs perform at the Ignite! Music Festival this Saturday (03/07/10) at Republic Polytechnic along with the likes of The Analog Girl, The Marilyns, Plainsunset and many more during this 2 day festival. Their set will begin at 7pm but do turn up early and form the line of destruction as Meza Virs will put on a show that will make poseur scene teens quiver in their pants while the horde raise their horns in full glory

Age Of Sinfonia releases Unfrozen

In anticipation of their upcoming EP release, symphonic gothic metal band Age Of Sinfonia have uploaded the track Unfrozen on their Myspace site and to hear how it sounds like, simply click on the image above and be prepared to be swept away

Now Suffer Gig Review

The lights might have been dimmer than usual in Blackhole for Now Suffer but it was anything but below average onstage as Stillborn, Zaganoth, Xanadoo, Bhelliom and Oshiego put up fiery performances onstage that could rival the sweltering weather outside with the gauntlet being thrown from the word go and the crowd just as prepared



It has been a whirlwind month for rising death metal band Stillborn and despite being unable to perform for Damaged, the five man wrecking crew made up for lost time by channeling their pent up aggression onstage as the first band and while their cover of I Got Erection was not resurrected after receiving a rapturous response during Mosh Party 5, their original compositions was suffice to keep the crowd engaged. A slight stage mishap prior to their set was quickly brushed aside as tunes such as Words Of A Priest resonated clearly and the message was spread throughout the revellers for the evening, notching yet another feather to their impressive collection of caps



The brakes were not applied and bringing things to a halt just yet: In fact, Zagaroth stomped on the accelerator pedal and brought things to a new level not just musically but also in terms of appearance as vocalist Jaar Vis appeared onstage with what can be described as a cross between an executioner and a metal Chippendale beefcake. It definitely caught the eye of the audience and certainly a few catcalls as Zagaroth was bulging with extreme metal testosterone, ready to prick on its skeptics and unleashing the gates of hell at the same time with the rhythm section not being distracted by their main purpose and it was definitely an eye catching performance for all the right reasons in the end. Combining a variety of elements into their music and providing a refreshing respite, Zagaroth delivered an elongated shot to the metal system and the screams from the pit is a testament to their dedication



The best of the rest were definitely not forgotten as well with the remaining trio building up the successful momentum of Now Suffer as thrash infused heroes Xanadoo bellowed a commanding presence that has seen them getting rave reviews in recent months while special guests Bhelliom making a triumphant appearance soon after and justifying their cameo without any moment of doubt. The set for the night finally ended with local pharaohs Oshiego bringing down the house with the wall of death poised to portray their adulation. Just like what the papyrus indicated, it was nothing less than a vicious sandstorm with Oshiego made incantations in the form of their songs that comprised mostly from their recent offering Unending Carnage that was given away as a door gift for those who attended the gig. With the edicts being spread and a rousing applause for Arv Ind and his crew, Now Suffer was an extreme jolt from start to finish!

To listen more:
Stillborn http://myspace.com/stillbornsg
Zaganoth http://www.myspace.com/zaganoth
Xanadoo http://www.myspace.com/xanadoosg
Bhelliom http://www.myspace.com/bhelliomsg
Oshiego http://www.myspace.com/oshiego

Stillborn- Words Of A Priest (Now Suffer 27/06/10)

With June coming to a rocking end, what better to end it than a clip of Stillborn performing their well known song Words Of Priest as performed in the recently concluded Now Suffer. With such ferocity and fervent fans backing them up, its easy to see why Stillborn are lauded as the next wave of local extreme metal bands that will whet your appetite!

Chronicles Of Reverence: Vlad III, Prince Of Wallachia

What does Christopher Lee, Romania and impalement have in common? Chronicles Of Reverence column at the Singapore Dark Alternative Movement site looks into the life of one Vlad III, Prince Of Wallachia who is also known as Vlad The Impaler and a man whose love for blood led to the birth of a renowned fictional character. Who is it? Just click on the image above to find out more

Johnny Shameless And His Minions Slated To Perform At Good Music For Bad People

(Click on poster to view the event)

Fans of Johnny Shameless And His Minions who craving for more shock, scum and cum, here is a chance to catch them live next month as they are slated to perform at The Stoned Revivals Good Music For Bad People gig next month at The Substation on 27th June 2010. Marking their 20th anniversary in the local circuit and bidding farewell to Slowjaxx, Good Music For Bad People features an all star line up which includes Johnny Shameless And His Minions, The Great Spy Experiment, Stellarium Moods plus appearances from Francis Frightful (OP), David Knight (USA) and members from The Stoned Revivals both past and present as they play their greatest hits. Tickets are at $10 and only available at the door

Saturday Night with The Misfit Ramones

Currently on a roll following their recent appearances at Blackhole and Home Club in the month of June, local punks The Misfit Ramones are at it once again and this time, it was held at the cosy surroundings of Chapter 6 Studio with Frostymug opening up the set of their intimate showcase. The energetic trio of Syam41 (Guitar/Vocals) Justin Ramone (Bass/Vocals) and Mizar "The Miz" Ramone (Drums) were clearly feeling at ease performing a mix of their original compositions and covers from The Misfits and The Ramones (hence the name)plus some special treats along the way throughout their set which included an acoustic segment with Mizar serenading the supportive crowd and Syam swapping for an acoustic guitar, a door gift for everyone in attendance and finally an open mic session where guest performers got the chance to perform with The Misfit Ramones and this includes the likes of Beel (for Evergreen Blitzkrieg Pop), James Toh and birthday boy Sean Sundaran. Even yours truly had a role to play with the rendition of The Misfits song Die Die My Darling and just like the showcase in whole, it felt totally at home without the feel of being under pressure as The Misfit Ramones are a band that know how to have a good time playing their instruments with relative ease and ensuring that everyone gets a piece of the action with smiles on their faces while heading back home. Look out for more details here on their upcoming gig and on the Dalsix Soundcloud page very soon as the Merlion zombies are ready to go out and kill tonight!

Stillborn TV is launched

Watch clips of local death metal band Stillborn on their channel in youtube as Tharenii, Sathish and crew are presented through film and into the comforts of your living room!

Forhekset: Cliff Hanging Eulogies

Whether it was formed among a group of friends during high school or a merger between various bands, only a handful of these hopefuls attempting to live the dream and emulate their idols will go on to the desired path and play in festivals on a constant basis. Yet the road to stardom is strewn with nails along the way, threatening to burst their tyres and derail the band off their tracks with individual members leaving at some point of time or have their Fate being decided by the grim reapers of Fate and fickle music listeners. Is the death of a member both literally and metaphorically spell the end of a band? Or does it spur them on to continue their passion in memory of their fallen comrade?



With a long standing history which began at the tailend of the 80s and with a frontman in the form of Jon Nödtveidt who started out promoting black metal bands in native Sweden as a music journalist, Dissection was one of the pioneers in extreme music and spawning a host of bands which included At The Gates as the Scandinavian nation followed the likes of Norway and Denmark in establishing a strong foothold in Europe. Aside from Dissection, Nödtveidt also appeared in several other bands such as De Infernali, Terror and Opthalamia (under the guise of Shadow) just to name a few but despite a stint in prison after being convicted of murder, he did not waste time in going under the radar and quickly reformed Dissection and released an EP (Maha Kali) followed by a full length album in 2006 (Reinkaos) with the band looking poised to make a comeback and reclaim their spot as one of the foremost extreme metal bands in Sweden. Sadly, their promising return was nothing more but a brief flicker of hope as Nödtveidt ended his own life by suicide on 16 August 2006 with the remaining members of the band deciding to call it a day soon as Set Teitan and Thomas Asklund moving on to other projects. But Jon Nödtveidt was not forgotten in a flash as fellow Swedes Deathstars dedicated the song Via The End from their Night Electric Night in memory of him with bassist Nightmare Industries being his younger brother (Emil Nödtveidt) bequeathing a fitting eulogy. The same tragedy was faced with Damageplan as guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott was fatally shot onstage by one Nathan Gale just when he and his brother Vinnie Paul Abbott was about to begin a fresh start following the demise of their former band Pantera with Damageplan providing that opportunity to continue their love for music and sharing the stage together as siblings with bassist Bob Zilla and vocalist Pat Lachman completing the quartet. While their future looks uncertain, the likelihood of a subsequent record release is becoming near impossible as Bob and Vinnie Paul are currently busy with HELLYEAH while Pat is running his own music clinic. The hand of death also robbed a promising band of their most treasured member as drummer Witold "Vitek" Kiełtyka from Polish metal band Decapitated was killed in a road accident and died a few days later on 2nd November 2007 with vocalist Adrian "Covan" Kowanek going into a coma and while he was able to avoid death, his recovery was slower than expected and with Decapitated announcing the decision to go on hiatus, it looked as though the Grim Reaper added another fatality into his list by premature death



But the journey for Decapitated did not end just there despite taking 2 years before emerging from the depths of despair. Making up for lost time that was spent grieving over the loss of their members, guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka decided to gather up the shattered pieces and reassembled a new line up as part of his efforts to revitalise the once promising Polish band. Thankfully for them, their record label Nuclear Blast records and management company Hard Impact Music stood by their side in times of turmoil and the band has announced dates to tour in Europe and metal festivals with the intention to release a new album at the same time, showing their testament to continue the hard work in memory of Vitek. But they were definitely not the first band to continue working together in spite of tragedy as black metal icons Mayhem faced a spate of deaths throughout its tenure as a band with suicide and murder threatening to tear them apart. Formed in 1984, the Oslo based band from the Scandinavian nation of Norway, Mayhem's first brush with death came in 1988 when vocalist Per Yngve Ohlin (Dead) joined the band in place of Maniac who left the band due to depression but his stint with the band only lasted for 3 years as signs of his strange demeanour and onstage artillery of broken glasses and hunting knives providing a clear indicator. On 8 April 1991, Dead tried out the aforementioned knives but when it became apparent that it was blunt enough to penetrate, a rifle was used instead and the bullet to his dead provided the escape to the afterlife which Dead yearned for. Attila Csihar from Tormentor and Varg Vikernes (Burzum) were soon recruited with the latter in place of Necrobutcher who left soon after the death of Dead and it was Varg who became the cause of founder Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous) departure on 10 August 1993 as he was murdered Euronymous and was arrested soon after, spending 21 years in prison and Mayhem was on the verge of extinction. It was up to Hellhammer to hold the fort and continued carrying the burning torch as Maniac and Necrobutcher made a return to the band along with a new guitarist (Blasphemer) to record and release an EP (Wolf's Lair Abyss) followed by a full length album in 2000 (Grand Declaration Of War) while continuing to tour extensively and undeterred by the spate of incidents that have threatened to derail their progress. Despite the subsequent departures of Maniac (replaced by the returning Atilla Csihar) and Blasphemer (replaced by Morpheus), Mayhem continues to make nefarious music for the music and a blueprint for success in the face of tragedy and notoriety



As the wounds of the recent deaths of Ronnie James Dio, Peter Steele and Paul Gray remain fresh to fans and bandmates alike, it remains uncertain as to whether their respective bands Heaven & Hell, Type O Negative and Slipknot will continue to make music in honour of their deceased bandmate or to discontinue making music in that name to focus on other projects and respect the legacy that was made while they were around. But whatever the case is, it is certain that their impact will forever be embalmed and remembered in generations to come

Wishblaster: Interview With Age Of Sinfonia

As promised earlier, the interview with local symphonic goth metal band Age Of Sinfonia is finally out on the Metal Horde Singapore site on Myspace with myself given the opportunity to speak with the extremely talented band which will be going place for the next few months. Read all about it by clicking on the photo below:

Meteoor: Scums Of The Earth

Meet Patient Zzero, a nice family man who loves wearing a mask to entertain kids and walks in the park. But then again, that is what people expect of society and Patient Zzero along with his crew of henchmen that surround Johnny Shameless And His Minions are anything but nice. Click on the photo to access the article and be prepared to be spunked

Age Of Sinfonia at *Scape (Singapore Street Festival)

(Credit: Kianyong Tan (Metal Horde Singapore). Click on the picture to access the album)
It has been a positive month for local metal music with numerous gigs to exhibit their undisputed talents and for symphonic metal, it has been given a huge leverage to ascent as evidenced in the recent Clash Of The Titans showcase featuring Abyssal and on Friday, the opener for the Singapore Street Festival featured yet another symphonic metal band with a gothic twist added into their petrol as Age Of Sinfonia displayed an explosive display at *Scape during their 7 song setlist. Along with 2 cover songs in the form of Evanescence and Within Temptation, Age Of Sinfonia performed all 5 tracks from their upcoming EP Capriccio with their new frontwoman Savvia Lenore spearheading the melodious sextet which also consists of Rasen John (Guitars), Andy Swift (Bass), Elfie Corleone (Drums), Dr Jackyll Hyde (Keyboards) and JC (Violin) and like the stage that was presented to them, Age Of Sinfonia made every inch count with their electrifying stage presence. It is interesting to note that the band actually has a full fledged violinist in their ranks and this can only be found in folk metal bands such as Korpiklaani or part of a full orchestra contributing to an album but utilising it as part of the band's set up and at some point giving lead guitar roles is a masterstroke move by Age Of Sinfonia but does this mean that the guitarist gets relegated to the background? Fears were soon allayed as Rasen John manages to avoid that manhole and displays his expertise without breaking into a sweat and coordinating well with the rest of the band. As for Savvia who recently joined the band, her second outing with Age Of Sinfonia deserved a rousing applause as she did not attempt to mimic the vocal styles of other contemporary gothic metal acts and went about her performance at ease as this dynamite definitely made an explosive impact at the Singapore Street Festival and one cannot wait until the next time this band makes an appearance on stage irregardless of the occasion as they bring their own wizardry into the foray and making it their own

(Look out for the upcoming Age Of Sinfonia interview on Metal Horde and the July edition of Meteoor at sdam.sg)

The Misfit Ramones Showcase at Chapter 6 Studio

(Click on photo to RSVP for the event)

The origins of goth music stemmed from the roots of the punk subculture and while Siouxsie Sioux And The Banshees are hailed as one the founding members of gothic music, it was The Misfits with Lodi born lead singer Glenn Danzig that gave punk the element of horror in the form of B movie film influences, outlandish hairstyles and bandmates dressing up for daily Halloween. Not only is the Crimson Ghost logo became an iconic insignia for horror punk music, their music became a pivotal influence for many bands in the gothic music subculture today and come 19th June at Chapter 6 Studio, relive those childhood memories singing the likes of Last Caress and Saturday Night with The Misfit Ramones together with opening band Frostymug. As their name would suggest, covers from The Misfits will be featured along that of The Ramones plus few of their original songs and as a special treat for the audience in celebration of their 2nd anniversary, there will be an open mic session for the crowd to participate in so style those devilocks and kill the night with the Singaporean ghouls!

No Gaps, Just Cohesion: Damaged

It is an uphill struggle to establish a local band in a country that is continually trying to establish a strong foothold in metal music in the face of international mainstream acts and musical fads favoured by teenagers but as evidenced at Damaged held in Blackhole 212, Singapore musical acts have enough quality in their ranks and even though these bands do not have adequete exposure in promoting their music in contrast to their European counterparts, the support received is just as fanatical. Chaos Infernos may be seen as just another black metal band and with a relatively young history under their bullet belts but to underestimate their talent onstage would be absolutely criminal. Combining the magic of vocalist/guitarist Kyle Ravin (who is coincidentally, a real life magician), musical fortitude of bassist Mizan and the mayhem of drummer Tharenii (guitarist of Thambi K Seaow & Stillborn), Chaos Infernos definitely lived up to its nefarious name by askewing overproduced modern black metal in favour of old school primitive black metal. The trio gave a proper lesson to the other bands in stage presence by maintaining constant contact with the crowd, taking in hellfire and unleashing hit after hit without distupting the momentum with their East meets West infusion and songs such as Chaos Rising that everyone was singing along to. It is a blast beat back to the past for black metal and with older bands going back to their traditional roots, Chaos Infernos makes it look cool but at the same time backing it up with music one can go on a rampage with



Tharenii was definitely a busy man for the night and even though Stillborn was unable to make an appearance due to conflicting commitments, vocalist Sathish and guitarist Lyon was among the crowds showing their support for their comrade onstage as he performed double duty for Chaos Infernos and dyed in the Merlion scales band Thambi K Seaow together with bassist/vocalist Burp and drummer Karan as the sarong clad thumpers bridged the musical gap and bringing an infectious demeanour which can be rather tough to appease a highly volatile crowd used to intense and extreme music. Then again, there is a reason why TKS is a band that is loved across all genres and platforms and as a first time audience member watching them live, it does not take much to endear to the band. In the absence of Shyam Raj who primarily does the vocals and injecting humour into songs that has become a TKS trademark, Burp stepped up to the plate like a breeze and the spotlight was nothing more than a huge naan that is being shared with everyone in a huge pool of dalcha. Easygoing candour, groovy riffs and quirky lyrics that is a true reflection of the Singapore culture, a typical TKS gig definitely makes one feel at ease and it brings you back to the days when hanging around at the void decks with an acoustic guitar at one hand and packets of hot beverage from the nearest sarabat stall on the other. If America can give the world a piece of southern rock in the form of Lynard Skynard then Singapore can send out TKS and their merry band of slipper wearing kakis to show the world what the island nation is all about and chances are, the world will take to them like fish to water. But for now, these 2 bands have won over the hearts of the audience at Damaged and that's no illusion for sure

Erecting Authority: The Stillborn One at Mosh Party 5

Kicking things off in the month of June was the much anticipated Mosh Party 5 held at Blackhole on June 5th with a medley of genres being put into the mix including 2 bands from across the Causeway. While it took quite some time before a metal band was up onstage, it was worth the wait as that band in question happens to be the mercurial death metal band The Stillborn One and without any hesitation, they wasted little time in causing a huge shockwave across the walls into the crowds as they rabidly surged forward in watching the band upclose. It may be a busy month for the band this month alone with numerous gigs being lined up for them including the upcoming Now Suffer on the 27th but there were no signs of fatigue as it was business as usual for The Stillborn One with their frenzied vocalist Sathish brutalising the microphone whereas the rest of band released their unbridled fury with wild abandon, much to the rapturous response from the crowd. It might come as a surprise to newcomers who are watching the band for the first time that The Stillborn One was playing with a new personnel for only the second time onstage (the first being Grindhouse 2010) as bassist Ashley was fluidly in sync with twin guitarists Lyon and Tharenii while Jia-Ting launches the artillery from behind the drum kit. The highlight for the night definitely had to be their rendition of I Got Erection by death punk band Turbonegro with singalong choruses and an air of demented behaviour urging the crowd to shed their inhibitions



Special mention goes out to Flawed Element for putting out a stellar setlist and maintaining the quality of music right after The Stillborn One. Armed with a keytar player on tow, Flawed Element managed to dazzle the crowd and vindicated their credentials with little persuasion needed

Stillborn Announces Change Of Name

With effect from today, local death metal crew Stillborn has tweaked their name to The Stillborn One and will perform under the new moniker at Now Suffer on 27th June at Blackhole. The Proost! band of the month announced the news yesterday evening and page links for their Myspace and Facebook accounts remain the same

Koil Launches Aku Lupa Aku Luka Video

Indonesian industrial rockers Koil have released a new video from their Blacklight Shines On album and it is poised to be a hit with viewers from the start of the first frame directed by Rizal Mantovani. The four piece stompers comprising of J.A.V (Vocals) Donnijantoro (Guitars) Leon Ray Legoh (Drums) and Adam Vladvamp (Bass) have 5 albums under their belt throughout their 17 year history and the Bandung based band are influenced by the likes of Pink Floyd, Tool, White Zombie and Rammstein just to name a few. If the name Vladvamp sounds familiar to the gothic subculture in Singapore, it is simply no mere coincidence as he dropped by to assume DJ duties as the main headliner for the Singapore Dark Alternative Movement's Halloween party held at Hyde Bar last year and word has it that he might return sometime soon but with Koil on tow. Updates will be posted here on Fortress Of Tears on any official news but meanwhile, enjoy their latest launch right here:



(To find out more about Koil, visit them on their myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/koilkarat and on facebook)

Age Of Sinfonia & Abyssal double feature!

Over the weekend, I will be interviewing members from local symphonic metal bands Age Of Sinfonia and Abyssal with the both of them sharing more than just an affinity for the same genre. Collaborating together with the Fused Orchestra for the recent Clash Of The Titans concert at the Victoria Concert Hall, Abyssal was able to seamlessly pull off an impressive setlist and ending off with a cover of Judas Priest's Breaking The Law to a rapturous reception from the metal community on that night while Age Of Sinfonia will be performing an one hour set for the opening of the Singapore Street Festival on Friday, 11th June 2010 at 9pm. So to anyone who are fans of the abovementioned bands, metal music or even casual observers wanting to know more about our local talents, here is a chance to ask your questions by Sunday 13th June and selected ones will be relayed to them as part of my interview session with them. Both articles will be published here and on affiliated sites (Metal Horde Singapore & SDAM) so send those questions in either by Formspring (Question box located on the navigation links) Facebook (via the Dalsix page) or at dalsixvisser@gmail.com

We Burn In Fire (Nevar Photography)

(Click on photo to view article)

Read on what Nevar has to say about the photoshoot that I was in as her muse for the afternoon with the sun appearing just at the wrong time plus her other photography masterpieces with various models and perspectives on her site

Stillborn performing I Got Erection (Mosh Party 5, 5th June 2010 at Blackhole)

Local death metal band Stillborn are in demand this June and judging from their cover of Turbonegro's I Got Erection, its easy to see why. With myself contributing my euphoria in the form of singing the first line of the chorus in this video, their set was the highlight of Mosh Party 5! Look out for the upcoming gig review with fellow metallers Flawed Element in it as well

Breaking The Law With The Wall Of Sound (Abyssal)

To access the article, click on the photo above to read all about it at the Singapore Metalheads Portal

Making A Cameo in Room 101

(Click on photo to access video link)



Appearing together with me on the debut episode of Room 101 featuring Johnny Shameless And His Minions are Serpentina and Sonia from Metal Horde, wrecking havoc and giving the contestants some grief. Look out for my upcoming interview with Kimotherapy and Patient Zzero from the band soon!

Proost!: Stillborn

(Click on the photo to visit their myspace page)

(Stillborn: Jia-Ting, Tharenii, Sathish, Vishnu and Lyon in the first incarnation)

Despite the popularity of mainstream music genres in Singapore and the emergence of hardcore music in recent times, it is heartening to note that metal has been able to weather the rising tide and maintain its relevance right here without the need to commercialise in order to get an audience. Its akin to a secret society of good music where only the best are accepted and if there is such a group in existence then Stillborn wouldn't need to fill up a single form. In fact, they can simply walk in any event and rise to the occasion with minimal fuss and a testament to their talent is evident with the 3 shows that are being lined up for them in June alone namely Mosh Party 5, Damaged and Now Suffer. Formed in 2007, the death metal quintet comprises of Sathish (vocals), Lyon (guitar), Tharenii (guitar), Jia-Ting (drums) and newest member Ashley (bass) replacing original member Vishnu in April this year. Bonded by their common love of extreme metal acts such as Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse and Meshuggah, Stillborn wears their influences on their sleeves while onstage and interestingly, they seek inspiration from regional acts such as Rudra creating a unique sound without compromising on quality. Like a bull in rage, lead singer Sathish barges thorough onstage with tremendous impact that belies his wiry frame while guitarists Lyon and Tharenii playing off each other's chords with a calm demeanour as Jia-Ting works out a sweat and abusing his drumkit without sparing a thought for sympathy but then again, this is a genre that spares no expense in the pursuit for quality. Despite the setback that they faced earlier this year and the impending conscription for Sathish in August, Stillborn refused to back down under pressure and the naysayers were given a kick in a face with Grindhouse 2010 proving to them that what seems to be their fatality only strengthens the band further and Ashley's debut on bass is an indicator of progression for Stillborn. Yet at the end of the day, these guys go off the stage together and take time to hang out with each other and knocking back with a couple of beers, a testament that music is not just a hobby, its the bond that brings friends together no matter what the circumstances are



(The new line up onstage for Grindhouse 2010)

(Bull on a rage: Sathish giving the microphone his blessings)

Like what you see? Support the band at their page on Facebook and receive updates on their upcoming gigs. Stillborn are slated to perform at Mosh Party 5 (05/06/10), Damaged (08/06/10) and Now Suffer (27/06/10)

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