Rob ‘Mid’ Middleton ( DEVIATED INSTINCT, BAIT, SPINEWRENCH, HAAVAT ) talks illustration, Norse mythology, 1980s recording studios, Norwegian Black Metal, budget distortion pedals, and cats.

Were you about in the mid-to-late ’80s punk scene, supergluing patches on your tattered trousers, tramping the streets in para-boots to the soundtrack of underproduced cassette demos… Read more “Rob ‘Mid’ Middleton ( DEVIATED INSTINCT, BAIT, SPINEWRENCH, HAAVAT ) talks illustration, Norse mythology, 1980s recording studios, Norwegian Black Metal, budget distortion pedals, and cats.”

by oldmansmettle

Benjamin König of LUNAR AURORA and BALD ANDERS on the inspiration for his new art book from SPERBER ILLUSTRATIONEN.

What next, once you’ve an accomplished suite of forest-black-metal releases under your belt, resplendent with transcendental artwork, deeply atmospheric lush orchestration that embraces both the old-style music… Read more “Benjamin König of LUNAR AURORA and BALD ANDERS on the inspiration for his new art book from SPERBER ILLUSTRATIONEN.”

by oldmansmettle

Jonny Maudling of KULL and BAL-SAGOTH on composing ‘Exile’, Epic Fantasy Metal escapism, long-standing fans, and new shows.

KULL, the present incarnation of Sheffield’s long-standing Epic Fantasy Metal outfit BAL-SAGOTH, released ‘Exile‘ just before the pandemic. With 2006’ ‘Chthonic Chronicles‘ being the last full length… Read more “Jonny Maudling of KULL and BAL-SAGOTH on composing ‘Exile’, Epic Fantasy Metal escapism, long-standing fans, and new shows.”

by oldmansmettle

Timm Endstille-Tauthr talks learning the drums, favourite cymbals, touring, the follies of war, identity, and recording the new 2022 ENDSTILLE album.

It is our pleasure to catch up with Timm aka Mayhemic Destructor of the relentlessly pummelling black war-metal act ENDSTILLE, a band who everyone should see live… Read more “Timm Endstille-Tauthr talks learning the drums, favourite cymbals, touring, the follies of war, identity, and recording the new 2022 ENDSTILLE album.”

by oldmansmettle

kariti on dark-folk release ‘Covered Mirrors’, words and music, the first person in lower case, Soviet composers, modern tragedies, and cats.

kariti released the dark-folk LP ‘Covered Mirrors’ a while back and we really liked it: nine tracks that are slow, deliberate – perhaps you could even say… Read more “kariti on dark-folk release ‘Covered Mirrors’, words and music, the first person in lower case, Soviet composers, modern tragedies, and cats.”

by oldmansmettle

Tregor Russo of DIONISYAN on new album ‘The Last Millenium’, the Ars Antiqua, Sicilian villages, Italian Traditionalism, and what’s wrong with the modern world.

If you like your doom to be neoclassical, dark, romantic, yet with vocals like rumbling thunder, then Tregor Russo is your man. Releasing three ornate, multi-textured albums… Read more “Tregor Russo of DIONISYAN on new album ‘The Last Millenium’, the Ars Antiqua, Sicilian villages, Italian Traditionalism, and what’s wrong with the modern world.”

by oldmansmettle

TOBIAS of GRENDEL’S SŸSTER on Jungian archetypes, New World culinary schisms, placing ‘Myrtle Wreath’ EP in the heavy metal canon, and why it’s never too late to be what you are, or to do what you love.

Grendel’s Sÿster released Myrtle Wreath only a couple of years back – yes, just before everything started to go wrong – here at OMM we heard it… Read more “TOBIAS of GRENDEL’S SŸSTER on Jungian archetypes, New World culinary schisms, placing ‘Myrtle Wreath’ EP in the heavy metal canon, and why it’s never too late to be what you are, or to do what you love.”

by oldmansmettle

Kjetil Mannheim talks his time in 80s Black Metal band MAYHEM, avant-garde composing, new ORDER release ‘The Gospel’, and how everything turns out alright in the end…

Kjetil ‘Mannheim’ was the original drummer of MAYHEM during the phase that culminated in the legendary Deathcrush EP of 1987. Now, that release was a real beast… Read more “Kjetil Mannheim talks his time in 80s Black Metal band MAYHEM, avant-garde composing, new ORDER release ‘The Gospel’, and how everything turns out alright in the end…”

by oldmansmettle

Lars Emil Måløy of DODHEIMSGARD and IF NOTHING IS talks new music, boutique bass pedals, attention to detail, and tourbus ground rules.

Lars Emil Måløy is a talented composer living in Norway and is involved as bass player in the avant-garde-for-want-of-a-better-word-for-it extreme music scene that evolved from the more… Read more “Lars Emil Måløy of DODHEIMSGARD and IF NOTHING IS talks new music, boutique bass pedals, attention to detail, and tourbus ground rules.”

by oldmansmettle

Erin Bennett of EBB and KROW on space-rock festivals, the best guitars for the job, ending up in Scotland, having a strange accent, and collaborating with HAWKWIND’s Dave Brock at Hawkfest 2021.

Every now and then you hear a cover version that really adds something to the original and today that band is Erin Bennett’s EBB, and the recipient… Read more “Erin Bennett of EBB and KROW on space-rock festivals, the best guitars for the job, ending up in Scotland, having a strange accent, and collaborating with HAWKWIND’s Dave Brock at Hawkfest 2021.”

by oldmansmettle

Rat of THE APOSTLES, UNBORN and hardline vegan sXe band STATEMENT on the old days, new projects, going from one extreme to another, and bidding farewell to England.

It is our pleasure to chat with Patrick ‘Rat’ Poole, known primarily for STATEMENT and UNBORN, two underground vegan thrash/punk acts that would chime with the US… Read more “Rat of THE APOSTLES, UNBORN and hardline vegan sXe band STATEMENT on the old days, new projects, going from one extreme to another, and bidding farewell to England.”

by oldmansmettle

Vladimir of CLAYMOREAN talks new release EULOGY FOR THE GODS, Manilla Road, the post-cold war, marital bliss, and ‘fighting like lions’ for the new generation of Serbian heavy metal…

Serbian act CLAYMOREAN have been about for a few years, but have recently matured into quite a formidable heavy metal band with their upcoming release Eulogy for… Read more “Vladimir of CLAYMOREAN talks new release EULOGY FOR THE GODS, Manilla Road, the post-cold war, marital bliss, and ‘fighting like lions’ for the new generation of Serbian heavy metal…”

by oldmansmettle

Kaos of CHAOS UK, THE WAZZUKS and FEAR OF THE KNOWN on; punk rock, hot sauce, the WURZELS, drugs, Br*x*t, Bristol now and then, his upcoming book, and Clive, his cat.

Chaos UK were / are a rather noisy punk band from Bristol who, alongside Disorder and perhaps Amebix, were proponents of the now world-famous ‘crust punk’ scene,… Read more “Kaos of CHAOS UK, THE WAZZUKS and FEAR OF THE KNOWN on; punk rock, hot sauce, the WURZELS, drugs, Br*x*t, Bristol now and then, his upcoming book, and Clive, his cat.”

by oldmansmettle

Jim Barraza of CIRITH UNGOL talks skydiving, heroes, hauling concrete, fist-fighting fans and the person who persuaded him to learn guitar….

Jim Barraza has played guitar for cult epic heavy metal outfit CIRITH UNGOL since the late ’80s, and as lives go, that’s probably achievement enough for most… Read more “Jim Barraza of CIRITH UNGOL talks skydiving, heroes, hauling concrete, fist-fighting fans and the person who persuaded him to learn guitar….”

by oldmansmettle

Midgaars of LUGUBRUM TRIO on home-brew carrot beer, maintaining artistic naivety, outsider-ism, clawhammer banjo, monumental toilet rituals, and recording new album ‘BRUYNE KROON’.

If you like the work of artists who have either a healthy disdain for their instruments, or wade into them in the same way as would an… Read more “Midgaars of LUGUBRUM TRIO on home-brew carrot beer, maintaining artistic naivety, outsider-ism, clawhammer banjo, monumental toilet rituals, and recording new album ‘BRUYNE KROON’.”

by oldmansmettle