One On One With The GRIM 1

ESCAPING AGHARTHA is a North Carolina-based black metal project, themed around deep sea biology. Musically, they capture the vastness and biodiversity of the oceanic depths with an eclectic array of instrumentations. Crushing distortion that weighs like extreme atmospheric pressure at the ocean's floor. Cold guitar tones and searing blast beats that illustrate the hostility of such an unforgiving natural environment. But also, ethereal passages that sing to the beauty this blue world. The prime mover of this project is Avery Dartman, who recorded the majority of their instruments and vocal parts for their 2020 full length album,  Oceanic Womb, along with session drummer CJ Yacoub. I conducted this email interview with Avery about the inspiration behind his aquatic art. What gave you the idea of an oceanic themed band? I'm a biology/ecology major, so the idea came to me when I was finishing my bachelor degree. I thought that if I could combine my love of making music with my pas...

Australia's Hinterkaifeck are named after the site of grisly, unsolved murders that occurred in Germany in 1922. Their spastic black metal is true to their namesake. Prepare to get your head bashed in by their bombastic assault. Hinterkaifeck's Kak  demo is a raw slab of black metal, the way it's meant to sound - like a rambunctious gang of hellions blasting through their set list in a basements, pissed out of their minds as they spew caustic noise, between gulps of booze and smoke clouds. This scrappy, four-song cassette showcases their range between blistering speeds, punk shuffling and doom-paced headbanging sections, despite its short run time.  Kak by Hinterkaifeck My favorite song is "Revenge Of Oedipus," because anything related to a dude who fucks his mom and kills his dad is totally BRUTAL. It leads off like a torpedo, followed by a war-like march, then descends into a sinister crawl to the finish. midsection. The closing track, "Kak" leans into...

Mr. Sarcophagus of DRAINBOW hails from Austin, Texas.  DRAINBOW is a band one will struggle to define. Definitely progressive, with enough artistic flourish, clean vocals and synthesizer interlude to be avant garde, but without the pretentious fluff. And of course, Drainbow is filled to the brim with guitar sorcery. Imagine if a wizard fused the spaciness of Voivod with King Crimson's weirdness, and a few generous helpings of System Of A Down's pop sensibilities. Drainbow's genre-twisting new album  T owers Of Flints  impressively meshes everything from prog rock, to electronic music and death metal into one cohesive, and definitely epic musical adventure across its ever-shifting sonic profile.  Drainbow is led by the overmind known as Mr. Sarcophagus, who I recently interviewed via email below.    So your Tower Of Flints album is all over the place. How did this music cum to be? I looked at this album as an anthology. Each song is has a stro...

  Jon Zazula is the author of Heavy Tales . He might not be a household name, but among his rock and roll accolades, he's the the guy who gave Metallica their first big break. Zazula founded Megaforce Records to independently release Metallica's debut album Kill 'Em All in 1983. Along with his wife, Marsha, this gruesome twosome forged their own path into heavy metal history with a do-if-yourself work ethic. From running their own Rock N Roll Heaven record shop in New Jersey as a flea market operation, to tour managing bands like Venom, Anvil and Raven on their first treks through the United States. Zazula is also one of the pioneers of "Metal Rap", and recorded the first song of that same name in 1984, predating Aerosmith's team up with Run DMC. More on that below.  I spoke with Mr. Zazula over the phone about his heavy tales, as he celebrates 41 years of marriage to his wife Marsha.  Was it difficult to remember all these rock n roll memories, considering ho...

HELL-O again my fellow Necromaniacs. While the world stays home in quarantine to flatten the curve, Chaos Over Chaos has been way ahead of the curve - the result of a long-distance comprised of band members from Poland and Australia, who have never met in person. Chaos Over Cosmos perfected this art of remote recording with 2019's self-titled EP. It's a progressive metal smorgasbord of riffs with spacey flair. Blade Runner -esque synthesizers and science fiction-themed songs, such as "Asimov" contribute to this album's immersive world building. I admit, some parts of Chaos Over Cosmos sounds a bit too "djenty" and "modern" for my tastes. I usually run the other way when a band likens themselves to Scar Symmetry, but I admire these lads for their audacity and work ethic. They've crafted an impressive soundscape of shredding and crisp production without having ever stepped foot in the same room. At least, as of my interview I conducted wit...

Fellow Necromaniacs. It's been quite a month. I feel bad for the lapse of blog entries lately. I'd love to say I've been slammed with riffs and various horror business commitments, but it's been the opposite. This plague has produced one of the most boring dystopia's imaginable. Here, we see the crucial role owed to high octane speed metal. The shot of adrenaline to one's lethargic soul. Enter Canada's Roadrash. These rockers sport handle bar mustache, leathers and aviator shades, and deliver kick ass riffs. Check out their recent video "666 MPH" for a taste of the party.  I conducted this email interview with The Hammer and Bare Bones of Roadrash, about all things louder and faster. Read on, schmucks! Hell-O Roadrash! What do you consider to be essential road jams when you're blazing down the highway? "Hurricane" by The Rods. "Sex Over The Phone" by The Village People. "Hot Nights, Red Lights" - Bewit...

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE. Mrs. Smith, the cat-loving grandma who melts faces on guitar, has the biggest fight of her life on March 8 in Colombia, S.C. She takes on Metallica's Kirk Hammett, the world's most notorious wah-wah pedal abuser, in a wah off. Mrs. Smith was so kind to put down her cat babies and grace the Grim-1 with this email interview, as her fretboard battle of wahs and wits against Kirk approaches. She's not low key humble. She's high string crazy! How are you preparing for your battle against Kirk Hammett? Lots of rehearsing my riffs and lots of Wah Wah madness! Also preparing my guitars and other gear!  What guitarist is your ultimate heavy metal heart throbs? The guy with tattoos on his head from Slayer. I bet he gives great hugs. Name one song you locked yourself in your room to master? "One" by Metallica. Tell me about one song that transformed you forever, and why? “Little Earthquakes” by Tori Amos it taught me its safe ...