Loyalty Ends Here has been working hard on the release of their debut EP. Since winning the Metal Battle last year, they have been playing all over the country. Meanwhile they still found time to record and complete their first release. It was officially launched during their EP Release party on May 18th with performances with friends from Crazed, None Shall Fall, Man As Plague and Changing Tides.
See all pictures below the text!
Crazed
The night opened with Crazed. This band from Utrecht plays groovy metal, bringing back the 90’s with their sound. It was still pretty early when they started because with 5 bands playing, there was a strict time-table the band had to comply with. Even without a massive moshpit in front of the stage (even though the band asked for it), they still gave it their all on stage. It was also the farewell gig with drummer Eddo. Even though he’s leaving the band, he did do the recordings for the bands upcoming EP, which will be released later this year. The band played some new tracks that EP as well. We’ve got to say, those new tracks sound good! It’s a bit heavier than what we were used too with this band, so stay tuned for that!
None Shall Fall
None Shall Fall are somewhat of a local hero in the region, and well known for their energetic and positive stage performance. Besides some of their well-known tracks (This is why we do it, Trapped Inside) they played some of their new tracks as well. This band is also releasing an EP soon, and with their latest releasing already being three years ago it’s due time. The crowd warmed up a bit more by now, so a mini-moshpit started during their performance. Some of the audience were also invited to scream along, and Man As Plague frontman Tim also joined the stage to add some vocals, so it was truely everyone’s party. Because of the strict time-schedule all the bands had to stick too, their final song, in true hardcore style, was cut short.
Man As Plague
No one stands still at as Man As Plague gig, and the people in the moshpit definately heard that message. This band has been playing in the area a lot lately, so they changed their setlist for this gig so we wouldn’t get bored. Of course they still played Portal and Dolus, but they also put in the less-played Sissyphus, which was a nice change. Man As Plague left a mic on stage for the audience to scream along, and a couple of people made sure their voices were heard. After a while, I think the soundguy turned the volume of that mic way down (or off), but the crowd didn’t mind and screamed in the mic none the less.
Changing Tides
After a quick change over, it was time for Changing Tides. It was the first time I’ve got to see this band play live. As one of the bigger names in the scene, a succesfull crowdfunding campaign and a victory at the Guts&Glory bandbattle, which earned them a spot at Jera On Air, this band was sure to be a great experience. Changing Tides didn’t dissapoint. Low breakdowns, mean and heavy music, it was a lot of fun to watch these guys on stage.
Loyalty Ends Here
Time for the main act of the evening; Loyalty Ends Here. The band had been preparing for this show for quite some time, and that shows in the performance. Their set opened with a video projected on a large cover, which of course dropped a few seconds into the first song, Sea of Harlots. The band performed with a click-track and a backing tape, which added a lot to their sound and made sure it was tight. It shows that vocalist Richie has been working on his vocals as well; there’s a lot more power and depth to his vocals now than a few performances ago.
The band made sure their EP release was quite the party. With risers, bouncing balls, lots (and lots!) of laser lights, and some well-timed streamers, the party was complete. Of course, they played all the songs from their latest EP, but they added some still-to-record tracks as well. If you liked the EP, make sure to check them out live to hear more from them. They made sure to thank everyone that helped organize the event, and of course all the other bands as well. In the end, they played the Backstreet Boys, which is very fitting for 5 good looking metalheads. Their music is pretty commercial, so they might indeed be the Dutch Backstreet Boys from the metalcore scene 😉
Check out Loyalty Ends Here EP ‘Darkest Red’ on Spotify.
Make sure to check the video for Deadweight on Youtube as well. And stay tuned for the aftermovie!
Beyond The Pale has released their debut called ‘Monument In Time’ and it will definitely be a Monument in Time for this band. The album consists of 7 songs and definitely brings a lot to the table. Let us unpack and serve it to you.
Beyond the Pale
Beyond the Pale is a band with a history. Originally Jeroen was part of the band as a guitarist. Sadly, during a performance in DB’s on Kingsnight, Jeroen passed away while doing what he loved: making music. This of course was a very traumatic experience for everyone involved. Monument In Time was released on the anniversary of this night, and of course it was also fitting that Jeroen has his place on the cover. But enough about memories, his musical influences are heard throughout the EP. Let the EP be a happy memory of a great musician and person.
A strong start of the album
The album kicks off with the song ‘Liberation Of The Damned’. A very strong start of the album. The song takes you for a spin with juicy riffs and a clear stable layout. There is a bit of repetition in the song which could give you the idea you’ve accidentally replayed the song in the end.
The Age of Pariah is my favorite track of the album. The song is heavy and well written with great contrasting tempo switches. When the band moves from the slower riff to the blast beats, it leaves you wanting more. This is one I’ll add to my list for sure.
Walk The Plank is a slower song. It offers a bit of contrast with the previous two songs. It has a good melody and a few “shout-along” parts. While these would do well live, they don’t really pull you in while you listen this song with headphones or in your car. The backing vocals that back up the lines “Hoist the flag” and “walk the plank” could definitely use extra voices to make it more captivating and enticing.
Storm en Drift
Storm en Drift is a re-recording. The original song was recorded for the benefit album for DB’s, Utrecht, during the pandemic. I was surprised when I noticed that the song was sung in Dutch. This song is definitely stronger in the black metal vibes. The vocals definitely deserve some extra credits in this song. They seem to have more depth and are backed up by some really good screams. That is probably the influence of bassplayer Frank.
Facts and Figures also has a great contrast between slowing down and speeding up. The build-up to the breakdown which moves onto blast beats is great. The dissonant guitar licks that follow after the chugs feel a bit out of place and out of character when you hear the rest of the album.
Payback Is a Bitch is a killer of a track and is a good send-off at the end of the album. The more melodic guitar solo moves well over the heavy guitar riffs. The song makes you automatically bang your head to the beat and the blast beats keep you invested after the slower parts. The outro is slower and has a catchy tune to it. It would’ve been a great ending to the album.
The bonus track is a “remix” of Facts and Figures. In all honesty, I’m not sure what to think of this track. The idea is cool but the way the song is made doesn’t feel like a proper remix. It takes the strength of the song away with a bland beat and odd noises in the background. Once the song gets some “real” drums in the end it becomes better, however I wouldn’t have missed this track if it wasn’t on the album.
Final Thoughts
All in all, as with every album, it has strong and weak points. The songwriting is well done, the guitar and drums sound great, and the vocals have great contrast with clear black metal influences. The songs are interesting and catchy and will definitely move a crowd. ‘The Age of Pariah’ is the strongest track, followed up by ‘Liberation of the Damned’ which in turn is closely followed by ‘Storm en Drift’.
Tracklisting:
Liberation for the damned
The Age of the Pariah
Walk the Plank
Storm en Drift (re-recording)
Facts and Figures
Payback is a bitch
Facts and Figures — Frost Rimix – Bonus Remix
You can find Beyond the Pale on their website . MetalFromNL did an interview with these guys about their debut EP and more. Check that out here.
Last night, Loyalty Ends Here presented their debut EP ‘Darkest Red’. They invited a couple of the friends to join them on stage. Crazed had the honor to open the night. Check out some of our pictures of their performance below
Despite there being hundreds of active Dutch metal bands, there’s only those special few that get to perform outside of this tiny country. And tonight was one such occasion where we had to cross borders to see them live and in action.
Down to a four-piece, the guys of Distant have been hard at work promoting their latest album ‘Heritage’. After a Dutch tour with For I Am King and an Eastern European stint with Suicide Silence, throughout the month of May they are now a supporting act for Austrian Death Machine and we were there at the kickoff for the first show of the tour in Oberhausen’s Kulttempel in Germany.
After the Danish opening band, Ghost Iris, finished their set the stage was prepared for the Dutch representatives. The only dressing this band needs is an Animal plushie on the high hat and a projected backdrop with the logo on a looping video of viral internet star Hasbulla clips. I can really appreciate the niche kind of humor Distant incorporates in how they present themselves, and that especially shows in the merchandise. Which is being worn by quite a few of the gathered crowd tonight.
From the opening notes we can tell this is going to be a high-energy set, people immediately break out into a moshpit. This didn’t happen during Ghost Iris, despite the singer specifically asking for one. Distant’s vocalist does get the bodies moving. ‘We are Distant from motherfucking Netherlands’ he opens the show. Let’s hope they remember.
With the second song ‘Hollow Eyes’ the train has truly left the station. Throughout the forty-minute set the band never lets up, it’s high-octane deathcore from start to finish.
Every song is characterized by the band’s distinctive sound, mostly consisting of the drummer slamming the snare so hard you’d think he broke the thing. But the real standout is the vocalist who switches screams, growls, snarls, and squeals on the fly in high tempo. He gets the crowd fired up with plenty of interaction and makes animated expressions to really give him some amazing stage presence.
At the midpoint, we get a showcase of the newer songs from the latest album with ‘Born of Blood’ and the title-track ‘Heritage’. It shows a consistent quality in their work in the ten years since they started. No catchy hooks, but it’s impossible to stay still. Though there are still some guitar solos sprinkled in there for good measure. The German crowd is certainly impressed with the ever-growing pit that takes up most of the room in front of the stage. We’ve seen all the variations, with moshing, circle pit and wall of death. Some guys even spontaneously started rowing.
After this extended onslaught, the band closes out with ‘Hellmouth’ and ‘The Broken Cross’. The temperature of the room has definitely gone up a few degrees and we can definitely say they did their country proud. We still have another band to go, but Distant has made the evening worthwhile already.
Don’t worry about having to travel out of the country though, the tour hits the Effenaar in Eindhoven on May 24. Don’t sleep on it, it’s completely worth your time.
Loyalty Ends Here is a name that has been hard to miss in the Dutch metal scene this year. Last year they were the winners of the Wacken Metal Battle with just one track to their name, and since then, they have been all over the place. Gigs, festivals, new music, even a video. These guys have been working hard. The crown to all their hard work is released on the 18th of May with their debut EP ‘Darkest Red’.
Loyalty Ends Here
Loyalty Ends Here is a 5-headed metalcore band from the Netherlands. They make melodic metalcore from the early years of the genre. Bands like Trivium, As I Lay Dying and Lamb of God have been inspirations for their music, so you know it’s going to be melodic, hard, technical, and loud. Where a lot of other metalcore bands focus on breakdowns, Loyalty Ends Here is more focused on interesting riffs.
Their band name ‘Loyalty Ends Here’ is reflected in their lyrics as well, with lyrics about loyalty and betrayal. As with most bands, their lyrics are about the complexity of relationships, with Deadweight as a clear example.
Three new tracks
Darkest Red consists of three brand-new tracks and two previously released singles. The EP opens with a new track, Sea of Harlots. The main riff somehow really reminds me of Trivium’s ‘Watch the World Burn’ and even though Richie’s vocals are completely different to Matt Heafy’s, it’s easy to see where they draw their inspiration from. The track starts with the same fade-in Testament opened with, and a similar mainriff. It also ties in nicely with the other track we’ve heard before, Deadweight. For people that have heard Testament it’s nice to have some recognition, for the new listeners: welcome to Loyalty Ends Here.
This is a moshpit party track, so the party starts right away with these guys. The quality of the mix is really high, and sounds like these guys definitely should be playing at those bigger festivals. The emotional lyrics that I liked so much in Deadweight come through at the end of the track as well. And while it’s a bit harder to learn the lyrics, I can imagine people screaming the chorus once they know what to shout.
Deadweight
The EP continues with Deadweight. It was the second track the band released, and it was accompanied by a fan-filled video. A good way to engage your fans at an early stage, and the result was an energetic, inspiring video. Richy has a bit more melodie in his vocals on this track, the track however is less riff-filled than Sea of Harlots. That’s on purposesince the whole track is working towards the great guitar riff in the middle of the track. That build-up is portrayed in the video nicely as well by the way.
Medicate me for Silence
Medicate Me for Silence is probably the hardest track on the EP, and the only one that doesn’t start with a fade-in. It starts out strong with Richie screaming his lungs out with ‘I’m losing my god-damn fucking mind’. The moment he shouts ‘hurricane’ is the moment the song really starts. This track is the fastest and the hardest on the EP. The guitar parts on this track are less riff-heavy, and more Lamb as God-style groovy, which is definitely a nice change. In terms of crowd-pleasers, this is probably the wall-of-death track. The chorus still shows similarities with Deadweight and Sea of Harlots, but it’s only vaguely reminiscent.
Darkest Red
On to the title track Darkest Red. Of course, it starts with another fade-in and another similar riff. Loyalty Ends Here manages to keep things consistent, and they definitely found their own style. It would have been a good track to end the EP with since it feels like a summary of the EP with similar guitar riffs and a similar vibe to the rest of the songs. New in this track the slower break in the middle of the track and the stutter effect over the vocals in that part. With the “Cyanide” part we are bound to have some crowd interaction, and again, the chorus is easy to sing along to. Music is therapy for a lot of people, and especially metalheads. This whole EP, but mainly this track, will serve that purpose well.
Testament
We first got to know Loyalty Ends Here through their track Testament, so it’s only fitting to end their debut EP with this track. Testament was released before they entered the Metal Battle competition last year and has been a banger from the start. With the recognizable guitar riffs and the strong vocals (“This is my Tes…. Ta….Ment’) it’s easy to listen to and shout along. The fade-in at the start feels a bit redundant at this point, however. The band has cleary evolved since releasing this track; the newer tracks feel a lot faster and heavier than Testament. However, Menno deserves a shout-out for the heavy drum parts in this track. After the break at the end, the “like roses’ is again a nice crowd-interaction moment. And of course, the final line ‘I’ve think I’ve had enough’ is a great ending to The Darkest Red.
Final Thoughts
Darkest Red is exactly what we would expect from Loyalty Ends Here. They’ve continued to evolve since Testament and their newest tracks are complex but very commercial. I mean that in a good way; this entire EP is filled with bangers, and Loyalty Ends Here proves that they are ready for the bigger stages with both the quality of the tracks and the production. That makes it hard for me to choose a favorite track on this EP. Deadweight is still a favorite because of the epic riff, however, the new tracks Sea of Harlots and Medicate Me for Silence are good contenders as well. With just a little of 20 minutes in total, there is no need to pick favorites though, you can just listen to the whole thing in your lunch break.
Tracklist:
Sea of Harlots Deadweight Medicate me for Silence Darkest Red Testament
Last weekend, another edition of The Metal Jam Presents was held in Wormerveer. Gutslasher, HESKEN and Black Rabbit took the stage on Saturday May 11th to raise hell in De Groote Weiver. Check out some of the pictures our photographer Rodhni took. Make sure to follow him on @abyssalvoid_photo
After the first edition of Plaguefest in Manifesto Hoorn, in honor of the Man As Plague album release last year, it was time for a second one. On friday the 10th of May, Loyalty Ends Here, Dauthuz, Man As Plague and the Belgian metalheads from Temptations for the Weak partied with the crowd in Manifesto, Hoorn. We were there to take some pictures and give these bands a listen.
The guys from Loyalty Ends Here have been working hard since they won the Wacken Metal Battle last year. They didn’t get to play Wacken, but they played a whole bunch of cool festivals in the Netherlands. And they’ve been working on an EP, which will be released on May 18th during a party in P3, Purmerend.
They were opening the night, which was a bit difficult because it wasn’t as crowded yet and people needed some alcohol to get in the mood. Loyalty still gave them a good show though, with plenty of headbanging and interacting with the crowd.
Tonight the guys played a few of their new tracks as well, to get us in the mood for their EP release show. Let me tell you, the new tracks are even louder than before. Having heard some of the teasers of the upcoming EP, I know the quality of these tracks will be top-notch as well. Judging from these pictures, these guys are more than ready for the big stages.
Another band that has been around a while, even though they haven’t really played much in recent months. They themselves said they were getting ‘back from the dead’ with this performance. Dauthuz is nasty – nasty riffs, nasty growls, all round death metal goodness. I hadn’t heard of these guys before, but I will definitely be looking out for a new release later this year.
It’s always fun to see these guys live, ‘cause you know it will be a party. The crowd wasn’t really in the mood for one though. Even though the band really tried to get them moving, only a few of them did. That didn’t matter to Man As Plague – they still gave it everything they got, with headbanging, kicks, and a circle pit around the soundtable, led by vocalist Tim. The crowd did enjoy them, as we could hear during the ‘No Rest, No Sleep’ sing-along-song.
Temptations for the weak
Final band for the evening were the Belgian guys from Temptation for the Weak. Since I had to leave to get home on time, I didn’t get to see these guys. You can check them out on Spotify though!
Phrasing stond in de voorronde van de Metal Battle in Alkmaar dit jaar. Deze realitief nieuwe band heeft 15.000 streams op Spotify voor hun track Controlling Chaos voor elkaar weten te krijgen. We spraken de band over hun ontstaan, hun inspiratie en meer.
English below.
Hoe zijn jullie begonnen als band?
Justin – Vanuit de studentenvereniging was er een project ontstaan waarin we allerlei rare covers deden. Bon Jovi, Metallica, metalversies van de Spice Girls. En een paar jaar geleden zijn we eigen muziek gaan maken. Ben – Uiteindelijk als je een cover een beetje goed wil neerzetten kost dat ook best wel veel moeite. Dan kan je net zo goed eigen werk maken, en dat vinden we ook leuker.
Justin – Ik ben met een paar andere mensen deze band begonnen. Ik heb hiervoor al eerder met Ben in een deathmetal band gezeten. Rond de lockdown stopte de vorige bassist en de zangeres. Toen heb ik Ben gevraagd of hij zin had om deze muziek te komen spelen. Natasha – Ik zag een advertentie: ‘zangeres gezocht’ en daar heb ik op gereageerd. Justin – en toen hadden we ineens ook een gitarist erbij.
Was je ook van plan gitaar te gaan spelen in deze band?
Natasha – Ik heb als zangeres auditie gedaan maar in mn vorige band zong ik ook terwijl ik gitaar speelde.
Hoe is jullie schrijfproces?
Natasha – De nummers die we nu uitgebracht hebben waren al geschreven in de vorige setting. Op dit moment zijn we wel echt samen nummers aan het schrijven. Ik heb de teksten van de huidige nummers wel echt eigen gemaakt en hier en daar wat teksten aangepast, zodat ik het ook goed kan overbrengen.
Zou Phrasing ook bestaan zonder jullie zangeres?
Justin – Phrasing bestond al. Oorspronkelijk hadden we eigenlijk een zanger. Daarna hadden we een zangeres en dat was weer heel anders, dat vonden we allemaal wel een gave combinatie met de melodieuze dingen die we doen en de harde metal stukken. Maar nu is het wel heel anders, omdat Natasha echt die screams erin gooit. Daardoor is er ook meer afwissling in de muziek.
Jullie hebben ook echt een eigen geluid.
Natasha – Ik denk dat dat ook mooi is aan deze band, omdat we allemaal net een beetje uit een andere richting komen, waardoor het een compleet ander genre wordt. Zij zijn meer van de thrash metal, maar ik ben ook meer van de symphonische metal en de metalcore en de poppunk en van alles en nogwat. En Res is ook weer een heel ander soort drummer. En dat maakt het ons eigen genre. In plaats van, we zijn allemaal metalcore, kom we gaan metalcore maken. Ik denk dat dat juist onze sound ook uniek maakt, dat we allemaal onze eigen invloeden hebben.
Res – en dat ook bij elkaar willen brengen. Niemand wil echt alleen maar z’n eigen ding doen. Het moet wel bij elkaar passen.
Welke bands vinden jullie dan vet?
Ben – Ik denk dat er een paar bovenaan staan die we allemaal wel vet vinden, dingen zoals Alter Bridge en Halestorm. Trivium hoort daar ook wel bij denk ik. En Killswitch Engage en Lamb of God. En verder loopt het heel er uiteen. Ik vind zelf de hardere dingen ook wel heel vet, zoals Fleshgod Apocalypse en Aborted.
Gaan jullie dan qua muziek nu ook een beetje meer die hardere kant op?
Natasha – Ik denk dat we wel veel positieve reacties krijgen als Justin ook meedoet, dat het wat heavier is. De nieuwe nummers hebben ook wat hardere riffjes. Justin – Je hebt nu vaak mensen die na de show naar ons toekomen en die vinden dan vaak de latere nummers echt vet. Het laatste nummer wat we uitgebracht hebben, Throw You Out, is echt een wat harder nummer vergeleken met wat we hiervoor hebben gedaan.
Toen ik met deze band begon wilde ik wat meer de hardrock kant op gaan. Ik heb altijd in een thrashmetal band gespeeld. Ik wilde wel iets technisch, maar ook melodieus. In het begin was het misschien wat meer Alter Bridge achtig, ook wel technische riffs maar heel erg melodieus en toegankelijk. Maar hoe meer nummers ik schrijf hoe meer toch ook mijn thrash metal achtergrond naar voren komt. Het is ook maar net waar de inspiratie vandaan komt. We zijn toevallig ook met een wat rustiger nummer bezig. Balads kunnen heel mooi zijn, maar het moet niet saai worden. Als we dan iets rustigs doen dan wil ik er ook wel iets vets en onverwachts in.
Hoe is het om zo kwetsbaar op het podium te zijn?
Natasha – Op zich als ik op het podium sta, dan ben ik mezelf niet. Dan gaat er echt een knop om. Dan ben ik echt in die vibe, dan vind ik het niet erg om mezelf te uiten. Dat geeft me juist energie. Dat vind ik juist fijn om te doen, dat doe ik liever dan zingen over bloemetjes en bijtjes. Ik heb liever dat ik een boodschap overbreng en in mijn emotie zit dan dat ik iets doe waar ik niet achter sta.
Waarom de bloten voeten?
Natasha – Dat is een hele goeie haha! Ik heb eigenlijk altijd al een hekel aan schoenen gehad. Maar je draagt ze want iedereen doet dat. En op een gegeven moment dacht ik ‘nee, ik doe het niet meer’. Met werk kon het heel makkelijk en bijvoorbeeld een kleine wandeling naar de supermarkt. En toen deed ik nog wel met festivals en andere dingen schoenen aan maar op een gegeven moment dacht ik, ‘festivals is gras, waarom doe ik schoenen aan’. Dan doe je ze ook uit. Op gegegeven moment is het groter geworden.
Ben – Ik heb het op een warme zomeravond geprobeerd. En toen heb ik gelijk mijn kleine teen zo lelijk gestoten dat die gekneusd of gebroken was. Dus het is voor mij een slecht idee haha.
Kunnen we binnenkort meer video’s van jullie verwachten?
Ben – Een videoclip zeker. We zijn nu bezig om een nieuw nummer uit te brengen waarvoor we ook zeker een video willen opnemen. Dat wordt net als bij Controlling Chaos echt weer een videoclip. We proberen daarin heel veel zelf te doen, maar we hebben wel mensen die ons helpen met filmen en editten.
Zijn de audio opnames dan ook in eigen beheer?
Ben – Een hoop wel. We hebben veel in Duitsland gedaan, in ieder geval de bas en de gitaren. En de zang van een aantal nummers hebben we hier opgenomen. Daarvoor hebben we zelf een vocalbooth gemaakt en dat klonk best ok. En voor twee nummers heeft Natasha de vocals thuis opgenomen. Dat helpt wel als je in een wat meer professionele setting zit, dan kunnen mensen ook thuis de dingen goed opnemen.
Justin – En vervolgens sturen we het dan naar een studio voor het mixen en masteren. En dan wordt het heen en weer gestuurd tot het echt af is.
Komt er binnenkort ook nieuwe muziek aan?
Res – Het duurt nog even maar het is wel de moeite waard om te wachten. Justin – ik denk dat het voor het volgende nummer ook vooral wachten is op de videoclip. We zijn nu aan het proberen een locatie te regelen. We willen het nummer gewoon met de clip uitbrengen. Het nummer zelf kan in principe zo gemixt worden.
Gaan jullie dan ook een EP uitbrengen?
Natasha – We hebben er momenteel wel veel vraag naar. Het idee was eerst om per single uit te brengen, omdat je dan die hele promotie kan doen en ook continue bezig blijft. En zodat iedereen je ook actief kan blijven volgen in plaats van elke twee jaar een cd. Maar we krijgen heel veel vragen van mensen die een cdtje willen kopen. Dus dat is uiteindelijk wel het plan.
Controlling Chaos heeft 15.000 streams op Spotify. Hoe hebben jullie dat voor elkaar gekregen?
Natasha – Heel veel promotie. Daar hebben we echt heel veel tijd en energie in gestoken. Mensen laten weten dat het uit was en vragen of ze het wilden luisteren, naar radio’s opgestuurd. Res – en ook de kwaliteit, de kwaliteit is gewoon heel goed. De kwaliteit van het spelen, van het mixen, van de videoclip. Het verkoopt zichzelf. De kwaliteit is gewoon heel goed voor een beginnende band.
Lukt het om gigs te regelen?
Natasha – Het ene moment heb je veel gigs en het andere moment is het wat lastiger. Soms vraag je een locatie of je kan komen spelen en dan krijg je meteen reactie. En soms ook helemaal niet. Cpunt bijvoorbeeld hebben we maanden geleden gemaild en daar hadden we nooit reactie op gekregen. En nu mailden ze ons dat ze een bandavond organiseren en dat ze ons graag wilden hebben, dus ergens waren we toch op een lijstje beland blijkbaar. Maar ze reageren dan niet.
Res – Ik denk dat we nu wel elke maand ergens spelen in ieder geval. Justin – en ik denk ook dat het meer gaat worden komende tijd. Hoe meer nummer we uitbrengen en hoe meer volgers we krijgen, hoe interessanter je ook bent voor een zaal.
Wat was jullie leukste gig?
Justin – De Metal Battle was wel een hele leuke. Res – Ik vond het zo leuk, ik stond op het podium en werd naar voren gebracht. Justin – hij kreeg een compliment, hij was echt helemaal tevreden. En de Nobel in Leiden was ook heel leuk. Ben – En die in Pijnacker was ook leuk, dat was geloof ik ons tweede optreden. Justin – Eigenlijk waren ze allemaal leuk.
Ben – Ons eerste optreden was er een backline, die moesten we zelf regelen, dat was ook wel weer interessant. Justin – Maar het verschilt enorme. We speelden dan ook op de MetalBattle, daar heb je dan meer van die diehard metalfans. Bij de harde nummers merk je gewoon dat ze daar meer op reageren. En we hebben ook wel eens ergens bij een motorclub gespeeld, toen kwam na ons een country-band en waren wij eigenlijk de hardere band.
Hoe krijg je het publiek mee?
Justin – Gewoon zelf lekker veel bewegen. Ik ga gewoon los, ook als we voor weinig mensen spelen. Ik ben dan nog steeds vol aan het headbangen en rond aan het rennen, ik zweet me kapot, ookal gebeurt er verder niet zo veel. Het is ook leuk om het publiek te betrekken. Ik probeer altijd helemaal voor aan het podium te staan, een beetje naar mensen toe te leunen en ze mee te krijgen. We hebben ook wel leuke dingen die we op het podium doen, zoals onze eigen lichtboksen, ook met rookmachine ingebouwd. Dat geeft mensen ook wel iets om naar te kijken. We proberen er wel echt een interactieve show van te maken. Natasha – En anders gaan we zelf het publiek in.
Wat staat er nog op het programma voor Phrasing
Natasha – Nu eerst veel optredens. 18 mei staan we in de Cave in Amsterdam, en daarna hebben we een hele leuk op Surfrock. Dat is een wat groter festivalletje. Die hebben ook echt gevraagd of we aan het einde van de dag willen spelen op het hoofdpodium, dus dat is heel leuk. En daarna gaan we naar Duitsland. Ook een lokaal festival, maar Duitsers gaan sowieso altijd meer los dan hier in Nederland. En verder veel opnemen.
Phrasing was in the preliminary round of the Metal Battle in Alkmaar this year. This relatively new band has managed to get 15,000 streams on Spotify for their track “Controlling Chaos.” We spoke to the band about their origins, their inspiration, and more.
How did you guys start as a band?
Justin – It all started from the student association where we began a project doing all sorts of weird covers. Bon Jovi, Metallica, metal versions of the Spice Girls. And a few years ago, we started making our own music. Ben – Ultimately, if you want to perform a cover well, it takes quite a bit of effort. So, you might as well create your own work, which we also find more enjoyable.
Justin – I started this band with a few other people. Before this, I was in a death metal band with Ben. Around the lockdown, the previous bassist and singer quit. That’s when I asked Ben if he wanted to play this music. Natasha – I saw an ad: ‘singer wanted’ and I responded to that. Justin – and suddenly we also had a guitarist.
Were you also planning to play guitar in this band?
Natasha – I auditioned as a singer, but in my previous band, I sang while playing guitar.
What’s your writing process like?
Natasha – The songs we’ve released were already written in the previous setup. Right now, we’re really writing songs together. I’ve really made the lyrics of the current songs my own and tweaked some lyrics here and there, so I can convey them well.
Would Phrasing exist without your singer?
Justin – Phrasing already existed. Originally, we had a male vocalist. Then we had a female vocalist, which was quite different, and we all found it to be a cool combination with the melodic things we do and the hard metal parts. But now it’s quite different because Natasha really throws those screams in, which adds more variety to the music.
You have a unique sound.
Natasha – I think that’s what’s beautiful about this band because we all come from slightly different directions, making it a completely different genre. They are more into thrash metal, but I’m also into symphonic metal, metalcore, pop-punk, and all sorts of things. And Res is also a very different kind of drummer. That makes it our own genre. Instead of saying, “We’re all metalcore, let’s do metalcore,” I think that’s what makes our sound unique, that we all have our own influences.
Res – and wanting to bring those influences together. Nobody really wants to do just their own thing. It has to fit together.
Which bands do you guys think are cool?
Ben – I think there are a few at the top that we all find cool, like Alter Bridge and Halestorm. Trivium is also up there, I think. And Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God. And then it varies a lot. I personally also like the harder stuff, like Fleshgod Apocalypse and Aborted.
Are you moving towards a heavier musical direction now?
Natasha – I think we get a lot of positive reactions when Justin also participates, making it a bit heavier. The new songs also have some harder riffs. Justin – Often after the show, people come up to us and really like the later songs. The last song we released, “Throw You Out,” is a bit harder compared to what we’ve done before.
When I started with this band, I wanted to lean more towards hard rock. I’ve always played in a thrash metal band. I wanted something technical but also melodic. In the beginning, it might have been a bit like Alter Bridge, with technical riffs but very melodic and accessible. But the more songs I write, the more my thrash metal background comes through. It also depends on where the inspiration comes from. We happen to be working on a quieter song now. Ballads can be very beautiful, but it shouldn’t be boring. If we do something calm, I want there to be something cool and unexpected in it.
What’s it like being vulnerable on stage?
Natasha – When I’m on stage, I’m not myself. A switch flips, and I’m really in that vibe. I don’t mind expressing myself. It energizes me. I prefer doing that rather than singing about flowers and bees. I’d rather convey a message and be in my emotion than do something I don’t believe in.
Why barefoot?
Natasha – That’s a good one haha! I’ve always hated shoes. But you wear them because everyone does. At some point, I thought, ‘no, I’m not doing it anymore.’ It was easy with work and even for a short walk to the supermarket. And then, I still wore shoes for festivals and other things, but at some point, I thought, ‘festivals are on grass, why wear shoes.’ And then you take them off. At some point, it became bigger.
Ben – I tried it on a warm summer evening. And then I immediately banged my little toe so badly that it was bruised or broken. So, it’s a bad idea for me haha.
Can we expect more videos from you soon?
Ben – Definitely a music video. We’re currently working on releasing a new song for which we definitely want to shoot a video. It’ll be like Controlling Chaos, another music video. We try to do a lot ourselves, but we have people helping us with filming and editing.
Are the audio recordings also in-house?
Ben – A lot of them. We did a lot in Germany, at least the bass and guitars. And we recorded the vocals for a few songs here. For that, we built our own vocal booth, and it sounded pretty okay. And Natasha recorded vocals at home for two songs. It helps when you’re in a somewhat more professional setting; people can also record things well at home.
Justin – And then we send it to a studio for mixing and mastering. And then it goes back and forth until it’s really finished.
Will there be new music soon?
Res – It’ll take a while, but it’s worth the wait. Justin – I think for the next song, we’re mainly waiting for the music video. We’re currently trying to arrange a location. We just want to release the song with the video. The song itself can be mixed right away.
Are you also planning to release an EP?
Natasha – There’s currently a lot of demand for it. The idea was initially to release singles, so you can do the whole promotion and stay active continuously. So that everyone can keep following you actively instead of releasing a CD every two years. But we’re getting a lot of requests from people who want to buy a CD. So, that’s ultimately the plan.
Controlling Chaos has 15,000 streams on Spotify. How did you manage that?
Natasha – A lot of promotion. We really put a lot of time and energy into it. Letting people know it was out and asking them to listen, sending it to radios. Res – and also the quality, the quality is just very good. The quality of playing, mixing, the music video. It sells itself. The quality is just very good for a starting band.
Is it challenging to arrange gigs?
Natasha – Sometimes you have a lot of gigs, and sometimes it’s a bit harder. Sometimes you ask a venue if you can play, and you immediately get a response. And sometimes not at all. For example, we emailed C-point months ago and never got a response. And now they emailed us saying they’re organizing a band night and they’d like to have us, so apparently, we ended up on a list somewhere. But they don’t respond.
Res – I think we’re playing somewhere every month now, at least. Justin – and I think it’ll be more in the coming time. The more songs we release and the more followers we get, the more interesting we are for a venue.
What was your favorite gig?
Justin – The Metal Battle was really fun. Res – I liked it so much, I was on stage and got brought forward. Justin – he got a compliment, he was really satisfied. And the Nobel in Leiden was also great. Ben – And the one in Pijnacker was also fun; I think that was our second performance. Justin – Actually, they were all great.
Ben – Our first performance had a backline; we had to arrange that ourselves, which was interesting. Justin – But it varies enormously. We played at the MetalBattle, where you have more die-hard metal fans. You notice that they respond more to the harder songs. And we once played at a motorcycle club, and after us, there was a country band, and we were actually the harder band.
How do you engage the audience?
Justin – Just move a lot yourself. I just go wild, even when we’re playing for few people. I’m still headbanging and running around, sweating like crazy, even if not much else is happening. It’s also fun to involve the audience. I always try to stand right at the front of the stage, lean towards people, and get them involved. We also do fun things on stage, like our own light boxes, also with built-in smoke machine. That gives people something to watch. We really try to make it an interactive show.
Natasha – And if not, we’ll go into the crowd ourselves.
What’s next for Phrasing?
Natasha – Lots of performances for now. We’ll be at the Cave in Amsterdam on May 18th, and then we have a really nice one at Surfrock. It’s a bit bigger festival. They asked if we’d like to play at the main stage at the end of the day, so that’s very nice. And then we’re going to Germany. Also a local festival, but Germans always go crazier than here in the Netherlands. And a lot of recording.
Two weeks ago on May 3rd, ACU Utrecht hosted a sold-out deathmetal night with Anapoda, Ecocide, Gutslasher and Rectum Stretchers. Seth was there to take some pictures, so we can re-live the moment! Check all the pictures below this post. Pictures made by Seth (@sethpicturesmusic)
Rectum Stretchers … with a name like that, you know what you can expect. Nasty, nasty music, deafening goregrind. They haven’t released any music on Spotify yet, but they have been around a while. Their next gig will be June 22nd in Dordrecht, so if you need to destroy your eardrums, head over to their Instagram for more info.
Gutslasher is a new death metal band, and they had their debut show this evening. The band had been on stage during the Metal Jam before, and they had been working hard to perfect their performance. Check out the demo they released just in time to get us all warmed up for the liveshows.
Ecocide is a staple in the Dutch Death Metal scene by now. Vocalist Sten is just doing vocals for now, so he has plenty of air-time now he doesn’t have to carry his guitar anymore. Last year this band released their latest album Metamorphosis, but on May 24th they are releasing a new track.
Anapoda plays progressive extreme metal, so it’s hard, loud AND technically challenging. You can find more about them here (@anapoda_official)
