Ähnliche Zeiten für die Fertigstellung eines Albums kennt man sonst z.B. von GUNS `N ROSES. Die 1996 gegründete und zwischenzeitlich auf Eis gelegte Formation KILL II THIS hat ihr viertes Album bereits im Jahr 2003 herausgebracht. Und dann mussten sich die Fans bis diesen Monat gedulden, um endlich die neue Langrille in den Händen halten zu können. Wer mehr dazu wissen will, den verweisen wir an dieser Stelle auf das Interview mit Drummer Jeff Singer, hier bei metal-heads.de! „Variant“ heißt die Scheibe und manche der enthaltenen Tracks haben schon ein paar Jahre auf dem Buckel. So etwa „ComaKarma“. Das beginnt ganz ruhig und dann setzen kraftvolle Drums ein, die von heavy Gitarrenriffs begleitet werden. Dazu der starke Gesang von Simon Gordon. Eine eingängige und ausdrucksstarke Nummer. Einfach und gradlinig!

Der andere „ältere“ Song ist „SleeperCell“. Hier steigt man direkt mit den Gitarren ein, bevor das Schlagzeug dazukommt und dem Ganzen den nötigen Drive verpasst. Sehr gelungen sind die in der zweiten Songhälfte integrierten Pianoklänge. Wir haben hier einfach mal das dazugehörige Video für euch:

Für die Fans war natürlich interessant, welches Material sonst noch den Weg auf den neuen Silberling finden würde. Den ersten neuen Song haben wir euch Anfang März vorgestellt: „Less human“. Es geht gleich straight nach vorne. Verzerrte E-Gitarren von Mark Mynett, Power-Drums und der Gesang des Frontmanns. Ein ansprechendes Element ist dann auch nach etwa 3 Minuten der Einsatz weiblicher Vocals, ein schöner Kontrast zur düsteren Härte.

KILL II THIS – „Variant“ (VÖ: 10.05.2024)

Ein weiterer Song, der bereits ausgekoppelt wurde, ist „Deus“. Melancholischer Beginn mit sanftem Klavierspiel, dann plötzlich heavy Gitarrenriffs. Wow! Insgesamt ist die Nummer aber zwischenzeitlich eher nachdenklich gehalten, musikalisch hält man sich dann zurück, der Gesang steht im Fokus. Dann wieder Salven von Drums im Zusammenspiel mit Pete Stone und seinem Kollegen von der Saitenfront. Aber hört doch mal selbst, ihr bekommt dann auch noch das Video dazu geliefert:

Der letzte vor dem Release „bekannte“ Track war dann „Heart shaped grenade“. Düster und etwas verstörend agieren erst einmal nur die Musiker des Vierers, bevor die Stimme des KILL II THIS-Shouters einsetzt. Die musikalische Härte wird über größere Strecken eher subtil vermittelt. Der Song sticht vom Auftreten her irgendwie aus dem Rest heraus.

Was bringen die bisher „unbekannten“ Songs? „Dopamine diatribe“ marschiert sofort los. Dann aber hält man etwas inne und melodische Vocals empfangen uns…aber zwischendurch tritt man das Gaspedal immer wieder voll durch. „Fugues of amnesia“ beginnt recht gemäßigt, bevor man das Level an Power hochfährt. Die Vocals treffen präzise auf den Punkt. Es gibt auch eher düstere Passagen.

„Prosthetic gravity“ stimmt wieder eher nachdenklich. Etwas dunkle Atmosphäre und der wehklagende Gesang vor dem basalen Klangteppich. Nach etwa 2 Minuten kippt das Ganze, Tempo rauf und auch die Vocals werden eindringlicher. Aber wir bekommen auch Verschnaufpausen. Insgesamt hätte der Song auf etwas kürzer ausfallen können. „The future is not what it used to be“ ist ein powernder Track, aber auch hier nimmt man sich Auszeiten und es muss ja nicht immer Vollgas sein. Melodisch und ansprechend kommt die Nummer daher. Da ich die Stücke auf dem Album nicht chronologisch besprochen habe, bleibt noch der Opener. Etwa 30 Sekunden…quasi ein Intro. Irgendwie typisch KILL II THIS…was meint ihr?

Kommen wir zum Fazit – was taugt das neue KILL II THIS-Album?

Welches Fazit können wir nach der Beschäftigung mit dem Material des neuen KILL II THIS-Albums ziehen? Es hat viel zu lange gedauert und die Fans waren schon mehr als angefixt von den bereits vorab herausgebrachten Tracks. Wenn man der Scheibe etwas ankreiden möchte, dann die Tatsache, dass die Lieder mit einem teils großen Abstand entstanden sind und sich daher vom Stil recht stark unterscheiden. Aber positiv gesehen sorgt das für Abwechslung. Songs wie „SleeperCell“ und „ComaKarma“ haben sich nach unzähligen Durchgängen schon in den Hirnwindungen eingebrannt. Da haben die anderen Tracks entsprechenden Nachholbedarf. Insgesamt ist es ein starkes Release geworden und man darf hoffen, dass es bald einige Live-Auftritte gibt und…das wir nicht wieder 20 Jahre bis zum nächsten Studioalbum von KILL II THIS warten müssen. Mit ihrem modernen Metal unter Nutzung entsprechender Samples hat man eine angenehme Eigenständigkeit erreicht.

Zum Abschluss haben wir noch ein Lyric Video für euch. Bitte sehr…ab geht`s:

Today we are happy to speak with drummer Jeff Singer, known from his work with various bands in the british metal scene. And now he is back very active with KILL II THIS. We had some questions and below, you’ll find the answers. So let’s go for it!

MH: Hey Jeff, you have been pretty busy in various activities regarding music. And there are some things going on in the near future. Please bring us and our readers up to date by answering the following questions. KILL II THIS has quite some fanbase in Europe. And these fans are waiting patiently for the release of a new album, as there have been songs released as videos in the past years (as for „Sleeper cell“ and „Coma karma“). Tell us more about the new material and the idea of the upcoming album.

Touring with MEGADETH, ANNIHILATOR & Co.

JS: KILL II THIS has a long history with European shows going right back to 1996 where we completed tours with ANNIHILATOR, GRIP INC., SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD and MEGADETH amongst others. I went on to play in other big projects, but we decided to put the band back together in 2014. We have played some shows here and there but we wanted to return with a new album. We are older and wiser and wanted to record a classic KILL II THIS album with a modern edge, which we certainly have achieved. What we didn’t realise when we started the process was, that I would have a serious spinal injury. Covid would knock us all out of the park, we would get busy with other projects we were committed to and Mark (the producer and guitar player for KILL II THIS) would be so busy with production work.

JS: The album will be released in May 2024 on Revolver Records and is the first with our new singer Simon Gordon who was formally in XENTRIX. He has a great voice with great versatility and range. The rest of the band are the same lads who toured together as China Beach in 2005/2006, before forming KILL II THIS. Our new single „Less Human“ is out now. The the second track to be released, „DEUS“, will be released on 22.03.2024.

MH: in how far is there a record deal and are there any touring plans yet, in relation of the release of the studioalbum?

JS: There are always discussions about tours and shows but we have to think around our current schedules and try and make something fit. Also, the shows have to be a good fit for the band.

Interview with Jeff Singer (KILL II THIS)

MH: in what ways were you involved in the creation of the new songs?

JS: I have always been someone to help with arrangements and that has continued with this album. Right back to the times of „Another Cross To Bare“ and „Deviate“. Mark and I worked very closely on tempos, feel and structure which is something I really enjoy doing. Mark is such a perfectionist, the rest of the album has followed suit but has taken a long time to complete. If we hadn’t mixed and mastered the tracks, I am sure he would still be looking at ways to make everything even better! That is his nature.

MH: in the past months (and years) you have been invited to play with other bands like MY DYING BRIDE and others. Please tell us about these experiences.

The past and the present

JS: I have been so very lucky in my career surrounding myself with excellent situations with great people, which have provided me with incredible experiences and memories. Unfortunately, MY DYING BRIDE didn’t work out that way for me. With that said, I hope fans enjoyed the album and EP I recorded with them. I am now playing live with ARD and I have a secret project which I can’t talk about at the moment, but that will be available soon. It is worth the wait.

MH: how is the contact to the guys from PARADISE LOST? You have been playing together for quite a while in the past…

JS: PARADISE LOST will always be in my heart. As a fan it was a joy to be in the band and to be part of their amazing legacy. And I have much love and respect for all of the lads and their team. I last went back to play with them at Bloodstock in the UK in 2021 and hope that opportunity arises again. That band are a force of nature and in many ways. I think it is so sad I had to leave, but family at the time had to come first.

Jeff live with KILL II THIS at the RAGE AGAINST RACISM 2019

MH: then you said, that there is a new project coming up. I don’t know, how far the progress has developed, but maybe you can already gives us an insight about what is going on!?

Jeff Singer and a secret future project…

JS: Soon Amir, soon!!!

MH: our interview partners always get the chance to leave a final message at the end of the interview. What do you want to tell our readers?

JS: As always, we hope to see you on stage soon, but please check out our new album. The title will be released very soon and the album is out this May.

MH: thanx for your time and the interesting information! Good to catch up with your activities regarding the past and especially the new stuff coming up. Looking foward to see you live on stage some time in 2024!

JS: Thanks Amir.

Here you can find the photos of the gig at the RAGE AGAINST RACISM festival in 2019!

Here you find more about the band.

Wie ich damals auf die Band gekommen bin, konntet ihr in meiner Review zum Vorgängeralbum hier nachlesen. Dieses Mal haben sich DAMNATION’S HAMMER nicht ganz so lange Zeit gelassen, aber immerhin auch noch viereinhalb Jahre. Jetzt steht also endlich seit wenigen Tagen „Into the silent nebula“ in den Regalen des gut sortierten Musikhandels. Das dritte Langholz der britischen Truppe wartet mit 8 Songs auf. Als Produzenten konnte man einmal mehr den hochgewachsenen KILL THIS-Gitarristen Mark Mynett gewinnen, der hauptberuflich im Bereich Produktion etc. unterwegs ist und an einer englischen Universität lehrt. Den Opener des neuen Silberlings hatten wir euch bereits hier vorgestellt. Ein düsterer und bedrohlicher Einstieg. Es beginnt eher zurückhaltend und dann bekommen wir harte Gitarrenriffs im Zusammenspiel mit den Vocals von Tim Preston serviert. Heavy!

DAMNATION’S HAMMER – „Into the silent nebula“ (VÖ: 15.09.2023)

Anfang dieses Monats haben wir euch dann den zweiten Track auf dem Release vorgestellt. Der hat von Anfang an mehr Drive, aber man schraubt auch zwischendurch bewusst das Tempo herunter. Auch hier wissen die Riffs zu gefallen. Es wirkt aber etwas getragener. Lead Gitarrist Ady Farnell trägt melodische Parts am Saiteninstrument bei. Der nachfolgende Song namens „Outpost 31“ legt bedächtig los. Dann wird der Härteregler ein Stück hochgedreht. Leider fällt die Nummer mit gut 8 Minuten sehr langatmig aus. Die ersten 5 Minuten passiert wenig Nennenswertes. Dann drehen die E-Gitarren auf, aber die Riffs sind über den (langen) Song gesehen zu eintönig. Das muss knackiger kommen! – Was meint ihr? Wir haben hier das dazugehörige Lyric-Video für euch.

Es folgt der Titeltrack. Powernde Drums von Gary Bevan, hier wieder mehr markantes Riffing an der Saitenfront. Dieses Lied strahlt eine ganz andere Energie aus. Jawoll, so muss das! Das fünfte Stück kommt dann instrumental daher, sagen wir mal, es plätschert so vor sich hin. Brauchte man eine Verschnaufpause oder wie? Dann geht es eher doomig weiter. Doublebass-Attacken, generell kraftvolle Drums an dieser Stelle. Bedrohliche und irgendwie auch düstere Vocals von Frontmann Tim Preston. Die Gitarren begleiten das Schlagzeugspiel. Knapp 90 Sekunden mehr oder weniger Geräusche, das ist die Nummer 7. Überflüssig! Was bekommen wir als Rausschmeißer? Einen Song mit dem Titel „The moon and the waters of death“. Der gefällt mir schon deutlich besser. Er stampft teils schwer daher, irgendwie mächtig. Hier überzeugen die Riffs wieder. Wohltuende Heavyness. Man nimmt immer mal ein bisschen das Tempo raus, ansonsten marschiert das Ganze steig voran.

Das Fazit zur neuen Scheibe von DAMNATION’S HAMMER

Welches Fazit möchte man also nach dem Studium des neuen Materials des britischen Vierers? Der Opener ist stark, es war auch der erste Track, den ich vom neuen Studioalbum gehört habe. Ansonsten gefallen mir noch der zweite und der letzte Song ganz gut. Dazwischen findet sich aber leider auch Einiges an Mittelmaß oder zumindest hat man das Gefühl, da hätte man straffen und ausdünnen können. Also keine übermäßige Verzückung und doch an mehreren Stellen gut annehmbarer Stoff. Kommt mal auf Tour, Leute! Das wollen wir live sehen…

Today we are happy to talk to Mark Mynett, founding member and guitarist of KILL II THIS, and also music producer and a lecturer in music technology at the university of Huddersfield. The occasion is the great project going on these days under the flag of UK Metal Merger. The idea is, to gather money for the people in the music business, that are totally dependent on the work during festivals and live concerts, which is impossible for a longer time due to the ongoing covid-19-pandemic.

We from metal-heads.de have been reporting about the gig of KILL II THIS at the RAGE AGAINST RACISM open air in 2019 here and now we wanna get in touch and see, how Mark got involved with this new project and what else is going on.

How did you get involved with UK Metal Merger?

MH: Hey Mark, great to speak to you again. The last occasion was your time at the festival here in Duisburg in 2019, where our magazine is based and where we spent some time together around your gig. That was before covid-19 came up and messed it all up quite a bit. Now we are happy to have you back here and learn something about UK Metal Merger. Can you tell us, how it all developed and how did you get involved?

MM: Hey Amir! Always a pleasure to chat with you and be involved in any way possible with the mighty metal-heads.de site! Having a lot of friends involved in live music production from a really wide range of perspectives – sound engineers, monitor engineers, lighting designers, guitar/bass/drum/keyboard techs, tour managers, production managers, stagehands, house technicians, etc. – it quickly became obvious how incredibly hard the pandemic hit their lives and livelihoods. Whilst most musicians could at least continue with their creativity, and potentially still receive revenue from continued merchandise sales and album royalties, this was far from the case with live music crew. I know so, so many that have slipped through the gaps in government support, with many going on to lose their houses, and provide for their families via food banks. It has been a particularly grim time for them.

It all started in the first lockdown…

So, in lockdown one, I decided that it would be a great project to start a collaboration with some great UK metal musicians, and the song just came together beautifully…I think it is a really great song, with some killer performances!   

MH: Of yourse, being a musician yourself, that is playing (and visiting) live concerts for many years, you know about the importance of the road crew. Where do you see the main goals of UK Metal Merger?

Not back to normal on 21.06.2021!

MM: To raise awareness and funds for live music crew, providing vital financial (and in some instances mental health) support aimed at preventing a catastrophic loss of skills, knowledge and experience in the UK live-music industry, to help them through the crisis they are going through. So many people just think that on June 21^st, when live music is allowed to restart, that a switch will get flicked and everything will be back to normal. This is far from the case.

MH: As far as I know, you took part as a musician and also „behind the scenes“. How much material was composed for this great idea and what was your part in that process?  

MM: In the first instance, I sent Jeff’s drum tracks to various guitarists and, after re-amping the DI parts (to provide a consistent rhythm tone) arranged these contributions into a cohesive song. I then got strings, cello, piano parts introduced via contributions from session cellist Jo Quail, and composer Mark Deeks (Winterfylleth keys), and then got bass, then numerous vocal contributions. I then mixed and mastered the song.  

MH: How did the recording etc. work with all these contact restrictions and hygienic rules due to covid-19?

MM: All carried out in isolation, Amir!

Recording of a full album and live shows…wait and see!

MH: Do you see an expansion of the project? I mean, that other musicians in England join (I’m thinking about PARADISE LOST or even IRON MAIDEN etc.)? Are there any plans for live appearances with the musicians being involved in UK Metal Merger?

MM: I would like to think so….we have already been approached about a live appearance, and there is some discussion about a full album being produced….we’ll see!

MH: Do you expect other musicians maybe also in other countries to follow the good example of UK Metal Merger and set up similar projects?

Expanding the idea to the USA and mainland Europe!!

MM: Potentially…there is discussion about the project being repeated in US, then mainland Europe.

MH: Let’s talk about yourself and the situation as a musician in these crazy times. As far as I know, after the above mentioned festival appearance KILL II THIS had the plans to record/release more music, right? What happened to these plans? Are there ideas of doing more things in the studio to use the time while live activities are delayed right now?

A new KILL II THIS-album and sound engineer for MY DYING BRIDE

MM: The new KILL II THIS-album will be ready for release in September this year, and it is sounding KILLER!

MH: Are there any ideas for live concerts for the time after the end of the pandemic?

MM: For my own part, only as front of house engineer for MY DYING BRIDE.

MH: Finally: how does the pandemic affect your job at the university? Many people switched to working online with video conferences etc. – is that possible for you?

UK Metal Merger – Interview with Mark Mynett about his involvement

Trying to keep the music alive…

MM: Yes, I have continued teaching music production remotely, which certainly has its challenges!  

MH: So, we come to an end and I thank you a lot for many interesting insights in the UK Metal Merger project, things going on with KILL II THIS and more. Stay safe and healthy! All the best and hope to see you on (and behind a stage) very soon!

MM: Thanks Amir – thanks metal-heads.de – great chatting!!

Exclusive premiere of the radio edit of „In solitude“ on metal-heads.de!

Finally we are very happy and proud to be the first online music magazine to show this first version of the song „In solitude“ as a radio edit. The full version can be found here on metal-heads.de on the release day: 04.05.2021!! But now, enjoy the first impression of the short clip!

Here you can donate and help!!

As things are moving onwards, we had the spontaneous chance to chat with drummer Jeff Singer (KILL II THIS, Ex-PARADISE LOST) about his recent work with MY DYING BRIDE.

It´s amazing, how fast time is moving. The last time we did an interview was at the end of 2018, so I think it´s nice to hook up and talk about the latest developments. The last time the focus was totally on your band KILL II THIS.

What is going on?

MH: so to start this interview, maybe you can give us a little update on what is going there right now? In how far are the negotiations regarding an album or more touring activities apart from the UK (as you did recently)?

JS: With KILL II THIS there is no real pressure. We feel strongly that when something is ready to release, we will put something new out. The new album is finished, in fact the drums were done a year ago. Mark is now mixing the album and then we will decide, what we want to do in terms of a release. What is interesting is, that KILL II THIS is now nearly 25 years old and there are a whole generation of fans, that don’t know who we are. When we played the Rage Against Racism last year (2019), we went down really well, but most people had never heard of us before, despite our heavy touring schedule in the first ten years of the band.

MH: your latest efforts successfully involved you in the recording of the new MY DYING BRIDE album. Please tell us, how that came up.

How the work with MY DYING BRIDE came up

JS: Mark Mynett (KILL II THIS guitar player) is also a very talented producer and was asked by MDB to get involved in production for their new album for Nuclear Blast. The album is a big comeback for the band after 5 years and has to be right. Mark had discussed me with the band and they asked, if I was interested in recording the album. This is a real honor, being asked by such an established band to get involved and I would not have wanted to turn the opportunity down. Even though I have toured in the same circles as the band for over 20 years and they come from the same area, as my previous group PARADISE LOST we had never actually met and I recorded the album without even meeting the band. They were very trusting of the partnership and experience Mark and I have together.

MH: there are some big festivals (like the GRASPOP METAL MEETING in Belgium in June), where MY DYING BRIDE are booked. Can you tell us more about the touring plans in 2020/2021…is there a headline tour being planned too?

Rare live appearances in 2020

JS: The band historically does not tour heavily and every gig offer is checked out individually. I don’t know of any touring plans at the moment. The band are concentrating on festivals and easing their way back after being away from the scene for a long time.

MH: working with big names in the scene (like it happened with PARADISE LOST in the past), you get more attention of the companies in the drum business. That lead to a new endorsment deal. Please let us know, what company that is and what the cooperation is about. Also tell us, what other endorsements you have right now.

JS: It is always an honor to be endorsed and I have been lucky to have had some great deals in my career with amazing companies but endorsements have changed and ‚free things‘ are really rare now. I have just signed to British Drum Company, who make the most incredible sounding drums, I have ever heard. They are based in my home town and are expanding fast. They have signed Nicko McBrain from IRON MAIDEN, they have Simon Dawson from Steve Harris‘ BRITISH LION, Pete Jupp from FM as well as CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. They are a really exciting company with a great pedigree and I am honored to be involved in my own small way. Jerome Marcus, who signed me to Sabian Cymbals in 2001 said, sign if you love the product, not for free stuff and it is true. I have been with Sabian for nearly 20 years, Remo drum heads for nearly 25 years and last year I signed with Roland V Drums. I am about to sign a new drumstick deal, which is exciting too. I feel very lucky and proud to have this status.

PARADISE LOST – a book and respected friends

MH: talking about PARADISE LOST…how it your contact to the guys nowadays, as you had some years of a musical career together?

JS: We have banter on Facebook and I text with Greg every so often. I love and miss those guys and there is a lot of respect there. I played with them at their 30th anniversary show last year, which was awesome too. A biography book called „No Celebration“ has just been released, which I did a long interview for. I am looking forward to reading the book and seeing what people really thought!

MH: as we got in touch for this interview, you told me, how much you were touched by the death of a great drummer. I´m talking about Neil Peart of RUSH, who just died (from brain cancer, I believe!?). In how far was he an influence for your drumming? Name other drummers, that had an impact on your style or got you into drumming at all. Can you remember the very beginning of it all…please let us know.

Idols and inspirations

JS: This really hurt. More than Lemmy, more than Bowie. He was an icon. I am not the biggest RUSH fan, but I loved his playing, his inspirational outlook and he is a classic hero to many. I have too many heroes and people I respect to name individually. I believe you can learn from everyone. As a kid I loved Clive Burr and then Nicko from IRON MAIDEN, Nigel Glockler, Tommy Lee, Vinnie Appice, Dave Lombardo, Pete Jupp, Jerry Gaskill, Tommy Aldridge…the list is endless and I am still star struck by all of these guys.

MH: as we come to an end, I´d ask you to tell us your expectations (and wishes/hopes) fort he year 2020…musically and also personally etc.

JS: Firstly, to be happy and healthy. We had a couple of family shocks this year (2019), which made us think nothing should be taken for granted. I can’t wait to get out with MDB and play shows.

MH: Jeff, thank you very much for your time and the pleasure to hear a lot of interesting things today. Hope to see you in person on the road this year and maybe as a guest at the RAGE AGAINST RACISM 2020…

Before we end today, we want to give everybody a first taste of the new MY DYING BRIDE-album, which is set for a release on 06.03.2020. Here we go:

Da macht man aus einem ganz anderen Anlass eine Reise nach England und trifft nach vielen Jahren in Manchester Tim Preston wieder. Nein, es verwundert nicht, wenn ihr mir sagt, dass euch der Name nichts sagt. Der gute Mann hat damals, als wir uns kennenlernten, den Bass bei der britischen Formation DEARLY BEHEADED bedient. Jetzt haben die Zuständigkeiten gewechselt. Mr. Preston spielt jetzt bei DAMNATION´S HAMMER und hat da die dünnen Saiten übernommen, daneben ist er auch für die Lead Vocals zuständig.

Das Debüt des Quartetts von der Insel ist bereits 2013 erschienen und jetzt (allerdings bereits vor ein paar Wochen im Februar 2019) hat die neueste Langrille das Licht der Welt erblickt. „Unseen planets, deadly spheres“ ist der Titel des zehn Tracks umfassenden neuen Albums. Stilistisch kreuzen sich bei den Briten Thrash und Death Metal in einer – wie ich finde – gelungenen Mischung. Dazu fließen düstere Doom-Elemente ein und so kann man von einem interessanten Schmelztiegel reden. Von hinten treibt Drummer Gary Bevan, den Tieftöner hat James Fowler fest im Griff und die 1. Gitarre spielt Ady Farnell.

Nach 6 Jahren folgt Album Nummer 2

Der Vierer hat hier zwei Hand voll Songs am Start, die eine gewisse Eigenständigkeit für sich beanspruchen können. Der Einstieg gleich mit einer knapp nicht penetranten E-Gitarre. Dann geht es wuchtig los. Düster und heavy. Das gefällt. Track 2 geht dann direkt wuchtiger zur Sache, Highspeed-Drums und heavy Riffing. Der Titeltrack beginnt dann eher andächtig, bevor er bedrohlich anschwillt. Ärger…gute 6 Minuten lang. Passend zum Titel kommt „Hammers of war“ dahergestampft. Wieder wuchtig, aber vom Tempo – zumindest anfangs – eher zurückhaltend.

Spannungsbogen…eine halbe Minute lang baut sich da was auf, bevor der Song – im Wechselspiel von Schlagzeug und Gitarren – Fahrt aufnimmt. Und die Fahrt nimmt später richtig Speed auf. Double Bass-Attacken, Metal Riffs, melodiöse Lead-Arbeit. Stark.

Apropos Riffs. Damit steigt man bei „Haunting in the abyss“ ein. Leider finde ich den Songaufbau bzw. die Umsetzung bei diesem sechsten Track recht eintönig. Da könnte es mehr Überraschungsmomente oder zumindest Abwechslung geben. Einen ähnlichen Eindruck habe ich dann auch wieder bei „The eternal harvest“. Der Rausschmeißer geht dann nach einer kurzen Einleitung recht bald zur Sache. Aber auch in dem Track gibt es leichte Hänger.

Als Produzent: Mark Mynett – Profi im Studio und auf der Bühne

Zur technischen Seite: die Scheibe wurde von Mark Mynett produziert, gemischt und gemastert. Mynett blickt nicht nur auf viele Jahre Live- und Studioerfahrung als Musiker (u.a. E-Gitarre bei CHINA BEACH und KILL II THIS) zurück, er ist auch schon lange Dozent and er Universität von Huddersfield.

Fazit: insgesamt eine starke zweite Scheibe (wobei ich fairerweise sagen muss, ich kenne das Debüt nicht!). Ein interessanter Stilmix. Leider sind manche Songs etwas langatmig und man fragt sich, ob es mehr als 7 Minuten Spielzeit sein müssen, oder ob hier nicht mehr Würze in einer kürzeren Version – mehr auf den Punkt – gelegen hätte. Manche Elemente sind durchaus sinnvoll, verlieren aber ihre Wirkung im Gesamtkonstrukt des Songs, wenn sie zu lange oder intensiv genutzt werden. Für Fans der Musikrichtung ist die neue Scheibe aber ein Kauftipp!

[amazonjs asin=“B07LBVFHDL“ locale=“DE“ title=“Unseen Planets, Deadly Spheres Explicit“]

[amazonjs asin=“B00B4JIUH6″ locale=“DE“ title=“Disciples of the Hex“]

Und der Anlass stimmte durchaus. Gitarrist und Gründungsmitglied Mark Mynett hatte die famose Idee, den Schmerz über den herein brechenden 50. Geburtstag kurzerhand musikalisch in den Griff zu bekommen. In diversen Bands seit Anfang der 1990er Jahre aktiv, sollte es ein großes Familientreffen seiner ehemaligen und aktuellen Mitstreiter werden.

Ein Trip in Raum und Zeit

Rund 150 Gäste hatten vorab Einladungen erhalten. Mit von der Partie auch der Doc und ich. Uns beiden Hübschen verbindet mit Mark seine frühere Combo CHINA BEACH, die 1996 mit RUNNING WILD in Deutschland auf Tour gegangen ist. Doc’s Faible für den straighten Crossover von CHINA BEACH und mein erstes Face to Face-Interview ever mit Rock ’n’ Rolf hatten uns im Januar 1996 in den Ruhr Rock-Hallen in Dortmund zusammen geführt. Der Beginn einer wunderbaren Freundschaft…

Aus alter Freundschaft

Knapp 23 Jahre später finden wir uns am Rande der City von Manchester im „Rebellion“ Club wieder und wie häufig in den Jahren zuvor haben wir irgendein Equipment am langen Arm, damit der Soundcheck endlich starten kann. Manche Dinge ändern sich halt auf eine sehr wohltuende Art Gottseidank nie.

Rebellion Club, Manchester

Musikalische Wurzeln

Unser Dreh- und Angelpunkt an diesem Wochenende ist neben dem Geburtstagskind Jeff Singer, seines Zeichens Drummer von KILL II THIS. Über Englands Grenzen hinaus kennt man ihn als zeitweises Mitglied von PARADISE LOST und Session-Drummer bei MY DYING BRIDE. Aber auch sein ehemaliges Projekt CITY OF GOD hat anno 2005 ein passables One-Off-Album hervor gebracht.

Ohne Mampf kein Kampf

Mit Jeffs Familie stärken wir uns zunächst bei einem der besseren Italiener in der Stadt. Wenn man auch über die angekündigten 11 Zoll Durchmesser trefflich streiten kann – geschmacklich sind die Pizzen weit vorne und eine ideale Grundlage für später.

Schaut mal hier, was da an jenem Aprilabend in Manchester auf der Bühne los war:

KILL II THIS goes retro

So gegen 20:00 h nimmt der als „Jam Session“ angekündigte Gig seinen Lauf. Zunächst eine Stunde Coversongs von Feinsten mit CHINA BEACHs Danny Fox am Mikro. Das von KILL II THIS eingespielte Cover von „Burn“ (DEEP PURPLE natürlich…) bildet den Opener. Es folgen Werke hoffnungsvoller Nachwuchsbands aus der Region, darunter RAINBOW (tolle „Stargazer“-Interpretation) und BLACK SABBATH mit ua. „Heaven & Hell“. Insgesamt findet das Repertoire den Zuspruch der Anwesenden, auch wenn bei den Meisten das Metal-Gen eher als unterentwickelt gelten muss.

Klassische Anwandlungen

Das Highlight steht jedoch am Schluss. Eine Freundin von Mark, Nicole Thompson, hat mit Danny eine industrial angehauchte Version von „Phantom of the Opera“ aus dem gleichnamigen Musical einstudiert. Die Duettfassung lässt keine Wünsche übrig, weil die Dame eine klassische Ausbildung genossen hat und deshalb mühelos im oberen Regal unterwegs ist. Überraschung geglückt.

Ein Kessel Buntes

Es folgen diverse Inkarnationen von Marks Bands, zu denen sich dann auch Simon Gordon als aktueller KILL II THIS-Sänger gesellt. Ein Intermezzo bestreitet ein Studienkollege von Mark auf einer Okulele (!!!). Danach kommen zwei Bands zum Zuge, deren aktuelle Alben Mark produziert hat.

Hier bekommt ihr einen weiteren Schwung Fotos des Abends:

Bereits 22:00 h sollte eigentlich Schluss sein, weil der Club dann für jedermann geöffnet werden soll. Tatsächlich ist die Deadline schon um zehn Minuten verstrichen, als schließlich KILL II THIS ein Triple hinlegen und zum Schluss eine Zugabe mit Saxophon (!!) und Tuba (!!!!) ganz neue Facetten im KILL II THIS-Sound frei legt.

Ein ebenso großartiger wie einmaliger Abend verliert sich im Nachtleben von Manchester…

[amazonjs asin=“B000BOK01O“ locale=“DE“ title=“New Spiritual Mountain“]

MH.de: first of all, please talk about your decision as a band to play on this special charity festival against racism. How did you come you up with this in between the other guys?

JS: I think the thing that attracted us to this festival specifically was that it is an independent festival in an area of Germany that we know well and the festival is coming up in profile quite quickly. We noted that ROTTING CHRIST played this year (see the report here) which is a band we know well and we felt that hopefully we could bring something positive to the festival.

MH.de: if I see it correctly, there had been a longer „break“ for KILL II THIS regarding musical activities. Now there is something going on with the recording of new material!? Please tell us more about the new material and the writing/recording process.

Achieved a lot – no need to prove anything

JS: We are so busy now with our lives and job commitments that we want to keep the band fun. We have nothing to prove and if we release something we want to be proud of what we put out there so there is no rush. My back injury in 2015 really delayed our plans. We came back and played Bloodstock main stage in 2016 and we did a little UK tour at the end of that year. We recorded two new songs in 2017 and released videos and only now are we coming to the end of the process to complete an album.

Here is a video with some of the latest material:

https://youtu.be/oXbEYVZAApE

MH.de: in how are you as a drummer involved in the creation of new material?

JS: It is a little different than the old days, when we had alot of time to work on every last detail of a song in a rehearsal room. Now Mark will present a song. Simon will work at home on vocals and I will work at home on drum parts and then we get together to fine tune in the studio before recording. The digital age has changed the recording process, which is sad in some ways however, along with the available modern communications, it has made us accessible to each other, when we live far apart.

A view from behind the drumkit:

MH.de: are there certain plans yet in how to release the new material? Has KILL II THIS signed a deal yet?

JS: No deals. To us this isn’t important. The album needs to be right to release as it is a big statement for us to say we are back. When we have finished we will look to where we want to go with it.

A change in drumming after a back surgery

MH.de: what role does drumming play in your life nowadays (in between the activities with KILL II THIS)? And how do you stay in shape physically?

JS: I don’t drum much at all nowadays. When I hear my playing from 15 years ago it seems weird that it is me! Practice time has been reduced due to family and work commitments and I have had a battle to get back to anything like where I was with my bass drum technique after my surgery and I think that comes down to having available time too to practice and get stronger. I do alot of bike and gym class work now to keep fit but am seldom actually in the gym doing weights. I am not in bad shape for an old man!

MH.de: in how far is music, also as a consumer (going to concerts, buying CDs, streaming songs etc.), part in your life and how do you try to pass on your „attitude“ on to your kids?

JS: Funnily enough I find this a real joy. I subscribe to Apple Music now for the whole family so we can get any music we like and stream where we want. Two of my kids love drumming and they are doing really well, but I don’t teach them, I let them find their own way. I took William, who is 11, to see IRON MAIDEN in August and he is now totally hooked, while Alfie, who is 6, drums really well and loves his metal. He walks around the house singing songs like „Sun & Steel“ by MAIDEN and at night I give him an education into rock music, when he goes to bed. Last night we played RAINBOW, KINGS X and BLUE MURDER…..he is ALOT cooler than me!

The next generation of drummers?

MH.de: what would you say, if they decided to become a professional and live with the help of making music?

JS: My word it is tough. I feel proud to have achieved, what I have achieved in my career, however nothing came without real sacrifice financially and with life progress in general. There are no guarantees so I insist the kids to do their best at school as a fall back.

MH.de: you have a remarkable career in music so far, having played for example with PARADISE LOST on some albums and touring with them. Now recently MY DYING BRIDE came up to you and asked you, to record their new album. Please explain us, how that developed and what experiences you made there.

JS: Thank you for your kind comments. A lot of what has happened to me has been through networking. I auditioned for PL in 1994 and got to the last two before the recording of „Draconian Times“. I was devastated, when I didn’t get the job then however we stayed in touch and when I heard that Lee Morris was not in the band anymore in 2004, there were a couple of phone conversations and then I was in doing album pre production in days. I love that band and am so sad not to be part of it anymore. However we are still all good friends and I wish the best for their continued success. We played together again in September at an anniversary show, which was pretty special.

In my time I have been asked to audition for some pretty cool bands, such as SAXON and THE CURE, but I believe you are on a path for a reason. MDB came out of nowhere in August, where they asked their new producer about me when they were looking to replace their drummer and the producer (Mark Mynett from KILL 2 THIS) said actually he is one of my best friends!

What is going on live with KILL II THIS in 2019?

MH.de: Are there any plans for touring with KILL II THIS in 2019 yet? And how about yourself and MY DYING BRIDE?

JS: We have a few KILL 2 THIS shows booked in 2019. We will concentrate on completing the album and see where we go from there. The focus for MDB is to finish their new album too and see where things go from there. It has been a very testing time for the band for various reasons, so it is nice to see some positivity for everyone shining through.

MH.de: what performances do you prefer as a musician – the small club gig, a bigger venue or even a festival appearance? Explain why…

JS: Small gigs are always more nervy as you feel scrutinised. I am lucky to have played some pretty big shows in venues and at festivals and there is such a buzz. I really look forward to doing some of these large shows again. I went to see DEF LEPPARD at Manchester Arena last Wednesday. It was sold out and they were amazing. The atmosphere was electric!

Still in good contact with other musicians…

MH.de: by the way…how is your contact to your former band mates from PARADISE LOST and CHINA BEACH or with bands, you´ve toured with like ANNIHILATOR?

JS: Facebook enables everyone to stay in touch and to keep tabs on what people are up to now. So really everyone is more in touch than ever. CHINA BEACH are reforming to perform at Mark Mynett’s birthday party in April and I speak to the PL lads regularly online. Also I speak regularly with people like Randy Black from the ANNIHILATOR days (he is still my hero) and my old drum tech Tommy techs for KAMELOT and an amazing drummer called Thomas Lang…it’s all good!

MH.de: the final words always belong to our interviewpartners. What to you wanna tell our readers out there regarding yourself, KILL II THIS and the RAGE AGAINST RACISM-festival?

JS: We are looking forward to playing in Germany again. I have not played in Germany with KILL 2 THIS for over 20 years, so this will be really special for me and we look forward to bringing our own brand of Mayhem to a new generation of audience.

MH.de: thanx a lot for your time Jeff and see you in June in Duisburg!!

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[amazonjs asin=“B01KAUIHWC“ locale=“DE“ title=“Trinity by Kill II This (2009-06-02)“]

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[amazonjs asin=“B0007D0AY6″ locale=“DE“ title=“Paradise Lost/Basisversion“]

Anders als andere Bands, die einem stumpfen Rhythmus (Platte – Tour – Platte…) folgen, haben KILL II THIS ein eigenes Konzept. Das letzte umfassende Studiorelease liegt – sehr zum Bedauern der Fans – schon eine ganze Weile zurück. Dann hat man den Fans mit einem Festivalauftritt Hoffnung auf mehr gemacht (wir berichteten hier) und zuletzt ging es für den sympathischen Vierer aus der Region Manchester auf eine Tour durch die britische Heimat.

Leider warten die Fans auf dem europäischen Festland auf solche Live-Auftritte und auch neues Material war bisher nicht in Sicht…bis jetzt! Aus dem engsten Bandumfeld bekamen wir die Möglichkeit den brandneuen Track „Sleeper cell“ zu hören bzw. das dazugehörige Video zu sehen. Und was sollen wir euch sagen? DER H A M M E R ! ! ! 

Unser Interesse war also entfacht und wir wollten mehr wissen!

KILL II THIS – neuer Killer-Track & Bandnews

So haben wir unsere Kontakte genutzt und die Chance genutzt, Drummer Jeff Singer (Ex-PARADISE LOST) einige Fragen zum neuen Song und den weiteren Plänen der Band zu stellen. Und wenn ihr gelesen habt, was er zu sagen hatte, könnt ihr unten noch das Video anschauen. Das geht direkt musikalisch und auch inhaltlich von Null auf 100! Beeindruckend. Straight auf den Punkt. Wenn auch das weitere – hoffentlich bald anstehende – Material in eine ähnliche Richtung geht, dann dürfen wir uns auf die nächste Scheibe der Briten freuen.

MH.de: Today I had the first chance to hear the brand new KILL II THIS-track „Sleeper cell“. How did the band come up with this new song and how do you feel with the result?

JS: Mark and I have been working on these songs for a few years now.  There have been factors getting in the way of us completing the finished article. We looked for a new singer then Simon joined the band. Then I got quite seriously injured which put me out for a year or so and then we just had to finally get together to compleye everything. The bones of the song have been around for a long time but the detail happened very quickly when we got down to it.

MH.de: Who had the idea to shoot that video like that and are you satisfied?

Zufrieden mit dem Video und Pläne für Festivalauftritte 2018

JS: We left this in the hands of the video company. We had an idea which they brought to life. They did a great job I think. They first approached me a year ago. Discussions started on March 31st and it was finished 6 weeks later over 3 shoots. The guys worked really hard.

MH.de: There is a fanbase seeking new material from KILL II THIS and they´ll soak it in. What message can you give us for the fans regarding the writing and recording of more material (is there maybe already something in the pipeline!?)?

JS: There are ideas. We wanted to release the new song and video to show we are still around and relevant with a great new singer and we are wanting to put ourselves back in the frame for some good shows.

MH.de: You have done quite a wide spread UK-tour recently. How was the reaction of the crowd and did the number of people attending the shows reach your expectations?

Die aktuelle Live-Resonanz

JS: Yes and no. Reaction at Bloodstock was really positive and for the tour we had some great reactions however one or two gigs just weren’t promoted correctly so could have been better. Overall it was really good and good to be back out.

MH.de: Can you tell our readers something about further touring plans. The fans on mainland Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium etc.) are desperately waiting to see you guys hit the stage again. Any chances for that?

JS: We want to play some major festivals next year so hopefully „Sleeper Cell“ will get people talking about us again.

MH.de: Finally…what message do you want to send out to everybody following KILL II THIS for all those years and also to possibly new fans? Why should someone check your music out?

JS: To those who know us we are back and still trying to be at the cutting edge. To new fans…where have you been!

MH.de: Thanx Jeff for your time. And I know quite a bunch of people (including myself), that are interested in seeing you on stage and to inhale new stuff…see you around (hopefully soon!)!

Zum Abschluss das Video zu „Sleeper cell“

So, damit ihr auch mitreden könnt…gibt es jetzt das noch taufrische Video von KILL II THIS. Der Song ist stark und macht definitiv Bock auf mehr…

Hier also das Video zu „Sleeper cell“:

https://youtu.be/oXbEYVZAApE

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[amazonjs asin=“B00004T2FG“ locale=“DE“ title=“Trinity“]

Heiße News zu KILL II THIS – da ist was im Busch

Die britische Combo KILL II THIS hat laaange nichts von sich hören lassen. Es gab mal einen sehenswerten Festivalgig in Belgien vor einem guten Jahr, aber das war´s. Aber die Band hat eine erhebliche Fangemeinde und daher haben wir mal die Initiative ergriffen und bei Mastermind Mark Mynett nachgefragt.

KILL II THIS

Mark Mynett gibt Auskunft zum Stand der Dinge

Der sympathische Hüne an der Gitarre ließ uns wissen, dass man schon ganz heiß sei, das neue Material mit der Welt zu teilen. Man hatte auch schon erste Schritte unternommen. Leider hat eine heftige Rückenproblematik bei Drummer Jeff Singer (der Ärmste musste deswegen sogar noch vor Weihnachten operiert werden…er ist aber, wie er uns persönlich mitteilte, auf dem Weg der Besserung) den Aufnahmeprozess ausgebremst.

KILL II THIS

Bekannte Musiker mit im Boot – KILL II THIS 2016

Aber seid gewiss. Die beiden genannten Herren, ebenso wie ihre Mitstreiter Pete Smith am Bass und Simon Gordon am Mikro (letzteren kennt ihr u.a. von den Bands XENTRIX und HELLFIGHTER) sind in den Startlöchern und sobald der Doc des Schlagzeugers grünes Licht gibt, wird man sich an die praktische Umsetzung der Songs machen. Was wir schon sagen können: Mark Mynett hat die Songs geschrieben und mit dem Drummer zusammen arrangiert.

KILL II THIS

Die aktuelle Entwicklung erfahrt ihr bei uns!!

Bei welchem Label die kommende Scheibe veröffentlicht wird, wie es mit Tour-Aktivitäten aussieht und auch wie der neue Stoff klingt. Das sind spannende Fragen und die werden wir zu gegebener Zeit für euch beantworten…wir bleiben an der Sache dran. Also checkt www.metal-heads.de für die neuesten Infos zu KILL II THIS!!

Bildquelle: alle Live-Fotos von KILL II THIS: (c) metal-heads.de / Amir Djawadi