Big Choclate Interview

Photo taken from myspace.com/big.chocolate


One of the biggest names in metal is a 19 year old originally from the small town of Minden, Nevada and he isn’t even in a band that’s signed to a major label. In his years lived he has produced dozens of songs dabbled in electro, done vocals for Russian slam metal band, Abominable Putridity and more recently recorded the vocals on Mediaskare record’s very own Burning the Masses. He has recently finished a stint in Europe on the “Legacy of Blood Tour” with Burning the Masses, Nervecell, Annotations of an Autopsy and death metal legends, Suffocation. I’m of course talking about Cameron “Big Chocolate” Argon who has made himself famous throughout the metal community. He discusses Burning the Masses, Disfiguring the Goddess, Betty White as well as some future projects he’s getting into.

-Into the Pit: To begin, how did you get contacted to do the vocals for the new Burning the Masses album?
Big C: Hahaha, just a myspace message to start off then a few phone calls. Then we met up and further discussed it.

-Into the Pit: When did you know that you didn’t want to become an official member of BTM?
Big C: I knew I was uncertain before I joined and I told them how I felt about it. After the Legacy of Blood tour was over, I took a few weeks to decide on how I felt about my true status in the band. I knew it wasn't for me and that I wanted to pursue other projects in my life right now. They understood and respected that. I kept it upfront and real with those guys since day one about everything.
-Into the Pit: Since you’re not on their latest tour, what are you doing to fill your time now?
Big C: Right now: I'm working on a few more remixes, working on tracks for Commissioner (My new project with Mitch Lucker of Suicide Silence), getting ready to record the DTG full length in July, and film for Suicide Silence during Warped tour, working on my new electro release, and DJ’ing as much as I can, along with recording vocals for Abominable Putridity (Russian Slam Metal)

-Into the Pit: Do you ever expect to tour with Disfiguring the Goddess or is that solely a studio band?
Big C: As of now, I can't say for sure. I know sometime DTG will be doing somewhat of a tour, I just can't see a time frame.
-Into the Pit: Which bands or even vocalist are you most influenced by?
Big C: For metal? Hate Eternal, Defeated Sanity, Meshuggah... Metal bands that have been pushing the limits since day one and continue to evolve. Some of my greatest influences have mainly just been family and friends. Support goes a long way for me.
-Into the Pit: What is the writing process like for Disfiguring the Goddess?
Big C: I'll write full songs with my guitar, vocal chords, and a drum machine just like the Promo EP. But rather than just stopping at that, I send the music files to Joe (guitars) and he goes through and re-writes the guitar to be more 'colorful' as we've been calling it. I basicly draw a line drawing of a picture and Joe comes in and paints it. Phil (drums) gets the mp3s and click tracks to practice to. Phil, we'll take into a studio to track his drums and then we'll record guitars and vocals at home. Mixing will be done at home as well.
-Into the Pit: What bands are you listening to now?
Big C: Caspa and Rusko, Portal, The Bloody Beetroots, Borgore, Cannibal Corpse, Vomit The Soul, and Inherit Disease.
-Into the Pit: Who would you say is the next big name in metal that has not been nationally discovered yet?
Big C: Probably Betty White judging from that SNL skit.
-Into the Pit:How did you get into the electro genre of music and how long have you been doing that for?
Big C: I've been into electronic music just as long as I've been into metal, but I've never focused on JUST electro until about 6 months ago. Once I figured out how to successfully use side chaining, it was OVER for me.
-Into the Pit: How do you think the internet has played a role with your success as a musician/producer? And to follow that up; do you get calls from all over the country or even the world to be a part of certain projects?
Big C: Internet has been #1 in my 'success' as a musician/producer. I started making music while living in Minden, NV which is a very small town. If I didn't have the internet to obtain an audience for metal, I would have had probably 4 fans based on Minden’s musical and 'hip' make up. The internet has also allowed me to avoid working with indie labels and indie management, because I could easily promote, market, and distribute on my own through networks like youtube, myspace, and itunes. I also would have never gotten the opportunity to work with Russian slam giants, Abominable Putridity. The Internet is an amazing tool for any sort of goal or hobby.

THRODL, "No Honor in Exile" Review

Just as quick as it came and made a name for itself, deathcore has become a dying genre and bands who once labeled themselves in such a manner are slowly gravitating towards either death metal or hardcore. Although labeled a deathcore act, THRODL’s latest 13 song album, “No Honor in Exile” leans a little more toward the hardcore side, with more breakdowns than speed within the songs.
Although there are a few blast parts, the CD seems to be saturated in breakdowns. This is coming from someone who likes nothing more than the mixture of blast beats and breakdowns. I wouldn’t be complaining if they had one song with only one breakdown, but you can’t escape the breakdown in this CD which may or may not be a good thing depending on your taste.
While my only complaint with “No Honor in Exile” is the amount of breakdowns, there are many things that as a musician myself I can appreciate about the album. To begin I should mention the time signatures particularly in the song “Gaz’r Delay” where the drummer, Justin Skipper seems to be keeping his own time opposite of the guitars making for a more interesting listen as opposed to hearing the same4/4 timing that many bands stick to just to be safe. I must also compliment Brad Roche on the vocals on this album. He keeps the lyrics with whatever rhythm is going and doesn’t stray from the pattern to confuse listeners. Although a hardcore album, there is no random shouting in between guitar and drum notes, which is something hardcore bands seem to enjoy doing.
All together not a bad album; there is definitely room for improvement but it all depends on what your into. If you like the traditional tough guy hardcore displayed by bands such as Kingdom of Sorrow and Hatebreed, than you’ll enjoy “No Honor in Exile,” if your less into breakdowns and more into quick melodies, you may still like this, however it’s not the selling point of this album. I give it a solid 4/5, the audio quality is amazing, and the guitar parts are technical and fun to listen to, my only complaint being the amount of breakdowns.

Taproot "Plead The Fifth"

I can honestly say that it’s been a while since a hard rock record that I’ve liked has been presented to me. With their seventh studio album and the Victory Records debut, Taproot has done a wonderful job of mixing Linkin Park style rap-rock with the angst and emotion of Nirvana. “Plead the Fifth” is the first album that I’ve ever heard of Taproot and since listening to it through; I’ve been hooked ever since. With choruses that are catchy an memorable and verses that take a little more thought, Taproot has found a winning sound for the latest releases.
The opening song on the album, “Now Rise” does exactly what I think an opening song should do: describe the album. With “Now Rise” the band communicates exactly what listeners are going to get out of the album; melody, hard hitting riffs, experimental riffs and even some rap-rock needled within the tracks. Throughout the record, there are multiple radio friendly songs with complex verses and easily, memorable choruses that will let listeners sing along to every word.
For people who miss Linkin Park and Nirvana and for those who like the current sounds of Nickelback and Shinedown, “Plead the Fifth” has a sound for everyone. To those who rock with the hard symbol crash and those who prefer the slower, sadder songs, Taproot covers to almost every one’s musical taste while keeping their sense of originality. While some of the riffs take a while to grow on you, believe me, they will grow on you and before you know it, you’ll be listening to this band like it’s your job. I give it a solid 4/5, just because it does take a while to grow on you. They definitely took a risk with some of the songs they put on the album, but the risk was worth it. For any and all hard rock fans, this is an album that should be in your collection.

Interview with Metalhit.com

I was recently shown a website that not only acted as a store but as a record label itself. With curiosity getting the best of me, I e-mailed the owner Mike Riddick to ask more about what he did for bands and about the music industry itself.


How did Metalhit.com get started?

Metalhit.com was born from an idea inspired by my wife, Beth, while I was operating my other, traditional (CD/Vinyl) label, The Fossil Dungeon. The Fossil Dungeon specializes in gothic/ethereal music. We’ve published many wonderful artists over the years but my affinity for music began with origins in metal. Metalhit allows me to reconnect with the extreme metal I grew up on and it also allows me to provide a service where I saw a need in the underground metal community.


What do you look for in artist, any particular sub-genres that you are more open to than others?

I look for artists that are serious about what they’re doing and want to take things to the next level. I work with both new talent, emerging and established bands. I also look for artists that carry some degree of originality or are simply good at what they do. As for sub-genres, I’d say most of my affinity rests with black, thrash and death metal…particularly with early 90’s influences. Though I’m open to work with all categories of metal and have the resources to support it.


What kinds of services do you provide other than selling digital music?

In addition to the Mp3 store we operate, we also manage the digital music catalogs of about 80 different metal labels. We deliver their digital content to more than 200 digital music vendors and ringtone outlets worldwide. We have recently launched our Music Services. Our Music Services provide the support and infrastructure of a traditional label but do not confine bands to the contracts typically offered by labels. The service is for bands who want to do things independently but also don’t have the resources one would need to launch a successful album. We have those resources, so we can offer this to bands. The end result is that the bands can make more money doing things themselves, through our services, than they could either doing it completely by themselves or through a label. Our services include everything from manufacturing, inventory management, and merchandising to worldwide physical and digital distribution and promotion.



Why do you think there aren’t more exclusively digital record labels around and what makes Metalhit.com the ideal label?

I don’t think there are many completely digital labels around simply because the revenues from digital sales aren’t strong enough to support most label operations. I believe a lot of metalheads also still prefer physical products and it will take some time for the value of a digital release to sit well with consumers as a viable product. We will be expanding our portfolio of releases to include physical products to meet this demand but we believe, in the long-term, everything will be digital and we will be in a good position to operate this way exclusively. What makes us an ideal label is that we aren’t really a label. We’re more of a distribution and promotional resource which are really the only two assets that make a traditional label valuable. As bands begin to realize that doing things independently is better than signing away their rights and music to labels, they will see what we offer is a better solution, and a more fiscally sound approach. We believe labels aren’t really needed quite as much as their resources are. So we opted to become the resource without all of the overhead and expense that most labels have to deal with. It allows us to provide a better option for bands overall.



Who was the first band you signed and how did you find them?

The first band we brought onto the Metalhit roster was HOD from Texas. I knew Carl, the guitarist, when he played in THORNSPAWN, as they took me under their wing when I lived in Texas for a brief while. Carl told me about his new band, and I thought I could help push their new band by making their demo an exclusively digital production while also helping to market their work. Sometime thereafter they signed to Ibex Moon Records, the label operated by John of INCANTATION. It was a great reward to work with HOD and observe their growth and signing with John’s label. I’m still able to work with, and support HOD indirectly, as I manage the digital catalog of Ibex Moon Records in the European digital market.



How would you say the internet and social networking such as Myspace and Facebook has done to the music industry?

It has undoubtedly had an affect. MySpace now provides the majority of artist websites online and has become the common conduit for bands and fans to interact. Facebook has accomplished the same, though has less of a musical slant. Collectively, both have leveled the playing field as far as music accessibility. Major and underground bands alike are now using the same platforms to reach fans and this has both propped up independent music as well as brought major label and band activity to a new level that forces it to compete in a more unique way.



As the owner of a record label, what would you say about the current state of Metal? Such as the crossing of genres where metal bands place techno music over blast beats or Vo-coders going over high pitched singing etc.

I think it’s great that bands continue to experiment. Sometimes it sticks, other times it fails. Either way, it’s always important to keep things fresh so the genre can grow. However, there’s also something to be said about traditional forms of metal. Sometimes a style is timeless or can last decades. Both are beneficial for a strong appeal.



What do you think will be the next “Craze” in metal? Example’s being deathcore became popular over the years and is slowly winding down.

I really don’t know. It seems thrash has been picking up lately but I don’t have any foresight on future trends. I mainly stick to the stuff I like and haven’t gotten into any of the recent trends.



Which bands do you think will be the next major leader in Metal?

That’s difficult to say as well. It really depends on who has the most talent, creativity and the proper marketing force behind them.



What’s next for the label, any new bands being signed any kind of expansion?

We hope to announce working with some new bands as we begin promoting our Music Services. This is a big expansion for us because we’ll be increasing our promotional power as well as adding physical distribution services to our portfolio. For the most part we’ve acted only a digital distributor, digital store and digital label. Time will tell what’s next. Thanks, Dan, for the opportunity to participate with Into the Pit!!! All my best to you…

www.metalhit.com

After Chidori

Creating a whole new sub-genre of metalcore isn’t easy, however Long Island’s After Chidori have managed to take metal-core to a whole new level by mixing elements of traditional hardcore with death metal vocals and ending in melody. How many bands can say that their front person is a woman that can scream better than most guys in the music industry and at the drop of a hat put on clean almost angelic vocals to end their songs with. Driven forward by the guitar work of Nick Diaz and James Marshall, After Chidori gives the best of metal as well as soft melodies that are the calm after the storm. A strong rhythm section provided by Greg Bustamante (Bass) and Justin Demurias (Drums) keeps the music tight and heavy. The songs are well written and would push the limits of any musician trying to cover After Chidori. Heavy riffs and tight melodies seem to be the key to the success of After Chidori and it will ultimately be the reason that they become a house hold name in metal in the near future. This is truly a band that has done what they needed to get the attention of record labels. In fact if they aren’t signed by the end of 2010 I will have lost all faith in the music industry.

A band that is marketable as well as talented is a rare thing in today’s sea of music. After Chidori fills both of these shoes and will continue to wear them until the end of their career which we can only hope lasts longer than the ocean of poor quality bands that are out there.

Mendozza, Cabre Noche Review

When looking back at bands such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, many wonder what happened to the days of heavy rock’n’roll. Saving this kind of music and bring it into today would be Vancouver Island’s Sludge/old school rock band, Mendozza. Their latest full length, Cabre Noche will remind listeners Black Sabbath and why they are considered the founders of metal. Cabre Noche takes listeners on a trip back to the 70’s where everyone was stoned, liked their music slow and evil and a band was considered a good band depending on how long they can drag a song out. Mendozza accomplishes all of these task with Cabre Noche with the shortest song (Witch Hunt) being three minutes long and longest (Injustice for All) playing up to seven minutes and 41 seconds long.

The CD gives a great name to the sludge genre and adds yet another band to add to my playlist of slower chilled out, yet heavy as all hell music. Cabre Noche will be for those who enjoy bands such as High on Fire, with a mixture of both The Melvins and Black Sabbath. With straight forward southern guitar riffs, crunching bass lines and hard hitting drums, Cabre Noche is a slow bulldozer, rolling over everything in its way and crunching forward one step at a time. Over all a great CD that should be in the collection of any sludge metal fan.

To find more from Mendozza, go to www.myspace.com/mendozza

Stay Brutal
Dan

Bastions, Kingdom of Dogs EP review

Bastions

The UK is known for pumping out a new hardcore band every other week, but few manage to get the attention of small record labels in Pittsburgh PA and a small town college reviewer. However of these many hardcore bands that can be found in pubs all over the UK, Bastions managed to stick out with their latest EP Kingdom of Dogs.

Kingdom of Dogs will kick your ass, there is no polite way to put it, there is no avoiding it, just accept it and enjoy. I say it so bluntly because that is the best way to describe how fast and mind boggling this EP is. It starts off with the song, Crooked Hands, which does not hesitate to punch a hole in your face with a fast riff, loud vocals and a quick yet steady thrash beat. The band isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, just make it move a little faster and able to run over things without the risk of breaking down.

Kingdom of Dogs sounds like the members of Every Time I Die, Impending Doom and Cancer Bats, got together to make an album of fast punk, slower hardcore without generic breakdowns or two-step riffs and the eerie minor notes being played over a break down (listen to Matriarch to hear these eerie undertones). The EP not only makes you go crazy but scares the hell out of you if you happen to pick –up on the eeriness of it all.

The album demonstrates that a hardcore band can be more than breakdowns and actually show some musicianship with interesting timings and riffs that aren’t typically heard in modern hardcore. For an EP, this is probably one of the best releases that I’ve heard this year and look forward to hearing even more of Bastions in the future.