I've been playing through In the Nightside Eclipse repeatedly and trying to keep up with the album as it plays because I have gotten extremely rusty and it reminds me of when I was first starting to learn how to play guitar. I haven't tremolo picked so much in a long while so I figure it would help build up endurance because the album is so damn good.

Still working on getting better at mixing and mastering and whatnot. My biggest issue is with the drums. I need to find a way to get the signals to punch through more without making them louder, so I can push my overall levels up 1 or 2 decibels. I don't want to brick wall anything, I just want a bit more volume so it's comparable to a modern professional CD.

Also, I finally polished up my grind music and released it on bandcamp. It's free in case anyone wants it.
http://onlyashadowremains.bandcamp.com/ ... ng-stone-2

So on Saturday we were supposed to audition a second guitarist. The day before she canceled, which she did two weeks before hand - gave a legitimate excuse and all, but it was a bit of a bummer. We contacted another guy that night who said he'd do it, but he also bailed (He was really only given a few days notice, didn't have any time to learn the songs - I can understand), so we basically just did the usual writing/running through songs. Still productive, but I really wanna get a full-line up so we can gig. I've told the singer that him playing guitar live might be a reality for a while.

Totally feel ya man. Playing bass live MIGHT be a reality for me for a while, though I very much dislike the instrument compared to playing guitar. I mean sure I can play it, but I just don't feel the connection, nahmean?

I'd also imagine if you hadn't learnt to play and sing it at the same time, it could be a hard adjustment? I know that is my singer's primary hang up - a lot of the riffs we use now days he has trouble playing and singing at the same time. Some stuff is easier, when the melodies are very similar or one is pretty simple, but yeah. The other guitarist is almost always playing other riffs and stuff on top, but I'm thinking we might need to look at - at least for a little while - him and I taking on some of the more crucial parts and leaving our other stuff out , just to make it work. I mean, there are other hurdles before we start gigging that we need to jump, so it might not be a problem, but if it becomes the only thing stopping us...

Doing some "early" black metal stuff with the lyrical content focusing on the Elder Scrolls series, particularly about the Dark Brotherhood, Aldmeri Dominion, Sithis, and the Great War. And maybe some dungeon synth in there for good measure. We'll see.

Nice, I love Elder Scrolls. I'd say some stuff about The Tribunal/Heart of Lorkhan from Dagoth Ur's perspective would be awesome. Molag Bal would provide a fair bit of inspiration, too.

Good ideas, thanks. In time though, I won't try to cover too many things as who knows how this could turn out.

Oath, good idea. I'm just a Morrowind fan boy . I've thought myself about borrowing from some of the Elder Scrolls imagery, it is certainly pretty damn metal.

Not a lot, my band's not doing a lot at the moment so I'm keeping busy by posting covers when I feel like it.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CallumCarcass

Czech them out.

TRUE ORTHODOX 6TH HOUSE BLACK METAL

If the songs are not ridiculously complex I can do it in a couple of days. Sent me a Pm

I recommend Kvel as well to do your bass. I would recommend him even if I didn't work with him before.

The Forestfather album is world class, I'm eager to hear anything these guys collaborate on.

I've been writing some heavy metal inspired by Isen Torr and early Liege Lord, working with medieval themes and much more lengthy/complex song structures than I've worked with before. Still getting started on this, but I have five guitar parts that flow together, a medieval folk piece to start it off, an idea of what I want to do for drumming, and some lyrics/vocal lines. I'm trying to tell a story with music and I'm not too certain about how well I'm doing it, but that's the point of working on something like this.

Hahaha, it has to happen now. I'll get my lute...

I will discuss it with the band then, Kvel! Sorry to sound nitpicky but do you have any recordings which I can get an idea of your source sound? On the Forestfather demos I don't hear any bass and I think you mentioned you leave it out of demos right?

Go to the bandcamp for Forestfather the actual album recording is up and has bass.

https://soundcloud.com/kveldulf-bjalfason

You'll find more stuff there.

If you like fretless bass, check this out:

https://soundcloud.com/kveldulf-bjalfas ... ments-bass

That is some damn fine fretless work there. Forestfather of course is still awesome, I don't remember if the Hereafter tracks had bass when I last listened to them, but they sure still sound great and the bass punches through quite nicely. I am excited for the release.

This is another one:

https://soundcloud.com/kveldulf-bjalfas ... s-audition

I heard the song twice and recorded something on the fly as an audition. I wanted to know the main songwriter's opinion of my style and the best way to know it's to improvise IMO. The guy was pleased enough and I'll be recording all basses for the next release, which is currently on the works.

(Forgive the quality, I didn't EQ or mastered in any shape or form, I just pasted my bass over the mp3 he sent to me. Also, there are a couple of notes not perfectly in tune, but as I said, 'twas a 1-shot sample).



The bass in Forestfather is way less busy, since the focus of the music is more the atmosphere than anything, but still there are some sections with nice basslines like the whole verse on 'All Tears to Come', the last couple of minutes of 'Inner Ascension' or the slower parts under the clean vocals in 'Emerald Key'.

Kvel: Sent you a PM

Replied

I've been working on my first demo for a few weeks now. Feeling really disheartened tonight. Re-recording a song I had recorded as a rough sketch hasn't gone as well as I'd hoped. It just doesn't sound as good as it should. And I am getting increasingly frustrated with my inability to do harsh vocals (and my cleans aren't anything to write home about). Just feeling fairly useless musically right now. Any tips on staying motivated and upbeat regarding the creative process?

If you feel that you can't sing as you should, why not getting a singer to do the job? You can always work on your voice but if you can play instruments and/or you write the songs, there's nothing wrong on trying someone else you has the chops to do it

I also felt that frustration for years, but finally I decided to look for a vocalist and that was the best decision I've made about it.

Wowza. So there is this husband and wife who are... let's say 'dedicated' fans, and the husband recently asked us if he could commission a digital only EP for their anniversary. A couple covers, one original and one song he wrote for his wife (oh dear). I jokingly suggested we should be like, 'sure 1000 bucks'. And then he offered us 1200.

Like, we could really use the cash for pressing our next album but boy... this is odd.

lol I'm kidding

I'd do it.

Yeah we might, the band could really use the money for our next record. Our guitarist is uncomfortable with it, though not for artistic reasons or anything like that. Recently they posted a photo on facebook of his apartment buzzer saying 'one of the band lives here' and he had only just moved in a week prior. Fairly creepy. So they might be stalking us even though we are not famous, rich or successful in any way.

Well, I hope you kindly told them to stop posting shit like that on Facebook. It's more idiotic than creepy.

So it's sorta like the super fan from Flight of the Concords...

My wife and I were seriously thinking on recording just 1 more Vahset track and release the demo.

In other news, I've been playing some guitar from time to time and nailed 2 new tracks. Not for Forestfather or another project in the works, but something new. It's like hellenic black metal, like early Varathron or Triarchy/Passage Rotting Christ period.

I think commissioned work (especially for that kind of pay .. could have asked for more!) is a good idea. I have a friend who makes a good living doing just that. However, only on the condition that they take that picture down and never do it again. *severe wrist slap* Of course, you're also totally within your rights to abjectly refuse BECAUSE of that picture and to tell them so.



what's holding you up? .. Must be fun to work with your wife, eh?

We have no time to work on music. I work on another city so I have just a few hours to be with her and I'm also writing a thesis.

The project was born pretty much from boredom. One day she said we could make some death metal tracks (she's well versed in death metal), where she does the vocals and help me to write the songs. I come with the riffs and she makes the structures. She'll probably play bass too and I'll make the rest.

The first song was done like in 30 minutes or so. She was impressed with the track so we made 2 more. I wrote a 4th one but I haven't recorded anything since my guitar is dead but I'll fix that and to finish the demo.

Is it fun? sure! it's not that common to have a wife who loves death metal and is willing to make music.

Very true, which is why I'm thankful my wife does as well.

Did some jamming with a bass player over the weekend with both of us on little practice amps. It was a ton of fun for me because I normally write music all alone but some really cool ideas came out if. Hopefully it will turn into more of a regular thing and we can write a couple of doom songs that will probably be in standard tuning. I figure that even if I am not at a point where I think I should record anything it is still worth it to keep writing music instead of just dicking around.

@ husband wife death metal duos. Y'all could release a compilation "Till Death Do Us Part" featuring only death metal songs made by married couples. I seem to remember another person here having a wife into death metal and I am sure there are others.

hahah that's actually pretty funny and yet a good idea.

I thought the husband was going to be like "I want you guys to bang my wife". I think that is more messed up then that.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/CONTINUU ... group_id=0

The comp my band is on has finally arrived and is available.

http://abusivenoise.bandcamp.com/album/ ... ano-chords

Also I have set up a preorder for the Pentu/Waves Crashing Piano Chords 6" Lathe split. Also playing a show with Controlled on 4/20. Things are looking very good.

Hello

Just recorded all the drums for ep, so 2 or 3 weeks and Cvinger EP is done, 5 traks meybe 6 if theere will be some acustic track
and still working on title hehehe

I've come to find that doing a late night dog walk is the perfect lyric brainstorming time. Thanks, full moon combined with New England's geography.

How are you recording your ideas when you walk? Or do you manage to remember them? I suck so much at remembering stuff I come up with when walking, sometimes I end up just singing it until I get home, haha.

Today I wrote a bit of a Misfits-worship song - it is a pretty silly, fast and fun song with sci-fi lyrics, probably going to do a demo of it tomorrow and see if the band likes it.