London Blackened Death Metal act Phobetor may have disturbed our train of thought with their blistering new EP “A Solitary Vigil“. A record which quite literally finds them reaching critical mass with the addition of long time live guitarist Ben Ash (Carcass, Pig Iron,Satyricon) in a studio capacity and unlocks the ability for them to once again outdo themselves with their cryptic writings. It has to be heard to be believed, it’s that good, so if you haven’t had the pleasure as yet, stop reading here and go and check it out. Your ear drums will thank you later. Come back once you’ve done that, this article will very much still be here! After reviewing that record, we had the pleasure of putting the challenge of 5 Albums I Want To Be Buried With to them and this is what they came up with:
The premise is simple: “Back in ancient Egypt they believed that the items their Kings were buried with would travel with them into the afterlife and so part of the burial ritual would see the mummified bodies surrounded by chariots, gold and more. Fast forward to now. If there were five albums that you’d want buried in the coffin with you to take to the afterlife, what would you choose?”
1. “Demigod” by Behemoth
Debora Conserva, Vocals: “It is one of my favourite albums of all times. It starts with a powerful opening track (Sculpting the Throne ov Seth) which sets the tone for the rest of the album. The record is brutal, raw and aggressive in its delivery, especially because of Nergal’s layered vocals which adds even more brutality to the overall sound. I find this style very inspirational, and it has had a very strong influence on the way I deliver my vocals. ‘Conquer All’ is my favourite track in the album and an absolute masterpiece. The fast and complex drumming, accompanied by the dissonant guitar sound and Nergal’s low range vocals, shows the amazing musicianship of the band’s members which not only are able to deliver raw and powerful brutality, but also a high level of skilful and intricate instrumental performance“
2. “Master of Puppets” by Metallica
Marc Dyos, Drums: “My all-time favourite album (with PL ‘Draconian Times’ a close 2nd), and one of the first metal albums I heard. 40 years old next year, it still stands the test of time. Great songs from start to finish. From the bruising energetic thrash of ‘Battery’ and ‘Damage inc’ to the hauntingly beautiful Cliff Burton led melodic section of ‘Orion’, this album has everything… And not forgetting THAT album intro – best ever in my opinion“
3. Transformers the Movie (the original 1986 motion picture Soundtrack)
Ben Ash, Guitar: “This film and LP introduced me to Heavy Metal in the truest sense. A lot of the bands on the playlist are very obscure but immediately effective, even Doug Aldridge (Dio/Whitesnake) played guitar on the title theme by lion. The score by Vince Dicola I still find inspired, progressive and full of emotional highs and lows. Being it’s nearly 40 years since this came into my life and that I still to this day listen back with reverence, Inspiration and heart makes this my personal top contender“
4. “Draconian Times” by Paradise Lost
Ross White, Guitar: “One of my favourite all time albums. Dark, atmospheric, gothic, haunting, heavy, yet also melodic in a melancholy way. All the songs are great individually but the album as a whole flows perfectly from beginning to end with a lot of originality and depth to the compositions“
5. “Blues for the Red Sun” by Kyuss
Dredgewood, Bass: “If we’re going sentimental – has to be Kyuss ‘Blues for the Red Sun’. One of the first albums I bought. The sound wasn’t like anything else I’d heard at the time with a chill but driving vibe from Nick Oliveri, ‘Green Machine’ being a particular favourite off the album. It is not the most technical or varied, but it was the inspirational gateway to a new world for a budding bassist back in the day“
“A Solitary Vigil” by Phobetor is out 25th July via Black Jasper Records
