Sonntag, 23. April 2017

BBMA Band Of The Week #14: Human Animal



Kind of an hardcore allstars-super-group with members of bands like: Anchor, Jesus Wept, xDisciplex AD, Brother’s Keeper, Prayer For A Fallen Angel, The A.K.A.s, Empty Promises,
Smoke & Mirrors, Abnegation, Run Devil Run, Phases and probably a couple more!
I had the honour of releasing their "the first four winters" compilation tape back in early '16.
I really recommend checking them out. FFO: Sick Of It All, xDisciplex AD, Madball, ...

Who are you, what are you doing in the band?

My name is Eric Michael Schauffele aka EMS and I sing for Human Animal.
I bless these other 3 turds with my golden voice which is that of the angels above.
My other duties include complaining, worrying, over thinking, and procrastinating writing lyrics. 

How has the band evolved since the beginning?

 I feel like our newer songs are hitting harder than ever and we’re finding our groove.
Every time we write a new one I’m thinking “Yeah that’s the shit I’m looking for.”
We’ve shortened a lot of the new stuff and also there’s less guitar solos since Nate has moved
away and left the band. Our bassist Ryan “Baby Boi” Zimmerman really stepped up and has written
a lot of new jams for our upcoming stuff that really brought a welcomed new element.
As of lately we really haven’t played many shows in order to focus on writing which has taken
a bit of time, but hopefully that will all pay off. 

What have you accomplished so far and what are your goals for the future?

 We’ve dropped numerous EPs on a bunch of different labels coast to coast across the US
and were blessed with two releases coming out of Germany as well, so that to me is super exciting.
We’ve played with a ton of amazing bands in the US that like to ask to borrow our gear after they
didn’t even check us out so we got that going for us! But seriously we’ve been very fortunate in
our opportunities so far. I would definitely enjoy playing out more often but it’s tough these days
if you’re not part of a tour package or pay to be on one.

Any upcoming shows/releases/anything else you wanna tell us about?

 In a month from now we’re playing our first home town show in a long time which is in Erie, PA with Terror, God’s Hate, & Steel Nation so that is super exciting and we really look forward to
that show. I’m currently trying to lose 10 pounds before then so I don’t die on stage that night
but the nachos I just ate at 1:00am might beg to differ. As far as releases we’ve got 10-11 new songs written musically and half of them have lyrics. So the next step is a full length CD/LP on a yet to be determined record label. We record all of our own material and we’ve done some pre-production
but we really gotta get this thing brewing sooner than later. It will be a huge sigh of relief
once that’s finished. I’m pumped to have people hear this new stuff. It’s got a nice vibe to it
and so far a lot of the songs are all different from each other. 

How do you feel about bbma as a label?
In what do we suck most/what could we do better in the future?

Oh man what kinda crack are you smoking? You helped us out a ton.
We were pumped to drop something on BBMA and I think it turned out awesome.
It’s harder for us to tell how the label operates with us being all of the way over here
but you guys have done some righteous releases. Not to mention you post photos of you shirtless, flexing, or lifting weights, sometimes in a ski mask. How can you go wrong!?!
We prefer to work with lunatics as we feel right at home with them. I personally know
how hard running a label is as I did one for years (Surprise Attack Records aka SA Mob).
DIY hardcore is a thankless money pit that for some reason we all keep doing! 

Thanks a lot! Feel free to add some shoutouts!

Thanx to my bandmates Adam, Ryan, & Bob for doing this band together.
Much love to our wives, girlfriends, and family for putting up with our nonsense.
Special thanx to Tim / BBMA, Danny / Holy Mountain, Panda Claw Records,
Marcel / Demons Run Amok, Matt Yocum / Down For Anything, the guys in Head 2 Wall Records, Wreckage, & Additional Time, for all believing in us and giving us a chance.
Much love to everyone who checks us out online or live, and my favorite,
much love to those who get up front and scream along. Respect.


Ps: For this Week, all products Human Animal related are on Sale from the BBMA Webstore. 
24/Mar/2017 http://bbmarecords.com/shop/ 30/Mar/2017

Sonntag, 16. April 2017

BBMA Band Of The Week #13: Not In This Lifetime


Melodic, yet metallic oldschool hardcore from the Netherlands (by ex-members of Lies!)
After the well accepted release of their demo I now also had the opportunity to release their
debut full-length on tape as well. If you didn't had the chance yet, be sure to check it out now!
FFO: No Turning Back, Champion, Casey Jones (without the SxE), Death Before Dishonor, …

Who are you, what are you doing in the band?

Hi my name is Sander and I do vocals.
Besides that I write all the music for NITL, so the band is kind of my baby. 

How has the band evolved since the beginning?

Since the beginning we added 2 friends on guitar and I switched from guitar to vocals. 
Musically the direction was pretty clear from the beginning, but NITL will never write the
same album twice. So there will always be certain aspects that make NITL sound like NITL.
But at the same time things do evolve. I think our demo already showed that there’s a lot of
diversity between and within songs. On our debut album “Vultures” I think we showed
a wide variety of influences and tried to make this come together and fit.
The goal for a next release is to really create more of a signature sound/style. 

What have you accomplished and what are your goals for the future?

We released a full length album last year and played a couple of really cool show,
in Holland but also abroad. More people start to know we exist. We all have jobs,
have a mortgage and some of us have kids. So we’re not in the position to put as much time into
the band as we would like. But with the time we have we try to accomplish as much as possible. 
My personal goals for the future are:
-have fun with my friends (absolute number one)
-create and play music that makes my heart beat faster
-play cool shows

Any upcoming shows/releases/anything else you wanna tell us about?

We play our hometown Groningen next week [this is a bit outdated - I'm afraid - my fault] and got some other things going. I’m busy writing new songs and we started
 rehearsing a few of them. I’m really exited about the new stuff and hope that we can
start recording asap, hopefully somewhere in 2017.

How do you feel about bbma as a label?
In what do we suck most/what could we do better in the future?

I have a lot of respect for people who put their time, energy and money into supporting
bands they enjoy. I like bbma’s enthousiasme and how easy Tim is approachable.
Communication has always been easy and every promise is kept, so that’s really cool. 
What I personally don’t understand is why a lot of smaller DIY labels do so many
releases every year, in stead of doing a few and promoting the hell out of them.
But I guess having a bigger catalogue is also a cool achievement
and being able to support more bands you love counts for something. 
[The main reason why I release "so many" things each year is, that I always feel bad
when I have to decline a submission (of which I actually like)... and so I just do it :P]

Shoutouts

Thank you Tim for your support. 
If you checked out ‘Vultures’” thank you!!!
If you don’t know us check the links below. 

Ps: For this Week, all products Not In This Lifetime related are on Sale from the BBMA Webstore. 
17/April/2017 http://bbmarecords.com/shop 23/April/2017

Sonntag, 9. April 2017

The BBMA Records Mixtape

The perfect answer to the question "hey man, can you recommend me some cool new music?"
finally is here! Just give him a copy of this awesome mixtape with all your favorite bands on it!
There will be a first run of 100 tapes (up for pre-order over here: http://bbmarecords.com)
and besides that you can also stream/download the whole thing over here for free:
https://boundxbyxmodernxage.bandcamp.com/album/the-bbma-records-mixtape
(You will have all file-formats available for dl, so you can also make your own tape/cd/whatever)




Witness The Fall - Palm Diggers
WTF (NL) were the first Band on BBMA and have since then became good friends of mine.
They have been around for quite a while but are still going strong
and in contradiction to most other bands are also even getting better!
Members are also active in bands like: First Fight Down, Drain-Life, The Darkest Red, …
This song is from their '16 Split 7" Release. Good old melodic 90’s style metalcore.
FFO: Skycamefalling, Poison The Well, Morning Again, ...

Unrestrained - Ethel Mertz
Unrestrained (OR)'s '14 LP was the 2nd release on BBMA and also the first international
straight edge release, what made me especially happy. You might know their members
from bands like: Never Enough, Pulling Teeth, Ten Yard Fight, Backlash, The Dead Unknown, …
This band was formed in 2007 and since then delivers metallic 90’s style Straight Edge Hardcore.
This is song is from said LP. FFO: Unbroken, Undertow, Strain, …

Primal Age - A Silent Wound
Primal Age were founded in 1997, became Absone in 1999, and then became Primal Age again
in 2006 and remain active under that name until today. Still vegan. Still straight edge.
Still going strong. 90’s Style Metalcore from France. FFO: Morning Again, Arkangel, Caliban, Heaven Shall Burn, … Members were/are still active bands like: Heretik, Stronghold, Fatal,
Otargos, Kwashiorkor, … This song is from their recently released ('17) 7".

To Ashes - The Holocaust Has Never Ended
To Ashes' '14 EP "Liberation Through Destruction" was the first BBMA vinyl release
and therefore definitely sets a milestone in the label history. The band (now defunct)
came from Italy and played metallic vegan straight edge 90's style hardcore in the vein of
bands like: Purification, Green Rage, Gather…. Your soundtrack to de-mosh the state!

Earthly Rage - World Justice
Another band that unfortunately disbaned soon after their only Demo ('14)...
90’s style hardcore/metalcore from the UK. FFO: Morning Again, Chokehold, Unbroken, …
Some members went on to start a new band, but that kinda fizzled out as well (afaik).
                                   
The Darkest Red - The Cyborg Condition
Technical Death Metal from the Netherlands, by members of bands like: Witness The Fall,
First Fight Down, Blind Sight, Sengaia, Second Dawn, Fenris, … I did a special Tape Release
of their latest album ('15) for their last show (which this song is also from).
FFO: Gojira, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nile, …

No End In Sight - The Hourglass
Vegan (lyirc- & ethicwise) Metalcore/Thrash-Metal band from Germany with a punky DIY attitude.
(Members of Minus Youth, Pessimistic Lines, Lion City, …) Their '15 LP was my first tape release
of which I donated 100% of the proceeds to an animal rights cause, what made me especially happy.
This song is from their most recent ('17) Split 7". FFO: At The Gates, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, …
                        
First Fight Down - Condemned To Suffer
First Fight Down (NL) was founded in 1997 and were active until around ’08/’09.
In '15 they got back together (with members of Witness The Fall and The Darkest Red)
and now (early '17) finally released a killer of an 12" EP (which this song is taken from).
FFO: Morning Again, Reprisal, From The Dying Sky, …
        
Encrypted - Into The Abyss
Oldschool (Death)Metal arisen from the ashes of Crucial Times (BEL).
Unfortunately already disbanded after only one album (in '15) as well.
FFO: Obituary, All Out War & the death of false metal!!!
                                    
Castigator - Opus Magnum
Death/Thrash Metal Outfit from Hamburg, Germany which I sing for. 
Members of: Forward To Eden, Through Chaos & Solitude, ...
The song has been taken from their '16 EP entitled "The Recommencement".
FFO: Death, Gojira, Slayer, Exodus, etc. ….
                                  
Vatican - Shiver
Ex-Coastlines (GA) playing 90’s style metalcore/crymosh in the vein of bands like:
Poison The Well, Zao, Prayer For Cleansing, … This song has been taken from their
'15 debut EP (which was - since now - the only release on BBMA)... I really recommend
checking out their new stuff as well though - they only keep getting better!
                                                                    
Human Animal - Down We Go Again
Kind of an hardcore allstars-super-group with members of bands like:Anchor, Jesus Wept, xDisciplex AD, Brother’s Keeper, Prayer For A Fallen Angel, The A.K.A.s, Empty Promises, Smoke & Mirrors, Abnegation, Run Devil Run, Phases, …
This song is the only "exclusive" track on the compilation tape I did for them in early '16
FFO: Sick Of It All, xDisciplex AD, Madball & anything else Lake Erie Area Hardcore.
                   
Gaia Bleeds - Stuck
Vegan straight edge 90’s style beatdown/metalcore from Bru-lsland (a.k.a. UK).
FFO: Withdrawn, Slavearc, xCanaanx, … only did one demo in '15 and then called it quits.
(Fun fact: I had the honour of being their singer during their last tour)
                                 
Forward To Eden - Fight For A New World
Vegan straight edge (hardline) 90's style metalcore one-man project from Germany (my own band).
This song has been taken from their '15 Demo CD (Re-mixed version from the '16 comp).
FFO: Statement, Culture, Unborn & The Vegan Jihad!
      
xLAIRx - Gaia’s Retribution
Vegan straight edge 90’s style hardcore (from Australia) in the vein of bands like:
Path Of Resistance, Earth Crisis, Shockwave, Culture, … Still one of my favorites.
This song is from their 7" vinyl co-release with Life.Lair.Regret. Records.
    
Not In This Lifetime - All We Have Left
Melodic oldschool hardcore from the Netherlands (by ex-members of Lies!).
FFO: No Turning Back, Champion, Casey Jones (without the SxE), Death Before Dishonor, …
This song is from their new ('17) album which I had the honour of releasing on tape.
                 
Fortress Black - Endzeit
Post-modern black metal/blackened negative dark hardcore from Germany.
FFO: Dunkelheit, Naturgewalt & Total Death! With members of bands like: Beatdown,
Radical Development, 711 Mayhem, Leichnam, Empowerment, True Blue, Iron Skull,
Golgatha, Son Goku, Line-Up, The Crimson Divine, Absidia, Countless, …

Realm Of Torment - Anathema
First BBMA 12″ Vinyl Release (in cooperation w/ Rage) and still one of my favorite current bands.
Early 00’s style metalcore/beatdown from the UK (UYC Crew) FFO: Killswitch Engage,
Martyr AD, Slavearc, … with members of bands like: Nihility, Overturn, No Excuse, …
                                          
No Restraint - The Branches Of Suffering
Metallic vegan straight edge 90’s style hardcore from Florida with a militant stance towards
veganism & animal rights. FFO: Green Rage, Trial, Earth Crisis, Culture, …
I had the honour of co-releasing their demo on vinyl in early '16.

Absorption - Stranger
Metallic 90’s style hardcore band from the UK (with the guy behind MMW on Bass).
I had the honour of doing the tape version for their debut EP.
Their song is a re-recorded version of one of their demo songs.
FFO: Pain Runs Deep, Sunrise, Arkangel, ...

Seek Nothing - Whale Thrower
Metallic oldschool hardcore from Berlin. FFO: "not so bad" hardcore...
This song is taken from their '17 Split 7" w/ No End In Sight.
                                              
Content With Dying - Justice
             Short-lived project band by members of Fourth Crusade.
Oldschool vegan metal FFO; Day Of Suffering, Chokehold, Integrity, ...
This song has been taken from their '16 Split 7" w/ FTE (which is also their only demo though)


Titan - Payday
Chaotic early 00’s emo-metalcore/crymosh from Belgium. Members of xHeartfeltx,
Serenity Fails, … FFO: Jane., Shai Hulud, Converge, Kindred, …
This song has been taken from their '16 Split 7" w/ WTF.

Renounced - Love And Depression
Early 00’s melodic, emotional metalcore from the UK (with breakdowns)… a.k.a. “Crymosh” Members of Abolition, Digress, Employed To Serve, and probably a couple more!
FFO: Poison The Well, 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Hopesfall, …
This song has been taken from their '16 Split 7"w/ STB,
                    
xJustified Violencex - The Pledge
“Real Hardcore For True Straight Edge Warriors”
 Militant oldschool sxe hardcore from Maryland,  FFO: xWidowmakerx, Casey Jones,
Minority Unit, Path Of Resistance, xBishopx, ... This song is from their latest ('16) album.
                     
xHeartfeltx - Enslaved
Metallic 90’s style straight edge hardcore by members of bands like: Serenity Fails, Titan,
xDevourx, No Solace, … FFO: Kindred, Morning Again, Spirit Of Youth, …
This song has been taken from their latest ('16) album released through Mosh Potatoes.
Yeah, unfortunately I wasn't involved in this, but I released their demo on tape (in '15)
and will definitely try to be a part of their next output as well!

Through Chaos & Solitude - If This Is The Best We Can Get Then I Am Disappointed
New melodic black metal one-man project from Germany (by myself).
Members of FTE & Castigator. FFO: Woods Of Ypres, Agalloch, Panopticon, …
This song has been taken from their demo/debut ('17) EP which is just out.

So, if you managed to read all of this until down here: Congratulations!
Feel free to re-post/tell a friend/whatever - I'm sure there is some music in this for everyone.
Oh, and if you like the cover-theme - you can now also get a new BBMA t-shirt design
along with your tape pre-order, check it out: http://bbmarecords.com/shop


Thanks for your attention. Keep up the good fight. Support diy bands and labels. Go to small shows.
Bring back the 90's. Go vegan. Strife for total liberation. ...and watch more anime.