The multi-talented Tom MacLean has been a fixture on the prog-metal scene ever since the release of To-Mera's brilliant first album Transcendental in 2006. Although that band went on hiatus some time ago, a long stint as the bass player in prog geniuses Haken, together with a number of other short-lived projects have ensured that his reputation has retained its lofty status. In recent years, MacLean has opened his own studio, Twelve Tone, with a view to lending his not-insignificant production, mixing and mastering talents to up-and-coming and established artists alike, and in 2021, his life in front of and behind the desk have come together in the form of Athemon, whose debut has just been released on WormHoleDeath. I caught up with Tom recently to discuss the genesis and future of this band, his thoughts on the recording process, and the prospect of a return for the much-missed To-Mera.

Benjamin

For the uninitiated, Athemon are the brainchild of Brazilian guitarist / vocalist Adriano Ribeiro, who put the enforced downtime of the ongoing pandemic to good use, writing and recording the band's debut. In terms of how MacLean came to be involved, and help shape the final product, as he explains, "It all came about because during the initial lockdown, with all countries simultaneously going into lockdown, I was finishing a distance-learning audio engineering certificate. Up until that point, I'd been reaching out to bands and friends that would be open to someone starting out on the audio side. I had loads of recording experience, but limited production and mixing experience – I'd always left that to someone else! There was some interest from local bands looking to record EPs, but when lockdown happened, that was postponed. And I thought, if I don't act now, I'll languish and fail to make anything of the engineering, not to mention the lack of any money coming in. So, I did some social media outreach, spoke to friends of friends of friends, and got plenty of contact through my website."

"Adriano was one of the people who got in touch – he sent me a Garageband demo, and I thought it was really cool. You can tell when someone's got a vibe going with their instrument, and I was impressed by his gnarly guitar tone. The guy's got some serious guitar chops! But the demo was just him and some programmed drums. It was exactly the kind of project I was looking for – someone who's obviously got some talent but needed some outside help. As with many projects during lockdown, Athemon wasn't yet a fully-fledged band. In this case, I volunteered to do bass, as it was something I wanted to get involved in. And, to an extent, that allowed me to influence the direction of some of the songs a little bit more and change the sound to something mutually agreeable."

One of the biggest changes that occurred during the recording process was a transition in the vocals, from the harsh growls of Adriano's death metal heritage to predominantly clean, melodic vocals. This change not only matches the slick, progressive metal perfectly, but adds some huge hooks that allow the record to become significantly more memorable than it might have been with a more one-dimensional vocal approach. As MacLean notes, the initial demo was quite different. "The vocals were a lot rougher, not unlike Opeth, but, at least in my opinion, didn't seem like the best fit. So we had some discussions about it and there were some intense Zoom calls! In the end, the vocals turned what would've been a solid album regardless into something that had an extra dimension to it Adriano had never really done clean singing before, but I think he really pulled it off."

What Athemon also pulled off, and very impressively considering it was their first attempt, is a record that feels like a unified and fully formed album, with a clear musical and thematic thread that runs from start to finish. The fact that the concept (an allegorical tale which uses the emergence of a butterfly from its cocoon to reflect man's journey to self-actualisation) and the majority of the riffs were already there before MacLean was involved suggests that even if Athemon are a new band, their gestation in Ribeiro's own mind has been a long one, with MacLean assisting the project's birth in masterful fashion, shaping and refining the results.

Athemon is sonically a high-end release, all the more impressive given MacLean's relative lack of experience. Good enough in fact, for WormHoleDeath to deem it ready for wider release. I asked MacLean how that particular connection was forged: "I didn't have any prior knowledge of them, but they got in touch. To be honest, I was grateful to have the promo and distribution taken out of my hands and put into the hands of someone committed, who could give it a broader reach." With everything in place, therefore, for Athemon to grow the audience that their music deserves, MacLean confirms that there are thankfully plans underway for Athemon to continue as an active band, even as the pandemic from which they emerged seems to be dissipating. Although there is no imminent prospect of live dates, we understand that "Adriano wants to develop it more –at least half of the next album is written, although he's keeping it to himself right now. I'm sure there will be more, and I'm definitely open to being involved in the next record."

One hopes that this is the case; the bass playing on the album is rarely less than spectacular, the legato runs bubbling through the spaces between the guitar and drums on songs such as 'Whispers' reminiscent of the kind of virtuoso brilliance that lit up the work of early Cynic and Atheist, and it comes as no surprise to hear that Ribeiro was keen to utilise MacLean's talents to add depth and sophistication to the recordings. "Well, Sean Malone was a big inspiration. But then you realise that Sean Malone is basically Jaco Pastorius (US jazz-fusion legend) on a 6-string bass, so really, it's Jaco Pastorius! Also, Adriano and Gledson Goncalves (drummer) are from a tech-death background – big Sadus / Steve DiGorgio fans, and if I was under-playing, they would ask me to make it more Steve DiGorgio!"

Clearly, despite the growing production business, MacLean is not yet done as a musician, even if the former is the current priority. He refers to the fact that in part, the audio training was designed to allow him to gain more control over the recording of his own music, but that this now inevitably plays second fiddle to the fact that business development is totally dependent on demand, and if the demand is there, needs must! Whatever comes next though, it will not be Psion, another prog-metal beast, featuring ex-Dodecahedron drummer Jasper Barendregt. Psion released a single EP in 2017 and promised at the time to be another exciting chapter in MacLean's career. "Psion was a really tricky project. Four strong personalities, myself included, and it was so agonisingly slow. The record should've come out in 2015. Musically it had potential, but as soon as it was released, that was it. Brian (Ramage, from Ramage Inc) is a monster singer, but Brian needs to be Brian, and do Brian. To be clear - what he laid down for Psion was phenomenal and we're so grateful he was a part of it, but it was understood early on that Ramage Inc is his focus. That's his everything. Ultimately, the band just turned up at the wrong time in people's lives."

MacLean is, slightly surprisingly, a little warmer on the prospects of To-Mera returning from exile and reveals that he has been writing during lockdown with their erstwhile singer Julie Kiss (ex-Without Face). "I wrote a few songs with Julie over lockdown, and we're trying to figure out what that will be. We did a pop-rock thing called Euphonia a few years back, but there was no real gameplan other than trying not to write a metal song. That didn't have a clear direction, it was an experimental, self-indulgent outlet. The new stuff is promising; I don't know if it will be a new To-Mera album, but, given the overall vibe with the new stuff – it would tie in with the "Exile" album."

For now, though, the priority is responding to the strong demand for production and mixing work, even if some bands are looking for something a little out of their price range! "It's really tough. I want to develop skills-wise and work with better musicians. However, the people at that level… the records have all been mixed or mastered by two or three guys. It's either Jens Bogren, Jacob Hansen or Andy Sneap. Nevertheless, everyone wants their albums to sound like that, but for a tenth of the price! I wonder if the pre-eminence of a small number of mega-producers in the genre acts to homogenise metal, and limit individuality, but MacLean doesn't see it that way. "I used to think exactly that. I thought the drums on Andy Sneap records were too hard, or Jens Bogren was always using the same snare sound. But I think that through being on the other side, what I realise is that in the end, engineers are always trying to do what the bands ask them to do. It's not the engineers pushing it. There will always be input, but it's the band's decision." Not that a lack of direction is necessarily any better though: "Well, sometimes people say 'Whatever'. They have no opinion, and you're freaking out!"

Before we close the conversation, I'm interested to hear what MacLean is listening to currently, hearing things as he does with the ear of both an artist, and an audio engineer. I unreservedly endorse his choice, which is the Converge "Blood Moon I" collaboration with Stephen Brodsky and Chelsea Wolfe. "It blew my mind out of nowhere. It's a colossal sounding album. I'd always been on the fence with them. It was a bit what I was expecting, but in so many ways it was just something else." It's fascinating to hear MacLean so enamoured with a record that, superficially at least, has little in common with the symphonic prog-metal that he is most associated with, and one hopes that just a little bit of his new-found love of Converge will bleed into whatever comes next for the man himself, be that Athemon, To-Mera, or something completely different.

If you have read this, and want to utilise some of the skill that makes Athemon's album such a compelling listen, you can find Tom MacLean's audio engineering studio here: https://www.twelve-tone.studio/

Czech newcomers Sněť recently released their wonderfully offbeat old school death metal album "Mokvání V Okovech" (review here). The album has brought me into such a disgusting rapture that I couldn't help myself and asked the guys from Prague (and surroundings) few questions, not only to get some clarity about the meaning of the titles and lyrics but also to get some more info about them, too. Thanks for all Sněť!!!

Michael

Hello everybody, how are you?

Hnisatel: Hey, little hangover but fine, you?

Řád Zdechlin: Cooling my beer for late night. Yesterday I read a message about playing in Mexico!

You have recently released your debut album "Mokvání V Okovech". Before that, the first sign of life was only a promo from 2019, so not much out there... why don't you tell us something about yourselves so that readers can get to know you a little better?

Hnisatel: Well, me and Ransolič were talking about death metal bands many drunken times around 2018, and then we started jamming the first riffs of the song 'Obří kat' in my living room. After some FB advertisements, we found a drummer Krutorr based in East Czechia, well known for his bands Ficken Leben and Afterlife. Then we asked Leproductor to play bass – check his band Kaosquad of South Czechia, old school grindcore as we all like it. I play bass in the band Lezok and used to play bass in the band Bahratal, but I started as guitarist, so I wanted to switch on guitar in this new band. Leporoductor and Ransolič can sing very well, but our decision was to pick Řád Zdechlin, best known to be the lead vocalist of his band Vole. It was easier for the guys to focus on playing and Řád Zdechlin performances are stunning – now they are powerful duo with Leproductor murmur parts. Ransolič was back then in the band called Black Aspirin and the band Morkhimmel. We are both part of Kreas Promotion, doing underground metal gigs in Prague.

Řád Zdechlin: Wanna fill it with more information about band Leproduktor is son of village same as Krutorr our drummer. They are coming for every rehearsal from their places so we can't say we are Prague based. Leproduktor has deep roots in metal because of his father and brothers together they are a metal army. All of them have a passion for bodybuilding making Leproduktor our tank for cruel beer parties. Kruttor is the youngest and he works as a metal worker, which seems to be cool for our band. He has played in several punk, crust, metal bands since he was 9 years old. Only Hnisatel is the Praguian boy, his family is based in arts and graphics. His grandfather was a famous photographer for music records like Karel Gott or other 70' pop stars in ČSSR (communist times), cool to check it by Discogs. His name is Pavel Jasanský. His father is also a photographer with a focus on conceptual art. You can find him as the duet Jasanský/Polák. Ransolič was born in Pelhřimov I guess, which is quite an old town, but don't know anything about his heritage. The only special thing is he will have his second wedding in his life, which means he is the most experienced male in the band. No one else is married. And me, I'm the east Czechia boy, a place of heavy industry and a heavily polluted place in our land. I used to move to Prague for studies at the Academy of Fine Art. I graduated with a master's degree and stayed here. No one wants to come back, haha. That was really personal.

Your lyrics are exclusively in Czech. Even for someone who comes from your neighboring country Germany, it is almost impossible to understand anything. Let's start with the album title....

Hnisatel: Lyrics are 90% of Řád Zdechlin work, I sometimes help him. The decision to sing in Czech is more natural for us and also, it's quite unique in some ways. About the time the promo went out, we made a t-shirt with lyrics of 'Obří Kat' on the back and didn't let people know about it, haha a lot of people don't want to wear those, because lyrics are vulgar and violent. This is not new. A lot of bands did it before, but in Czechia I guess people are not ready to wear this kind of stuff because it is in their language and English is still a bit far to understand, like the real meaning of the filth Autopsy and Cannibal Corpse did for example. Mokvání V Okovech means oozing in chains – due to the album cover, which was done before the name of the album. Next title in the game was 'Mrdání Na Hrobech' – means fucking on the graves, which was my favorite, but I was overruled by the rest of the band "because we are not 15 anymore" haha.

Řád Zdechlin: I feel it like with every different language, I do like melodies or rhythms. Have you ever listened to some Central Africa music? Voo-Doo vibes from that language, awesome or Russian poetry, it's so melodic like melting sugar on a pan. Also, Finish punks like Kaaos are extremely authentic. I'm not even understand that but who cares I'm here for music. In the case of our music. We care about some concept, which is mostly taken from our lives and transformed into a gruesome nightmare.

...and come to the lyrics. 'Kůň Kadaver' means horse carcass if I'm right, 'Demon' and 'Sarkofag' explain themselves. What are your lyrics about?

Řád Zdechlin: 'Kůň Kadaver' is about man riding horse in swampy moor land. In the fog he found the crypt where he heard or felt the voices and spirit of ancestors. In the moment of inhaling the spirit something smashed his head like a high falling hammer. He wakes up dying inside of his dead girlfriend. 'Demon' focuses on demons with special ability covering graves with a huge stream of semen. That one is more perverted. First sentence is: "instead of blood, human came out of my dick today". 'Sarkofag' is sakrofag btw, I'm trying to play with words and make new words out of it. It is a song about total armageddon and it was written mostly by Hnisatel. Lyrics:"I'm putting sarcofag made of shit on the body of Christ". I feel good power from the trashy primitive hate songwriting, purer than some philosophical or demonological, academic topics. This is raw and all people understand what it is. If they speak Czech.

Where do your inspirations for the lyrics come from?

Hnisatel: First thing on my mind is Charles Baudelaire carcass – it may be cliché, but for me it is the classic death metal lyrics but from 1855, haha. Well, it's hard to say, in my case most ideas (not only about lyrics, it's also about music and designs) came about midnight when I'm in shower after a long shitty day. Inspiration is also in old school Czech bands like Torr, Master's Hammer. Profanatica's lyrics are cool and also horror movies and many more stuff..

Řád Zdechlin: Like Hnisatel says. 80's horror movies I do like Maniac Cop or Ravenous are my one of the best! Try Czech Vlčí Bouda. It's about a school trip for skiing with aliens. Very bad one! And the rest of inspiration is our life struggling.

Musically you walk on the musty paths of Funebre, Funebrarum, Autopsy and everything that is in the rotten bottom of death metal. What would you describe as your main influences?

Hnisatel: As you said. Besides classics we dig Danish and Finnish death metal scene – Demilich is maybe one of my favorites. It's many things and it's hard to write down in this paragraph. Ransolič it's a big fan of Thin Lizzy and we spent a lot of time doing harmonies in our riffs. We are all big fans of old school filthy metal music. That rawness and filth is important. Check out the new Anatomia record is killer, after a long time that was something that has a real impact on me.

Řád Zdechlin: As an elementary school child I do love Cannibal Corpse album "Gore Obssesed", old Behemoth or Vader, Entombed, Sepultura. Nowadays it is easy to find music not only by ripping CD's, so I feel inspiration in groups like Greg Wilkinson is producing or some old Finland Death like Abhorrence, Sentenced, Convulse, Therion's album "…of Darkness" or different genres.

How satisfied are you with the feedback regarding the album so far?

Hnisatel: It's very good, I think we didn't expect this, haha. Every week we receive new mostly positive reviews and reactions. Also, we noticed some not a really bad review but, complaining about the "clean" sound of the record. This was the big topic in the band. We didn't want to copy the sound we had on promo, because it is a step back for us. I think now it's ok to say, that sound we had on promo was a bit pushed into this filth. The sound we have on Mokvání V Okovech is our natural sound. The mix and master were made by Gregg Wilkinson in Earhammer Studio in Oakland California, also I have to mention Anders from Dodsmord Studio in Prague, where we recorded, and he did a lot of dirty work about cutting takes and everything.

Řád Zdechlin: I do like how people react, it's mostly positive. Local hard-core kids are wearing our gear, hahaha.

Are there any special editions of the album or other merchandise? Where can I order it?

Hnisatel: Yes, the special edition will be – the orange vinyl. You can check it out at Blood Harvest website. Unfortunately, vinyl should be done on 14th May but there is a big delay in the factory. Then Steffen from Lycantropic Chants label made a killer tape in two versions. There is gonna be a tape version and some t-shirts in the USA via Headsplit Records and something is cooking in Indonesia…

If you want to order merchandise directly from us, you can check it out at snet.bigcartel.com.

When I look at the cover, it immediately brings back memories of Hellraiser, was that intentional? Who designed it?

Řád Zdechlin: I'm the man who mostly stand behind our designs. And it was not influenced by Hellraiser, but more sleazy tattoo scenes or biker designs, old metal or Rick da Life tattoos, bio-mechanic stuff.

What is there to tell regarding the Czech metal scene? Are there some hot topics, apart from the better-known bands like Hynos, Krabathor or Maniac Butcher, that you should check out? Master's Hammer is unfortunately no longer around...

Hnisatel: There are plenty of new bands around here. You should check for example Zmyrna – medieval type of black metal, with a lot of Urfaust vibes. Then death doom Můra is out now, Swedish type of death metal Narcosa. Old pioneers of crust metal Morkhimmel. Brutally Deceased are pretty cool, and for example young thrash blood Faust. For classics you should check Torr demo "Witchhammer", old demos of Malignant Tumour and Pathologist, both in the vein of old Carcass. Of course, Root classic, and for example Vitacit – one of the best heavy metal bands around…

Řád Zdechlin: Me and my friend Dominik are behind the compilation of ugly bands around central Europe. Style is more punk or black. Check it out, the name is Night Dwellers. You can find it on Bandcamp.

How satisfied are you with your label Blood Harvest?

Hnisatel: Well, the communication can be better, haha, but yes. It's all new for us and we are learning how it is going, we personally never been on this big label like that. Rodrigo did a great job for us and we are glad for everything

Řád Zdechlin: Hail to Rodrigo and thanks for everything you did!

Do you have any tour or concert plans for the next few months?

Hnisatel: The big thing is our release party 26. 6. at Modrá vopice club, along with our brothers Goatcraft from Slovakia, Kringa and Death Racer guys from Austria and local band Slavery. Then we are going to be a part of a small Brutal Assault, called Josefstadt, sharing the stage with mighty Pestilence and Destruction. If the Killtown DeathFest happens we are going to be part of it, which is like a dream come true, and it's very important for us. Also, in Písek we are going to play with Slaughter Messiah. Písek is a metal city! Our good friend Petr Kolář is promoting a festival here called Thrash Nightmare, Heavy Metal Thunder and Burial in Sand. All the coolest metal parties with a pick of the bands like Deathhammer, Abigail etc... Highly recommended! Also, I personally looking forward to Punxtreffen, organized by Řád Zdechlin even the Sněť is not on the list, hehe.

Which albums of this year would you recommend or are you eagerly waiting for to be released?

Hnisatel: I'm looking forward to Galvanizer's new album, the first track, which is out now, is killer! And as I said before, new Anatomia is great too and many more which I forgot now. You also have to check the Slovakian Goatcraft and their new album!

Řád Zdechlin: New Suffering Hour is pretty dope!

The last words belong to you!

Hnisatel: Thank you for having us on the MetalBite, cheers!

Řád Zdechlin: Drink beer, raise hell in your town!!!