Andy Classen's Stage One Studio - Mixing, Mastering-, Recording Studio

Thus, for “Scourge of the Enthroned”, KRISIUN’s 11th studio album, the group decided to head for a faster and extremely savage record again. Clocking in at an intense 38 minutes – counting in the bonus tracks “Forged in Fury” was almost an hour long – it was also due to producer Andy Classen’s input that “Scourge of the Enthroned” became a real monster: “Working with Andy at Stage One Studio again, felt like coming home. We stayed at his musician’s apartment for almost a month and we all concentrated on capturing an honest, almost live kind of vibe and trimmed the songs harder than on the last one.” Located in the countryside close to German city Kassel, the landscape helped immensely during this period. “There was no distraction at all, that place is in the middle of nowhere and apart from barbecuing with Andy we just worked on the songs like madmen.” Once the album kicks off with the title track, KRISIUN’s newest opus hits with an urgency and immediate force that even harkens back to the debut! “You mean the ‘Black Force Domain’ riff in ‘Demonic III’, huh? That song is about the band and our history. After all these years, we felt it was about time we do our own anthem and a riff like that is a bit of a throwback for us and the fans!” In terms of sound, however, the band did not bring back the uncontrolled roughness of “Black Force Domain” yet had a distinct mindset when starting the recording process: “We interpret the album title as us being a scourge for all the plastic death metal out there. You are listening to human beings here not a computer! All has been recorded and played naturally, and while you can hear all details, it does not go for this ‘American’ sound that is so lifeless and sterile. It is a very organic and heavy album and I think that connects it with the spirit we already had on the debut.”
Indeed, sir, and it offers a whole bunch of highlights as well! From the Slayer-like screeching solo opening ‘Devouring Faith’, to the neck-breaking ‘A Thousand Graves’ and rhythmic complexity of ‘Abysmal Misery (Foretold Destiny)’ over to the album’s epic finale ‘Whirlwind of Immortality’, the latter being another track connected to the artwork by Eliran Kantor (Testament, Hate Eternal, Incantation) as Alex explains: “The song is about the Anunnaki, who appear in Sumerian mythology, judging the fates of mankind. Often they are portrayed as seven figures, we have only three appear on the cover since it connects well with ‘Demonic III’. As KRISIUN is about to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2020, it’s only fair we now appear as horrifying ancient death metal gods on the cover, haha!” Lyrically, the album however does not dig too deep into myths as Camargo confirms: “We deal with religious fanaticism, war, and the tragedy of the refugees, who flee from the fighting in their home countries to end up drowning in the sea or being treated like dogs in the western countries. Reality offers a lot of topics to write pissed off death metal!”

Disgrace, chaos, war between police and drug sellers, poverty, extremely high crime levels, social inequality and conflicts while politicians hide in their houses far away from people, the same one they look for on election times…This is the main features of the “Wonderful City” of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. Yes, the post cards with beaches and all that you see are lies to cover the deep problems of our society. Lies for you to come and enjoy a country that the natives can’t. This is the bitter and nasty reality that the quartet LACERATED AND CARBONIZED shows in its lyrics, and on their new album, “NarcoHell,” the explicit, even deeper social wounds of this hellish city!

Their musical work is far evolved than showed on their last album, “The Core of Disruption.” Their Death Metal brutality is untouched, but now adorned with perfect technical elegance, and very good new experimental touches (some keyboard parts in some moments, as you will hear on “Severed Nation”). They evolved in a level that they can really match great names from Death Metal. These guys have blood in their eyes, and excellent Extreme Metal in their veins! Recorded at HR Studios in Rio de Janeiro, having Felipe Eregion (from UNEARTHLY) as producer with the band itself, and with mixing and mastering done by Andy Classen on Stage One Studios in Germany, the whole sonority of “NarcoHell” is perfect! No, there are no words that can describe the balance between weight, brutality, aggressiveness and clarity. It’s extremely perfect in each of these aspects, and the instrumental tunes were chosen perfectly. The cover is a fine job as well, from the drummer Victor that is about the truth that the Brazilian government and the mayor of Rio de Janeiro don’t want you to see.................................
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If you like well-produced (thank you Andy Classen!) well-performed and well-written Death Metal tunes, check out Solace Of Requiem's webstore and support the American underground!

80/100

"Throughout "Executioner", the likes of classic EXODUS, SLAYER and SEPULTURA are going to come to mind, but these boys play it off like they've been standing alongside the aforementioned the whole time (...) It's about passion, chemistry and intensity; three things that MANTIC RITUAL bleed buckets of on this eleven-track slab of no-frills thrash madness."

8/10

'Southern Storm sees them cramming more dynamics and inventive songwriting into fifty minutes than perhaps the entire Krisiun discography combined (...) Undoubtedly this is their most complete and well-rounded opus to date, but it's one that's unlikely to appeal if you've never bought into their brand of extremity in the past. If you're like me however, prepare to be transported to death metal nirvana.'

9 / 10

Production-wise "Bondage Goat Zombie" is undoubtedly the most brutal-sounding Belphegor release to date yet still manages to harness a clarity that enables all the twin leads and intricacies to shine through in all their epic glory. What were your initial ideas of how you wanted this album to sound before you went into the studio and do you feel that again Andy Classen has done your material proud?
Just awesome, u know it was a privilege to work with Mr. Andy Classen again, with each album we bring our sound onto the next level, the feeling, the production, the songs...it was amazing to record "Bondage Goat Zombie". Andy did a brilliant job and made us a massive soundwall, I call it the extra punch in the face.

'Producer Andy Classen once again manages to harness each instrument's power, the result a mix that gives the guitars a sharp edge, the keys a rich texture, and the rhythm section a palpable crispness.' 8/10

Without avoiding a slight repetition of riffology on some songs, the band honors the founders and continuers of the modern Swedish sound (..) and filters their heritage in the writing of 13 devastating tracks where fury, speed, groove, technique and melody mix with each other, in different quantities each time. Definitely a suitable musical style for their merciless lyrical attacks on modern day society. And of course we shouldn't forget to mention the mixing/mastering done by Andy Classen,that boosts this album even more with it's clear (...) and powerful sound. [...]

Interview with Requiem (edited for proper english)

[...] RW - Andy Classen is one of the most inspiring and professional people I`ve ever met in my life. He is very direct and accurate with details in tunings and arrangements. And he has something to him that eases away all your nervousness without giving you the hell of a stress.

For the whole band the studio sessions were very relaxing and creative. Andy contributed some really good ideas to the arrangements that we had not thought about before. And he really likes our music and had fun creating a wall of sound for the new record. In the end the band did not want to go home anymore! So I guess there will be a next time with Andy Classen. That`s for sure.[...]

[...] Or to put it in other words, the success formula turns out to be successful again. This means:
Again a powerful Andy Classen production.
Again a short but firm 'in your face album'. [...]
Again good, compact and strong thrash metal songs the way they were meant to be.

[...] At the moment Legion Of The Damned could very well be the biggest metal band of the little country we call The Netherlands. Playing the Wacken mainstage ain’t just something you do everday. For the music then, pure aggressive sick thrash metal with an overkill on double bass and vocals that tend to go towards black metal a bit, but suit the music perfectly. [...] Furthermore I can say that vocalist Maurice sounds a bit better than on the previous album, but that could be blamed on the, again, ultra killer hyper-aggressive production....

[...] “Malevolent Rapture” was an uncompromising slab of killer death/thrash reminiscent of the masters of the eighties packed in a modern killer sound by Andy Classen and received many killer reviews in the press. [...] featuring ten songs that surpass the previous material… more dark, more violent and more diverse but still delivering the razorsharp riffing with utmost precisions, tight as hell drumming and hateful vocals, which sound even more menacing and vicious then before. The production by Andy Classen at Stage One Studio outdoes the job on the previous album. [...]

Pestapokalypse is an eerie, atmospheric journey through the depths of Hell, with Helmuth and Sigurd gladly acting as our sinister tour guides. Both men are very talented musicians and perform at the top of their game all throughout this disc. Andy Classen's production is effective, with the dry, cold drums, and very thick, at times almost gurgling, vocals.

With a quick look into the comprehensive history of heavy music, one knows that there are three essentials in sounding real brutal: first and foremost a massive production, a good amount of audibly sincere wrath, and at least a little amount of musical variation. Clobberin Time have audibly gathered all the suffering, pain, despair and hatred to charge nine explosive songs, the Andy Classen production is solid enough to propel the songs, which keep the right balance between pummelling mosh parts and fast-forward tough-guy hardcore...

From its bludgeoning and warm production to its epic song-structures, AssassiNation can ultimately be crowned Krisiun's best work to date...
8/10

...the order of the day with KRISIUN is, as it has always been, lethal doses of speed and the most efficient audio murder achievable by mortals. The vocals are savage, the drums whirr like heavy machinery illegally amped with too much power, and the rhythm guitar and bass are tandem friggin' bulldozers. 8.5 /10

"Krebskolonie" is for me and many other fans the best album of this band. The title song and "Futter Für Die Schweine" are probably the sickest and weirdest songs of them. [...] The band was likewise creative in terms of their music; you will find aggressive riffs, melancholic as well as happy melodies and they aren’t afraid of some calmer notes. They use everything and they do it perfectly. [...]

Andy Classen is both God and Master at the production desk and backs up the remarkable songwriting prowess of Reisenegger with the perfect sheen. With may true classic metal albums there is the odd filler tune, or at least a lesser tune, but 'Sicario' contains none of these. It is simply a blustering aural assault bulging with everything a fan of aggressive music could possibly want.' 10/10

Once again fuelled by an aggressive yet crystal-clear production courtsey of living legend Andy Classen (DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, DISBELIEF), "Issue VI" is every ounce the album that will make DEW-SCENTED fans rejoice....

These Slovakian butchers know how to play the Death and at no moment the band can be caught playing dull or mediocre. In fact the intensity throughout the whole disc reaches insane proportions: be prepared to an orgy of demented riffs, manic drumming and really hallucinated vocals. The production, this time courtesy of knobs master Andy Classen, is faultless...

'A sterling production crafted by Holy Moses axeman Andy Classen -- who knows, if anyone ever will, how to spawn a brutally heavy thrash sound -- deals the final lick of aural violence to this exceptional release...'

'...the production that Andy Classen at Stage One Studio has given the album is truly massive.'

'Krisiun have found the perfect plateau from which to deliver their blitzkrieg of a musical assault. Eric Rutan and Andy Classen must have damn near turned Stage One into ground zero in creating the thundering monster of double bass, biting snare and all that lies in-between which was previously just Max Kolesne playing drums in a studio.'

9/10