World Of Lies
Thorns EP
Reviewed by Dave Brenner for Metal Maniacs Magazine June/ July 2008
I missed this one. It came as a 7" and I think it was set aside to do something with or some shit, so I apologize to the band for slacking. I dig this EP heavily: World Of Lies' catchy style of blending and expulsing multiple styles is brilliantly brutal. Overall, sure, they're a fuckin' death metal band, but the buildups and raging solos are born more of Bay Area thrash while the vocals are crisscrossed and interbred into one of those upper Northwest concoctions of purely unpure death/ crust/ thrash with a Herculean crunch. The band is joined by some random scallywags from regional acts Wormwood, The Accused and Among The Decayed through out the release, and the 7" is joined by a CD version bearing two additional tracks, one of which happens to be an amalgamation of Carcass tunes – an oblivious major influence on the band's gory approach. Sick shit. Definitely worth your time. Six tracks/ 20:03 (CD Version). 4110 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97214
World Of Lies – S/T reviewed by
Jens Metal Page
www.jensmetalpage.com
www.myspace.com/jensmetalpage
9/5/5
WORLD OF LIES
http://www.worldoflies.com/
I have always liked these guys, always a good CD that comes from them. I actually
have two CD's here, one Material God and the other, Vol 001 or the self titled
CD. Material God is a little older, it looks like it was recorded between 2001
and 2002 and released by Buried in Hell Records. The self titled, a good chunk
of the songs have been already released, with different members. All of the
music is great, super fast, the way heavy metal is suppose to be played. Great
guitar solo's and the drums are crisp, clear and off the hook. Death/Thrash/Black
metal vocals. All of the stuff that makes those styles annoying taken out, so
the sound you have from World of Lies is just pure raw metal.
World Of Lies – S/T reviewed by
Metal Maniacs Magazine
www.metalmaniacs.com
2/2/05
One for the oldschool/thrash fans, World Of Lies sounds like it could've come out alongside Cadaver, Carnage and Pestilence several metal generations back. WOL features an overactive lineup where every member is wrapped up in multiple bands, most of which play live and/or tour (Kuru, Shrine Of Scars, Knifethruhead etc.) The band has self- released two solid and thoroughly entertaining full-lengths in a three year period, both of which I proudly endorse. These 15 tracks of molten late 80's thrash are both rocked-out and grind-influenced making this a home run for fans of anything from the Malt Soda, Thrash Corner or Razorback rosters. Let's hear it for ore necks all around! $8 US/$10 World through: www.worldoflies.com band@worldoflies.com.
http://www.worldoflies.com
World Of Lies – World Of Lies reviewed by
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Magazine
www.bwbk.com
11/1/04
Online: www.worldoflies.com
Email: worldoflies@hotmail.com
The Creature depicted on the cover art bears striking resemblance to Satyr from
Satyricon when he was bald. Pull out your Intermezzo II and Rebel Extravaganza
CDs for proof. Graphic thievery aside, musically World Of Lies waste no time
ripping into their best Napalm Death/ Carcass imitation. Manic thrashing ensues
as vocals are shared amongst the front line of Kevin (bass), Paul (guitar) and
Tony (guitar). Nine of the 15 songs on this CD have been previously released
with different lineups, spread between The Material God album (2002) and the
Gardens Of The Dead EP (2003) Since releasing this self-titled disc, Tony has
moved to Oregon and is looking for all new members….7
World Of Lies S/T CD reviewed by
www.aversionline.com
World of Lies "s/t" CD
6/10/04 - [self-released]
First things first, this disc is way too fucking long. 15 tracks and 41 minutes
of death/grind? That's a no-no. Keep it short but sweet at around 30 minutes
or so and don't overstay your welcome, know what I mean? That being said, despite
some prominent flaws, these guys have some damn fine promise as writers, because
there's definitely a lot of energy and variation here, and I really dig the
speedy and frantic vocal arrangements a lot (even though the sneering screams
could use some work).
Expect a large dose of speed with generally tasteful tremolo picking and blasting drums, interspersed and beefed up with a handful of totally killer classic styled thrash rhythms on occasion, which definitely hooks me in. The thrash influences and the raging vocal patterns really make a few of the songs borderline catchy (see "We Are as Sheep"), whereas a few of the grindier cuts have a "Symphonies of Sickness" vibe happening, and I can't complain about that. And I have to give these dudes credit for mastering the use of speed, because a song like "Dismemberment" is chock full of blistering tempos contrasted by a major breakdown, both of which complement each other perfectly and make for a highly effective three-minute song. "The Gift" even opens with acoustic guitars and a melodic electric lead, while "Gardens of the Dead" reminds me of a slightly more rocked out Impaled with a touch more dissonance. Only rarely does the playing herein lean towards the sloppy side, so I'm not concerned there - they can get that in order without much effort. So, my chief problem? Yeah, the production. I can't help it. I'll give them this: They're on the right track. The problem is that the mix is unbalanced and noisy, and that hurts.
The vocals are too loud as it is, so when they're layered it's entirely overpowering, and the cymbals fall either dead even or even louder than the vocals, which is an immense distraction. The guitar tone seems to be pretty damn strong, but I can't make out much bass, and things are so clouded with less-than-proper drum tones and vocals that it's hard to get a clear gauge on the guitar sound as well. Honing the mix and cleaning up some of the textures would make a massive difference in how this material comes across. The layout's not that great, it could be worse, it gets the job done, but it's a little plain, and at times crude. The band photos and collage, for example, just aren't that hot, and some of the lettering on the cover is illegible and unnecessary. The artwork also looks a little goofier than the lyrics, which are actually refreshingly serious for their blunt messages, dealing with everything from drug abuse and fear as tool of manipulation, to greed and corruption or a generally bleak view of the world's future. The lyrics definitely have something to say, and that's cool, I'm into that. A label really needs to give these guys a shot here.
There are definitely some crude edges hovering about this that leave a mark, but you can't deny their songwriting talents. It's extremely hard to write a catchy, memorable track within the death/grind realm, and these cats have dropped a handful of winners on their debut self-released full-length, so it'd be a shame if they didn't get the chance to explore their talents with a more effective budget. Keep an eye on these guys. I'm not blown away, but I am impressed, and I can state with 100% certainty that this band has the potential to fucking crush. They could absolutely blow me the fuck away next time around. Here's to hoping…
Running time - 41:31, Tracks: 15
[Notable tracks: We Are as Sheep, Sedate to Escape, Gardens of the Dead, the
Process of Rotting]
World of Lies - http://www.worldoflies.com
World Of Lies -
Material God review by
A climatic introduction with
a lot of guitars leads us into the powerful world of World of Lies. These guys
play death metal with twisted guitar riffs and a lot of brutality. There are
some elements of black metal too in some of the fast parts and in some of the
vocal parts. Here we have a raw band with a lot of power and a lot of speed
on each of the compositions. The guitars are extremely heavy and in tracks like
"Lost Faith" they deliver catchy riffs that are what make each song
memorable. The recording has a raw sound and that adds a lot to the brutality
of the band. Plus, here we have a band that makes a lot of changes within each
of the compositions surprising you many times through this recording. Here we
have a band that is extremely brutal and spills this brutality with a lot of
quality and tightness.
Favorite tracks: "Lost
Faith", "Consumed by Hate" and "Death before the Flesh"
World Of Lies -
Material God review by
I'm already a World Of Lies
fan. And this release made me like them more.
They had Paul Suchoski from Sons Of Chaos do guest vocal and bass work, as well
as Chris Dann from Bled do guest guitar and vocal work.
Tony Avila's vocals are just sick! He has a very distinctive grind style of
screaming that sets his band apart from many others in the genre. He also has
a good talent for writing unique guitar riffs and arranging them to best fit
the songs.
Kevin Ryan & Paul Suchoski's additions on bass are very good. And the fact
that you can actually hear it is always a plus.
Chris Dann also made a contribution on guitar. Very fast and well played riffs
that went along nicely with Avila.
Drummer Dave Phillips makes great use of the double bass and has plenty of blast
beats. He also plays at a very amazing speed throughout the entire album.
I think EVERYONE should pick up a copy of this!
--Stripper Ripper
World Of Lies - Material God review by
Tearing through you whole world with the force of an out-of-control flatbed truck full of nitroglycerine, World Of Lies has created a monstrosity of metal with its first full-length, Material God. With a solid comprehensive grasp on combining elements of black, death, thrash and even a bit of grind these 3 Californians have blended and shaped their molten brew into a devastating eight-track murder spree.
Their lyrical standpoints, along with the socio-political photo and artwork, lead me to believe that these dudes aren’t at all happy with the state of the world. Police brutality, stabs at religious figureheads and political riots make up the layout while the lyrics bombard you with tales of deceit, war, corruption and hate. Nothing new in the death metal world lyrically, but musically this crew leaves most of their competition in the dust, drawing from a wide array of metal genres and playing their songs with high speed accuracy.
With their main skeleton based upon Blessed Are The Sick-era Morbid Angel and early Slayer riffs, the band mixes everything from Absu to The Haunted to Atheist to Angelcorpse with skill. Pummeling drums with a wide array of fills and rolls to keep things interesting, backed by a tightly-woven web of razor wire guitars, it’s all fused together with a blackened death metal kick in the throat from the horned one himself.
Topped with high-pitched screaming and intermittent low-end growls, Material god is sure to make every fan of true and heavy metal happy for a while. At a perfect length of 21 + minutes, this disk is worth the $8/ $10 world PPD.
Material God CD review from
Out of the Sacramento region, World of Lies released this effort this past year through Buried in Hell Records which includes eight full tracks of the band’s brand of heavy, highly aggressive, somewhat technical death edged metal. Featuring guitarist / vocalist Tony Avila, bassist Kevin Ryan, and drummer Dave Phillips, this disc actually rips from the first instrumental introduction through the final track, working furious speed at times while bending the entire landscape into this torrential death groove at others.
Of the eight tracks, some of the highlights include the title track which blitzes from the first step with this hungry rhythm, “Lost Faith” which blisters with a huge groove, “Parasitic Humanity” which bolsters a back and forth speed vs. huge riff style, and “Disguised” which opens with a start stop tumbling drum track with a ranging rhythm that speeds with each step into the song.
What breaks these guys into the open is their constant movement from the straight speed death metal vibe to the huge heavy groove laid down underneath Avila’s craggy, crackling death vocals. With each section of their music, World of Lies moves the train from this winding, snake like rhythm into a bunched up, huge riff that rolls and tumbles with the landscape, creating a monster metal approach. Really, it comes down to the simple baseline truth here, as World of Lies basically brings speed / crunch riffing together with the quick strong Phillips drumming to create a pure metal rhythm that doesn’t break any new barriers but brings enough of the powerful sound to absolutely crush at times. Well heeled effort (and no surprise having been recorded at Digitsound Studios) and one to find as World of Lies tears open their death edged sound quite well.
WORLD OF LIES Material God review by
Slamming from Fair Oaks California, World of Lies spews venomous black/death metal with the force of ten freight trains. I've never heard a three piece that sounds like this before! The production on their "Material God" cd is incredible and the accompanying artwork and liner notes are professional all the way. I was also very impressed with the full color glossy program they sent along with their cd, which made their packet jump out amongst the rest of the pile on my desk. These guys know how to promote themselves for sure.
I hear many influences when I listen to these guys, but notably Carcass bleeds through in a huge way. Mix that with a touch of Death and early Testament and you've got one wicked ass metal band! They combine an ultra heavy guitar crunch, with a savage low end, and intricate drumming to form one hell of a metal foundation to the cd. The vocals are classic black/death metal and go nicely with the music. I also liked the song arrangements, as they combined complex harmonies with brutally heavy riffs. The drummer is wearing an SOD shirt on the cd liner notes, so how the fuck can you go wrong with that?
World of Lies is well worth the listen, and if you dig your metal nasty and heavy, and enjoy listening to musicians that know how to play - this is your band. Give "Material God" a chance and you won't be let down, but rather you'll be driven into the floor with a sledgehammer between the eyes.
Check them out online at www.worldoflies.com or email them at worldoflies@hotmail.com
Material God CD review from
Following a brief instrumental intro, California native WORLD OF LIES bursts forth with seven short and to-the-point tracks of pulverizing black/death/thrash metal. Although these guys (three, at the present, though the line-up seems to change every so often) quote influences such as DISSECTION, CARCASS and THE HAUNTED, they do a superb job of not wearing these on their collective sleeve.
So what can you expect from Material God? Lots of tempo changes, for one. The band fluidly shifts from aggressive thrash to fast, old-school black metal snare/kick. While all three members are credited as performing vocals, the singing tends to remain in the realm of black metal rasps, which contrasts well with the mostly mid-paced crunch.
The best thing about this album is the aforementioned brevity of the songs, which lends itself to repeat listening, reminiscent of SLAYER’s Reign in Blood. For a debut album, Material God is very impressive and, while not at all original, succeeds in sounding unlike any other band out there.
Material God CD (review by Robert)
The material god is a great first release for he Sacramento based death metal outfit WORLD OF LIES. based around the guitar work and songs of ex- Eulogy singer and guitarist Tony Avila, he is joined on this recording by several other players, notably Paul SUCHOSKI from SONS OF CHAOS on bass, Dave Phillips (who used to play in Eulogy) on drum. The band’s current bassist is Kevin Ryan who also plays in KNIFE THRU HEAD.
The CD opens up with an extra long intro piece with the sound of a John Carpenter soundtrack, Samhain and some old classic metal from the 80’s added in as well. The album rips forth with the title track “Material God”, and then into the great song “Lost Faith”. The songs deal with the hypocrisy and lies that our society sells us as children and that we are supposed to value, but that so little of the actual populace cares to practice. The track “Parasitic Humanity” deals with how is out of control worship of greed is destroying the planet. “ Death Before The Flesh” deals with the horrors of old age - and, yes, we are still talking about a metal band here. Eight tracks in all, the last one “Dismemberment” is also a classic, while it sounds like it could be about the usual death and horror stuff most metal bands sing about, it is really about the self-doubt and depression one often feels at dissecting one’s life and actins at a point of change in direction.
If this first CD is a sign of what we can expect from WORLD OF LIES in the future, perhaps it is possible to fight that world and let that world know that not every soul is for sale to the highest bidder. WORLD OF LIES Material God Buried in Hell Productions (2002)
World Of Lies Material God CD (review by Damian)
I can be proud of the fact that Metal Side was probably the first webzine which noticed World Of Lies talent. The review of this band’s 2-song promo was very positive. Ending it, I wrote that their full-length album can be very good. I was right, although – I must confess – I didn’t expect that the other World Of Lies compositions would be better than the tracks from promo. So even for me - a big World Of Lies fan since the first time I heard them – the level of “Material God” is a big surprise.
If you didn’t read my previous review and first of all if you didn’t hear World Of Lies music, you should know that California’s band plays fast and technical death metal, inspired by The Haunted and Carcass (as its members say), but undoubtedly original and fresh.
The debut album starts in a impressive but at the same time a bit surprising way – instrumental intro can be compared to technical Atheist’s style (especially from 2nd CD). Then you will hear very aggressive, fast material, very well written and executed. Each composition is characteristic, catchy although never commercial. Great riffing is still the core of World Of Lies’ music. The vocals are aggressive, high. Deeper additions are only the background and this is my only complaint (not too serious – such style fits to the music) since – I will never deny it – I am a maniacal fan of growls.
World Of Lies works already on the next album and this time deeper vocals are to play more significant role. Anyway, so far this band only amazes me, confirming that they belong to the elite of California’s metal scene.
World Of Lies Dismemberment CDR single (review by Damian)
If someone likes death metal scene in California (which is absolutely amazing by the way) he should hear about Eulogy, a talented band from this state (don’t forget that there was another Eulogy from Florida, but in the first half of the 90thies). The bad news is that Eulogy decided to disband.
The good news is that from the ashes of this acts, two new bands arose, Kuru and World Of Lies. Now we are to write about this second group. When it was formed, the main idea of its members was „to do something like Carcass and The Haunted”. Honest confession but I would say that first of all they do something like... World Of Lies (www.worldoflies.com) what means nothing more than this that although the influences of Carcass (stronger) and The Haunted as well as Death are audible, the band was able to create the style which is fresh and is not a copy of these famous acts.
The promo which we got from the band (recorded with the help of Paul from one of our favorite bands Sons of Chaos) lasts only few minutes but these two tracks are only a small part of the material which waits to be released. Both are good although they differ one from another. „Dismemberment” is faster, more in the vein of Death and later Carcass (from „Heartwork”). „Lost Faith” is based on riffs which have a lot in common with old good thrash metal school.
I regret a little bit (but not too much) that the vocals are not deeper but more important thing is that the musicianship is on the high level. Such tracks are a good encouragement to wait for the full length debut of World Of Lies. And this is not a lie.
Show Reviews
Death
Metal Depravity at The Distillery
Amie Althaea - May 22, 2004
The Distillery -- Saturday, May 22, 2004: back to The Distillery for a romp in the current domicile of death metal in Sacramento. Times of Desperation, Dying In My Beauty Sleep and Ragweed opened up for local death metal legend, World of Lies. The Distillery always houses an eclectic group of social circles, so it’s an interesting place to people-watch in between sets. However, on Saturday, it was more like a family reunion, where everyone seemed to know everyone else and all that seemed to be missing was the buffet line.
When Times of Desperation ignited on stage, every head at the bar turned to watch. This two-man band consisted of Biaggio “Joe” D’Anna on guitar and vocals and Rob Murrieta, who kept a rabid tempo on drums. They caused quite a stir when the show commenced. A leaden riff punctuated dead air and hovered before exploding into the next strain as “In Loving Memory” resonated throughout the room. It seemed to evolve into an all-night jam session as each song turned into an opus. Joe’s fingers were flying over the frets and his vocals sounded faintly like Static X imprisoned in a darker realm.
The tightly concentrated riffs in “Ripper Owens” (which was dedicated to Judas Priest) were also prevalent in their medley, “Marijuana and Ladies”. They successfully disguised the lack of bass and/or rhythm guitar and overall, they seemed to have left in an indelible impression on their audience. With influences that range from Slayer to Agent 99 and Neurosis, their sound was a rare, hybrid cultivation. They have some mp3’s up at www.hxcmp3.com/times_of_desperation for those who would like a sample of what they have to offer.
Dying In My Beauty Sleep was yet another duo, however, the drummer took over the vocals and the guitarist sang back-up. It’s too bad that they didn’t go on first… you know it’s a bad sign when more people are interested in watching comedy television with subtitles than the band. Almost every song kicked off with the same scratchy scream in which the drummer/vocalist would open his mouth wide, like a cat yawning, to unfurl his tongue. Then, he would roll his eyes back into his skull and take off on his own respective tangent. It got tedious.
Individually, the band seemed like they knew what they were doing, but collectively, they needed a full ensemble to carry it off…the chemistry was just not there, and the set came across as being a bit insipid. Regrettably, that sentiment seemed to be the consensus and quite a few people cleared out for a smoke break or just to wake up as the band droned on and on.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ragweed went on after midnight. Vocalist Scott McClung readily admitted that their web site had not been updated in years and they had no new material, but they certainly burst out the seams with the old stock. The crowd was not deterred, as they reconvened on the floor after a brief recess to imbibe in the moment of full metal mayhem.
The guitar team of Alex Phillips and Joe McKenna anchored the band on two sides while drummer Aaron Digirolamo filled his space and perfected his technique as they pelted through their five-song set that included such gems as “Red Eye Jedi”, “The Throw-Up Song” and “Full Metal Ejaculation”. The vocals were low and growling and sometimes lost in the undercurrent of convulsive guitar. With so much going on within the unit, the vocals were not even mandatory to keep things intriguing. Their effort was tried and true and luckily, it seemed to work for them.
Finally, World of Lies, the band that everyone came to see, took the stage, though much too late. Vocalist Tony Avila had but one thing to say about their haste:
“Don’t bite off more than you can chew. I was not only playing in the band, but was also playing the part of promoter, paying the bands and doing sound. It’s been rough, man,” he remarked wearily at the end of the night.
The band is seeking out a bassist to complete the line-up of Tony, who also reigns on guitar, along with Paul Suchoski on guitar/back-up vocals and veteran Dan Van Kuren of Kuru fame. They rushed through their set at a maniacal tempo, vehemently crushing through a quick medley of songs before they were booted out for the club to close for the night. The set may have been cut short, but the band was a well-oiled machine that kept the energy charged with its constant ravaging. In a mere week or two, their new self-titled CD will be released to appease those who yearned for more.
Tony has started a recording studio, Digitsound, out of his home and has begun making eminent plans to travel alone for awhile, promoting World of Lies and other bands out of Sacramento that might not be receiving adequate exposure otherwise. He recognizes that many facets of the death metal realm still need to be brought into the forefront, as they have been underground for far too long. With any success, we may see a death metal resurgence unlike anything Sacramento has seen before… a new groove in an old record.
Sacramento
News & Review
Carrying a blowtorch
Local
death-metal band World Of Lies really wants to ignite a scene here in the valley
Death metal is an extremely aberrant form of music, characterized by abrasive vocals, occasional blast beats, nauseating guitar riffs and double-bass-drum workouts that world-class runners might envy. For a long time, it has existed in the underground, whether via tape-trading communities, Web collectives or suburban word-of-mouth circles. But the subgenre has never received the proper respect and admiration that related forms heavy metal, power metal and speed metal have.
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Though such bands as Morbid Angel, Deicide, Entombed and Napalm Death did much to elevate and increase visibility for death metal, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that bands took the subgenre to a whole new level, perfecting their craft while incorporating elements of groove with hyper-speed precision.If you’ve been to any death-metal show at PoundSF in San Francisco’s Bayview district, or in the greater Bay Area or Sacramento Valley, chances are, you’ve been handed a flier or demo by World Of Lies’ frontman, Tony Avila.
Avila’s band, Sacramento-based World Of Lies, has gone through several incarnations, borrowing members from such local bands as Sons of Chaos, Shrine Of Scars, KnifeThruHead and Cowboy Killer. Its current lineup is Avila and Paul Suchoski, both on guitars and vocals, and Dan Van Kuren on drums. Avila is the band’s one consistent member; Suchoski was World Of Lies’ bassist in 2001, but he was then on loan from Sons of Chaos.
The band formed in 2001, and Avila thinks it has played around 50 shows. “We started sending CDs off and promoting the band at the end of 2002,” he said. “At the end of 2003, we recorded a new album worth of material plus some oldies but goodies.” That new CD, still not titled, is all done, save for a few minor studio tweaks. World Of Lies has been promoting its current CD, Material God, in the meantime, and Avila hopes to get the financing together in time for a summer release. “We just hooked up with a really good artist, as well,” Avila said, “and he is gonna do a cover for us.”In addition to opening for numerous local and semi-national acts, World Of Lies was fortunate enough to land a gig at San Francisco’s prestigious club PoundSF, which plays host to such national acts as Kreator, Nile, Immolation, Amon Amarth, Incantation and Goatwhore. “The show was great,” Avila mused. “We got to play on the stage where we go to see all the other bands we like.” He added, “That was the last show with our bass player, Kevin [Ryan], and we are currently looking for a replacement. But we will continue to move forward with or without one.”
Death-metal bands, especially local ones, don’t make a whole lot of money. Avila, however, seems undaunted by the less-than-appreciative clubs that host the genre. “We play to please ourselves and those who like our music,” he explained. “Music was made to come from the heart, to say what you feel and play how you feel. This music comes off aggressive because we are. Money is not the goal. We give our hearts and soul to our music and don’t need money to make us happy.”
Apart from The Distillery and Capitol Garage, which host infrequent metal and hardcore shows, there are very few local clubs that understand the music, let alone give the bands any stage time. “As far as the music scene goes,” Avila said, “I would really like to see Sacramento become one of the places touring bands come to [rather than pass through]. Over the years, we have lost just about every place to play--and this has hurt the scene.”
It hasn’t stopped Avila, though. “I will still drive to San Francisco to see a show,” he said, adding, “but we really need to do something about getting something going on here.”
You can find World Of Lies’ on the Web at http://www.worldoflies.com