Post Standard blog about new Freya/ Japan tour

Freya releases new CD; Earth Crisis leaves for tour of Japan
By Mark Bialczak/The Post-Standard
January 19, 2010, 4:00PM



It's a busy week for Syracuse aggressive rock front man Karl Buechner.

One of his bands, Freya, released its new CD, "All Hail the End," today.

His other band, reunited straightedge hardcore kings Earth Crisis, leaves Friday for a tour of Japan.

"It's working out great," Buechner just told me of his dual rock band citizenship. "When one band is active on the road, the other is home, composing songs."

Buechner says the the Freya album is about "different civilizations over the centuries who've come and gone. I see some societies basing the culture on warfare," he says.

But, Buechner believes, the climate is right for positive new choices.

"I see how things can change, how people can start to view the natural world," he says.

The listening party for the CD is 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at Strong Hearts Cafe, 719 E. Genesee St., Syracuse,

Buechner's dropping a copy of "All Hail the End" to me today. Song clip and review to come soon.

He says Freya will be touring in March, and that should include a Syracuse stop to be named.

Here's a YouTube clip of a video of Freya's song "Struggle to Survive."



http://blog.syracuse.com/listenup/2010/01/freya_releases_new_cd_earth_cr.html

Noise Creep interview with Karl

While Earth Crisis are a vehicle for the straight edge and animal rights issues that the members so steadfastly believe in, vocalist Karl Buechner takes a different lyrical track with Freya, choosing to be much less pointed. But his political stances do creep into Freya in a subtle way.

"It crosses over a little bit," Buechner told Noisecreep. "'Down to the Last' is about species becoming extinct due to man, while 'Struggle to Survive' is about vivisection, but what made these Freya songs different than Earth Crisis songs was the angle that I took, trying to describe what these experiences are like for the animal's perspective, rather than the point of view of outside observation. It's more creative, hopefully. With Earth Crisis, we are forwarding our vegan and straight edge beliefs. Freya is a different kind freedom, to explore the past or speculate about the future. It provides a nice balance for me as a lyricist."

While Earth Crisis were the torchbearers of animal rights issues during their mid-90s heyday, the scene has changed and died out a bit as we've hit 2010. Buechner has a more positive viewpoint, though. "There are bands like Parasitic Skies, Maroon and Nueva Ethica," he said. "There are a lot of great bands out there promoting animal rights. It is easier to be vegan now, too, since there are more restaurants and grocery stores." Buechner is now 38 and has been a vegan for 20 years.


http://www.noisecreep.com/2010/01/13/freya-earth-crisis-vegan-2010/

Speaking of Veganism...To the Death last month in Japan!