Metaholic Music

RIP Metaholic Music

2010-07-09T12:02:00.003+01:00

Hello all.

As most of you will have assumed, Metaholic Music has sadly come to an end. We would like to thank you all for your support and contributions to the page! It was very much appreciated by all the writers at Metaholic.

There is some good news though!!! Some of the writers, and some new writers, have got together to start a new project called Transition. which is now up online with our first interview with Jose from Bonded By Blood. Please head on over to http://transition-music.blogspot.com and check it out. There are links to our Facebook, Myspace and Twitter pages on there. We are still looking for writers, there's a contact email on there, as well as new bands to review and interview.

I hope that we will see your continued support over on Transition. and I would once again like to thank you all for making Metaholic Music the fine thing that it was!

Peace out.

Hannah

How to Make it Big!

2009-06-09T12:44:00.001+01:00

“Crazy people are not crazy if one accepts their reasoning” – Gabriel Garcia Márquez, Of Love and Other Demons

Telling my teachers and career advisor that I wanted to be a Rock Star didn’t, on the whole, go down well… the most frequent warning I had repeated to me was; “For every thousand bands that form, only one ‘makes it’”… Like they knew what they were talking about or something…

But despite the fact that this opinion was delivered by rote, never coming from someone with any experience in the field, the statement does have some truth to it. Having done a little work in bands, I feel able to offer some thoughts…

Firstly, and most simply, for every thousand bands that form, only one tends to actually take the prospect seriously, and have the stamina to take the challenge on properly – both artistically and practically; gotta have songs… (remember I am talking about rock bands, who tend to use actual instruments… things get simpler if you start talking about boy/girl bands and all that…)

The second, and much more significant, point is more subtle…

The person who starts being in bands, and is of the mindset to be part of that ‘one in a thousand’ band, very rarely realises, at the beginning, that they are, in fact, utterly deluded… in most cases, the majority I would argue, the person thinks that being a rock star is an attainable career goal, which is clearly delusional… but for a very plain reason, having little to do with ‘odds’ and absolutely nothing to do with ‘talent’… In the majority of cases the neophyte adopts the delusion of a Rock Star as a care-free, free-willed artist and explorer, assuming this to be the required qualifications of a full-fledged Metal Lord…

Just like I did…

The true nature of a successful Rock Star is quite different… the person who will become Iconic, a legend of the Genre, is the person who sees the implicit financial and commercial aspects of the nature of modern popular music… their basic operating principles are not progressive in anyway, but are grounded in business entrepreneurship. The successful band, the ‘one in a thousand’ that ‘makes it big’ will have members who embody the profit-making agenda…

Not that this means that the music itself will be trite and worthless… but when it isn’t, it’ just an accident a fluke… look at Tool, specifically ‘Hooker with a Penis’[1]… great band… under no illusions…

…the primary idea of any ‘successful’ band, like all modern businesses, is not to produce goods, but to produce a brand that sells stuff… sells anything…

…and that’s why Metallica Guitar Hero exists…

Things, of course, don’t have to be like that… you could actually take Music seriously… actually explore the limits of your own musical imagination, as limited or as expansive as they may be… nowhere near as glamorous as the ‘dreams’ that are handed down to you, but you will be in the dubious situation of thinking for yourself…

Bing!x – www.bing-em-all.blogpot.com

[1] Aenima, ‘Hooker with a Penis’ http://www.toolband.com/album/index.html

Freaks is grass roots...

2009-06-02T13:56:00.001+01:00

Every other Thursday for the last month I have been helping out at a place called the Vault. The place has a reputation for being a bit of, err, drum and bass/speed garage[1] place… basically not a Rock vibe at all… but on Thursdays the venue has started putting on Rock shows; band based shows… and that’s why I’ve been helping out… however things have not gone swimmingly at all…

Trying to set up a Rock night in Roth is a fucking cool idea… trying to do it using the framework of profit making is probably not the coolest thing in the world and, if truth be told, a little daft…

The place is apparently a 400 capacity venue, has a large bar downstairs where the concert room is and a smaller bar upstairs where the entrance is… the venue itself has a goods entrance – good if you are lugging heavy amplifiers , cabs and drums – and has a small backstage area… the stage itself is respectable enough… I’ve played much more incommodious stages...

The trouble is that no one has been coming to the shows… £4 on the door helps to explain that… especially when there is a gig at another venue, on the same night that charges f**k all on the door… see, I think that the problem is that Rock or Metal, like other fringe music genres, relies on a strong sense of solidarity, about building a scene, where the few separate Freaks can meet and let loose in a place where they can get their tunes administered to them at the volumes the music was designed for…

You can’t just get a fairly cool room, book a load of local Yahoos to come a make a f**ing row and then charge people £4 to stand in an largely empty room and clap politely… the promoter was bemused; “why didn’t the bands bring people? If there are 5 lads in a band, they must know 5 other lads… we should charge the bands for playing if they don’t bring people in…”

…chances are mate, the kid is probably in a band with the only other people he knows… unless they are indie kids… I’ve never understood it, but that lot always know loads of folk…

What we can learn though, is the importance of developing new ‘institutions’ by nurturing latent and dispersed interests that are common amongst an emerging network of like-minded people… at least; it is important if you want an enduring and wholesome institution… anything built on the principles of profit, by it’s nature, can only exist if it makes cash… happiness, fairness, positive contributions to society, all this can happen too, but only by accident, as a side-effect, only encouraged if it is thought to stimulate profit in someway…

…what a revelation…

And we shouldn’t be surprised that a non-establishment-oriented project, based on top-down Establishment operating procedures, went tits up…

Look at Libraries, Youth Services, Worker Education Association… there are attempts run all from the top with Managerialisms and Jargon… Who knows how to run the Library better than the people who work there? Who knows how to help young people better than people who help young people? As for the Workers Education Association, well, there’s a reason we don’t know what it is… it don’t make cash… ‘tain’t ‘posed to…

To achieve different objectives you need to reform basic operating principles; if you don’t, if you try and create something cool within the Establishment framework at some point your project will become bent or twisted to accommodate to the pressure exerted by the framework itself…

Rotherham Renaissance got back in touch with me[2]; they got some Man, some big ‘executive’ male to explain to me that “There are currently no projects proposed which will employ wind or hydro electric power, however, solar panels will be introduced as part of the refurbishment of Rotherham Rail Station.”[3]

I suppose I can’t claim that energy issues didn’t even cross the minds of Elite planners of Rotherham future, but it is obvious that their thinking was something like ‘it would be nice if we could have green energy, but if not - never mind…”

…like peak-oil or sky-high energy bills are optional… it’d be nice if we could deal with those things, but if not, never mind…

Bing!x - www.bing-em-all.blogspot.com

[1] Don’t know what those words mean… I heard someone say them…
[2] See Rotherham Renaissance Pt 1 + 2 @ www.bing-em-all.blogspot.com
[3] Private Correspondence from Mike Shires – reckons he’s an Implementation Team Manager… I assume he’s something to do with Rotherham Renaissance…

Change is boring...

2009-05-26T12:02:00.002+01:00

My mate Evil Dave came back off tour for a couple days… my folks being away, we got a few ales in and got ‘tipsy’ in my back yard… for once the sun was out (ish) and it wasn’t blowing a gale, and so there we sat chatting… about Rock and changing the world… like you do.

Now, Evil Dave, he worked at the Live Earth[1] thing that happened a bit ago (07 July 2007). We are both a bit ‘right on’ and I suppose the idea of something like Live Earth basically appeals to us… thank f**k I had Evil Dave there to give me a eye-witness account… “Why can’t saving the world be more fun” says Dave. I’m not going to give you the details (because I’m not Dave) but, I think, it really will come as no surprise to you that the whole thing was about as ‘Eco’ as Jeremy ‘the environment is gay’ Clarkson… and how could it be?

What Dave pointed out so succintly, with his plaintive statement, was that for all the good Live Earth may’ve done to ‘raise awareness’ about climate issues, the fact is that going to concerts will not save the whales… and I should point out that I’m not justhaving a go at this Live Earth thing… the point is that whenever there are these big, super-bloated, feel-good ‘Green/Eco’ events, it take the initiative away from individuals… it helps to instill the belief that massive, radical social change – change that all serious people (like my mate’s gran and the barman at the local) recognised is needed – will come about, primarily, by the activites of Establishment institutions… it’s all part of way that Establishment power structure take away people’s sense of connection with the world they live in… ‘Yes’, we think, ‘climate change: bad… but so long as I go to Live Earth, give to charity, buy fair trade… it’ll be fine… THEY are on it…’

The problem, typically, with Establishment attempts to tackle the problems facing humanity – and the earth as a whole – is that they only reinforce the notion in the populace that we need a leader to sort stuff out, that it is beyond our reach and capablities. It’s all incredibly subtle and never expressed in any explicit way, but it’s the underlying presupposition that Establishment institutions are thinking for us…

So yeah, changing the world is boring… it is the day to day commitment to work towards a future you will probably not live to see… handing leaflets out, watching lectures, reading news, talking and debating with people, trying to increase the common perception that if the world is f**ked, as most of us suspect anyway, it is only up to us to do something – anything- about it...

But it’s not so different from other thing in our lives…

…take me… I wanted to be in a Heavy Metal band… First, I had to learn how to use a guitar… years of boring classes and quiet practice… never mind the hours of air-guitar in the mirror, learning how to make it look good… then, finding a band, people who you can work with… then writing material that is at least coherent, the endless string of s**tty gigs… of course, having chosen possibly the most unlistenable form of music yet created it was always going to be a struggle…

…and that’s my point… if you have a goal or aim that does not resemble the status quo, that opposes the way things are, you’ve got to expect it to be difficult to realise, with bearly noticable results… stick to the way things are and you can have an easy, ‘fun’ life… choose to work for an alternative perspective and it will be boring and slow and unrewarding…

…but that’s how Power is, and has always been, challenged and defeated…

Bing!x - www.bing-em-all.blogspot.com

[1] http://liveearth.org/070707_liveearth/

Metal means... (Pt3)

2009-05-19T11:06:00.002+01:00

Putting your money where you mouth is, is quite something… probably the most overwhelming revelation of my past two weeks has been how incredibly mundane being serious about revolutionary social change actually is - needs to be…

…the biggest struggle, the most challenging part of actually trying to ‘lead a complete, a noble, a rational existence’[1] - of trying to do something about the things I love moaning about - is the deconstruction of a whole lotta nonsense in the ol’ noggin… it’s a mess up there, turns out…

I’ve really had to sit myself down and give myself the ‘you will never be a Rock Star’ talk, which is heart-breaking… I’ve been able to console myself, slightly – being a generous and compassionate fellah – by pointing out that no matter how genius my Rock maybe, unless I am a business man ready to sacrifice and devote a large part of my personality to ‘working in the industry’ my art will never be known… yep… I gotta cast off all my dreams about appearing in really poorly directed Rock videos, adorned with Python, clad in vac-pressed leggings… Rotherham, or wherever you maybe, is not glamourous…

.deal.with.it.

I’ve noticed that I have to really believe those bits about equality, justice, peace, freedom, meaningful work, enduring community relationships, that I say I agree with… all that stuff and the rest… really necessary to actually believe that s**t and carry it all around with me, baring it in the forefront of my mind, letting it hang from the tip of my tongue like lung-butter ready to flobbed out into a doubter’s face – obviously in a compassionate way…

…the reason I, and anyone who is serious about social change, have to be thus is that there is so little in the way of support for these ideas… more accurately, you just don’t hear or encounter much evidence for these ideas in an average day… if you did, it wouldn’t take such a conscious effort to bare it all in mind…

…stood on the stall with my crane-driver mate, handing out leaflets and getting people to sign petitions against the privatization of the Post Offices I did notice that, other than the odd nutter (glad of a bit of human attention), older folk are much more ready to come up and take a leaflet or sign the petition or have a natter about the state of this or that… if I were being funny, I could make some joke about the old buggers having nothing better to do, but that would be in bad taste…

But you get no young f**kers coming up to you… the girls, especially, look like you just asked them if they would mind terribly being spaffed on… the lads just look sheepish and call you w**ker, not realizing the bone-shaving accurateness of their flippant remarks…

But my hilarious gags aside, I think I know why this is, why old folks are a bit more willing to engage…

…they remember Thatcher telling the world “T.I.N.A.” – there is no alternative and that there is no society… and they remember thinking that it was b****cks then; and it is still b****cks now… us young uns, well, we don’t know that Thatcher said these things; at least 30 years ago people knew that Trade Unions existed and were up to something…

…but we (and here I place myself in the ranks of the young) have been brought up in a societal environment that has gradually accepted these ideas and implied them into our consciousnesses, along with their associated values and presuppositions, so now they act as a kind of filter, only letting through concepts about the world that resemble the way it already looks… more, these filters allow us to structure our attitudes to resemble the very narrow spectrum presented to us in education, media and art; which means the closer we are able to resemble these values, the more likely we will be selected from the pool of like minded non-thinkers for a well paid position as cheer-leader for the status quo…

…you end up wanting to be a rock star, in a spandex jump suite with sequins, standing in front of millions of people chanting your name because you ‘co-write’ songs that sound like cheap, toothless versions of songs by bands no-one listens to anymore but who everyone has a T-shirt of…

Peace,

Bing!x - http://www.bing-em-all.blogspot.com/

[1] http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/kropotkin/atty.html

Metal Means... (Pt2)

2009-05-12T11:25:00.004+01:00

*Disclaimer – more people into Metal is cool… people younger than me, who are into Metal do have brains. Metal bands, record companies, merchandisers etc are entitled to make money from whatever they do, if they want to. There has never been and there never will be a Golden Age of Metal... ta!*

This is how I remember it. Early nineties, big f**ked up hair; big, daft glasses, band t-shirts with skulls and angular band names, going to gigs and seeing the few other such atrocities and knowing – just knowing – that you were amongst your own people. Seeing a Metallica song once a year on TV and going berserk cos Metal was right up in peoples face.

The first time I heard Sepultura, I did believe that the Devil actually existed and had a band. I heard that awfulsome dirge of loosed anger and wanted to know if he actually thought in the same way I did; I wanted to know what the f**k Satan Cavalera was so pissed about. Sure enough, a few Machine Head and Fear Factory songs later – amongst many others, I realized that there was indeed a sort of shared Metal credo, a sort of unspoken, informal understanding that Metal was a combination of outrage, independence and pro-activity like; ‘stuff is s**t, I don’t like it so I best do something about it…’

Yeah… you just weren’t into metal unless you meant it. I think that things are a bit different today, no doubt, those a little longer in the tooth would have had similar things to say to my age-group. But the point is that Metal has gradually been absorbed into the mainstream, becoming an Establishment form of business, I mean, Iron Maiden T-Shirts being sold in Top Shop… you what?

When something becomes ‘mainstreamed’, and becomes part of the Establishment scenery of society, then it necessarily has it’s fangs pulled out. See, if something like Metal, is seen to be encouraging dissent amongst rational people, it is perceived as a threat to the way things are – the Establishment. Obviously this just will not do, and the threat has to be eliminated.

But it is not effective to smash dissent in the face with truncheons and smother it with overt repression. Martyrs are made thus, instead it is much more effective to absorb the cultural force (whatever it maybe – Metal, Punk, Hip Hop, Blues, R&B, Film, whatever) into business; make it a new, novel way for people to spend money. Impose some ideas of hierarchy; make it about big heroes and unattainable levels of celebrity; about the piercing, clothing and tattoos, about an image and crucially, maintain the rhetoric of ‘self-expression’, ‘individualism’ and dissent, to show what diversity your culture allows. Make it so when people say that ‘nobody tells me what to think’ or ‘I do what I want’ they are telling the truth, because they don’t need telling, they just adopt and internalize – then repeat - the mantras given to them.

Metal isn’t anything special in itself. The ideas that give Metal teeth are things shared by all manner of people; the bits of Metal that tell you to give the finger to anyone who tries to tread on you and to tell them to f**k off should be like friends you will never lose if you treat them with the honesty and respect they deserve. The same honesty and respect you and all people expect and demand.

Otherwise metal will go the way of Ernesto Guevara’s face, a sad relic of resistance turned into a exotic and risqué money-maker.

Peace,

Bing!x - http://www.bing-em-all.blogspot.com/

Metal means... (Pt1)

2009-05-05T12:56:00.004+01:00

I spent last Saturday walking around Leeds city centre with a friend who I had known for about 4 years. I can’t remember what we were talking about, but all of a sudden she told me that at the age of 17 she used to listen to Metal, wear ripped tights and loads of Mascara; that kind of thing. I had no idea that she had ever been into ‘The Word’ but she replied; “Oh yeah; my mum used to hate it!”

While I was sad that my friend had long left the ranks of believers, I did take a lot of heart from the fact that it was to Metal that she had turned when she felt the need to protest against the incumbent power structure in her life.

When I think about why I got into Metal, I can now articulate what I couldn’t have at the time; Metal appealed to my innate sense of independence and disobedience. It was the idea that the world was not full of people with the same attitudes and modes of existence, it reflected the heterogeneity of society; that which is vital in society, and of course that which cannot be allowed to flourish in a society with as much potential freedom as ours.

Also Metal did not just spring up out of nowhere, it was developed and made into something which nowadays cannot be recognized from people at the different ends of the Metal spectrum. I remember a Def Leppard versus Metallica argument that went on, literally, for months, within this art-form itself then, we see this idea of heterogeny.

While as Metal-beasts and beastesses we can bare witness that Metal is for life not just for puberty, we can also, I think admit that Metal does indeed have strong associations to ideas of youth and rebellion… at the same time I think that it is often implicit in these associations that both youth and rebellion are equally childish, transient and idealistic.

My old man even says to my face that it is embarrassing to be seen with me in my leather jacket… (for full disclosure – I am 28).

But the point is that in my youth I believed certain things, not because I was taught them explicitly, but because I felt they were right – and they were my right; things like freedom of expression, the right to challenge authority, the right to use my own wits to solve problems (and so on) and the education system was there to make sure that these rights were smothered, belittled and eventually abandoned.

And my education would indeed have succeeded in cutting me loose from my innate sense of me, but was thwarted by Metal. This, to me, proves that Music is MORE than “just entertainment folks”[1], more than just dancing and having a good time.

Democracynow.org, on Monday May 4th had a special programme dedicated to Pete Seger’s 90th (!) birthday. Turns out, this is a man who has used his form of music to fight power for, well, all his life, by the sounds of things. He wrote once on his banjo “THIS MACHINE SURROUNDS HATE AND FORCES IT TO SURRENDER!”, you can’t call him childish or idealistic; he hates power with all his heart.

I mean, How Metal can you get!?

Now it’s your turn, use the Metal that has been bestowed upon you.

Peace,

BING!x - http://www.bing-em-all.blogspot.com/

[1] Dev Townsend, “Earth Day” Terria, 2001

My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire CD Review

2009-05-04T02:23:00.002+01:00

My Dying Bride

For Lies I Sire

Peaceville
2009

My Dying Bride return with the full force of doom on this epic record. I had not heard much other than their "A Line of Deathless Kings" album, which in it's own was great. For Lies I Sire was practically and impulse buy, and now it has definitely peaked my interest in this band. The special UK guitar edition pack even came with an extended booklet, a custom pick with the My Dying Bride logo on it and a 12 page guitar tab book! Never before have I heard of a band releasing their music with tab (or sheet music) to accompany it.

The album kicks off with the first epic, My Body, A Funeral, which sets the mood perfectly for the album to come. There's a mixture of instruments that make appearances throughout, including a piano interlude in Echoes From A Hollow Soul and cello in My Body, A Funeral. The album is full of memorable moments with riffs that play over and over in my head even long after hearing them. Santuario Di Sanguine is one of my most memorable songs, and rightfully so. It contains an interesting interlude with violin and sounds of horses and people, before going back into the most epic riff/vocal line I can recall.

The second last song in the album, A Chapter In Loathing, is completely different to everything else on the CD. It's fast, aggressive, and completely scream vocals. It reminds me a of of Diabolical Masquerade for some reason I cannot put my finger on, only that that must be a good thing. The production is flawless, and sounds great! Everything on this record is awesome, the artwork looks amazing in the extended booklet. I can't think of anything they could have done better, which is a rare occasion. I only wish they'd tour to Australia, but that's a topic for another day.

My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire is out now through Peaceville Records, I recommend it for any fans of decent metal.

Track List:
My Body, a Funeral
Fall With Me
The Lies I Sire
Bring Me Victory
Echoes From a Hollow Soul
ShadowHaunt
Santuario di Sangue
A Chapter in Loathing
Death Triumphant

Total running time: 59:51

Metallica at Sheffield Arena – 28/2/09

2009-03-25T21:38:00.002Z

The Sword: The latest in a long line of bands charged with the daunting task of opening a Metallica arena show are Texans The Sword and while they don’t fair badly tonight they do fail to make much of an impact. The Sword have some real heavy riff monsters in their repetoire but the mixture of a murky sound and such a large arena does them no favours tonight and overall the band fail to fill Metallica’s giant stage. Although not suited the big arenas just yet, The Sword are a good band and in a club setting they would be great.

Machine Head: A band more suited to the big stage and veterans of the Metallica support slot are Machine Head. They whip the crowd into a frenzy and go down an absolute storm as they always do but anyone who saw them on the Black Crusade Tour or supporting Slipknot a few months ago will get a sense of deja vu about tonight. There is no doubt that Machine Head put in a great performance tonight but it’s a performance that’s been done several times in the past 18 months and unless Machine Head make some changes to their setlist before they support Metallica again at Knebworth in August then even the die-hards may start to get a bit restless.

Setlist: Clenching The Fists Of Dissent, Imperium, Halo, Beautiful Morning, Descend The Shades Of Night, Davidian

Metallica: Like many others, I’d only seen Metallica at festivals before which makes the sight of them playing to ‘only’ 10,000 people in an arena seem like somewhat of an ‘intimate’ show. It certainly is a different spectacle altogether seeing Metallica at their own arena shows. We are treated to an unexpected and spectacular Pink Floyd-esque light show before the metal gods themselves hit the stage and ferociously launch into the opening salvo of their latest masterpiece Death Magnetic – ‘That Was Just Your Life’ and ‘The End Of The Line’. A further four songs from DM are aired tonight and it really is a testament to just how good the new material is when over the half the album is performed in favour of so many classics that Metallica could have included from their back catalogue and both the fans and the band know it. In stark contrast to their last arena tour in support of the woefully disappointing St. Anger, when only two new songs were played, tonight the band sound rejuvenated with the confidence in their new material and this shows on stage. Metallica are a well-oiled machine tonight – tight as hell and also clearly having the time of their lives, none more so than ‘new’ bassist Rob Trujillo. Despite having been in the band for six years now, he seemingly still can’t believe he is part of the biggest metal band on the planet – never has a man been so over-joyed to be somewhere.

Given that the Death Magnetic material was always going to take up a large chunk of the set, it was a welcome surprise to hear such seldom-heard gems as ‘Ride The Lightning’ and an incredibly moving and outstanding version of ‘ The Unforgiven’. But the biggest sing-along of the night undoubtedly came at the end of ‘The Memory Remains’ which seemingly lasted about ten minutes, much to the enjoyment of fans and band alike. Of course the classics are superb too, ‘One’ comes complete with a pyro display that the fans in the second tier can feel the heat from, ‘Sad But True’ still has one of the heaviest bottom-ends and ‘Nothing Else Matters’ is still the finest ballad that never gets referred to as one. Metallica have been flawless tonight, hopefully they won’t leave it another decade before another full arena tour.

Setlist: That Was Just Your Life, The End Of The Line, Ride The Lightning, The Memory Remains, One, Broken, Beat And Scarred, Cyanide, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, All Nightmare Long, Kirk Hammett Solo, The Day That Never Comes, Master Of Puppets, Nothing Else Matters, Enter Sandman. Encore: Am I Evil?/Helpless, Seek And Destroy

Aeon Of Horus, Ritual Of The Oak, Heathen Ritual and Knight Queste

2009-03-19T20:40:00.005Z

Get down to the Lewisham Hotel in Sydney on April 24th, to see Aeon Of Horus, Ritual Of The Oak, Heathen Ritual and Knight Queste. This will be Rituals Of The Dark's debut performance, featuring ex-members from Lycanthia and Transcending Mortality.
This should be one brutal evening of metal, and all for only $10. See you there!! From 8pm.

CD Review: Mournful Congregation - The June frost

2009-03-15T11:32:00.001Z

Mournful Congregation

The June Frost
Weird Truth Productions
2009

Mournful Congregation are certainly one of, if not Australia's best doom/death metal band. Their music is slow, yet aggressive and emotional. I recently got into these guy thanks to a friend of mine, and just this year, they've released their third full length album titled The June Frost.

The June Frost is considered to be their best work sofar, from what I've heard from other fans of this band, and after hearing some of their earlier stuff, including the double album "The Dawning Of Mournful Hymns" (which is also excellent), I'd be incline to agree. This band has grown heaps, and they certainly do keep getting better, with this album, it's 8 songs of pure metal doom.

"White Cold Wrath Burnt Frozen Blood" is one of my favourite tracks from the album, and the longest at 17 mins. Part of it includes an awesome harmonized melody with acoustic guitar and the usual deep vocals that are featured on this album. This is the doom I'd been waiting for, but hadn't realised yet. It doesn't get much better than this song. Some side guitar that reminds me a little of Opeth pops up here aswell, which sees this song off to an end. Very thought inducing and emotional playing here, as it is with the rest of this album.

The album is very diverse in it's style of doom, with a few instrumental pieces. The title song of the album, "The June Frost" is one of those instrumentals which features solos playing over an acoustic guitar, which pretty much proves that this band can do more than one thing for an entire album, which is rarely seen in some bands these days. It's a curious song that seems to use mainly major sounding scales and chords, yet it invokes the same feeling on despair as the other songs on this record. The contrast between this type of playing and the slow doom of the other songs is quite interesting in itself.

This is a very impressive album, with many interesting and well written musical ideas. The mixture of heavy and soft is pulled of with amazing precision. The production of the album is also spotless. It sounds absolutely awesome! What I find to be the most interesting thing about this band, is after some 15 years of being around, they only just did their debut live performance this year. It's definitely a great time to get into this band, with an European tour supporting Mourning Beloveth coming up this April to follow-up this album's release.

The June Frost will mark a very important spot for Australian metal, with much recognition following in it's wake. Definitely an album worth buying, and Mournful Congregation are definitely a band worth seeing live (keep an eye out for a live review coming soon).

Mournful Congregation - The June Frost
Solemn Strikes The Funeral Chime
Descent Of The Flames
White Cold Wrath Burnt Frozen Blood
The June Frost
A Slow March To The Burial
The Februar Winds
Suicide Chior
The Wreath

Playing Time: 60 mins

www.myspace.com/mournfulcongregation

Norther Seeking Replacement Vocalist

2009-03-12T11:49:00.003Z

The following advert has been posted on the bands mypsace blog.

Norther is now looking for a new full time singer. We are looking for a versatile, creative individual with high motivation and a preferable capability of singing in different styles.The person we are looking for must be at least 20 years of age and preferably live in Finland. Guitar playing skills are considered as anadvantage but not necessary.
If you feel you might be the one, please download the following instrumental version of our song Frozen Angel.
Return it to us with your own vocals recorded on top to singer@norther.net in MP3 format. You can download the song here, and the lyrics here. It is also possible to send a free-form audio or video sample of yourself.

We offer the new singer a possibility to rock around the globe inan excellent team and enjoy the full benefits of being in aninternational heavy metal band.May the best one win, the search is on!!

All the best,

Norther

Petri was removed from the line up due to his commitments with Ensiferum. The following was posted on the 4th of Match.

Finnish metal band Norther parts ways with long timesinger/guitarist Petri
Lindroos. Norther was forced to let Petri go tobe able to continue. Petri's
full time engagement in Ensiferum increasingly prevented Norther from functioning as an active band.
Petri wishes Norther all the best for the future. Current Norther crew, Kristian, Jukka, Tuomas and Heikki, wants to thank Petri for all these great years together and wishes him the best of luck with Ensiferum.

SubVerSi0N seek drummer

2009-03-03T14:33:00.003Z

Metaholic Band Contest winners from 2008, SubVerSi0N, are currently in search of a drummer to help out with their upcoming gigs.

"We regret to have reached this awful situation we are in, but we are in desperate need of a session or permanent drummer to fill in for the gigs we have booked.

If you feel you are competent and skilled enough to fill in for us, then please let us know.

We have till Wednesday to find someone, at least a stand in, as this is the day we will be forced to pull out of gigs. No time wasters please as we have wasted enough time already.

SubVerSi0N"

If you think this could be you, then you can contact them via their Myspace page www.myspace.com/svsnband

Priest Feast Tour - Manchester Apollo 17th Feb

2009-03-02T10:33:00.003Z

Testament: Unfortunately, due to the wonders of the M62 traffic jam, we only caught the tail end of Testament’s set but what we did see was simply awesome. The band are as good as they’ve ever been, perhaps better, and the strength of the new ‘Formation of Damnation’ material compared to the classics of yore is simply stunning. This is probably the best line-up Testament have ever had – Chuck Billy is a commanding, mountain of a frontman, Alex Skolnick is playing as good as ever and with the addition of ex-Slayer man Paul Bostaph behind the drum kit, Testament now have an extra edge to their performance. If only their upcoming special “evening with…” show was up north…
Setlist: For The Glory Of…, Over The Wall, New Order, More Than Meets The Eye, Persecuted Won't Forget, DNR, 3 Days in Darkness, Practice What You Preach, The Formation of Damnation

Megadeth:Undoubtedly the band of the night for me (and judging by the crowd’s reactions, most people). Yes, people can make all the ‘MegaDave’ jokes they like but the fact remains that Megadeth has always been Mustaine’s creation and they’ve always had an ever-changing line-up. And what the detractors certainly cannot deny is that Mustaine has more often than not surrounded himself with some brilliant musicians and the current line-up is no exception. Shawn Drover, James Lomenzo and ex-Nevermore guitarist Chris Broderick play the set flawlessly and from the opening notes of ‘Sleepwalker’ to the finale of ‘Holy Wars…’ what we get is an unrelenting and constant assault of some of the best metal songs ever written. Mustaine keeps his in-between song chatter to a minimum, preferring instead to let the music do the talking and its hard to argue with the quality of classics such as ‘In My Darkest Hour’, ‘Hangar 18’, ‘Symphony of Destruction’ and the rarely heard but criminally underrated ‘A Tout Le Monde’ which was a welcome surprise in the set.

Megadeth always put in great performances as the whole band, particularly Dave, play each show like it’s their last and that they really have something to prove. This is ironically one of the best things about a Megadeth performance but is also one of the most saddening things about Mustaine himself. Never one to miss a swipe at his former bandmates, Mustaine introduces ‘Mechanix’ by announcing that ‘it is NOT the Four Horsemen’. Seriously Dave, it’s been over 25 years. And with performances like tonight, Mustaine has nothing to feel second best about.
Setlist: Sleepwalker, Take No Prisoners, Wake Up Dead, A Tout Le Monde, Washington Is Next, In My Darkest Hour, Hangar 18, Symphony of Destruction, Peace Sells, Mechanix, Holy Wars

Judas Priest:Priest are among metal’s elite and rightly so. The band don’t put on a bad show but anyone who saw them in 2005 upon Halford’s return will probably walk away feeling a little disappointed tonight as the metal god himself is beginning to show his limitations. Don’t get me wrong, even a slightly deflated performance from Halford is better than most screaming nerks that pass themselves off as ‘metal’ frontmen could muster these days but it’s a shame when you know it could’ve and should’ve been better. His voice is beginning to fail him ever so slightly (but only compared to his previous high standards, not to anyone else’s) and you get the feeling that his slow movement on stage and the fact that he sings one song entirely seated is not just for effect…

And those who saw Priest last year at numerous festivals will no doubt have left tonight feeling a touch of déjà vu given that both the setlist and the stage show were exactly the same which is somewhat disappointing when you consider the wealth of material they have to choose from. Still, the setlist is far from predictable and we do get to hear some rarely aired Priest songs such as ‘Rock Hard, Ride Free’, ‘Eat Me Alive’ and an awesome rendition of ‘Sinner’. And of course no Priest show is complete without classics such as the mighty ‘Painkiller’ (which seems to get heavier each time the band play it and remains a lesson to all young bands in how to really be ‘heavy’), ‘Hell Bent For Leather’, complete with Halford riding the Harley, and ‘Breaking The Law’ which is still probably the most fun you can have singing along at a concert. All in all, it’s a very good performance from Priest without being great and if Megadeth had not been on such fine form, they may have nicked it. But tonight, it’s Mustaine, not Halford, who walks away with the spoils.

Setlist:Dawn Of Creation (Intro), Prophecy, Metal Gods, Eat Me Alive, Between The Hammer And The Anvil, Devil’s Child, Breaking The Law, Hell Patrol, Death, Dissident Aggressor, Angel, The Hellion/Electric Eye, Rock Hard, Ride Free, Sinner, Painkiller Encore:Hell Bent For Leather, The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown), You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

CD Review: Futility

2009-02-23T01:06:00.002Z

Futility

Futility
Unsigned
2009

Futility are one of Australia's premier Doom metal bands, and this year they released their debut self titled album, which includes a full listing of 6 reasonablylengthed songs. Futility hail from Canberra and are doing their best to mark their own section in the Australian metal community. In my opinion Futility are yet to meet their peak, but that doesn't mean that this album isn't good, infact it's quite the opposite. This album will likely be one of my most played Australian albums throughout 2009, and I can see this band being one of few I follow that keep getting better.

Futility released their album alongside Ironwood at the show in Canberra, which was a blast. Their live performance is pretty spot on, and the new album reflects that perfectly. What you hear on record is what you get live, which can be the aim of many bands, but also the downfall of many more. One of the most difficult objectives for a band.

Futility is full of solid riffing, flawless drumming and brutal vocals. The power behind some of these songs is just awesome, the intro to "My Sickness" makes me want to headbang like crazy, which, might I add, can be quite rare for me. They've got an original twist to their music which I can't put my finger on, butsome of their songs remind me of a few European bands, like Katatonia meets October Tide with a slice of In Mourning on the side. But since I hate comparing bands to others, I'll just say that as far as I can tell, Futility's sound is their own.

The production on this album is great. For another 2009 independent release from Australia's (often unappreciated) metal scene, these guys have done a great job on bringing the quality back to our metal! The performance on this album is absolutely flawless, it's not overdone with production, and as a result you get a nice raw sound. This really is how the band sounds live, which is a great accomplishment.

As many are probably aware, Katatonia's Brave Murder Day album has added a pretty decent influence to the community of decent doom metal bands we have around today, and Futility are no exception to that. Infact, this album even includes a cover of "Murder", from that very album of Katatonia's. Some may say this is a fatal mistake, to include another bands song on their own album, but I think it's awesome! It's always interesting to hear other bands interpretations of some of my favourite songs ever (which Murder fits into), and Futility have done a great job of recording this song.

Those who have no hope in the Australian metal scene, give this band a listen and see if you still feel the same after hearing it. And anyone else who is into decent metal, give Futility a go. This album has not disappointed me at all!

Futility - Futility
Track Listing
...Failed
Saline Oasis
My Sickness
Fallen
Nothing
Murder (Katatonia Cover)

Playing Time: 43:35

Check them out here:
www.myspace.com/futilitycanberra

Review of the Futility launch show:
Click Here

Cd Review: Ironwood :Fire:Water:Ash:

2009-02-20T10:35:00.002Z

Ironwood

:Fire:Water:Ash:
Unsigned
2009

Ironwood's debut album, :Fire:Water:Ash:, is most likely one of 2009s best unsigned releases by far. These four awesome musicians from Sydney have yet again outdone themselves with this release. Since hearing their debut EP I have been waiting anxiously for this album to come into the light, and I must say, it's certainly refreshing to hear something so different to everything else that I hear these days.

:Fire:Water:Ash: is THE album to get if you're into metal with a twist like this. The music drifts through heavy and softer sections flawlessly, often flicking between both in one song. It caters to just about every musical need you may have. Some of the vocals on this album are very different from what I'm used to hearing from other bands, particularly the low sung ones. The Raven Song, and Tide Of Memory both contain beautifully sung harmonies, another of the many vocal techniques you'll hear throughout this album.

The bass is still as impressive as it was on the EP. Henry plays it much like a 'real' guitar (for the elitists), often with complicated bass lines. A few bass solos pop up here and there also (Like a bass should be played), which are quite impressive, particularly when the bass is usually forgotten by the listeners, and poorly played by the musician. Ironwood proudly bring the bass back towards the listeners attention with this. The guitars are also very well played, with many switches between electric and acoustic, and rightfully so. The musicianship on this record stands out really well, and you can really tell that these guys enjoy what they do, and have done for a long time.

Jarnvidr Gallows, a 12 minute epic, holds one of my favourite Ironwood moments towards the end of the song, with a half sung, whispered vocal line along a guitar part that'll send shivers down your spine. Audio clips are used cleverly all through this album also, with sounds of rain, birds, and other ambient noises popping up all over the place. River of Fire was known as "Yggr" on the EP, and it has returned with great triumph. This was my favourite song off that recording, and sounds heaps better with the new production. The second longest song on this epic album, and possibly the most epic.

The production as a whole is great, everything is flawless and sounds awesome, and the artwork is definitely something else to behold. For an independent release, it can't get much better than this, particularly with an Australian band. Ironwood is definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. :Fire:Water:Ash: is out now and worth every penny!!!

Track Listing:
Önd Ascending
The Oncoming Storm
The Raven Song
Jarvindr Gallows
The Serpent Seeks It's Tail
Tide Of Memory
Love In Death
River Of Fire
Eihwaz Descending

Playing time: 70:35

Available from:
http://www.ironwoodsound.com.au/

www.myspace.com/ironwoodband

Metaholic review of the :Fire:Water:Ash: launch show.

Lordi at Sheffield Academy - 16th Feb 2009

2009-02-19T10:57:00.003Z

This being my first trip to the relatively new Sheffield Academy, I was intrigued to see what it would be like and I’ve got to say it’s one of the best venues of it’s size that I’ve been in. The stage is great, there are almost no viewing obstructions from what is quite a large and wide floor area and there’s a circular bar at the back which I’ve always felt was a great idea providing the logistics of the venue would allow it. The venue is also handily located about 5 minutes from the train station too.

So, on to the band. Well, there’s not much left that can be said about Lordi that hasn’t already been said since their record-breaking Eurovision win almost 3 years ago. But suffice to say that if you haven’t seen this band at least once yet, then you really are missing out (though I’ve no idea who in their camp thought £30 for a t-shirt is justifiable – I know the pound is bad at the moment but not that bad!).

Lordi will always be more about the live show than their recorded output but as any Kiss fan will tell you (myself included), if a band can put on one hell of a show then they are more than half-way there. It’s just a shame that more people aren’t here to witness this (the academy seems about half-full tonight), possibly due to the far-more publicised Children of Bodom gig over in Manchester on the same night. Alas, it is the Bodom fans that are missing out tonight as Lordi do indeed put on one hell of a show. From the moment they walk on its GWAR meets Kiss with a touch of Alice Cooper thrown in – fake blood, monster costumes, decapitations, ticker tape and a sloth-like gimp creature that is given his five minutes of fame before running off stage (no, I’m not sure what that was about either) are just some of Lordi’s stage props and theatrics tonight – and the fans lap it up right until the end.

You could say that once the theatrics and the costumes are stripped away that Lordi don’t have a great deal of good songs and that may be true. Their albums do tend to have a few standout tracks on them surrounded by a lot of filler and tonight the response to most of the songs is fairly placid when compared to the enormous cheers that greet ‘Would You Love A Monsterman’, ‘Devil Is A Loser’, ‘Blood Red Sandman’ and, of course, ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’, but I ask you, when the lead singer is stomping around in a monster costume with giant wings sprouting from his back, does that really matter?

In Flames cancel UK and Irish dates

2009-02-18T17:29:00.003Z

This information has been taken from the In Flames Myspace page:

"We are very sad to announce that the UK & Ireland tour will not happen as planned.
As you already know, Jesper is currently at an alcohol rehabilitation clinic and is taking some time off to get better. Peter is about to become a dad. We obviously knew about Peter becoming a dad and originally planned to have a replacement bassist, but with the recent events surrounding Jesper we simply feel that it is not fair on the fans to see a completely different line up, which in our eyes is not In Flames.
Again, sorry to make any UK & Irish fans disappointed and we hope to make it up to you very soon!
- In Flames
For already purchased tickets please contact your local ticket office/venue."

www.myspace.com/inflames

Cerement

2009-02-16T22:20:00.006Z

This is Cerement.

A three-piece metal band that's spawned from the depths of the hellish domain of Okmulgee Oklahoma.

Goal: To spawn pure, crushing metal that sends all this fake sh** out there into a state of absolute fear. Death to bullsh** metal!

They are also seeking a Bassist, so if there are any talented bassists who are actually devoted to being in an up and coming band, and live around the Okmulgee area, hit em up
www.myspace.com/cerementmetal

They have amazing stage performance, brutal vocals, and epic shreds.
Seriously, if you wanna hear what these Oklahoma boys can come up with, add them. NOW!

www.myspace.com/cerementmetal
www.myspace.com/cerementmetal
www.myspace.com/cerementmetal

An Evening Of Sonic Misery

2009-02-16T00:33:00.007Z

I made the two something hour trip from my home town to Canberra specifically for this event, and left very satisfied. The show was entitled 'An Evening Of Sonic Misery', but to me it was an evening of total awesome! It was also the debut album launch for bands Futility and Ironwood, and they certainly delivered.The turnout could have been a lot better, for a Saturday evening it was rather shameful actually. I had higher hopes for Canberra metal fans. But despite that all the bands played very well.

First band up was Tranquil Deception for their very first live gig. For a trio, two guitarists and a drummer, they had a great sound. Using controlled feedback quite a lot alongside some pretty awesome riffs, they were a great warmer for the evening. I was quite impressed when one of the guitarists used the feedback and a flange, or phase pedals to change it's pitch to what the other guitarist was playing. Looking forward to hearing what these these guys pull off.

Futility were awesome tonight. Their set was a decent length and included songs from the new album, which also includes a Katatonia cover of the song Murder from the Brave Murder Day album. From up the front the sound was awesome, and I caught a decent view of the energy these guys put into their show. Even though I had seen them live before, I still wasn't prepared for the great-ness of this show. Each song was played spot on, and the band wasn't uptight in the sense that whenever they made a mistake they cringed, infact they laughed about it. That was quite refreshing to see. It was worth the trip just for these guys!

The Veil put on an okay set aswell, although there were some aspects of their music that I couldn't handle. Just picky stuff like how some of the vocals weren't to my liking, but other than that they were great. I couldn't really hear the keyboards during the heavier sections which was a shame, but other than that the sound was awesome. They all played well, or so I could tell from where I was getting some much needed rest on the couch.

Ironwood were definitely a highlight of the evening. For an album launch show, this was amazing. They played awesomely all through their set, and what a talented lot they are! The mixture of heavy and clean works so well, even live. They played a few songs I recognised from the self titled EP, some of which feature on the new album titled :Fire:Water:Ash:. Ironwood are certainly by no means, one of those bands that needs to be constantly heavy, fast and aggressive to be good. They do have those moments of aggression, and even when played on stage you can see the emotion in their playing. It's refreshing to see, rather than another band of statues.

Some sections of their music uses external sounds, like rain, birds etc, and this was used live with great precision. I'd notice their rhythm guitarist, Matthew, cuing the sounds with what looked to be a portable audio device. This worked well, since the band had full control over this part of their music. In a live setting the dynamics of the bands sound really stand out, particularly with their song "The Oncoming Storm", where it goes from a soft section straight into fast riffs and solos. This was pulled off flawlessly, like the rest of their set.

One of the highlights for this set for me was 'The Raven Song", which is one if their ballads, but a very powerful one at that. And again, like last time I saw them, during one song Dan (drums) got out of his chair, picked up Matt's guitar and played a bit while Matt sang, and played a quick crescendo on a cymbal. Definitely impressive to see, since most drummer hide behind their kit almost all the time during a set.
I'll definitely make a trip like this again for a gig like this one, although I don't recommend driving home after the show ends aswell. Perhaps a hotel would be a good idea for next time.

Be sure to check out all of the bands mentioned, and give Futility's debut self titled album, and Ironwood's debut :Fire:Water:Ash: albums a listen.

Tranquil Deception: www.myspace.com/tranquildeceptiondrone
The Veil: www.myspace.com/theveilau
Futility: www.myspace.com/futilitycanberra
Ironwood: www.myspace.com/ironwoodband

Photos © Mat Newton 2009

Want to play this year's Bloodstock?!

2009-02-12T15:07:00.003Z

I've just received a message on Myspace that I thought may just interest some of the bands out there who would like a chance to play at this year's Bloodstock Open Air Festival in August!

"Hey All.

Bloodstock Open Air is looking for the best in Metal from the Midlands to play at this years Festival. Bands already confirmed on this years line up include Saxon, Amon Amorth, Candlemass, Satyricon, Apocolyptica, Gwar, The Haunted and many many more.

Heats are being held at The Queens Hall in Nuneaton so if ya think ya metal enough for Bloodstock then contact the following.....but make it quick as slots are goin fast!!

Email: simon@dspromotions.co.uk

Tel: 07973699014

Best Regards

Simon."

Cannibal Corpse "Evisceration Plague" review!

2009-02-10T00:59:00.005Z

For a Death Metal band, a twenty year long career seems almost impossible, but Cannibal Corpse have safely passed across the two decade mark. But how on earth did they do it? With albums like their latest offering, "Evisceration Plague," and a helping hand of gory artwork, violent lyrics and a fair bit of controversy, it's no surprise why they're still here.

By far their most technical recording, "Evisceration Plague" is exactly what you would want from a Cannibal Corpse album. Song after song of their trade mark brutality, and razor sharp speed. Straight in with the blistering "Priests of Sodom", throughout the album, the sheer aggressiveness and intensity never stops. In contrast with the lightning speed, the band have also incorporated more slower tempo sections within their songs, and have even written the doomy, slower paced "A Cauldron of Hate".

This album also shows off some of the band's best performances and song writing skills. Guitarist Pat O'Brien and Rob Barret, delivers catchy, chuggy riffs. Drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz has never sounded so good, and the extraordinarily talented Alex Websters bass playing is still as great as ever, but I do feel that the bass has been drowned out a bit on some songs, due to the low tuned guitars.

The band's love and dedication for their music is obvious. Death Metal can be a limited genre, but Cannibal Corpse have done everything they can do with it, and have taken it to new levels. Is this the greatest Cannibal Corpse album? Tomb of the Mutilated is still their classic album, but "Evisceration Plague" is definitely up there with their best. It's great to see that even after twenty years, Cannibal Corpse can still bring out excellent albums.

A Myspace forum post that got my back up!!!

2009-02-07T14:52:00.006Z

As I was browsing through the metal forums on Myspace, I came across a post that really got my back up! As a fan of metal for over 10 years now, I despise when people misinturrperate the music I love because they've heard one metal band, and from there have closed their minds to the whole genre!

This is the original post:

"Hey, you all.

My name is Clifford Rafferty and I would like your opinions on something.

Is this 'Metal' music actually taken seriously by anyone?

I have listened to some of these 'Metal' tunes, and they all sounded horribly loud and abrasive. The lead singer was simply yelling in a decidedly rage filled tone and I found the whole thing laughable.

I for one enjoy a wide range of musical genres, everything from good old Rock & Roll to Showtunes to Americana, but the idea of listening to a full LP of this 'Metal' junk makes me cringe. My suggestion to any 'Metal' groups who try to make music again in the future is this: Turn down your equipment, lay off the drums and sing properly instead of just shouting. Writing intelligible lyrics would also help.

For example, I imagine the typical 'Metal' lyricist would write something along these lines.

"Help, I am angry
What should I do
I am cursing and yelling
At all of you
I dispose of smiles and create frowns
I really hope you all die
Don't tell me to calm down
I'm not even going to try"

The problem with these sorts of lyrics is that they are not positive. The message expressed is that the young man is confused and desperate for help, and decides to take his anger out on innocent bystanders, causing their moods to be affected by his rage. That is the wrong message to be sending.

Why don't you 'Metal' lyricists write something more positive and uplifting once in a while?

If I was the lead singer and lyricist in a 'Metal' group, I would write happier and much less morbid lyrics, as displayed below.

This is an excerpt from a 'Metal' piece I wrote, as I like to dabble in all genres.

"Life really gets me down sometimes
But gosh, the world is an amazing place
Filled with natural beauty and wonder
We all train for the human race
Anger is not productive
I'm grateful for my happiness
I sing and dance and laugh
I don't complain like activists
Other 'Metal' groups should follow our lead
Stop being angry
For there is no need
To express such rage
You must keep all your positive emotions
In a metaphorical cage
I wish you fellows would stop yelling
I can't understand what you say"

Notice how I present my thoughts in a clear manner and I don't dwell on negatives.

I show that problems can be conquered as long as you want them to be. I don't yell about Satan and killing children or anything lewd.

I'm sure there will be detractors on this forum who will disagree with me, and that's fine. You're allowed to have an opinion as well. Just don't pretend that I'm incorrect because we all know the truth.

Until next time

The People's Lifeline,
Clifford Rafferty."

This sheer ignorance for a genre of music that the writer has clearly no idea about, got me worked up, so I had to respond to this:

"Is metal taken seriously by people? Yes it certainly is, else there wouldn't have been so many replies to this thread.

I think what you are having a problem understanding is that metal is a very large genre of music, with many different subgenres. Some of the lyrics can be "Argh, I hate my mom and dad", that's usually the metal aimed at teenagers (the likes of Slipknot you can tie in here). But there are bands who have more postive messages, perhaps the ones who aren't so mainstream, and don't get the media out there talking about them and scapegoating them into whatever bad things happen to be going on in the world.

Yes you do get the bands who like to go out and burn down churches and sing about how great Satan is, you also get the bands who go to church every Sunday and sing about how great being a Christian is.

You can't really swipe at a genre because you've only heard what the media say about it. You can't taint all metal with the same brush. As I say, it's a very big genre with a lot of different subgenres, not all will appeal to each individual metal fan though. The fans are equally as diverse as the bands are.

Personally, I listen to a whole range of music, from Opeth to Beethoven, Johnny Cash to Frank Sinatra, Black Sabbath to Alphabeat, Terror 2000 to Kelly Clarkson, Little Richard to Andrew Lloyd Webber. I am very open in my musical tastes, but I would prefer to listen to metal if I had the choice.

Lyrics vary from band to band. There is a lot of angst from some bands, there are also some bands who write the funniest lyrics that will have you in stitches. Some bands put a lot of effort into writing about things they have a passion for, for example Rage Against The Machine have a lot of political lyrics which highlight problems that people may not have had any idea about before. Or Deadlock who sing about animal rights, and saving the seals. It's not all hatred in the lyrics!

People can relate to some metal, because there are lyrics that you feel tie in with how you're feeling at a certain point. They don't sugarcoat the lyrics just to make people blind to what's going on around them, they sing from the heart, and if that's singing about despair, then that's their choice. And people will relate to it and take something from it, I know I've personally pulled myself out from a dark place knowing I'm not alone in how I feel.

Yes it can be a therapy. People need something they can feel relates to them. It's also a great way of letting go of your anger without smashing someone's face in for the hell of it. I'd much rather head into a mosh pit and release my anger without injuring anyone, than going down to the local park and beating the sh*t out of someone for no reason.

I heard in the news lately about how different people who listen to different music are related. It said that there isn't a lot of difference between people who listen to metal and people who listen to classical music. Don't believe me? Here is a newspaper artical about the study:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2680987/Heavy-metal-and-c lassical-music-fans-share-personality-traits.html

"Professor Adrian North, of Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University who carried out the study, said he was surprised by the results.

"I was struck by how similar fans of heavy metal and classical music really are," he said.

"Apart from the age differences, they were virtually identical. Both were more creative than other people, both were not terribly outgoing and they were also quite at ease.""

We are not all a bunch of mindless idiots! We listen to metal because it speaks something to us (or perhaps yells something to us) that we can relate to. Plus, it's not all about the lyrics, the music is what appeals to me a lot more. The sheer complicity you hear in how the music is written is mindblowing. The likes of Opeth and Tool who write music in different time signatures, that push the boundries on how music is meant to sound. You can hear the influences from old 70s progressive rock bands, who in-turn were highly influenced by the great classical composers.

Open your eyes, open your ears, and open your mind. We have listened to what you have said, and sure you got the odd "f*ck off", but there are some serious responses from people who HAVE listened to what you said, and HAVE responded. The metal fans are very protective of their tastes, which you must have noticed. So why not take on board what has been said, and respect our views on why we listen to metal, and stop bitching about why you don't like it. That's your choice, and this is ours!"

The original post can be found here:

http://forums.myspace.com/t/4303706.aspx?fuseaction=forums.viewthread

Ironwood, The Veil, Futility - An Evening of Sonic Misery

2009-02-05T23:57:00.004Z

Be sure to get yourselves down to Canberra tomorrow night to witness these awesome bands live! Ironwood and Futility will both be launching an album in this show. From 8pm at The Basement in Belconnen.

www.myspace.com/ironwoodband
www.myspace.com/theveilau
www.myspace.com/futilitycanberra

Jesper Strömblad hits Rehab

2009-02-03T15:10:00.006Z

Jesper Strömblad Guitarist with Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal Titans has entered rehab in relation with alcohol abuse.

Due to this he will miss the South American, Austrailian and Japanese leg of the current touring cycle. Although he should be back to take part in the European leg and Festival dates later in the year.

His replacement during his absence will be Nikas Engelin from the Gothenburg band Engel. He previously helped out with live duties during Jespers absence in 2006.

Statement taken from the IN FLAMES myspace blog.

As some may or may not know, Jesper has struggled for some time with alcoholic abuse, and decided to sit this one out (South America/Australia/Japan) in order to seek help and focus on rehabilitation and all that comes with it.We all talked about it and together with Jesper we chose to ask our longtime friend Niclas Engelin, who helped us before, to complete the tour.We are all sad that it needed to come to this, but health comes first.
Thanx for your understanding.
Jesper, Peter, Anders, Daniel & Björn

I hope you all join me in wishing him all the best with his endeavour to get to grips with his problem.

Your last chance to enter the Metaholic Band Contest!

2009-01-31T20:54:00.002Z

Today, 31st of January, is your FINAL chance to enter YOUR band into this years Metaholic Band Contest! Yes, if you haven't entered by the end of today, you will not get a chance to take part, and you'll have to wait until next year for the next one!

The bands who have entered so far are as follows:

Argentina

Enchained Souls

Australia

Orpheus

Blatherskite

Troldhaugen

KnightQueste

Brazil

Kylen 'Morgue

Estonia

Plagueround

Germany

Shotgun Justice
Buried In Between

Mexico

Imperium

Sweden

Arcosolium

Kill On Sight

United Kingdom

Sanity Falls

Silent Descent

Adust

Beyond Redemption

Sanctum Incendia

Troika

Save The Rebellion

Through Reverence

SubVerSi0N

Lycan's Blood

Vantage Point

Harvest The Sun

United States of America

Stormglass

Disobey

Till Doomsday

Third Gear Pinned

Tattermask

Tyrant Virus

Wednesday Night Church Fight

For more information on how to sign your band up, head to our previous blog on how to enter:

http://metaholicmusic.blogspot.com/2008/11/metaholic-band-contest-2009.html

Don't miss out on a chance to get our readers checking out YOUR band (so they can decide who to vote for to represent which country)! It's free publicity, it's got to be worth it!

Elimination Gigs!

2009-01-31T00:51:00.002Z

Elimination are to do two upcoming gigs:

One in their home town of Ipswich on the 7th March at PJ Mcgintys, and the other being in London on the 13th March at The Rock Attic.

I highly recommend checking this band out for yourself, especially fans of bands such as Gama Bomb and Evile. You can listen to tracks from their "Nightmare Asylum" album on the bands MySpace page.

Mental Interrogation: The Return

2009-01-29T19:13:00.004Z

Last year, I started trying to interview a band every week in the Mental Interrogation. Unfortunately, towards the end of last year, I wasn't getting enough bands interested in taking part, and with other personal issues, I stopped doing these interviews. But I feel that February is the month to relaunch this weekly grilling of bands!

The thing is, I would love us to have some new questions to ask, and I would LOVE if you, the readers of Metaholic Music, would have a think about what you'd like the bands to answer! You can give us as many ideas as you want, and we'll pick out the best ones to ask the bands every week. Just respond in our comments (at the bottom of this, there is a "comments" thing for you to click on).

I would like Metaholic Music to be as much YOUR metal blog as it is ours, and I personally would like to have as much input from our readers as possible!

We have got the first band lined up for the first Interrogation of the year, but if you are interested in taking part, then please send us an email to:

metaholicmusic@live.co.uk

Thanks a lot guys and girls!

EVILE-WARPATH-MUTANT UK TOUR

2009-01-28T13:04:00.003Z

Thrash metallers EVILE are set to do a UK tour in April with support from WARPATH and MUTANT.

15 Birmingham, BarFly
16 Newcastle, Academy 2
17 Manchester Academy 3
18 Dublin IRE, Fibber Magess
19 Cork, An Crusicin Lan
20 Glasgow, BarFly
21 Edinburgh, Studio 24
22 Sheffield, Corporation
23 London, Underworld
24 Hammerfest, Prestatyn
26 Leed, Rios
27 Nottingham, Rock City

Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Presents:

2009-01-27T20:18:00.001Z

CANNIBAL CORPSE with The Faceless, Neuraxis, and Obscura

Thu/Apr-02 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
Fri/Apr-03 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre
Sat/Apr-04 Tulsa, OK The Marquee
Mon/Apr-06 Salt Lake City, UT Club Vegas
Tue/Apr-07 Boise, ID Knitting Factory Concert House
Wed/Apr-08 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory Concert House
Fri/Apr-10 Vancouver, BC Croatian Cultural Center
Sun/Apr-12 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
Mon/Apr-13 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall Ballroom
Tue/Apr-14 Regina, SK Riddell Centre
Wed/Apr-15 Winnipeg, MB The Garrick Centre
Fri/Apr-17 St.
Paul, MN Station 4
Sat/Apr-18 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
Sun/Apr-19 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection
Tue/Apr-21 Montreal, QC The Medley
Wed/Apr-22 Ottawa, ON Babylon
Thu/Apr-23 Quebec City, QC Theatre Imperial
Fri/Apr-24 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
Sat/Apr-25 Richmond, VA Alley Katz
Sun/Apr-26 Jacksonville, NC Hooligan's Music Hall
Mon/Apr-27 Jacksonville, FL Freebird Live

Your last week to register for the Metaholic Band Contest

2009-01-25T00:08:00.004Z

This coming Saturday, 31st of January, is the final day to register your band for the Metaholic Band Contest and represent your country!

Click here for more information on how to register your band!

It's a good way to get extra exposure for your band, a chance to be heard by potential new fans!!! So make sure you register today!

Morbid Angel Australia & New Zealand tour

2009-01-24T12:31:00.005Z

The legendary Morbid Angel have announced their return to Australia and New Zealand after a long 13 year gap! Through late May and early June, they will be playing one NZ show and four unmissable Aussie shows.

Those dates are:

Saturday May 30th - Transmission Room , Auckland
Monday June 1st - Billboards Nightclub, Melbourne
Wednesday June 3rd - Capitol, Perth
Friday June 5th - The Metro, Sydney
Sunday June 7th - The Arena, Brisbane

Tickets on Sale from Monday January 27th!

Submerged In Dirt

2009-01-23T21:50:00.004Z

Oklahoma death metal band Submerged in Dirt recently dropped their bassist and went back to their previous one, Justin, and the band is once again a whole.
The band is still scheduled for recording in Wisconsin, come May.

The guitarist Royce is recovering from a minor surgery a few weeks ago, he had his middle fingertip partially amputated after an accident at work but he's doing well and still playing amazingly.

These guys are killer! You suck if you don't concur.

www.myspace.com/submergedindirtband

The community of heavy metal - where's that then?

2009-01-22T20:28:00.003Z

Those of you who have seen Sam Dunn’s docu-film “Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey” will know he set out to study the music we love as a culture as much as for the art form – as he’s an anthropologist.

Culture would, however, denote a sense of a shared passion and of community, something Mr Dunn focuses on. But there’s a flaw in his reasoning.

You do see this sense of community forming at the big festivals like Download and Bloodstock. These festivals have the infectious spirit of a huge group of like-minded people uniting to have fun and enjoy the music we all love. The fact the world outside the festival’s bubble doesn’t understand? We just don’t care.

Moshers, metalheads, Goths – call us what you like – we’re heavy metal fans and we are proud of it!

So why do we not get this same spirit found at the festivals in the local scene here in the Steel City (Sheffield, UK)?

Something that’s become very apparent is the idea of “true metal” – only metal which falls into this category, usually the most extreme forms of black, death and doom, is considered to be the real thing – everything else is “poser” or “fake”. So apparently, if you can’t growl like Nergal of Behemoth or you don’t have the scream of Mortuus from Marduk, you just aren’t metal?

To me, metal is an art form that has to be reckoned with. In the late 70’s and early 80’s it was actually one of the most popular forms of music, despite the efforts of many in authority in America and elsewhere. Despite a drop in popularity from those dizzying heights, it maintains a vast and loyal fan base who are enduringly passionate for the music. In the words of Rob Zombie – “I’ve never heard “Yeah, I was in to Slayer, one summer!” I’ve never met that guy!”

And whether the metal in question is black, death, power, symphonic, progressive, battle or any other of the prefixes it acquires, on a basic level it has the same elements as all the rest – it’s metal, pure and simple. And metal is a force all of its own.

Heavy Metal is the kind of music that speaks to the outsiders and the loners, the people who never fitted in to the model society had laid out for them for any number of reasons. We all know we are set apart by being fans of metal music – we’re considered society’s outcasts as a whole because we dare to follow the music that doesn’t confirm to the prescribed format, and doesn’t set out to please the masses. Metal is as it is, you take it or you leave it, and if you don’t like the message it gives out, well then, don’t listen. And that is the attitude of a united front.

So why are we splitting ourselves up even further into silly factions of what’s “true” and what isn’t? Surely all the music which falls under the bracket of “metal”, like it or not, is speaking on the same level?

What a lot of people don’t accept is that metal, by its nature as a type of music, is also an art form. Art and music both have to change, they have to grow and evolve with time. Those that don’t frankly just don’t last long. Moving with the times can sometimes mean commercial success on a given level. But wait! That’s not metal, that’s selling out!

I hate to break this to the True Metal Elitists out there, but if metal didn’t have any viable commercial success at all, there would be no albums, no metal club nights, no live gigs and definitely no festivals. And what, pray tell, would be the point of that? Yes, the message would still be there loud and clear – but a message is there to be shouted from the rooftops and heard by anyone who will listen, not to be hidden away to die unheard?

If heavy metal had no commercial success at all, if it had died on its feet back in the days of the mighty Black Sabbath, then think of what we would be missing from our lives, and think of the unspoken numbers of people that metal reached out to and helped, who wouldn’t ever have received that comfort because there was no success and therefore, frankly, no music. For example, what’s wrong with a Grammy for Best Metal Performance? The bands we love are artists at the end of the day, and they deserve some kind of recognition by the masses for their dedication and brilliance.

Put in that context, is commercial viability really so “not metal?”

All these silly things are splitting the metal fan base apart for no good reason – society by its very nature would do that job quite happily for us, so why are we doing it for them?

If we’re a community of outcasts, as Mr Dunn suggests in his film, isn’t it about time we banded together again and acted like a one?

The Berzerker Aussie Tour

2009-01-13T11:38:00.005Z

Tasmanian industrial brutality, otherwise known as The Berzerker, have now are set to embark on an all new Australian/New Zealand tour. The band will be taking The Amenta along with them for the ride, and also having local supports at each show.
More information can be found at www.myspace.com/theberzerker or in the flier below.

Metaholic End of year Poll

2009-01-13T00:36:00.002Z

Greetings metalheads! It's been a short while, but now that we have left 2008 in it's wake and are heading for a whole new year of metal, it's time for our first ever Metaholic End of year Poll. We're asking you, the fans, to tell us what you thought were the best and worst of 2008.
To do just that, simply send in your reply to metaholic.mat@gmail.com by Feb 15th and the results will be put together, and posted shortly after.

So here are all the appropriate bests and worsts of Metal in 2008. Time for you to have your say.

Best Album
Worst Album
Best Live Act
Worst Live Act
Best Guitarist
Best Drummer
Best Bassist
Best Vocalist
Worst Vocalist
Best New Band
Worst New Band
Best Festival
Best Album Art
Worst Album Art
Most looking forward to in 2009

Send your answers to me at metaholic.mat@gmail.com by Feb 15th. And please, tell your friends to take part aswell. But remember, there's only one submission per email address.

Stay brutal!

SOULFLY ANNOUNCE TOUR EP

2009-01-10T11:09:00.004Z

SOULFLY are to release a digital EP to coincide with their February tour. The ‘Blood Fire War Hate’ tour EP will hit stores on 9th February 2009 and will feature the following tracks, which were all recorded live in Poland in 2005:

1. Blood Fire War Hate (Album version)
2. Prophecy (live)
3. Downstroy (live)
4. The Frontlines (live)
5. Living Sacrifice (live)
6. Mars (live)

This will Cooincide with the upcoming tour.

Jan. 28, 2009 - Stuttgart, Germany @ LKA
Jan. 29, 2009 - Cologne, Germany @ Live Music Hall
Jan. 30, 2009 - Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Effenar
Jan. 31, 2009 - Lille, France @ Splendid
Feb. 1, 2009 - Portsmouth, UK @ Pyramid Centre
Feb. 2, 2009 - Oxford, UK @ Zodiac at Academy
Feb. 3, 2009 - Bristol, UK @ Academy
Feb. 4, 2009 - Dublin, Ireland @ Academy
Feb. 5, 2009 - Belfast, Ireland @ Spring & Airbrake
Feb. 6, 2009 - Glasgow, Scotland @ ABC
Feb. 7, 2009 - Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
Feb. 8, 2009 - Leeds, UK @ The Cockpit
Feb. 9, 2009 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
Feb. 10, 2009 - Wolverhamton, UK @ Wulfren Hall
Feb. 11, 2009 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Feb. 12, 2009 - Paris, France @ Bataclan
Feb. 13, 2009 - Cler. Ferrand, France @ Coop. de Mai
Feb. 14, 2009 - Bilbao, Spain @ Kafe Antzokia
Feb. 15, 2009 - Madrid, Spain @ Sala Heineken
Feb. 16, 2009 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Coliseum
Feb. 17, 2009 - Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Apolo
Feb. 18, 2009 - Toulouse, France @ Bikini
Feb. 19, 2009 - Fribourg, Switzerland @ Fri-Son
Feb. 20, 2009 - Zurich, Switzerland @ Xtra
Feb. 21, 2009 - Milan, Italy @ Rolling Stone
Feb. 22, 2009 - Rome, Italy @ Alpheus
Feb. 23, 2009 - Treviso, Italy @ New Age
Feb. 24, 2009 - Graz, Austria @ Orpheum
Feb. 25, 2009 - Saarbrucken, Germany @ Garage
Feb. 26, 2009 - Salzburg, Austria @ Rockhouse
Feb. 27, 2009 - Linz, Austria @ Posthof
Feb. 28, 2009 - Worgl, Austria @ Komma
Mar. 1, 2009 - Vienna, Austria @ Gasometer
Mar. 2, 2009 - Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof
Mar. 3, 2009 - Wuerzburg, Germany @ Soundpark Ost.
Mar. 4, 2009 - Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys
Mar. 5, 2009 - Chemnitz, Germany @ Sudbahnhof
Mar. 6, 2009 - Czech Republic @ Metalmania Festival
Mar. 7, 2009 - Poland @ Metalmania Festival
Mar. 9, 2009 - Budapest, Hungary @ Diesel Park
Mar. 10, 2009 - Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Media Par
Mar. 11, 2009 - Zagreb, Croatia @ Tvonica Club
Mar. 12, 2009 - Belgrade, Serbia @ SKC
Mar. 13, 2009 - Athens, Greece @ Gagarin
Mar. 14, 2009 - Thessaloniki, Greece @ Milos Apothiki Stage
Mar. 15, 2009 - Sofia, Bulgaria @ Universiada Hall
Mar. 16, 2009 - Bucharest, Romania @ Sala Polivalenta
Mar. 17, 2009 - Kiev, Ukraine @ Club Bingo
Mar. 18, 2009 - Vilnius, Lithuania @ Forum Palace Galaxy
Mar. 19, 2009 - Riga, Latvia @ Dream Factory
Mar. 20, 2009 - Tallin, Estonia @ Rock Cafe
Mar. 21, 2009 - Helsinki, Finland @ Nosturi
Mar. 23, 2009 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Tyrol
Mar. 24, 2009 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Tradgarn
Mar. 25, 2009 - Oslo, Norway @ Rockefeller
Mar. 26, 2009 - Malmo, Sweden @ KB
Mar. 27, 2009 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Rock

Support for these dates comes from Phoenix, AZ based outfit, Incite, who are fronted by Max’s stepson, Ritchie Cavalera!

Check out www.soulfly.com for further touring and release information.

Graspop Metal Meeting first bands announced

2009-01-06T08:30:00.004Z

The names of the first 25 acts to play in Dessell, Belgium this year have been announced on the festivals official website.

Heaven & Hell, Disturbed, Volbeat, Papa Roach, Blind Guardian, Anthrax, Trivium, Sacred Reich, W.A.S.P., Devil Driver, Epica, Legion Of The Damned, Parkway Drive, God Forbid, Kataklysm, Firewind, Laaz Rockit', Keep Of Kalessin, Scar Symmetry, Samael, Dagoba, Negura Bunget, Taake, Eths and olves In The Throne Room

Note that none of these bands are headliners. So we should be in for another good one this year.

The festival will take place between June 26th and 28th, 2009.

gODGRINDER's Best Metal Albums of 2008

2009-01-01T00:03:00.004Z

Let's face it: 2008 has probably been one of the crappiest years in recent memory for, well, everyone. Unless you're a metalhead; then this year was fan-freakin-tastic. Here is a list of my top picks for 2008 in alphabetical order:

Aborted – Strychnine.213

Released a little more than a year after “Slaughter and Apparatus,” this album sees the Belgian bruisers dishing out another infectious and groovy slab of gore-grind debauchery. Two albums in less than two years, a seemingly endless touring schedule, and their own TV channel on the web make Aborted one of the hardest-working bands in modern metal.

Abysmal Dawn - Programmed to Consume

This album is a high-energy affair which strikes a refreshing balance between modern technicality and old-school crunch. Not a reinvention of the wheel by any stretch of the imagination, but they have the chops to hold their own with any of the more prolific acts out there. Plus, the fact that they opened for Emperor helps their street cred just a touch.

All Shall Perish – Awaken the Dreamers

2008’s follow up to “The Price of Existence” finds the boys in ASP sharpening their claws with an melodic, yet incisive deathcore opus. While they might have pulled back the throttle a bit, the album still has teeth as Eddie Hermida belts forth venomous diatribes against the government and corporations. The source material isn’t original in the least, but its execution is nearly flawless.

Arsis – We Are the Nightmare

The word “technical” gets thrown out a lot in death metal circles, yet bands whose proficiency barely extends beyond sweep picking get lumped in with truly extraordinary guitarists like Arsis’ James Malone. Make no mistake; this is technical (yet melodic) metal at its cleanest and most brilliant. All non-believers are instructed to catch Arsis live and then report back.

Bleeding Through – Declaration

“Declaration” represents the culmination of a musical evolution which saw Bleeding Through shift from a throwaway metalcore act to a more credible, symphonic black metal direction. This album is their best yet, and one of the few out there today where haunting keyboards add to the proceedings instead of detracting from them (Here’s looking at you, Winds of Plague). This is a GREAT album.

Burning Skies – Greed.Filth.Abuse.Corruption

This album stands out as one of the fastest, most chaotic slabs of aural aggression to be released this year. Is it the most technical or even the most original sound? Not by a long shot. But one must admire the balls-to-the-wall manner in which the proceedings are carried out. This is an exhausting, but satisfying listening experience.

Daylight Dies – Lost to the Living

Doom metal seems to be making something of a comeback, and Daylight Dies are leading the charge. “Lost to the Living” is a powerful, dense, and melodic effort. Few bands can plumb the darkest corners of human emotion as adeptly as these gentlemen, and present a work which is truly introspective and avoids the cliché of hopeless whining (My Dying Bride comes to mind) that often permeates this genre.

The Faceless – Planetary Duality

The Faceless’ sophomore effort is a jaw-dropping display of technical might, with a rhythm section and lead guitarist who both play as if possessed by some otherworldly force. True to what has become the “Sumerian Sound,” every instrument comes through clean as a whistle, allowing the listener to absorb every nuance of every perfectly-played note. No studio tricks, no distortion, and no effects to cover up any blemishes in the playing; these guys lay it all out there to show the world just how f**king good they really are.

Heaven Shall Burn – Iconoclast

If one can make a single statement about Heaven Shall Burn, it is that they sure know how to open an album. Just like 2004’s “Antigone,” “Iconoclast” opens with “Awoken,” a soft, sorrowful string arrangement which simultaneously lulls and builds tension in the listener just before “Endzeit” bludgeons us upside the head. The album doesn’t let up the entire way and serves as a prime example of how to do melodic DM right. If this album doesn’t get your heart racing, you’re probably dead.

Hollow Corp – Cloister of Radiance

The progressive-post-hardcore crowd had a good year in 2008 with solid releases from bands like Gojira and Mouth of the Architect. However, “Cloister of Radiance” is arguably the most solid of them all. When bands make music this good, it makes life as a metalhead worth living.

Ishahn – Angl

The sophomore solo effort from the former Emperor frontman is just as varied, but more accessible, than 2006’s “The Adversary.” This album is a dark, harsh progressive black metal beast which proves to the world that, despite Emperor’s infamy and notoriety across the globe, Isahn’s music career has not even peaked yet. In fact, he’s probably well into his stride and there’s very little stopping him from making the shift from cult metal hero to out-and-out icon.

Illdisposed – The Prestige

Many a music snob would cry foul at this album’s inclusion on this list. Largely overlooked by the music press and fans at large, it is one of those rare gems that snuck in under the radar. Is the music the most technical or original? Not by a long shot. But somehow everything on this CD came together really well. Catchy guitar hooks, memorable melody lines, and awesome drumming make this one stand up to repeated listenings. In other words, it f’ing ROCKS.

Kataklysm – Prevail

Let’s get something out of the way now: “Serenity in Fire” sucked. Nearly all hope for this band was lost until they came back with 2006’s “In the Arms of Devastation,” which turned out to be one of the strongest and most satisfying releases of that year. “Prevail” continues that tradition with a solid batch of aggressive death metal completely devoid of pretense. They came to destroy and take no prisoners and that’s exactly what they did. Here’s hoping they can keep up this momentum because if they can, they will certainly become one of the more prolific metal acts in the world.

Meshuggah – ObZen

One of the more anticipated albums of the year, “ObZen” sees Meshuggah returning to “form” (I use the term loosely) after 2005’s experimental (and somewhat disappointing) “Catch Thirty Three.” The entire band plays more than competently on the CD, but the real highlight is Thomas Haake’s drumming. How he managed to lay down the rhythm patterns he did, especially on the album’s strongest track “Bleed,” is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Misery Index – Traitors

In 2008, life for people all over the globe all but went to hell as the result of corporate greed and governmental corruption, and Misery Index have provided the soundtrack to the entire debacle. This album sees the group at their most pissed off as they level scathing indictments at the people who have benefited the most from the world’s misery. It will be interesting to see how many bank burnings get attributed to this disc.

Misery Signals – Controller

This album is nearly perfectly executed. Lush acoustic soundscapes interspersed with harsh metalcore dirges and heart-wrenching lyrics. The emotional and sonic depth of this album cannot be overstated. It is not only one of the best metal albums of 2008, but possibly of the last decade.

Plague Bringer – Life Songs in a Land of Death

This genre-defying effort comes to us courtesy of two very pissed off men and a drum machine. While the rawer nature of the disc has many music critics quick to slot Plague Bringer into the “grindcore” canon, the compositions on this album are too long and too epic to draw an accurate similarity with acts like Pig Destroyer or Agoraphobic Nosebleed. It is “machine metal” to be sure, but is so innovative that it escapes comparison with anything out there today.

Psycroptic – Ob (Servant)

Hailing from Australia, Psycroptic popped up on the radar with Willowtip’s 2007 re-issue of their “Symbols of Failure” album, which apparently also caught Nuclear Blast’s attention. “Ob (Servant)” is just as strong as “Symbols,” with a vocal and guitar attack which wouldn’t sound out of place on any of Decapitated’s better efforts. Are they a Decapitated copycat? Not in the least. But with Decapitated’s uncertain future, Psycroptic are well-suited to take up their mantle if called to it.

The Rotted – Get Dead or Die Trying

From the ashes of the UK’s Gorerotted comes an album with the same kind of tongue-in-cheek humor as their previous efforts but with much stronger songwriting. This album’s strength lies in its catchiness first and sonic intensity second.

Scar Symmetry – Holographic Universe

This album strikes the ideal balance between melodic death metal and power-prog, with crunching guitars and guttural growls paired beautifully with verdant synthscapes and soaring clean vocals. The energy of this album is undeniable and it will be interesting to see where their career takes them with the departure of the original vocalist and introduction of two new vocalists. One of the best this year by far.

So there you have it. While 2008 has been an awesome year for metal, pending releases from Deadlock, Antigama, Satryricon and more promise to make 2009 even better.

Deicide Australian Tour April 2009

2008-12-23T00:19:00.002Z

After issues with promoters earlier this year, and a canceled Australian tour for 2008, Florida-based death metal veterans DEICIDE have scheduled the following dates in Australia and New Zealand for 2009!

April 04 - Transmission Room - Auckland, NZ
April 05 - QUT Guild Bar - Brisbane, AUS
April 06 - The Corner Hotel - Melbourne, AUS
April 07 - The Manning Bar - Sydney, AUS
April 08 - Capitol - Perth, AUS

Make sure you get out to one of the following shows!

Live Review - Slipknot at Sheffield Arena - 12/12/08

2008-12-17T12:26:00.003Z

Children of Bodom:

With an unfortunately limited 35-minute set tonight, we’re only treated to small fraction of the Children of Bodom live experience which is a shame because their mix of thrash, power and extreme metal is pretty unparalleled in the music world at the moment. Alexi Laiho and co. are particularly unique and songs like ‘Angel’s Don’t Kill’ and ‘Hate Crew Deathroll’ are certified head-bangers and although they have their work cut out getting a crowd moving at 7pm, for the most part, they manage just fine. The only minor gripe however is Alexi’s frontman skills. Hopefully, he will eventually drop the excessive use of the f-word as it begins to lose its intended effect when used 10 times in one sentence.

Setlist:

Hellhounds On My Trail

In Your Face

Blooddrunk

Angels Don’t Kill

Hate Me

Hate Crew Deathroll

Downfall

Machine Head:

Once the houselights descend for the second time tonight, a deafening chant of ‘Machine F-In Head’ roars through the arena and the band open with ‘Clenching The Fist Of Dissent’ from last year’s much hailed ‘The Blackening’. While the album was no doubt Machine Head’s finest hour to date musically, live the songs tend to drag on a little too long for those of us who became used to Machine Head rocking us with anthems like ‘Take My Scars’, ‘Ten Ton Hammer’, ‘From This Day’ and ‘Blood, Sweat, Tears’. Sadly, songs such as these are dropped tonight in favour of the newer material that allow Rob Flynn and co. to show off their instrumental wizadry, despite the fact that since the album came out, the set has been pretty much the same. With fifteen minutes more allotted to Machine Head than Children Of Bodom, they still only manage to fit in the same amount of songs which gives you an idea of how long some of these behemoths drag on for. And in much the same vein as Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho, Robb Flynn really is too old to be using the f-word quite so excessively as, just like with Alexi, it becomes devoid of any intended effect (oh and Robb, you like circle pits, we get it). With only around 50 minutes allotted to them at last year’s Download Festival, the Black Crusade tour, this tour and no doubt the same amount of time in February when they return to support Metallica, there’s something unappealing about having to sit through the same setlist, again, for the fourth time in two years. Don’t get me wrong, Machine Head never put on a bad show and they certainly have more about them than 99% of what passes for metal these days, and I can imagine that those seeing Machine Head for the first time tonight would not have left disappointed but I hope they soon take their own advice and “bite the bullet” by playing full shows in smaller venues. Unfortunately, Machine Head’s set had to be cut short by one song tonight as guitarist Phil Demmel collapsed during ‘Halo’ and had to be carried off stage by his bandmates – thankfully, the crowd was later informed by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor that Demmel was ok and would be fine.
Setlist:

Clenching The Fist Of Dissent

Imperium

Beautiful Morning

Aesthetics Of Hate

Old

Halo

Slipknot:

Unlike Machine Head, the headliners tonight never had to worry about treating us to a familiar setlist, or about an over-saturated presence in the UK in the last few years as the anticipation of the crowd tonight is at fever pitch. Slipknot have not played on these shores since the 2005 Download Festival and their cancelled appearances at Reading and Leeds this year only served to heighten the anticipation of tonight’s crowd. The band start as they mean to go on, opening with ‘Surfacing’ which tonight comes across a statement of intent – that Slipknot are back to claim their throne and lay all the young pretenders to waste. Frontman Corey Taylor confesses that the band are tired after such a long tour which can only mean that tonight’s furious performance is the result of a band running on adrenaline because you seriously can’t tell, with everyone in the band giving their all to a crowd that have been waiting far too long for their heroes to return.

Despite sporting a new mask that makes him look slightly like the Hitcher from the Mighty Boosh, Taylor is attired not in a boiler suit but in a Slipknot jacket, jeans and converse trainers – this is not the Slipknot of old and the band know that re-invention is the key to a successful career and the contrast in their musical extremes is evident in what can only be described as a surprising setlist. Instead of ‘Wait and Bleed’ and ‘Left Behind’, we are treated to oldies that some (the band including) may have thought were buried forever such as ‘Prosthetics’ and a ferocious run-through of ‘Get This’. But there are still plenty of anthems to get the crowd jumping and tracks like ‘Before I Forget’, ‘Duality’ and ‘The Heretic Anthem’ nearly take the roof off the place, not to mention the ever popular JTFU moment in ‘Spit It Out’ and dance-floor friendly number ‘Psychosocial’ both of which make the crowd go truly mental. And if anyone ever doubted Slipknot’s heaviness, they encore not with the songs most people expect, but with the brutal ‘People = Shit’ and ‘(sic)’, the latter complete with a revolving, almost upside-down drum solo from Joey Jordison that would make Tommy Lee wet his pants.

Slipknot will always have their naysayers that dismiss them for the masks, or their popularity, or for the fact that Corey occasionally likes to broaden the band’s musical horizons by actually singing, but tonight, naysayers be damned. Just witness Mick Thompson’s piercing solos, Joey Jordison’s blistering drumbeats or Corey Taylor’s call-to-arms style of whipping up a crowd and tell me this isn’t metal. In fact, never mind that, there are times when Slipknot are more of an extreme metal band than any of the one-dimensional Terrorizor crowd you care to name. But they’re popular, loved by kids and adults alike and are playing in an arena with pyrotechnics so of course that will never be metal to some. To the rest of us that don’t live by some self-imposed imaginary rulebook, Slipknot are one of the best live acts around and to miss them when they’re sure to come back next year would be to miss out.
Setlist:

Surfacing

The Blister Exists

Get This

Before I Forget

Liberate

Disasterpiece

Dead Memories

Psychosocial

The Heretic Anthem

Prosthetics

Spit It Out

Duality

Only One

Encore:

People=Shit

(Sic)

Live Review - The Wildhearts at Manchester Academy 2 - 7/12/08

2008-12-17T12:21:00.002Z

Tragedy

There are some things you never think you’re going to see. And I bet that a glam-metal, Bee-Gees tribute band is probably on most people’s list. However, assumptions be damned because this is exactly the band that is chosen to open for The Wildhearts on this UK tour and Tragedy are the perfect example of Ginger’s quirky sense of humour. Put their awesomely titled debut ‘We Rock Sweet Balls And Can Do No Wrong’ onto your iTunes and you’ll see that the songs are categorised as ‘unclassifiable’ which is probably the best description one could give a band like this. On paper, this shouldn’t work but with a little suspension of disbelief, it’s impossible not to come away from Tragedy’s performance without a huge grin on your face. While it’s certainly doubtful that this current gimmick will lend itself to a long-term career, Tragedy are funny as hell and they put a much-needed smile on everyone’s face and that’s perfectly fine for now.

The Wildhearts

Fresh from playing their fantastic debut album ‘Earth VS…’ in its entirety at a special 15th anniversary show in London (why wasn’t the show up north?), The Wildhearts seem like a band reborn tonight. From the moment they hit the stage and burst into ‘Vanilla Radio’, the entire place is jumping to one feel-good, pop-rock anthem after another as the best British band to emerge in the last 15 years rips it up old-school style. The show has a real stripped-down feel to it – gone is the sparkly, fairy-light backdrop that accompanied their show in this very same venue almost one year ago and what we’re left with tonight is four guys playing some damn fine rock n roll that the guys can bang their heads to and that the girls can shake their asses to – what more could you want? (Apart from sequin costumes and glam-metal Bee-Gees covers of course).

Although airing just one track from their recent covers album ‘Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before’, it’s a special occasion as Ian McNabb comes on to provide guest vocals on ‘Understanding Jane’ and it becomes obvious why Ginger calls it ‘one his favourite songs of all time’ as it could easily have been written by the man himself – the sort of great, self-deprecating story about the mysterious wonders of the fairer sex that Ginger often does so well. After that we’re hit with several of the more short, sharp and fast Wildhearts songs such as ‘Suckerpunch’, ‘Caffeine Bomb’, the brilliant ‘My Baby Is A Headfuck’ and the rarely heard gem ‘Red Light/Green Light’ (preceded by a hilarious rendition of ‘Lonely This Xmas’ by Ginger). All of these go down a storm of course but it’s the seemingly extra amount of intensity that these songs (and indeed the whole set to be honest) are played with that really grabs your attention – there’s no hint of routine here, Ginger’s off-the-cuff humour is as entertaining as ever and the band seem to be enjoying it so much that its impossible to tell which night of the tour this actually is as they give nothing but 100% for the whole 90 minutes.

It seems like after their triumphant set at the Download Festival and their life-affirming 15th anniversary show in London that The Wildhearts have found a new lease of life and after a short break, the band return to the stage to play other seldom-heard greats such as ‘Caprice’ alongside fan-favourites like ‘Top Of The World’ and of course the rousing set-closer ‘I Wanna Go…’. But it’s after the unprompted mass sing-along that accompanies ‘Geordie In Wonderland’ that Ginger sums it up best by declaring that he wouldn’t want to be in any other band because he wouldn’t want any other audience. The crowd certainly let him know that the feeling is more than mutual and while The Wildhearts may never get the props they really deserve, it doesn’t matter because neither the band nor the fans care when the shows are this good.

Setlist:

Vanilla Radio

Someone That Won’t Let Me Go

Everlone

Understanding Jane (feat. Ian McNabb)

The Revolution Will Be Televised

Suckerpunch

Sick Of Drugs

Caffeine Bomb

My Baby Is A Headfuck

Lonely This Xmas/Red Light, Green Light

Encore1:

Geordie In Wonderland

Nothing Ever Changes

Top Of The World

Caprice

Rooting For The Bad Guy

Gettin’ It

Encore2:

I Wanna Go Where The People Go.

Satyricon Australian Tour 2009

2008-12-16T22:44:00.004Z

Norway's Satyricon officially announce their triumphant return to Australia in March 2009! With one of the most infamous and beguiling shows on offer, these shows will sell fast. Don't miss your chance to see Norway's most notorious metal export.

Catch Satyricon at one of these venues in March.
Friday 20th - The Arena, Brisbane www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849 & www.oztix.com

Saturday 21st - Manning Bar, Sydney www.ticketek.com.au or ph 132 849 www.moshtix.com.au & www.custommade.com.au

Sunday 22nd - Billboard The Venue, Melbourne www.ticketek.com.au or ph 132 849 or www.moshtix.com.au and www.billboardthevenue.com.au

Monday 24th - The Capitol, Perth www.heatseeker.com.au & www.moshtix.com.au or Mills, Star Surf

Phil Demmel Collapses onstage & MH cancel next 2 dates

2008-12-14T16:18:00.006Z

Phil Demmel, Guitarist with Machine Head collapsed onstage during the end of the bands set in Sheffield. This news was posted on the bands official site on the same day.

Phil Demmel did indeed collapse onstage during Machine Head's second-to-last song Friday night in Sheffield, England. Says singer Robb Flynn, "He's doing much better now and taking it easy. As Phil has mentioned before, the doctors say he suffers from episodes of Cardiogenic Syncope and has for the last 17 years or so. We're all a little worried here in our camp, but Phil genuinely wants to carry on. It is a bit unclear to us as to why these keep happening, but at Phil's request, we will finish out all these dates through to Metallica in L.A.". Machine Head wish to extend our gratitude to the good people of Sheffield for their support and for being so understanding at the end of our show. Machine Head are still set to perform with Demmel at the last 2 remaining
stops in Antwerp and Luxembourg.

This is the second onstage incident in the past year that has caused worry within the Machine Head Camp. Causing the band to cancel the next 2 shows of the tour. Adam Duce, Machine Head Bassist, has posted the following on the bands official site:

After considering the seriousness of Phil's health condition, we all feel that skipping these last two shows is the best thing to do. It's a bummer to end this tour like this after doing 9 amazing weeks and 3 continents with Slipknot, but getting Phil back to the States to get checked out is the most important thing right now. Our sincerest thanks to Slipknot and Children of Bodom for their support and understanding, we understand that it's a big disappointment to the fans, and Phil is very sorry about it, but we all feel that his health and safety is most important at this time.

For more info and updates visit: Machinehead1.com

Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil Down Under Australian tour

2008-12-11T05:41:00.002Z

Just Say rock release:
Just Say Rock Productions, together with Roadrunner Records Australia, proudly presents Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil Down Under Australian tour – in May 2009.

Conspicuously missing from our shores since 2000’s Midian tour, the highly successful extreme metal innovators from Suffolk, England will deliver their full theatrical rock show to Australian audiences who have been kept waiting in the depths of murky darkness for ‘ages’.

Touring on the back of their highly successful 8th album, Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder (through Roadrunner), Cradle of Filth’s lavish musical arrangements and uncompromising persona are equally matched by a thrilling and dramatic live show.

A limited number of exclusive advance tickets are now on sale and available through www.justsayrock.com.au but dare we say, get in early because this is a tour that will unquestionably sell out!!!

Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil Down Under Australian tour. It’s one date with the devil that you don’t want to miss. You’ll be damned if you do…and if you don’t.

Australian Tour Dates 2009

PERTH
Friday 22 May – Metro City
146 Roe Street, Northbridge - 08 9228 0500

ADELAIDE
Sunday 24 May - Thebarton Theatre
112 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville - 08 8443 5255

MELBOURNE
Tuesday 26 May –Palace Theatre
20 Bourke St, Melbourne – 03 9650 0180

SYDNEY
Thursday 28 May – The Metro
624 George Street, Sydney - (02) 9287 2000

BRISBANE
Sunday 31 May – The Arena
210 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley - 07 3252 5690

Australian Summer Slaughter Tour

2008-12-09T23:40:00.004Z

Necrophagist, Dying Fetus and Aborted will be touring Australia in March 2009 for a Summer Slaughter Tour thanks to Soundworks Touring. Also joining them for national support slots are Melbourne’s The Red Shore and The Faceless. Tickets are already on sale.

March 13 - The Manning Bar, Sydney
March 14 - The Red Room, Brisbane
March 15 - Fowlers Live, Adelaide
March 16 - Club Capitol, Perth (18+)
March 17 - The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (18+)

Whitechapel Australian tour

2008-12-09T23:32:00.003Z

Formed in February 2006 Whitechapel seamlessly meld death metal, grind, and hardcore to create a blistering brand of modern death metal that leaves fans no other choice but to throw themselves into an uncontrollable frenzy.
Whitechapel stands out in today's overcrowded metal scene due in part to their ability to fuse memorable and even groovy riffs with crushing breakdowns, tremolo picking at neck breaking speeds, and incredibly evil and dissonant sounds. Their songs demand repeated listens and gang vocals at shows are common place. Metal Maniacs even took note of the band's unique approach to metal guitars and their incredible work ethic. "A noted characteristic is Whitechapel's three guitar assault; without a doubt an impressive apocalyptic sound. Propelled by the band's DIY ethics, Whitechapel is a driving force that will continue to grow through hard work and determination."
This is a band that is true to their music and honest in their delivery. They refuse to be ignored and will continue to bring their crushing metal to show after show until metal heads worldwide have experienced the manic intensity that is Whitechapel! The bands Metal Blade Records debut This is Exile is out now.

Whitechapel smash Australia for the first time with an amazing 13 shows covering all the major cities & many regional areas. With most shows catering for the all ages market, there is no reason for any metal fan in this country to miss out on the aurally assaulting experience that Whitechapel deliver.

Bring in the new year with a real bang & witness the new force of modern death!

January 6 - Brisbane - Guild Bar
January 7 - Gold Coast - Logan Ent. Centre
January 8 - Sydney - Manning Bar
January 9 - Wagga Wagga - The Basement
January 10 - Canberra - The Basement
January 11 - Geelong - The National Hotel
January 12 - Ballarat - The Bended Elbow
January 13 - Melbourne - The Corner Hotel (early show)
January 13 - Melbourne - The Corner Hotel
January 14 - Mt. Gambier - The Old Jail
January 15 - Adelaide - Fowlers Live
January 16 - Perth - Amplifier Bar
January 17 - Perth - YMCA HQ Skatepark

Supported by Psycroptic and Dyscord Nationally, with extra local supports at each show.

Amon Amarth confirmed for BOA 2009!

2008-12-08T18:40:00.002Z

Swedish viking/death metallers Amon Amarth have been confirmed for Bloodstock Open Air, set to take place on 14-16th August 2009 at Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK. The line-up is now shaping up as follows:

Friday 14th August:

Amon Amarth

Katatonia
Sabaton

Saturday 15th August:
Candlemass

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter

Satyricon

Turisas

Wintersun

Sunday 16th August:

Saxon

The Haunted

Live Review - Korpiklaani at Leeds Rio's 5/12/08

2008-12-08T18:37:00.001Z

It takes a certain kind of band to play at the same venue three times in the space of one year and still draw a packed crowd – and Korpiklaani are one such band. They never fail to disappoint and are one of, if not the, most entertaining bands on the live circuit right now. After 3 support bands, Korpiklaani don’t actually take the stage until gone 10.30pm and the crowd have been in the venue drinking since 7pm (some clearly for longer than that) so everyone is clearly in the mood for some folk-metal jigging and from the opening notes of ‘Wooden Pints’ the floor doesn’t stop moving all the way through the set. Not many bands can get a crowd dancing and moving like Korpiklaani – their anthems to beer, forests and a pagan culture long-shared between the UK and the Scandinavians (but sadly long forgotten here in Britain) just force you to wave your limbs around and dance like a fool without a care in the world, and in such unstable times, there’s something incredibly appealing about that.
Nobody comes to a Korpiklaani show to stand still and hear songs that make you ponder all of life’s worries, if you do, then you’re at the wrong gig. No, everyone hear is in the mood for a good time and Korpiklaani deliver, as they always do, with their accordion and fiddle-tinged brand of folk-metal that is currently at an unprecedented height of popularity, particularly in the UK. The aforementioned ‘Wooden Pints’, along with good-time anthems like ‘Journey Man’, ‘Let’s Drink’ and ‘Happy Little Boozer’ bring the house down, but it’s a rousing finale of ‘Beer Beer’, complete with a stage invasion from the other bands on the bill (courtesy of the fact that it’s the last night of the tour) that really epitomises what Korpiklaani are all about – drinking, dancing and having fun. And to those who would sneer at Korpiklaani and the rest of the seemingly never ending collection of folk/battle/power metal bands emerging in the last few years as being ‘cheesy’ or ‘gimmicky’ miss the point entirely. Yes, Korpiklaani are probably the best of the bunch and many others (including tonight’s support acts) have a long way to go to catch them but what all of these bands epitomise is a simpler time, and one that, by the looks of it, was a whole lot more fun than what the 21st century has offered us so far and they’re contributions to bringing the happy element back to metal shows should be applauded and not casually overlooked. Thanks to bands like Korpiklaani, it’s now ok to have fun at metal gigs again and what can be wrong about that? After tonight, you can keep your ‘original’ or ‘technical’ bands because, for £15, many of us want to drink and dance to some actual songs and there’s no better soundtrack than Korpiklaani. Forget all the depressing ‘credit crunch’ rubbish and go see Korpiklaani and put a smile back on your face again – go on, you know you’ve wanted to for ages and remember, it’s now perfectly OK!

Live Review - Clutch at Leeds Cockpit 4/12/08

2008-12-08T18:34:00.002Z

Gentleman’s Pistols
The support tonight comes from local lads Gentleman’s Pistols who live (literally) round the corner from the venue. It doesn’t take long to see why these guys are loved by record-label guru and Cathedral frontman Lee Dorrian as their mixture of stoner-rock groove and 70’s rock a la Free goes down an absolute treat tonight. Tracks like ‘Lady’ and ‘Widowmaker’ have the sort of bottom-end groove that would give the headliners tonight a run for their money. Album no. 2 is eagerly awaited, lads.

Clutch
Well, Gentleman’s Pistols would’ve given the headliners a run for their money if Clutch weren’t one of the best live bands around today (and for the last several years). Though perhaps not the best time I’ve seen them, Clutch even at 95% are still leagues ahead of many of their peers and the reason this band are not far bigger than they are becomes even more mind-boggling. This band are not capable of playing a bad gig and singer Neil Fallon is in top-form and a serious contender for the best frontman award (if such a thing existed), his performance being almost preacher-like.
Unlike many bands, Clutch constantly change their setlist so you can see them on a regular basis and never get bored (take note, Machine Head) so of course, there’s always songs you wished they’d played and tonight we don’t get the awesome ‘Careful With That Mic’ or ‘10001110101’, but we are treated to such gems as ‘Texan Book Of The Dead’ and ‘Shogun Named Marcus’ alongside Clutch classics like ‘Cypress Grove’, ‘Burning Beard’ and of course, ‘The Mob Goes Wild’ which nearly takes the roof off the place and has lost none of its resonance, despite George W. Bush’s days being numbered. Forever the underdogs, long may Clutch continue not to care, and neither will we.

Live Review - Power Quest at Wakefield Strafford Arms 2/12/08

2008-12-05T11:48:00.001Z

You’ve got to feel for Power Quest really. Given that they emerged around the same time as Dragonforce and that they are certainly no strangers to each other (keyboardist Steve Williams having played in Dragonheart – an early version of the band that was to become Dragonforce – and current ‘Force guitarist Sam Totman having played on Power Quest’s debut album are just two examples), it’s a bit disappointing that while Dragonforce have gone on to achieve world-beating status, Power Quest are still plugging away on the pub circuit. This is even more disappointing when you witness just how good Power Quest are live and the realisation that they are actually more musically diverse than their dragon-loving buddies sets in. The band are all great players with Steve’s keyboard skills rivalling that of a certain Ukrainian gentleman and singer Alessio’s voice reaching notes you would doubt the existence of. Unfortunately the Power Quest experience is hampered tonight by the fact they’re playing in an uncomfortably tiny venue and that said venue have seen fit to employ one of the worst soundmen to ever sit behind a desk – if this guy isn’t out of a job by the end of the night, there’s something seriously wrong – and a collection of Wakefield kids up past their bedtime who clearly don’t know the first thing about the etiquette of mosh-pitting.
Despite these problems however, Power Quest manage to deliver a quality performance. Songs like ‘Wings of Forever’, ‘Far Away’, ‘Edge of Time’ and ‘Find My Heaven’ are anthems that should be belted out in arenas, not your local watering hole but alas, maybe this is part of the appeal of a band like Power Quest – that you can go see them with 100 or so of your metal brethren and leave pleased in the knowledge that everyone else is missing out and that you’ve just been privileged to a performance not many get to see. However, for Power Quest’s sake, hopefully this will change as I’m sure we the enlightened few would gladly trade that status for the further success of one of the UK’s best, and most unsung, bands.

Hellfest 2009 - First Announcement

2008-12-05T11:41:00.004Z

MANOWAR and HEAVEN & HELL have been confirmed as 2 of the 3 headliners for Hellfest 2009, due to take place from 19-21 June 2009 in Clisson, France. Other names announced include Anthrax, Amon Amarth, Stratovarius, Sacred Reich, The Misfits, Destruction, Devil Driver, Epica, Gorgoroth, Enslaved, Napalm Death, Cathedral, Backyard Babies, Entombed, God Forbid, Electric Wizard, Grand Magus, Orange Goblin, Holyhell, Gama Bomb and Wolves In The Throne Room.

rumours also abound that Motley Crue are to make an appearance as well....

SATYRICON (and Saxon?) confirmed for BOA 2009

2008-11-29T15:16:00.004Z

The Bloodstock team are pleased to announce that Norwegian Black Metal Band ‘Satyricon’ have been added to the bill for 2009.Satyricon was formed in 1990 by Czral (Carl-Michael Eide) and Wargod. Haavard (Ulver) soon joined them. Satyr took over lead vocals in 1991.

The band credits their first album, Dark Medieval Times, with starting a black metal subgenre that they dubbed "medieval metal". The album showed off the fascination Satyricon had with the Middle Ages, along with raw black metal blastbeats produced by Frost, mixed with acoustic guitar and flute. On their next album, The Shadowthrone, this medieval spirit was continued. Satyricon’s third album, Nemesis Divina, contains Norwegian black metal influenced by medieval metal and was released in 1996. Rebel Extravaganza, Satyricon’s fourth album, was released in 1999. It contained more industrial metal influences then the previous albums.

Regarding one of their latest albums, Volcano, frontman Satyr stated in a press release / biography on their homepage that "the music is rock based but more extreme; it is black metal pushing the boundaries that began with bands like Venom and Bathory, reinventing ourselves based on a foundation of rock oriented black metal is our philosophy." It resulted in a total of 4 Awards for Volcano being, the Norwegian Grammy for "Best Metal Album", an Alarm award for "Fuel For Hatred" in the category for "Song of the Year", as well as The Alarm Award for "Metal Album of the Year" and The Oslo awards for "Best Overall Album".

SATYRICON – Pushing the Boundaries – BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2009

In related news, it would also appear that Saxon are also playing BOA 2009 after an online self-confirmation from singer Biff Byford.

The line-up is now shaping up as follows:
FRIDAY 14th:
Katatonia
Sabaton

SATURDAY 15th:
Candlemass
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter
Satyricon
Turisas
Wintersun

SUNDAY 16th:
The Haunted

DAY TBC - Saxon

Live Review - Airbourne at Leeds Met 18/11/08

2008-11-20T12:14:00.002Z

Stone Gods: Rising from the ashes of The Darkness, the band (who include ex-members Dan Hawkins and Ritchie Edwards) are completed by ex-Graham Coxon bassist Toby MacFarlane and former Bush drummer Robin Goodridge, yet (perhaps thankfully, as it’s usually a kiss of death as Audioslave and Velvet Revolver will tell you) the ‘super-group’ tag has never been applied to the Stone Gods. Tonight though, all memories of The Darkness are forgotten as The Stone Gods rip through the majority of their awesome debut ‘Silver Spoons & Broken Bones’ with effortless class. Songs like ‘Burn the Witch’, ‘Knight of the Living Dead’, and new single and soon-to-be anthem ‘Don’t Drink the Water’ really get the place rocking this evening. Fans of good-time classic rock like Thin Lizzy and AC/DC will love this band and they would be strongly urged to check them out as there aren’t many newer bands (with the exception of tonight’s headliners) that can rock a live crowd like this and it’s great to see former bass-tech Ritchie Edwards come into his own as the commanding frontman he is, a particular highlight being when Edwards decides to throw caution to the wind and march through the uncomfortably packed crowd still playing the guitar – awesome.

Airbourne:On most nights and supporting most bands, the Stone Gods’ performance would have been easily enough to see them go home with the spoils but live, Airbourne really are something else. From the opening chords of ‘Stand Up For Rock N Roll’ right through until the end, the band never let up, cranking out one anthem after another and there’s actually a point during the awesome ‘Diamond In The Rough’ that you wonder if the venue can take it. The band are tight as hell tonight and it’s there’s something really enjoyable about watching a band who clearly believe in the quality of what they’re doing, what it represents and who are doing it purely because they love it – there’s no pandering to radio or record companies here, just a good old-fashioned rock n roll band doing what they do best. Frontman Joel O’Keefe seems like he’s been locked up backstage because as soon as he hits the stage, he’s like a whirlwind, drinking and headbanging the entire time, at one point climbing up to the balcony on the speaker stacks, it’s a wonder why more frontmen can’t be like this – every bit the rock star without trying to be. By the time the band are into their stride, the venue is nearly at bursting point and all this without mainstream media support and radio play – proof that good, honest rock n roll doesn’t need such avenues. What the crowd witness here tonight is nothing short of breathtaking and as one of us mused on the way out of the venue, this is what it must have been like for the previous generation seeing AC/DC in the seventies with Bon, and yes, it was that good. And so what if they sound like their countrymen, who cares when they’re this good? Give me a bunch of honest guys that sound like a great band such as AC/DC than any of the supposedly original screamo tosh that is currently bogging down the rock world in their whiny angst. Stand up for rock n roll – Airbourne do and the world is a better place for it.

Full Metal Banquet - Sydney

2008-11-19T23:30:00.004Z

Make sure you get down to the Lewisham Hotel for the Full Metal Banquet event. Doors open at 2 pm. 10 bands throughout the day/night + DJ's playing metal tunes between sets and all for only $20 entry. Check out the flier for the bands:

Napalm Death/The Berzerker Edinburgh, Scotland CANCELLED

2008-11-18T06:43:00.004Z

Here's a little update from Aussie Industrial band The Berzerker:

Gday all.

Im a few hrs away from getting on a plane. and Im f!!king pissed off about this one... let me tell you...

21 Nov 2008, 08:00 PM - CANCELLED! Studio 24 - Napalm Death
Edinburgh, Scotland
UK

Only reason for the show being pulled was "the venue are going to run a club night instead."

If you have tickets. Phone the venue and complain.- Luke

Nice to see venues in Scotland putting live music first
And here's a list of the rest of the tour dates:

20 Nov 2008 Ivory Blacks with - Napalm Death,Glasgow, Scotland
21 Nov 2008 CANCELLED! Studio 24 - Napalm Death Edinburgh, Scotland
22 Nov 2008 DAMNATION FESTIVAL, Leeds UK - Carcass last ever show
24 Nov 2008 Barfly - Satyricon Birmingham
25 Nov 2008 Rio - Satyricon Leeds
26 Nov 2008 ULU - Satyricon London

Metaholic Band Contest 2009!

2008-11-15T19:22:00.001Z

After last years success, we have decided that we shall be holding the Metaholic Band Contest again in 2009! This year, we’re going to be a little bit more organised, and will be starting the search for bands now to take part!

So what is this contest I hear you cry? Well it is to coincide with the popular Eurovision Song Contest in May, but this contest is purely for metal bands and is open to bands across the world, not just Europe.

What do you get? A bit of extra publicity, something that money can’t buy! We will do an interview with the winners, and we will go out of our way to try to help this band out, whenever they need an extra push, we will bend over backwards to try to help them out. Unfortunately, we can’t offer any special prizes (we’re still only a small fanzine, and don’t have the funds or sponsorship to give you anything more than our time).

What do you need? You need to have your own Myspace page, and have some songs on your page for voters to check out. They won’t want to vote for a band that has nothing to show for themselves! You also need to have Metaholic Music on your Myspace friends list, http://www.myspace.com/metaholicmusic

We need your entries by the 31^st of January 2009! We need your Myspace address, and we need to know which country you are from.

Voting on the band to represent each country will follow shortly after the closing date, and the final competition will run from 10^th of May 2009 until 16^th of May 2009, the date of the Eurovision song contest.

To enter your band, please send an email, with the subject matter “Metaholic Band Contest” by 31^st January 2009 to:

metaholicmusic@rocketmail.com

Please include your:

Band Name:

Myspace Address:

Country:

So get emailing!!!

Keep it metal!

http://metaholicmusic.blogspot.com

Cult Of Luna Autralian Tour

2008-11-13T11:04:00.003Z

Swedish metallers Cult Of Luna have announced that they will be heading Down Under for a tour in February.

The tour dates are as follows:

Thurs, Feb 12 Brisbane – The Tivoli
Sat, Feb 14 Sydney - Manning Bar
Sun, Feb 15 Melbourne - The Hi-Fi
Tues, Feb 17 Adelaide – HQ
Wed, Feb 18 Perth - The Capitol

Tickets go on sale on Friday, November 14.

CANDLEMASS - LUCIFER RISING - OUT NOW!

2008-11-13T00:48:00.005Z

CANDLEMASS are an epic doom metal band from Sweden who have been hugely influential in the doom metal scene since their start in the early 1980's.

1986's Epicus Doomicus Metallicus birthed a new genre basically overnight and their far-reaching impact and legendary status has failed to wane ever since.

With their catalog 'scanning over 200,00 units in the U.S. alone, 2007's King Of The Grey Islands built upon this loyal fanbase and brought them Stateside for their first North American tour in over 17 years!

Now with new vocalist Rob Lowe (of Solitude Aeturnus fame), the band is once again poised to reign supreme.

TRACK LIST:
01. Lucifer Rising
02. White God
03. Demon's Gate (Re-recording from '86 classic Epicus
Doomicus Metallicus)
Live in Athens 2007:
04. At The Gallows End
05. Solitude
06. Emperor Of The Void
07. Devil Seed
08. Mirror Mirror
09. Under The Oak
10. Of Stars And Smoke
11. Black Dwarf
12. Samarithan

Alter Bridge at Manchester Apollo – 9/11/08

2008-11-11T12:42:00.003Z

There’s notices around Manchester Apollo tonight informing everyone that former Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins’ new band ‘Hot Leg’ will not be performing “due to illness”. When this fact is announced from the stage by Logan (6/10) vocalist Kenny Collins, a large part of the crowd cheer in approval leaving you to wonder what sort of reception Hot Leg would’ve received tonight.
Because of Hot Leg’s no-show, both Logan and Alter Bridge (10/10) are given more time and while this is undoubtedly a good thing in the case of Alter Bridge, one is left wondering when it comes to Glaswegians Logan. While not bad, nearly all of the songs seem to merge into one another with only ‘Hallowed Ground’ standing out. This is down to both the slightly generic style of Collins’ vocals and the band’s post-grunge sound which is more Seattle than Scotland. Already veterans of the Alter Bridge support slot (and you can see why), Logan sound a little too like tonight’s headliners, albeit a not-as-good version and this puts them in a bit of a catch 22 – they can either continue playing it safe supporting bands like Alter Bridge but be doomed to be second best, or they can break out and try and make a name for themselves. However they will have to do better than they did tonight.
Alter Bridge however, are in a league of their own tonight. These are the biggest venues Alter Bridge have played in the UK so far and the band are definitely embracing this upward trajectory. Guitarist Mark Tremonti is once again outstanding, proving that he is one of the most consistently underrated players out there, a man who can out-play most others in his sleep, no question about it. Alter Bridge know how good they are tonight, with the biggest example of the band’s rise in confidence being personified in singer Myles Kennedy. No longer just a possessor of the best voice in rock right now, but Kennedy has matured into a world class frontman, swaggering around the stage with just the right amount of exuberance that never manifests into arrogance and also proving that he is no slouch on the guitar himself as many of the tracks aired tonight from latest album ‘Blackbird’ will show, particularly the title track which tonight borders on absolutely epic. The rest of the set too is nothing short of amazing with tracks like ‘Before Tomorrow Comes’, ‘Brand New Start’ and bona-fide rock anthem ‘Open Your Eyes’ moving you to places you never thought you’d go. The sheer quality of Alter Bridge’s material really does take your breath away and not only is it a mark of a truly great band that they recognise and fully embrace their own talents but they also have such (well justified) confidence in their latest material – 10 of the 17 songs aired tonight are from ‘Blackbird’ – that they can play for ninety minutes and there are still songs you wish they’d played. With any justice, those songs will soon be filling arenas in 2-hour sets.

Setlist:
Come To Life
Find The Real
Before Tomorrow Comes
Brand New Start
White Knuckles
Buried Alive
One Day Remains
Watch Over You
The Damage Done
Ties That Bind
Blackbird
In Loving Memory
Metalingus
Open Your Eyes
------------------
Broken Wings
Travelling Riverside Blues
Rise Today

In Flames Announce UK and Irish Dates

2008-11-10T12:10:00.004Z

Taken from their Myspace page:

"In Flames are proud to announce a UK headline tour in April 2009.
This comes right after the amazing headline tour which was seen over 60 000 people all across Europe and 4 shows in the UK.

“We haven’t really done a proper UK headline tour but that’s something we always wanted to do so we are really looking forward to come over and play cities/venues we have never played before. The UK always treat us well and we love playing live there so see you in April UK” - In Flames

(Links to where you can buy tickets below each date)

The dates:

Date City Venue
April 2009
15 Norwich Waterfront
http://www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk
16 Colchester Arts Centre
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/39135
17 Brighton Concorde 2
http://www.livenation.co.uk/inflames
18 Oxford Academy
http://www.tctmusic.co.uk
19 Leeds Cockpit
http://www.lunatickets.co.uk
21 Newcastle Academy 2
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk
22 Dundee Fat Sams
http://www.gigsinscotland.com
23 Belfast Mandela Hall (Northern Ireland)
http://www.ticketmaster.ie
http://www.geturticket.com
24 Dublin Academy (Ireland)
http://www.ticketmaster.ie
25 Cork Pavillion (Ireland)
http://www.ticketmaster.ie
27 Exeter Lemon Grove
http://www.exeterboxoffice.com http://www.seetickets.com
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk http://www.wegottickets.com
28 Cardiff University Solus
http://www.livenation.co.uk/inflames
29 Cambridge Junction
Http://www.livenation.co.uk/inflames
30 Sheffield Corporation
http://www.seetickets.com

MAY 2009
1 Liverpool Academy 2
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk
2 Northampton Roadmender
http://www.seetickets.com"

FESTIVAL UPDATE Bloodstock confirm 2 more bands!

2008-11-09T11:43:00.003Z

Candlemass and Die Apokalyptischen Reiter have been confirmed for Bloodstock Open Air, set to take place at Catton Hall in Derbyshire on 14th-16th August 2009.

The lineup is now shaping up as follows:
Candlemass
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter
The Haunted
Katatonia
Sabaton
Turisas

Wintersun

10 Years of Legacy - Festival from 20th to 23th May in Dessau

2008-11-08T02:05:00.003Z

Taken from a bulletin by Nuclear Blast Europe

www. myspace. com/legacyfestival

Right here should be announced, that the popular Legacy Magazin in cooperation with the booking agency Rock The Nation and the well established Hellraiser Club from Leipzig will present their own festival in 2009: Legacy Fest. “Ten years of existence in the hard business of print magazines are not a reason to relax at all – but a nice excuse to celebrate with all of you !” is what the Legacy Team says. The Legacy Fest will take place between May the 21st and 23rd in Dessau, on a giant former airfield, situated close to the railway station (about two kilometres). The size of the festival- and camping-area is completely variable. Besides the big open air stage there will be a smaller newcomer stage in a hangar was well. Satyricon are confirmed as one of the headliners already and:

* Die Apokalyptischen Reiter
* Kataklysm
* Wintersun
* Eisregen
* Eluveitie
* Aborted
* Endstille
* Desaster
* Lay Down Rotten
* Demonical
* Facebreaker
* Torture Killer

will play the Legacy Fest as well – more confirmations to follow soon. Prior to the live event there will be a warm-up party with DJs to celebrate “10 Years Of LEGACY” on May, the 20th. More information can be found on www. legacyfest. de or you can go to www. nuclearblast. de and get additional information about the festival tickets. The two festival homepages – www. myspace. com/legacyfestival as well as the aforementioned www. legacyfest. de offer demo-bands the chance to qualify themselves for a slot on the newcomer stage.
Looking forward to see you next May in Dessau!

Nevermore - The Year Of The Voyager E-card

2008-11-08T00:58:00.004Z

Nevermore are releasing a brand new live DVD titled The Year Of The Voyager, and you can get a nice sneak preview of it right here http://ecard.centurymedia.com/nevermore_ dvd/. Click that link to see more details about the setlist (which includes Final Product, My Acid Words, Enemies Of Reality, I, Voyager and so forth) and to see the full video of their performance of The Final Product.
Clink the pictures below to also view the E-card, and a link to an exclusive pre-order deal.

"The Year Of The Voyager"
Official E-Card

"The Year Of The Voyager" DVD

U.S.A. : 11/25/08
Europe: 10/20/08

PRE-ORDER NOW - CLICK ON THE DVD COVER:

Unleashed Hammer Battalion tour of Europe

2008-11-08T00:46:00.004Z

Here is a message for the almighty Unleashed!

Warriors of Midgard !!!

Friday the 14th of November is the start of the Hammer Battalion tour of Europe !
We are looking forward to meeting you all again and forming a number of local Hammer Battalions all over Europe just like we did in North America only a month ago.
Get ready for a crushing new setlist with a few surprises from the old days as well as a good number of songs from the brand new album.
Songs like "Warriors of Midgard", "Your Childern will burn", "In victory or defeat", and "Midvinterblot" are on the list to name just a few.

Join the battalion !!!
Johnny & The Boys

Full details on all shows unleashed will be playing can be found here. Make sure you get out to see this incredible band live!

Mental Interrogation with Sanctum Incendia

2008-11-05T16:34:00.003Z

Who? Ben Smith of Sanctum Incendia

Myspace: www.myspace.com/sanctumincendia

How long have you been playing together? Fraser (drums + backing keyboard) and I played in a band called WERG several years ago, but needless to say, we sucked. Majorly, majorly sucked. Sanctum Incendia have been together in its current state for about 8 months, with Rhianna (vocals) joining us about 5 months ago. We don't have a bassist, but y'know we don't REALLY need one with a good keyboardist! (Which we have!).

How did you meet? We all met through our local church (Yeah we're all Christians, but before you even think about judging us for that you should listen to the music! You might even like it!)

What kind of gear do you use? I (guitar and growl vocals) use a Vintage guitar, tuned to drop C. Not sure of the model, but it's spiky, red, awesome and has a floyd rose tremelo! Which is fun, but not useful for much in the way of rhythm. Trying to work it into the solos of our new stuff though! Matthew uses two Yamaha keyboards (plus stands) and Fraser uses one Yamaha keyboard. He also uses two drum kits, which we fused together in a rather awesome manner! One of them's a Peavey, and the other one is a Yamaha. The drum kit is pretty awesome too, we tune the Toms to a C minor arpeggio to give really interesting sounding fills. 5 TOMS!!! Plus two bass drums, a myriad of cymbals plus our own invention. A 'Clank' cymbal that we made from an old high hat. It's ridiculous!!

Is there an album that inspired you to join a band? 'Fallen' by Evanescence is what really got me into the whole heavier side of music. That was really the launching point where I found out that everything is better, louder!

What was the last album you bought? 'The Butcher's Ballroom' by Diablo Swing Orchestra. You should check them out! They're a pretty funky mix of different genres that works spectacularly.

What do you think of downloading music? It's a great way to find good bands that mainstream stores don't stock. I especially love what Google have done with Youtube, making all music accessible to anyone with a computer. It's great that you can hear of a band and find it on there!

Who would you say was your personal biggest influence? Musically? Bach and bands like Nightwish, After Forever, Kamelot are big on the influences list.

If you could trade places with another musician for a day, who would it be and why? Avril Lavigne... To change the rubbish music she records now into something awesome! I actually liked her first album... So I'd spend my day as her in the studio, and she'd wake up and realised she'd released a metal album, and people actually liked her music again! She might take a hint, you never know!

If you weren’t playing in a band, what do you think you’d be doing instead? I'd be very very bored probably. Being in a band takes alot of time and investment, which is good as it gives you something to work at every day rather than mulling around being a stereotypical teenager.

Where do you think the best metal is coming from at the moment? Definately Europe, Finland, Germany and that sort of thing. The metal from there is the best mainstream metal around at the moment. We really need to give the Scottish metal scene a boost! Anyone up for organising a Scottish metal fest? Any bands that know of venues, or venues that know of bands and want to do something like this, seriously get in touch with us to get it going! There's demand, all we need is the opportunity!

If you could only eat one kind of food, would it be savoury or sweet? Sweet.

What’s your favourite movie? Not sure. An interestin one I watched a while ago was 'Strings'. I generally like 'weird' movies. Thriller, horror, whatever. Amusement factor is a big one. A brilliant movie I've watched recently is the Scarlet Pimpenel. The acting is so ham-fisted that it makes it an absolute classic!

What was the last live show you went to (not including your own)? That would be Wishbone Ash in December of last year me thinks.

What do you have lined up next? We have a gig on November 8th, in Evanton. Just a small gig but we're happy to play anywhere! Also awaiting response on a series of support gigs for venues up here next year too.

Why should people check out your band?
1. We mix the best of classical music and metal into one melting pot, resulting in a unique and excellent sound.
2. We've got lots of inspiration left, currently got a 25 minute set perfected (5 songs) and working to expand our list of perfected songs to an hour or more.
3. I just wrote 2 new songs over the past week, which really gives you an idea of how much raw material we have to work with. Expect some fresh recordings at some point in December for sure!!
4. When everyone else finds us, you'll be able to say "Yeah, well I knew about them before you!" and own them. Which is always fun!

Blatherskite News

2008-11-04T08:58:00.004Z

As the above flier states, Blatherskite will be playing a show on the 28th of November at The Live House with The Angel Affair (headlining), Hybrid Nightmares (VIC) and Seneki. $10 cover charge at the door, an the show starts at 9pm.

The band is also still in search for a full time drummer. Here's the message fromt he band.
Blatherskite (Rock/Metal/Industrial/Prog, Sydney) seeking committed drummer, good gear, own transport. Willingness to tour. Love playing loud, with a good sense of dynamics, range from fast metal to slow fat grooves to strange time signatures. Launching our 4th studio album this year. Contact Tim on 0412 233 628 or blatherskite.saves@gmail.com. www.myspace.com/blatherskite email for tracks and tabs. Love you long time!

Live Review - Skindred at Leeds Rio's - 31/10/08

2008-11-01T15:09:00.003Z

Mishkin - 7.5/10 :

Local Leeds crew Mishkin kick off the main part of the proceedings tonight. With a sound reminiscent at times of System of a Down and ironically, Skindred (in their heavier moments), their avant-garde mixture of metal, funk and even a touch of jazz should be enough to take them further in the near future.

Forever Never - 7/10:
Next up are Londoners Forever Never. Suitably dressed in wizard's costumes for Halloween, they are warmly received by an ever-growing crowd. With some decent riffs and a singer very capable of knocking out a decent melodic chorus or two, they go down pretty well. However, being sandwiched in between two bands as musically diverse as Mishkin and Skindred, their overall impact seems somewhat limited tonight.

Skindred - 9/10:
So to headliners Skindred who, tonight, manage to further cement their reputation as one of the best live bands in the UK right now. With an award for best costume of the night, frontman Benji Webbe is on top form from the word go, constantly moving around the stage like a blur, with a commanding presence that resonates with the now standing-room only crowd. From opener 'Roots Rock Riot' right until 'Nobody', Skindred never let up and the rest of the band match Benji's enthusiasm and drive all the way through, not to mention playing as tightly as an emo's waistband with 'Ratrace' and 'Pressure' being particular highlights of the evening.
After tonight though, and whenever you see Skindred, one thing is always clear - you leave the gig knowing it was damn good but it's not just the quality of the songs, it's something else as well and that something else is honesty. Skindred have never been a band who are 'in it for the money', they do this because they love it and that feeling literally jumps off the stage at you. Give me an honest, hard working and down to earth band like Skindred any day over so many that seem to be more obsessed with their haircuts and their tight jeans than the quality of their performance.

Setlist:
Roots Rock Riot
Babylon
Ratrace
Selector
Rude Boy For Life
Pressure
?
Trouble
Destroy The Dancefloor
Bruises
Nobody

-AdamG.

Zimmers Hole drop out of Soilwork Euro Tour

2008-10-29T08:36:00.003Z

Zimmmers Hole have had to pull out of the upcoming European Tour in support of Soilwork. They have released an official statement through their website http://www.legionofflames.com

AS OF TODAY ZIMMERS HOLE IS NO LONGER A PART OF THE UPCOMING EUROPEAN TOUR WITH SOILWORK.

DRUMMER GENE HOGLAN HAS SUFFERED A DEATH IN HIS FAMILY.
FROM OUR HEARTS, WE SEND GENE AND THE ENTIRE HOGLAN FAMILY ALL OF OUR LOVE, AND DEEPEST CONDOLENCES AT THIS DIFFICULT TIME.
THE HOGLAN FAMILY IS THE 'FIRST FAMILY OF METAL', AND WE ARE ALL DEEPLY SADDENED.

ALSO, BASSIST BYRON STROUD IS NURSING A BROKEN HAND.
BYRON IS NOT ONLY OUR BASSIST, HIS DUTIES ALSO INCLUDE BAND MANAGER, AND ROAD MANAGER. HE IS VITAL TO US.

WHILE BYRONS INJURY WAS UNTIMELY, HE FELT HE COULD BE READY IN TIME FOR THE TOUR.
WITH THE SAD NEWS FROM THE HOGLAN FAMILY, THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD DO THIS AND BE FOCUSSED IN ANY WAY.

APOLOGIES GO OUT TO ALL OF OUR EUROPEAN FANS AND AGENTS. WE'LL MISS YOU.
WE ASK FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AT A VERY TOUGH TIME FOR ALL OF US.

WITH LOVE

ZH

Soilwork are to dedicate the tour to Gene and his family in their time of grief.

New US Metal Releases for 10/28/08

2008-10-29T03:32:00.003Z

Abigail Williams
In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns

Beneath The Massacre
Dystopia

Bloodbath
The Fathomless Mastery

Brutal Truth
For Drug Crazed Grind Freaks Only! Live At Noctum Studios 1

Burning The Masses
Mind Control

Carpathian
Isolation

Cradle of Filth
Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder

Enslaved
Vertebrae

Exodus
Let There Be Blood (Re-Recording of classic Bonded by Blood)

Kill The Client
Cleptocracy

Landmine Marathon
Rusted Eyes Awake

Lord Belial
The Black Curse

Maruta
In Narcosis

Miseration
Your Demons, Their Angels

Omnium Gatherum
The Red Shift

Phobia
22 Random Acts Of Violence

Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God CD Review

2008-10-22T09:16:00.001+01:00

Amon Amarth are back with a powerful new album, Twilight Of The Thunder God. The bands 7th studio album was recorded at Fascination Street Studio in Örebro, Sweden, and was produced by Jen Borgen. The album features Johan Hegg on vocals, Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg on guitars, Ted Lundström on bass and Fredrik Andersson on drums. the album also features a few high profile guests including Lars Göran Petrov of Entombed doing some vocals on the track "Guardians of Asgaard", Roope Latvala of Children of Bodom adding some guitars on the title track and Apocalyptica adding some cellos on "Live for the Kill".

This yet another solid release for Amon Amarth, with 10 tracks of pure metal glory. Twilight Of The Thunder God, the title track, and the first song on the CD, is a great start for this record, with all the classic Amon Amarth style we've come to know and love. If you couldn't guess, they're still pushing the viking themes, which is great. They day they stop doing that is the day we'll mourn the loss of Amon Amarth, but if this album is any indication of the bands end, it's not for a very long time.

Highlights for me include Guardians of Asgard, Varyags of Miklagaard, The Hero, Live for the Kill and Embrace The Endless Ocean. The album also came with a live DVD that contains footage of the bands entire Summer Breeze 2007 show, which included a set of 13 songs, including Valhall Awaits Me, Asator, The Pursuit of Vikings, Fate Of Norns, and so forth. A great addition to an already awesome package.

The production on this album is really good, an improvement even on With Oden On our Side. The guitars are nice and heavy, and everything is in good balance with each other and sounds great. Jens has really outdone himself this time around. If you're a fan, or haven't heard this band before, get this album and give it a good listen, because it's bloody great! Worth it even just for the live DVD.

Twilight Of The Thunder God is now out through Metal Blade.

AC/DC banned on Scottish Radio

2008-10-22T09:07:00.010+01:00

AC/DC BANNED ON SCOTTISH RADIO

David ‘The Captain’ Grant the drive time DJ on ‘96.3 Rock Radio’ In Scotland, has placed an indefinite ban on AC/DC on his show.
Why ban such an iconic band? The reason for this is simple, they have failed to add a Scottish gig to there new tour.
The captain has vowed not to play any AC/DC until they do. He has said this ban will continue until they decide to play in Scotland, and has started an online petition to let the fans show there support of his decision. The petition will then be forwarded to the record company to let them know how the fans feel about this.

It may seam petty to some, but when you consider the facts behind this decision, you can see the logic behind his decision.
Although the band are considered Australian, Both Angus and Malcolm Young were born In Glasgow Scotland, and many of there family still reside in or around the Glasgow area. Many fans feel this is a betrayal, as in there eyes they are missing out what is effectively a ‘home town’ gig.

I have heard the argument that its all about record sales that make the record company’s decide where the bands play on a tour. The more albums sold the more chance of a sell out gig. This doesn’t work for 2 reasons.
1. The new album wasn’t on sale when the gigs were announced.
2. A band the size of AC/DC can dictate to a record company where they play. They are guaranteed a sell out wherever they play.

This is a case of Fan Power. The fans are angry, and one of them happens to be in a place where he can make his feelings heard on a large scale. Not only has he voiced his opinion, but he has the backing, support, and praise of many AC/DC fans in Scotland.

If you want to join the petition simply log on to http://www.rockradioscotland.co.uk/ find the link and add your name.

96.3 Rock Radio is available in and around the Glasgow area on standard radio, Edinburgh on DAB, and on the web at the above link.
David ‘The Captain’ Grant is on daily from 2 until 6 Monday to Friday and 12 until 6 Saturdays

Wykked Wytch seek bassist.

2008-10-19T01:27:00.002+01:00

Miami death/black metal band Wykked Wytch are searching for a new bassist.

Those interested in auditioning should contact the band through their myspace, and send along with a bio, photos, and links to examples of your playing (sound / video clips).

Contact them through http://www.myspace.com/wykkedwytch for more details. Their new album 'Memories of a Dying Whore' is out now.

Mental Interrogation with This Weary Hour

2008-10-15T22:03:00.003+01:00

Who? Eamonn and Seán of This Weary Hour

Myspace: www.myspace.com/thiswearyhour

How long have you been playing together?
Eamonn: The band started over a year ago, but a full line-up hasn’t been secured until fairly recently.

How did you meet?
Eamonn: Seán and I are from a small town, so we always knew each other in some respect.

What kind of gear do you use?
Seán: I play an Aria (have to check the model). I find it has a deep, round sound ideal for the music I play. With regards to amplification I am currently using one of the Vox Valvetronix models which I can get some great tone out of, however the various effects built into the amp seem somewhat of a gimmick so I'm planning to move onto something more old-school. I feel a lot more comfortable controlling my sound using my feet. At the moment I use a BOSS DS-1 pedal, which to be honest I find isn't great by itself, but I recently acquired a RAT which when used in conjunction with the BOSS can bring fuller, thicker crunch or fuzz (or whatever you are into) to the overall tone. Nice and brutal is what I aim for in terms of distortion.

Eamonn: This is my first band, so I’m a little behind in the gear aspect of things. Until recently, I basically borrowed what I needed from friends. I did pick-up a lovely Shure SM58 vocal mic last weekend and I’m very happy with it so far. The rest of the lads are busy acquiring various gadgets and guitars, and it’s all pretty expensive, so I guess I’m lucky in that respect.

Is there an album that inspired you to join a band?
Seán: I think that music in general has inspired me to be in a band. It was after TWH was conceived that we discovered our common influences. Mastodon's Leviathan probably had the most crucial effect on both myself and Eamonn. It has totally transformed how we observe and write music.

Eamonn: I have to agree with Seán there. It was through Leviathan that we found how similar our beliefs about music were. From there we introduced each other to loads of bands and musicians we wouldn’t have been exposed to normally, and eventually we started thinking that it’d be great if we could write stuff of our own. I think that we initially focused on doom because there’s a lot of freedom there and it’s a very honest form of music.

What was the last album you bought?
Seán: Sick of it All - Scratch the Surface.

Eamonn: I actually picked-up a few LPs the last time I went music shopping. I think it went something like: Moss – Sub Templum, Esoteric – The Maniacal Vale, Jex Thoth’s self titled debut, NIN –The Slip, and Grand Magus – Iron Will. So yeah, a nice helping of doom - or doom inspired – stuff.

What do you think of downloading music?
Seán: As with most musical controversies, there are positives and negatives. For fans of actual physical releases, like me, the whole thing has totally forced designers to push the boundaries of artwork, packaging etc. so we are getting far more intriguing record sleeves and CD cases these days. I think fans of independent labels and smaller bands enjoy this artwork and are more willing to pay for the product.

Eamonn: For me it’s quite simple: I love buying CDs. I love buying records. I think people are really missing-out when they don’t have the whole package, not to mention the drop in bit-rate and all that. I have been guilty of downloading music, but mostly because it’s an incredibly easy way to preview a band I’ve never heard before. I always end-up buying the stuff I like eventually.

Who would you say was your personal biggest influence?
Seán: My strongest musical influence is and always will be Rory Gallagher. He has explored so much ground within his music, both lyric-wise and genre-wise. I will always think of his songs as the purest and most honest anyone can be exposed to. He never played the same song twice and he was all about feeling. That's real music and I'm all for it. He's greatly missed.

Eamonn: The first real band I saw live was My Dying Bride. I might have been young and impressionable, but the emotion that (front-man) Aaron Stainthorpe showed in his performance has had a lasting effect. I’ve encountered plenty of other amazing performers since, but Aaron originally set the standard for me.

If you could trade places with another musician for a day, who would it be and why?
Seán: This is quite a difficult question because most of the bands I would have really liked to have been a part of have broken up. If anyone is familiar with the hardcore punk group Minor Threat they will have heard the name, Ian McKaye, vocalist and founder of Discord Records. I would love to have been in his shoes for a day back at the beginning of the American hardcore scene. If not McKaye, then any member of Electric Wizard! A jam with the Wizard would be an honour.

Eamonn: This would probably change for me every month, but right now I’d say anyone in Neurosis. I’d imagine performing live with those guys would be a wonderfully intense experience.

If you weren’t playing in a band, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
Seán: If I wasn't in TWH I see myself spending more time as a solo musician. I would have various guises to facilitate my interest in the other genres of music which I would play.

Eamonn: I’m a Fine Art student, which is proving to be very time-consuming, so I definitely wouldn’t be idle. But then, it was while working on stuff for TWH that I re-discovered my interest in art ...so I’m a little unsure when I think about it.

Where do you think the best metal is coming from at the moment?
Seán: As a fan of both European and American heavy music, for me, there seems to be a bit more quality metal coming from the States lately. When I first heard Mastodon a few years ago I began to realise this. From there I discovered bands like Converge and Neurosis, and through them, found a wealth of other groups, each new one completely different to the last. However, I think it’s noticeable in TWH that we take influence from these bands as well as our European heroes like My Dying Bride, Electric Wizard and Cathedral, to name the most prominent.

Eamonn: Right now I’m looking to labels, rather than geography for good music. Rise Above, Profound Lore, etc, have been putting out some great releases over the last while. I also think Ireland has a great underground metal scene that is oft over-looked internationally. This is starting to change though, and I hope it continues.

If you could only eat one kind of food, would it be savoury or sweet?
Seán: Sweet.

Eamonn: I would never give up an entire kind of food! You can’t make me! (MI - Ah my plan has been foiled!)

What’s your favourite movie?
Seán: If I had to choose a favourite it would be Donnie Darko.

Eamonn: A tie between “4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days”, “Mulholland Dr.”, “Apocalypse Now” and “Aliens”. Special mention to Star Wars, of course! ...I like too many films!
What was the last live show you went to (not including your own)?
Seán: Buddy Guy. Blues will always be my favourite form of music.

Eamonn: My friend, James from Altar of Plagues, recently started a 2-piece noisecore side-project, called Snails, which I recently witnessed causing havoc in a local pub. In terms of big names, the Graspop festival would be the latest event I’ve been to.

What do you have lined up next?
Seán: We hope to begin playing shows very soon.
Right now, we are in the process of finishing new material, which should be released before the end of the year. I think the upcoming songs will be somewhat of a departure from what we did on 'The Shadow of Time'. Not only have our inspirations changed but we have been joined by three new members, each with a variety of styles that will definitely have an impact on our music.

Eamonn: Yeah, the demo was a bit of a shot in the dark for us. I’d never been in a band before, and Seán was relatively new to this sort of music, so we were kind-of sticking to tried-and-true patterns and basically playing it safe. Considering the circumstances, I’m quite proud of it and the response has been great. I’m highly critical of it too, though. I want us to go much further with the new stuff. Now that we’ve had some time to soak in everything and have a clearer idea of the direction we’d like to follow, I believe that we can just let loose and write material that feels natural to us. We’re definitely going to revisit and expand on some of the areas we’ve already flirted with, but I know we have the potential to go way beyond that as well. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

Why should people check out your band?
Seán: Behind all the dark and heavy aspects to our material, I think this band is about making honest and original music, qualities that is more and more lacking with metal bands today.

Eamonn: As Seán said, honesty is important to us. In the long run, we hope our material will be meaningful and somewhat cathartic. We try to take influences from everywhere. We’ve had an encouraging start, and we’ll definitely be striving to make the most of it in the future.

Brand New Social Networking Site from HMV

2008-10-15T12:11:00.004+01:00

HMV are launching a brand new social networking site, called GetCloser.com, in the UK. This is not another Myspace or Facebook though, this is a way to boast about your favourite films, bands, albums, actors etc and to make it easy to find new stuff to check out through recommendations of other fans. You can rate your favourites as well as write reviews and make connections between different artists (e.g. Soilwork to Coldseed because they both have Bjorn "Speed" Strid as their vocalist).

It is currently in it's Beta stages, and they're still ironing things out, but looks like when it's up and running fully, that it will be a decent site to use and find new music. It's currently only open to residents in the UK, I don't know if will become a site you can use worldwide.

We do have our own group on there though, so if you decide to sign up, then make sure you join the Metaholic Music group:

www.getcloser.com/rooms/Metaholic+Music/378

New Opeth Dvd To Be Premiered In London

2008-10-12T23:28:00.002+01:00

The Roundhouse Tapes, the long awaited new DVD from Opeth is released on Peaceville Records on October 27th (UK – November 10th, USA – November 11th).

The DVD will be premiered on November 4th with a special screening at the Prince Charles Cinema in London. The screening will be introduced by the band, who will also be available to sign copies of the DVD following the screening. In addition to the DVD, exclusive merchandise will also be on sale at the cinema.

A limited number of tickets for this special evening are available to purchase from the cinema (www.princecharlescinema.com / 0870 811 2559) for only £10 (plus 50p booking fee).

The Roundhouse Tapes contains a critically acclaimed Opeth performance recorded at The Roundhouse, London in 2006. Described by Rocksound as ‘a show of spectacular greatness in this legendary venue … an amazing performance by one of Europe’s premier epic metal bands’ the DVD perfectly captures the band in scintillating form playing a selection of classics from throughout their career.

A mini-site featuring a trailer for the DVD, info on the release, downloads and more is now online at www.peaceville.com/opeth/theroundhousetapes. The site also offers a free mp3 download of the track ‘Bleak’ to anyone who signs up to the mailing list.

The special edition of the DVD, packaged in a deluxe rigid digibook inside a hard slipcase, with postcards of each band member, an exclusive art booklet featuring the work of Travis Smith (renowned Opeth Sleeve designer) and The Roundhouse Tapes booklet, is also available to pre-order from the mini-site.

‘There seems no more appropriate band than Opeth to open a new era in the history of this iconic building.’ Classic Rock

Take from Opeth.com

Anathema - Hindsight Tour Dates

2008-10-12T13:46:00.000+01:00

Following their recent acclaimed semi-acoustic album, Hindsight released on Peaceville’s sister label Kscope, and the highly successful shows as part of the Unholy Trinity tour with Paradise Lost & My Dying Bride, Anathema prepare to hit the road for a full European & UK tour.

For more information on the Hindsight release, visit the mini-site at www.kscopemusic.com/anathema

The tour dates are as follows:
8/10 HOLLAND, Tivoli, Utrecht
9/10 HOLLAND, W2, Den Bosch
10/10 BELGIUM, Biebob, Vosselaar
11/10 HOLLAND, Boerderij, Zoetermeer
12/10 GERMANY, Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg
13/10 GERMANY, Matrix, Bochum
14/10 GERMANY, Longhorn, Stuttgart
16/10 GERMANY, Centrum, Erfurt
17/10 GERMANY, Columbia Club, Berlin
18/10 GERMANY, Markthalle, Hamburg
19/10 DENMARK, Pumpehuset, Copenhagen
20/10 POLAND, Proxima Club, Warsaw
21/10 POLAND, Studio Club, Krakow
22/10 GERMANY, Backstagewerk, Munich
23/10 SWITZERLAND, Z7, Pratteln
24/10 ITALY, New Age, Treviso
25/10 ITALY, Rolling Stone, Milan
26/10 ITALY, Alpheus, Rome
28/10 AUSTRIA, Szene, Vienna
29/10 HUNGARY, Avalon Club, Budapest
31/10 SWITZERLAND, Les Docks, Lausanne
1/11 FRANCE, Lyon, Villeurbanne
2/11 FRANCE, Lille Splendid
4/11 ENGLAND, Academy Club, Manchester
5/11 SCOTLAND, Cathouse, Glasgow
6/11 ENGLAND, Carling Academy, Sheffield
7/11 ENGLAND, Islington Academy, London
8/11 ENGLAND, Barfly, Birmingham
9/11 ENGLAND, Zodiac, Oxford
10/11 ENGLAND, Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
29/11 GREECE, Athens Fuzz Club
30/11 GREECE, Thessaloniki Principal Club

Blinded Colony part ways with singer and seeks replacement

2008-10-09T22:32:00.002+01:00

Taken from Blinded Colony's Myspace page:

"We're sorry to inform that Blinded Colony and Denny have parted ways.
This due professional differences.

Blinded Colony wishes Denny the best of luck with his future endeavors and salutes the good times we had with him not only as a band member but as a good friend.

With one man short Blinded Colony is looking for a new frontman!
You should be a professional and charismatic singer who..s got to be 100% commited and be able to tour.
If you think that you got what it takes, then please send us a mail with some info about you, a pic and a sample of your singing (mp3, Youtube link etc) to singer@blindedcolony.com

Ride the big one
/BC"

For more information on the band, check out their Myspace page:
www.myspace.com/blindedcolonymusic

Mental Interrogation with Ascend the Shadows

2008-10-08T23:07:00.004+01:00

Who? Ascend The Shadows.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/ascendtheshadows

How long have you been playing together? We have been playing together since october of '07, so not even a year.

How did you meet? We have all gone to school together for most of our lives.

What kind of gear do you use?
Rob - Peavey 6505+ tube amplifier, Dean Razorback DB, Monster Cable, elixir strings, and dunlop picks.
Kenny - Crate Combo, Jackson DXMG, Monster Cable, GHS strings, and Dunlop Picks.
Tyler - Tama 8 piece Imperialstar, Vic Firth Sticks, Zildjian Z Custom Cymbals and DW 7000 Kick Pedals.

Is there an album that inspired you to join a band?
Rob - Paranoid by Black Sabbath
Kenny - Rust In Peace by Megadeth
Tyler - Toxicity by System Of A Down

What was the last album you bought?
Rob - Devildriver - The Last Kind Words
Kenny - Bullet For My Valentine - Scream, Aim, Fire
Tyler - Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone

What do you think of downloading music? We feel that it isn't respectful towards the musicians who spent their time and money to make these albums.

Who would you say was your personal biggest influence?
Rob - Tony Iommi
Kenny - Dave Mustaine
Tyler - Lars Ulrich

If you could trade places with another musician for a day, who would it be and why?
Rob - Robb Flynn of Machine Head, mainly because every song on the Blackening was amazing, I would love to play each one of those songs every night with such an amazing band.
Kenny - Matt Heafy of Trivium, mainly because Matt is an amazing guitar player and Trivium is one of my favorite bands, and I can't wait to see them live on tour in October.
Tyler - Joey Jordison of Slipknot, because overall, he is a great musician, he can play drums amazingly and play guitar and bass, and that's extremely impressive.

If you weren’t playing in a band, what do you think you’d be doing instead? Generally we would all be paying more attention to high school and probably be playing football on our high school teams.

Where do you think the best metal is coming from at the moment? At the moment, we would have to say the southern states, and somewhat of the west coast with such bands as Machine Head, Trivium, Lamb Of God, Slipknot, and As I Lay Dying.

If you could only eat one kind of food, would it be savoury or sweet? We all agree upon savoury, we all love food like steak and chicken, mostly hearty food.

What’s your favourite movie?
Rob - The Hulk, the second one it was intense.
Kenny - Troy, its an awesome movie, that I can watch over and over.
Tyler - Crash, because "it's so true to life"

What was the last live show you went to (not including your own)?
Rob - The Black Tyranny Tour with Machine Head and Arch Enemy
Kenny - Ozzfest '07 with Ozzy and Lamb Of God
Tyler - The Black Tyranny Tour with Machine Head and Arch Enemy

What do you have lined up next? We are planning on recording a couple of new songs, playing more shows, and attending the Trivium/All That Remains tour.

Why should people check out your band? First of all, people might find it surprising that we are all still in high school, some people still don't believe it. We have a unique mixture of influences that makes our metal very diverse. We're from the same state as Hatebreed, Connecticut.

So, check us out on Myspace, www.myspace.com/ascendtheshadows.

(We are not a three piece band, we have a bassist lined up, he's currently learning our songs. Refer to the Myspace page for updates).

Review: "Cloister of Radiance" by Hollow Corp.

2008-10-07T20:45:00.004+01:00

Artist: Hollow Corp.
Title: Cloister of Radiance
Release Date: 9/30/2008

The term post-hardcore gets thrown around a lot these days, but there is a disconnect in the conventional wisdom on what actually constitutes a post-hardcore band or album. Some harken back to 90's acts like Dinosaur Jr. and Fugazi, others more readily identify Neurosis or Cult of Luna. Then, of course, there are the laughable emo-core panderers (eg: Vanna) who seek to disarm (read: deceive) their more testosterone-laden detractors by adopting the label as their own.

This being the case, the gents in French post-hardcore act Hollow Corp. might have to forgive any trepidation on the part of potential fans who read the decal on the front of the CD which reads "post-hardcore" and shudder at the idea of another whiny, post-pubescent she-male whining about his parents taking away his NES.

Never fear, ladies and gentlemen: This is the real deal and it is HEAVY AS SH*T.

"Cloister of Radiance" is an impressive, varied effort that drops like a sledge hammer with tracks like "Elevation" and "Sabbat", oscillates between the thicker, punishing meanderings of Mouth of the Architect with songs like "Inferno" and even engages in full-on Neurosis-worship with the nearly 12-minute "Peripherals." In fact, it would be fitting to describe their sound as a collection of shorter songs which personify some of Neurosis' more aggressive musical climaxes without all of the ambient build-up.

This isn't to say that Hollow Corp are a Neurosis clone by any stretch of the imagination, yet their sound is so massive that it almost escapes description. The bottom line here is that "Cloister of Radiance" is an immense, no-holds-barred, goosebump-inducing (in a good way), and musically complex album. This CD has to be heard to be believed. When bands put out sh*t this good, it makes life as a metalhead worth living.

Country: France
Label: Prosthetic
URL: www.myspace.com/hollowcorp

Introducing: Roberth Karlsson and Lars Palmqvist

2008-10-07T08:31:00.004+01:00

"Who?" I hear you call.

Roberth and Lars are the new Vocalists for SCAR SYMMETRY.

The Following statement was released by the band:

"When things went from bad to worse and we realized that it wasn't going to work out with Christian [Älvestam, former SCAR SYMMETRY vocalist], we were faced with two options; either calling it quits, or seizing the opportunity to take the next logical step in the evolution of our sound. We chose the latter.

"We've used both growls and clean vocals in our music since day one, and with each album we've pushed the envelope of what you can do vocally in a metal band to the point where a lot of the songs on 'Holographic Universe' [SCAR SYMMETRY's latest album] would be hard if not impossible to sing live. So the question is: Is it really possible to push the vocals even further and manage to perform everything live?

"The answer is YES! Instead of hiring a new singer, we decided — some of you might already have figured it out by now — to recruit TWO singers! The idea of having two vocalists in the band is something that's been in the back of our minds for a long time, and after auditioning and rehearsing with two of Sweden's best vocalists we're thrilled, excited, stoked-beyond-belief!!!

"So let us introduce you to...

"Roberth Karlsson - lead growl vocals and backing clean vocals:

"Roberth was our first choice for the growling position. Jonas once called him 'Sweden's finest growler,' which is no overstatement. Roberth has been involved in many band throughout the years, among others EDGE OF SANITY and FACEBREAKER.

"Lars Palmqvist - lead clean vocals and backing growl vocals:

"Roberth introduced us to his longtime friend Lars, who blew us away with his powerful-yet-beautiful voice. You can imagine our excitement when we learned that he's a fantastic growler as well! Despite his amazing talents he's virtually unknown to the metal public, which just might change as of today!

"We are very fortunate to have found these guys. They bring to the band not only their incredible skills but also a positive vibe we haven't had for some time.

"We've posted a videoclip [see here] from when we auditioned Roberth and Lars, as a little teaser... Yes it might come across as we were drunk the entire time, which probably is very close to the truth. Enjoy!"

Deicide Cancel Australian Tour

2008-10-03T13:04:00.005+01:00

So, Australia, because international bands love us so much, another has decided to cancel a tour with little to no explanation as to why. Deicide's Australian tour which was to take place in December has been canceled, with only the following announcement from promoters to go by: "We were advised that the band decided that they do not want to tour Australia this year."

Those of you fans out there who happened to purchase a ticket, can take it back to the point of purchase for a refund.

This pisses me off personally, and marks the 3rd band I can recall (minus Cavalera Conspiracy getting booted off the Judas Priest lineup) to cancel a tour that I may actually have wanted to attend. Although Lacuna Coil are to return next year for the overpriced suckfest that is Soundwave, it's not a headlining show like they were originally coming for.
The fact that all of these cancellations carried with them little to no explanation as to why they decided not to come is also frustrating. I just hope that bands and promoters lift their game in the future.

Fire Idol is looking for models, guys & girls, for an October photo shoot

2008-10-02T23:01:00.005+01:00

Fire Idol is looking for models, guys & girls, for an October photo shoot!

"We are looking for cool good looking people who are into the Rock, Metal, Pin-Up, Punk, Fetish, Rockabilly, Industrial or any other full on alternative scene. Tattoos, piercings, funky hair and unusual appearance are all good!
The photo shoot will be in London. There is no payment, but you get to keep your T-shirts, a disk with your photos & a printed photo. Photos will be taken by a professional photographer with a professional production, so these pic's will be great to add to your portfolio!!

Please check MySpace profile of our photographer www.myspace.com/yuripirondi

If you are interested check out our website:
www.fireidol.com
www.zazzle.com/fireidol

Please forward a photos to us or give us your Myspace, Facebook or web site address address so I can check you out."

You can contact Fire Idol through their Myspace:

www.myspace.com/fireidoldesigns

Through their Facebook group:

www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9410290884

By email:

claire@fireidol.com

Mini-site For Upcoming New Bloodbath Album Launched

2008-09-28T00:30:00.003+01:00

The new Bloodbath minisite for latest album The Fathomless Mastery is now unleashed, to coincide with the October 6th (Europe) & October 28th (North America) release of this latest slab of brutality.

The minisite feature album information, downloads and much more. We also give you the chance to check out the world premiere of two complete audio tracks; ‘Slaughtering the Will to Live’ (currently up on the minisite) and the unholy anthem ‘Mock the Cross’ (currently streaming on Bloodbath’s myspace). The streamed song selections will possibly be changed weekly up ’til the release date, so keep checking back in.

Visit the minisite now by clicking HERE and visit Bloodbath’s myspace by clicking HERE.

Taken from Bloodbath.biz

The Katatonia Season

2008-09-28T00:15:00.004+01:00

Here is some Katatonia news that may have been over-looked by some of you!

THE KATATONIA SEASON

We can hear many question….

"Why is there no new Katatonia album out by now???"

And you might rightfully think so, our 8th album (and the last in the contract with Peaceville) should have been done and put out "ages ago" if things would've gone according to plan… It's crazy how fast time goes by these days and that doesn't help us much when inspiration runs dry. We've been meaning to enter the studio on many occassions already since two years back and I think we ended up cancelling booked sessions twice. Although it worked successfully every time in the past, it just got us stressed out and pushed us into a phase of writer's block. From this we learned we better not book anything in advance as it stands, but focus on completing 100% of the material, be perfectly happy with what we got and first then hit the studio.

It seems we might pull things together for maximum devotion this time as all current and previous distractions are now gone. The Summer festivals are over and the level of live gigs for the next months are put to a minimum and Bloodbath - our Death Metal sideproject's new album is done too (to be released on October 6th, check it out or all our hard work was for nothing hah!).

So what about the music? Bits and pieces have been collected ever since The Great Cold Distance came out. It's just that we've been trying too hard, been thinking too much about the sound and direction. How can we top this and how can we change that. We've been stumbling around offroad looking for the answers and it ended up being a long walk. We don't find it meaningful to trace your own footsteps back from where you came, but we rather find the first nearest exit to the same road up ahead where we're at to get back on the map again.

I wont give away any hints just yet about how it will sound, but we hope to give you more light on the progress of this untitled embryo as we get closer. What's certain is that we've found a good equation to work with now and that my friends is that it's all about the 8th studio album and the autumn. Here comes the Katatonia season…

Taken from katatonia.com/

Spineshank Re-unite

2008-09-28T00:04:00.002+01:00

This is probably old news to some of you. I had heard rumours that the mighty Spineshank had re-united, but only discovered their Myspace page, and this press release on there, today.

So this is the press release they posted up on their Myspace page the other week:

"After 5 years of silence, The Grammy nominated Spineshank have reunited. Original Members Jonny Santos, Tommy Decker, Mike Sarkisyan, and Rob Garcia, have been working on a new record. The band has completed 5 songs and plan on writing about 15 more before they start recording their new album. "All the bad blood and differences that led to the break up have all been put behind us" says drummer Tommy Decker. "It feels right again, were not being pressured to write a single or look a certain way, were doing it because we want to". Vocalist Jonny Santos continues, "I think splitting when we did might have been a good decision. We were at a high point in our career, we ended it on our owns terms." Spineshank played its last show to a sold out London Astoria at the end of the Roadrage tour in 2003. The band was nominated for a Grammy for the best metal performance that same year."

I saw them on that tour, in Glasgow, and they were absolutely brilliant live! Was sad to hear they had split, so I'm pretty happy to see they've got back together!!!

Make sure you add them to your friends on Myspace, here's the link: www.myspace.com/spineshank

Psycroptic OB(SERVANT)

2008-09-26T01:12:00.006+01:00

Australia's own death metal elite, Psycroptic, are set to release their latest album Ob(servant) today in Europe, and October 14th in the USA, and October 18th in their home country. Shortly after the album's release, the band will embark on an extensive Australian (and New Zealand) tour, covering most of the country for 2 months. The dates are as follows:

30 Oct Branningan’s Gold Coast
31 Oct Rosies Brisbane
1 Nov The Sands Tavern Maroochydoore
6 Nov Sodens Albury
7 Nov The Gaelic Club Sydney
8 Nov Freshly Plucked Festival (All Ages) Orange
13 Nov Al’s Bar Christchurch
14 Nov Valve Wellington
15 Nov Oblivion Auckland
20 Nov The Pub Bendigo
21 Nov The Karova Lounge Ballarat
22 Nov The National Hotel Geelong
28 Nov Fowlers (All Ages) Adelaide
29 Nov The Old Jail (All Ages) Mt Gambier
5 Dec Brisbane Hotel Hobart
6 Dec Saloon Bar Launceston
7 Dec Brisbane Hotel (All Ages) Hobart
11 Dec Players Nightclub Mandurah
12 Dec Amplifier Bar Perth
13 Dec Leederville HQ (All Ages) Perth
18 Dec Home Tavern Wagga Wagga
19 Dec The Basement Canberra
20 Dec Hi Fi Bar Melbourne

Following this tour, Psycroptic well then head over to Europe and do a run of shows with Black Dahlia Murder, Cephalic Carnage and Sylosis. Full details on these shows can be found on the band's Myspace page by clicking www.myspace.com/psycroptic.

Australian Tour Flier
Click to enlarge

CD Review: "Shogun" by Trivium

2008-09-24T08:36:00.005+01:00

Trivium have been through a hard time since the release of The Crusade, which was in some peoples view a mish mash of James Hetfield vocals and rehashed Metallica riffs. I could argue the pros and cons of that, but let me get straight to the point here. Shogun is not a Metallica Tribute album. Gone is the overuse of the Hetfield vocals - mostly, ranging from crushing metal growl to Ember to Inferno-esque melodies. I would actually go as fat to say Heafy's vocals have inproved and the musicianship is a hell of a lot tighter.

Although Insurrection has a hint of Metallica to it, it is still Trivium at their best. While the delivery of the line "it is I that sponsers fury, Torches ignite" is classic Hetfield, I'm not gonna hold that against Heafy, it's one of the only places I spotted Hetfield creaping into the vocals again. We see Heafy getting back to what he did on Ascendancy, but with a little more control to his voice.

The solo work and fret massage that takes place on this album is amazing. Standout tracks for this are Insurrection, Of Prometheus And The Crucifix and the title track Shogun. 3 tracks that would have many a metal fan hungry for more. The latter being a little over long at times, but it showcases the bands full use of metal riffs and melody.

He who spawned the furies is another exmaple of classic Trivium. This track would not be out of place on Ascendency. It is such a catchy track that I can see the kids either go mental in the pit or press themsleves against the barrier screaming this one back in Heafy's face.

My main concern is the repetitiveness that appears in places on this album. For example, Throes Of Perdition, Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis & The Calamity have the same sounding intro. A little quick picking fretworked intro. Nice, but no need to overuse it. Still, this does not take away too much from the album as a whole.

Other than that I feel this album may actually win over some Trivium detractors and call some of the wayward old school fans back to the flock. It mixes the best bits from Ascendancy and The Crusade with the end result being a solid album. Almost a full return to form. (8/10)

Shogun is set for release in the UK on September 29th. Check http://www.trivium.org/ for other release dates.

For a limited time you can hear the whole album for free on the bands Myspace.

Defenders Of The Faith 2

2008-09-22T21:44:00.003+01:00

If you loved Defenders Of The Faith, then be prepared, because Metal Hammer have announced a second helping! Yes, next year there will be a Defenders Of The Faith 2!

This time around the co-headliners will be Lamb Of God and Dimmu Borgir! They will joined by Five Finger Death Punch and it appears another act, who will be announced shortly.

The dates for this megatour will be as follows:

11 Feb - Bristol Academy
12 Feb - Birmingham Academy
13 Feb - Manchester Academy
14 Feb - Brixton Academy
15 Feb - Glasgow Academy

First Acts for Wacken 09 Announced!

2008-09-22T13:26:00.003+01:00

Next years Wacken will be the 20th Anniversary of the festival, which is pretty exciting in itself, but they have already started announcing some of the bands who will be playing in 2009!

The first two bands announced are:

Machine Head
Cathedral

Excited? I am!

CD Review: "Love and other Disasters" by Sonic Syndicate

2008-09-22T09:47:00.003+01:00

Being relative new kids on the block, 2 albums in the space of 2 years after so much touring is a good trick to pull off. The question is, has this speedy output damaged the goods? I would say No, but others may disagree.

Love and other disasters is a prime example of a modern take on the "Gothenborg Sound" (also known as Melodic Death Metal). With bands like In Flames getting mellower with age, the sound they helped create was in no doubt going to get a little shake up. Sonic Syndicate may make the genre more accessible to newcomers, but they in no way dilute its key elements.

Songs like Jack of Diamonds and Power shift are stand out tracks that showcase MDMs classic use of harmony and screaming vocals. With chugging guitar riffs played along side melodic synths. Sing-a-long choruses are always a plus and this album has plenty to choose from. One song that sticks out above all others is the ballad-esque My Escape, with its use of strings and melodic vocals, it wouldn't be out of place on an album by the Used. Not that this is a bad thing. They are merely showing their is more to this genre than repeated riffs and growling vocals.

I do think that, although this is a great album, the songs will only be done proper justice when played live. There is a raw energy to most of these tracks that can only truley be unleashed on stage.

They haven't reinvented the wheel here and some will hold that against them. While others will be comforted by the fact that the winning formula from Only Inhuman is being used with a greater deal of skill and musicianship. All in all this is a solid 3rd album. A perfect addition to a quickly growing discography. It will hopefully go to show the detractors that this band isn't a one trick pony and are here for the long haul. (9/10)

Love and other disasters is out now in Europe and will be released in the US on 23rd September.

Catch them on tour with In Flames and Gojira!!

September
27 Glasgow Barrowlands Scotland/UK
28 Birmingham Academy UK
29 Manchester Academy UK

October
01 London Astoria UK
03 Luxembourg Den Atelier LUX
04 Cologne Paladium GER
05 Wiesbaden Schlachthof GER
07 Brussels AB BEL
08 Paris Zenith FRA
09 Tilburg 013 HOL
10 Nancy L’Autre Canal FRA
11 Lyon Tranbordeur FRA
13 Barcelona Razzamatazz 1 ESP
14 Granada La Copera ESP
15 Madrid La Riviera ESP
16 Bilbao Rock Star Live ESP
18 Fribourg Fri-son CHE
19 Munich Zenith GER
20 Vienna Gassometer AT
21 Milano Alcatraz ITA
22 Zurich Volkshaus CHE
24 Dresden Alter Schlacthof GER
25 Berlin Columbiahalle GER
27 Helsinki Cable Factory FIN
29 Stockholm Annexet SWE
30 Stockholm Annexet SWE
31 Oslo Sentrum Scene NOR

November 2008
01 Gothenburg Lisebergshallen SWE
02 Gothenburg Lisebergshallen SWE

Peter Wichers Rejoins Soilwork!

2008-09-20T23:19:00.003+01:00

Oh yes, some excellent news (in my opinion) on the Soilwork front, with former guitar genius Peter Wichers rejoining the band. (Ok, that sounds very biased doesn't it?)

For full information, head to the Soilwork Myspace page:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=11970182&blogID=434118592&indicate=1

As you may have guessed, I am pretty excited about this news. Peter is a fantastic song writer, and after leaving Soilwork, he wrote the Out Of The Dark album as part of Nuclear Blast's 20th anniversary, which starred a number of guest musicians from the label. It's a fantastic album, and highlighted how good a writer he is (and perhaps indicated the reason why Soilwork's latest album lacked compaired to previous releases). I'm glad to see the return of such a fantastic musician to the band!

Sonic Syndicate Stream New Album

2008-09-19T09:06:00.002+01:00

Swedish metallers, Sonic Syndicate, have been streaming their latest album through their Myspace page. Love And Other Disasters will be released on Monday (in the UK) through Nuclear Blast. Today might be the last day to hear the full album on their Myspace, as it was posted up last Saturday, so make sure you head on over and check it out!!!

http://www.myspace.com/sonicsyndicate

Interview With Warpath

2008-09-17T21:55:00.005+01:00

Last month, I headed for a weekend of metal madness at the Bloodstock Open Air Festival. I was only really there to see a few bands, but was open to checking out what else was going on. Little did I know I was about to stumble upon a new gem in British metal!

Heading back to the campsite, to avoid the rain, we were stopped in our tracks and told to check out this new band playing on the Lava Stage… By the drummer’s mum… Un-cool? Nah, her words of persuasion made us check out one of the best acts of the weekend, and that band were Warpath!

The musicianship of this band just totally blew me away, and I knew I just had to ask the lovely lady who persuaded us to watch the band, about doing an interview with the guys, so you lot got to know a bit more about a band that I think have the potential to become HUGE! (And don’t you forget who told you!)

MI: I saw you guys playing at Bloodstock last month, I really enjoyed it from the front of the stage, how was it for you on the stage?

Rich: Thank you! Bloodstock was an awesome experience. We had a great time playing there. The crowd were wicked, I saw three or four pits going which was really fun. Getting there was a lot of hard work but we’re used to that.

Pete: Yeah thank you for the compliment! Getting to Bloodstock felt like the journey that would never end, getting thrown around the back of a smelly old transit van in the dark, but it was worth it. It was a bit rushed on the stage without a sound check and with everything else going on right next to you just off the stage, but the crowd were brilliant and it was a fantastic feeling / experience playing there.

MI: For young guys, you all seem very talented. Tell us a bit more about how and when you started playing and writing music.

Rich: I’ve been trained in classical music since I was five years old, studying sight-reading, theory, performance etc up to Grade Eight. I started playing guitar at the age of fifteen, and began writing music at the age of sixteen, which is actually when I wrote "Life Unworthy of Life", "Face To Face" and "W.M.D" from the "Damnation" album. Pete and I both teach guitar too so there’s a lot of musical experience.

Pete: That’s right, I have been playing since I was 11 and taught private guitar lessons for the past two or so years. Upon joining Warpath, the album was already written so my only contributions were the guitar solos (not including “Hostile Takeover”) and the additional harmonies. But you come up with cool little riffs your whole life when you play guitar. Some are better than others and you will only hear the best from us!

James: I have always been writing music ever since I can remember. I started playing drums and keyboard at 11 years and been hard at it since. I’ve studied music for 7 years and will be continuing onwards with that in good time. I’ve written a lot of stuff during the years. If anyone is interested please check out my side project, Vertex. I also teach drums in my spare time.

MI: When did the band first get together, and how did you all meet?

Rich: I formed Warpath in 2003 in my hometown. Soon after, we started gigging across the UK and building the band’s name and reputation. We recorded our first EP in December 2005 at Bridgerow Studios in Wales, and gigged solidly for a year and a half. Our bassist at the time Gareth Allen decided to leave to pursue his education in university. He’s still quite active with the band though, managing our Website and MySpace and helping to promote us. During this time, James Davenport contacted me about drumming for us, as he’d seen us live a few times and enjoyed the music. We met up and within a few minutes I knew I wanted him to drum for us permanently. I’ve never seen a thrash drummer in the UK so precise and fast with kick drumming, so it was in instant match. We began writing and recording the tracks for the "Damnation" album during the summer of 2007. In August ‘07 we met Pete, and invited him to record on the album and then to join the band as a full-time member. His solos were exactly what we needed to complete the album as I feel they add a lot of harmony to the songs. Soon after, Joel Jordan auditioned, and the line-up was complete. We filmed the "Damnation" music video in London less than a week after Joel joined.

MI: What or who inspired you to get a band together?

Rich: Just watching Megadeth, Metallica, Guns N Roses, bands like that when I was younger inspired me to form a band. I despised school and knew that I wouldn’t be able to stick college or university, plus I’d been playing & performing music since such a young age it was instinctive to want to play music with other like-minded people.

MI: On your debut, Damnation, you worked with some pretty decent names who have worked with some really big bands, did you find that intimidating?

Rich: I didn’t really find it intimidating, as they’re such cool guys to talk to. It was awesome working with them on the album. I’m a massive fan of James Murphy’s (Testament, Death, Obituary) guitar work so it was a real honour for us when he agreed to master the album. I was talking to James Murphy a while ago actually about him mixing and mastering the next album. Orlando Villasenor is great; he did a fantastic job mixing and was very patient with everything we requested. Pete had a message from Kevin Talley (Daath, Chimaira, Hate Eternal) too saying about the killer mix of the album, which is really cool of him.

Pete: I personally didn’t find it intimidating either, the fact that like you said they have worked with the best of the best in the world of metal and they actually wanted to work on our material means they must think it’s pretty awesome stuff!

MI: You’ve been getting a lot of positive press from various media sources, how do you handle this and manage to keep your feet on the ground?

Rich: It’s great to read that these top magazines and reviewers love the album and are comparing us with our heroes (Megadeth, Testament, etc) but we try not to let it get to our heads too much. I don’t really read anything on forums on the net any more.

Pete: To be honest we are so busy working on the band, once we read a great review or comment someone leaves us, it’s like “Oh cool, that’s fantastic! Right, back to work” ha hah!

MI: You seem to have a huge fan base on Myspace. Have you found Myspace a good source in promoting Warpath and finding new genuine fans, or do you feel there’s a lot of “friend collecting” and that your music is falling on deaf ears?

Rich: I think Myspace is a great tool for exposing music to new fans. A lot of our fans are people that have heard us through the Internet and bought the album afterwards.

James: Myspace is truly one of the best ways for promoting. It takes time and hard work but it definitely pays off.

MI: Like I said earlier, I really enjoyed watching your performance at Bloodstock, are their any plans of a tour in the near future to back the album?

Rich: We’re working on a tour with a booking agency to support the album, with European shows included. When everything’s officially confirmed, we’ll announce the dates.

Pete: We all really enjoyed playing at Bloodstock, I have been going to it since 2004 and the fact we got to play there is amazing!! I’m really glad you enjoyed our set and like Rich said, we are busy arranging bigger gigs to come.

MI: So what is next for Warpath?

Rich: The album’s just gone on sale in all the major UK stores; HMV, Zavvi (the new name for Virgin Megastores), Tesco, Asda, Play.com, Amazon and others so we’re working hard to promote it. We’re planning a second music video as well as getting the ‘Damnation’ video played on the other channels. It’s just been added to Scuzz TV’s play list, which is a big step for us. We’re the first of the new UK Thrash bands to have gotten a music video played on a major TV station so we’re very proud of that and are now working to get it played on Kerrang! and MTV2. Also, we’ll continue gigging across the UK! Thanks for the interview and support!

A HUGE thanks to the guys from Warpath for agreeing to the interview! Now you know a bit more about them, please do check them out! And if you get a chance to see them live, get yourselves along! Thrash isn't normally the kind of metal I listen to, but these guys are just superb musicians and very entertaining! This isn't a*s kissing, this is my geniune enthusiasm for an extremely talented young British metal band!

Myspace: www.myspace.com/warpathuk
Website: www.warpath-online.com

Vertex Myspace: www.myspace.com/vertexproject

All pictures in the interview are used with kind permission from the band.

Review: "Prevail" by Anadies

2008-09-17T20:27:00.005+01:00

Artist: Anadies

Title: Prevail

Release Date: 9/19/2008

Playing in a female-fronted metal band has to be tough. It seems like it would be a constant uphill battle against the machismo of the genre at large, and a struggle to retain the female identity while simultaneously maintaining credibility with listeners who crave extremity.

And really, the mix is about half and half. Vocalists like Morgan Lander (Kittie) and Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) growl away like possessed beasts, but often come across as if they are just trying to keep up with the boys. Conversely, there are singers like Simone Simons (Epica) and Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) whose voices simply soar through the air (and often times out of sync with what the rest of their respective bands are playing) in a hyper-feminine, operatic style which can turn off listeners who don't read historical romance. Lacey Mosley (Flyleaf) sounds like a baby choking on a cat. Amy Lee (Evanescence) sounds like a cat choking on a baby. Is there any hope?

Yes. Yes there is. Enter Colorado's Anadies, a five-piece metal act fronted by Christy Lumberg whose sophomore album "Prevail" is a startlingly good middle-ground for listeners who crave the vocal harmonics of Lacuna Coil but who also want the aggressive and catchy melody lines of Killswitch Engage. Recorded and mixed at Flatline Audio by Dave Otero (Cephalic Carnage, Cobalt, Martriden), "Prevail" is a wonderfully-executed, richly diverse album with something for everybody.

There are influences abound throughout the proceedings, ranging from metal and goth to industrial and classical. The musicianship of the album is superb; the guitars are crunchy as hell with some killer leads, the rhythm section goes off like a machine gun, and the string arrangements and keyboards are subtle and haunting. However, the real treat of the album is Lumberg's vocals; her voice is perfectly suited to the way the songs are structured. She clearly has a wide range, but she displays discipline in that range. She doesn't seem compelled to go off into left field (or come in from out of it as the case may be) in the same self-aggrandizing way others within this genre tend to, which is very refreshing.

The album is rife with gems that stand up well to repeated listenings. The opening track, "Trials" starts out sweet enough but soon the time signature shifts and the claws come out on the chorus with Lumberg's voice soaring amidst a gut-wrenching (in a good way) onslaught of harsh guitars and dry-lung backing vocal roars. "F.T." recalls Pat Benetar and The Cranberries to some extent while "Nothing" is a smooth, bass-driven, Tool-esque prog-metal progression that segues into a truly anthemic piece by the end. And while one might fully expect the album to close with a quiet piano-driven dirge, Anadies surprises yet again with "Remorse," an up-tempo head bobber that ends with a full-speed cacophony of guitars and roars that seek to remind us of the aural beating we've just received.

The overall excellence of the album notwithstanding, the strongest track has to be "Visions." The song begins slow enough, but after an electronics-tinged bridge, the tempo kicks up and gets the head banging in a frenzy. Near the end of the song, the throttle comes back off with Lumberg really putting her voice on display and hitting some of the most hypnotic note progressions ever recorded.

All in all, "Prevail" is an extremely strong release and sure to put Anadies on the collective radar. Anyone who thinks they've heard it all in the world of female-fronted metal must hear Anadies to believe them.

Country: United States

Label: None
URL: http://www.myspace.com/anadies

http://www.anadies.com/