SATYRICON (and Saxon?) confirmed for BOA 2009

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!

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