Italian technical death metal crew Gory Blister will release their new album, Earth-Sick, on April 23, via Bakerteam Records.
Nile frontman Karl Sanders guests on two tracks.
GB guitarist Raff said: "This new album is probably the best we've ever done. It displays the raw energy we always put into our shows but also the passion that drives us through good and hard times.
"Death metal is not about money, nor about fashion; it's a way of life that requires no compromises. We do this because we believe in it and we want to keep the flame high. Our fans are going to love Earth-Sick!"
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Live review: Stand With Heretics / The Fourth Exit / Once Before Takeoff - Auntie Annie’s - Wednesday 29 February
You immediately know you’re in trouble when you walk into a metal gig and not only are you twice as old as the rest of the audience put together but your hair, despite a few (but increasing) grey threads, is longer than same, with the exception of the barmaid. We should have known it was going to be one of those nights!
Openers Once Before Takeoff are in full flow as your humble reviewer hands over a small portion of his hard earned dosh to the kid behind the cash desk and heads to the bar. They’re on their last two songs (the gig having actually kicked off on time for a pleasant change), and are frankly quite mediocre, although they are trying hard and are sweating a lot to prove it. The up side is that it gives your truly time to check that all of the females in the room are with partners (of whatever sex), so as to avoid any nasty propositions on this leap year night – well, none could be nastier than the one overheard in the pub down the street when your faithful hack stopped for a libation, or three, en route to the gig!
The Fourth Exit are in dire straits before they even begin, as guitarist David is suffering major problems with his equipment (at least, that’s what his girlfriend told me in the toilets afterwards! as if!), which results in their set being cut to just three songs. But, they prove to be an excellent young band playing hard-hitting suvern blues metal over rumbling bass lines and accompanied by tobacco-smoke vocals, much in the vein of Black Label Society covering Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Any band with a Southern Cross emblazoned guitar is immediately all right in my book – and even more so when they hit the stage as hard and heavy as Stand With Heretics. The fact that singer Donal is emblazoned in more TapOut logos than a reject from a David Haye sparring session is forgiven by the viciousness of his vocal onslaught. However, the set quickly descends into chaos as they become the second band to suffer major technical problems, this time in the form of a broken string: for some reason, yer man Gerard doesn’t seem to have a spare with him and there is a lengthy delay while he retunes a guitar borrowed from one of the other bands – but the whole incident is seen through with humour, not least by those of us standing at the bar (well, any excuse for another Guinness!)! Problems sorted, the band return with the hardcore vengeance of Suck My Glock (as the reviewer said to TFE's guitarist’s girlfriend) and finish their set with an in your face, ‘fuck off’ performance of the highest order – despite the false intro to Déjà Vu proving it’s definitely not the guitarists’ night – with closer Snake In The Grass, dark in its subtle brutality, really showcasing the skills of drummer Darren.
So, after an interesting hour or so, your reviewer wanders back out, still feeling decidedly old (and here apologies to the last two acts on the bill, ABandCalledBoy and Limerick’s We Came In Pieces, but when you’ve done a 14 hour shift and have a 6am start…) but strangely fulfilled…
• A slightly different version of this review was originally published on http://www.uberrock.co.uk/
Openers Once Before Takeoff are in full flow as your humble reviewer hands over a small portion of his hard earned dosh to the kid behind the cash desk and heads to the bar. They’re on their last two songs (the gig having actually kicked off on time for a pleasant change), and are frankly quite mediocre, although they are trying hard and are sweating a lot to prove it. The up side is that it gives your truly time to check that all of the females in the room are with partners (of whatever sex), so as to avoid any nasty propositions on this leap year night – well, none could be nastier than the one overheard in the pub down the street when your faithful hack stopped for a libation, or three, en route to the gig!
The Fourth Exit are in dire straits before they even begin, as guitarist David is suffering major problems with his equipment (at least, that’s what his girlfriend told me in the toilets afterwards! as if!), which results in their set being cut to just three songs. But, they prove to be an excellent young band playing hard-hitting suvern blues metal over rumbling bass lines and accompanied by tobacco-smoke vocals, much in the vein of Black Label Society covering Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Any band with a Southern Cross emblazoned guitar is immediately all right in my book – and even more so when they hit the stage as hard and heavy as Stand With Heretics. The fact that singer Donal is emblazoned in more TapOut logos than a reject from a David Haye sparring session is forgiven by the viciousness of his vocal onslaught. However, the set quickly descends into chaos as they become the second band to suffer major technical problems, this time in the form of a broken string: for some reason, yer man Gerard doesn’t seem to have a spare with him and there is a lengthy delay while he retunes a guitar borrowed from one of the other bands – but the whole incident is seen through with humour, not least by those of us standing at the bar (well, any excuse for another Guinness!)! Problems sorted, the band return with the hardcore vengeance of Suck My Glock (as the reviewer said to TFE's guitarist’s girlfriend) and finish their set with an in your face, ‘fuck off’ performance of the highest order – despite the false intro to Déjà Vu proving it’s definitely not the guitarists’ night – with closer Snake In The Grass, dark in its subtle brutality, really showcasing the skills of drummer Darren.
So, after an interesting hour or so, your reviewer wanders back out, still feeling decidedly old (and here apologies to the last two acts on the bill, ABandCalledBoy and Limerick’s We Came In Pieces, but when you’ve done a 14 hour shift and have a 6am start…) but strangely fulfilled…
• A slightly different version of this review was originally published on http://www.uberrock.co.uk/
D.R.U.G.S. release new single
D.R.U.G.S. - who visit Belfast this coming Sunday, as support to Black Veil Brides - have released a new single, We’re All Fucking Crazy.
Frontman Craig Owens said of the track: "This is a song that was originally written about some personal issues I was going through last summer while on tour with D.R.U.G.S. It can be self-interpreted, as most lyrics should be, but ultimately is about the moments in our lives where you feel like both nothing and everything matters at the same time. Losing someone, you included. Ultimately it points out the direction D.R.U.G.S. is taking musically. I hope you all listen to it, on a real level. I hope that it brings out some anger, some pain, and most importantly that you come join us and your peers in screaming along to get all of that out when we come through your city soon."
The single can be heard here: http://soundcloud.com/user1070548/were-all-fucking-crazy
Sunday's show at the Mandela Hall, btw, is sold out
Frontman Craig Owens said of the track: "This is a song that was originally written about some personal issues I was going through last summer while on tour with D.R.U.G.S. It can be self-interpreted, as most lyrics should be, but ultimately is about the moments in our lives where you feel like both nothing and everything matters at the same time. Losing someone, you included. Ultimately it points out the direction D.R.U.G.S. is taking musically. I hope you all listen to it, on a real level. I hope that it brings out some anger, some pain, and most importantly that you come join us and your peers in screaming along to get all of that out when we come through your city soon."
The single can be heard here: http://soundcloud.com/user1070548/were-all-fucking-crazy
Sunday's show at the Mandela Hall, btw, is sold out
Tuesday 20 March 2012
Europe head list of new bands added to Download bill
Swedish hair metal chart-toppers Europe head the list of the latest band’s confirmed for this year’s Download.
Joey Tempest and company will be making their Donington debut, and will be joined by US melodic rockers Halestorm and Greek power metallers Firewind.
Completing the latest announcement are punk legends Anti-Nowhere League, Broken, Emmure, Mallory Knox, soon-to-be-tourmates Stellar Revival and Theory Of A Deadman, prog metallers The Safety Fire and Norwegian deathpunks Turbonegro.
The full line-up for this year’s Download, which takes place over the weekend of June 8-10, can be found here: http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/line-up/
Joey Tempest and company will be making their Donington debut, and will be joined by US melodic rockers Halestorm and Greek power metallers Firewind.
Completing the latest announcement are punk legends Anti-Nowhere League, Broken, Emmure, Mallory Knox, soon-to-be-tourmates Stellar Revival and Theory Of A Deadman, prog metallers The Safety Fire and Norwegian deathpunks Turbonegro.
The full line-up for this year’s Download, which takes place over the weekend of June 8-10, can be found here: http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/line-up/
Dead Till Friday / The Red Velvetines / Black Sheriff - Portrush - 16 March 2012 - live review
Like most provincial holiday resorts, Portrush – stuck on a rocky promontory on the Atlantic-facing north-west coast of Northern Ireland – is a pretty dismal place outside of the holiday season, populated by handfuls of hardy locals, manic-depressive transient students and hungry seagulls. And, with this being the St Patrick’s Day weekend, even the hardiest of the student populace have cleared off to Belfast or Londonderry to drown their shamrocks.
So, with the March winds whipping off the ocean and the annual North West 200 motorcycling extravaganza still some six weeks’ away, it takes something to attract a hardened rock hack to make the journey in the opposite direction from the bright lights of the big city to the (rather duller) ones of a half-closed out-season resort. One this occasion, it’s a bill full of young (and some not so young) and up-and-coming (and some not so… you get the picture!) bands determined to kick the Bank Holiday festivities off in style.
Things don’t start too auspiciously, when the belated arrival of the opening act puts soundcheck back, and back, and doors don’t open until more than an hour after the advertised time. Fortunately, two of the acts have also pulled out, so no real damage is done to the event’s overall running time. Those responsible of the delayed start, Audio Illusion, do little to impress, however, despite some highly impressive guitar work and a sound that is hard to pigeonhole – indie touches mixed with some serious metal riffs… but their cover of Seven Nation Army is shambolic. Locals Town Cried Wolf fare little better, and the fact that this is their first live gig in a year is evident: soundwise, they can’t really make up their minds, playing jangly indie mixed with second-rate sub-metalcore.
Black Sheriff, on the other hand, really ratchet proceedings up several notches. This is the middle night of a three-date holiday tour for the Cologne quartet, fronted by Northern Ireland native Glen Ravioli: the most experienced outfit on tonight’s bill, this is a real rock band – cowboy hats and sunglasses, dirty cut-off denims and funny shaped guitars, which in deliver equally dirty riffs. ‘Stole My Heart’ sets the standard – rowdy, outlaw punk ‘n’ roll played loud and proud, with other set highlights including the anthemic Coming Home (which Glen claims was written on the flight over from Germany), the singalong I Want You, the fiery Vietnam, which sees Glen go walkies around the venue, including behind the bar to pour himself a drink (much to the barmaid’s chagrin – the trick works much better the following evening in Belfast) and the rousing Be Your Man. The band look and sound like they’re enjoying themselves, and the effect rubs off on the enthusiastic audience.
The Red Velvetines follow that with aplomb. Their sound is big and rich, grungy, soulful stoner blues played with energy, enthusiasm and style. Understandably, most (male) eyes are on sexy frontwoman Claire, who also possesses a fantastic voice, and keeps the set moving along nicely with her non-stop movement. Highlights of their set include Measure Of The Times, with its pumping bass rhythm and tight, joyous hooky riffs, and the punky, metallic finish of Bang Bang. This is a young band with a bright future: great musicianship, brilliant songs and a sexy singer – almost all the perfect ingredients.
Dead Till Friday literally kick the living daylights out of their set - well, the drumkit at least as, after just one song, running repairs have to be made to the bass. This short delay doesn’t stop the band delivering another kick-ass set of rap-metal of the highest order, frontman Adam McKee spitting his rhymes and lyric with the sort of venom that would have good ol’ St Paddy turning his battered VW Beetle around to look for the snake he left behind… the rest of the band are in stunning form as they blast through a slightly shortened set, highlighted by the ferociously catchy Water, the heavy beatdown of MBL and a caustic version of California.
Which leaves only headliners The Space Muffinz… what can we say about them? Well, to be brutally honest, as little as possible. They were atrocious. Chilled out, ambient noise – a totally inappropriate conclusion to what had otherwise been a great evening of top class rock ‘n’ roll, especially from Black Sheriff, The Red Velvetines and DTF.
* This review originally appeared on www.midnightmixtape.co.uk
So, with the March winds whipping off the ocean and the annual North West 200 motorcycling extravaganza still some six weeks’ away, it takes something to attract a hardened rock hack to make the journey in the opposite direction from the bright lights of the big city to the (rather duller) ones of a half-closed out-season resort. One this occasion, it’s a bill full of young (and some not so young) and up-and-coming (and some not so… you get the picture!) bands determined to kick the Bank Holiday festivities off in style.
Things don’t start too auspiciously, when the belated arrival of the opening act puts soundcheck back, and back, and doors don’t open until more than an hour after the advertised time. Fortunately, two of the acts have also pulled out, so no real damage is done to the event’s overall running time. Those responsible of the delayed start, Audio Illusion, do little to impress, however, despite some highly impressive guitar work and a sound that is hard to pigeonhole – indie touches mixed with some serious metal riffs… but their cover of Seven Nation Army is shambolic. Locals Town Cried Wolf fare little better, and the fact that this is their first live gig in a year is evident: soundwise, they can’t really make up their minds, playing jangly indie mixed with second-rate sub-metalcore.
Black Sheriff, on the other hand, really ratchet proceedings up several notches. This is the middle night of a three-date holiday tour for the Cologne quartet, fronted by Northern Ireland native Glen Ravioli: the most experienced outfit on tonight’s bill, this is a real rock band – cowboy hats and sunglasses, dirty cut-off denims and funny shaped guitars, which in deliver equally dirty riffs. ‘Stole My Heart’ sets the standard – rowdy, outlaw punk ‘n’ roll played loud and proud, with other set highlights including the anthemic Coming Home (which Glen claims was written on the flight over from Germany), the singalong I Want You, the fiery Vietnam, which sees Glen go walkies around the venue, including behind the bar to pour himself a drink (much to the barmaid’s chagrin – the trick works much better the following evening in Belfast) and the rousing Be Your Man. The band look and sound like they’re enjoying themselves, and the effect rubs off on the enthusiastic audience.
The Red Velvetines follow that with aplomb. Their sound is big and rich, grungy, soulful stoner blues played with energy, enthusiasm and style. Understandably, most (male) eyes are on sexy frontwoman Claire, who also possesses a fantastic voice, and keeps the set moving along nicely with her non-stop movement. Highlights of their set include Measure Of The Times, with its pumping bass rhythm and tight, joyous hooky riffs, and the punky, metallic finish of Bang Bang. This is a young band with a bright future: great musicianship, brilliant songs and a sexy singer – almost all the perfect ingredients.
Dead Till Friday literally kick the living daylights out of their set - well, the drumkit at least as, after just one song, running repairs have to be made to the bass. This short delay doesn’t stop the band delivering another kick-ass set of rap-metal of the highest order, frontman Adam McKee spitting his rhymes and lyric with the sort of venom that would have good ol’ St Paddy turning his battered VW Beetle around to look for the snake he left behind… the rest of the band are in stunning form as they blast through a slightly shortened set, highlighted by the ferociously catchy Water, the heavy beatdown of MBL and a caustic version of California.
Which leaves only headliners The Space Muffinz… what can we say about them? Well, to be brutally honest, as little as possible. They were atrocious. Chilled out, ambient noise – a totally inappropriate conclusion to what had otherwise been a great evening of top class rock ‘n’ roll, especially from Black Sheriff, The Red Velvetines and DTF.
* This review originally appeared on www.midnightmixtape.co.uk
Million Dollar Reload sign to Frontiers Records
Congratulations to Million Dollar Reload on signing to Frontiers Records.
The Italian label - home to the likes of Whitesnake, Jeff Scott Soto, Mr Big, Crazy Lixx and many, many more - will release the band's second album, A Saint's Sinner, in the near future.
The Italian label - home to the likes of Whitesnake, Jeff Scott Soto, Mr Big, Crazy Lixx and many, many more - will release the band's second album, A Saint's Sinner, in the near future.
New Thin Lizzy re-issues released
Deluxe re-issues of the classic Thin Lizzy albums Nightlife and Fighting, together with a previously unseen live DVD, were released on Monday March 19.
Both albums come with bonus discs of b-sides, demos and previously unreleased material.
Nightlife, originally released in 1974, was Lizzy’s fourth studio album and marked the start of their classic era featuring Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, alongside founders Philip Lynott and Brian Downey. This re-issue comes with a BBC session from that October, three demos recorded with the late Gary Moore, the previously unreleased Showdown and an unreleased alternate take of Still In Love With You.
It was followed a year later by Fighting. This edition again features a mixture of previously unreleased tracks alternate takes, as well as a three-song BBC session from May 1975.
The DVD - Live at the National Stadium Dublin - is a package of never-before-released archive material from Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE. It features the concert of the same name, which features the classic four-piece line-up and is the only live footage of much of the classics from the Fighting era, with the original audio newly restored and remastered. The package also features two documentaries: Renegade - The Philip Lynott Story, an in-depth, fly-on-the-wall discussion with Phil himself, offering an amazing personal insight into Phil’s creative work, as well as the only known live footage of his solo band, and The Sun Goes Down, shot in Ireland during the band’s Thunder and Lightning tour in 1983 and featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage as well as two live tracks, Are You Ready from the show in Belfast and The Sun Goes Down from Dublin. Two other special bonus features are 6/5 Live, a special RTE TV performance featuring two live tracks, Are You Ready and Whiskey in the Jar, and the promo video for the Lynott solo track, Old Town.
The current incarnation of Thin Lizzy – featuring Gorham and Downey, alongside Northern Ireland born frontman Ricky Warwick – kick off an eight date British tour in Coventry on May 15. They also headline the Belsonic festival in Belfast on August 18, with The Darkness also on the bill.
Both albums come with bonus discs of b-sides, demos and previously unreleased material.
Nightlife, originally released in 1974, was Lizzy’s fourth studio album and marked the start of their classic era featuring Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, alongside founders Philip Lynott and Brian Downey. This re-issue comes with a BBC session from that October, three demos recorded with the late Gary Moore, the previously unreleased Showdown and an unreleased alternate take of Still In Love With You.
It was followed a year later by Fighting. This edition again features a mixture of previously unreleased tracks alternate takes, as well as a three-song BBC session from May 1975.
The DVD - Live at the National Stadium Dublin - is a package of never-before-released archive material from Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE. It features the concert of the same name, which features the classic four-piece line-up and is the only live footage of much of the classics from the Fighting era, with the original audio newly restored and remastered. The package also features two documentaries: Renegade - The Philip Lynott Story, an in-depth, fly-on-the-wall discussion with Phil himself, offering an amazing personal insight into Phil’s creative work, as well as the only known live footage of his solo band, and The Sun Goes Down, shot in Ireland during the band’s Thunder and Lightning tour in 1983 and featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage as well as two live tracks, Are You Ready from the show in Belfast and The Sun Goes Down from Dublin. Two other special bonus features are 6/5 Live, a special RTE TV performance featuring two live tracks, Are You Ready and Whiskey in the Jar, and the promo video for the Lynott solo track, Old Town.
The current incarnation of Thin Lizzy – featuring Gorham and Downey, alongside Northern Ireland born frontman Ricky Warwick – kick off an eight date British tour in Coventry on May 15. They also headline the Belsonic festival in Belfast on August 18, with The Darkness also on the bill.
H.E.A.T release third album
Swedish melodic hard rockers H.E.A.T are to release their third studio album, Address The Nation, on Edel’s earMUSIC label, distributed by Absolute via Universal, next Monday (March 26).
Address The Nation, produced by Grammy award-winning Tobias Lindell (Europe, Hardcore Superstar), is the follow up to 2010’s highly acclaimed ‘Freedom Rock’ opus, and is the first with new singer, Erik Gronwell (winner of Swedish IDOL 2009), who joined H.E.A.T in 2010.
H.E.A.T, who are from the Upplands Vasby area in Sweden, released their debut, self-titled album on a local independent label in 2008, and were subsequently voted Best New Band of 2008 by the listeners of Swedish national radio. In 2009, they made it all the way to the final of Melodifestivalen (the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest), with 1,000 Miles, which became a top ten hit single in the Swedish charts and the fifth most played song of 2009 on Swedish radio. H.E.A.T then signed to Edel’s earMUSIC label and released their sophomore album, Freedom Rock, in May 2010: the accompanying single, Beg Beg Beg, immediately went gold in Sweden.
Address The Nation, produced by Grammy award-winning Tobias Lindell (Europe, Hardcore Superstar), is the follow up to 2010’s highly acclaimed ‘Freedom Rock’ opus, and is the first with new singer, Erik Gronwell (winner of Swedish IDOL 2009), who joined H.E.A.T in 2010.
H.E.A.T, who are from the Upplands Vasby area in Sweden, released their debut, self-titled album on a local independent label in 2008, and were subsequently voted Best New Band of 2008 by the listeners of Swedish national radio. In 2009, they made it all the way to the final of Melodifestivalen (the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest), with 1,000 Miles, which became a top ten hit single in the Swedish charts and the fifth most played song of 2009 on Swedish radio. H.E.A.T then signed to Edel’s earMUSIC label and released their sophomore album, Freedom Rock, in May 2010: the accompanying single, Beg Beg Beg, immediately went gold in Sweden.
Bomb City 7 release new single
Belfast ‘genre mongrels’ Bomb City 7 are to release their new single, Paranoia, this Thursday (March 22).
Described as “a storming party anthem in the making”, it is follow up to hip-hop/punk/rock/disco five piece’s debut Songs From The Bomb City EP, which they self-released last year.
A video for the single will also be released soon, and an official launch party is being held at the Speakeasy, Queen’s University Students’ Union, also on Thursday.
More details here: http://www.facebook.com/events/318898654825153/
Described as “a storming party anthem in the making”, it is follow up to hip-hop/punk/rock/disco five piece’s debut Songs From The Bomb City EP, which they self-released last year.
A video for the single will also be released soon, and an official launch party is being held at the Speakeasy, Queen’s University Students’ Union, also on Thursday.
More details here: http://www.facebook.com/events/318898654825153/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)