Paradise City returns to action

Get those air guitars tuned up and get ready to get down and RAWK - 'cos the Paradise City crue are back in business.
The dynamic quartet that make up Belfast's best team of classic rock and metal DJs have just confirmed the dates for a whole raft of PC shows between now and the end of November.
All gigs will take place in the superb venue that is Upstairs @ Morrisons, on Belfast's Bedford Street, on the following dates: Friday 10 June, Friday 15 July, Friday 26 August, Friday 23 September, Friday 14 October and Friday 18 November.
Doors for all shows will be 9pm, and admission is £5. As Paradise City is the host clubhouse for Hard Rock Hell Northern Ireland, the usual members' discounted admission charge (£3) will apply on all nights.
Get those dates in your diaries folks, 'cos there's gonna be some rockin' in the heart of the city!

Rory’s unfinished business…

In November/December 1977 and January 1978, Rory Gallagher recorded a complete new studio album in San Francisco.
There were a variety of reasons why the album wasn’t released at the time – though, in 1992, Rory did reveal that the main reason it didn’t come out (it would have fitted between ‘Photo Finish’ and ‘Top Priority’) was because “the mixing of it had become complicated” and, as a result, he “couldn’t get some of the songs to sound right”. He also said that with the passing of time, he now felt there was a good chance the album “could eventually come out in some form - remixed”.
Sadly, of course, Rory is no longer with us in person but his legacy has been lovingly maintained and nurtured by his brother and manager, Dónal. He, now along with his son Daniel, Rory’s nephew, have returned to these recordings and performed the extraordinary job of mixing the album with contemporary technology - and Rory would surely approve of the results.
To enhance what is already a 'holy grail' package for Rory’s fanbase, the Gallagher’s have also compiled and mixed a live album recorded over the four shows Rory performed at The Old Waldorf in San Francisco around the same period, in December, 1979. The result is a mouth-watering double CD package.
The title, ‘Notes From San Francisco’, is, of course, a play on words, with the notes referred to being both musical ones and written ones, as Rory used to send postcards back to Ireland from wherever his career took him. The sleeve is an original postcard he sent, and several others from the time have been sourced from the original US postcard company who produced them. This limited deluxe edition includes, amongst other things, a set of personalised Rory postcards complete with Rory ‘stamps’.
Rory’s hand-written lyrics for the studio album were in a notebook in the possession of the album’s original producer, Elliot Mazer (famous for his work with Neil Young, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt and The Byrds, amongst many others), and these have also been reproduced in the new artwork.
‘Notes From San Francisco’ is released on the Capo label on 6 June.

Pull the Trigger...

So, did everyone have as good a Saturday as I did? Lots to drink, lots of music and lots of gorgeous women? No? Tough fucking shit, then!
The drinking? Yep, check that box... Evidently, given the stinker of the hangover the Monk has this morning!
The music? Well... I suppose this where I have to get serious and do a review of the evening’s proceedings, which is supposed to be the purpose of this ‘ere blog thing...
It was the first time in too long that I had wandered into the Slimer on a Saturday afternoon, and one of Mr James Loveday’s excellent promotions therein – always a good time guaranteed, with booze and banter a plenty. Awk sure, what more could an ageing rocker ask for?
First up were Dubliners Lace Weeper, making their Belfast debut with a damn fine set of downtuned stoner rock, driven home by the charisma of Polish-born frontman Sebastian Florek, who is a damn fine vocalist. Not a genre I’m into, I admit, but the set was enjoyable and I wouldn’t be averse to catching them again.
I’m not going to say much about Skypilot, except they drove me and my mate Adam to the back wall, and nearly out the door. It’s not that they were bad – they are excellent musicians and a tight unit – it’s just that we didn’t like them.
But, the night was always going to be about Triggerman. No, make that TRIGGERMAN. This a band who deserve capital letters. They deserve to be shouted about. They are definitely one of THE best bands on the circuit, and this set proved their status. Bap – one of the politest frontmen you’ll ever come across – led his troops through a rollickingly rambunctious set which had every head in the place banging with a vengeance (yes, my neck hurts as bad as my head!), especially with old favourites such as ‘I Got The Lurgy’ (which probably would be completely lost on audiences outside li’l ol’ Norn Iron), ‘Road To Damascus’ and the always hellraising encore of ‘Horns’.
A perfect set up for a night of drunkenness and whatever else Walhalla decided to throw my way. Which reminds me, did I forget something? Drink? Check. Music? Check. Er, scroll back... ah, yes, women? Mmmm... let’s just say, she was gorgeous, a lot more sober than I was – and married!
Catch ya next time \m/

Monk rambles on about some new releases...

OK, I’ll admit I’m a bit erratic when it comes to this blogging lark – too many other commitments? Or just sheer fucking laziness? – but I’m hoping to start a regular (which will probably turn out to be an extremely irregular) review of recent releases which have come to my attention. Some of them may not be ‘new’ releases, but stuff with which I’ve only just collided, but, what the fuck, it gives me an excuse to indulge in a wee bit of blogosphere rambling. (Is that the longest opening sentence I’ve ever written? Does anyone give a fuck?).

So, let’s start this little project rolling, with my thoughts on...

Within Temptation – ‘The Unforgiving’ (Roadrunner). After the distractions of the albeit brilliant ‘Black Symphony’ and acoustic projects, the Dutch quintet return to what they do best, with a concept album which is epic, sweepingly dramatic and bombastic (in the best sense). Stand out track: ‘Fire And Ice’.

Cavalera Conspiracy – ‘Blunt Force Trauma’ (Roadrunner). What else are you going to expect from Brazil’s most famous brothers? Lilting lullabies? Like fuck! BFT hits you with all the subtlety of – well, um – a blunt instrument. Brutally brilliant. The special edition features a fine cover of Sabbath’s ‘Electric Funeral’. Stand out track: ‘Genghis Khan’.

Darkest Era – ‘The Last Caress Of Light’ (Metal Blade). I’ve already said elsewhere that this could be the year in which celtic rock takes on its Scandinavian brethren at their own game – and, quite possibly, beat them! With new releases from Cruachan and Primordial looming large, Enniskillen’s Darkest Era have led the charge with fearless aplomb, with this delightful debut. Stand out track: ‘The Morrigan’.

Amon Amarth – ‘Surtur Rising’ (Metal Blade). Talking of Scandinavians, DE’s labelmates keep their flag flying proudly with their latest slab of Viking brutality. Quite frankly, AA always work better live (as their decimation of Dublin earlier this week proved), but the ten tracks offered (to Oden) here are nevertheless guaranteed to pillage even the finest stereo system and leave you a bleeding heap on the floor. Stand out track: ‘Destroyer Of The Universe’.

Artillery – ‘My Blood’ (Metal Mind). These Danes are doing their damndest to prove that EuroThrash is still very much a force to be reckoned with, while keeping the metal factor turned up to eleven. Very much from the Accept school of nailing your balls to the wall, but with a very traditional Bay Area influence, as evidenced on the likes of ‘Monster’ and ‘Ain’t Giving In’. Stand out track: ‘Thrasher’.

NeraNature – ‘Shattered’ (Metal Mind). This is the lead single of the forthcoming debut solo album by Polish chanteuse Nera. Apparently taking her influence from the earth, quite honestly, this one should be buried in it. It’s awful. It comes with a cover of ‘The World Is Not Enough’, which also is garbage (geddit?). See, I don’t write just nice things (although she is a bit of looker!).

Honey For Christ – ‘The Cruelty Of Great Expectations’ (Rundown). Well, it took them fucking long enough, didn’t it? I first came across HFC when I was working for the awful DV8 magazine (anyone remember it? No? Didn’t think so! Don’t blame you!), and that wasn’t yesterday! So, with such a wait, would the album live up to its monicker? Would the weight of expectation result in a cruel letdown? Thankfully, I have to say no. It has been worth the wait. The octet of tunes are carefully crafted, dynamically delivered, with beautifully balanced shades of light and dark, heaviness and subtlety, all coupled with a clear, precise production. I must admit to feeling a large Therapy? influence, especially in the instrumental sections of the likes of ‘Another Way Down’, but that is not a bad thing, and the trio do carve their own very clear creative path. Stand out track: ‘Liar Disciple’.

OK, folks, that’s yer little lot for the moment. I’ll be posting reviews of the new Cruachan and Primordial releases as soon I getting my mitts on ‘em, but hopefully this has given you something to think and talk about. As ever, I appreciate your feedback, either here or via the Paradise City Belfast / Hard Rock Hell NI Facebook pages.

Any bands / labels who want their stuff reviewed here, either pm me on Facebook or email paradisecitybelfast@hotmail.com and I’ll let you know where to send stuff.

Thanks for reading. Rock on. Monk out.

Sylo-mentality

I first came across Sylosis when they released their excellent ‘Conclusion Of An Age’ opus on the mighty Nuclear Blast label back in 2008. Around that time, it was starting to be reported that the British thrash scene – which, in my opinion, has always been a stop-start-stop-start sort of thing as bands on this side of the pond always have played catch up with, and been poorer cousins of, our trans-Atlantic brethren – was starting to make a comeback.
I remained to be convinced: grindcore and screamo seemed to be more the Brittanic take on the genre, but there was one thing that was certain – ‘Conclusion...’ was a damn fine album and one that continued to find its way into my CD player for a while to come.
Well, now the new look quartet have released the follow up, ‘ Edge Of The Earth’ – another damn fine slice of apocalyptic sci-fi thrash, although one, at least from the cover art and concept, seems to take a more primordial (sic) approach to the genre.
The doomy intro of ‘Procession’ soon sets the scene for what is to come: 14 slices of the best thrash you definitely are going to hear this year, if not in this decade so far. Vocalist Josh Middleton – taking over from the now departed Jamie Graham with great aplomb - growls and snarls through sets of suitably mythological storylines, while his guitar work interplays well with that of Alex Bailey (who also contributes some neat piano touches to some of the more low key moments, such as the ending of the epic double-track ‘Empyreal’), while the rhythm section of Carl Parnell and Rob Callard are as accomplished as any you will hear in the genre.
I am still to be convinced that British thrash ever will reach the status of, particularly, its West Coast progenitors, but on the evidence of this album, coupled with the re-emergence of Onslaught and the pending release of a new Primordial, erm, onslaught, (plus the efforts of relative newcomers such as Malefice) I would say the flag of the British Isles nevertheless can fly high and proud in early 2011.

Coverdale ‘snakes his way into ‘Forevermore’

There is absolutely no doubt that David Coverdale is one of the finest voices in the past four decades of heavy rock ‘n’ roll, standing up there alongside the likes of Robert Plant, Ian Gillan and Paul Rodgers as one of the definers of the sound in the 70s and 80s. Then, unlike the aforesaid – at least in my opinion – he seemed to lose his way in what has come to be defined the ‘poodle’ generation, with the Yorkshireman selling out to the LA-dominated big hair scene of the latter half of the 80s, early 90s

To be honest, I lost interest in Whitesnake when ‘Slip Of The Tongue’ came out. The band to whom I had creamed my jeans when I opened ‘Live.. In The Heart Of The City’ as a snattery 14-year old way back on Christmas morning of 1980 had become, within a decade, an irrelevance. The West Coast bands whom my one-time hero seemed to be attempting to emulate (when he should have been teaching them how to do it) were doing it all much better.

So, roll the clock forward some two-and-a-bit decades, and through my letterbox (well, actually delivered by UPS after a polite batter on the door of PC towers, as 12” vinyl doesn’t fit through my CD-sized delivery mechanism) pops possibly the most eagerly anticipated release of the year to date – ‘Forevermore’, courtesy of Italian-based Frontiers Records and Mr Coverdale and his current band of troubadours.

Well? Does it live up to the hype? Or am I going to continue to batter my copies of classics such as ‘Ready N Willing’ into submission?

The answer is WHAT THE FUCK? The opening riff of ‘Steal Your Heart Away’ snakes from my speakers like a cobra, entwining and embracing with all the love and embrace of the Marsden/Moody days, with today’s twin guitar attack of Doug Aldridge and Reb Beach easily bringing the sound of that mighty brotherhood smack into the 21st century. This is classic Whitesnake blues-based hard rock riffola, combined with Coverdale’s typically straight to the point, innuendo laden lyricism: “I want it all and I want it now” he doesn’t quite scream, but the emotion and the intent definitely are there, even if the vocals aren’t as quite as high pitched.

The rhythm section of Michael Devin and Briian (yes, that’s the way it’s spelt on the sleeve) Tichy are as tight and workmanlike as you would expect from a Whitesnake duo, giving Aldridge and Beach free rein to work their magic around Coverdale’s still majestic vocal delivery. OK, there are a few weak links - ‘Easier Said Than Done’, which closes side one is not quite as powerful a power ballad as one would expect – but there is more than enough here, in the likes of ‘Tell Me How’, ‘Love And Treat Me Right’, 'Dogs In The Street', ‘Fare The Well’, ‘My Evil Ways’ and the epic title track to welcome back hardened old fans such as myself back into the fold, as well as hopefully open the ears of a new generation to one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

· ‘Forevermore’ is available now on import from Frontiers Records – www.frontiers.it. It is released as a Classic Rock Magazine Collectors’ Edition on Friday (25 March), ahead of its proper UK release on 11 April.