June 2012 - Issue 1 by 8th Note Music Mag

In The News

Features Retrospective Elvis Blue Homegrown-No Equal Sound & Motion 8th Notes from the underground

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ELCOME to the very first edition of our magazine! This month we’ll be chatting to ex-Idols winner and South African sweetheart Elvis Blue. In our retrospective feature we’ll be looking back at the legendary Blue Öyster Cult – a band that I personally use as the universal litmus test for good taste in music. If your answer to the question ‘do you like the BÖC?’ is ‘no’ then your opinion on music is invalid. We’ll also be chatting to Klipdrift Battle of the Bands 2012 winner No EquaL about their band, their win and their plans for the future. As always we will have the latest news, CD reviews and equipment reviews by well-known SA producer Rudi Massyn. Keep rocking,

Reviews CDs 17 Rudi’s guide to a better recording 18

Calendar Column You’re doing it wrong

Ed.

Features:Tristan Snijders Yolandé Erasmus Contributor:Rudi Massyn Design & Layout:Reinhardt Massyn Editorial Assistant:Charmaine Palm

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EE GEES legend Robin Gibb was laid to rest, at 62, on the 8th of June 2012 after a prolonged battle with cancer. Gibb died of liver and renal failure on the 20th of May. His body was on display through the streets of Oxfordshire as the late singer’s funeral procession made its way to a private service at St Mary’s Church. Gibb requested that the Bee Gees hit single ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ be the first song played at his funeral. A memorial event is due to be held later this year.

ISCO queen Donna Summer passed away on the 17th of May 2012, aged 63. The ‘Hot Stuff’ singer and five-time Grammy winner died of non-smoking related lung cancer. The funeral service was held at the Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee on the 23rd of May and was attended by guests such as musicians David Foster, Natalie Grant and Tony Orlando.

IDDIE-POP sensation Justin Bieber subjects the world to yet another album, Believe, due for release on the 19th of June 2012. Biebermania is amazingly still going strong and we expect there to be prepubescent queues, not to mention tears where it sells out, across the world when this album drops.

LTERNATIVE rockers The Smashing Pumpkins will release their album Oceania on the 19th of June 2012. Oceania is essentially an album-within-analbum, being part of an ongoing album entitled Teagarden by Kaleidyscope and will most certainly deliver that classic Pumpkins vibe with a bit of a more modern twist.

AGLES legend Joe Walsh has released his tenth solo album, Analog Man, on the 5th of June 2012. After the astounding success of the Eagles first studio album in 28 years, 2007’s Long Road Out of Eden, we hope Joe can keep it up with his new solo work.

N L 2012.

EIL Young collaborates with Crazy Horse to bring you the group’s first studio album in nine years, Americana, which was released on the 5th of June

ATE-NIGHT talk show host Jimmy Fallon releases his second album, Blow Your Pants Off, on the 12th of June 2012. Guest appearances from artists such as Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and Dave Matthews promise to make Fallon’s latest comedy album rather interesting, to say the least.

LUDGEY grungy greats Melvins dropped their latest album, Freak Puke, on the 5th of June 2012. Their influence on bands such as Nirvana, Tool and Mastodon cannot be understated and we’re really looking forward to checking out this Melvins Lite release!

ALIFORNIAN punkrock band The Offspring looks set to release their ninth studio album, Days Go By, on the 26th of June 2012. The amount of punk in the veterans’ music has been decreasing over the years and their latest album will likely deliver a far more commercial rock sound, courtesy of market demand and producer Bob Rock.

WEDISH garage rockers The Hives released their fifth studio album, Lex Hives, internationally on the 8th of June. This is the first album released on the band’s own label, Disque Hives, and promises to bring back their brand of grooving retro rock. Check out our reviews section for a detailed review of Lex Hives!

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URF-ROCK icons The Beach Boys released their 29th studio album, That’s Why God Made the Radio, on the 5th of June 2012. The release of this album coincides with the band’s staggering 50-year anniversary and marks the return of founding member Brian Wilson.

OP-ROCK band Maroon 5 are set to release Overexposed on the 22nd of June 2012, riding on the success of their 2011 single, ‘Moves Like Jagger’. The funky Americans claim that this is to be their most ‘pop’ album yet and we wait with bated breath to see if this change is going to pay off.

ROG-ROCK wizards Rush are set to release Clockwork Angels, their 19th studio album, on the 12th of June 2012. The band once again worked with producer extraordinaire Nick Raskulinecz to bring a follow-up to their 2007 album, Snakes & Arrows. This time the prog vets bring us a steampunk concept album with everything from pirates to a deific watchmaker who makes sure everything goes to plan. Sounds like quite a concept!

CCENTRIC jazzy singer-songwriter Fiona Apple releases her first album in seven years, The Idler

Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do, on the 19th of June 2012. Judging from the quality of the album’s single, ‘Every Single Night’, The Idler Wheel… should definitely not alienate fans and will hopefully draw in some of the Adele crowd too.

TONE Studios International is a JHBbased record label that launched in January this year. They currently boast Son of a 1000, Eden Michelle, Ryan, Jack Stone and No EquaL on their roster of artists. All these artists are busy recording and some albums will drop later this year, including the muchanticipated To Jump with Eyes Closed by Son of a 1000 set to hit shelves next month. Jack Stone’s debut album Walk On is currently being recorded under the expert direction of producer Rudi Massyn.

OUTH AFRICA’s own opera-fusion quartet Diversity recently returned from the Chaoyang Pop Music Festival in Beijing, China. This eclectic group was invited to perform at the festival and was a hit with critics and spectators alike. Expect great things to come from this diverse, yet distinctly African, group of classically-trained singers in the near future.

ADY Gaga is set to announce her next album title in September this year so fans will just have to wait to see what this super-starlett has in store for them later this year. Lady Gaga is currently busy with her ‘Born This Way’ tour and made the announcement regarding the new album name via Twitter.

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B L U E Ö Y S T E R C U LT A fire of unknown origin

Tristan Snijders

S one of the forefathers of heavy metal music, Blue Öyster Cult deserves a spot amongst the great hard rock bands of yesteryear. Along with other legendary acts such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, BÖC has had a major impact on the development of both hard rock and heavy metal, and continues to perform sold-out shows to this very day. My first encounter with the band was in January 1998 on a trip to the USA. I was walking through one of the various American ultra-hyper-supermarkets when I chanced upon a bargain bin with CDs selling for up to $2.99. Whilst madly rummaging around like a purplehaired sixty-something-year-old lady at a yard sale, a CD caught my eye. It was some Poison album. I thought the band’s name was pretty cool and using my wonderfully developed pre-teen logic, decided that with a name like that the music would also most certainly have to be awesome. Fortunately, I continued clawing my way through the

various MC Hammer and New Kids on the Block CDs and came across a particular gem – BÖC’s On Flame with Rock and Roll compilation. After realising I only had enough cash on me to buy one CD I was vexed as to which one I should choose: Poison or BÖC. You can hazard a guess as to which I chose. If I had chosen otherwise, my mom’s makeup supplies would probably have dwindled quite rapidly. After shifting through several commercially unsuccessful incarnations, the name Blue Öyster Cult was chosen in 1971. In January 1972 the band’s self-titled debut album was released through CBS Records. Since BÖC’s inception, the band has released a total of 20 studio and live albums. Six RIAA gold-certified and two platinumcertified releases later, BÖC is still going strong and performing live with a regularity, and intensity, that betrays the band’s age. The vision behind BÖC was that the band would play dark, abrasive music and act as an American counterpart

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to Britain’s powerhouse; Black Sabbath. BÖC’s first three albums followed this vision of creating heavy, edgy music with poetic lyrics. As the band matured, the members’ song-writing abilities consistently improved, and their music started moving towards a more commercial sound, though the band’s image and lyrical themes retained much of their occult inspiration. While internal conflict and the legendary substance abuse of Ozzy Osbourne started tearing apart the original Black Sabbath line-up, BÖC started to hit its stride, and the greatest material the band would produce was yet to come. While drummers, bassists and keyboardists would come and go, Buck Dharma (Donald Roeser) and Eric Bloom, the band’s main songwriters, have remained as BÖC’s stalwarts since its inception. BÖC saw the height of commercial success between 1976 and 1981, releasing five albums that placed in the top 50 of the Billboard Top 200 and their two most famous singles, ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ and ‘Burnin’ for You’. It is undeniable that BÖC saw its heyday more than two decades ago, but the timelessness of the band’s music and the love that many have for it, have kept BÖC culturally relevant and never completely out of the sight, or rather ear, of the general public. The band has been frequently referenced in popular culture media. BÖC has been referenced in comics from Manga, DC Comics and Marvel Comics to daily newspaper strips, and have even had a comic book based entirely on the band’s song, ‘Veteran of

the Psychic Wars’.

It is undeniable that “BÖC saw its heyday more than two decades ago, but the timelessness of the band’s music and the love that many have for it, have kept BÖC culturally relevant…

”

BÖC’s music has also featured in both the Rock Band and Guitar Hero video game franchises and ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ has been used in several games, dating as far back as 1999. BÖC has also featured and been heavily referenced on television and in film and inspired the American pop culture catchphrase, ‘More cowbell’, being the subject a widely loved Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Christopher Walken. ■

OUR TOP THREE BLUE ÖYSTER CULT ALBUMS

#1 #2 #3

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Fire of Unknown Origin, 1981

Agents of Fortune, 1976

Secret Treaties, 1974

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Calling Elvis! 8 t h N o t e ’ s Yo l a n d e E r a s m u s t a l k s t o E l v i s B l u e a b o u t I d o l s , music and his plans for the future…

LVIS Blue conquered the hearts of many South Africans when he stormed onto the music scene in 2010, using the reality television music show Idols as a platform for his success. It is no surprise that he took the Idols crown later that year, having won the votes of the majority of Idols fans against some tough competition. This incredible singer is well-loved by many since his ‘big break’ on Idols, but even before that he was nominated for a SAMA award. With his latest offering Journey set to hit the shelves of CD stores next month, I decided it was time to have a chat with this wonderfully talented, humble young artist.

<Y> How did music start for you? What would you say was the defining moment that lead you down this path where you knew that this was exactly what you wanted to do? It was probably during my high school years. When I was 15 years old, I was at boarding school in Potchefstroom. I do not know exactly why I chose to go there from Johannesburg, but that is probably a story for a different day. One afternoon I was walking down the hall, when I heard someone playing guitar in one of the dorm rooms. I went in and saw someone playing an electric guitar. I loved music, but on this day I had a tremendous desire to be able to make it myself. I bought my first guitar for R30

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from a friend a week later.

<Y> You were quite successful performing Afrikaans music under your birth name, Jan Hoogendyk, going so far as to be nominated for a SAMA in 2010. What prompted you to enter Idols considering you already did well for yourself in the local Afrikaans market? I was very fortunate to have been nominated for a SAMA. The challenging thing was that the nomination did not translate into any success at all. I was struggling to find live work and the albums had almost no sales. I had a wife and a child and I was faced with some difficult decisions. At that stage, I had done five albums and none of them had done well even though the Afrikaans albums were recognised by the SAMA committee. I was 30 years old and I knew I needed a break if I wanted to continue being a full-time musician.

<Y> Did you feel it a necessary evolution in your music and career to make the switch over to performing in English? No. Before I did the two Afrikaans albums I did three English albums. I always feel there is a right time for everything. When the opportunity came to do English music again I was happy about it. I also hope to do some Afrikaans work again...

<Y> When one looks back at the past of Idols in SA, other than yourself, Heinz Winckler is the only artist to really become successful after the competition. Why do you think that is? I cannot really comment on the succes of others. What I can say is that Idols is a very big show. It is a massive opportunity, but it also comes with a lot of pressure to keep up your visibility after the show ends. The problem is that it would be impossible for any artist to maintain that kind of visibility. It therefore might appear as if artists have faded, even though they are still having successful careers. Music takes

enjoy. But ultimately, I know that if I am able to live from my music I can be happy.

<Y> Why do you make music and what effect do you want it to have on people? Music takes you places, it makes you think and feel things. It tells our stories. I always hope to make music that will stir emotion and tell real stories.

<Y> You’re quite involved in charitable organisations, such as the 46664 Bangle Initiative and the Blue Music you places, it Academy. Tell us a bit more about the Blue Music Academy makes you think and feel things. and what inspired you to get It tells our stories. I always involved with the community.

“

<Y> Do you feel it is very much a case of ‘the right person, at the right place and at the right time’ or is it also a case of the amount of work that needs to be put in after the competition to keep the momentum going?

hope to make music that will stir emotion and tell real stories.

You have to work hard, be passionate and value the people around you, but never forget that there are many people out there who also work just as hard and who also have talent – but they might not be where you are. Always do as much as you can, but know that succes is a great gift you are fortunate to receive.

<Y> Do you feel that Idols was an invaluable platform for you to gain exposure? Yes. All artists need a break. Even artists who would say they ‘made it on their own’ usually had some form of break. It is probably different for everyone and I cannot speak for others. It helped me to be heard, and was therefore a great opportunity for me.

<Y> Even in your profession there are days where things just aren’t going your way. What keeps you inspired and to what do you think you owe your perseverance in the industry?

”

I started teaching youngsters in George about six years ago. The project kind of grew and since all this happened to me we have been able to grow the project even further. Now, with the help of great sponsors, we have a school in Johannesburg. We give kids who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to make music a chance to do so.

<Y> In the little free time you have, what exactly do you do to relax? I love chilling at home with my family. I like relaxing in front of the TV and watching sports. I enjoy surfing when I am at the coast and I am lucky to be sponsored by Bavarian Motorcycles (Centurion), so I enjoy going for a ride on my bike every now and then.

<Y> What’s on the cards for Elvis Blue in the upcoming months? We have just finished the new album. The album is called Journey and it will be in stores on Friday, the 13th of July. I hope to tour and promote the album and really focus my attention on getting it out there.■

I really, really love music. I love listening to it, talking about it and making it. I think the fact that it is my favourite thing to do helps a lot.

<Y> Are there any artists from whom you draw inspiration, or have had a significant impact on your music? I like all kinds of music, but here are a few artists I truly love: U2, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Bob Dylan and Sting.

<Y> Do you have any sort of end goal for your musical career? A point where you can safely say, “I’ve done all I’ve wanted to and don’t need to prove myself any further”? No. I just want to keep making music. My goal from the beginning was to be able to make a living from it. I now find myself trying to achieve many other things, which I

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It’s all about having No EquaL 8 t h N o t e c h a t s t o t h e c r a z y c r e w o f o n e o f S A’ s m o s t exciting upcoming rock acts, No EquaL, about the band, its vision and the Klipdrift Battle of the Bands 2012.

Tristan Snijders

O EQUAL is a Johannesburg-based band that has proven they have no equal. No EquaL’s brand of energetic, near-progressive, rock blew away the competition, judges and spectators at the semi-final and final stages of this year’s Klipdrift Battle of the Bands. The band took first place winning R20 000 in cash from Klipdrift and an impressive R100 000 recording deal courtesy of the event’s other main sponsor, Stone Studios International. No EquaL formed little over a year ago in May 2011, when old friends Tyronne Morris (bass, formerly of Saron Gas) and De Wet van Rensburg (vocals), who had just returned from the UK, got together and started working on some material Tyronne had lying around. A week later Dewald Spangenberg (guitars) joined the band and within two weeks No EquaL was auditioning drummers. Almost a year later, whilst the Klipdrift Battle of the Bands 2012 was underway, George Davidson (drums) joined the band to complete the current line-up. With a wealth of experience and talent between the members and a unified musical vision, No EquaL is a band that is likely to make a huge dent in the market.

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<T> You all have long histories playing music. How did it start for each of you? Tyronne: I ended up in the music industry purely by accident. I was more into off-road motorcycle racing and ended up playing in a band with a borrowed bass guitar. Dewald: I started off playing the piano at age nine. After discovering my dad’s old guitar four years later, I was hooked. Being a musician has always been my passion. De Wet: In 1995 a friend invited me to a live rock show. I was blown away by the drummer, Brent Harris, and

“To keep all our songs in a similar

vein, we decided to write as a collective. This allows everyone to feel like they are part of something special that we can be proud of.

”

started playing drums the next day! My singing developed as I went along, and I started singing professionally in 2004. George: I started playing drums at 16.

<T> How does the song writing process in No EquaL work? Tyronne: To keep all our songs in a similar vein, we decided to write as a collective. This allows everyone to feel like they are part of something special that we can be proud of. Whoever has the best idea on the day is what the next song will sound like.

<T> Is there a specific musical and lyrical vision behind the band? Dewald: The aim of No EquaL has never been to model ourselves on any other band. The sound that we have came about naturally and if it is unique and special to those who hear and appreciate it, we have halfway met our goal!

night of the final to think about anything else besides not fucking up too much!

De Wet: As far the lyrics are concerned, we write about life and its processes. Everything in life can influence us, from relationships to humanitarian issues.

<T> What were your feelings and thoughts after being announced the winning band of the Klipdrift Battle of the Bands?

<T> What makes No EquaL different from projects you have worked on in the past?

Tyronne: It was very surreal and took most of the night drinking all kinds of shit to realise what had just happened. There were some really awesome bands and tons of talent on display throughout the battle so, to put it mildly, we were fucking stoked!

Dewald: I’ve played in many bands before, but nothing nearly as inspirational and unique as No EquaL… the members’ chemistry, passion and ambition are perfectly in sync.

<T> What do you feel makes No EquaL different from other contemporary music acts? De Wet: It is hard to be ‘different’ but we simply strive to play what comes naturally – we stay true to what comes from within. Tyronne: We love what we do and try to write songs that have meaning, depth and tons of melody – songs that appeal to everyone. George: I don’t play for any other band. That’s what my deductive reasoning has come up with.

<T> You guys blew away the judges at this year’s Klipdrift Battle of the Bands. What expectations did you have going into the competition? George: We had no idea nor expectation that we would win, but I was relatively confident that would we make the semi-finals. Tyronne: We decided before joining the battle that we would go down fighting and would play our own songs, bowing out of the competition having a good idea as to where our original music stood if we never got to the final. What did we know? I think we were too nervous on the

<T> What are the interpersonal relationships like in the band? Do you prefer to keep No EquaL and your personal lives separate? Tyronne: I hate the fuckers! Haha, honestly, we’re really a close bunch and enjoy each other’s company. Dewald: Haha, despite what Tyronne says we are a family that spends time socialising and disagreeing, as all families do. We like to be known as the “No EquaL Family” together with our friends and fans.

<T> What do you do in your spare time? Tyronne: Write songs for other artists, race sailboats and scuba dive. Dewald: What spare time? I teach music for a living, practice guitar for around two hours a day and spend relaxing time with loved ones at every opportunity. De Wet: Write more! I do graphic design and find ways to be inspired. George: I do some carpentry work (Ed: no doubt inspired by a certain saviour) and teach drums to a few guys and girls. ■

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Sound & Motion

8th Note’s Tristan Snijders takes a look at our top ten favourite driving songs of all time…

E need a soundtrack for those rare times when the highway is empty, or when we are burning a trail through the cold Karoo on our way to Cape Town. Gone are the days of the working-class problems of single CD decks in economy cars that skip every time the tyres hit a pebble. Today our working-class problems involve which songs to load on our MP3 players under the playlist ‘driving’. As much as this is a summary of our favourite driving music it is also a bit of a retrospective, a good long look at music from a time where intros, verses and choruses were still respected – that is to say

unassuming music from the past, largely set in 4/4 time and all the better for it. The hallmark of good music is your willingness to play it in the car. These are the songs we deem good enough to be played on a road trip between JHB and CPT – hundreds of times over again. If you are planning a road trip, looking to relieve peak-traffic angst or simply a lover of good music, have a look at our list of the best driving music of all time. Our list reads as follows:

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#10

#9 #8 #7 #6 #5 #4 #3

Joe Satriani – ‘Driving at Night’. The ever-porny Satch plays this classic on his very first studio album in 1986, Not of this Earth.

The Doors – ‘Riders on the Storm’. This track is off their 1971 LA Woman album.

The Knack – ‘My Sherona’. ‘My Sherona’ is the 1979 hit single from the album Get the Knack.

Ram Jam – ‘Black Betty’. This Lead Belly original was covered by Bill Bartlett for his band Starstruck, but they re-released it when Ram Jam formed and this was their 1977 hit single.

Blondie – ‘Maria’. This was the hit single off Blondie’s 1999 come-back album No Exit.

Boston – ‘More than a Feeling’. This epic tune is the lead single off their self-titled debut album released in 1976. Black Sabbath – ‘Supernaut’. This romping rock song appeared on the 1972 Black Sabbath Vol. 4 album. AC/DC – ‘Highway to Hell’. This is the title track off the Oz rockers’ 1979 album, and also the last album to feature Bon Scott.

Golden Earring – ‘Radar Love’. There is absolutely no cheese and herring about these Dutch rockers. ‘Radar Love’ is off their US debut album Moontan.

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Tom Cochrane – ‘Life is a Highway’. This track is off the ground-breaking 90s album Mad Mad World. This decidedly groovy Canadian gem ranks as our #1 driving song.

ERMAN thrash legends Kreator released their latest album,

Phantom Antichrist,

on the 1st of June 2012 through Nuclear Blast. Having pioneered the German thrash metal sound in the mid-eighties, Kreator has moved on to incorporate more melody and complexity into their guitar work, blowing away their American Bay Area thrash counterparts.

NDUSTRIAL metal veterans Fear Factory released their eighth studio album, The Industrialist, on the 5th of June 2012. With a solid technology-driven concept behind the album it promises to be one of the highlights of the month for those into heavier music.

EAVY metal band Grand Magus brought us their sixth album, The Hunt, on the 8th of June 2012. The Swedish trio delivers heavy metal with some slight 70s doom-inspired styling creating a catchy sound without all the flowery cheese of power metal. If you enjoy your metal epic yet to-the-point, don’t miss The Hunt.

NEMESIS, the fifth album by future-

fusion metallers Mnemic was released on the 8th of June 2012. The band plays a synthesis of industrial and groove metal with a healthy dose of djent and metalcore mixed in to create something quite unlike any other band out there. The band has already, on request, opened for Metallica several times, and hopefully this album will finally catapult them into the mainstream.

OOM metal greats Candlemass released Psalms for the Dead, their final album with former Solitude Aeternus vocalist, Robert Lowe, on the 8th of June 2012. Fans will now no doubt be screaming for the return of former vocalist, Messiah Marcolin, but we’re just happy that the Swedes have consistently put out such quality epic doom metal.

ODOM is set to release 30 Years Sodomized: 1982 – 2012 on the 15th of June 2012. This mammoth five-disc compilation release contains material spanning the band’s entire career and die-hard fans will need to have this one in their collection. Those new to these veteran German thrashers would do well to pick this up to see what Sodom is all about. PAGE15

MPEROR-FOUNDER and solo-artist extraordinaire Ihsahn has a new album, Eremita, hitting the shelves on the 18th of June 2012. Since the break-up of the groundbreaking Emperor, Ihsahn has steadily built up a solid solo career crafting some very intelligent and often complex music that still maintains quite a bite. We definitely can’t wait to see what he’s pulled out of his bag this time.

EATHCORE band Whitechapel releases their fourth album Whitechapel on the 19th of June 2012. The Tennessee natives seem quite likely to continue with their brand of deathcore that, while it is in no way original, certainly gets the attention of a large group of metal heads. XTREME progressive metal band Gojira unleashes their latest album, L’Enfant Sauvage, on the 26th of June 2012. This French group made significant waves in the scene with their highly-acclaimed 2005 album, From Mars to Sirius, and has since risen to even greater heights. Their The Flesh Alive DVD was released on the 4th of June 2012 and shows the band at their finest; it’s not to be missed.

YSTERIOUS French black metal band Deathspell Omega has a brand new EP entitled Drought arriving in stores on the 22nd of June 2012. We hope they continue along the same road they have been traversing for the past eight years as their chaotic, complex black metal really lies at the pinnacle of the genre. This will definitely be a highlight of the month for us. GYPTIANinspired death metal monsters Nile will be releasing their latest opus,

At the Gate of Sethu, on

the 29th of June 2012. Karl Sanders (vocals and guitars) states that their latest album pushes the band’s technicality and song writing to a new level and we can’t wait to give it a spin once it’s out. PAGE16

The Hives Lex Hives, June 2012 Reviewed by: Tristan Snijders Rating : 6/10 HE HIVES has not been the most prolific band in terms of album releases. After a 19-year career, the band has only released five studio albums and Lex Hives hasn’t strayed too far from The Hives’ usual formula. If you’re an old fan of the band, you’re bound to enjoy this, but it simply isn’t quite up to scratch when looking back into the band’s discography.

Typical of The Hives, this is a very retro affair, with quite a rough punk and old-school rock approach at times, but the record feels overwhelmingly sterile with the production being somewhat too clinical and clean. The song writing also feels a bit unfocused sometimes and in the end Lex Hives is a bit all over the place. A mixture of big band music, blues, new wave, rock and punk may indeed work, but not for The Hives. That said, when Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist (vocals) and his crew pick up the pace and simply rock on, the band shines, leaving one to wonder why they didn’t stick closer to their working formula more regularly. Too much experimentation with a simple, effective formula almost always leads to disaster and while Lex Hives falls flat on several occasions there are still a few songs worth listening to. This album is recommended to The Hives fans and fans of retro rock music, but you may want to have a look on iTunes and grab a select few songs instead of sitting through the whole album.■ Madonna MDNA, March 2012 Reviewed by: Reinhardt Massyn Rating : 5/10 DNA is the 12th studio album co-produced and written by Madonna herself. This album boasts 12 tracks featuring co-producers such as the world-renowned Martin Solveig and techno / trance legend Benny Benassi.

Metallica Lulu, October 2011 Reviewed by: Tristan Snijders Rating : 1/10 VERYONE who liked Metallica at some point thought that the band’s abominable St. Anger was possibly the worst metal album ever and that it was impossible for the San Franciscans to sink lower than that. With 2008’s Death Magnetic Metallica somewhat redeemed themselves and produced their best album since their 1991 self-titled ‘black’ album.

Lulu, however, is an extremely disappointing album. This

unholy alliance between an aged Lou Reed and an aging Metallica creates what can only be described as a train wreck. James Hetfield shares vocal duties with former The Velvet Underground front man Lou Reed and both deliver utterly poor performances. There are a few good riffs scattered across the album but they are few and far between and even the decent riffs tend to drag after being repeated for the umpteenth bar. The production also leaves a lot to be desired. Clearly, the Lulu collaborators were going for a stripped-down, raw approach but, in the end, the album just sounds like it was recorded in someone’s bathroom – it doesn’t sound raw, dirty or old school; it just sounds crap. Lou Reed’s pseudo-intellectual poetry also lacks depth and the lyrics come across as an infinitely inferior Tom Waits clone. Nobody should go out of their way to listen to this drivel, and the only people who can justify owning this album are Metallica or Lou Reed completists. ■

a pure techno and trance feel, moving away from the normal ‘Madonna-pop’ vibe. Nowhere on this CD can you find reference to a classic Madonna hit such as ‘Like a Virgin’ and ‘Hung Up’. I found this album to be extremely disappointing, and feel that even the die-hard Madonna fan won’t find this album as attractive as the marketing behind it. Definitely not what one expects and not the best Madonna CD to date. ■

At first glance any Madonna fan will immediately feel excited and warmed by the presence of a very fresh look on the cover, creating the image of a better ‘re-born’ Madonna. The first track will cement that impression of a ‘new’ Madonna, moving towards the more club / techno vibe. As the album progressed, I experienced the same sounds, effects and song structures. All the songs boast

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Rudi’s Guide to a better recording This month Rudi chats about the Solo/610 Preamp...

PREAMP’s job is to increase the mic levels – to amplify it to a useable line level. A good part of your sound is determined by your preamp and it is therefore incrementally important to determine the sound of your recording. A typical vocal chain will be: mic connected to the preamp; compressor to the AD connecting to the PC. In other words your preamp is one of the main components connected to your mic. The Solo/610 is cool because it is a single channel preamp that delivers that sought-after vintage sound. The Solo/610 is a copy of the original 610 design (the same as the LA-610) – and is a fairly faithful recreation at that. What makes this so unique is that it is aimed at use in a project studio but it has so much bang that it will be at home in any studio.

Product type : Hardware / Preamp Product name : Solo/610 Rating : 8/10

“… it smoothes out

knobs on the front. One driving the preamp stage and the other the output. Basically this means that if you turn the left knob you hear more valve. Because you’re driving the input harder you need to reduce the output: essentially creating a balancing act and letting your ears be the judge.

everything you run through it and adds natural warmth to your recording.

In addition, it is a valve preamp and the valves are responsible for that vintage sound mentioned above. The valves have the ability to create smoother transience and smoother frequency responses, thereby delivering natural compression and eliminating spikes or harshness. So in a nutshell: it smoothes out everything you run through it and adds natural warmth to your recording.

Other features include: a DI box - the DI box enables you to directly inject guitar signal into the device for recording. It also sports a low-cut filter and a phase-switch. The unit is very simple, sporting two vintage PAGE18

”

As a testament of my faith in the product, we rely heavily on this device at our recording facility at Stone Studios International. This is a very cool, easy-to-use device that everyone should own. In addition, it is value-formoney, retailing in SA for between R7500 and R8000 per unit, and that is a bargain.■

June 14th

Alan! Let’s Move on, Dr Khumalo and It’s Okey. 19h00 at Arcade Empire JHB.

June 16th

Big Time. 15h00 at the Artscape Opera House CPT. R70

June 17th

Bakgat Country Opskop. 15h00 at the Grand Arena, Grand West CPT. R120 – R150

June 20th

Engelbert Humperdinck. 20h00 at Grand West Arena CPT. R250 – R520

June 21st

Villa La Symphony: Concert 2. 20h00 at the Great Hall, UWC, CPT. R100

June 22nd June 22nd and 23rd

Tatum and Obsessie Met Als. Mercury JHB. R20 Engelbert Humperdinck. 20h00 at Carnival City’s Big top Arena JHB. R250 – R520

June 23rd

Juggernaut and Jet Black Camaro at the Bohemian JHB.

June 27th

Stone Show with Jack Stone, Eden Michelle, Ryan, Son of a 1000 and No EquaL. Tanz Café in Fourways JHB.

June 29th

Son of a 1000 ‘Peep Show’. 20h00 at Tanz Café Fourways. R60

June 29th

Tribute to the Funk. 20h00 at Vacca Matta, Montecasino JHB. R100 – R150

June 30th

Fridge Poetry, Pistolwhip 45, Jet Black Camaro, Adorned in Ash, Jenna Sighed, Part Time Pirates, Hammer of Redemption and Haggis and Bong. 14h30 at the Doors Nightclub JHB. R60

July 7th

Auditions for FORR Tunes in Mozambique (Battle of the Bands).

July 15th

Net in Afrikaans: Beste van Mel Botes. 15h00 at the Atterbury Theatre PTA.

July 28th

If the World Were Human. 18h30 at the Musaion, UP, PTA. R60 – R80

August 3rd

The Parlotones: This is our Story. 20h00 at the Teatro at Montecasino. R200 – R300

September 7th to 9th

SA Tattoo. 20h00 at the Montecasino Outdoor Event Arena, JHB. R224 – R398

September 12th

Flight of Birds. 20h00 at the Atterbury Theatre PTA. R120 – R180

October 13th

Konstantin Scherbakov. 20h00 at the Linder Auditorium JHB. R120 – R150

*Event details are subject to change

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You’re doing it wrong

T SEEMS that, while we have more bands, more venues and festivals bonanza, South African rockers and metalheads are still whinging about the fact that the scene has ‘changed’ and bemoaning the death of the ‘good old days’.

and Blind Guardian play shows in this great crotch of Africa. Ambitious ‘organisers’ have even attempted to get Nile to play in South Africa – off the back of a marketing strategy that involved a single facebook group. It didn’t work, can you believe it?

It is tiring actually; the omnipresent 35-year-old metalhead on some online music forum pointing out how music lately ‘sucks’ and how ‘awesome’ venues have closed and the ones that remain also, not surprisingly, ‘suck’. Here is the thing though, while the scene has certainly changed and we are faced with venues packed to the rafters with metalcore (when did this happen? Why was there no petition?) bands who sound incredibly similar to marching bands who have stumbled into maternity wards only to have a neo-natal nurse record the whole mess on her cell phone – we too, have changed.

As a 30-year old I am incrementally less lax in my expectations compared to when I was say, 19. I expect good music and little to no vomit during my evening entertainment. I enjoy cold beverages and not roomtemperature stale beers. I have learnt to appreciate the value of persons who specialise in stage management and sound technology – and I have realised that these are not made-up jobs. My wardrobe does not pay homage to Tim Burton films.

There is nothing quite as sad as an ageing rocker diligently reporting his latest experience at a venue that ‘used to be cool’. Unless that same ageing rocker was whisked to the venue in the DeLorean, they are bound to be disappointed. Mainly because of the metalcore problem, but also because venues have adapted to appeal to crowds that we simply do not relate to. There was never going to be Judas Priest in fierce moshpits – gone are the days, sadly. We are left of course with age-old complaint: the scene has died! Actually the scene has exploded, and should you wish you could be knee-deep in metalcore bands three nights per week. We are also sporting festivals aplenty, with varying degrees of success and little appeal to those who value hygiene and good music generally. We have had Iron Maiden, Sepultura, Metallica, Entombed

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It is not surprising then, that I do not revisit venues from my childhood only to find myself aghast in horror and bewilderment and promptly report the failure of my evening on online music forums. Keep rocking, but always remember that if venues failed to change they’d have to make room for baby-changing stations, light meals and Zimmerframes – and that is not the right sort of heavy metal.■

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