HRH Mag - XXVIII - March 2025 by Hard Rock Hell Magazine

Erja Lyytinen

RICKY WARWICK | NIGHTBLADE | SHAMAN’S HARVEST | MARISSA AND THE MOTHS

H.E.A.T. | JAYLER | JOANOVARC | PEARL HANDLED REVOLVER | BLACKTOP MOJO

SKUNK ANANSIE | THUNDERMOTHER | WHITECHAPEL | BABYLON A.D. | LEAH MARTIN BROWN

Welcome to volume XXVIII

The Team

Editorial

Chief Editor - Adam Kennedy - adam@hrhmediahub.com

Designer - Charlotte Hooper - charl@darkwatch.net

Contributing Writers:

Russell Peake, Viki Ridley, Adam Kennedy, Paul Davies, Charlotte Hooper, Dennis Jarman, Peter Ray Allison, Diane Davies

Contributing Photographers:

Adam Kennedy, Simon Dunkerley, All Others Credited.

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Management

Publisher - Dark Watch BVI Limited

HRH Experiences Ltd

Chairman / Founder

Jonni Davis

European Director

John Ellis - john@darkwatch.net

Head of Marketing

Charlotte Hooper - charl@darkwatch.net

Head of Sales

Jessica Lloyd - jess@darkwatch.net

HRH Official Photographer

Simon Dunkerley - simond@hrhmag.com

63 Photo Gallery: Black Eyed Sons - The Lexington, London

66 The Damn Truth

70 Ricky Warwick 72 H.EA.T.

Erja Lyytinen

The Return of the Queen of the Slide Guitar

On March 28th, 2025 award-winning guitarist and blues artist extraordinaire Erja Lyytinen will release her new studio album “Smell the Roses”.

The lead single and title track was unveiled at the end of January. Elaborating on the song, Erja said: “The message is simple - wake up and Smell the Roses. There’s so much beauty in the world, so why don’t we stop and enjoy it?”

It’s been three years since the release of Erja Lyytinen’s last solo studio album, “Waiting for the Daylight”. Since then, the High-Flying Finn has continued to tour the globe relentlessly, performing at prestigious events such as the Byron Bay Blues Festival in Australia, headlining HRH Blues at the O2 Academy in Leicester, and making her debut at the legendary Rory Gallagher Festival in Ballyshannon, to name but a few.

The last twelve months resulted in great success for Erja Lyytinen. The Helsinki native was recognised as an Angel of Rock at the HRH Awards in Great Yarmouth, released a new live album, and even managed to squeeze in a run on the Masked Singer in Finland. Erja said: “It was a really busy time. felt like we were touring the whole year, and I also had a change in the band lineup. So that made things different. And, it was exciting at the same time because you get to play with new people, and it makes everything fresher.”

Erja continues: “We played over 100 shows. And there was a lot of travelling. You need to take it easy for weeks after having a long tour because the tours usually wear you out. We did tours in Australia, England, and Europe. We went everywhere, really.”

At the same time as the High-Flying Finn undertaking her global touring adventures, Erja knew that the studio was calling. “I understood that had to start writing new music, and it was a very productive year for me. felt like there were a lot of songs coming out, a lot of ideas, melodies, lyrics and all sorts of stuff. So, was recording while on tour and while in hotel rooms during the off days at home and so on. It felt like there was a lot of material coming out from somewhere deep down in my soul. And took it, and I used it the best way could. And so, by the end of

September, I had the whole album written down.”

Erja’s last three studio albums - Waiting For The Daylight, Another World and Stolen Hearts, grappled with subjects such as love, loss and new beginnings. In that respect, does the artist’s new album, Smell the Roses, act as a continuation of the themes explored in the previous releases? “I think that every album is one phase in your life. feel like it’s a continuation of Waiting for the Daylight, and that was three years ago. And it was different times. There was a pandemic going on,” declares Erja. “There was some relationship stuff. But there are always songs about love and lust and all that. But think that this album is somewhat different.”

Erja adds: “I know it’s different compared to all of my albums. I feel like I was trying to be honest and straightforward with everything. I need to write for myself. need to like the songs. I need to like the story. So, was trying to please myself first and then everybody else.”

The artist has had a long and successful career in the music industry. “I’ve been in the music business for more than 30 years. I started playing with my parents when I was 15 years old. And when you’re younger, you have your insecurities and all that. But I’ve come to an age that I’m not thinking about what others think so much anymore,” explains Erja. “And, of course, you have your knowledge, and you have more experience and so on. All this helps you to make better music each day. So yeah, think I’m very satisfied with the album. It feels like it’s something different from what I’ve done before.”

One thing that has been apparent across Lyytinen’s last three albums is the continual evolution of her sound. With Smell the Roses, Erja continues to push her musical boundaries. “My style has been developing enormously in the last few years,” said Erja. “And as a guitar player, want to go deeper, and I want to learn more guitar techniques and play faster and play cooler stuff. But at the same time, want to make melodic solos as well. feel like progressive music and progressive rock music interests me as a guitar player at the moment. And so, I think that sound and that way of playing, you can hear that more on this album.”

Erja continues: “I love blues, and it will always be the core of my guitar playing. Blues is guitar music. But for me, the rock bands from the 60s and 70s. I really enjoy the sound of that era and how those vinyls sound. was going through my albums at home, and was looking at which albums like to listen to. And most of its 70s stuff, like Kansas, King Crimson, Yes, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, all that stuff. It’s like, I love all those bands. I like the way they create the music, and it’s very rocky.”

The title track of the release is somewhat poignant and thought-provoking. “The song is aimed at all of us to remember that - hey, all is really good. We have everything. All is fine. And why do we have to wallow in negativity? Why do we need to have something more? And why do we envy people around us and think that she or he has everything better than me?” explains Erja. “It’s also at the same token for all the dictators and leaders in the world who already have it all, but they still want more power and gain more things for themselves. The world would be a more beautiful place if we understand that we are already happy if we just decide to be like that.”

Erja elaborates: “It’s also to remind myself to wake up and smell the roses. Everything is fine. And all is great in your life. We are healthy. We’re happy. We have friends. We’ve got families. So, it’s all good.”

Erja Lyytinen once again self-produced her latest offering. But how did she find the production process for Smell the Roses? “I think this time around, it was even easier than last time. Because already knew how the songs would sound before we went to the studio. And while was doing the pre-production, I did little demos for my band to listen to,” said Erja. “I wanted to make this one a lot more straightforward, and just play it and be rocky. And have simple and understandable pieces on the songs, and not to try to make it too hard or too layered.”

Erja elaborates: “With Waiting for Daylight, we had lots of tracks there. was doing some violin arrangements, and there were a lot of backing vocals and all sorts of stuff. But, with this one it was so straightforward. For instance, when I was recording my guitar solos, I didn’t use pedals, which surprised

me because when I’ve been playing live, I have two big pedal boards. But on this one, thought I’m just going to plug straight into my Mesa Boogie F30, and then didn’t even use reverb on some of the tracks. So, it was really like just using the Mesa Boogie and its own distortion channel to get that tone and get the sound for the album.”

Erja and the band went into the studio fully prepared. “It was quite easy to go into the studio and just play the songs. We had been rehearsing them at sound checks during the fall of 2024.” The process in the studio went quickly. “While we cut the backing tracks, we did them in three days only, which was quite fast. And then I went to my little studio to work on the overdubs, doing the guitar and vocal parts,” confirms Erja.

At the end of last year, Erja Lyytinen released a new live album titled 20 Years of Blues Rock! The album celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of the artist’s debut album Wildflower. But how did it feel to reach this musical milestone? “20 years feels quite a short time. But those 20 years we are speaking about are from when did my first solo album. But I started to play gigs over 30 years ago. So, it’s even longer,” she laughs. “It was nice to celebrate that milestone. What made it even nicer was the fact that was able to ask my old bandmates to join me on this anniversary show at Tavastia in Helsinki. It was a long evening for me because I think we played a bit less than 20 songs during the evening. was on the stage through the night. So, all in all, was standing there for three hours. And then, of course, meeting the fans afterwards, and chatting with my bandmates and so on. It was a lovely evening. And I’m very happy that we recorded it, and we put it out as a live album.”

For those who would like to experience Erja Lyytinen live and in person rather than on record, the artist will be returning to the UK for an extensive tour in April. “I’m very much looking forward to coming to the UK. And also, it’s going to be really exciting to bring all these songs to the live set because that’s a different thing. It’s how we excite the audience and which songs will be great live tracks,” explains Erja. “You cannot tell probably at this point, but I have a feeling that all those tracks will work quite nicely. And with this nice groovy stuff on the songs, there’s a lot of rhythm, and think it’s going to be interesting, and hope a lot of fun, too. But it does take a few tours before the new songs start to settle. And that’s the way it goes. But it’s also very exciting times,” concludes Erja.

Smell the Roses, the new album from Erja Lyytinen, will be released via Tuohi Records on Friday, 28th March. The artist will tour the UK in support of the release throughout April including a date at HRH Blues. For ticket information and further details, please visit https://erjalyytinen.com/.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Ville Juurikkala

Ally Venable

Taking The Power Back

Critically acclaimed Texas-based blues rock guitarist and vocalist Ally Venable will release her highly anticipated new studio album Money & Power via Ruf Records on Friday, 18 April 2025.

Having spent the past decade carving out her own unique space in the male-dominated world of bluesrock, Ally Venable’s combative sixth album, Money & Power, demands more of both – for herself, for women around the world, and for anyone else who thought they weren’t worthy of a seat at the table.

Last year was a powerful twelve months for the Texas native. “I feel like 2024 was a great year for me and my music and my band and also a really transformative year for me, musically and emotionally,” said Ally. “Just kind of really growing up. I’ve always travelled through my music, but this last year, got to see Australia for the first time. And then also did my own shows here in the States. And also, on the Hendrix tour, did a few Hendrix shows, which I’ll be a part of this year as well. And just seeing different parts of the world again, but in a new and fresh way.”Ally adds: “Recording new music was really therapeutic for me. am really trying to open up a new version of myself that I’m tapping into now. So I think 2024 was real transformative for me.”

Performing on the Experience Hendrix tour was a revelation for the Texas-based guitar slinger. “There’s a feeling and an emotion attached to Hendrix. I felt like when was doing these shows, I almost felt like wasn’t worthy to be playing his stuff. Because on set, it’s a big audience in front of you. And then you have a big picture of Jimi behind you. And his family’s there, and it’s just a whole different experience,” remarks Ally. “But then the feeling of being grateful takes over … because it’s a guitar player’s dream.

feel like every guitar player has been influenced or touched by Jimi Hendrix’s music in some way.”

Sadly, in the present day, it feels like money and power make the world go around. These themes fed into Ally’s writing on her new album. “I was listening to Erykah Badu, and they were saying things that were about their lives and about what was going on at the time,” recalls Ally. “I thought about Buddy Guy and a lot of people that I look up to, they’re not afraid to say what’s on their mind and what is going on around them. And my bandmate Isaac, he was like, if you think about Ally - jazz and blues, it’s really protest music. And, if you feel a certain way and you have this idea that you want to put out and you feel strongly about, it’s rightfully so. You should, as an artist, be able to put out music that resonates with you and how you feel, because there’s going to be other people out there that want to say those things and maybe can’t say them or don’t have an outlet like you do. And that can be so influential, especially for any young girl that’s listening, that comes across the song or any women that feel like they can’t express that in their daily life, they can use this music to put that energy out there for them.”

Ally continues: “My album cover, I’m on a boss desk table with my feet up, and I’m smoking a cigar, and for some reason, that’s not normal to see a woman in that light. just want people to be like, well, why is that not normal? Why is that so out of context.”

“I think also when first started playing music, people started discovering me when was like 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 years old. And now I’m 25. And so, when see people put online, oh, you shouldn’t be saying this or why are you smoking a cigar? All this stuff. And it’s like, well, also I’m an adult now and I’m not

a child anymore. And so, coming into my own and I guess showing that I’m not a kid anymore as well in this way too. And letting other women know that it’s okay to express yourself in that way too.”

It’s been a long time coming, but this year will finally see Ally Venable’s long-awaited UK return. The last time the artist performed on our shores was in 2019 as part of the Ruf Blues Caravan tour. “It was a long time ago, and think was scheduled to come over in 2020, and that’s when Covid happened, so never came over. So now I’m excited to come over and see all of you Brits,” explains Ally.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge for the US-based blues artist since that time. “I’ve been wanting to come over for a while, just because of the response that get online whenever post my tour dates, it’s just like - where’s the UK dates? Literally, every time post like a Europe tour or a States tour, my comments are flooded with the UK. And so I’m like okay, well let me see if can figure out the money and the tour and see if I can just get over there. And so that’s what we’re doing, we’re going over just for my fans that want me to come over to the UK and making it happen and making it work. So we’ll see how it goes,” concludes Ally.

Money & Power, the new album from Ally Venable, will be released via Ruf Records on Friday, 18 April 2025. The artist will tour the UK throughout October 2025. For ticket information and further details, please visit https://allyvenableband.com/.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Jeremiah Shepherd

Babylon AD came to hit the rock world by storm over three decades ago and with Daryl being an original member of the band, he certainly had some stories to tell.

Taking it right back to the beginning, Daryl told the tale of how Babylon A.D. was formed “when we formed, it was about 1987 and it was three guys from one high school in Fremont and two guys from another high school in Hayward that were kind of in rival bands before or were in rival bands, and we decided to kind of join forces because we took who we thought were the best people were Fremont for us in California. Fremont is like 10 miles away from Hayward. So everybody kind of knew each other and know from the scene and so we just started doing demos and started playing parties and, pretty soon, we were playing the biggest clubs around and my drummer and flew down to Los Angeles in about ‘88 just to see if we could drum up some interest in the band down there in Los Angeles, and we got a manager and the manager, he had a company called Mala Entertainment and he basically told us if can’t get you guys a deal in six months, they can just fire me. So we thought that was pretty cool,

we didn’t necessarily land the deal in six months, but by six months we were playing for everybody. Private showcases. CBS, RCA, Arista Records, so we just kept on chugging along and ERIS just showed the most interest in us. And then Clive Davis came and saw us at a showcase in Los Angeles that they had set up and we won him over. We played six or seven songs and soon as we got off stage, I’ll never forget, it was like the biggest high of my life, because I’m playing on stage for Clive Davis and literally he was on a couch with four other guys from New York and the couch was probably 25ft away from us and we were on this huge stage. So he’s looking up at us, and we’re basically right there and when we get done finished, he just jumped up on the couch and he goes welcome to the family, boys. And we were like, does that mean we have a record deal? He said, absolutely. We’re gonna get the lawyers involved and get this going. So we went out and celebrated that night at the Rainbow and the Roxy and just went kind of crazy and it just took off from there. We signed our record deal and put our first record out and it’s been non-stop ever since.”

Fast-forward to 2024 and the band released their

fifth studio album, Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day, Daryl explained the process of writing this album from its creative nature to audience research saying “we did put an album out before that, Revelation Highway, on Frontiers Records that came out late 2017, and then we played around a while and we were starting to write songs, we were starting to demo for the next album. Then of course covid hit and when covid hit, we’re in California, so our governor basically shut everything down for probably a good year. So everybody just kind of went their separate ways for a while. There was no clubs we could play or do anything, and was writing quite a bit of music and writing songs and recording songs and stuff, so when we decided to get back together right after covid was over, I’d say 2021, the band jumped back in and started practicing again. We probably already had six or seven songs in the can already demoed. So from there we just kept demoing songs until we had about 15 or 16 songs. We figured we picked probably the best 10 for us, it was kind of cool because what we did, since we don’t have an ANR guy telling us, what they like or what the record company likes, sent all the tracks, every track to five different people and I explained to each of them

to rate the songs on a 1 to 10 basis. So that way we could get like a preview of what people were thinking because could think, oh, this song’s great, but if I get five people that all come back and go, I don’t know, this song’s a five, then it’s like, wow, what was I thinking? So we picked the best songs that basically our five people audience picked for us really, so that’s how that whole album really came about. It’s been pretty cool. We’ve released four singles and we’ve kept playing all over the place. That’s why my voice is a little hoarse right now. But we’re looking forward to getting over there to the UK. It’s gonna be fun.”

Of course we couldn’t catch up with the rock icons without discussing the bands anthem single from their debut called The Kid Goes Wild, which was featured on the Robocop 2 soundtrack. Daryl reminisced saying “when we were making our first album, Sam Kinison, the comedian, was there in another studio and we were working on that song. We had a kind of long breakdown, maybe 35 seconds, 45 second breakdown, and I was going to put some stuff into it and do my like rap monologue type of thing. But Sam asked me if I’d sing on a couple of

his songs. So went over and I sang on background vocals on a couple of his songs for the album that he was making. And so I asked him to return the favour and he just said, okay, I’ll be there at 3:00. That’s 3:00 in the morning. So he gets over there about 3:00 in the morning and handed them the sheet of paper, what thought he was probably going to say, and he probably used two lines out of about 10 that I had written. And the rest of it was just all off the top of his head, and it was so cool to see him work, sitting there with the engineer and the producer. Take two, it was literally take two. He just did his monologue screaming that everybody knows him for, and that was it, you know. Pretty cool. And then of course, it got picked up for the RoboCop movie to be the trailer so that was kind of exciting too, some people know us from that, but that’s really how it came about.”

album, we’ve all talked about it and we’ve given it to the five different people this time, just like we did last time. But this time, I think there’s only one person that’s the same, and so far this time we have way better ratings. We have three songs where five people all said that song is at 10, five sixes on there, everything is 10 to sevens. So we feel, and they feel the people that are talking to us that are doing our listening, they all think this album is going to be way better than the last album. And the last album thought was really good. We got a lot of good response from all the critics and number two, number three, number six, that kind of stuff from different magazines and everything and it’s a really good album. But think this one’s going to be better and that’ll be coming out in August right before we head over to the UK.”

Luckily fans won’t have to wait too long for some more new music just over 12 months after their last album release, and ahead of their appearance at this year’s HRH Sleaze, Babylon A.D. will also be gifting us with some more new music. Daryl gave us a tease of what we can look forward to “this [next]

Babylon A.D. will be headlining HRH Sleaze in September 2025 in Leicester, all details are available through www.hrhsleaze.com.

Words by Charlotte Hooper Photo Credit: Press Provided

ERIC BELL THIN LIZZY’S

Their name might be a blast from the past, but for the rock fraternity, it doesn’t get much bigger than Thin Lizzy. The legendary rockers have released their first new album in over four decades, thanks to a new acoustic release. Original vocals from Phil Lynott are paired with brand-new guitar parts from founding member Eric Bell, creating a new listening experience for fans.

How did this project come to fruition? “These two guys from Decca got in touch, and they said, would be interested in doing an acoustic version of some of Lizzy’s earlier stuff that I was on?” recalls Eric Bell.

Of course, Thin Lizzy are renowned for their fully electrified, hard-rocking sound. Perhaps acoustic music is not a style that Thin Lizzy fans, or the band for that matter, were accustomed to. “It was a real challenge,” confirmed Eric. “There was about six of the early Thin Lizzy songs they wanted me to play on, mostly acoustic. was in the studio on my own, and they were playing me the tracks through the headphones, and would just sit with an acoustic guitar and more or less just Ad-lib.”

Revisiting this tried and tested material after all this time was somewhat of a challenge for the legendary guitarist. “You’re talking about 50 years ago, the first three albums I was on anyway. And to sit in a studio with an acoustic guitar and these tracks being played to you …it’s a part of me and I hear the old way that I played, and I was trying to edit that and come up with something sort of reasonably new. And that’s where the challenge was, what am going to play on this more or less, and I just went for it,” he says.

Thin Lizzy wasn’t a band that would perform acoustically on stage, although there was some influence from that style of music in their songwriting. “We were Irish and obviously very influenced by traditional Irish music. And a lot of Philip’s writing, he’d be singing about Irish warriors and Celts and this, that and the other. So that would tend to make you play acoustic as well as electric,” said Eric.

One of the songs which became synonymous with the group is Whiskey in the Jar. Of course, the song is a traditional piece, but how did the song manifest within the group? Eric recalls a rehearsal in London. “Phil started singing Whiskey In The Jar, just as a joke. So, myself and Brian started playing along with him at that point, just jamming. And the next minute, our manager came into the rehearsal room,” explains Eric. “He says, Phil, what was that song? And Phil said, Whiskey In The Jar.”

At the time the band had a single set for release, the band’s manager had other plans. “He said you’re recording your first single for Decca in about six weeks. Have you got an A-side? And we said, yeah. Black Boy’s On The Corner. Have you got a B-side? Well, nothing really yet. Why don’t you do Whiskey In The Jar?” recalls Eric. “At that point, we were going to throw him out the window because we had left Dublin to get away from this music. And now he wanted us to record it.”

Eric elaborates further: “We were in the studio six weeks later. We did Black Boy’s On The Corner. We were quite happy with it. And then the manager says, what are you going to do now? And we said we’re not sure yet. He said, why don’t you do Whiskey In The Jar? So, we went out, more or less, to shut him up. And myself and Phil on acoustic and Brian on drums. And Phil did a rough vocal. So we went in to listen to it. And everybody, even the tea boy, said Whiskey In The Jar - you should release that. So they asked me

to put a guitar on it, which I couldn’t. I couldn’t think of anything to play on it. It was just a bizarre song to me. And they gave me a cassette to work on it at home. And it was the hardest piece of music I’ve ever come up with in my life.”

Thankfully, inspiration struck for the guitarist.

“We were coming back from a gig in Wales. And it was a very long drive. And Philip had his cassette player in the front. He used to play cassettes. And one of them was The Chieftains. And I just got this bizarre idea of - I can’t come up with anything on the guitar because it’s all cliche. So maybe I should try the Irish pipes. So that’s where got that. And then got the riff. And then I got the solo. And that was it.”

However, the song was not an overnight success. “It was out for about two months. And there was nothing going on. We were doing a tour in Germany at that time,” explains Eric. During the tour, the band received a message from London. “It said - congratulations lads. We’re going to chart at Number 16. Come home immediately.”

He adds: “I think it got the Number 6. And our lives sort of changed. We were on Top of the Pops. We were even on Cracker Jack as well, which was incredible.”

Of course, hearing Philip’s vocals again whilst recording the acoustic album was always going to be bittersweet. “It was very emotional. I mean, music is like a time machine in a way. It brings you back to certain moments in your life,” said Eric. “When was sitting there with the acoustic, it did conjure up lots of memories.”

Aside from the Thin Lizzy project, Eric Bell has lots of irons in the fire as a solo artist. “I was over in England two weeks ago working on the new album. So, it’s all been happening for me, thank God,” rejoices Eric.

‘Acoustic Sessions’ by Thin Lizzy is out now – via Decca.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Fish is preparing to embark on his final-ever tour. As one would perhaps imagine, demand for tickets has been phenomenal, replicating the huge sales across Europe, where nine further shows needed to be added to cope with the overwhelming response.

The artist’s European dates were most pleasing for the former Marillion frontman. “They were brilliant. They were great. I’ve got to admit, I was full of trepidation, and had a whiff of the fear,” he jests. “When booked the tour, it was 23 shows, and I thought let’s go for it. And then went – damn, I’m 66.”

Fish elaborates: “I hadn’t sung for a few years, so I was practising and going down the vocal gym, so to speak. And at the rehearsals, felt good,” he explains. “We really applied ourselves. The first two or three shows were a bit rusty, but once we got into it, it was fantastic. We had set one, set two, and then we had an amalgam set, which was kind of our best of set, but it was great. I loved it. And the gigs were fantastic.”

Bidding farewell to his fans was always going to be an emotive experience. “There were a lot of very emotional performances. There were tears at night sometimes saying goodbye, but we had a great time. The band was fantastic,” said Fish.

The esteemed artist is preparing to say his final goodbye to the music industry after four decades of hits, memories and touring. These

“One thing that I ain’t doing is putting my feet up”

Last summer, Fish simultaneously released remixed deluxe reissuing’s of his first two albums, Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors and Internal Exile. These, in turn, symbolised the final releases of his solo career. Undertaking such a task was somewhat of a walk down memory lane. “I’m sitting here on this computer, and I was typing all the sleeve notes to Vigil and revisiting all those times and going through the photographs with Steve, who put all the artwork for the 100-page deluxe version. Then we’re listening to the demos, and I’m listening to the Gentlemen’s Excuse Me demo, which was recorded in 1988/1989. You can hear the apple trees scratching against the glass of the old rehearsal room that we turned into the studio here. It became the studio where Internal Exile was recorded with Chris Kimsey. It was weird. It was nostalgic. It was a warm feeling.”

fifteen celebratory shows across England and Scotland, including a landmark show at London’s Palladium Theatre, will conclude Fish’s extraordinary career as a live performer.

Although he may be hanging up his microphone, so to speak, the artist is going to be far from resting on his laurels. “One thing that ain’t doing is putting my feet up,” he confirms. The artist will be moving to pastures new with his wife, as they begin their new journey on a croft in the Outer Hebrides. “We’ve got the build; we’re getting the completion certificate on the first part of the renovated house. We’ve got a new house that’s getting built. I’ve got 13 black sheep that have just been mated with the neighbour’s ram. Hopefully, delivering me 30 lambs in April. I never, ever thought that I’d be in a situation where we finish the tour, and it’s straight to the lambing season.”

One thing Fish has never been afraid of is speaking his mind, particularly when it comes to matters of the current state of play in the music industry. “I’ve always been very open, and I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve, and I’ve always spoken my mind, which upsets a lot of people. They don’t like it. And in the music business, a lot of people don’t like my attitude because do call it as it is,” he declares. “I don’t look at myself as being an important musician. I don’t wake up in the morning and think I’m relevant or whatever. It’s like my integrity is the most important thing in my life.”

But with such an emotional event in store, how does Fish intend to pick a setlist for such an unprecedented evening of music? “We’ve got a lot of favourites now. There are a couple of songs that really stand out. It’s a very dramatic set, and there are certain songs know will work brilliantly at the City Hall. Really theatrical, and I’m not talking about costumes, but just they’re dramatic. The audience in the City Hall is close, and that lends itself to a certain setlist, and I know what we do with that,” he says.

The artist reflects on his departure from the music world. “This is the right time to make this move. It doesn’t feel awkward. It doesn’t feel like I’m losing anything - it just feels right,” he concludes.

Fish will embark on his Road To The Isles farewell tour throughout March. For ticket information and further details, please visit: https://fishmusic. scot/

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo

Vikis TIBERIUS

Who are you?

We’re Tiberius, a trojan horse of fun riffs, tongue-in-cheek references and catchy choruses on the outside. But on the inside you’ll be reminded that the world is a terrible place and you should be angry about it.

Roll Call (who is in the band)?

Grant Barclay - Vocals

Chris Foster - Guitar

Jahan Tabrizi - Guitar

Ryan Anderson - Bass

Nick Kelly – Drums

Hailing from?

We’re from Edinburgh, Scotland’s illustrious capital. Which is more known for its Stoner/ Doom scene than it is Progressive music.

Journey so far?

It’s been a pretty wild decade of hard graft, self discovery and fun shows. We’ve released one album, two EPs, a Halloween inspired single and have our second album ‘Singing for Company’ coming out on the 21st of March which you can already pre-order! Beyond that, we’ve played a bunch of great festi-

vals both in the UK and EU, toured the UK a number of times, made it across the pond to Germany and the Netherlands to play our first ever shows on EU soil back in 2023 and met some incredible people along the way!

Influences/sound?

We’re a pretty eclectic bunch, but there are some mainstay influencers threaded through there such as Protest The Hero, Killswitch Engage, Twelve Foot Ninja, Between the Buried and Me, Fell Silent, Coheed and Cambria, there’s classic influences such as Iron Maiden, movie soundtracks from the likes of Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone.

I don’t think there’s much music out there we don’t listen to and I think that’s one of our strengths when it comes to writing our own music: nothing is off limits!

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

We’re fresh off our first ever festival headline show which is also our largest headline show to date and that was an incredibly special one for all of us. We billed it as an ‘album preview’ show for people to get a taste of what to expect from our upcoming album and we

GATES OF HELL MUMMY’S CUSTARD

decided we would make it an incredibly special spectacle, with full on stage production that you’d expect from bands three times our size. It was also in Edinburgh which made it even more special for us as we got to say “Hey everyone, look how far we’ve come!”.

What does the future hold for TIBERIUS

We have just announced 3 shows for the last weekend in April in Glasgow, Manchester in London, these will be the first shows to celebrate the release of the new album. Then we’re off to RADAR Festival in July and then over to the Netherlands in October to appear at ProgPower Festival. Amongst all this, we’re still sitting on a few festivals and another tour to announce so keep your eyes peeled!

Who are you?

Mummy’s Custard, a British rock duo consisting of sought-after session musician

Leighton Allen and idiosyncratic alternative singer songwriter Drew Flanagan. Formed in 2024, reconnecting 20 years after their childhood band, their music combines boundary-pushing production with bass-battered edges and addictive hooks.

Roll Call?

Leighton Allen - Production/Music

Drew Flanagan - Lyricist and Singer

Extra members include:

Marcus Jeffries Vocals

George Cook - Drums

Hailing from?

The South of England

Journey so far?

Our journey began almost two decades ago when Leighton and Drew met in school and formed their first band, Hip-fandango. Hip-fandango, influenced by bands such as The Hoosiers and White Strips, soon built a large local following and after the release of

their debut EP, had strong interest from Sony Music. However the band ended soon after the interest didn’t materialise and the band went their separate ways.

During their time apart, Leighton pursued a career as a session musician, playing for various big bands and artists. This experience not only expanded his musical repertoire but also enriched his understanding of the industry. By 2023, inspired by his experiences and newfound insights, Leighton decided to start writing his own material.

Leighton and Drew reunited to create a new band called Mummy’s Custard. This hard-hitting, edgy, and aggressive alt-rock group has revitalized the often monotonous and unoriginal rock music scene by infusing it with fresh sounds and innovative ideas. We continue to push boundaries and music production.

Influences/sound?

Our main influences include, Royal Blood, Nothing but Thieves, Queens of the Stone and the White Stripes

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

We are very much in our infancy, so we haven’t actually played a show yet. Our proudest moment so far is the release out our new EP BIG BAD WOLVES

What does the future hold for MUMMY’S CUSTARD?

The future holds an album by the end of the year and playing some great gigs. Anddd maybe some kinda record deal. As long as we enjoy what we are doing, ultimately we are happy.

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Photo Credit: Calum McMillan

ABNORM

Who are you?

Hello we Abnorm! An alt-rock band based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Roll Call?

We are made up of:

Abbie Rose - singer

Ryan Brown - guitarist

Adam Willis - drums

Hailing from?

We are all from the North East - Teesside, County Durham, North Tyneside.

Journey so far?

The journey so far consists of us becoming closer together as a band and releasing our first ever EP called ‘GIANT’ which was out on Valentine’s Day this year. We headlined

The Cluny, Newcastle, late last year and we are headlining again the day after Valentine’s Day at Zerox, Quayside - for our EP release gig.

Influences/sound?

Our main influences come from other women in rock/punk bands such as Amyl and the Sniffers, Paramore, Wolf Alice, Black Honey, and Nova Twins.

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

Our proudest moment to date is difficult to select just one thing. Headlining The Cluny was a big step for us as it was our first ever headline gig. Another proud moment would be the release our debut EP ‘Giant’. And having being featured on BBC Radio 6 was also really exciting.

What does the future hold for ABNORM? The future looks really busy for Abnorm. We have a lot of things going on. We have multiple festival slots this Summer including Lindisfarne festival, and Sign of the Times festival in Hertfordshire. We are also supporting the wonderful Eevah at Three Tanners bank on Friday 21st March. And also supporting the legendary The Zac Schulze Gang at The Cluny on Tuesday 8th April. We will also most definitely be returning to the studio to record a new single very soon as we have just written a new song together.

PROJECT BLACK

Who are you?

We are Project BLACK, a five-piece hard rock outfit that aim to write songs that get in your head and no matter how hard you try that song won’t leave. That’s the plan. Made up of both seasoned and up-and-coming musicians from a variety of different backgrounds, we are no strangers to writing & performing. We’re taking our combined years of experience and are shaping it into the sound that is Project BLACK.

Roll Call?

Project BLACK are:

Vocals: Norman McGlen

Guitar: Phil Scott

Guitar: Chris Johnson

Bass: Duncan Emmerson

Drums: Adas Cowan

Hailing from?

We’re all based around the Northeast, Stanley, Consett, Newcastle, Sunderland and Whitley Bay.

Journey so far?

It all started back in 2024 when Adas, Chris & Duncan began chatting about having a jam together. Having spent many years writing and playing together in Fallen Mafia, it felt like the right time to dust off those instruments and see where the writing process took us. The three of us met up one evening in the Black Bull pub in Gateshead for a natter and we put plans in motion to get some time together to make some racket. We started by jamming away some riffs to ease ourselves back into music after our hiatus. We weren’t that sure on what we wanted to do, but we knew that we enjoyed working & writing together and that we all needed original music in our lives again. We started writing and thought we’ll see what happens. We spent a few weeks playing around with different riffs and melodies and quickly had the bones of two songs written. It was time to go out on the hunt for a lead singer and

another guitarist. We recruited long-time friend Norman McGlen to take up vocals and were fortunate enough to encounter Phil Scott, who really impressed us with his guitar playing skills (you’ll quickly see why!) and before we could say ‘That sounds canny’, we had the full outfit.We immediately hit it off and in no time at all we had some full songs written. The dynamic was electric, we could go into the studio one night, play the tracks we’d written and then while we were taking a break, new music started to flow. Whether that was Norman walking through the door, singing something he’d written in the car on the way there and us writing music to it there on the spot or a riff being played and everyone jumping in, it was as if we’d been playing it for ages! The process has been truly amazing, and it has rekindled our love for music. A few more weeks passed, and we booked some studio time in at The Garage Studios in South Shields where we recorded our debut track, ‘Set Me Free’. Kyle was a dream to work with and really helped us explore the possibilities of the track and we’re so proud of the result. ‘Set Me Free’ has gone down a storm so far and has really helped us to set the tone on what people can expect from Project BLACK. Set Me Free is available on all major streaming platforms.

Influences/sound?

We’re bringing a few different genres to the table with our music pulling in from old school 80’s Goth, to more modern hard rock & metal. We take inspiration from the likes of Finnish Pagan Death metal to Europop mixed with a hint of Dolly Parton and turn it into something that doesn’t sound like any of them! While writing, we’ve never really thought ‘It needs to sound like this or that,’ it just evolves as we play. One track started life as a middle of the road rock track and by the end it turned into something way heavier. One thing we stick by when writing is we must enjoy the process. If it feels forced or just not right in any way, then it gets shelved.

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

This may sound so cliché, (would it even be a rock band without a cliché) but our proudest moment is how we have all gelled together in the studio when writing. We all contribute to the writing process and can express ourselves individually within each track. Music means so much to us all and to have the ability to share a piece of yourself through your art is such a huge privilege. The response that we’ve had so far from the release of set me free has been amazing. We did our debut gig at Trillians, Newcastle and the end of Jan and wow, what a night! We feel honoured to be writing original music and then seeing & hearing the response to it live just tops it all off for us! Our journey excites us and we cant wait to share it with you!

What does the future hold for Project Black?

Starting a new band up brings with it a lot of unknowns and so Set Me Free along with the Trillians gig were part of our plan to help us test the water. The responses that we have had from both have our sights set on the future. We’re back in the studio working on a longer set and stage show. We’ve got more recording time booked and are working with a number of promoters to take our show out on the road to different venues and festivals. We intend to use 2025 to make a name for ourselves and show the music scene that Project BLACK are here and why you need to take notice!

Photo Credit: Stephen Christie

Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

DEVILS AND ICONS

Who are you?

I’m Scott Knowles! Hello! I’m based in Burnley in Lancashire, UK. Northern England to most, although in Scotland, they’re more Northern…I’m also known as the Mighty Northern Viking on Hard Rock Hell Radio. I present the 10am Pillage every Monday and the Breakfast Show every Friday morning. I’ve been at the station for over four years now, and I love it. It’s a great family. I used to be on at Midnight, but the station took pity on me yawning through every other song, so they stuck me on in the morning. It works - I’ve yet to have any complaints. Although that may be because people switch off when they hear my Northern tones, which have about as much grace as marbles hitting a metal bucket. The show has lots of silly stuff in there too inbetween the music. Spoof adverts, piss taking documentaries and poor impressions of ancient celebrities. It saves my sanity. Ironically, in real life, I work as a Psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, so I think the silly humour is a bit of light relief after a busy day with my clients. My good friend Tim Mulviel writes a section every week called ‘Your Song’ as well as the adverts and spoofs. It’s a piss take of ‘Our Tune’ from the 1980s with Simon Bates. Tim is an incredible comedy scriptwriter, and he really adds to the show. To make reading the letters out on air more fun, I don’t read them ahead of time. It’s proved very popular according to the nice messages I’ve received. I’ve yet to have a turd in a box delivered to the house by Simon Bates though.

Roll Call?

The roll call is interesting as it’s just me! I started this project in 2023 as a way of reconnecting with music. In 2019, my wife gave birth to our daughter. It was a surprise - she thought it was the menopause. I had been in a hard working band for nearly 20 years, and I missed music. The pandemic and childbirth put everything on hold for a long time, and I focused on changing nappies and working with clients - occasionally mixing the two up…It’s interesting being just me as I’m having to learn things I haven’t really done before, such as lyrics, melodies, studio production, and the vocals too. I had dabbled in those, but other band members usually took care of all that shit. I have played everything on the recordings so far. I work on programming and editing the drums via MIDI, I play the bass, guitars and the vocals too. I also mix and produce the music, film and edit the videos and do all the promotion too. I’m exhausted. Please help…I have really good friends to thank though for advice, software and hardware, and support. People such as Jason Shuttleworth, Chris Lupton,

Graham Haworth (strings on ‘Godlike’) and Roy Bright - they have been invaluable with their help. It’s hard doing it alone sometimes.

My wife is also incredibly supportive. And I rely on her ears too. I also love Youtube as a source of education for mixing and production tips. And ASMR videos to help me unwind when I want to quit.

Hailing from?

As I mentioned, I’m based in Burnley, Lancashire, UK. I like it! It’s definitely being seen in a more positive light in recent years, which is brilliant. It has its flaws, but show me a town that doesn’t?! I don’t know Dave Fishwick either. Not everyone does…

It was hard years ago, as I felt we had to fight twice as hard in my previous band I.C.O.N. I look back with enormous pride at what we achieved, because coming from Burnley was a challenge in terms of location, assumptions, small town pressures, and money to fund it. We worked extremely hard, and it shaped my life in a lot of ways in terms of work ethic, integrity, living in the moment and maintaining a standard. Some of the reviews we got over the years would occasionally suggest otherwise. Hahahaha!

Journey so far?

I had been in local bands in Burnley since I was about 16. Learning my instrument and playing with local people. It’s a training ground in your home town. There are some nice memories, but ultimately, it was a time of backstabbing, childish bullshit, egos and absolute amateurs. I was very naive, trusting and sheltered at first. It took a long time to grow up. I learned the hard way in many areas I felt.

I formed I.C.O.N in late 1999 with vocalist Mark Sagar and bassist Jason Shuttleworth. It was a flimsy start. We couldn’t get a reliable drummer, so I borrowed a drum machine off a mate at work at the time, and we rehearsed with that. I programmed it and we practiced in a damp room above a carpet shop. The guitars would never stay in tune and if you lost your place during a song, the drum machine just cruelly kept going! We did have chemistry though, and a feeling of wanting to do something with it. We threw everything at it for years. The drum machine became the actual drummer for four years. We travelled to gigs all over the country on trains and in the back of cramped vans and cars. We had patient, fantastic friends who drove us everywhere.

We didn’t know anyone influential at first, being from Burnley, so we had to push twice

as hard I felt. We used to enrol in Battle of The Bands competitions all over the country. Not to win, just to play in front of people! There was no internet as such and it became a mission to get the band out there. Eventually, after a false start with someone else, drummer James Henderson joined and the whole thing clicked. He was a lot smaller than us, so the photo shoots had to be quite creative.

From there, we got our first management, recorded EP’s and our first album, and started to take the whole thing a bit more seriously. We sacrificed bloody everything. But, you do when you’re young don’t you?! We were driven to make it mean something. To break out of the small town mentality. Our first manager put us in better venues and in front of people playing with a lot of NWOBHM bands he knew. So, we played with the likes of Jaguar, Witchfynde, Diamond Head, Tysondog and others. It was a brilliant experience and those bands really looked after us and taught us a lot.

After a few years of touring the debut album around the UK and Europe, we kept pushing for more. In 2007, after supporting Blaze Bayley, we became friendly with his then drummer Larry Paterson. We remained in touch, and eventually, after helping us out here and there, he joined us full time. That’s when things really ramped up. His wife Anna became our manager, and she knew her shit. She pushed us and gave us a reality check of what we needed to do. We threw everything at the band then. Larry and Anna sacrificed everything for us. We all did, but I’ll always be grateful for what those two did for me and the band. I learned so much.

Suddenly, we were playing bigger gigs, supporting bigger artists and working like a professional act, competing with others. Our first manager was an integral part of our development, and without him, we wouldn’t have been ready for the next phase. In 2015, we went around Europe for a few weeks with Geoff Tate and his band. That was just incredible. 45 minutes a night, and the kindness and support of Geoff and his band, and family too. We remain friends to this day. I adore Geoff and his wife Susan, and their daughter Angel. I met a lot of very cool people on that tour and I remain friends with them to this day. Geoff’s guitarist and producer Kelly Gray has been extremely helpful with Devils and Icons. Providing support and advice too. He also has a wonky thumb like me, and we call each other thumb brothers…

We also toured with Udo Dirkschneider, Anvil and lots of artists. It was such a bittersweet time. Hard work, sacrifice, exhaustion, no money, but a chance to travel, play cool venues and meet people. I met Iggy Pop’s son too on that tour. Eric. He was great. And tall too.

Eventually, we ran out of money, key band members didn’t want to do it anymore, and the whole thing just stopped. Larry and I wrote some stuff and came up with a band format and did some demos too, but ultimately, after my daughter was born, the pandemic happened, and Larry and Anna moved to Italy, it came to nothing. Larry now drums in Alcatrazz, Hellbastard, and has played with Girlschool too. I miss working with him, as we have chemistry, but I’m glad he’s in working bands as he loves that.

Influences/sound?

As influences, I love Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Alice in Chains, Type O Negative, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Iron Maiden, QOTSA, Metallica, Corrosion of Conformity, Down - I just bloody love music! So, Devils and Icons will inevitably have some of their DNA jizzed all over the songs. There’s an image…

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

Within the Devils and Icons project, it has to be writing, recording, producing and releasing the debut single ‘I AM THE GUN’. It came out on my 50th birthday in September 2024, and the reaction to it was incredible. It kickstarted this whole thing. My plan was just to connect with music again and release a single on my birthday, but it’s growing all the time. The feedback, offers, reviews and plays/downloads have more than exceeded my expectations. I’m gaining actual fans! It’s spurring me on. I’m inspired and writing the best stuff so far, I feel. The latest single Godlike is doing just as well, and I’m getting feedback from all over the world about it. It’s very cool.

In I.C.O.N, there were many many proud moments. Playing in Europe, meeting bands and people, releasing albums, signings, managements, agents - it all felt justified after flogging our guts for so long. Biggest gigs so far were probably on the Geoff Tate toursome big venues in Europe as well as some of the festivals we got to play over the years too.

I joined Damnations Hammer in September 2024 on bass, and I’m very proud of that. The band is incredible, with very cool people. I’ve found a home there I feel. We toured with Xentrix in November 2024, and I was very

proud of that. I’m looking forward to the future with that lot.

What does the future hold for DEVILS and ICONS?

The future is hopefully an exciting one for Devils and Icons. I never thought I’d get to do this again. I have finally assembled a live band for some shows in 2025, which I am looking forward to immensely. I’m reuniting with an old band member in that live band, and working with people I’ve always wanted to. That is very cool. I’m playing Hard Rock Hell 18 in November, for which I am shitting house sized bricks, and hopefully will get to do a few warm up shows before that. I have another single coming out in April, and the debut album in late summer. I also have something very cool connected to my old band that I’m working on too. Damnations Hammer are writing, and we’re looking at doing a new album and some more festivals and shows too. So, musically, it’s rich, exciting, and busy. I feel very lucky, and thrilled to be able to immerse myself in music again. And doing interviews like this again too! I forgot how much shit I can actually spout. Thank you.

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

The love for this band here is substantial. UK audiences have been waiting with bated breath for this band to head to England from their home in Missouri. HRH Mag’s Viki Ridley couldn’t wait to get the lowdown from the ferocious powerhouse that is, Shaman’s Harvest.

Guys introduce yourselves to our rock family….

Hey y’all this is Josh, and we are the sonic jambalaya know as Shaman’s Harvest! A quintet based in Rock n Roll, Blues, Southern Rock, Metal, Alternative, Soul, and folk sounds.

Give us your back story guys, where did it all begin?

Many moons ago in mid Missouri, 5 rambunctious high schoolers learned that we had one thing in common, Music. In a 1996 High School talent show as a four piece, the unnamed band rocked the packed auditorium in front of all their peers. Soon after, with the addition of a rhythm guitarist and a new official band name, Shaman’s Harvest was born.

In your sound I can hear everything from Blues to hard rock, Country, Southern and a whole lot of soul, there is no way to put you guys in a proverbial ‘box’ how intentional is that, in an industry that likes to pigeon hole talent?

Yeah we’re kind of an anomaly within the industry. Instead of writing from a formula standpoint, We like to be more artistic than that and give each song it its own process. It has made us better musicians all around.

Having had commercial success, hit albums, appearing on movie soundtracks and writing music for WWE, what motivates you guys to keep writing, keep playing and not straying from your musical path?

When it comes down to it, at the end of the day, it’s what we do, it’s who we are, It’s our purpose in life. Music man... what an incredible life it has been!

How did your relationship with the wrestling community come about? There is a huge crossover of fans of both, here in the UK. Back in 2010, the WWE contacted us about our song Dragonfly potentially being in their movie Legendary, featuring John Cena. We agreed and shortly there after their staff writer/composer Jim Johnston contacted us because he liked our sound. He gave us a super rough demo of Broken Dreams and asked us to make it our own. It really came to life and eventually became the entrance music for Drew McIntyre and one of the WWE’s most demanded songs to date. We also did a song for the CORE featuring Wade Barret titled End of Days and WrestleMania 31’s entrance theme for The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt.

You have grit, grime and emotion, and have never lost the ability to deliver that intensity. What is important to you, when you’re writing and performing?

That’s a great question. Over the years we’ve had plenty of obstacles to overcome. A lot of the grit, grime, and the emotions endured, live in the songs we create. Honestly we don’t write

a lot of happy songs. We write from personal experiences, and perform with that same emotion on our sleeve. Each performance as spiritual as the last.

What can we expect to experience at a Shaman’s Harvest show? You guys are LOUD!

Ha we are loud! Our amps go to 11.5! And there’s no room for social distancing either.

A Shaman’s Harvest show ebbs and flows through soundscapes of emotion and color.

It’s a hot, sweaty, funktafide revival of Rock n Roll, Blues, Metal, and Soul all blended into the sonic jambalaya that we are known for.

You are sharing this run of dates with Blacktop Mojo, I know you have collaborated in the past, how did this tour come about?

Yeah Blacktop Mojo have been friends for some years now. We are kindred in what we are trying to accomplish. Totally a badass group! We’ve done plenty of touring together in the USA and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have them Co-Headline the About Time Tour with us. A very talented bunch to say the least. Hanging out one evening not so long ago, and with a little liquid encouragement i might add, the idea of the About Time Tour was born.

What are you most looking forward too being over here in the UK, playing to audiences that may have been long time fans, but have never had the opportunity to see you play live?

The myth and legend of all the rock n roll royalty from the UK and Ireland speaks for itself. For us to be able to come over and tap into that energy is priceless. It has been a bucket list idea to be able to cross the pond and bring our swampy sounds over to you guys. For once the rock gods obliged

Nate, you are known for your intense and immense vocal, I always ask this, how do you keep your voice healthy while youre on the road?

Speaking on Nate’s behalf of course, A good diet, exercise, and good sleep go a long way. We are a very vocal band with four of us sharing vocal duties throughout the night. Backstage before the show it sounds like a fuckin bird zoo with all of us warming up. No cameras allowed haha.

Do you guys prefer being on the road or in the studio, what brings you the most joy from each experience?

We wrote a song years ago called The Road Song. The lyric is “The Road is only missed when gone, Home is only missed when gone”.

A perpetual longing for what’s missing in ones life. That being said, being in the studio is pure magic.

When it all comes together it’s a priceless feeling. Who wouldn’t love to be a creator?

Having shared dates with Nickelback and Daughtry, artists with a strong work ethic, but who also have a reputation for liking to have their fun….have you got any tales or war stories of tours gone by, that you are willing to

share with us?

Yeah that tour with Nickelback and Daughtry was incredibly fun. A lot of bucket list moments on that one for sure. Great group of talented guys! Who knew we we’re all so competitive at flip cup! We hopped on Chad’s plane a few times after a show and we’d land in the next city before the trailers were even loaded. Needless to say it was never a dull moment. Cheap Trick joined us on the Canadian portion of the tour and I’ll never forget the wise words Robin Zander proclaimed to me backstage one night... “Don’t Die!”

What is next for Shaman’s Harvest, any plans for the rest of 2025 and beyond? 2025 has officially became the year of new Shaman’s Harvest music. With the release of Rock n Roll Queen, we’re starting the year off with a bang. We’ll be hitting up the recording studio in April and we are hoping to release a few more singles throughout the year, leading up to the release of a new full length album. Stay tuned... This tour is not to be missed, get it or regret it! See you in March!

Words by Viki Ridley

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

REVIEWSLive

URIAH HEEP

GLASSHOUSE, GATESHEAD

It was the tour we had all been waiting for. A trio of rock titans arrived at the Glasshouse in Gateshead. The eagerly anticipated tour brought with it in tow – Tyketto, April Wine and headliners Uriah Heep.

Such was the demand for the show, that it was the first gig of the whole run to sell out – and long in advance of the concert date. People may say that rock music is dead – but on a night when Marilyn Manson sold out the nearby O2 City Hall and over 2,000 fans packed out the Glasshouse in Gateshead, the author would argue that rock music is alive and kicking. Almost 6,000 rock fans were out in force in Newcastle across the two shows on this particular Saturday evening - but I digress. Classic rockers Tyketto kicked off the proceedings during what was an early start to the evening at around 6.45 pm. The group, fronted by Danny Vaughn, delivered a headliner-worthy performance and raised the bar very early in the evening. A standing ovation following Forever Young was a perfect way to open the evening. There was a lot of love in the room for Tyketto, and justifiably so.

April Wine was always going to be the wild card on this three-band bill. The Canadian rockers had not performed in the North East of England in over 40 years. The band’s original guitarist, Brian Greenway recalled their last visit to Tyneside back in 1982. Citing that he was in Mark Knopfler territory, Greenway recollected how on that night at the Newcastle City Hall the guitarist had his shoelaces untied in front of him and his guitar whacked out of tune. He joked that was the reason the fans were sitting further back on this occasion. Of course, a lot of water has passed under the Tyne Bridge since the group’s last visit. Songs from the April Wine back catalogue such as up-tempo rocker Crash and Burn, Big City Girls and the

harmonious Just Between You and Me, were enough to take the band’s fans back to that night at the City Hall. Whilst the infectious twin-part guitar harmonies of Sign of the Gypsy Queen and the timeless classic Roller illustrated just exactly why April Wine are the finest Canadian export to the UK since Maple Syrup and Tim Hortons. Headliners Uriah Heep closed out this incredible triple bill on Tyneside, during what is being billed as the band’s farewell tour. Although, frontman Bernie Shaw alluded that the band are maybe not quite ready to call it a day just yet, with maybe some new studio material on the way.

And if the band’s recent radio hit Grazed by Heaven is anything to go by, then why not? Heep’s latest album, Chaos & Colour, certainly ticks all of our ‘Boxes’ (if you will excuse the pun). Uriah Heep’s 14-song set managed to capture the essence of their 55-year career. The crowd sang at the tops of their voices to the sounds of the classic Stealin’. Whilst tracks from their mid-70s repertoire, such as The Wizard and Sweet Lorraine, were warmly greeted by the North East audience. Of course, Uriah Heep was at the forefront of the UK’s rock movement during the 70s alongside peers such as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Songs like Free ‘n’ Easy, The Magician’s Birthday and Gypsy are a testament to the band’s greatness during that time. And whilst Gypsy may have been one of the first songs the band created, it has aged like a fine wine. The same can be said for Bernie Shaw’s vocals, which were on point throughout.

A two-song encore which concluded with the unmistakable Easy Livin’ was the perfect way to round out a career-spanning set from one of the greatest rock groups to have ever emerged from the UK. To coin a further pun, Uriah Heep’s gig in Gateshead certainly deserved a top Box marking. The band were on fire – watch them Bern!

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE

O2 INSTITUTE, BIRMINGHAM

From San Francisco, Californian Psych rock icons Brian Jonestown Massacre gifted Birmingham with their presence as a prominent start the 2025 gig calendar, and with a tour that took place ahead of the 20th anniversary screening of the reimagined music documentary Dig!. Playing tracks from across their 30-years together and having written over 20 albums, we were spoilt for choice for their setlist.

Opening for these 90s legends was Swedish psychedelicshoegaze sensations Les Big Byrd, who certainly set the bar at a high standard for the evening. There was an instant connection between lead singer Joakim Åhlund and the audience with his welcoming, upbeat attitude as a natural frontman. Joakim is previously well-known for his part within the group Caesars, whose song Jerk It Out became an anthem of the noughties. His ability to entice the crowd with his gratitude and appreciation was effortless and the chemistry within the band WAS on top form. Before closing their set, Joakim expressed that it was a “great privilege and honour to open up for the greatest rock n roll band”. A truly tremendous and atmospheric performance.

In true Brian Jonestown Massacre style, there was very little interaction between songs – and where there was, it was during guitar changes or as a count in. There was a stunning moment where Anton looked out at the audience, gazed around the venue and said ’I love this place’ to which a member of the crowd responded ‘we love you Anton’. It’s easy to get absorbed in the sound of BJM, especially live. Each member played their contribution

with a complete cool and collected style, and their groovy, shoegaze, psychedelic sound was in peak condition.

Putting aside a history of twists, turns and turbulence, and having played together for over 3 decades, their sound was rivetingly tight, with every note played with conscious intent. From this immense setlist, some of the standout tracks included Vacuum Boots, That Girl Suicide, #1 lucky kitty and of course, the anthem from their fourth album Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request, Anemone. A personal favourite of mine from their Mini Album Thingy Wingy, was Pish, a track that Anton introduced as “a classic tale of forbidden love” before a roar echoed across the audience to the opening of their classic single. Later on in the set, Joakim Åhlund was welcomed back to the stage to perform as a guest. Having loved his presence earlier in the evening, the audience certainly gave him another warm response as he sang Vad Hande Med Dem?. Åhlund completely elevated the song, and with no introduction from the band, he entered the stage yet again with pure gratitude, greeting every member of the group before waving back to the audience once more.

With original members [and thankfully no altercations!] this was a nostalgic evening, with fans, as well as the band, on top form, giving an extremely warm welcome as Brian Jonestown Massacre entered the stage, right up to their closing number. An evening filled with less chaos than I’ve previously seen from these guys but also some of the best sideburns and denim fur trimmed coats I had seen for some time.

Words by Charlotte Hooper

Photo Credit: Simon Dunkerley

BROTHERS OSBOURNE O2 CITY HALL, NEWCASTLE

US-based country rockers Brothers Osborne ushered in what was perhaps the first gig of the year for many on Tyneside.

The sibling outfit are no strangers to the North East, having played in the city both as support to The Cadillac Three and as headliners in their own right. Although it had been a while since the group’s last visit to the region in 2018, and their first appearance in the historic confines of Newcastle’s O2 City Hall.

As one would expect, the crowd arrived sporting suitable attire. There were cowboy hats and various styles of denim as far as the eye could see.

The group hit the stage and immediately wheeled out a triple-barrelled, hit-laden opening of Might As Well Be Me, Nobody’s Nobody, and Shoot Me Straight. Being able to perform radio hits such as these at the top of the show is a testament to the strength and depth of the band’s songbook.

The opening two tracks of the set – Might As Well Be Me and Nobody’s Nobody were the only songs to feature in the show from the band’s latest eponymous album, which was released last year.

The group paid homage to the late great Tom Petty with an astounding cover of I Won’t Back Down before slowing

things down momentarily with a heartfelt ballad by way of Pushing Up Daisies.

The Brothers Osborne have a multitude of country/rock anthems in their repertoire - one of which being Weed, Whiskey and Willie. When you combine John’s sublime guitar playing with TJ’s astounding voice, you get a very special sound indeed. And that tried and tested sound resonated with the band’s sold-out Tyneside crowd all night long. Brother’s Osborne set was certainly all killer and no filler.

Perhaps one of the surprise inclusions of the evening was the group’s take on Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. A song which obviously sits outside the country genre but worked so well in the set. The dynamic duo certainly put their stamp on the track.

Just like their music, John won over the audience with his admiration for Newcastle native Sam Fender. Asking if anyone could help him score a ticket for Sam’s New York show.

As the band hurtled towards the finish line, a rendition of Dierks Bentley’s Burning Man and the unmistakable classic It Ain’t My Fault brought the main set to a close. The crowd sang the latter so loudly that it sounded like a match day crowd at the nearby St James’ Park. But to coin a USsporting metaphor, Brothers Osborne most certainly hit a home run with their Tyneside return.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

BIOHAZARD & LIFE OF AGONY

DIGITAL, NEWCASTLE

Friday night in Newcastle, is always an eventful evening. Revellers descend upon the city’s favourite watering holes, as they usher in the start of the weekend.

However, the last Friday in February was going to be an evening like no other the city had witnessed in recent times. A dynamic double bill of Brooklyn’s finest hardcore/ alternative metal acts arrived on Tyneside.

By Life of Agony frontman Keith Caputo’s admission, the group had looked up to their touring counterparts Biohazard throughout their careers. And it had taken until now to bring the pair together for a tour. Something which the band and their fans were grateful for. Subsequently, a meeting of these musical titans took place on stage in Newcastle, and it was joyous.

US-based openers Lylvc kicked off the proceedings with their two-pronged vocal attack and contemporary rock/ metal sound. Lylvc worked the crowd up into a sweat in preparation for Life of Agony who followed.

As LOA set up the stage, the anticipation in the crowd was palpable. Fans hollered at Joey Z as preparations got underway. As the New York-based quartet hit the stage, they kicked off their turbo-charged set with River Runs Red. Frontman Caputo’s visceral energy captivated the Tyneside crowd from the off. Fan favourite This Time was a sweet spot early in the set, with fans singing wholeheartedly at the tops of their lungs.

With no time to spare on a three-band bill, Life of Agony propelled themselves through a twelve-song set with the lion’s share of the performance stemming from the group’s 1993 debut album. Life of Agony’s rare appearance on Tyneside may have been a long time coming, but it was certainly worth the wait.

It was a late start for headliners Biohazard, who hit the Digital stage at approximately 10.30 pm. Not that the fans were complaining – with so much music packed into one evening, the fans got a lot of bang for their buck.

With the band’s classic lineup out in force, Biohazard’s set was always going to be special. Many fans recollected the group’s infamous appearance at Donington in 1994. A set that resulted in a stage invasion from the group’s hardcore following. And those die-hard UK followers have stuck by the band’s side for over 30 years.

Biohazard took the Newcastle crowd back to their 90s as they kicked off the set with an emphatic airing of What Makes Us Tick and Shades of Grey. It felt as though the audience had been transported back to 1994 as if by magic, in a way that only music can.

Perhaps a highlight of the set came mid-way courtesy of the anthemic Black and White and Red All Over. A song which still feels as fresh and as pertinent as it did upon release.

Biohazard’s relentless energy and stage presence fuelled the Tyneside audience throughout. Classics from Urban Discipline and State of the World Address such as Punishment and Tales From The Hard Side carried the band towards the finish line with velocity. Perhaps the cherry on top of the group’s mammoth performance was set closer Hold My Own. A song for the band’s old-school fans, taking the Geordie crowd back to their eponymous debut album released in 1990.

Bringing Biohazard and Life of Agony to Newcastle was nostalgic - yes. Ferocious – definitely. But most importantly it was incredibly enjoyable. Words

& Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

The North East of England has always had a rich metal scene. You just have to look back to the days of the NWOBHM era, when bands like Venom and Tygers of Pan Tang were flying the flag high for the Newcastle area on the international stage. In the present day, the region’s metal roots prevail in groups like Tyneside’s own alt-thrash outfit Kilonova.

The quartet recently kicked off their 2025 live schedule with a date at The Cluny in Newcastle opening for Skarlett Riot. But how was the band feeling ahead of their first gig of the year? “It’s pentup energy, I think, is what I’d say. It’s like when you don’t take your dog out for a walk, and it just looks at you - that’s how I’m feeling inside right now. It might start chewing the furniture,” laughs Jonny.

2024 was a year where the band performed alongside a whole raft of metal titans. “2024 was insane and really fun. It was the biggest one yet. We had a crazy run of really cool support shows. We played alongside Crypta, Cavalera, Raised by Owls, Hellripper and Torture Demon,” said Joe.

Performing alongside Cavalera was somewhat of a bucket list moment for Kilonova. “The Cavalera brothers, they’re like mythical figures. You almost forget they’re like real people. And then you’ve got Igorr Cavalera taking a nap on the balcony while we were sound-checking,” recalls Joe. “The Riverside in Newcastle was another venue to tick off the list. I remember seeing Exodus in there in 2015. And being able to go on that stage was brilliant,” adds Jonny.

Kilonova have been invited to perform as a guest artist at an event curated by Metal to the Masses at the Corporation in Sheffield on the 24th of May. But how important is a platform like Metal to the Masses for unsigned bands? “It’s huge. think it gave us the kick of the backside to get going. When you’re a new band emerging, trying to actually get yourself on a gig is quite difficult because no one wants to take the chance on this band. You’ve got no pull, whereas Metal to the Masses, kind of throws you in the deep end a bit, where you’re guaranteed at least one show in front of a crowd. In that one show, you’ve got three other bands you can talk to and get to

know. The networking is a massive part of it as well,” explains Jonny. “We’ve still got people coming up to us, being like, I saw you guys on Metal to the Masses, or saw you in the tent at Bloodstock in 2018, and all that. It’s crazy,” adds Joe.

The band will shortly be venturing outside of their native North East for a run of dates across the UK. But how much is the band looking forward to hitting the road? “Because I’m not from Newcastle, Southampton’s my home city, so to be able to bring this down south is really important for us. Admittedly, Southampton is probably going to be filled with a load of my family, including my mum and my dad and all our friends,” said Ellen. “We are really excited. New venues, new bands. We are not looking forward to the driving.”

Jonny continues: “By organising the tour ourselves, we’re now going to be playing with two or three bands each night that we’ve not necessarily met before. It’s going to be great for networking. There are only one or two bands that we’ve played with

previously, that we’re playing with again. So, we are looking forward to meeting a bunch of new bands and seeing some new music.”

As AC/DC once said, it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll. But how hard is it for unsigned bands presently in what is a very competitive market? “You’ve got to make your own opportunities. We’ve spent way too long relying on other people to make us offers, and not doing a whole lot under our own steam in terms of organising gigs, and then you end up with some really depressing, terrible shows where you’re taken for granted,” explains Joe. “We’ve started going way more DIY, organising our own promotion and everything, and it’s been a lot of fun for the past couple of years.”

Ellen continues: “Because all the Southern leg has been organised through us, doing that route has definitely worked a lot better for us as well. I would say the other thing, and think a lot of bands are feeling it, is social media. It’s great, but it’s also a curse. Because if you’re not following the algorithm,

putting the right hashtags, doing all this and that, it can be a killer. And it’s also just finding the time as well as writing music. It is hard.”

Kilonova had a lot of success with their recent single Grief of the Living, which received a whole raft of airplay from radio stations including, Kerrang. “I think we’ve been quite lucky; we’ve had a run of a few. think my personal highlight of that was when we were on the same list as bands like Metallica that weekend. It was just mental. That was obviously a dream come true. But think it just makes us proud,” said Steven. “It’s nice that people are obviously listening. Because you throw things out in the void, and you hope maybe somebody cares. So, when you do get things like that back, it is nice.”

Kilonova have got their eyes on the prize when it comes to their eagerly anticipated long player.

“We’ve got to finish the album and kick-ass in as many cities as possible this year,” proclaims Joe. “We want to do a big Newcastle show as well. So, we’re looking at that,” concludes Ellen.

Kilonova will be touring throughout April/May, for further details, please visit the band’s socials at: https://www.facebook.com/kilonovauk.

Release-wise, does Kilonova have any other irons in the fire presently? “We’ve got a single that’s not released yet, but it’s going to be released ahead of the April run. It’s in the chamber now, but details to follow,” said Ellen. “We’re trying to find a way to write the album as well, but it turns out an album is a lot of music. We’re well into it. It’s coming together.” Joe adds: “We’re not wanting to do another EP. It’s time for the album. That’s the next. Maybe drip-feed a few more singles as well, but the big one’s going to be the album,” adds Ellen.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

Leah Martin Brown

New Frontiers

Acclaimed international singer-songwriter Leah Martin-Brown and the most recent addition to the Frontier’s Music roster – recently unveiled a new video for her single “Shush”.

Originally released in 2024, “Shush” was produced by legendary hitmaker Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange together with Swedish top producers Tony Nilsson and Tommy Denander and showcases Leah’s raw energy and her powerful vocals.

Leah Martin-Brown’s journey in recent times has taken the Aussie native around the globe whilst working on her craft. “2024 was a very interesting year, for the previous few years before that, I’d been travelling between Australia, Sweden and the US, working on music and getting this product ready to take to market,” explains Leah. “The beginning of last year was when moved back to the US full time, so even though I’d lived in the US for eight or nine years, it did also feel like a brand new start, because kind of had to re-establish myself all over again.”

New music ushered in the start of 2024 for the Los Angeles native. “The year started really strong, Boys came out on March 1st, that was self-released, and we had a really good response to that,” explains Leah. “Then we released Hysterical Love in May and then Shush in August, and then the singles tended to take a little bit longer than I would have liked because I guess we’d just been building it for so long that that’s when we started getting such good numbers online that’s kind of when the labels got interested.”

Leah spent a lot of time working on her music in Scandinavia. “I flew to Stockholm in September, and I shot videos; it just felt like a cross between a kind of a pre-release year and a release year, because there were some releases happening, but the really big stuff we were setting up for this year, which we’ve started 2025 with,” explains Leah. “2024 was kind of setting the stage for what we were going to do in 2025.”

The artist recently released a new video for her track Shush via Frontiers. “Shush was originally released in 2024 in August, the video was finished, and we were planning to release it in September, but that is about the time that we started talking with Frontiers. The decision was made to hold the video, and then when we signed the contract, they said that as part of the signing announcement, they would release the video because the song was already out, so it would just be cool to have it together,” said Leah. “I like Shush because it’s kind of cheeky, but it’s also quite dark, and it’s that nice crossover between a pop and a rock track, which think is cool.”

The track showcases a very contemporary sound for the esteemed vocalist. “I was given the opportunity

to front this album in 2021. So, this was a project that had existed already, and it was co-written by Mutt Lange, Tony Nilsson, and then a third artist named Rachele Royale is what she goes by. So, Rachele is definitely more of a pop artist. She’s also a dancer and she’s very talented, so her take on this album was very upfront radio pop,” explains Leah. “So when I was asked to take this over, because I don’t usually work on other people’s music. So when I was presented with the opportunity to work on this, I did have the stipulation like, if I’m going to do this, I need to be able to have some input creatively into what this is, because don’t want to just be a mouthpiece for someone else’s work, and I want to be honest about that fact.”

Leah continues: “When we started working on Shush in particular, one of the first things that really changed, because it was a very upfront radio track, one of the things is that we dropped the key immediately, it made it darker immediately, which is cool, but it is still very like contemporary, upfront radio, but we’ve managed to mix in a little bit of what you might expect from an artist like me.”

Working with legendary producer Mutt Lange was a bucket list moment for Leah Martin-Brown. “The reason that took the project, is because there have been instances in the past where I’ve been approached by songwriters with songs, I’ve been asked to do other people’s work, and I’ve just flat-out turned them down because that’s not usually the type of artist I am. I prefer to write my songs, even to my detriment, to be fair. But when I was presented with this one, and saw Mutt Lange, went, oh, it would be really silly not to do this,” said Leah. “And working with him, think the biggest thing, because I’ve worked with incredible producers, I’ve worked with Brian Howes, I’ve worked with Erik Ron, it’s hard work because they really push you. I think working with Mutt was a completely different level. There were things in my vocal performance that I didn’t even realize I was doing. And would walk out of some of these sessions, just being like, Oh, God, I cannot do this. Like, this is a mistake. They’re going to tell me don’t worry about it, we’ll find someone else like this is terrible. And then I’d get a phone call or an email from my manager, and they’d be like, Oh, my God, that was amazing.”

Leah Martin-Brown is widely regarded for her work with Evol Walks. But what is the current state of play with Evol Walks in the light of her signing to Frontiers? “Leah Martin-Brown and Evol Walks, it’s the same thing. They’re both technically solo projects. But I’ve always been a rock and roll person. And so, always wanted to have at least the idea of a band. So, I have a whole heap of recordings for Evol Walks. had an acoustic EP I was putting out that has been put on the back burner for now, just because do have to focus on this solo stuff, but Evol Walks is not going to be going away.”

She adds: “It has been interesting to break away

from Evol Walks in the sense that I kind of realized that people were listening to that music, but it was kind of me anyways. So even online, the people who follow Evol Walks or go to the shows they would follow my solo accounts, and only a few of them followed the band accounts because I’m mostly active on there.”

With the artist’s signing to Frontiers – how did their collaboration come to fruition? “We started negotiations with them in, think, October. So, the contract was signed at the beginning of December,” said Leah. “Honestly, Frontiers are just lovely. They’re so nice. Every single person that I have had the pleasure of dealing with has just been really professional, and really kind, and they just seem to really care about the music and the artistry, which is the most important thing. It’s nice to be at a label that not only is really well-respected, but a label that seems to respect their artists. And so far, my experience has been really positive.”

With Shush being the first official sign of Leah’s work with the label, is it a good example of what we can expect moving forward? “I’d say at least for where we’re sitting currently, I’d say it does set the tone. There’s definitely a collection of songs that is a broad range, but they belong together,” she says. “Moving forward and writing for the new album, will be going back to that darker rock thing that am more known for. And that is something that I’m very excited to do, especially with a label like Frontiers. But think having worked on a project like this for such a long time now, since May 2021, I started working on this one. think it’s only natural that there are going to be things that I’ve learned from working on these types of songs that Rachele, Tony and Matt put together. I think it’s only natural that have learned things from this and will be able to apply it to my own songwriting. I’ve already started writing some things, and I came up with a really cool one the other day. I was like, damn, that’s not something I’d usually do, but it’s good.”

Working with a European label such as Frontiers, are there any plans for shows on this side of the pond? “Honestly, would dearly love to do that. Frontiers are Italian, so I assume as long as it doesn’t tank, I’m assuming that they’re going to pull me over. I’ve expressed a great desire to go on tour. haven’t toured for quite a while now. I’ve been studio and LA-based, so I think that is something that’s in my future. I have spoken to Frontiers previously. guess it just all depends on how much people love the music, and we’ll just have to go from there,” concludes Leah.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Matilda Hammer

WHITECHAPEL

Knoxville’s very own deathcore icons Whitechapel are preparing for the release of their ninth studio album Hymns in Dissonance, which is set for release this Spring. Speaking with Zach Householder who discussed the overall concept of this long-awaited release from production to artwork & even the official vinyl release.

The title of this album itself is a counterbalance of Harmony and Evil which is a core notion in the album, and with this being Whitechapel’s heaviest release to date, Zach gave us a clear understanding of the vision behind this release, stating “So the ideaevery album we start writing, we kind of just start writing what we’re all feeling at the time. We compile all of our demos and riffs and all this stuff, and this time around, the material was very aggressive and that’s the route we went with. Then the music really does inspire what you feel about, what the album should be about, in the sense that, this album needs to be unsettling. It needs to be a story that is not a happy ending. With the concept - once we kind of got the feeling for that, that’s when Phil kind of starts putting the parts together to be like, okay, here’s the concept we wanted to kind of play on. The original idea was that the cultist would be like the son of the antagonist from This is Exile, and he finds a portal in this tomb, and he can go in and out of this portal into the other, into other people’s, into other realities, and be a different person and

do these heinous acts, which would be the Seven Sins. But that was a little far-fetched. Even though it’d probably make a good movie, it was a little far fetched! So I think we tamed it down a little bit. But the minutia of it’s still there, as in the first two songs set the pace for the album as far as, where the cult is, who he is, what’s going on and then the last seven songs, there’s eight more. But that said, the seven actual songs, not the instrumental, are about the seven sins. That was kind of the concept is just, make the music as unsettling as [well as] the album artwork.”

Zach continued to dissect the album further by discussing the artwork, “it’s amazing what material can make you feel like you want to see or vice versa. You can see something or hear a word or a phrase, and that inspires music. It’s crazy how that works. So, the album artwork, we started talking about it and Ben, our guitar player, would, throw out rough sketches and stuff, and would say what if it was something like this? And it ended up just as it went on, it ended up being this macabre; lovecraft kind of looking. In a Lovecraft story, a creature that just is beyond human. Like, it’s hard to conceptualize anything that is not human. As hard as we try because we’re humans, we know nothing else. So we tried to go that route as much as possible to get it to be just something so unnatural looking, but simple, and you look at it and you go, you know, that’s eerie. So we finally

got the rough concept of what we wanted and it was very macabre looking. And it worked well with the Mask of the Cultist. We kept the antlers because we’ve been doing a lot of that, a lot of the past artwork for the past two albums includes the deer skulls with the antlers, and we’re from the south, that kind of just played into our artwork back in the day, the past two albums. Having the antlers was just the icing on the cake. It just worked out to really look, insidious.” He continued “it is important to be able to look at something and get that feeling, and then the feeling continues as you go through looking at the inside of this album and then listening to the material like it all comes together and that’s hard to achieve. So it’s having the artwork but having the music that combines it and it’s like a package. Sometimes some bands miss the mark on that, but the artwork’s important. You shouldn’t slack on it.”

Diving into the lead tracks, we discussed Whitechapel’s first single off this LP called A Visceral Retch, Zach explained “we don’t really pick singles until after the whole album’s done. That way we can kind of listen and after we’ve ruminated on it for a while and we’re listening like, hey, this would be a good first single and that’s literally how it’s decided. It’s just like, it just feels right and that song was, to us, it was like, this is the first single back in a while, let’s hit them with a wrecking ball, and It’s funny because that song, just has that

vibe I was talking about with the album. The whole song feels creepy, and it just really kind of insinuated that vibe we were talking about [earlier] with the album. So it was a good first impression, I think.”

Whitechapel fans will be happy to hear that the band have decided to continue with their unique and exclusive vinyl releases for Hymns of Dissonance too, “we take a lot of time to sit down and especially, Alex and Ben, they sit down and they kind of really want to make the vinyl. It’s like collecting a piece of art. That’s what we’ve always looked at it as, and I think to this day, this may not be as much of the case in the past, but as we’ve gotten older and vinyl [has] become more of a collectible, you really want it to be something special. I can’t say just yet what’s on the inside, but if you’re a fan of artwork, you will love what’s on the inside. So it is a whole thing and it will be worth it, and it’s in that. But our whole goal with the vinyl is, if you’re gonna pay extra for this, you’re gonna get something that’s worth it and something you could hang on a wall or put up and just like as a collectible, because it’s just doesn’t make sense not to put the effort into it. As much as people have to pay for vinyl, as much as we have to pay to get them made, especially as long as you have to wait to get them, that’s why albums, ours anyway, an album when it comes out has been done for over a year, almost. But we have to wait for vinyl to get

pressed because in certain parts of the world, in order to chart, you got to have vinyl to sell, when your albums release. So that’s why we have to wait. But these special editions, I think they’ve already sold out, but we will be pressing them again. But the whole concept behind them is to make them as worthwhile as possible in the sense that, you’re getting something really special.”

Founded back in 2006, Whitechapel have held their core line-up, aside from the addition of Brandon a few years ago, for the duration of their existence. Not only do they share the same level of passion as well as the same vision, Zach also expressed that they have “all grown and changed as time has gone on, I mean, when I was younger and first got into the band I was a mess. I was an idiot, just a young kid touring, I’d like to party, I like to drink, and I was never a hard drug addict or anything like that, but I drank a lot, and as time went on, your body starts to get older and you do start to realize, wow, hangovers suck. It’s just not worth it and I really took a step back at one point, this was about probably 10, 11 years ago, and just took a step back and just though, it’s time to be an adult now. Granted, some people are already adults by then, and they’ve already done way more than I’d ever done, so it was like I had no excuse. I think that happened for a lot of us in the sense that we’ve all kind of grown and matured in our own ways over time.

But I think things happen for a reason. Alex was kind of the dad snd then as time went on, he could let loose a little bit, but then the rest of us were calmed down a bit too. Phil was never a party or anything like that. He’s always been pretty chill. I think I’ve maybe seen him drunk once ever and then I think as time has gone on, we’ve just [realised] we work together because we’re lucky that it does work the way it does. There’s no doubt about that. It’s rare that it does, but also the fact that there’s always been this sense from the beginning of just trying to make it fair and make it a democracy in the sense that if one person disagrees and everyone agrees, then that’s just how it is. That’s just the way it is. And we try to keep that mentality throughout the whole band and the whole pride thing when it comes to writing music. There was times when that was a problem, you know, and you have to realize that that’s just what it is. And we’ve all learned that lesson over time. You’re young, you have pride, and you grow up and you go, wow, I was an idiot. It’s like when you’re young and you won’t listen to your parents, then you get older and you go, oh, they were right!”

Hymns in Dissonance will be available from March 7th through Metal Blade Records.

Words by Charlotte Hooper

Photo Credit Alex Morgan

Having never before graced UK soil with their mighty presence, the opportunity to catch Blacktop Mojo live is indeed a rare one. Prior to their March dates, HRH MAG’s Viki caught up with the guys grilling them about everything we need to know and what British audiences can expect from this visit from our Texan brothers.

Guys introduce yourselves to our rock family…. Hi, my name’s Matt James from Blacktop Mojo and I’m addicted to .. wait wrong meeting.

Give us a little history of the band, a who, what and where? Matty, I know that you were working in a coffee house and booking acoustic acts for the shop, is this what motivated your desire to start a band?

I decided I wanted to be in a band when Nathan (our drummer) invited me to his house after a set at the coffee shop. He had a drum kit set up in his living room, and he said something to the effect of, “let me show you what I can do.” He blew me away with his playing. After that, we said, “Okay. We’re in a band now.” We sat on his porch and polishing off a bottle of crown and figuring out what to do next.

Can you look back and pinpoint a date when you guys knew you had something special? I can’t pinpoint a single date, but I do remember the feeling of loading up in the van on our first tour around the US. That felt special to me.

Blacktop Mojo is in its 13th year, and you’ve accomplished a lot, with 5 albums under your belt to date, why is now the right time for you guys to come and conquer the UK?

We’ve never been and we’ve always wanted to go. We’ve never had the opportunity in the past, so last year, Nathan started making some phone calls. One of those calls was to our friends in Shaman’s Harvest, who have also never been over there. We teamed up with them and here we are, plane tickets and all.

You’re from Texas, but the Blacktop Mojo sound, for a new listener, may come as a surprise. Can you put it into words or, give our readers a back story of your influences?

Our sound is kinda hard to pin down. It’s a mixture of things. Rock, grunge, metal, blues, country. Kind of a meeting at the crossroads of all those genres coming together for a group hug. I grew up on a lot of classic rock: Van Halen, AC/DC, etc, but I always just sort of listened to what my parents listened to, other than a few CDs I bought myself.

I can’t remember every one of them, but Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory,’ The Offspring’s ‘Splinter’ album, some pop/punk stuff of the day like Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Sum 41, and Blink 182, and a ‘03 or ‘04 Vans Warped Tour compilation album were some that I can recall melting in my Discman.

Later in life I found a little more of some of the stuff that I think definitely finds its way into our music like Led Zeppelin, Waylon Jennings, Black Sabbath, Sound Garden, Tool, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Prince, Alice In Chains, and so many more

Do you feel somewhat typecast due to the huge love of southern and country rock right now?

No ma’am. We love being southern. We love being Texan. We love living in the country. If people

listen to our music and wanna call us any one of those things, we take great pride in it.

As a band without a label, tell us about your journey to get to today without that support? It is a lot of hard work doing everything yourself. Luckily, we live in the golden age of being able to reach people right there on their phones. We make music and it can go directly to you. The only hitch is making your stuff stand out from the tens of thousands of talented folks doing the same thing.

Matty, you are known for your intense and immense vocal, when did you discover this gift and how do you keep your voice healthy on the road?

I tried out for the school play in grade 5, and got the part as the Lion in The Wizard of OZ. That’s the first time someone told me I could sing. As far as staying healthy on the road, that part is sort of boring. All the usual stuff. Rest, regular exercise, warming up before shows, and keeping the late night partying to a minimum (that’s the one I struggle with most probably).

In the days of auto tune and backing tracks, AI and technology, how important is it to keep that analogue feel to what you put out into the world?

I think with modern recording, you can sort of blend the two worlds. Use Pro Tools, but play together in the studio, and stuff like that.Sort of meld organic recording with the technology available. People deserve the best record you can make. The real trick, these days though, is being able to do it live.

What are you most looking forward to on this debut run?

I think just experiencing as much of the culture on those two beautiful islands as I possibly can. Meeting people and hearing their stories, and learning how people grow up and get where they are is probably one of my favorite things about getting to tour. Also, seeing how many strange looks I can get walking through London in cowboy boots.

Have you got any crazy, on tour war stories you want to share with us? There was once a tour where we went through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It was snowing so heavily, they were literally closing down the roads behind us as we went along. We were the last vehicle through in most cases. While we were riding along, the generator on our bus went out, which meant no heat in the bus. At one point the thermostat INSIDE the bus read 37 degrees Farenheit (about 3 degrees Celsius). We had to defrost the windshield of the bus with a hair dryer hooked to battery power for the driver, so we could make it to the next show.

What can we expect to experience at a Blacktop Mojo show?

For those that haven’t seen us live, we are a trueblue old-school rock band. There are no laptops, no backing tracks, and no filler. It’s rock ‘n’ roll the way it used to be. Just five guys on stage giving every bit of energy we’ve got. What you see is what you get.

I for one, can’t wait, see you on the road guys!

Interview

Viki Ridley Photo Credit

Samantha Fish will unveil her fiercest work to date with a new studio album, Paper Doll (Rounder Records). Produced by Detroit garage-rock legend Bobby Harlow (The Go) - with assistance from fellow Detroit luminary Mick Collins (The Gories) on one track each of the songs on Paper Doll are delivered with visceral force, soul-soothing empathy, and newfound clarity.

Samantha’s latest offering follows hot off the back of one of the artist’s biggest solo UK tours to date. “All of the shows were wonderful, and we got a really great response and great crowds showing up,” reflects Sam. “We have a good thing going in the UK. I’m really grateful for the progress we’ve made over there, and it seems like it’s catching on. I always say if you can make it in the UK, that’s a really good sign, because to me, they are tastemakers, the music community there. If they don’t like you, they won’t show up, and if they like you, then you’ve got something going on.”

Fish adds: “I’m really grateful for the UK. It’s been really awesome to see over the last few years how it’s grown, and I love seeing familiar people over there, too. We have some hardcore fans who come out to every single show, and you guys are dedicated. It makes me just dig deep every show - there’s no filler, no phoning it in; we put everything out there every night.”

If you’ve been following Samantha’s career, you will have noticed that 2024 was an astounding year for the New Orleans-based artist. “I had a very rock and roll summer, I’ll just say that. I mean, some of the stuff we were doing was kind of a pinch-me moment,” declares Samantha. “The Stones thing was definitely incredible. The year started off with Jesse and going to the Grammys for the Death Wish Blues’ nomination. went to India after that. And I’d never been there, we played this wonderful festival there, and then we just toured relentlessly.”

Samantha was rubbing shoulders with rock and blues luminaries throughout the year: “We toured our asses off. Going on tour with Slash was incredible. Jesse and I rapped Death Wish Blues up in Australia, and again, another great place that we’re finally getting to tap into. The Stones was amazing. got to do the Hendrix tour for a few dates in the fall, and always really cool to play Jimi Hendrix’s music, it’s a guitar player’s dream,” confirms Sam. “We came to you guys in the UK, and then I did the Ruf 30th anniversary tour; that was a lot of fun with Canned Heat, Mitch Ryder, Bernard Allison, Ghalia Volt, and then we finished out the year with the Shake Em On Down tour with Jon Spencer and Cedric Burnside. By the time New Year’s rolled around, I was exhausted. I’m so glad we’ve had this last month off because

just needed to chill for a second. And, in the middle of all that, we made a record.”

Perhaps just reading the artist’s 2024 endeavours is enough to make you exhausted. So how did the blues artist extraordinaire manage to carve out the time in her hectic schedule to make a new album?

“It’s kind of funny looking back at it, because we had this meeting in the springtime, and I have been talking since the beginning of the year, like, I really want to have a record out next year; I’m going to need something. And it was just sort of like, don’t worry about it.”

Samantha continues: “We just started looking at the touring schedule, it’s like, okay, we have two days off between Austin and Oklahoma City, let’s rent a studio and go in there. And I’m just so grateful for Bobby Harlow because when he came on board with this, he had to be really dedicated because the schedule was just nuts. It was like, okay, can you fly here for two days, and then can you fly out here four days later to do two more days in this other town, and he just was very flexible. Everybody had to be flexible in order to get this thing where it was, but think that kind of inertia that we had, that sort of momentum, and just what we were doing, really helped to shape the energy, it feels like a live experience in some ways …there’s just an organic kind of energy to it.”

It wasn’t the first time that Samantha had worked with producer Bobby Harlow. “So, I met Bobby back in 2016. He recorded, he produced Chills and Fever,” recalls Samantha. “Bobby and I hadn’t been in touch for a couple of years, but we played a show at St. Andrew’s Hall last year in Detroit, and he came out to the show, and he was like, the band’s just totally different now. And he’s totally different, he’s an artist. So, he’s constantly on the move, changing, and evolving, and making new music, so he’s in a different place, I’m in a different place,” explains Samantha. “We just started talking about co-writing, and he was down with it. He came to New Orleans, and we wrote for a couple of days, so when we asked him to come on and produce the whole record, he had the spirit that this album needed. He’s got such an energy, and he’s very passionate, and he’s a little hard-headed, but like that about him. He has ideas, and he’ll die on the hill for the idea, and I’m the same way. I want to work with people who are passionate about what they think and making art with them.”

When you listen to Paper Doll, the artist’s North Mississippi/Hill Country blues influences shine through. “The blues, for me, is like kind of the root and foundation of all modern music, and it’s definitely a part of who am as a player, it’s how I learned how to play music,” said Samantha. “I really went to channel the inspiration that had, that I still have as a guitar player, and a lot of that comes from North Mississippi. There’s a finger-picking style, and it’s creating melodies, open tunings, and just trying to create hypnotic grooves. And can hear it in a lot of

this. There are songs like Lose You that started with a little bit of a hill country kind of a circular guitar groove. The same with Sweet Southern Sounds and Fortune Teller, and then they become something else once you get into the studio and they evolve.

But I think at the root of almost every song on this record, definitely the North Mississippi/Hill Country music is very present. I’m a fan, and admire that style, so it paints the things I do.”

The title track itself came early on in the writing/recording process. “That’s one of the first songs I wrote for this record specifically, and wrote it with my friend Jim McCormick, who I write a lot of my songs with,” said Sam. “I think it’s rooted in frustration and angst, but it’s a feminist kind of anthem. It’s about expectations and what people expect you to be as a woman and trying to find who you are in that. And just about the high bar that I think is set for all women and the frustrations that come with that. And it’s just sort of an anti-that sort of stance song for the record.”

Samantha elaborates: “It felt like a good title to me because it’s like you might have an expectation of who you think am as an artist or a woman, and defiantly, I’m telling you who I am, maybe it’s not what you expect.”

Beyond the album release, Samantha Fish will return to the UK in the summer. Despite the busy start to the year, the artist is allowing some space in the second half of 2025 to be able to respond to the opportunities which the album release could perhaps create. “I can see stuff through the summertime, but they are still booking things,” said Sam. “It’s always weird when you do an album release year because everything sort of is hanging on this record coming out, and then once that comes out, things just start happening around it. So, there’s a little bit of that, and you have to plan, we have things on, and we have blocks of time held for certain specific areas and touring, but then there’s just also this - let’s see what happens kind of a thing, maybe something will come up. Who knows, you’ve gotta be available for everything,” concludes Samatha.

Paper Doll, the new album from Samantha Fish, will be released via Rounder Records on April 25th. The artist will perform across the UK in May/June. For ticket information and further details, please visit https://samanthafish.com/.

SAMANTHA FISH

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Aries Photography

The Truth Hurts

British rock icons Skunk Anansie recently announced their hugely anticipated new studio album, The Painful Truth. The new album, their seventh studio collection and first in nine years, will be released on May 23rd via FLG Records.

The groundbreaking group have encountered their fair share of troubles since the pandemic. “Since the end of COVID, we’ve just had a lot to deal with within the band. Our manager retired, and her mother who was one of the founders of looking after our band, and biggest supporter, especially in the early days - 30 years ago, then sadly passed. And it’s just been a lot of illness. And things have gone really fast and then really slow,” explains Skin. “To say 2024 was a hard year wouldn’t be true because some wonderful things happened. But at the same time, we definitely had to take a step back.”

Returning to the road following COVID was an eye-opening experience. “We were one of the first bands to go out after COVID. And the whole tour was just nothing but problems, and it cost us a lot of money, a lot of energy, and we didn’t have management, so we managed ourselves,” explains Skin. “And that was the best thing about it, that we were in full control of managing ourselves. And, we learned a lot in terms of where our money goes on tour and all that kind of stuff, especially Ace. Ace has just stepped in and just f*cking ruled and was absolutely amazing and had all these skills we didn’t know we had. So I think that really put us together, and all the kind of distances or weird vibes that might have been there just have gone now.”

Skin elaborates: “There was a lot of soul searching, a lot of looking in the mirror and thinking, what do we have to say as a band? Because you don’t have to keep going. There are bands that stop. If you’re not enjoying it, if all you do is whinge about the other members, you have a choice - stop. You can find other ways to earn money, but don’t be miserable and just give everybody a miserable time. I’m sure, there’s a lot of that in the industry. Skunk Anansie has always been our happy place. The roots of all of our individual successes come from this band.”

The band’s forthcoming new album was catalysed by David Sitek from TV On The Radio. “It wasn’t until we got Dave Sitek on board, and then the first really good single that we wrote was An Artist Is An Artist. And then that became the benchmark for the rest of the album,” explains Skin. “And I think that once we got to that point, we thought, yeah, we’ve got legs. We’ve got a lot more to say. We’re not done yet. And that’s a really nice feeling. And then, to watch the tour just practically sell out

before we even mentioned having a single. It’s been a really enduring and lovely feeling - we’re a people’s band. The fans want us out there, and they want us to play. And they’re all so excited about the new material.”

Skunk Anansie are steering clear of nostalgia. “We always feel like the old songs are meaningless unless there are new songs to compare them to. And being on stage is only fun when we’re playing new songs. If we’re playing all the old songs, that’s not fun. That’s just turning out. There’s no creativity there. But when you’re playing new songs and they’re going down well, like This Means War and Piggy went down well. And now we’ve got An Artist Is An Artist. Hopefully, that’ll go down well, and some other songs - that’s what makes it worth it.”

Speaking of the band’s latest single, An Artist Is An Artist is the perfect opening gambit to set the tone for Skunk Anansie’s latest offering. “We’re living in an age where everyone’s got a f*cking opinion,” explains Skin. “When you come to an artist, do some research. If you’re a fan, you have a complete right to say what you want to say, good or bad. But if you’re just scrolling and you see something and you don’t like it, just keep scrolling. It’s not for you. This thing where everybody has to always comment is really annoying for creatives. Because half the time people just don’t know what they’re talking about. It’s like, there’s a bunch of people that get all their news from f*cking memes on Instagram. Don’t be lazy. Read an article, read a book. Take some time out, and get some knowledge. Don’t just think just because this famous person said this, or this person said this you’re just going to wholeheartedly agree. When they could even be an AI puppet. You don’t even know if they’re real. So, I just think that artists put their heart and soul into what they’re doing. And we know that we’re artists. And I think that social media is just this toxic thing that’s just there for people to spew their first negative thought.”

Skin continues: “I never put things up there and go, what do you think? It’s like, I don’t care what you think. Because I’m sick and tired of it. We are the ones that create the art. And if you want to create the art, be an artist and create the art. Just don’t spend all your time being a troll.”

With the band’s new album The Painful Truth, they have pushed their sound perhaps further than before. “We went in with a feeling of like, we’ve got to be out of our comfort zone to make good music. But when it felt comfortable, it’s because we were just doing the same thing that Skunk Anansie had done for years,” explains Skin. “And we just didn’t want to have an old album of just like riff after riff after

riff. We wanted to give the track space and a different organic energy. And the only way to do that was to experiment in the studio.”

Skin elaborates: “We did have a bunch of songs that we’d written. And this is where Dave came in. He’d made a lot of records that we really loved. And we thought they sounded great, but they sounded like that band - they sounded like a fresh, modern version of that band or that artist. And we did a lot of experimentation, we really did. We were up late. We were f*cking around with things. And when everybody gets excited, that’s when we knew we were on the right path.”

The album title itself is truly thought-provoking. “I just had a flash of an idea, and I called Cass up, and I said, Cass, if you’re going to tell me in four words what this year has been like for you, what four words it would be? And he said, can I get back to you? And I said, no, you can’t. I want it right now. And he went The Painful Truth. And I was like, that’s it,” said Skin. “And it does invoke so many things and so many emotions. And I hope it leaves enough interpretation as well. Because I’m a real believer in you own the songs, maybe technically, but spiritually you don’t own the song. Spiritually, your piece of artwork, whatever it is, once you display it, once you put it out there, it’s no longer yours.” Skin explains: “What I want them to do with the music is make it theirs and have their connection as long as they’re connected to it.”

With their new album in the bag, the road is calling for Skunk Anansie. “We are looking forward to it, we’re designing the tour. We’ve got some wild sh*t happening - set pieces in the tour. It’s going to be fun. I mean, people are very excited about it, and it’s nice to have a track that people are excited about as the first little taster. And it shows you that people do like new music coming from old bands - as long as it’s good. So, that’s all I’m concerned with right now is doing a bunch of promotion, getting the tour ready, and working on that,” concludes Skin.

The Painful Truth by Skunk Anansie will be released on May 23rd via FLG Records. For further information including tour dates please visit www.skunkanansie.com.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit Rob O’Connor

The Future According to Edge of Paradise

US cinematic hard rockers Edge of Paradise are set to unleash their sixth studio album, and first with Napalm Records, Prophecy, arriving March 7, 2025.

Prophecy explores “The Singularity,” the predicted loss of human control over artificial intelligence and its potentially catastrophic impact on humanity. Frontwoman and keyboardist Margarita Monet tackles the theme with personal, empowering lyrics.

Edge of Paradise have been living life in the fast lane in recent times. Reflecting on 2024, Margarita said: “We’ve been touring quite a lot. We finally made it back to Europe with Symphony X. We did a tour with Firewind, and then we made a new record. It’s been a busy year, and I’m very proud of it. There’s been challenges, as always with anything in life, I guess. But yeah, so far so good. I’m excited for what’s to come and proud of what we did.”

The title of the band’s new album, Prophecy, is thought-provoking, to say the least. “The reason I wanted to call it that is because it’s really the embodiment of all our albums, starting

from Universe. It kind of set the themes of what I always think about. And it’s kind of mirroring what is going on in the world,” explains Margarita. “With Universe, I wanted to kind of set forth this world where it’s larger than life, but it’s still very personal. But it kind of explores the mechanisms of this world, like whether it’s guided by greed or power - the human element. Then we wanted to do the unknown, which is kind of a step further. But we had the song Digital Paradise. So, in a way, with that album, it’s up to the listener to decide the role of technology, whether it is a good thing for humans to merge with it, and then maybe one day exist through a binary code. And that’s our answer to living forever. So, it was left up to the listener to decide whether they are for or against it, but how you look at what is happening.”

“Then, with Hologram, it was painting this reality where we have this means of holographic travel; I made a graphic novel that kind of dives deeper into the story. And with that, we can experience anything. So, it is with the use of technology, that humans can evolve into these almost hybrid beings that we can expand so much and be limitless. But

in that album, there were so many implications that are presented. So, I wanted it to be thought-provoking to ask all aspects of good and bad of where we’re going because I think technology is evolving way faster than we catch.”

Margarita continues: “With this album, it all kind of comes to a face-off with, human consciousness, our humanity, and the ever-evolving technology, whether it’s AI, in this case, it is playing upon the shadows of AI, because in the story, the AI is kind of the core is to expand and conquer. So, it’s just a relentless enemy that we can see it. And it’s about uniting together as humanity and really putting consciousness at the centre of it. I kind of paint a picture that the universe is made up of our consciousness because AI takes over, it almost eats away at the universe, and it’s going to implode upon itself. So yeah, Prophecy kind of seems like a good title for it.”

Each of the aforementioned subjects is at the forefront of discussions within the creative world and beyond in the present day. But how does the band feel about the use of AI in the music world and the arts on the whole? “I’m

now not as afraid, I guess, because initially I was like, wow, what am I going to do? People press a button, and there’s a song, and they can upload it to Spotify,” reflects Margarita.

“And the same thing with art. But, I came to the realisation that we possess a superpower in a way that we can create something out of nothing. And I think they’ll feel that AI only creates out of something that’s already there. And I think that’s a really important thing to remember for yourself because I think the main danger is to get discouraged, not whether AI is going to create all this art. But it’s whether it can dim down your human spirit to want to create. I think, for me, it’s important to realise why I do this, because I love it. I do this because I have a soul, and a consciousness and a mind that can dig deep and create something that maybe has not been in existence and connect with humans over it. And then, if some people choose to use AI as a tool because it’s going to be like electricity, it’s going to power everything around us. So, I don’t think we can fight it anymore. It’s kind of like when Spotify came about. But, you know, it’s there now. So we have to figure out the best way to use it in our own way and evolve, not to dim our spirits, but the opposite.”

Edge of Paradise’s sound has been described as cinematic hard rock. But would the group hope to someday have their music featured on perhaps a movie soundtrack? “I would love that. I think I don’t do it on purpose because I know one of my inspirations is Hans Zimmer. So I really love that,” said Margarita.

“And when I make the song, the beginning of that song, it sounds more of like a movie soundtrack, because I’m on the keyboard, and there’s much more cinematic elements that come through. And then, it evolves.” Margarita adds: “I would absolutely love to do that, maybe score movies or have a song be used in that area. So I think definitely, it would be one of my goals.”

Edge of Paradise will shortly hit the road across the US with peers Delain and Xandria.

“We got to meet Delaine when we were in Europe. They came to our show, so we were very happy to meet them. So, yeah, we’re excited to hit the road,” proclaims Margarita. “The guys from Xandria, we’ve communicated a lot. So, I’m excited to meet them as well. And I think it’s going to be a really great tour. So everybody involved is super cool. And, musically, sonically, I think it’s a great fit. So, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

For the band’s UK fans, are there any plans to return to our British shores any time soon?

“We’re looking at the end of summer, fall. We are working with Napalm events. So they’re going to help us be in Europe more often. So we’re excited,” explains Margarita.

With the band’s new album imminently set for release, how does the rest of the year look for Edge of Paradise? “We have more music videos coming up for the singles before the release. The next one is Prophecy, the title track, and we’re going to be doing some giveaways. I’m making a lot more art,” said Margarita. “We’re going to do a fun giveaway to people for the album release.”

Prophecy, the new album from Edge of Paradise, will be released via Napalm Records arriving on March 7, 2025

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit Brendan Flavin

MARISSA & THE MOTHS

Stronger Than Ever

Marisa and the Moths recently announced a headline UK tour for the spring alongside a string of UK festival dates. The tour follows their highly acclaimed second album What Doesn’t Kill You, which reached #1 in the Official UK Rock and Metal album charts on its release in May 2024.

With the success of the band’s sophomore album, 2024 was a sterling year for the quartet. “It was the most amazing year of my life and for us as a band as well. Because of the gigs and our second album that came out got to number one in UK charts, which is crazy. I never thought that would happen,” explains Marisa. “I feel like we’ve connected more with fans than maybe we ever had as well. Maybe it’s because of the new releases and everything.”

Marisa continues: “There were a bunch of music videos that we did because quite a lot of the songs we released as singles from the album. We did a few festivals, but we’ve got more festivals this year. There’s so much touring. I think that was the main highlight for me.”

People often say the second album is the hardest for a band. Perhaps it’s because you’ve

got a lifetime to write your debut, and then the sophomore release usually follows in quick succession. “There was so much anxiety when it came to approaching the second album. And to be honest, I don’t know if it’s the same or worse. But right now, in my head, I feel worse about the thought of doing album three, but at the same time getting ready for that as well,” expresses Marisa. “You’re trying not to disappoint the people who love you and grow at the same time. It’s a hard thing to achieve and a hard balance to find. But I think it was maybe an unusual circumstance with our second album because we had a lockdown, which kind of changed everything, especially in the music industry in general. And it kind of slowed down that process.”

Marisa adds: “That and a massive part of the story for me personally was that I got really sick with COVID, just as things were opening up again. I ended up in hospital, and I couldn’t sing for months and months. I only truly feel that I’ve gotten my strength back properly. And I can only say I’ve got my wits about me again. And the brain fog’s fully gone, probably in the last three to six months. And that’s a couple of years. The long COVID was not great. So, it slowed it down in that sense.”

Marisa continues: “I think because of it, it

meant that we ended up working with the people that we did, which we might not have done otherwise. So, Peter, my partner who does our live sound, produced this album. He’s done the most incredible job and helped to make it exactly how I envisioned it. And, because it was in-house as well, we had kind of more freedom in that sense. We could take our time with things.”

The pandemic era added to the timescales for the album release. “It was a big deal, and I had to make sure it was right. And we didn’t rush it out. There was the lockdown, and then it was even more pressure to get it finished and out because we’d lost that year. But I kind of said, no, it has to be right. We released our first album in November 2019. And our second album came out at the start of May 2024. So, I guess it’s like the couple of years plus the lockdown year that we lost,” said Marisa. “Bands usually release every couple of years to keep the momentum going. So, now that the world is going full pace again, it almost feels like maybe this will be the experience that we would have had with the second album now because you can’t take your foot off the gas.”

The songs on the band’s latest album come from a personal place. But does Marisa find songwriting to be therapeutic? “Absolutely,

yeah,” she confirms. “The album’s about recovering and navigating. I look at the album, and it’s ordered in a way that it’s meant to represent the process of grief and how it kind of is non-linear. But towards the end of the album, where Devil actually sits, is where I’m starting to find new light and put myself back out there. And, actually, in a nutshell, Devil is about falling in love again but being your own worst enemy and stopping yourself from letting in the fear of getting hurt. Songs are the best therapy. Sometimes, I feel like maybe I have to have some sort of mental breakdown before I find that inspiration or get into that headspace to write in the first place. I wish I could skip that part. But it’s all real things.”

Marisa elaborates: “They’re always about real experiences for me, the songs that we release, that I write. So, it definitely helps. But in the same sense, whenever I perform those songs as well, I go back to the feelings of what it was about when I wrote it at the same time, I kind of take new things from the songs when I’m performing them later as well. And it’s amazing, I guess lyrics are poetry, and if you’re doing it right, you can leave it to interpretation.”

Marisa and the Moths will shortly be hitting the road across the UK. But how much are the band looking forward to going on tour once

again? “I absolutely love tour. When you’re in it, it just is all-encompassing,” she says. “I’m really excited.” Marisa adds: “We’ve got a bit of time too - we’re going to rework the set a bit. And also, just to get the things that I’m working on at the moment finished up. And it’s nice to have this slower tour start, shall we say, because my jobs never stop. But yeah, I’m really excited. I love seeing everyone, and it makes it worth it.”

Marisa and the Moths aside, the singer reunited with the band’s former guitarist, Sophie Lloyd, to work on her album and also some live dates. “I probably see her more often than any of my other friends, to be honest, because we don’t have much time for social life,” explains Marisa. “It was like a real honour that she asked me also because I really look up to her and think she’s just a goddess, obviously, like everybody else on the planet. But also, it was like slipping into some old shoes somewhat, because we obviously worked on music together. We already worked on our energy and stagecraft together. So, I just think we’ve got a really good thing. And when we get to do that together, it’s always fun. And I’m really happy with the way that the song came out.” Marisa elaborates: “It’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever created. And I feel like it’s two powerful rock women working together.”

Beyond the UK tour, Marisa and the Moths have some exciting projects in the pipeline.

“At the moment, I am in the middle of finishing up some vocals for some stripped versions of album two songs and an alternative version of one of the songs from our first album. Most of them have quite extensive string arrangements that I wrote. And we got proper string players to record them.

We recorded all the music parts in late August before we went back on tour again,” explains Marisa. “I’m really excited to finish that up. And also Peter’s mixing the Abbey Road sessions that we did a few years back … So the plan is to release both of those as a limited-run physical vinyl LP kind of thing. And probably some CDs as well. And then obviously we’ve got our tour dates, the few months before summer, we’ve got a couple of festivals. And then I’m going to be leaning into writing again,” concludes Marisa.

Marisa and the Moths will embark on a full UK tour starting on 21st March at the Queen’s Hall in Nuneaton, with dates continuing throughout April. For further information and an up-to-date tour schedule, please visit www.marisaandthemoths.com.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Rob Blackham

Your album started as a concept record. Can you talk about how that evolved?

Yeah, it started as a concept record, and it still is, very much so. It ties into a larger story I’m writing in graphic novel form, which will be out later this year. My approach was to create musical snapshots from that story, much like I do with Shinedown - finding moments that resonate and bringing them to life through music. However, what didn’t expect was how much of myself I’d pour into these characters. They live in my head, and I think channelled a lot of my confidence, insecurities, discomforts, and even my depression into them. When it came time to write the songs, it became an intensely autobiographical record, even though none of that personal depth is explicitly in the graphic novel itself. It’s interesting how that unfolded.

Was the writing process cathartic and therapeutic, or did it take you to challenging places?

Every record takes me to difficult and challenging places - that’s just the nature of it. Whether it’s in the writing, production, or mixing, there’s always something pushing me beyond my previous limits. And with that challenge comes growth, which I adore - though not necessarily in the moment. The process can be maddening. I always find myself sinking into a certain kind of madness when making records. It’s not intentional; it’s just part of how create. That said, it is hugely cathartic. Anytime you’re able to bare your soul and pour it onto a page, an instrument, or through your voice, it’s the best kind of therapy.

“I Had a Name” feels like a journey. Did you intend for it to be played in its entirety?

Absolutely. never even thought about singles. The fact that “Mind Control” ended up as a single was decided by committee - I had no idea what would work as a single because never wrote one. got input from various people, and “Mind Control” seemed to stand out. But this record is meant to be experienced from start to finish. That was always my intention, and I would love for listeners to sit down and take it in that way.

Given your successful career, was it difficult to view “I Had a Name” as a commercial product?

I have an unspoken rule: when you’re making something, it should be the most important thing in the world to you. You can love it, nurture it, fight with it - but the moment you send it off, it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to the world. When you’re in the music business, art inevitably becomes a commodity. The only way to avoid that is to either give it away or accept that reality. Once the record is done, the business side kicks in - marketing, maximizing its reach, and making alternate versions. don’t love that part, but I’ve made peace with it. At the end of the day, I just want people to hear and enjoy “I Had a Name,” however it reaches them.

The album ranges from emotive and beautiful to heavy and aggressive. What does it mean to have longtime fans embrace this work?

That means the world to me. I create music first and foremost for myself - it’s how I purge my demons and ignite my soul. But once it’s out in the world, want people to connect with it. Honestly, I expected more resistance. assumed people would just want another Shinedown record and that I’d get torn apart for doing something different. But the response has been overwhelmingly positive, which is humbling.

ERIC BASS

In an industry driven by technology, how important was it to perform and record most of this music yourself? It was an experiment - I wanted to see if could do it. I played everything, wrote all the lyrics, and sang all the vocals, which was the hardest part. I’m used to being a backup singer, so stepping out in front was a learning experience. Writing with others, like in Shinedown, has its advantages you can bounce ideas off each other. But it also means compromise. This record gave me the freedom to stretch myself in ways I hadn’t before. However, the flip side was that didn’t have anyone to lean on for feedback. It was a different, but deeply fulfilling, process.

Executive function is rarely discussed in relation to neurodivergence. How does it affect your creative process? It affects me every day. I struggle with self-care and forget things constantly. I often joke that my wife is the only reason I’m not broken and homeless - but there’s truth in that. I get so hyper-focused that I’ll sit in the studio for 16 hours straight, forget to eat, sleep for three hours, and repeat the cycle for a week. Executive dysfunction is an overlooked aspect of neurodivergence. I have to remind myself to take care of basic needs, which most people don’t have to think about consciously.

How did your childhood experiences shape you as an artist? If I had been coddled or had my struggles carefully managed, I don’t think I’d be here today. School was incredibly difficult—both socially and academically. When finally got out into the world, had something to prove, even if didn’t know what it was. I rejected the “normal life” that had felt so suffocating. Instead, I ran toward music and art, searching for a sense of identity. That survival instinct still drives me. I have an overwhelming fear of failure, which can be unhealthy, but it also pushes me to succeed.

What did making this album teach you about yourself?

It showed me that I’m capable of more than I thought. I’ve always known I’m competent in the studio and as a songwriter, but I never rest on past success. Every project feels like my first, and each has to be better than the last. Taking full responsibility for this record - from writing to performance to production - was a massive undertaking. But the hardest part was finding the courage to release it. For a while, I wasn’t sure would. Now that it’s out, I’m incredibly proud of it, scars and all.

Do you feel changed by the experience of being so open and vulnerable?

still feel like myself - I’m an insular person. I spend a lot of time alone, in my head. But do believe I was put on this earth to help people, and music has given me the platform to do that. Being vulnerable in my music and interviews isn’t just therapeutic for me - it’s a way to reach others. I don’t see myself as a victim of neurodivergence or depression, but do have to navigate them. If sharing my experience helps someone else feel less alone, then it’s worth it. When I was a teenager dreaming of being in a famous rock band, I never imagined this part of the journey - speaking openly about mental health, neurodivergence, and personal struggles. But it’s been incredibly rewarding, and I’m grateful for it.

Thank you for the great questions, and for your interest in the record. appreciate it, and I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Interview by Viki Ridley Photo Credit: Press Supplied

REVIEWSAlbum

THIN LIZZY

THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS

The Phil Lynott phoenix rises from the audiophile ashes, especially in Dolby Atmos, on The Acoustic Sessions which is stated as being the first new Thin Lizzy album to be released in forty years. And therein lies the rub. The familiar songs featured are from

Lizzy’s first three albums: 71’s eponymous debut, 72’s Shades Of A Blue Orphanage and 73’s Vagabonds Of The Western World and are reimagined with original and unheard demo/alt vocals by Phil Lynott, original drum recordings by Brian Downey and all new acoustic guitar parts recorded in a couple of sessions by 78 year old Eric Bell, the original Thin Lizzy guitarist. The result is, if a bit controversial for some, fascinating as stripping back the original tracks to their core component parts, project leader, producer and mixer Richard Whittaker and Eric Bell’s restructuring of these selected tracks has created a fresher widescreen perspective throughout this collection of songs. Furthermore, it’s an unplugged curiosity as Lynott’s previously unheard vocal takes gives the listener the intimacy of a recording booth experience as though he is by your shoulder and singing into your ear. Mama Nature Said, A Song For While I’m Away and Eire begin the aural journey in such fashion. What’s reassuringly clear is Eric Bell’s prowess on a borrowed acoustic guitar he used for these recordings. He

flies on the instrument. As the previously overlooked guitar god, his time in the band was overshadowed by Thin Lizzy’s subsequent international success and all the six string players that passed through this cherished group. Taking a trip back to their first hit, and Bell’s calling card song, Whiskey In The Jar may lack the lead guitar fluidity found on the original electric recording, but this version is a belting re-fashioned demo in all but name and a standalone classic curiosity in itself. As compositions, Shades Of A Blue Orphanage and Dublin don’t quite scale the songwriting heights of the aforementioned but, nevertheless, are intriguing due to Lynett’s burgeoning class in the vocal and bass department. Vinyl, CD, Dolby Atmos (cuddly toy?), this recording is a keeper in whichever format it is bought. Eric Bell and Richard Whittaker have given a gold standard service to the legacy of this revered Irish rock band bringing Phil Lynott back to life via this enchanting portal of recorded time.

Words by Paul Davies

ERIC BASS I HAD A NAME

HAWKWIND

LIVE AT THE ALBERT HALL

THE DARKNESS DREAMS ON TOAST

Ukrainian sensations Jinjer innovates with their unrivalled, fifth modern metal masterpiece, Duél, recently released via Napalm Records that feature charismatic vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk’s vocals that combine brutal growls and epic, clean

vocals throughout these eleven tracks.

Opening track ‘Tantrum’ is the real deal of inhuman warp speed death metal, turning briefly around on a screeched vocal, before heading back to a full-on drum assault, a brief, sedate midsection and serrated outro.

‘Hedonist’ is a blackened cloak of doom, suffocating the array of emotions. Once more, the switch of vocal styles astonishes in its variety around demolition ball power blast beats.

‘Rogue’ is a whirlwind of downturned fury to blow your speakers with rock and roll, increasing in lunacy to give the listener a journey into the eye of the storm.

‘Tumbleweed’ is all Godzilla stomped grooves that writhe and churn as another captivating vocal ascends this song to the stratosphere, crashing and burning on suffocating vibes.

‘Green Serpent’ has an eerie intro from an edgy lead vocal, bass barrage, pinned down by innovative drum patterns. ‘Kafka’ and its

almost jazz like time changes wind itself around four minutes of laid-back serenity, exploding into life when guitar work is like a weapon of mass destruction.

‘Dark Bile’ lives up to its title as all Hell breaks loose as a juggernaut of grind is brain scrambling! ‘Fast Draw’ has insistent snare drum tenacity, battering alongside more doom riddled dirges and a broken glass chewed lead vocal.

‘Someone’s Daughter’ is an avalanche of grindcore to test the metal mettle of your sound system that surely isn’t indestructible enough to handle the ensuing onslaught.

‘A Tongue So Sly’ is an aural upheaval of tectonic plate worrying brutality, purely from another dose of snotty nosed snare drum barrage. ‘Duel’ closes the album on a gallop of buzzsaw, demented riffed guitar overload, for this full on headbanger!

Words by Dennis Jarman

Long time member of Shinedown, Eric Bass, has broken away from the sound for which he is most famous, and has composed his very own opus. Emotional, magnificent, grand, desperately sad and at times remarkable, new release I Had A Name takes us on an arduous, but so very enjoyable, introspective trek through Bass’s psyche. Opening with A World Unseen, a beautiful, positive introduction to this chronicle, I Had A Name provides Bass with a moment to recognise how far he has come, breaking us in gently, lulling us into a false sense of security, that this epic is going to be easy listening. Until, The New Gods Of War follows and is like a sledgehammer to the heart, the pain of confusion, the confusion of pain, wrapped around a balls to the wall track that is as badass as it is autobiographical. Brutally combining the tale of psychiatric medication, incarceration and frustration with Dickens’ Oliver and Annie, We Cant Go Home is an aural onslaught of greatness. Disturbing, fun, energetic, melancholy and resigned but delightful in its ‘in your face’ metal sensibilities. Goodnight, Goodnight, Mind Control, New Graves, offer their own revelations, peeling back the layers to more and more vulnerability through Bass’s use of words. Every line wrapped around aggressive, high octane melodies, with the contrast of beautiful harmonies and a powerful heartbeat of bass and drums throughout. There is no possible way to describe each track present here, and discuss the symbolism, meaning and interpretation, in a manner that respects and honours this body of work. At first listen I Had A Name is a collection of truly great music, but, as you become familiar with the characterisations, history, the open wounds of raw, visceral emotion, the experience of hearing the album as a whole becomes a much more meaningful one. I Had A Name is thought provoking, stimulating, visceral, extremely hooky, memorable and, magnificent. Absolutely unforgettable in sound and content, in simplest terms, this is a masterpiece.

Words by Viki Ridley

It was a you had to be there to witness it occasion, on Friday 29th September 2023, as these long journeying space rock craftsmen, Hawkwind, landed onstage at this landmark venue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their seminal space rock album, Space Ritual, and blow the minds of those, including me, in attendance as well as this venerable hall’s supernatural alternative dimension apparitions into the ether. Nevermind if you weren’t in attendance, the next best thing is buying this laser sharp sonic return trip chronicle of this momentous evening. There’s even an extra disc of rehearsal songs including Frozen In Time, Mask of The Morning, Underwater City…to aurally ingest with the main event. It’s a spirit raising performance which witnessed keyboard wizard, Tim ‘Thighpaulsandra’ Lewis, return to the flight deck. Surprise guest artists with occasional collaborator, Arthur Brown, providing his singular between song far-out poetry patter and super fan, William Orbit, hunkering down in the mix at the rear of the stage, sprinkled their extra fine space dust across proceedings. Marrying tracks from their then current album, The Future Never Waits, with classic tracks Levitation, Psychedelic Warlords, Spirit Of The Age, Brainstorm, Master Of the Universe… reminded all in this hall and beyond of their ongoing trip of continuously consistent music. Long may they continue to voyage into the deep sonic sphere of our collective musical minds.

All hail the return of The Darkness as they unleash their eighth studio album Dreams On Toast, via Cooking Vinyl, March 28th, 2025. In a way they’ve always reminded me of a more modern Sparks, featuring brothers Ron and Russell Mael and strangely enough there are two brothers in the Darkness, Justin Hawkins and the album was produced by Dan Hawkins. ‘Rock And Roll Party Cowboy’ has a ‘Bad Motor Scooter’ like intro, a massive main riff, taking the mick with a refrain of “Rock And Roll Cowboy and I ain’t gonna read no Tolstoy”. ‘I Hate Myself’ is a major rager of headbanging ferocity. Choruses are bonkers that include saxophone to Justin Hawkins’ helium fuelled vocals. ‘Hot On My Tail’ has lyrics so near the knuckle it’ll get the Woke brigade tied up in knots. This little ditty is Country And Western tinged, so insane it should be in a straitjacket! ‘Mortal Dread’ wears its AC/DC influences with pride, hitting the high voltage switch for air guitaring bad boy boogie, backed by piano and doo wop handclaps. ‘Don’t Need Sunshine’ took a few plays before stopped laughing at this party starting and finishing ludicrous, in a good way look at the amount of crap that clutters our lives up. ‘The Longest Kiss’ is a whimsical jaunt, akin to ‘39’ by Queen for a ballad with balls, closing on a guitar laden freak out. ‘The Battle For Gadget Land’ is punk rock pogo driven, short but still razor sharp for the heaviest song here. ‘Cold Hearted Woman’ is another hoedown, breezing along on a bittersweet vocal, backed by banjo and near the knuckle vocals. ‘Walking Through Fire’ shows their conviction in what they do best with choruses of “I can’t help falling in love with rock and roll”, releasing albums. “Hair and make-up, reluctantly here we go waste another precious days shooting yet another shitty video”. Final track, ‘Weekend In Rome’, a song so frail it could fall apart at any moment when a spoken word piece turns into a Royal Albert Hall outro of pomp and circumstance.

Words by Paul Davies

Words by Dennis Jarman

PEARL HANDLED REVOLVER

TALES YOU LOOSE

The five piece from Bedford, are on their 6th album, which is due for release on 18th April. Somehow ‘Pearl Handled Revolver’ have eluded me over the last 16 years and I can’t explain how! But judging by their influences

‘Purple’, ‘The Doors’ and ‘Zeppelin’ they are right up my street, so as I listen to the 8 new tracks, I can resolve my PHR ignorance during ‘Tales You Lose’. Spreading their music across several genres i.e. Rock, Jazz, Prog and Blues, the band have a unique blend, a style that has led them to share stages with various artists, from ‘The Black Crowes’ to ‘Jethro Tull’, ‘The Groundhogs’ and even ‘UB40’.

When Jim and The Doors left the desert highway they left a void, an emptiness, but after listening to ‘Black Rock’ it appears to have been filled. This 10-minute opener could be judged to linger, however this is its strength. It has time to unwind and develop into an epic introduction and as your ears take in the smoothness of Lee Vernon’s vocals and Andy Paris’s guitar, you are guided through the whole experience. ‘Heart Of Gold’ allows the keys of Simon Rinaldo to wash over you and again Lee produces crushed velvet tones. They may be classed as ‘Dark Rockers’ but the upbeat Jazz of ‘Gilding The Lily’ and mellow blues on ’Lightning’ contrast so well, it’s impossible to label PHR and place them in one box. Take ‘Courageous’ as another example, a tune that captivates with deep and sultry vibes. Then along comes ‘Space Invader’ where the drums and keys takeover for a simple melody of rock and light prog. The penultimate song ‘Hammer’ focuses on heavier notes and yes this is dark. Spoken lyrics herald menace and there’s a sense of foreboding, which is totally stimulating. ‘Junkies’ is another that lasts over 10 minutes and is the perfect coda, rounding off this excellent album with its delicious intensity.

WHITECHAPEL

HYMNS OF DISSONANCE

Deathcore icons Whitechapel have returned with their heaviest album to date Hymns of Dissonance - a display of 10 terrifyingly, perfectly crafted songs that present an even-handed counterbalance of harmonious, melodic pockets and an eerie monstrous possession interlocked. The lead single from this album A Visceral Retch is an absolute representation of this, with its heavy-hitting lyricism and the band’s signature hardcore sound. The pace is set in the opening two songs before we are presented with a sequence of tracks that reflect and represent the deadliest virtues, the seven sins. Phil Bozeman’s vocals are a key element to this album alongside the savage guitar riffs and bold, syncopated drum phrases which all combine to make an aggressive and tight sound. The instrumental number Ex Infernis, which translated into Latin means “from below/hell”, is a flawless palate cleanser presenting a blend of melodic phrases and chaotic pulses, before being pulled back in for the monster track that is Hate Cult Ritual. This album has raised the bar for the contemporary metal scene with its expression of dark melodic hooks, Bedlam being an ideal exploration of this, before bringing us to the end of the album with Mammoth God and Nothing Is Coming for Any of Us, leaving listeners cathartic. The brutality and darkness behind each track isn’t just a coincidence, but an essential concept for fans to experience, from the opening note of Prisoner 666 to the closing bar of Nothing Is Coming for Any of Us. This album follow’s the band’s 2021 release Kin, however with the theme-driven heaviness behind this album, is it perhaps more fitting as a sequel thematically to This is Exile. From the artwork to the content, this album is a dark and deep dive into Whitechapel’s heaviest chapter to date. This album is an entire experience, not just a casual listen but a story of all things satanic, demonstrating why they are so well respected as death metal and black metal icons. Hymns of Dissonance is available to stream and download from March 7th, 2025 through Metalblade Records.

THE DAMN TRUTH THE DAMN TRUTH

Vocalist Lee-La Baum of ‘The Damn Truth’, was astounded to answer the phone at 3am in the morning, after supporting Glen Hughes in London. It was Bob Rock, ‘Lets Make A Record’ he said. The result is another collaboration with the legendary producer and the Canadian Hipsters, a self-titled album with 11 tracks recorded over 2 months at Bob’s studio of choice, Bryan Adams’ The Warehouse Studios in Vancouver. The band were also allowed to use a selection of Bob’s personal vintage guitars. For a band that have such a retro vibe this must have been the icing on the cake.

‘Be Somebody’ is a delightful introduction, Lee-La is often compared to ‘Grace Slick’ as she strikes in a similar range. This song and the hooky ‘I Just Gotta Let You Know’ soon cement that parallelism. Lowly bass and high-pitched vocals for ‘Love Outta Here’ while ‘If I Don’t Make It Home’ dives into ballad mode, proving ‘The Damn Truth’ can turn their attention to deeper anthem sounds. The album continues to steady itself with ‘Better This Way’, ‘Mirror, Mirror’ and All Night Long’ the latter having a mellow and laid-back vibe. When we arrive at track 8 ‘The Willow’ with its pipes and soulful guitar intro, there’s a change in the air. Lee-La seeks rasping, squeals and her most emotional vocals, a powerful delivery and gripping throughout. ‘Addicted’ punches through the clouds with rapping lyrics and jazzy chords. It shows how much this band are capable of. ‘Killer Whale’ may be a strange title about losing love but the words ‘I wake up you’re not there still feel you everywhere, In my veins my breasts my face, I’m hunting for that untouched place, Our ship has sailed I’m a killer whale’ Make sense of it all. The album ends with the amazing feel of ‘The Dying Dove’ and they leave on a high.

The Damn Truth will be released on Friday 14 March via Spectra Musique.

Words by Diane Davies

Words by Charlotte Hooper

ERJA LYYTINEN

SMELL THE ROSES

Finnish guitar goddess Erja Lyytinen returns with her latest studio album, Smell the Roses. The record follows in the footsteps of the artist’s latest live album, “20 Years of Blues Rock!” which was released at the close of 2024.

Now twenty years since the release of Erja’s debut solo album, Wildflower the Queen of the Slide Guitar is firing on all cylinders. The poetic title track is an infectious slice of blues rock with a potent message and a catchy riff. The track illustrates the evolution

of Erja’s sound into territories above and beyond her traditional blues/rock space and sets the tone for the remainder of this astonishing release.

The title track is followed by Going to Hell. This is a song in which Erja’s opening guitar licks immediately grab your attention, whilst simultaneously showcasing the artist’s virtuoso playing. The song sits on the more progressive rock side of the Lyytinen’s repertoire, with jazzy undertones and flurries of fiery fretwork which will excite the listener.

With a song title like Abyss, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that the song and the theme of the track are going to be heavy. In fact, Abyss is possibly the heaviest song that Erja has ever recorded. The drop tuning underpins the artist’s monstrous riffs. It’s a track which will inevitably be a live favourite and one of the many stand-out songs on the record.

The ethereal sounds of Dragonfly, with its broody undertones and toe-tapping rhythm, provide a pallet cleanser following the gargantuan rocker that is Abyss.

For fans of Erja’s slide guitar playing, The Ring is just for you. The song screams potential show opener, with its up-tempo

slide guitar flurries. It’s the type of song which cements exactly why Erja Lyytinen received her ‘Queen of the Slide Guitar’ moniker.

As we head into the last three tracks of this nine-song release, Ball and Chain is a number which is catchier than a common cold. The chorus simply stays with you for days – not that we are complaining.

Stoney Creek is one of the songs on the album which showcases more of a traditional blues sound, during what is a brooding, atmospheric number with Americana-based undertones. It’s a track which further highlights the development of Erja’s sound.

Sadly, like all good things, they must come to an end and on this occasion, the album comes to a close with Empty Hours. A further stand-out track, which is packed full of emotive playing and provides a spellbinding close to perhaps Erja Lyytinen’s best studio album to date.

With Erja Lyytinen’s latest album, the only smell she will be encountering is the smell of success.

Words by Adam Kennedy

MOSTLY AUTUMN SEAWATER

JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE PUNK ROCK FIESTA

RØRY RESTORATION

Mostly Autumn have returned with their long-awaited brand-new 15th studio album Seawater. This album demonstrates a superb blend of melodies with classic rock whispers and atmospheric nods throughout. The 10-track collection of profound and eloquent compositions hosts a charismatic edge and folk-esque flare, which is certainly a testimony that Bryan Josh and Olivia Sparnenn-Josh have yet again orchestrated. Each member of MA is also given their own spotlight, emphasising their tight blend of musicianship from Iain Jennings, Angela Gordon, Chris Johnson, Andy Smith and Henry Rogers – Future is a Child being a perfect example of this.

Delving into the track listing, Let’s Take a Walk is a warming, whimsical and welcoming treat which, alongside Why Do We Remember All the Rain, includes a special guest appearance from Nightwish’s very own Troy Donockley, whose contribution elevates the Celtic-rock roots that screams prominence throughout. The layering of each part displays exquisite instrumentation, yet again, exploring each band members mastery of their craft. From humbling tracks such as Be Something, My Home and When We Ran to more delicate lead numbers When Nations Collide and Mars, this release hones in on Mostly Autumn’s signature sound. Closing with the title track, Seawater takes you on a journey of twists and turns with a dreamy, dramatic build as the perfect showstopping finale.

With seamless transitions, melodic and purposeful riffs and solos, tremendous vocals, momentous choruses as well as electronic tones and misty sensations, this is a wonderful addition to any prog-rock collection and a fierce return for one of the most renowned progressive rock groups around.

Mostly Autumn have a number of European and UK performance dates throughout 2025, for the full list visit mostly-autumn.com.

Words

by Charlotte Hooper

Currently on the road in the UK to celebrate the 35th Birthday of the seminal, Blackout In The Red Room, JIzzy Pearl is once again rocketing out of the gate with a new release and, Im convinced that long time fans of the band will agree, Punk Rock Fiesta is Pearl on his A game. Evident from the start, Jizzy’s trademark gravel toned hard vocal remains intact as does his ability to perform with all the piss and vinegar we remember from Love/Hate’s ground breaker. You’re Gonna Burn is a roller coaster ride of guitars and drums, punctuated pauses and an acidic, dismissive, goodbye of a lyric from Jizzy. Segueing into the incredibly catchy Eye For An Eye, this is high octane at its best, relentless, hooky, anthemic, a soon to be live favourite I have no doubt. Wrath of Love and Over The Edge maintains the momentum, chunky riffs and pulsing rhythm sections crash their way through a heady delivery of sleaze meets hard rock and I for one am delighted with this assault on my sense. Just over the mid way point, comes the guitar driven rollick and biggest riff of the album with DidYa Think You Could Fall In Love. Again, catchier than a cold and hitting harder than Rocky, a chanting chorus and a guitar break that cuts like a shard of glass, this gargantuan wall of sound is one of Punk Rock Fiesta’s finest celebrations. The staccato, pulsating rhythm of I’ll Be Your Shadow, provides further evidence that the grit, edge and punk rock sensibilities from the now legendary Blackout In The Red Room, remain firmly and assertively intact. This track is for fans of the track, Fuel To Run, but, this time the mighty sound is accompanied by a sinister lyric, telling the tale of a dark presence, stalking in the shadows. Jizzy is a pro, 35 years later Punk Rock Fiesta is true to form Love/Hate. You may not get to hear these tracks on tour this time around, but I have it on good authority that there will be copies available to pick up at the UK shows. A must have for the hardcore Love/Haters, and the perfect release to pay respect to the OG.

Words by Viki Ridley

Celebrating a milestone birthday and six years sober, 40-year-old alternative rock superstar RØRY has released her album Restoration, talking about her turbulent history of self-destructive behaviours including addiction, mental health struggles, intense grief, near-death experiences and other varying traumas. RØRY does not shy away her past but instead used it as her main drive when constructing this album, by exploring and discussing her own series of complex life events.

The opening track ‘If Pain Could Talk, What Would It Say’ gives an intensely powerful and emotionally raw narrative instantly breaking down all reservations and walls and inviting the audience into the life of RØRY. Interestingly, her track hold on guestfeatures Roxanne Emery, which fans would recognise as the name she has previously released music under. This particular track I believe stands as the metaphor of grasping onto the feeling of shame and battling it directly, something that many of us can relate to in some form, however hearing this track makes that a less scary concept. This is then followed by BLOSSOM which naturally suggests the idea of growth and evolving, two key components to this entire album.

RØRY bares all across these 10 intimate tracks which includes lead singles Morality Suicide, Sorry I’m Late and One Drink Away. Even if you haven’t experienced something as traumatic as some of the subjects explored within this album, the relatability of life struggles, or recognition of a destructive cycle is what makes this album enticing. A reassuring and comforting listen that demonstrates that things do get better and that it is all okay in the end, and if it’s not okay, then it’s not the end. If you take anything away from this release, it’s that everyone should be a little bit more RØRY.

Restoration is available to stream and purchase now through its-rory.com

Words by Charlotte Hooper

THE HELLACOPTERS OVERDRIVER

The Hellacopters, one of the finest rock bands to emerge from Sweden, take to the skies with Overdriver, their ninth studio album, released on January 31st, 2025, via Nuclear Blast.

These eleven new songs see the band bring the hammer down, point proven by opening track ‘Token Apologies’. A razor blade sharp intro heads off with a heavy ‘Daytripper’ like vibe by the Beatles, muscling up for a drum driven midsection and fretboard burning guitar solo. ‘Don’t Let Me Bring You Down’ has a sinewy intro, setting the scene for this chugger whilst taking their foot off the accelerator for the choppy choruses.

‘(I Don’t Wanna Be)’ Just A Memory should see their drummer get a medal for this tub-thumping bruiser, toughening up more for some of the best choruses I’ve heard for quite some time.

‘Wrong Face On’ has touches of garage rock, firing up this bare-knuckled bruiser until bass guitar venom ends the fight. ‘Soldier On’ is a rocking toe tapper with catchy, but still headbanging riffs to keep the air guitarists happy. ‘Doomsday Daydreams’ serenely breezes along on a sugar sweet lead vocal, heavying up to pack a punch in the choruses.

‘Faraway Looks’ is three thrashing minutes of guitars set to kill mode, getting more insane to hurtle towards the finishing line. ‘Coming Down’ is a bluesy blustre, taking the pace down a notch or two until the riffs return, pinned down by a fearsome rhythm section.

‘Do You Feel Normal’ has a happy vibe to blow away this cold winter, waiting for the summer to arrive to blast it out on your car stereo.’The Stench’ is a mean and moody piece that highlights its morose under a cloud of doom. ‘Leave A Mark’ ends the album in style as the bass isn’t just heard, you feel it to! It took a few plays to realise that most of the lyrics are the same as ‘Born In The USA’, apart from the songs title.

Words by Dennis Jarman

BLOODYWOOD

NU DELHI

When you think about it India has the perfect heritage for bringing us innovative rock music. The 1990’s saw ‘Indus Creed’ break barriers, since then influences like Goa Trance, Bollywood and even Raga Rock have dissolved to create an Indian, ‘Folk Nu-Metal’ genre with bands like ‘Bloodywood’ leading the game. Their subject matter includes political and social themes, including bullying and rape culture. With Hindi rapping and heavy riffs, it’s a modern approach based on their culture and the end product is outstanding.

‘Halla Bol’ (Raise Your Voice) is the first of the 8 tracks and comes in with mesmerising static. It then builds into an unrelenting passage of dense and thumping chaos. The dual vocalising by Raoul Kerr and Jayant Bhadula, sustain unrivalled layers, ‘Hutt’ and ‘Dhadak’ (Heatbeat) are tracks that soak up this combined energy and this album is riding the crest after only 3 songs. I adore ‘Bekhauf’ (Fearless) that features ‘Babymetal’ what a mix, it’s dangerous and completely bonkers with verses bouncing off the walls.

‘Kismet’ (Fate) is less of a flurry and stabilises with metal rap and grinding guitar, overall, it’s an intriguing piece. A swirling riff on ‘Daggebaaz’ (Cheat) and pumping from the rhythm crew, including Sarthak Pahwa on dhol, makes this another with immense lushness. I like how the band have written about their love of food, ‘Tadka’ is a spicy addition as ‘Raoul’ raps, “...Because our food was made to win hearts like a wager... vicious and delicious.” The band hail from New Delhi, so pay homage with the album title and last track, playing on the word ‘Nu’ to signal their genre and delight us with a finale, that is simply storming brilliance.

‘Nu Delhi’ is an album that makes you sit up and absorb everything it throws at you. A hard-hitting pulse of metal that lunges towards a new era for rock music.

G3

REUNION LIVE

Guitar threesomes were once a rarity and mostly confined to Southern Boogie bands. That is until the G3 series of tours pitched a trio of master craftsmen to exhibit their individual virtuosity on the revered electric fretted stringed pickup instrument with electronic effects accessories. Furthermore, when they coalesce and sonically shapeshift into a Cerberus of expressionistic awe and jaw dropping levels of musicianship during the encore is extra time musical manna to chew over. Captured on their first live album in over twenty-five years, Vai’s Ibanez JEM, Satch’s Ibanez JS and Johnson’s signature Fender Strat are put through their respective extreme paces throughout this full album length set. Having inaugurated the G3 concept almost thirty years ago, each artist plays a core set then come together on a four song encore jam. This celebration of the guitar displays the outer limits of what is possible with the development of this electric instrument especially with the differing stylings of each artist’s technique. This is most evident from Vai’s opener Gravitas, through to Zeus In Chains and the supernatural sonics on Teeth Of The Hydra. Then Eric Johnson takes the guitar practice passages of Land Of 1,000 Dances and transforms this ‘na,na,na,na…’ historic R’n’B banger into a stunning piece of string theory that elides into the raunchy Righteous. Jeff Beck’s Freeway Jam and Desert Rose further detail Johnson’s incredible jazz/rock technique. Moreover, Raspberry Jam Delta, Surfing With The Alien, Satch Boogie and Sahara streak a comet-like trail across this universe of guitar sound as only Satriani can. It all amounts to a guitar masterclass nirvana that presents how far one instrument can blaze singular tonal trails in the hands of these three master craftsmen. Major props go out to the stellar cast of musicians providing their A-game back-up to the main cast G3s. Check them out when you buy this keeper recording.

DAVID LEE ROTH

THE WARNER RECORDINGS (1985 - 1994)

Is there a more perfectly pieced together pop rock anthem than David Lee Roth’s fist-pumping, Jump-like, jaw dropping solo peak Just Like Paradise? Seamlessly knitting together Van Halen’s game-changing melodic rock with hair metal’s MTV-fuelled late 80s heyday, the ultimate crossover hit soared to number six on the Billboard Top 200 and even featured a fresh-faced Steve Vai strutting his fret-burning stuff. Just Like Paradise? Just brilliant.

But if Just Like Paradise was Roth at his most heavenly then the tale of his solo career is one of hellish inconsistency, missed opportunities and misreading the room. How, within the space of six years, such a classy performer could lurch from Skyscraper’s dizzying highs to Your Filthy Little Mouth’s often jaw-dropping mediocrity is difficult to fathom. Every strident play for chart-topping adulation and all of the toe-curling grunge-era missteps are included on The Warner Recordings (1985-1994): the gaping gulf between pure class and utter dross is striking.

It’s a recurring theme during the peak solo years. Skyscraper retained the key quartet of Roth, Vai, Sheehan and Greg Bisonette and yet again the ‘band’ proved to be greater than the sum of its parts. Would Roth have flourished to such an extent without his carefully assembled cast of rock god buddies? Unlikely. Would Vai have gone on to reach even greater heights with Whitesnake and as a solo artist without the chance to feed off Roth’s infectious energy and desire to rip up the rock and roll rulebook? Probably not. Sheehan and Bisonette, meanwhile, steel-plated their reputations as rhythm kings par excellence on back-to-back albums that set the standard for late 80s commercial rock.

Singles Just Like Paradise, Stand Up and Damn Good (an acoustic ballad that could — and should — have been so much bigger) showcased Skyscraper’s many strengths with Roth and Vai co-producing an album so polished it perfectly reflected the pair’s increasingly ambitious glances towards greater glory. And yet, with the magic formula seemingly patented, things started to fall apart for a marriage made in rock and roll heaven.

Words by Diane Davies

Words by Paul Davies

Bookended by what was the brave, bordering on the foolhardy, EP Crazy From

The Heat and the instantly forgettable Your Filthy Little Mouth, this five-disc retrospective nevertheless includes some truly superior pop rock that, in many respects, has never been bettered. Skyscraper and its equally vivacious predecessor Eat ‘Em And Smile paired Roth with Vai to spectacular effect — on the one hand a charismatic vocalist with the budget and back catalogue to push boundaries and on the other the hungry new kid on the block craving a platform to allow his talent to shine. An explosive match made in pop rock heaven underpinned one of the richest and most rewarding periods of Roth’s chequered past.

To this day there are fans of Vai who point to his Roth collaborations as essential listening when seeking to understand the upward curve of a career as unpredictable as it was disruptive. It’s easy to drift into a haze of pulsating riffs and super cool solos and actually forget that these records are supposed to belong to Roth! Vai is imperious on Eat ‘Em And Smile’s frenetic Goin’ Crazy, the Billy Sheehan-penned Shyboy and the bouncing, funk-tinged Big Trouble. And blues cover Tobacco Road is smoking thanks, in large part, to the peerless guitar work. Now Roth was used to operating in the shadow of a six- string slayer but was it really the plan to be outshone again by one of the fast-emerging heirs to Eddie’s throne?

In keeping with his reputation for blooding red hot rising stars, Roth enlisted Jason Becker to fill Vai’s shoes for Billboard Top 20 album A Little Ain’t Enough. Yet again the fretwork was seriously impressive but the record was released against the backdrop of Becker’s ALS diagnosis and the rising tide of grunge. A tour in support of A Little Ain’t Enough — alongside Extreme and Cinderella — bombed and album sales nosedived. Penultimate track It’s Showtime! couldn’t have been farther from the truth: the curtain was coming down on Roth’s reign with cruel haste and one of the stars of the MTV era faced an increasingly uncertain future.

In truth, 1994’s Your Filthy Little Mouth always came across as Roth’s defiant ‘fuck you’ to an industry and a fan base that had left him for dead. Or was it the sound of a once feted frontman and face of one of the world’s greatest guitar bands finally throwing in the towel and accepting defeat? Whether Your Filthy Little Mouth reflects an angst-fuelled act of insubordination or a meek acceptance of the inevitable is open to debate but one thing’s certain: the songs are dreadful. In spite of — or maybe due to — a typically sharp Nile Rodgers production job, tracks like Big Train and No Big ‘Ting do little more than tarnish Diamond Dave’s legacy. Harsh but true.

Words by Simon Rushworth

SAMANTHA FISH

PAPER DOLL

This April, Samantha Fish will unveil her fiercest work to date, with a new studio album, Paper Doll (Rounder Records). For her latest offering, Sam teamed up with producer and Detroit garage-rock legend Bobby Harlow (The Go) - with assistance from fellow Detroit luminary Mick Collins (The Gories) on one track. If you’ve been following Samantha’s career in recent times, you will be well aware of the fact that the artist is not afraid of pushing the envelope with each album that follows. The US-based artist has transitioned from blues/rock, garage rock, Americana and even retro soul during her astounding career. The artist’s latest offering sees Sam reunite with Bobby Harlow, who Fish had previously worked with on the Chills and Fever release. The beauty of Sam’s forays into various musical styles is that each time she does this, Fish proves that she can turn her hand to anything and do it well on each occasion. And with Paper Doll, this is once again the case. For her latest offering, Samantha certainly channels her North Mississippi/Hill Country Blues influences to great effect. A style of music which the esteemed artist has always shown an interest in and never particularly shied away from. The opening track, I’m Done Runnin’ is the perfect example of the North Mississippi musical style. The song features a finger-picking introduction and a traditional blues sound that is rich in Sam’s astounding slide guitar play and captivating vocal delivery. Both the guitar riff and the groove are so catchy, that they immediately grab the listener’s attention at the top of the album. Sam’s passionate delivery on the chorus, in particular, is hard to ignore.The album continues with Can Ya Handle The Heat. And what can we say but, put your fire extinguisher on standby for this scorching blues/ rock number? Lose You showcases more of a retro garage/rock sound with an infectious melody. Whilst recent single Sweet Southern Sound oozes with Hammond as it eases the listener in gently. The song builds as Samantha unleashes a face-melting solo in the latter stages of the track. Samantha switches things up via Off In The Blue. A song with a slightly gentler sound and a heartfelt blues number that allows Fish’s beautiful vocals to captivate the listener. The blues virtuoso channels greats such as Junior Kimbrough and RL Burnside via the psychedelic hill country grooves of standout track Fortune Teller. Furthermore, Mick Collins accompanies Sam on the fuzz-fueled blues/rocker Rusty Razor. Like a blues siren, Samantha leads the listeners to her gigs and her new album with the stand-out track Paper Doll. It’s no surprise that the song is the title track – it really is that good. The nine-track release comes to a close via the blues ballad Don’t Say It. Although the title may imply otherwise, there’s nothing paper about this album; it’s just solid gold throughout.

ALL FOR JOLLY ALL FOR JOLLY

All For Jolly are braced to skyrocket, loaded with their explosive sophomore self-titled album, which is set to be released on Friday 4th April. The fiery five-piece are forging their own path thanks to its unique Cornish Celtic Punk sound. But how does this unique genre sound? The opening track, On We Row, is a frantic, Celtic punk-tinged number which makes you want to throw your pint in the air and jump in the mosh pit. The song has a hard-hitting rhythm and guitar riffs that are fast enough to give the listener whiplash. Recent single, New Era, is pertinent considering the band’s rebranding and lineup changes. Sammantha’s Mandolin playing, coupled with rockier electric guitar riffs, provide the perfect soundtrack to a “Jolly” good old knees up. Songs like Rolling With The Punches and Sword and Crown channel a sound which is perhaps not too far removed from folk/punk rockers like Frank Turner. Whilst, the band’s expletivefuelled number Spanish Galleon even carries a listener advisory warning during the intro. The latter channels some of the band’s pirate influences and will inevitably be a live favourite during All For Jolly’s upcoming UK dates. Oh My showcases a more acoustic-based side of the band’s repertoire. The track’s momentum builds as the song unfolds. If you are going to release an album with nautical themes and songs revolving around the band’s Cornish roots and their lives by the sea, of course, you are going to end up with a drinking number on the album. And on this occasion, the drinking song is Pass The Mead. And with a yo ho – we will drink to that. And whilst Cornish Celtic Punk might be a mouthful in terms of genre, perhaps the best example of this unique musical style is Set Sail Tonight. The song is a lively punky number with nautical lyricism. And of course, any opportunity to shout “Oi Oi” is going to make the song a live favourite.End of the Show seems like a fitting song to conclude either an album or live show with. On this occasion, the song features Mad Dog Mcrea, during what is a feisty fiddled fuelled tune on the record. All For Jolly’s eponymous album spans fourteen tracks including bonus songs, whilst showcasing a refreshing spin on the tried and tested Celtic Punk sound. We are almost certain that the band’s fans and listeners will conclude that the record is indeed “Jolly” Good.

NIGHTBLADE

Unstoppable Brit Rock combo, Nightblade will release their staggering fifth album in a remarkable five years on Friday, 11th April. Subsequently, the band ceremoniously named their latest release 5, to align with their milestone achievement. With a prolific run of long players over the last five years, the band’s latest offering further showcases the progression of the Kidderminster-based rockers since the pandemic era. The album opens with the riff-heavy One Night on the Town. A big song about a big night out, and the perfect number to give you that Friday feeling. Grave Mistake continues with once again big riffs, catchy hooks and a guitar solo that will leave scorch marks on the listener’s ears. The album slows down momentarily with I’ll Be Home Tonight. The song may be slower than the opening two, but the number builds as the song progresses and features some emotionally charged lyricism from Mark Crosby. Crunchy power chords and a tight beat underpin Never Trust Another’s potent message, during this gritty slice of rock from the midlands-based outfit. A fast flurry of guitar riffs carries the song Left At the Light. It’s the type of song where you want to turn the Marshalls up to eleven, and let it bleed. Speak As You Find is one of the tracks that stands out as being a bit different on the album. Heavy bass riffs underpin the song’s tight rhythm. The riff, in particular, reminds the writer a bit of The Clash. The song ebbs and flows throughout the number’s duration. Heard It All Before is a further brooding, thought-provoking number which carries a hard-hitting message. guess we’ve all been there, which makes the song even more relatable to the listener. Put your flu tablets on standby whilst listening to What You Did Was Wrong because this outright fiery rocker is catchier than the common cold, and one of the stand-out tracks on the release. The release concludes with Face Doesn’t Fit. A crunchy rocker with a hard-hitting groove, and a perfect way to close out the album’s ten brilliant tracks. Whilst Nightblade may have named their new album 5, that number by no means reflects the quality of the release, or the score it should receive – it’s most certainly a 10/10 for us.

LIVE AT THE LEXINGTON

PHOTO CREDIT: SIMON DUNKERLEY

I n a night that will be remembered as a pivotal moment in rock history, the Black Eyed Sons roared into the scene with a debut performance that left jaws dropped and hearts racing. Hailing from the ashes of a tumultuous past, this band has emerged stronger and more determined than ever, ready to carve their name in the annals of rock greatness.

Formerly known as the Quireboys, the Black Eyed Sons have undergone a transformation that has reignited their passion and purpose. Led by the enigmatic frontman Guy Griffin, the band delivered a blistering set filled with raw energy and untamed spirit. The crowd at the Lexington was treated to a sonic assault of epic proportions, as the band ripped through new tracks and old favorites with equal fervor. With influences ranging from Mott the Hoople to Blackberry Smoke, the Black Eyed Sons showcased a sound that is both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. Collaborations with rock legends like Joe Elliott and Buckcherry brought a new dimension to their music, while harmonica solos and soulful vocals added depth and grit to their already electrifying performance.

As the night culminated in a raucous encore featuring the timeless anthem “This Is Rock’n’Roll,” it became clear that the Black Eyed Sons are more than just a band - they are a force to be reckoned with. Their debut album, which is now on sale & reached Number 1in the National Blues chart, 6 breakers, promises to be a gamechanger in the rock world, and fans can expect nothing short of brilliance from these rising rock stars. In a music landscape hungry for authenticity and soul, the Black Eyed Sons have arrived to fill the void with their unapologetic swagger and infectious passion. The spirit of rock n’ roll lives on in their music, and with each electrifying performance, they prove that they are indeed on the path to greatness.

For media inquiries, interviews, or review copies of their upcoming album, please contact us at charl@darkwatch.net

Stay tuned as the Black Eyed Sons conquer the rock world one stage at a time. Rock on! www.offyerrocka.com

Words by Adam Kennedy

THE DAMN TRUTH

Celebrated Canadian rock and roll band The Damn Truth release their self-titled album The Damn Truth on Friday, 14 March via Spectra Musique.

The Damn Truth returns with their self-titled fourth album, The Damn Truth, and, once again, produced by the legendary Bob Rock (Motley Crue, The Offspring, Bon Jovi).

Ahead of the release of the record, the band received a considerable amount of airplay on some of the UK’s premier rock radio stations with their recent single I Just Gotta To Let You Know. A testament to the strength of the band’s latest output. A famous British band was a big inspiration for the group during the creation of the song. “A big inspiration is the Kinks. I love the Kinks. They are big heroes of mine,” said guitarist Tom Shemer. “I got to talk on the phone with Dave Davies a couple of times. And I love the way he plays guitar. It’s not super technical, but just every note is right. I just love the Kinks, the songwriting and everything. And I was just messing around with that riff, the opening riff, and it sounded Kinks to me and anything that sounds Kinks to me, I like immediately.”

Producer Bob Rock enjoyed the demo of the song, but the track truly came to life in the studio. “He was just like, why don’t you grab an acoustic guitar and let’s just play it in the room and see what we think? So I just grabbed an acoustic guitar, even though there was not even one note in that song that was played on an acoustic guitar in my demo. And he was like, just like this, you know, and that’s how the intro came about. It was like, it sounds so good on acoustic guitar. And then he was totally right,” recalls Tom. “Lee-la was singing over it and it was just like it was magic, and then the rest of the song is kind of similar to what I had on my demo already. But that intro was special. I remember that moment in the studio. It had just happened on the spot. We recorded in five minutes and that was it.”

Having an industry heavyweight like Bob Rock on board once again was a blessing for the band. “I know we’ve built a bond since that first album that we worked together, that was cut short by COVID and all the mess of not being able to finish the record together. We really grew close, and we like the way we work together, and we respect each other and respect each other’s musicality. So, I think he was excited to get the demos and then even more so when he heard them,” said Lee-la.

generation where people made records as a piece, and right now, we live in a world that’s very single-oriented. But he doesn’t look at stuff like that. We started with a batch of 40 songs. And we narrowed it down, not because the rest of the songs were bad necessarily, but he got us into that headspace of thinking about it as an album, which is hard to do when everybody else in your label, your promotional team, whatever, everybody tells you the age of the record as a whole piece is kind of done. For Bob, it was important. And for us as a band, it was important we chose the songs that work together.”

One of the many startling tracks on the band’s new eponymous release is a song called The Willow. The group found a rough sketch of the track on some old hard drives.

“Both verses of The Willow were there, and that guitar line, and one acoustic guitar and my voice. And I didn’t really remember the moment that we had recorded it. But I did remember that it was one of these streams of consciousness - it just came out. It wasn’t written, it just came out of me from the inspiration of hearing that lick. And, suddenly, I’m listening to it, and I am loving it. I love everything about it. It struck me like a slap in the face. I was like, Tom, send this to Bob now. Like this demo, this thing, like all grungy. And he starts arguing. No, we’re going to rerecord it. I can’t send this to Bob from an old phone voice note,” recalls Lee-la.

“I put my foot down.”

“I definitely could hear that there’s something there. It struck me because it was kind of a jam when we recorded it. But listening back to it, we were like, wow, this is really striking,” explains Tom. “But The Willow didn’t have a chorus; it’s just two verses and some instrumental parts. And we were deep into the writing process and trying to hone in on big choruses and big stuff. And I was like, I’m not going to send this to Bob. I need some time to think what I’m going to do with it. And I did record like another demo of it.”

After some debate, a demo was sent to Bob. “I sent it, and about three minutes later, he called, and it was like, this is it. This is the best song on the record. This is it. I know exactly what we need to do with it.,” declares Tom. “That was the first song we recorded for this album. And yeah, it’s my favourite too.

The band recorded at Bryan Adam’s studio

in Vancouver. But what was it about that studio in particular that worked so well for the band on this project? “First of all, the live room is immense. It’s one of the biggest live rooms I’ve ever been in. You could record an orchestra in there easily. It’s just amazing. It’s beautiful. It’s in the heart of Vancouver. It’s very old. One of these heritage buildings. So, you can feel the vibe already in it. It sits on top of a warehouse of the best gear ever be collected,” said Lee-la.

Tom continues: “It’s Bryan Adams’ collection, basically. And Bob keeps most of his collection there too, because he lives in Hawaii, and doesn’t have a studio there. So, he keeps his studio there. And the thing is that we also didn’t have much of a choice because that’s the only place where Bob works. He has Tommy Lee’s studio in LA, he’ll do some work there sometimes. But he only works at the warehouse. That’s where he made all those big records that he made. He just likes that room for drums, and for a good reason, don’t get me wrong.”

“There’s also a feeling when you walk into a place like this, I would assume the same kind of feeling as walking into Abbey Road or something. You’ve got to step up, it’s like there’s no time to waste here and bring your A game.”

With the new album under their belts, the next logical step for the group is touring. “They’re already looking into early fall for the UK,” said Lee-la. “Our summer is already totally booked up in Quebec and Europe. It’s looking like Europe is going to be a good couple of months of touring. We’re heading out on the Rock Legends cruise with Alice Cooper next week. So, we’ve got that. We’ve got our big album launch on a few different dates around here in Quebec. That’s in March. We just want to be on the road always. It’s either to record the album and have fun doing that for the few months that that takes and the rest of the time, be on the road. We are a touring band. That’s what we absolutely love. And, so if we can get another 200 shows this year or more, then we’re going to do it.” Lee-la concludes: “There’s a lot of a lot of rock and roll to be had.”

The eponymous new album from The Damn Truth will be released on Friday, 14th March via Spectra Musique.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Natali Ortiz

Ricky Warwick is preparing to release his new solo album, Blood Ties, on the 14th March via Earache Records.

Ricky dug deep for Blood Ties and by doing so, has made this one of his most personal records yet. Big cathartic guitar sounds and life-affirming, often joyous assessments of where he is in life right now have made it a standout body of work in a career that has spanned over four decades at the coalface of rock ‘n ‘ roll.

Whilst his solo release will perhaps be the artist’s focus throughout 2025, at the tail end of last year, the legendary frontman hit the road with The Almighty. Touring together for another round was a different experience on this occasion. “When we went out in 2023, that was the first time that the band were back together as the original lineup in 30 years. There’s a lot of pressure and expectations that came with that,” explains Ricky. “The shows were amazing. But this time around, that wasn’t there. We’d done it. We proved that we could still kick out the jams, as it were. So that took a little bit of pressure. Also, I think we could relax and enjoy these shows even more this time.”

The artist’s forthcoming solo album Blood Ties finds the frontman reflecting on his position in life. “The road is definitely much shorter ahead of me than it is behind me - that’s just a fact. So, coming to terms with that and seeing my kids now, who are all grown up, and seeing them go into adulthood and the effect that they have on me. And recently moving back to Northern Ireland, reconnecting with family over there. And all that kind of stuff is all relevant in the subject of the songs,” he says. “Blood can mean family, but it can also mean some really close friends or people that are very close to you, who aren’t necessarily related by blood, but they feel like they are. So, it can be a metaphor for that as well. But that’s absolutely what I was trying to get.”

Ricky Warwick’s new solo album features a who’s who of the rock world, with guests and friends who the Black Star Rider’s frontman has connected with throughout his esteemed career. The first of which being Lita Ford. “I’d never met Lita before we did the track. And, of course, I was aware of her. And lovely as it was, she was aware of me, but how it came about was I’d written the song. I took it to Keith Nelson, who co-produced the record with me, and we worked on it together. And we demoed it. And this is going back four years, one of the first songs we wrote for the record. And I listened to it, and I went, this should be a duet. This should be a male-female duet. It’s just, I had this real vibe of the Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Stop Dragging My Heart Around, that kind of vibe on the song,” explains Ricky. “I thought, wouldn’t it be great if I could get like a Chrissy Hynde, a Joan Jett, Lita Ford, a real rock and roll female, very strong voice and a rock

and roll female to sing on it. So, I’m starting to think, well, who could I get?”

Ricky continues: “My manager calls me up one day, and we’re just chatting. He goes, yeah, I just picked up Lita Ford for management. And I went, ah, this song, send to it Lita right now. He goes, yeah, I’ll send it on to Lita. And Lita hit me back straight away. And she goes, this is fantastic. I’m in 100%.”

Unfortunately, due to logistical challenges, Ricky couldn’t be in the studio with Lita at the time due to Ricky’s touring commitments with Stiff Little Fingers. “I’m on tour with one of the greatest bands ever. Another one of my musical heroes or heroines is in the studio singing the song I wrote. It’s just, this is a good day. And she nailed it. And she was just fantastic. She’s the ultimate professional. She’s a great laugh. She’s got a great attitude.”

The pair finally got to connect in person during the video shoot for the song. “We shot the video in Phoenix, which is where she’s based. And I said, do you still have that Hamer, Runaways guitar? She was like, yeah. She goes; do you want me to bring it? I was like, oh man, that would be so good. She brought that guitar. And again, the whole video shoot she was amazing. I can’t say enough good things about Lita. It was such an honour for me to work with her. And I’m so happy that she sang on the song because it sounds incredible,” declares Ricky.

The Almighty frontman recruited a fellow friend and legendary guitarist by way of Billy Duffy from The Cult, to feature on the record. “Billy’s a mate and has been for a long, long time. The Almighty were very heavily influenced by The Cult when we first started. And then, Billy and Ian came down to see us play at the Marquee very early on, and we were just freaking out that the two of them were at our show. And we became friends, particularly me and Billy became very tight. We both love football, so we bonded over that. And we’ve remained mates ever since. Billy has a place here in LA. So, when he’s here in LA and I am, we will hang out,” explains Ricky. “I hadn’t seen him in a while, and we were just talking about this time last year. He said, so what are you doing? I said I’m about to do a solo album. He went, I’ll play on it …And I was like, alright. So, what an honour.”

Ricky continues: “He’s on The Hell of Me and You, and he’s on Don’t Sell Your Soul to Fall in Love as well. And I said, do you want to hear the songs? He went, no, no, no, no, no, it’ll be fine. So, he turns up on his Triumph motorcycle, looking the part, doesn’t bring a guitar with him, doesn’t bring an amp with him, walks into the studio. We’ve got guitars in the studio. He says, give me that Les Paul and plug me into that amp. And instantly, it just sounds like Billy Duffy. It’s all in the hands. And I played him the song once, three listens. He said, alright, let’s go, let’s do it. And it was one of those things where

he did about four takes, four run-throughs of the song. And there was just gold in every run-through. So, when he left, for Keith and I, it was just a question of picking all these amazing bits that he played and putting them together and putting them in the song. And it’s just great to have him on there.”

The writing on, Blood Ties, is regarded as some of Ricky Warwick’s most personal writing to date. But does the artist like to write from a personal perspective? “I do. It’s the only way I know how to write. I let a bit more of it out there, before I may have been censoring myself and holding back a little bit. I didn’t really hold back on this record. Maybe that just comes with age and the world that we live in. I just thought I’m just going to say it like it is and no filters. And that’s really what this record is,” explains Ricky.

Perhaps a perfect way to illustrate the concept of Blood Ties for Ricky was to call up his stepdaughter to create the artwork for the album. “My stepdaughter is an artist, and I just thought I’ve got to keep it in the family,” he says. “And I didn’t really give her much direction. I just gave her the title, and she sent me back a couple of rough sketches. And, lo and behold, I was like, you’ve nailed it. This is great. The family tree with the branches being represented by the veins coming out of the roots from that. I thought this is fantastic. So, I’m really proud that she did it, and she did a fantastic job.”

Beyond the album release, and an upcoming UK run, including dates with Stiff Little Fingers, it’s looking like a busy year for Ricky Warwick. “I’m actually off to Japan next week with The Almighty as well. And then we’re starting to fill in some festival dates for The Fighting Hearts in the summer. They’re starting to come in now as well,” he says. “We’re planning to go back out in the autumn and do a full UK headline tour with The Fighting Hearts. And I’ll try and squeeze in a couple of American shows as well. So, the year’s filling up quite nicely.”

Blood Ties, the new solo album from Ricky Warwick, will be released on 14th March via Earache Records.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit Press Supplied

BRINGING THE

Hard rock sensation H.E.A.T light up 2025 with the announcement of their brand-new studio album ‘Welcome to the Future’, set for release on April 25th on earMUSIC.

Welcome to the Future’ delivers an innovative, heavy, highly dynamic, and refreshingly melodic sound, featuring the unmistakable vocals of frontman Kenny Leckremo, and an inimitable talent for catchy anthems that leave you hooked for days.

With the band’s new album in the not-toodistant future, how are H.E.A.T feeling ahead of the release of Welcome to the Future.

“Well, excited,” proclaims Don Crash. “You have all these different phases of playing in a band. But I really like these times when we have something cooking, and we’re working on a lot of stuff behind the scenes. And we’re excited to bring it out to the people. We have

a new live show coming with a new album. We’re working on that. Of course, we want to see what people think about our baby.”

The title of the group’s latest offering is thought-provoking. “We had a ton of titles that we tried before landing on Welcome to the Future. And as you say, it’s the theme of the world. Right now, you have the fires in Los Angeles, which is horrible, and you have wars in Europe and whatnot. So it’s kind of a dystopian title,” he says. “And then we have AI and Elon Musk and technology and everything. It’s like, how is the world going to look like in the coming year?

We don’t know. Everything changes all the time. And it’s not necessarily all for the better. And we’ve been inspired by the 80s a lot. So, it’s like modern retro in some way, both with the artwork and with the stage clothes, and with the music as well. But we’ve always had a

thing for 80s rock music. Did the group have a strong idea for the sound on their new album from the off?

“I’d say not really developing the sound but maybe going back more to the roots. It’s still a punchy sound, but I think Force Majeure was everything to 11 somehow. And now we try to have more dynamics in the sound and maybe a little bit more melodies, maybe a tiny step to where we come from the first albums,” explains Crash.

With original lead vocalist Kenny Leckremo back in the fold, how has the frontman been settling into the ranks of the band? “Instantly, when he came back, it was like, it just worked. It clicked. It was like he never left. It was also better than before because there were no grudges or nothing. It was just he came in like a force. I don’t know if he wants me to say this, but it had been his greatest dream

for years to come back to the band. It was the biggest mistake of his life to leave this band. And now he got the chance and he comes in with such enthusiasm and he is just lifting us up,” said Crash. “And chemistry-wise, it’s like regaining an old friend. I didn’t expect that.”

Crash continues. “He was also a dear friend to us once. And now he was back, and we were just clicking again. It was just like we were 10 years younger all of a sudden. It worked really well. And I’m super happy to have him aboard again. And now it’s us taking over the world again like it once was.”

The song Disaster became the latest track to be released from the band’s upcoming release. “For me, it’s just a really cool song. It reminds me of some fast-paced Whitesnake songs, perhaps. Maybe going a little bit more into metal as well. And we have recorded a music video for that. So it’s coming up. It was really fun,” proclaims Crash. “I’m really satisfied with the drums on that song. I can tell you that. I’m also singing a bit on that song with backup vocals.”

The album was a collective effort by the members of the band. “We recorded in a studio just south of Stockholm or in the southern part of Stockholm. We recorded the drums and the foundation there. And then we have our own studio where we rehearse,” explains Crash.

“We didn’t have an external producer. I know on the album it says produced by H.E.A.T. Even though maybe Jona, Kenny and Dave did most of the producing on the album. We’re all very capable and we work very well together as a unit, as a band. We’re not just a drummer, a guitarist, a bass player and a singer. We’re really a band and we’ve been together since 2007. So, we’re going up on 20 years.” How does it feel for the band to be approaching their 20th anniversary? “Well, age is one

thing. It’s like we’re not 20 years old anymore. And that sucks. But it feels fantastic to do this journey with your best friends,” he says.

Touring looks to be on the agenda for much of the rest of this year. “We are working on a European tour. We’re working on talking to festivals. So, there’s going to be a lot more super cool shows added. But other than that, it’s the new album, and it’s not just a new album. It’s a bunch of new music videos. A bunch of new singles and the new live show …So that’s going to be really cool,” concludes Crash.

‘Welcome to the Future’, the new album from H.E.A.T, is set for release on April 25th on earMUSIC.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit Marcel Karlsson

All For Jolly have an extensive run of dates throughout April and May. But how much are they looking forward to hitting the road?

“I love playing. We do it for the live gigs, really. That’s why we’re a live band. We love going to play. I’ve got a Europe tour that I’ve mostly booked. Still got some work to do, but we’re going in March,” said Sammantha.

With the type of bands which All For Jolly are channelling, you can easily imagine the type of live show that the group deliver on stage. “Our live performances are very energetic, running around everywhere, getting the audience involved, jumping around,” said Sammatha. “I got my inspiration from watching bands like Green Day growing up, and their live performance is just so engaging, and they’re just all over the place and getting all the audience involved in bits and pieces So, it’s very lively, very sweaty, with lots of movement and lots of audience participation,” confirms Sammantha.

All For Jolly are braced to skyrocket, loaded with their explosive sophomore self-titled album, which is set to be released on Friday 4th April.

Formed in 2019, Cornish Celtic folk punk rockers, All For Jolly, hail from the rugged coastal town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The live-wired quintet have been turning heads and making new friends for their infectious sound that merges foot-stomping folk with a buoyant punky edge.

The last twelve months have been a period fuelled by change for the fiery five-piece. “So the last 12 months was really transformative and interesting for the band. We started the year with our old line-up. We ran a Kickstarter campaign for the second album and then went to Europe on a tour. And then when we came back, two of our members left the band,” explains vocalist Sammantha. “We had session musicians for most of the summer. And my brother came back. He was a core member of the band. He started the band with me. He went away for a couple of years, and he came back. He was like, we can do this, we can carry on. Let’s just go for it, start a new era with the band and just carry on with the gigs and write some new music.”

The band’s lineup changes catalysed their new eponymous album. “We went in the studio; we recorded loads of new music. We brought in more of our Celtic Cornish roots within the music. The pirate thing is definitely still there,” declares Sammantha. “By the end of the year, we had our new album. We had our new lineup. We had a fresh start

basically. We changed our name. And, it was a big year - the biggest year yet.”

Whilst tapping into their Celtic Cornish roots, did the band have a strong idea of how they wanted their new album to sound from the off? “We just wrote what came to us, really, without limitations. I feel like just allowing all of our influences of music to come into it rather than thinking, okay, we need to sound like this or we need to do this. We just kind of let the songs come, and then it all just made sense,” explains Sammantha. “We brought in more of our pop-punk influences that me and my brother Jay were listening to when we were growing up and the stuff that came naturally to us.” Sammantha adds: “It feels a lot more authentic, I think.”

Cornish Celtic Punk is quite a mouthful, and also a very niche genre. How would the band go about describing this sound? “I’d say, you get your Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly and the Celtic punk bands like that, but we’ve got a bit more of a diverse lineup. We’ve got two women in the band, and we have the Cornish roots, and I’d say the Cornish element comes in with the nautical references because we grew up surrounded by the sea,” explains Sammatha. “It makes sense to write our music around the sea and all those metaphors that come with that. So, I would say the Cornish take on those kinds of bands, as a Celtic nation coming into the genre with our own take on it, and it’s a bit rough and ready. It’s a raw sound. I wanted to represent Cornwall with this as a Celtic nation and bring us into the mix of this genre.”

All For Jolly have performed at a multitude of high-profile festivals, including Glastonbury, Boomtown Fair, Boardmasters, Bearded Theory, and Lindisfarne Festival to name but a few. But how important are festivals for the band in growing their fanbase? “Festivals are my favourite thing to do because I love being out in the field. I love live music. I love going to watch other bands, and it gives you the chance because when you’re on the road you don’t get to see many other bands play, but when you’re at a festival if you’ve got the time you can stay there for the evening or the whole weekend and actually connect with other musicians and form friendships and get inspired by other bands playing and stuff. So, it’s my favourite time of year just getting out there and being in the field.”

The band even managed to perform at one of the world’s largest music festivals. Getting on the bill required a team effort. “For Glastonbury, the whole band worked a bar to get our tickets. So, we worked, 50 hours that week and then did three gigs as well. So that’s how we did Glastonbury just finding ways around doing the things we want. I set my mind on something - like, this is what we’re going to do and how am I going to make that happen and then just do it and commit to the idea. We just make it happen in whatever way we can. And we sell quite a lot of merch at festivals. I love them. I can’t wait to go back and play some this year,” concludes Sammantha.

The eponymous new album from All For Jolly will be released on Friday 4th April. Tickets & further details can be found at www.allforjolly.com.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit Press Supplied

INTO THE NIGHT

Brit Rockers Nightblade are preparing to release their fifth album in a remarkable five years. The band will unveil their aptly titled album, 5, on Friday 11th April 2025.

Nightblade’s creative output stands in a class of its own. Their quintet of album releases began in 2020 with the band’s explosive ‘Return to Form’ album, Ignorance Is Bliss, followed by, Unknown Territories, which went on to cement their prowess. 2022’s Hope To Be There further demonstrated the group’s guile and innovation.

The band’s most recent album, That’s The Way You Want It, has helped to push the Brit rockers to a wider audience with a stunning reimagining of Gerry Rafferty’s mega-hit, Baker Street. The band’s vocalist Mark Crosby reflects on Nightblade’s last album. “We launched, That’s The Way You Want It, which

was well-received. We did several gigs in and around the UK at HMV.”

2024 was a busy year for the Midland’s based outfit. “It was filled with getting the album launched and gigs really. It was a busy year last year, just juggling the two,” declares Mark. “It was busy but fruitful.”

One thing which sets Nightblade apart from the rest is their relentless work ethic. The band have released a remarkable five albums since 2020. Did the band ever stop writing and recording during the last five years? “There was some overlap from Ignorance is Bliss in 2020, to the next album, which was Unknown Territories. I think that spurred me on to continue,” explains Mark.

With a drought in the live music scene due to the pandemic, investing their time in recording seemed like a suitable alternative for the band. “I have been continually writing, and I do continually write. I write something

in my head, I have to record it and then work it through. I find it hard to leave it alone. It pickles my brain a bit.”

The band’s latest album is regarded as the fifth piece of the Nightblade puzzle. Would the band say there is a common thread through the five albums? “There isn’t a theme throughout,” said Mark. “People are saying that there was a sound developing. That is what a band strives for. That’s what I’m striving for.” He adds: “But they’re not particularly tied together like Lord of the Rings. But it is a progression.”

With five consecutive albums across the last five years, are the band in a hurry to return to the studio once their new album hits the shelves. “I’m just going to see how it evolves. I think that if we miss a year and then another one comes out, that would be fine,” said Mark.

years.”

A lot of bands would perhaps release an album and then give it a bit of time to breathe whilst promoting their creation. Has Nightblade found the back-to-back release cycle a beneficial approach for the band? “I feel that we’ve achieved something in five years,” said Mark. “We released four singles off each album, over a period of time …So that’s over a period of eight, nine months. For some albums, we’ve done nine, and sometimes we’ve done five singles as well. But just looking at the interest in the views and YouTube and the way our social marketing is going, I’m of the opinion that if you chuck enough at something, it’s got to stick as long as the quality is good. It’s got to be good. There’s no point doing five albums of rubbish.”

Mark continues: “I’m happy to say over the

four albums, the marks and reviews have been really very good and pleasing. If you saw a slide or a decline or something like that, and you weren’t bettering your sound, there couldn’t be any point. And I feel that we’ve achieved something. I feel like we’ve rattled a few doors. We’ve knocked on a few doors and opened a few eyes. We’ve had a huge amount of airplay, a massive amount of airplay. And that’s the way you want it. We did Baker Street, and it had about 1,400 separate airplays. That was quite good tactically.”

Covering a timeless classic like Baker Street was certainly beneficial because the song has widespread appeal. “Because it’s a generic type of song, it didn’t just go on rock stations. It went on all sorts, and I did that tactically; that was what I was hoping would bring us out to a wider audience, and it did work to a degree.”

The band are proud of their latest offering, remarking that it’s perhaps the best of the

five recent records. “It does have a slightly different feel. We class ourselves as alternative rock, and anybody who’s been following us previously, will see that there is a tradition about this album, but there is a bit more of an element of freshness about this than the previous four, I think and feel,” said Mark. “It is a progression through the four albums. I like to think we’ve refined our sound, and I like to think the sound we’ve got now is worth pursuing and embracing.” Mark concludes: “If everybody thinks it’s the best, that’s great. We’ll see.”

5, by Nightblade, will be released on Friday, 11th April 2025.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit Press Supplied

Kicking off the new year in heavy style: Swedish hard rock goddesses Thundermother recently released their latest single, “Bright Eyes”.

Two years after the release of their much-acclaimed success album Black & Gold, the rock quartet unveiled their new full-length album Dirty & Divine last month.

But it wasn’t just a new album birthed by the band in 2024. “This last year was special because I was pregnant, and I just got a baby in July. I was away for the whole fall as well. So, the girls didn’t get any gigs in the fall. Sorry about that,” explains Filipa. “We had some gigs already planned when Filippa got pregnant. So, we said we didn’t cancel those, but we didn’t add any more calendar,” adds Linnea.

Filipa adds: “I toured up until eight months of pregnancy. Then there were a few shows without me, where I wasn’t on the show …I was in the audience for one show, and it was crazy.”

Speaking about the band’s new album, Linnea said: “I think that we wanted to sort of reflect on the nuances of people and the world, that there is no pure evil, there is no pure good. We all have a little bit of dirty and a little bit of divine in ourselves, I guess.”

many. He also wrote Dog From Hell with us. And that song has just been lying on my computer for four years,” recalls Filipa. “And I asked him if we can do it now. And yeah, we did it now. So, it was like the last song we added on the album.”

Of course, Thundermother have had their share of lineup changes throughout their musical journey. “We’re in the Sammy Hagar era,” said Linnea. “I feel like I just keep on driving the Thundermother train,” jokes Filipa.

“I feel that it’s a new chapter in life. It’s like I let go of some bad energy, and it made space for something new to come into my life,” confirms Filipa. “Now I have a baby, and I have friends in the band, and so much positive stuff has happened the last year. So, I’m just super grateful and happy to play.”

Linnea explains: “I think that in the history of things, of course, this is going to be labelled as sort of Mark III of Thundermother, because changing a singer, it’s inevitable that it’s going to change the sound. Of course, bands have to adjust a little bit, or they don’t. And that’s fine, too. I sound like I sound. I can’t change it, and I’m not really interested in conforming to how anyone else wants me to sound like.”

Thundermother worked with highly regarded producer and Glenn Hughes’ guitarist Soren Anderson on their new album. “It’s so smooth to work with him. Three albums I’ve done with him now, or four, including my solo. But he’s like the fifth member, we always say, of the band,” said Filipa. “He’s so nice; you feel so safe with him, recording and being with him and being together in the room.” Linnea adds: “He’s one of those people where you really can brainstorm in a safe way. Because he’s not going to sugarcoat and tell you it’s perfect. But he’s also not going to tell you that you’re an idiot because you had another idea. He’s a good people manager as well.”

Filipa elaborates further: “Playing solos could be something difficult in the studio, coming up with stuff. When you think about the songs, I didn’t think about the solos, more about writing the songs. My brain is already fried when it comes to solos. Then it’s always good to have him jumpstarting me. Like just play the blues in B - it’s going to sound good. Just think of the first beat of every bar. And then it’s all chill. And he’s likethat’s perfect.”

The band’s recent single, Bright Eyes sets the scene for their new album. “It’s the catchiest song on the album, and it’s one co-written with a songwriting friend, Hannes in Kissin’ Dynamite from Ger-

“Fans of Thundermother, if they want the old, listen to the old albums or just continue and follow us on our road and be open and listen to our new album without thinking about the past, but with a fresh mind and fresh ears,” said Filipa.

The arrival of the newest member to the Thundermother family inspired the band’s artwork for their new album. “I was pregnant, and we were talking about babies. We came up with cherubs, and we were like, oh, we’re going to need four of them because we’re a band. And then we were like, they’re too cute. We need to make them eviller. And since we were talking about high and low, and dirty and divine, everything is not black or white, it’s greyer. We made them eviller and that’s like how the world is, I guess,” concludes Filipa.

Dirty & Divine, the new album from Thundermother is out now via AFM Records.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit Press Supplied

Jonesing for JoanOvArc

Regrouped, reinvigorated and ready to rock. Brit quartet JoanOvArc recently returned with a bang. With a new lineup and a new EP under their belts, the fiery foursome is presently preparing for their upcoming UK tour. We caught up with the band to get the lowdown on all things JoanOvArc.

The last twelve months have been somewhat of a whirlwind for the band. “We had to go and write, do the demos, then get into the studio and record the EP. We then went straight out, promoted and did the tour,” reflects drummer Chloe Whitworth. “It was just all very bam, bam, bam, and very quick. But I felt like it was a good way to introduce me and Emma into the band,”

The pandemic era saw changes within the JoanOvArc ranks. “Keira and I released Invisible Enemy. The other band members had left by then,” explains Shelley. “With COVID, everything just sort of died - but the album didn’t die. And I was speaking to a music industry friend of mine and he had listened to the album. We weren’t going to release it because of the whole COVID thing. And he said, you really should - because it’s great. And just because you can’t tour it, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t release good music. So, we released the album, and it was really well received by lots of different stations and magazines. And it just did really well.”

However, with the departure of some of the band members at the time, it introduced a few logistical issues promoting the release. “When we did release Invisible Enemy, we didn’t have a band at the time. So JoanOvArc was actually on hiatus. And me and Shelly just kind of continued working together,” explains Keira.

Of course, the in-demand bass player also had commitments with other projects at the time. “I was full steam ahead with everything from Troy Redfern to The Kut and all sorts of other bands that I have been working as a session player. But when we released Invisible Enemy and got airplay on Kerrang! and Planet Rock, we decided we should start getting a lineup together and think about probably trying again. And that’s when we started drafting in Chloe and Emma. And I think that’s the thing - we had this wonderful album, Invisible Enemy, and it’s just a shame we couldn’t tour it. Because I think if we had

Chloe and Emma there and then to tour it - it would have been great,” reflects Keira.

Whilst touring around Invisible Enemy might have been delayed due to the changes within the band, it hasn’t stopped JoanOvArc from performing songs from the record during their live shows alongside recent touring counterparts like Gin Annie. “We’re still playing the tracks from Invisible Enemy. And we really enjoy playing them, which is great. And the current lineup has brought their own spin on it,” said Shelley. “I mean, it’s a heavier album than any of our other previous albums, but it actually suits our two new band members really well. And now we’ve evolved from that as well.”

The new members of the band arrived at just the right time. Shelley recalls how Chloe caught her attention. “Every other drummer looked miserable as sin. And I thought she was the first drummer on an audition video to actually smile. And I thought, do you know what - that’s really different,” said Shelley. “And she sang as well as played the drums. And I thought it’s a hard craft, singing and playing drums at the same time.”

Before joining the band, lead singer Emma was meant to support the group with her previous band, False Hearts. At the time, she had no idea that in the future she would go on to front the band. “False Hearts was meant to support them at Hangar 18. And I think this is maybe around the time that things with the band were starting to fall apart. And it didn’t happen in the end,” recalls Emma.

Shelley knew that Emma would be a good fit for the band from the get-go. “I saw False Hearts not live, but I definitely saw them on video. When I saw Emma on video I thought, that’s a singer I would like to have. But she was in False Hearts at the time. And I thought, oh, what a shame.” But finally, the stars aligned, and Emma went on to join the band once False Hearts disbanded.

Emma brings great qualities to the JoanOvArc lineup. “Emma’s got such a good recording voice, as well being able to perform in front of a crowd, her recording voice is beautiful.”

With their regrouped lineup, the band released their new EP, Escape the Fire, last year. “When we finally got the lineup sorted, we needed to start writing music with everybody and get everyone collaborating on it,”

explains Keira. “With the last album, it was Samantha, who’s Shelley’s sister, she wrote a couple of songs. But, me and Shelley, wrote quite a lot of the songs on Invisible Enemy. With the EP, we wanted everyone to be involved in the songwriting process, so it’s like a democratic thing. And because we hadn’t done anything for a while, maybe it was best to give a taster of this new lineup by doing an EP of four songs.” And so, Escape the Fire was born.

The band received a lot of airplay off the back of the song On My Way taken from the EP. “Emma wrote the lyrics for it, but the concept I had in mind,” said Keira. “I feel like when you have a leader or someone that’s going into an election, it is like a sport. It’s competitive, it’s like wrestling or a boxing match. I think that in the lines of that, it’s very scripted in the way they come out with things like - I’m the greatest, I can take control, I’m your companion or I’m everything you want. I wanted the song to be about their race to the top. So originally, I thought maybe to describe being in the shoes of a narcissist, but really, it’s quite relatable regardless of who you pick and choose in there. They all are trying to be a cult of personality and the big I am.”

Have the band been happy with the response to the EP? “One hundred per cent. Some of the reviews we’ve had have been incredible. I mean, one of them compared us to Halestorm and Blondie,” said Chloe. “So, I will take that - that’s great. I think we’re a lot heavier now than what the original lineup was and the iterations of the lineup, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. It’s just how we’re progressing as a band. And I think every track on the EP is different anyway.”

Chloe adds: “I wasn’t sure what the response would be for the new lineup. Some people don’t like change, but it’s been really good, especially at gigs,” she says. “I think people have accepted us,” concludes Chloe.

Escape the Fire, the new EP from JoanOvArc, is out now. The band will embark on a headline tour across the UK throughout 2025. The dates will kick off on the 28th of March at the Six Six Bar in Cambridge. For ticket information and further details, please visit https:// www.facebook.com/JOANovARCofficial.

SHANNON PEARL

The opening weeks of 2025 have been somewhat of a whirlwind for North East-based singer/songwriter Shannon Pearl. The artist kicked off the year with the release of her new EP Fae Fälla and a sold-out headline show in Newcastle, along with being recognised as one of the Live Acts of the Year by Spark FM in Shannon’s hometown of Sunderland.

Perhaps the ‘spark’ which has catalysed the artist’s year so far has been a viral video of Shannon singing on Instagram, which garnered over 1 million views in the first week of it appearing on social media. Subsequently, the reel resulted in Shannon Pearl receiving interest from all over the globe, most notably in Scandinavia. Throngs of new followers joined the Wearside-based artist on her Instagram channel, resulting in Shannon’s following increasing by over fifteen thousand new fans in just two weeks.

Reflecting on the last twelve months, Shannon said: “2024 was like the beginning of me. And the beginning of my music journey, because I decided to take it seriously and push my own music into the places where it might be more appreciated in the right circles, such as the Neo Folk scene. And I really embraced my witchy-ness. And since I have done that, it’s been going very well.”

Shannon’s brand is defined as “Witch Pop”. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the artist is going to deliver mainstream pop hits in the vein of artists like Dua Lipa. Witch Pop spans multiple genres encompassing elements of folk rock, neo-folk and progressive rock. Shannon is regarded as a pioneer in the Witch Pop field. “I think much like modern witches and pagans and anyone who identifies as such today, there aren’t any boundaries, especially not within the faith and not within this music either, because it’s very much about blazing your own trail and just feeling authentic and being who you are and just letting the world accept that,” explains Shannon. “And that’s why I use the word, witch because it’s sort of a play on female rage.”

Shannon elaborates: “As for the genre itself, I chose Witch Pop because there was nothing quite like what I make out already. There are similar things that you can put us beside, and I would go nicely with, but specifically infusing sort of folk with pop and rock, with traditional and electronic sounds in the way that I do, it isn’t available unless you get it from me. So, I thought it would be very popular within the witchy community, hence Witch Pop - popular with the witches. That’s what I sort of wanted to coin that for, popular with the witchy community.”

Shannon’s musical journey in the field of Witch Pop came from an urge to make music for herself and her friends alike. “I started writing this type of music for myself and for my witchy friends who wanted something based in the spirituality of our path, but also something that other people could get on board with and relate to if they wanted to, even if they haven’t got anything to do with

being a witch at all.”

The genre-defying artist’s latest single, Wolves, pushes Shannon’s sound into new territories. Combining symphonic elements with an edgier, rockier aesthetic reminiscent of groups like Within Temptation and Heilung.

“The seed for Wolves was planted in early 2024. I had written the drums, bass and guitar first for this song, and I wanted it to sound heavier on purpose, to contrast my light and airy vocal style,” recalls Shannon. “As 2024 went on, the song developed along with my emotional state. I lost someone very close to me in the summer, and so this song evolved another meaning altogether. As well as being all about the death and rebirth of our spirit as humans through the lense of Neolithic burial rites, it’s also about my own loss, grief and hopes for the afterlife and the future. I’ve included some Kulning [a traditional form of Scandinavian singing] in the middle of this song as well, which really contrasts with the crunchy guitar. I think people are going to love it! I know I do.”

The rock sound has always resonated with and inspired Shannon Pearl. “When I first got into performing and playing music, I remember my first CD that I bought with my own money and purposefully with the intention of listening to it and being inspired to make my own music from these artists was a compilation album called The New Breed. And it had bands like the Rasmus, and Evanescence was probably on there. There was a load of really cool, sort of hip-at-the-moment rock bands. And so, that was the first thing that got me into it,” said Shannon. “And I think with my vocals being really clean, and sort of pure and high in frequency, it really complements the lower grungy instrumental. So, I wanted to test that out in my own recordings with Wolves.”

Wolves is perhaps the first of many tracks to showcase the rockier sound of the artist’s genre-defying musical palette. But are there are more songs like Wolves in the pipeline?

“I really enjoyed how it made me feel singing in that way because you’re singing a sort of different register when you put more power into it. I love doing all the folky sort of highhead voice stuff, but it comes to a point where for me, it’s all about process and emotions. And when you’ve got heavy emotions, you need to belt stuff out. So, I really want to lean into the more rock folk rock side of things in the future. And I think there’s a lot of songs coming up on the album that are going to have that influence.”

Shannon’s recent viral streak on Instagram has been life-changing for the artist. “It’s very hard to put into words because if you think about how many people a million people is, even 100,000 - it’s got 100,000 likes, that’s like stadiums and stadiums full of people. That’s mad,” said Shannon. “Imagine if I did that live to people. That’s a life-changing amount of people. So, the numbers almost get to a certain point, and then they don’t mean anything because I can’t imagine what that looks like.

But I’m really grateful to every single person who took the time to listen and comment. It really resonates on a deep level that the work I’m doing musically and building connections is working. So, thank you.”

At the end of 2024, Shannon Pearl was honoured to support rock legends Tygers of Pan Tang at their landmark hometown show at the Whitley Bay Playhouse.

“Those boys were just so lovely and supportive and just really bigged us up. I was talking to Rob Weir for a long time, and he was really supportive,” said Shannon. “Everyone was saying so many nice things about us afterwards. Like, do you want to support us again? And so, the doors have been opened, because it went down that well. I love them.”

Shannon Pearl will shortly embark on a run of UK dates with progressive rock heavyweights, and HRH favourites the Black Heart Orchestra. But how much is Shannon looking forward to hitting the road with the dynamic duo? “Chrissy’s voice is angelic, and it’s very similar to mine. can hear the similarities within, and I like their musical choices as well having listened to a lot of their songs, I can tell what she’s going for,” explains Shannon.

“We’re on the same level even though we sound completely different because they’re multi-instrumentalists, and they’re really good. I enjoy the fact that it can be classed as prog, but it’s quite experimental in my eyes. I like how it could go either way, but I suppose that’s why you would call it progressive.”

Shannon adds: “I’m so excited to go on tour with them as I’ve heard such good things. And they’ve got a hardcore following as well. I love that if you’re a person who can invoke that sort of emotion in a person you must be good. So, I’m stoked to be touring with them.”

Shannon’s viral following, refreshing sound and visual aesthetic have catalysed a very busy 2025. “My calendar has exploded in the first month of the year, and now I have my whole year planned out. I’m the type of person who likes to take every minute of every year and use it to do something. So, I feel like I might be dead by the end because I’m doing that many things, but all really good things and amazing opportunities have made themselves available immediately this year, and I’m grateful for that. I just think while I’m on this little roll while the momentum’s going, God knows where it’ll take us, but I’ll go with the flow until I’m old. I’ll be an old silver-haired witch still prancing about the stage when I’m like 194.”

Wolves, the new single with Shannon Pearl, will be released on the 29th of March. The artist will tour alongside the Blackheart Orchestra in March. For further information and an up-to-date touring schedule, please visit linktr.ee/shannonpearl.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

Destined to further cement The Darkness as one of Britain’s most important rock bands, the band are set to release their new album on March 28th.

The band’s latest offering finds Justin, Dan, Frankie and Rufus continuing to push boundaries. Over two decades deep into their multi-platinum, award-winning career, they offer up unexpected surprises to bedazzle and amaze fans once again in 2025.

With this the group’s now eighth studio album, how are the band feeling ahead of the release of Dreams on Toast? “Quite confident, really. I guess you just use your gut instinct, but you never know when pride and ego get

in the way of the gut. We’re all feeling good,” said Frankie. “The spotlight is, kind of, shining on us at the moment. It’s probably a combination of reasons, like the touring has been going really well. Justin’s YouTube channel has blown up. I think that the thing that Justin and Rufus did at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts, I think, my feeling is that it almost gave us a stamp of approval from the classic rock audience that has always been on the edge, or maybe not taking us seriously, or we were considered not really part of it,” adds Dan. “It was, like, we got given a stamp that we didn’t really want, anyway, the stamp of approval. So, all those things have kind of made a bit of a difference. And, I mean, just the fact that we’re still together and we’re an

exciting live band, I think it’s all just come together. So, there’s a fair amount of anticipation for the new album.”

With their latest offering, The Darkness continue to push their musical boundaries.

“We always want to surprise people. But more importantly, we surprise each other. When we lay down the gauntlet to each other, it’s always like that. As soon as somebody starts maybe expressing a little bit of fear or trepidation about doing something, then the other guys are really pushing. I think that’s what makes us different as a band. That we do go where others fear to tread,” said Frankie. “There’s no genre that we feel like we’re not allowed to touch,” said Dan.

The album title itself Dreams on Toast, is a phrase which the writer was not familiar with, but it certainly resonates with me. “I remember getting behind it very early and Justin being up and down about it,” said Frankie. “It’s just a great feeling, just the idea of waking up, and you’re in a dream state. Where does the dream end and real life begin like at breakfast, you’re just in that feeling of woozy - it’s Dreams on Toast.”

The titles of many of the songs on Dreams on Toast immediately grab your attention and make you want to investigate further. Perhaps you’ve already heard the recent single Rock And Roll Party Cowboy. A song with a name that you can’t avoid. The same goes with Battle For Gadgetland. “What can you say about that? I think there’s a side to us that is actually quite punky and likes that sort of straightahead, edgy stuff. And I don’t know, I think only Justin could write the lyrics to a song that way. It’s just not what you’d expect at all. And it’s one of those just sort of like classic insular little things that he was thinking about that he thought would be interesting,” explains Dan. “Two competing electronic stores, probably on Tottenham Court Road for sales. I mean, who’d have thought that? And then they’ve got the weirdest middle eight of all time. It almost goes like Rage Against the Machine in the middle. But, you know, that’s just the way it is.”

Frankie continues: “It’s a lot of humour, and it’s great. And it harkens back a little bit to a song we had called The Horn. It’s the only thing you can compare it to in our back catalogue, which was some kind of bonus track or one-off song that we did, which is really strange as well.”

In support of their new album, The Darkness

will hit the road across the UK throughout March. “I can’t wait,” proclaims Dan. “We basically did some Rough Trade in-store shows just before Christmas. And it’s unusual for us to do those sort of small warm-up shows, I suppose. And I’m so glad we did, because, we took all of the rocking ones from the album and played the lot. And the great thing about that is we did like seven or six gigs in three days. And the first six gigs that you do of any tour when you’re playing a new album, you’re just kind of getting used to playing those new songs and the muscle memory is not there. And it’s like you don’t really enjoy playing that much because of that - but that’s all done now. So, we’re going into the next tour having already toured the new stuff. So I can’t wait. I really can’t wait. It’s normally like a monster coming over the hill, and you think about the rehearsals, how are we going to get this to translate, and which songs are we going to play? And it’s like, well, we’ve done all that. And they’re really kick ass. Surprisingly, straight out of the gate.”

Now on their eighth studio album, how are the band going to pick a setlist for their upcoming tour? Having such a vast discography and a songbook full of solid gold, quite literally, it must be like having to pick their favourite family members. “We’re trying to think ahead to see what we should play and what we do play are two completely different things. So not that we’re contrary, but ultimately, if we’re not feeling it, then we don’t f*cking play it. I mean, there have been singles choices that have been kind of not forced, but strongly pushed upon us by the label and the team of poppier sounding songs that we’ve released as singles in the past that we’ve played once, and it’s been the single that’s been out while we’ve been touring. And we played at one gig and gone, nah, I don’t like it. F*ck it off. And

the manager going, what? You can’t just drop it. That’s the current single. Nah, f*ck it, drop it. So what we should do on paper and what we end up doing is sometimes quite different,” explains Dan. “But, we’re definitely going to put a load of new stuff in the new set because it all stands up and we know that because we’ve been on it”

However, the band has a dilemma. “The difficulty is like because our greatest hits essentially is kind of like the first album. So it’s like, we have played most of the first album for the last 20 years because of that,” declares Dan. “At some point, we’re going to have to start dropping some of them and play some obscure stuff, which I think we’re probably going to do on this one.”

Looking ahead, the band aren’t short of touring opportunities. “We just announced Europe. And the festival season won’t be as crazy as last summer, I don’t think, but there’ll definitely be a few festivals,” said Frankie. “We’re lying low this summer because we hit it really hard last year. And then we’ve got some big plans for next year as well, which we can’t really talk about at the moment, but some bigger stuff happening next year that we don’t want to cannibalise, so to speak. But, there’ll be a big American tour. There always is. And Australia next year.”

Dreams On Toast, the eighth studio album from The Darkness, will be released on March 28th via Cooking Vinyl.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Simon Emmett

WEDNESDAY

Enigmatic UK dark rockers Pearl Handled Revolver are back with their deeply alluring new album, Tales You Lose, which arrives on Friday, 18th April.

If you are new to Pearl Handled Revolver, then you’ve been missing out. During the past sixteen years, this band of brothers have crafted five self-produced studio albums, two live albums, and four EPs. Seamlessly managing to blend heavy rock, blues, and prog, with hints of jazz to their intoxicating sound, Pearl Handled Revolver have a unique wordless chemistry and songwriting mastery that is nothing short of exemplary.

things and we are fortunate that we have a studio, Lucas and I. Lucas is my son. And the guys come to the studio, we all record together. So, we’re in a fortunate position that we can do that. So, we’re always busy” Lucas adds: “We’ve just finished the album, and we’ve already started the next album.”

With such a big gap between albums, what was the time frame for the writing and recording of Tales You Lose? “The majority of them have been done in the last two years, but the seed for the album was definitely right at the start of lockdown, if not just a bit before,” said Lee. “Of course, all the social commentary that followed has proved a really good source of writing material for me.” He adds: “It’s been such an intense few years, and it continues to be, and this album is very much a reflection of, and this probably sounds a bit trite, but it’s a reflection of our times, as seen by me, with a very narrow perspective to some degree. But I’ve tried to open it up as broadly as possible, in the metaphors that I’ve used, and the way that I’ve tried to ingratiate everybody in the arguments that are ensuing right now. Hopefully, that comes across.”

metal in any way, but there are elements of heavy rock,” said Simon. “We never plan out what a song’s going to be like. I think that’s part of why we people can’t really pigeonhole us because we don’t start a song thinking this is going to be like this. I don’t think even one of us is imagining what it’s going to end up sounding like,” adds Lucas.

Simon continues: “We do a lot of long jamming. That’s how we write.” Lucas adds: “Every jam we do, it’s often the audio files over 20 minutes.” Simon says: “The album is actually bookended by two quite long songs of nearly 11 minutes.”

Simon Rinaldo’s son Lucas joins the band on bass. But how has he been finding his time with the band so far? “It’s been really good writing with a band, because I’ve never done that, actually write a song with a band. It’s been good learning the instrument properly because bass was just something I did a little bit. Before I was primarily a drummer, and I liked to dabble with the bass, but now I consider myself to be a bass player because I’ve really got into it as an instrument,” said Lucas.

It’s been six years since the release of the group’s last album, but like all good things, the release of Tales You Lose will be worth the wait for the band’s fans. Reflecting on the last year, Simon said: “We had a pretty good year, I think. We had some good shows. We had some good festivals in the summer - it was successful. The main thing was getting this album done. It’d been a long time coming. I think it’s been six years since the previous album. Obviously, certain things slowed us down between that period.”

Simon elaborates: “We were writing during the lockdown, and we were coming up with

The title of the album finds the band in a reflective moment. “It was very evident before we’d even got to the end of the recordings that indeed, they were snapshots of stories of our existence over the last five, six years,” said Lee. “And not just ours, but everybody that we knew. So, they’re the tales, but it was kind of a recording of all the different ways in which we’d lost something from our existence, be it personal, be it a loved one, be it an experience, be it an occupation, be it your sanity, in some cases. And so, Tales You Lose kind of insinuates a number of things. It’s a juxtaposition between one thing and another that seemed to suit that analogy. So ultimately, they’re not all the tales of people that have lost, but they are tales you would lose, had all of this not happened, if that makes sense. So, it’s good and bad.”

With their latest offering, Pearl Handled Revolver continues to push their musical boundaries. “We’re all a little bit left of centre when it comes to our musical tastes, and that can be quite interesting, in fact, much more interesting than our original idea,” said Lee. “So quite often, we’ll start an album, recording it, and by the time we get to the end, which was certainly the case with this one, we just kept going because we realised that the earlier ones, although they were great, they were migrating so fast in terms of our intent and their overall sound, that now it was a different album,” said Lee. “So, we won’t slow it down, we’ll let the train go where it wants to go. And that’s the result.”

The roots of Pearl Handled Revolver came out of the blues scene. But where do the band think they fit in 2025? “The Prog community have really accepted us, which we’re very grateful for, but also, we’ve played the blues. So, we’ll do rock. And a lot of the magazines that are looking to review this album are heavy rock and metal magazines. We’re not

Simon adds: “He’s a producer as well. He’s got a degree in music production. I’ve been blagging my way for the past 25 years, or whatever, recording. Lucas is now teaching me. So, we’ve upped our game there as well. We’ve got much better equipment because we actually run a small recording business as well. And that’s starting to pay for some equipment that we can really use. We’ve got a lovely space, very creative, and some amazing mics and preamps and things. It’s a perfect environment to create an album. The next album is going to sound even better.”

Beyond the album, do the band have any plans to tour in support of Tales You Lose?

“Yeah, we’ve got a number of shows. But we don’t do touring as such. Firstly, because we can’t, we’ve all got our lives - the real life that pays for the life that we like and families and things,” said Simon. “So, we select gigs, and we do the best we can, and when we put a show on, we put a really good show on. I think that’s the key. So, we’ve got a number of shows, actually, we’re pretty busy. We also do stuff with other bands as well. And as we record other bands in the studio.”

He continues: “We’ve got a number of shows. And they keep coming in, which is great. The album launch show is at our home venue of Esquires on the 3rd of May. So, the launch date is 18th of April. That’s when it goes officially live for the whole album. But yeah, we’re going to have a launch party at our club.”

Tales You Lose, the new album from Pearl Handled Revolver, will be released on Friday 18th April. For further information, please visit http://www.pearlhandledrevolver.co.uk/.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit

Jayl Break

Over the last twelve months, it’s been very apparent that Midland’s based rockers Jayler are undergoing somewhat of a meteoric rise. With industry heavyweights joining the ranks of the band’s world-class management and booking team, a run of sell-out shows and a calendar full of high-profile festivals under their belt, the future is certainly looking bright for Jayler.

Last year was somewhat of a whirlwind for the young rockers. “We started off doing pubs and clubs, but that kind of skyrocketed to bigger places. We played KK’s Steel Mill a couple of times. And then we did some festivals, Firevolt, Rock and Blues - festivals like that, and that was definitely interesting kind of going to the next kind of step,” said lead singer James. “We didn’t know what we were doing at the time, but especially going on tour with Kira Mac, that showed us what not to do, what to do, like getting stuff off stage quickly. We got a kick up the arse for that tour, which we’re glad for because we definitely look like a couple of young bucks.”

Touring with Kira Mac was a learning experience for the quartet. “It was great. It was probably the first actual professional thing we did, really. Our first tour ever as supporting a band. And it was great. It took us a while to get used to things. We’d never done it before. We had to work a lot of things out, with logistics and travel, and just all sorts. So that was our first kind of introduction to that. But it was great, and the fans were brilliant on that tour,” said Tyler. “A lot of fans first met us on that tour.”

With all eyes focused on the rising stars of the domestic rock scene, at present, how does it feel for the group to have witnessed such an initial buzz and recognition from fans, media and their peers alike? “It’s nice because we’re being compared to older bands from the late 60s, early 70s. That is obviously what the sound was going for because what that music meant at the time, especially with the psychedelic bands like Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and The Who were all talking about something that most people didn’t want to talk about, making a movement, per se. And I think that’s what our generation needs right now. And for people to get what we’re about is mind-blowing, because that’s what bands were doing way back when, and like I always say, the history of man will always repeat itself. So definitely, it’s mind-blowing, it’s strange, it’s new. It’s something that we all enjoy, though. It’s something that we will be like, oh, my God, what’s going on? We’re not worried about it at all. We’re just taking it as it comes kind of thing,” said James.

like, oh, what do you mean? I get that because I’m into the bands that they were into, artists like Bob Dylan, John Denver, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Howlin’ Wolf, all those guys. I’m influenced by them. Tyler’s influenced by them. We all are. So, we understand why they got that comparison because they sounded like Led Zeppelin because Led Zeppelin had those influences,” explains James. “I don’t think they could have planned that. Definitely not. But if you look back at them in 2012/2013, before they signed and got big, they looked like Led Zeppelin. Josh Kiske, the lead singer, had the same hair as me. So, yeah, you look like them back in the day, which that comparison carried on through. There’s no denying that they’re influenced by Led Zeppelin. There’s no denying we are.”

The band’s recent single Lovemaker is a classic rock earworm that simply stays with you for days. After one listen, you just can’t get it out of your head – not that you would want to. “I was in a very sad part of my life because I found out that one of my girlfriends at the time was sneaking around and wasn’t particularly nice. So I kind of bottled it up, and I started writing these riffs for that song. I showed the boys, and they were like, yeah, that’s sick. Let’s get into the studio and record it,” recalls James. “I think we took 20 minutes to write the full thing, and then I took it back, listened to it a bunch, and I was like, what can I write to this? And I was like, heartbreak. It would be so easy for me to write that right now. So I did, and I think I didn’t edit any of the lyrics.

It was like, whatever came to mind, I’ll jot that down. I was like, oh, that works really well.”

One thing those who have witnessed Jayler perform live will say is that the group have amassed a huge body of work. For a relatively new group, the band’s sets can span up to over two hours long. With several singles and an EP behind the group is an album the next step for Jayler. “We released a single, and we’ve released single demos, and I don’t think that’s really our bag as singles because that’s not what people did back in ‘68 or onwards,” said James. “We will probably try again, release a single, and see how that does because Lovemaker did really well. But yeah, I think the next step is an album because we’ve got so many ideas. We’ve got almost three albums worth of music, so we’ve definitely got to think an album is the main thing, not an EP. We’ve just got to get this album out and give the people what they want because everyone’s like, where’s the vinyls,” remarks James. “We were very surprised at how many people wanted vinyl because I listen to vinyl, we all listen to vinyl, so we’re like, yeah, let’s just get a vinyl out.”

Perhaps the elephant in the room is Led Zeppelin. With the band’s retro looks and sound, it’s hard not to draw a comparison to the foursome, just like the band’s US peers, Greta Van Fleet who came before them. Both groups have received the same comments. It’s a tough expectation to live up to for any band. “It was bound to happen. I mean, it’s down to the look; I have naturally curly hair,” said James. “So, I will get that comparison. Sometimes I get Jim Morrison a lot, which is obviously a really big compliment.”

Whilst Greta Van Fleet might have tried to shake off the comparisons, Jayler shares similar influences to their US counterparts, as much as Zeppelin themselves were influenced by the greats who came before them. “With Greta Van Fleet, obviously, as much as they were

Last year was a formidable twelve months for Jayler, but what does the future hold for the fab foursome? “We are the first band on the Saturday at Steel House. And, yeah, Stone Dead’s another one. They’ve already been released. We’ve got, as I said, stuff going on behind the scenes. And as we are quite early into this kind of new stage of the band, there’s not a lot that’s been confirmed as of yet. But there are so many great ideas. And we’ve all spoken about some great ideas, and we really can’t wait to share them with you. Like James said, we’ve got a lot of music that we’ve been dying to get out for a long time. And hopefully, you guys will be able to hear that, hopefully quite soon,” concludes Tyler.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

ADRIAN SMITH

Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen will release their second album together entitled Black Light / White Noise on March 7th.

Recorded at The House, Los Angeles, California, produced by Richie and Adrian and mixed by Jay Ruston, the ten-track album is a masterclass in modern rock, with Adrian and Richie’s prodigious talents as songwriters, musicians and vocalists on full display.

Following the dynamic duo’s debut album together – was there always a feeling that the pair would return to the studio for a sophomore record? “Yeah. I mean, the first album was quite successful. So, it’s something I enjoy doing, something Richie enjoys doing,” said Adrian. “We started off working on the second album in the early part of 2023. We got together. Richie had a song called Muddy Water, which was almost finished. So, he played me that, and I was like, wow, that’s a great song. So, we got to do that. And I had the idea for a song called White Noise. And we had those two in a fairly short space of time. So, we thought, we’ve really got something to build on here, so let’s do it. So, yeah, I mean, there was always an intention to do a second album.”

The legendary guitarists produced the album themselves on this project. But is production something that the pair enjoy? “For Richie and I, it’s the way to go,” he says. “We’ve got a great way of working together. Richie’s got his studio. It’s all set up. You just press record and go. It’s so easy to record. There are no distractions. And we actually write as we go.”

Adrian continues: “So we’ll start off with an idea. We’ll put down the very basic idea with one guitar. And then Richie’s got a kit set up there. So, Richie will put some drums on it. We’ll stick a bass and then have a go at a few vocals. We work at our own pace. We can let ideas flow between us. I think having a third person, wouldn’t really work. It’s not like somebody’s got to come in and take control

of a band and organise everything. We’re two guys that have been doing it for a long time. So, we didn’t really feel like we needed a producer.”

One of the first tracks to be released from Smith/Kotzen’s latest offering is the song White Noise. “I had this riff, and I had an idea for the verse. I wanted a sort of a grungy, bluesy, dirty kind of feel to the song, which is great. It’s what I love. And Richie said it needs a chorus, and he came up with the White Noise idea for the title. And then I think I said, well, it could be about how social media has taken over the world. People are just looking at their phones constantly and completely addicted,” said Adrian. “But I was really knocked out with the way that turned out.”

The album title itself, Black Light / White Noise, has a duality to it. The title concatenates the titles of two tracks on the album with opposing themes. “It seemed to be an obvious title. I love the title and like you say, the contrast, the duality. So, it just kind of stuck, really,” explains Adrian.

Smith/Kotzen’s latest offering channels a classic sound, taking inspiration from greats such as Thin Lizzy, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Free and Deep Purple, to name but a few. “I think probably the common ground is sort of blues rock with him and I. We love that kind of music,” confirms Adrian. “Richie, he will tell you himself, he has other influences, a lot of funk influences, and he grew up in Philadelphia. So, we bring all that together, and that’s what makes it interesting. I think combining ingredients is what makes it interesting and makes it fresh.”

With both artists busy with their respective projects, is there any scope for Smith/Kotzen shows to promote the album release in the pipeline? “We’re looking in the future. I’m not exactly sure when, but we’d like to do some dates. It’s just a matter of timing,” said

Adrian. “Richie’s got his solo projects, and I’ve Maiden, obviously. So, I would absolutely love to do it. We did a few dates on the last album, and it was such great fun. I enjoyed every minute of it, and the audiences were fantastic. It was only small places, but it was great. So yeah, we’d definitely be looking to do that. We’d like maybe to try and take on some slightly larger venues, and we’ve had some offers in. So that’s looking pretty good.”

Coming from a band like Iron Maiden, how receptive have the Maiden fans been towards the Smith/Kotzen material? “I did see a few SK t-shirts at Maiden gigs, actually. People down the front, they were waving at me and pointing to their shirts, which is great,” said Adrian.

Adrian Smith will shortly hit the road with Iron Maiden on their Run For Your Lives tour. But how much is the legendary guitarist looking forward to the tour? “The show’s going to be very special. Probably quite different to what we’ve done before,” confirms Adrian. “It’s a brand-new setlist. We’ve played the Legacy set over a period of three years. We’ve changed a few songs here and there, but there’ll be some real crackers in there. It’s going to be great.”

With the new SK album release imminent, how is the rest of the year looking for the Iron Maiden guitarist? “I think the Run For Your Lives tour will go from, I think June, July into the early part of August. And then after that, we’re trying to look to do some SK dates, possibly in ‘26. I’m not 100% sure, but we’ve really got to try. I’d love to play this album live because I think the songs will really translate well to the stage,” he concludes.

Light / White

Black

Noise, the new album from Smith/Kotzen, will be released on the 7th of March via BMG.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Piper Ferguson