Devolution Magazine - Issue 47

GOTH METAL PUNK ART FASHION NOISE

ISSUE

47 £4.50

LACUNA COIL

In conversation with metal icon Cristina Scabbia who talks passionately about ‘Black Anima’, band reputation and the things that make her proud to be Italian.

MUSHROOMHEAD, JINJER’S TATIANA SHMAILIUK, RED METHOD, DESERT STORM, MICHAEL HUSSAR, WENDY JAMES, TETRARCH, BLOOD CRUSH, TROY JAMES, PATRICIA QUINN, IDEALISTICS, ALT FASHION & MUCH MORE!

FREE 18 TRACK CD WITH THIS ISSUE!

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LACUNA COIL

Gary Trueman talked to Lacuna Coil vocalist and metal icon Cristina Scabbia about the ‘Black Anima’ record, the band’s reputation and the things that make her proud to be Italian.

RED METHOD

Lead vocalist Jeremy Gomez opens up to Jo Wright about the overwhelming importance of mental health, light in the darkness, and expression through the bands image.

C L RAVEN

C L Raven are a couple of pole dancing horror writers. With the world going through a literal horror story of its own right now the twins talk about their plans for the End of the World.

MUSHROOMHEAD

Founding member and band drummer Skinny talks ‘A Wonderful Life’, the impact of the virus outbreak, and what you get to see from behind the drum kit others miss..

TROY JAMES

Troy “Twisty” James aka The Jangly Man and Baba Yaga talks about becoming a creature actor, being a contortionist and his strange relationship with spiders.

MY HOMETOWN -TATIANA - JINJER In a frank, open and very moving My Home Town Tatiana Shmailiuk from Jinjer chats to Gary Trueman about the place she grew up in, the effects of war, and her hopes for the future.

DEVO CREW NICKIE HOBBS EDITOR GARY TRUEMAN MARK BESTFORD ALICE BIZARRE JO WRIGHT JENNIE MANION SCOTT CHALMERS ------------------------------------

SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE, MICHAEL HUSSAR, KATE FISHER & THE NOISE CARTEL

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MICHAEL HUSSAR

Take a moment, pause, breathe and let us introduce the artist you need when the world is grotesque, and beautiful, and resembles a religious apocalypse. We have the honour and privilege to introduce to you, a modern master, Michael Hussar.

PATRICIA QUINN

Interviewing Patricia was dreamingly listening to an array of stories told in Quinn’s distinct and sultry voice. Here are the highlights of our talk with the wonderfully charming, witty, and downright iconic, Lady Patricia Quinn.

WENDY JAMES

Some people get their fifteen minutes of fame, and then the light dims, and they are never heard of again. Some though become icons. Gary Trueman chatted to Wendy about her new album, the writing process, and why she’s loving lockdown.

ISSUE 47 Cover Image: Lacuna Coil - Christina Scabbia Cunene Photography - Cuneneart.com

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DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

So dear readers, where the hell do we start? Last issue I began this welcome by saying what a funny year it had been with trials and tribulations, if only I knew then what would be in store just months later because 2020 has been one hell of a shit storm and one that nobody could have known was coming.

I don’t feel the need to go into a play by play detail and routinely outline what horrors the world has endured because we have literally all been living them – day in day out – for over 105 days since lockdown in the UK at the time of writing this. Not to ignore or brush away the events of the world because they are incredibly important, will become historical and have dramatically changed the world and people’s lives – quite literally. But I would also like to bring you to the attention of the magazine and what we have been up to instead, because in this little world we do have control, and in some respects we have kept our heads above water and remained positive – choosing to adapt, adjust, and overcome. We have also been very active using Devolution as a voice and platform to help raise awareness, support and educate about current worldwide events and their impact. We announced earlier this year that Devolution would be offered as a digital title only going forward. For the first time in 17 years readers around the globe would be able to read the 100 pages in their entirety upon the day of release for free. In addition we have also introduced our cd covermounts as a digital free album to listen to through our new Bandcamp channel too. Since that decision was made we are also proud as punch to reveal that because of our incredible advertisers and supporters we will be printing this issue along with the usual cd by the end of July – as a completely independent title this is particularly impressive and we as a team are delighted that we were able to do this with everyone’s invaluable help support and belief – so thank you! It’s a strange issue considering that a third of the space would usually be filled with back to back live reviews and festival coverage. So instead we have been able to pack the title with more interviews, fashion, art and features giving you one of our most diverse issues yet. One that we hope dedicated and new readers will all enjoy. The world has changed. Maybe forever. Live music is a huge concern right now and none of us know when we will be able to next freely head down to a local venue and enjoy bands and artists in a manner we are accustomed to. So many venues are still in jeopardy of never even opening their doors again and the music and arts sector is in serious trouble so if there is one thing we do urge it is to support and familiarise yourself with the Music Venue Trust who are a registered charity, created to protect, secure and improve the UK’s Grassroots Music Venues. They work on behalf of 800 venues across the whole UK, providing sector support, lobbying, fundraising, networking and crisis support services. There have been a few lifelines given to a proportion of the grassroots music venues but campaigning hasn’t ended and you can still help! I don’t know about you but we have certainly missed live music with an absolute passion, we always knew it was significant and imperative but until something has almost been taken away you don’t realise just how much.

Until next time – please stay safe!

Revolution | Absolution | Devolution Nickie Hobbs - Editor

This issue is dedicated to my incredible father who was taken from us so suddenly and unexpectedly – you will forever be my hero. I will love you until the end of time. Barry John Hobbs - 1952 – 2020

Devo-ted Readers

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Email: info@devolutionmagazine.co.uk

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Phoria

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BLACK TREE VULTURES Photo By : Gary Trueman

MOLLY KARLOFF & RYDER’S CREED THE BULLINGDON, OXFORD

Mark Bestford

It’s safe to say the music scene is looking a bit more depressed than usual, festivals and events are cancelling due to virus fears. But the Bullingdon in Oxford is a nice small venue, so there’s still a good turnout. Maybe not enough to get the sweat dripping off the crowd, but enough to call the evening a success. And it’s the bands that make the evening a success, three of the finest hard rock bands on the unsigned circuit. To try and compare them would be doing them a disservice, they all put on a great show. If any comparisons could be made, I would say that Molly Karloff and Ryder’s Creed seemed a bit tighter on guitars, but that’s about all.

ELECTROWERKZ, LONDON

It’s perfectly acceptable to see in the apocalypse with a bit of debauchery isn’t it? Just before the UK (and the globe) went into lockdown there was just enough time for one more night of latex and leather courtesy of Club Antichrist’s Strange & Unusual themed event. There were plenty of people in attendance even if some had understandably chosen to stay away. AC had made the choice easy by offering ticket transfers for future dates which was no doubt helpful to those anxious about the Coronavirus outbreak. The theme gave attendees the chance to really go to town on their outfits which they duly did. As is usual at an AC night there was a mix of fetish, Goth, industrial and all other manner of alternatives represented. People were here to party knowing it might be the last one for some time.

On the Theatre of Sin stage Little Miss Deadly kicked the performances off with her Lilith act. Not for the squeamish there were some pretty impressive moves mixed in with the body piercing. Next up was the infamous Satan’s Strip Show, a have a go Full Monty feature 8

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

Gary Trueman

that this time around featured pro burlesque artist Marquissa Darq and her fortune teller routine.

Closing the evening were London legends Tokyo Taboo who started proceeding by shutting singer Dolly in a dog cage. Once released she wowed everyone with her ability to sing and pole dance simultaneously.

The band fit the event perfectly and their brand of edgy rock sees them gain a large and appreciative crowd.

It must have been touch and go whether this particular AC went ahead at all. Just a few days later social distancing was being advised and then as we all know became mandatory. Given how things gathered pace it was good to have a final letting down of the hair.

Until next time, whenever that may be, the memories of this night will linger fondly for most.

Photo By : Mark Bestford

CLUB ANTICHRIST

And it’s fitting that Molly Karloff put on such a great show, it’s their EP launch event. Simon Gee shows he’s not just a great guitarist but also a great frontman, his face showing off a self-deprecating humour that could easily be mistaken for arrogance except he is that good. Ryder’s Creed finish off as the headliners with a great set, showing why this Midlands fourpiece are generating the buzz they have. For what could be the final show of 2020 this is one to leave enough memories for the year ahead.

Review & Photos By Mark Bestford

Photo By : Gary Trueman

KILL THE MOON

ALICE’S ANTS & RED PUPPETS & DESENSITISED THE CHAMELEON, NOTTINGHAM

Gary Trueman

Photo By : Gary Trueman

Finding the extremely well tucked away Chameleon is aided by an influx of alternative people. Inside it sports a rather splendid bar area and a venue upstairs that could be a set from The Young Ones. They’ve got the atmosphere right on the nose then.

It turns out the sound is excellent too. The lighting it has to be said is static, but it does the job.

Kicking things off are Libby and Charlotte performing an acoustic Desensitised set. It’s a mix of covers and originals that sees the duo on stage for the first time this year. The band as a whole have stepped up a gear since their debut album was released last year. Here it’s Charlotte’s vocals that catch the ear.

There are some high notes hit impressively and the power and tone have matured too. Couple that with Libby’s ever expanding guitar work and this set definitely whets the appetite for a full band show. The Red Puppets can clearly play, that much is obvious by the first few bars of their opener. Being technically proficient isn’t the only thing you need as a group of musicians though. You need identity and passion. This trio tick those boxes too. This is ultra-modern indie rock with nice slabs of metal and jazz thrown in the mix too. We get a Biffy Clyro cover that goes down a storm and suits the band sound to a tee. While guitar and bass are excellent it’s the drums that astound. This is a band with an engine room that purrs. The Red Puppets have no strings save the ones on their instruments.

Some people don’t need to say anything to command an audience when they appear on a stage. They have that enigmatic charisma that surrounds them like an aura. So it is with Emily Alice. While her ‘ants’ beaver away industrially and with some style Alice simply is. Coy, almost shy but with a commanding and at the same time quite subdued vocal you get the feeling that you’re seeing the soul of a person through song. You get the feeling you’re being let in to hear something personal. For such a young artist to convey mood like this is quite magical. A mix of grunge, pop punk and riot grrrl, Alice’s Ants deserve to go on to much greater things. Realistically there’s no force on earth that is capable of stopping them.

You get to see some bands on occasion that just seem a bit out of place. Usually it’s a case of how are they playing such a big venue?

Tonight with Kill The Moon the reverse is true. How the hell does a band this tight, this professional sounding, not get to play at least The Rescue Rooms just down the road? For those at the compact and bijou Chameleon this is a real treat. It’s like having a big name band play in your (quite large) living room.

The guitar sings, the drums pulse with beats and that bass, well that’s just alive with rhythm. Often the sum of the parts doesn’t add up but with Kill The Moon it’s an equation that equals musical heaven. Indie rock with a huge dose of just about everything else thrown in makes Kill The Moon a must see band.

Everyone watching knows they’ve struck gold tonight. Kill The Moon are ace, catch them (at a much bigger venue) soon.

Review & Photos By Gary Trueman

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 9

By Gary Trueman

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LACUNA COIL Lacuna Coil have built a reputation as a band that you know will put on a fantastic live show.

They are consummate professionals who for over 25 years have flown the flag for their native Italy doing themselves and their country proud. Latest album ‘Black Anima’ has had the dust settle from its 2019 release now and has gone down a storm. Gary Trueman talked to Lacuna Coil vocalist and metal icon Cristina Scabbia about the record, the band writing process, bandreputation and the things that make her proud to be Italian.

The dust has well and truly settled now on ‘Black Anima’ and the verdict is that both critics and fans absolutely love it. A lot of people likened it to the Karmacode / Shallow Life period of the band but it’s a lot more complex sound wise. Is that just a natural evolution of your music?

“We always write music in a very spontaneous way. We never sit down and plan how the sound of a record is going to be. We did already know that it was going to be heavier, more intense and darker just because when we did Delirium we really liked those type of songs.

We really enjoyed those songs during the live shows. So we knew it would be more this way. Of course you don’t really know until a record is completed what it will be like. There are a lot of layers that you discover (on Black Anima) the more you listen to it. We experimented more with sonorities, the way we sung on the songs. We treated this record as a movie.

I think if you listen to it from the beginning to the end it takes you on a sort of a journey. I’ve found out that a lot of fans have the same opinion and got this. I am amazed because everybody seems to like it. It’s not that common that after 20 plus years as a band you come up with something that people are astonished by.”

The album explores the human psyche in a way, it’s a bit of a fogged mirror?

“Well, If Delirium was us going through straight pain because we experienced very hard moments in our lives like the loss of people that we love and other problems that everyone can relate to.

Compared to Delirium this is us rising from the darkness and knowing that it’s Ok to not be OK all the time. We’re not perfect, we have our failures, we can be sad, we can be depressed, but if you’re able to manage the darkness then you

become bulletproof. There’s nothing else that can touch you if you are able to get out of this. This record is the realisation that we can be strong and overcome everything.”

the same. So for us the melody of what we are singing is as important as much as the meaning. It makes it a double task to complete but it’s how we like to work.”

It kind of shows in a way that you can’t have light without darkness, it’s kind of a ying and yang thing and that comes out through your music.

“Totally. It was always a question of balance and we always like to offer both sides. We are very positive people and we like to bring a positive message.

We want to be true ourselves and say whatever we want but we know there is someone out there listening to what we say and I think it is important to spread good vibes. It’s good to take care of each other and to bring some positivity to the world.”

So when you’re discussing what stays and what goes do people have differing views sometimes and how do you overcome that or is it just done by consensus?

“You know what we don’t even need to discuss it. In all those years we know who we are and we know exactly what Lacuna Coil is, so we’ve never had a fight because we all know what’s good for a song. We never have problems in deciding what’s good and what’s not good because we’re really focussed on who we are and we know exactly what we like. We do experiment though because we don’t want any boundaries and sometimes it won’t work out the way we were thinking.”

How has Lacuna Coil’s writing process altered over the years and is there anything you still do the same.

“I think actually we still do it the same because the main song writer is always Marco who is also our producer. He produced Delirium and Black Anima.

He writes music getting inspired by visual things like he puts on movies, video games, documentaries and stuff and he writes about the images. Then he delivers his ideas to Andrea and I and we start to contribute with vocal melodies and we give them back to him.

We meet at his studio and we keep what we like and we discard what we don’t like, and we keep on working this way.

Once a song is completed we write the lyrics above the melodies because for us it’s absolutely important that every lyric is meaningful but it also needs to sound good. We treat every word and every phrase in a musical way. We have so many lyrics that are beautiful if you just read them as poems, as reflections, but if you sing them on a song it’s not

Do you have a back catalogue of songs that nearly made it, stuff from experimenting?

“We do. To be honest I have a lot of stuff on cds and even tapes because back when cds and tape recorders existed I was literally taping whatever we came up with in the practice room. I have a lot of stuff at home and I’ve bought as new cassette reader that can convert to mp3 and I’m curious to listen to what we did back then. I want to listen to all that stuff because there might be something really cool that we completely forgot about. Just for fun, we don’t need ideas, we still have a world of ideas. It would be interesting though.”

The band have a reputation for consistency and reliability both in recorded music and particularly in your live performances.

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A few years back a member of a band touring with you commented that he’d never seen anyone go out night after night and never miss a beat, never miss a note. What are the ingredients do you think that make that happen?

“I think the first thing is a love for what you are doing. We really love to sing, we really love to play, and we really love to perform for our fans. I think this is the key because if people seeing you have fun on stage it doesn’t really matter if you make little mistakes because that’s real live music. It’s all about the energy and it’s all about the vibes on stage, it’s all about having fun. Also we always try with every record to not repeat ourselves. Of course our style is really recognisable. Even if we play a cover you would recognise that it’s us because we have a very specific sound. The fact that we’ve always kept our ears and eyes open on everything around us year after year made we are still producing records that are still fresh. We never thought ‘oh this record was successful let’s repeat this forever because fans will buy it’. We think that’s the wrong way of writing music because it’s not honest. It’s impossible not to change over the years. You grow and have different experiences. If you don’t change I think there is a problem. You’re either doing it to make money or you don’t have any fresh ideas. So we’re always moving forward and every record that we’ve done is a perfect representation of a space in time. So we don’t want to repeat it because it was done back then.”

Do you think that it’s important for bands to be professional in how they go about being a band even if they’re not professional? That they need to treat their band as a business even if it’s a creative force too?

“That is a very complicated question because of course if this is your job then of course you need to make money out of it. If you don’t have money you can’t produce records or just get in a studio. I would be lying if I told you money isn’t important in this business. That’s why you have merch. That’s why you try to sell records, in order to keep on producing music. It’s not a greedy thing. We’re not millionaires, we don’t live in villas with pools and we don’t care about this.

We do love to tour and to meet our fans. I think it’s an exchange. Of course I love the artistic side of music but I think it’s also cool that there’s this exchange between you and the fans helping each other.

The same way we do when we buy other people’s music.”

Specifically with you and Andrea regarding your vocals. What do you do on tour to make sure your voice sounds good and stays good? And does anything change when you’re off tour?

“When you’re off tour you kind of indulge a little more. For example when I’m on tour I rarely drink, even a beer, because it affects my voice. I’m a natural talker so if I drink I get into even more talking which is never good. When we are on the road we don’t do anything special, we don’t even warm up before a gig. We warm up for a few seconds but we don’t stay for an hour. We try to sleep as much as we can because sleep is mandatory to keep your voice safe. Drink a lot of water because the only way you can hydrate your vocal chords is from the inside. That’s it pretty much. The energy from the crowd is very important because when you’re tired you don’t really feel like playing a show because you’re exhausted, or sick. The reaction of the crowd is so important. It’s happened so many times where I’m sick and I can’t even stand, I can’t sing and my voice is broken and my throat hurts. Then I see the reaction of the crowd and I’m like yes! Because they gave me that strength.”

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“ Compared to Delirium this is us rising from the darkness and knowing that it’s Ok to not be OK all the time. We’re not perfect, we have our failures, we can be sad, we can be depressed, but if you’re able to manage the darkness then you become bulletproof.

There’s nothing else that can touch you if you are able to get out of this. This record is the realisation that we can be strong and overcome everything.”

~ Christina Scabbia

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When you’re on tour what do you miss most about home?

“My bed, my loved ones, my boyfriend, my friends, my relatives. My shower and my toilet ha-ha. My house. Just the little things. On a recent tour we’re lucky we have a great bus and we are in great company. We’re sharing the bus with our friends in Infected Rain. I miss my couch and the nights where you don’t have the pressure of doing anything and you can be free to choose a movie and that’s the most important plan of the day. But I am very happy with the balance that I have in my life.”

Conversely when you’re at home what do you miss about being on tour?

“It’s a circle. When you’re on the road you miss home and when you’re at home you miss the road. We’ve been doing this for so many years that we miss parts from both sides. But we know that eventually we will be at home and eventually we will be back on the road.

So it doesn’t bother us.”

You’re famously from Italy. Are you conscious that you’re representing your country when you’re out visiting countries?

“We are even if in some places they don’t realise that we’re Italians, especially when we play in the states. We’ve been asked so many times if we were from New York because they thought

we were American Italians. Once in a diner we got asked if we drove from Italy and we were like nope, there’s an ocean in between. So we know we are one of the very few bands from Italy that made it a little bigger, and we’re proud of this. We are proudly Italian but we also feel international because we don’t have the Italian mentality. We have an open mind mentality.”

that’s a bit weird?

“Not every English person does this but we find it weird when we see you guys walking around in bare feet. In dirt.

That’s like eeew. “

What do you think are your best and worst traits?

“My best quality is that I get excited very easily so I’m always hyperactive, happy and bouncing around. That can be Italy has given the world a lot of a good thing, but also a bad thing. There fantastic things though. So what do are some people that are not liking this you think is the greatest gift Italy but I’m a people person so it’s just who I has given the world? am. My worst quality is that at the same “If you ask Andrea he will say AC Milan time I get nervous very easily. So someha-ha. But I think that pizza, pasta, art, times I get moody. But it lasts just a few fashion, we have so many things. If you minutes. For example I go to the bus think it’s such a small country but you for after show food and I get the wrong can find some Italian things everywhere. one, especially with food I get so pissed You can find Italian restaurants, you can off. But five minutes later I’m fine.” find art. I love Italy, not because I’m from there but I really do think it’s one of the If you were asked to represent Italy most beautiful countries in the world. in the Eurovision song contest and We kind of have it all” had to pick one of your own songs, what would you choose?

You do, but does the UK have any“There are so many songs I like that I thing you particularly like? could choose. I don’t know. One from “Well the fans for sure because we Black Anima but I don’t know which have a very strong relationship with one.”

English fans. A lot of them have become friends with each other. This made me lacunacoil.com think that it’s incredible, the legacy facebook.com/lacunacoil we’re leaving. It’s something we never thought could happen.”

Interview By Gary Trueman Images C/O Cunene Photography Is there anything we do in the UK Cuneneart.com

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 15

By Jo Wright

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RED METHOD Ear-splitting, fire-spitting, punch-packing juggernaut Red Method are purveyors of possibly the heaviest release of 2020 so far. With a subject matter as serious as the band’s musical intentions, ‘For The Sick’ tackles the darkest depths of the mind head on.

Lead vocalist Jeremy Gomez talked to Jo Wright about the overwhelming importance of mental health, light in the darkness and expression through the bands image.

Future Fellow ticket holders - you have been warned…

‘For The Sick’ is heeeaaaavvvyyyyyy.

Musically but also in subject matter.

You are sharing some pretty tough topics with us. Please can you tell us about some of them?

“We’ve been through a lot as individuals in the past few years and have thrown it all in the creation of this beast. In particular we have gone through loss, depression, grief and breakdowns. I lost both sets of grandmothers to Alzheimer’s and our members have experienced similar situations throughout the making of this album. ‘For The Sick’ is about how messed up the world we live in is.

We live in a world in which the human race is in decline, with overconsumption at an all-time high. With opinions formed from the misguided use of media, right down to the corrupt political policies, it is all there for you to see. Underneath the surface of this album we wanted to focus on issues surrounding the psychosis of the human mind. When everything in your life comes to a head and everything decides to explode all at once, it drives you absolutely insane and infests your entire life. It makes you physically sick from the thoughts that come to your head and under driven to the lowest points imaginable.”

‘For The Sick’ is fast, fraught and relentless – and a bloody good record. It could also be the reason someone who is struggling finds strength to go on. And that’s more important than ever at the minute, would you agree?

“Definitely. There is a light to the darkness. Performing gives us the chance to express ourselves in a raw and emotionally moving setting on stage. Even at this early stage we have been watching people lose it with us and go home feeling positive as a result.

That 45 minutes to an hour is where people can just be themselves and express who they are. You can hear and feel every note and word on this record and we hope that listeners can gain something positive from this.”

You had a lot of UK dates planned which were unfortunately cancelled

due to Covid 19. But for those who are yet to see you in the future let’s talk about the band’s image which is pretty fierce. Do you find it helps to set the scene and let people know what they are in for? If you rocked up in jeans and t-shirts and then launched into ‘For The Sick’, the uninitiated may well start running for cover…

“Ha-ha! The image does help to set the scene but there is a beauty to the madness. This is part of the expression behind how we feel. Our masked guitarist Quinton feels that given what he’s been through - he feels devoid of all human emotion as parts of him have been slowly ripped away - and that’s why he wears a mask. Because he can give you everything but not all of him.

Ultimately though it is the music that feeds our image and how we feel.”

Did you set out to write an album about the dark depths the mind is capable of sending us to, or did these issues start to pour from you as you wrote?

“There wasn’t anything really preconceived prior to writing. As the primary writer I sat there with Fred (Myers – drums) and David (Tobin – guitars) - the riffs, structures, hooks and melodies were flowing naturally.

The more experiences I encountered throughout the last 3 years of my life, the more I put into the concepts behind the lyrical content and moods of the songs. It has been cathartic performing these songs live in the past year.”

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Music, undoubtedly, makes the world a better place. What else do you think we, as music lovers, can do to make people’s paths a little easier?

“I think we can continue to spread a message of positivity and hope, and that it’s okay to be who you are. I also think communication is really key and no matter what the issues are it is so important to talk to someone.”

‘For The Sick’ feels like just the beginning of a long, successful journey for you guys. Is this the case?

“Define success? I mean, all six of us have thrown everything we have into Red Method, and so far the response has been more than we could have hoped for. Of course there is the ‘dream’ but we’ve been incredibly humbled with the outpouring of support we’ve received from people that have grabbed on to us and come on this ride. We have had fans tell us that our music has helped them get through tough times and that has been the single most rewarding thing you could do as a musician.”

Globally, things are getting bleaker by the day, and we need bands who are open and honest about their mental health experiences and feelings. People have suffered in silence for too long. Do you agree?

“Definitely. Given the information and education we have now, it is more important than ever to reach out to one another. Everything is extreme

18 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

and fast-paced in terms of the lifestyles we lead. It’s vital we take a step back and try to take necessary steps to find some sort of clarity or resolution, so to speak - whether that be through talking therapies, medical treatment or self-care in a broad sense.”

You guys have obviously been through a lot. How did you manage to keep going, even when things were at their worst? Were there any bands helping you through in the same way Red Method are helping people through at the minute?

“Through perseverance and sticking together. There have been more ups overall than downs in our journey, and as a band we couldn’t have hoped for a better reception. Our road brothers in Dishonour The Crown, The Five Hundred, Krysthla and Kinasis have definitely helped us keep together and deliver the best show we possibly can for sure. Akercocke and Voices have been amazing to us too.”

Pretend you’re in charge of the whole entire world for one day. What do you do to make it a better place?

“There are many ideologies that will prevail despite what I or anyone could say or do.

However if I was in charge, I’d probably set up youth centres on a global scale for underprivileged children, or build a state of the art machine that would clean all the oceans from all the crap that humans put in them.”

A bit of a lighter question now - which bands are Red Method digging at the minute “Car Bomb, Morbid Angel, Strapping Young

Lad, Meshuggah, Agnes Obel and Gojira for sure!”

Touring-wise, what do you love most about being on the road, and what do you miss about life at home?

“I love going to other towns and cities and experiencing the vibe of it.

Meeting new people and fans is always important. The shows have been awesome. The thing we miss at home are our loved ones, good food, decent showers, pets and creature comforts.”

Is it too early to ask about Red Method’s plans for the future?

“At this point, having released ‘For The Sick’ before lockdown, we still intend to take this album to every corner of the UK and in other European territories, and tour the hell out of it. Then it will be time to consolidate ideas for the next release.”

And finally, if you could relive any day from your life so far, which one would it be?

“That’s a great question. But everything that has been in the past has led us to where we are now. We are always moving forward. If you dwell on the past too long you get stuck there. Sure, you have some amazing memories but we are put here to create new ones.”

facebook.com/RedMethodBand Interview By Jo Wright Images C/O Scott Chalmers scottchalmers.co.uk facebook.com/scottchalmersphoto

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 19

HT SPOTLIG

The Magic of Terry Pratchett

By Marc Burrows - Published by Pen and Sword

“Pratchett wasn’t just grinding an axe, he was wielding one.” – Marc Burrows Biographies can be tricky. Even more so when they aren’t officially authorised ones. But what about one where the subject is one of the most loved British authors of all time?

Seems pretty daunting doesn’t it. Not only does Marc Burrows have to deal with writing a biography that tells the story of Sir Terry Pratchett, he also has to contend with me reading it.

Not many can say they turned down the opportunity to have a curry with Sir Terry, and it will always be my greatest regret, but I’m not saying that to boast.

I’m saying that because this biography is about a person that I know a lot about, and someone I have known personally. My daughter is the reason “or small children” was added to the phrase “will sign anything except a blank cheque”. (See Pic to the right) I have read almost every book written by him (The Shepherd’s Crown still lingers on my “to be read” pile), including the non Discworld novels, both from the start and end of his illustrious career. So it had better be bloody good.

With over 40 published works it’s impossible to do every book justice, and as much as the biography is about Sir Terry’s books, as that’s how he lives on, it’s also about Sir Terry’s life. There are footnotes, which is as it should be.

For an author who annotated his own novels as he went on it’s fitting that his life should be annotated as well. Marc frets at the start about how he could possibly write about a man he never met. Speaking as someone who met Sir

Terry on frequent occasion I can say he’s done a fine job. As he says, if you want to meet Sir Terry Pratchett you can, in the pages of his books. There is so much of Sir Terry’s character in the Discworld, from Granny Weatherwax not putting up with fools to Sam Vimes’ red hot anger at the injustices of the world, and Marc captures this perfectly. In some ways a little too perfectly as at times I hear Sir Terry’s voice in my head reading along with me.

It also becomes clear from reading that the Discworld books were more than just a part of Marc’s formative years, they have also informed his writing style and humour and it comes across throughout the biography. He also does something wonderful for a fan of Sir Terry, he creates a narrative that you don’t want to put down, only realising several hours later that it’s the early hours of the morning and there’s still more you want to read before turning the lights off. At the same time there is the growing realisation that at some point you have to reach the end of the book, and what that entails for Sir Terry’s personal journey. Even five years on it’s a loss that feels personal, but it’s one that is shared.

At the end of the day Marc has succeeded where many other biographers have failed. Sir Terry’s Estate can’t officially endorse this biography, but they have at least put it on record that they won’t sue him for it.

GNU Sir Terry Pratchett, speak his name.

The Magic Of Terry Pratchett Coming July 30th 2020 Pre Order From: askmeaboutterrypratchett.com Reviewed By Mark Bestford

20 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

RMOUNT CD COVE 1. South Of Salem

2. Auger

COLD DAY IN HELL

HIT THE LIGHTS

band@southofsalem.com southofsalem.com

stephen8ball@hotmail.com auger.band

info@mrstrangemedia.com mrstrange.co.uk

5. The Venus Fly Trap

6. Idealistics

7. Catchfire Barons

alex@spiralarchive.com spiralarchive.com

idealisticsband@gmail.com facebook.com/idealisticsband

catchfirebarons@gmail.com facebook.com/Catchfirebarons

9. Destroy Planets!

10. Chasing Ghosts

11. Weak13

band@destroyplanet.co.uk facebook.com/destroyplanetsband

chasingghostsmusic@yahoo.co.uk chasingghosts.co.uk

weak13press@gmail.com weak13.co.uk

14. Das Ghoul

15. Fizzy Milk

16. Lesbian BED DEATH

13ghoul666@gmail.com ghoul1.bandcamp.com

fizzymilk.band@gmail.com facebook.com/fizzymilkband

evelynwolfmusic@gmail.com lesbianbeddeath.net

VITESSE

SAVE YOURSELVES

GOODNIGHT KITTY

22  DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

SCANDALOUS

UNTIL THE END

BODIES IN THE OCEAN

3. Mr Strange PIGGY

WE GET LOW

CLOSURE

BORN TO DIE ON VHS

4. Sanguine

5 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT

Issue 47 Cd

Devolution has been running for over 17 years and we provide an open platform for unsigned bands and artists to promote their work through us in print and digitally across the globe.

sanguineband@hotmail.co.uk sanguineband.co.uk

8. Cucaracha

Each issue we endeavor to bring you a compilation of unsigned bands and artists from all genres. We are always looking for new bands to check out so if you are looking at reaching a dedicated open minded and passionate about music alternative audience then Devolution readers and the industry folk that we work with are the listeners you want!

For more info on submissions please contact us at:

info@devolutionmagazine.co.uk

WILDEBEEST

Listen To This Issues Covermount On Bandcamp

devolutionmagazine.bandcamp.com/releases

cucarachaukband@gmail.com cucaracha.co.uk

PROUDLY SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT BANDS AND ARTISTS FOR 17 years

12. Fallen Mafia

13. Levant

fallenmafia@outlook.com fallenmafia.co.uk

levant@levantsound.co.uk levantsound.co.uk

17. Pretty Addicted

18. Hedra

AWAKEN

PUPPET

HEAVEN FELL TO HELL

KARMA IN BLOOD

prettyaddictedmanagement@outlook.com motivatedmusiccompany@gmail.com

prettyaddictedband.com

hedrametal.co.uk

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 23

s review IN THIS MOMENT MOTHER

(ATLANTIC RECORDS)

Where some bands simply follow In This Moment have learned their trade and are now leaders. They are a creative force that has taken time to grow. You can almost see that those earlier albums were the equivalent of a teenager blowing off steam. Now though they are a mature unit that has developed its own identity. The growing pains felt when the ground breaking ‘Blood’ hit the stores in 2012 dividing fan opinion are now well and truly in the past. This seventh studio album from the band isn’t just a comfortable progression, it offers a real insight into the mind set and personalities that make up the members of In This Moment. This is a concept album that takes no just religion as a theme but at its core spirituality. Those that know Maria Brink will testify that away from the spotlight she’s quite the witchy hippy chick and this is reflected in the mood of ‘Mother’.

It’s a slower tempo production than you might think but is seriously heavy in places thanks no doubt to Chris Howorth’s sterling work in the writing department. Brink’s vocals are quite sensational. They ensure you’re left in no doubt that this record has at its heart female and spiritual empowerment. It’s a bold statement made well and quite subtly.

Carrying on with that theme is a cover of ‘We Will Rock You’ featuring guest vocals by Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen. ‘Mother’ takes you even further down the In This Moment rabbit hole. You get the feeling this journey has a way to go yet. (Gary Trueman)

AUGER

INSURGENCE (DARKTUNES MUSIC GROUP)

Welcome to the Dark Side as Auger’s third full album invites you to join the Insurgence. It’s a glorious darkly gothic homage to the 80s and 90s bands like Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, filled with guitars and anthemic sounding keyboards. While it’s not as upbeat as many in this genre there are a few tracks that wouldn’t sound out of place on the gothic dancefloors. On the whole though it’s an atmospheric work of art. It can’t be long before Auger become a household name in the industrial scene alongside Rammstein, NIN and Marilyn Manson. If you want to quickly dip into the album you could do worse than the more up-tempo ‘Who Can Help Me Now?’ or the title track ‘Insurgence’. For a band with only two members it’s an impressive achievement and they just seem to get better as time goes on.

(Mark Bestford) 24 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

MUSHROOMHEAD A WONDERFUL LIFE (NAPALM RECORDS)

What an apt title given the situation we find ourselves in at the moment. Lockdowns, locusts, racism and the unfolding environmental disaster have brought the word apocalypse to the fore. And yet there is definite hope and it’s through wonderfully creative acts such as Mushroomhead that a little glimmer of light can still shine bright. Sure they can’t fix things entirely on their own but they can promote awareness and try and lift our collective spirits. So this new album even with its throaty vocals and darkness of theme is still the current pinnacle of where we art at in the arts. It grooves away, it also punches hard and it makes you feel alive.

There are some great twists too on this offering. ‘Carry On’ blends a more commercial vibe with what you’d normally expect. It’s a natural extension of the hugely successful ‘We Are The Truth’ that helped break the band to a new audience. Mushroomhead are moving their own personal goalposts but are doing it at a pace that older fans will appreciate. With music like this around right now it really is still a wonderful life we live. Maybe they got the title right after all.

(Gary Trueman)

WENDY JAMES QUEEN HIGH STRAIGHT

(SELF RELEASED)

New wave rhythm meets high class pop in this fifth solo outing for the former Transvision Vamp chanteuse. And that’s only just scratching the surface of this massive 20 track opus that also takes in and celebrates diverse influences such as punk and blues, jazz and EBM. While the mix may on paper be a bit heady the end product is silky smooth. The title track is a slow burner that caresses and seduces you while ‘Perilous Beauty’ almost joins the circle with its Vamp undertones and attitude. James has always had that confident air and its prevalent right through this latest album, even in the softer moments of which there are many. While the early days may have been a roller coaster ride of glitz the now is one of music underscored by class, sophisticated writing and simple unashamed quality. ‘Queen High Straight’ will appeal to many people and for a whole host of reasons. The sheer scale of this album means there are segments you can chill out to, parts that promote a sing along and if you want to just rock out then you can do that too. And it all fits together beautifully. Wendy James has moved effortlessly from precocious talent to music icon, and this could well be her best work to date. (Gary Trueman)

BLACK ROZE

SPIRITUAL HELL (SELF RELEASED)

As Obscenity opens there’s a Black Sabbath vibe, but it’s quickly replaced by a hesitant guitar. It’s a little too simple when compared to the rest of the album and it takes a while before the grade school picking is replaced by a more traditional guitar solo. It works well enough during the rest of the song, but first impressions last. Thankfully they don’t last long as Godz ’n’ Queenz slings the guitar low for a sleazy bass riff. It’s a very different track and showcases their sound much better. Why Don’t You continues with an Eagles Of Death Metal sounding pace, reminiscent of psychobilly. The driving bass lines switch out for a soaring guitar on Soul On Fire. You’d be forgiven for thinking the songs were written in the order that they appear on the album as the quality of the songs clearly improves as the album progresses. The album’s title comes to life with two versions of the track In The Darkness.

We’re back to a slower Sabbath style with a touch of Alice Cooper. As with Obscenity it shows its age, but by the end of the song you get some nice Iron Maiden inspired guitar work. The rest of the album returns to form with Curse of the Black Roze, So Sleazy, and Lost before ending with the Spiritual version of In The Darkness, which is suitably mellow and acoustic. On the whole a good rock and roll album which is shown at its best on Godz ’n’ Queenz and Soul On Fire. (Mark Bestford)

RYDERS CREED LOST SOULS

(SELF RELEASED)

RPM do what they say in the name, they manage rock people.

And they’ve again come up with the goods with yet another fantastic NWOCR band in Ryders Creed. Lost Souls is a huge sounding album, just packed full of big vocals, big riffs, and huge drum fills. It’s not all in your face rock and roll though as the title track Lost Soul brings everything down to a more mellow sounding tone. It’s a worthy ballad for a great album. Believer shows a maturity to their guitar playing that’s missing in most modern music. At times it’s reminiscent of the great guitar players of the 80s, with elements of Vai and Malmsteen interwoven into the track. This isn’t pop music attempting to be rock music by adding guitars to lyrics, this is rock music as it’s meant to be. Guitars at the forefront, interwoven throughout the songs. It’s great to have an album with variety, and this album has it all. Classic guitar rock, blues, even a touch of southern outlaw. Every song sounds crafted out of stone and then finely chiselled into smooth perfection. The guitar licks flow faster than the metaphors can keep up. (Mark Bestford)

LIAR, FLOWER GEIGER COUNTER

(ONE LITTLE INDIAN RECORDS)

Liar, Flower is the latest combo to feature Queen Adreena and Daisy Chainsaw musical heroine Katiejane Garside.

Anyone who knows her will certainly know to expect the unexpected, and in ‘Geiger Counter’ you truly won’t be disappointed.

Treading the very trippy line between genius and utterly bonkers Garside has once again come up with a record that marks her out as someone who operates completely outside of the box. Quite a long way outside to be honest. Here we get slabs of angst rock colliding with folk inspired tranquillity. The vocals are straight from the heart….. and the soul…. and the womb. This is an album that has you thinking, it forces you to listen, and then reflect. It’s not often music can be this harsh, sometimes utterly visceral and yet have true beauty within it as well. Garside has always had that Grace Slick element about her but there is no real comparison when you stack the two up together. Both are true originals and both are unique. It’s not often that happens in music, and as proven once again with this latest record Katiejane Garside is an often underappreciated artist that we should treasure. (Gary Trueman)

HAXAN

WHITE NOISE (SELF RELEASED)

In a time when the world has gone south it’s good to know that some things can still be relied upon. Rock music may have morphed, warped and blended over the many decades but right at the centre of things there’s still a good riff and a big fat hook. ‘White Noise’ is like rock music concentrate. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than undiluted guitar driven fun. It’d be easy to glibly write off the songs as written to a format. If you did that though then you’ve kinda missed the point. You see this is rock and roll in its most pure form. It may well sound familiar but every song on this mighty album is as fresh as a fist pumping daisy. So often bands write one or two killer tracks then don’t deliver with the rest. That’s not the Haxan way though, this is a stunning record, consistent from first note to last.

There are some lovely variations of pace too and it has the sort of harmonies you’d thought acts had maybe forgotten how to do properly. At the heart of things are the massive rhythms and sublime guitar work that make the songs truly memorable.

Music doesn’t have to be slide rule rocket science. Haxan understand this and as a result have delivered one of the best rock albums to come out of the UK in a very long time. (Gary Trueman)

HAVOK V

(CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS)

Ferocious fourpiece, Colorado’s finest thrashers HAVOK, don’t just blow the cobwebs away. It’s fair to say they take the whole spider-sullied building down with them. Then set the rubble alight. Then nuke any remaining debris. You get the picture. HAVOK push their instruments to the limit. And put innocent people within a two mile radius of anyone playing ‘V’ in danger of being caught in some serious headbanging and (socially distanced) moshing. It’s a heavy package of hefty riffs, sonic shredding and pummelling drums. And here’s the thing – the lyrics are meaningful and audible. ‘Fear Campaign’, ‘Betrayed By Technology’ … poignant. ‘V’ is fast, loud and fierce. It’s intelligent, it’s relevant and is a credit to its creators. HAVOK are stalwarts of the thrash scene, and this record could well see them dominate it. (Jo Wright)

BLACK RAINBOWS COSMIC RITUAL SUPERTRIP (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS)

The name – ‘Cosmic Ritual Supertrip’ – we’re not dealing with death metal here. Goth? Certainly not. Pop? Oh come now, have you been drinking? Us at Devo too. We’re not judging. Anyhooo, Black Rainbows deal in trippy stoner psychedelic fuzz. But if that’s not usually your bag, don’t be put off. ‘Cosmic Ritual Supertrip’ is inclusive. Those who enjoy one, more, or all of the alternative sides of music are welcome here. ‘Radio 666’ could be classed as, dare we say, a driving song? Sure, it’s best suited to road trips made in a two-seater convertible as opposed to tootling to the shops in an SUV with a dodgy reversing camera and sweetie wrappers everywhere.

But you get the picture. ‘Hypnotized by the Solenoid’ clangs and bangs through your skull and will leave you with a massive smile on your face. ‘Master Rocket Power Blast’ is an absolute belter. This is the band’s eighth record, and it’ll chase those clouds away and leave blue sky just for you. What do you mean it’s started to rain? We don’t care. We’re in Black Rainbows country now.

Although if someone could get the washing in, that would be great. (Jo Wright)

WANT US TO REVIEW YOU? AS WELL AS PRINTING A SELECTION OF ALBUM EP AND DEMO REVIEWS EACH ISSUE WE ALSO UPLOAD THEM WEEKLY TO THE WEBSITE OVER AT DEVOLUTIONMAGAZINE.CO.UK EMAIL YOUR TRACKS ALONG WITH A SHORT BIO TO: INFO@DEVOLUTIONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

NEW RELEASES THAT WE ARE EXCITED FOR: STATIC-X – PROJECT REGENERATION VOL. 1 BIFFY CLYRO – A CELEBRATION OF ENDINGS SEETHER – SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM AVATAR – TELEMARK AMARANTHE – MANIFEST[ DEVILDRIVER – DEALING WITH DEMONS, VOL. 1 LORD OF THE LOST – SWAN SONGS III LAMB OF GOD – LAMB OF GOD FINNTROLL – VREDESVÄVD[2

MR STRANGE CONTACT

(SELF RELEASED)

The circus is back and this time they’ve brought the extra-terrestrials with them. It’s Mr Strange and ‘Contact’, a cornucopia of a superb concept album full of science fiction themes. Taking it’s influences from the heyday of American sci-fi there are plenty of nods to the cult classic movies of the 1950s, but the music is pure modern gothic electronica, with plenty of distorted guitar and keyboards.

Fans of Hawkwind might recognise some of the musical stylings, from their ‘Alien4’ album, with the repetitive keyboards in places, but this is not Hawkwind. So let yourself be transported to Outer Space for a while, before coming back to Earth with the funktastic ‘Rumours’. It’s a darkly gothic, insanely original and immensely fun album, which is everything you come to love and expect from Mr Strange. So with everything else going on in the world, let’s escape to the stars. (Mark Bestford)

VAMPIRE REX

(CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS)

Straight outta the gory gates of God knows where, ‘Rex’ scrapes its claws down the chalkboard and doesn’t pause for breath. The title track, ‘Inspiritus’ and ‘Wiru-Akka’ are impaled by white hot shredding and turbo drumming, underpinned by galloping and melodious guitars that stop for neither man nor beast. ‘Pandemoni’ proudly reveals Vampire’s Iron Maiden influences while ‘Serafim’ once more reaffirms ‘Rex’s’ harmonious tendencies. On paper this sounds at odds with the band’s darker outlook (the frontman is called Hand Of Doom, dammit) but on record this makes for an all immersive, enjoyable musical experience. Vampire have come to raise hell and wake the dead, but they clearly have a softer side too, and would probably round off their rampage with a nice hot chocolate as opposed to your blood. Hopefully…

(Jo Wright)

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 25

s review COLDBONES

THE CATACLYSM (DUNK! RECORDS)

Intense, pulse-racing, full of suspense and anticipation – and that’s just the first track. And there is little let up.

Second track ‘Collapse’ has a backbone of a dirty, grinding bassline and raises the heartrate of both the listener and the album. Track after track your breathing gets shallower.

The musical pressure Coldbones are creating weighs too heavy to allow for regular deep breaths – just snatched gulps of air as the layers of sound briefly clear before heating up again. Guys – Devo know you’re missing your friends and family. We know you’re desperate to get your hair done. We understand how you feel having to cross the road when you see someone coming, to maintain Social Distancing. Petting dogs other than your own is a thing of the past. WAAAAAAHHHHH. But it could be worse. It’s not the end of the world.

‘The Cataclysm’, on the other hand, pretty much is. Coldbones’ work of post-apocalyptic rock is an album of two halves. The first being a devastating flood which takes out all but the highest land and leaves no light.

Kinda makes you think everyone overreacted when a certain someone forgot they were running a bath and tootled off outside to fetch the washing in. The second half reveals the unrecognisable world that is left and, frankly, won’t be about for very long. Friends – this record is really chilling. It’s massively unsettling. Musically, on the other hand, it’s a masterpiece. If you can forget everything you’ve just read, ‘The Cataclysm’ will treat you to instrumental tracks that are outstanding compositions, crafted and played by some hellishly good musicians. But that’s not the point, and to suggest you do so would no doubt make all concerned crosser with a certain someone than those affected by The Great Bath Overflow Of 2019. ‘The Cataclysm’ is simply majestic. (Jo Wright)

BONE CULT DEATH ELECTRONICA (SELF RELEASED)

It’s not often you get an act that instantly gains recognition for innovation from other musicians. It’s also not often a band has a live show that is both unique and memorable for all the right reasons. Bone Cult have already ticked those particular couple of boxes many others never get to. This first full length album gives an insight as to why. It also happens to be something of a gem at the same time. While you don’t get the smoke and light show with the album you do get a sense of Bone Cult’s almost 26 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

superhuman ability to weld together genres. Let’s not beat around the bush, this is an electronic synth act, with pop/new wave style vocals. And yet metalheads and punks love them. The secret is in the dark nature of how the music works. It’s light but not fluffy, menacing but still immensely danceable. Bone Cult haven’t so much filled a niche as created one no one knew existed. Death Electronica (apt name) represents perfectly what this wonderful combo are about. It’s a snapshot in time of a band that are helping to reinvent synth based music.

(Gary Trueman)

THE FANGS OF THE DODO

THE CURTAINED SLEEP (SELF RELEASED)

Goths like to dance don’t they? Apart from on your grave that is….they can do broody and upbeat can’t they? Well of course they can, and The Fangs Of The Dodo are living breathing proof. The Curtained Sleep shows a band that are offering way more than just promise, they’re pretty much demanding superstardom. You’ve got the anthemic punch of My Chemical Romance, the pop hooks of The Birthday Massacre and the iconography of the mighty Sister Of Mercy (all be it more colourful) all wrapped in to one convenient package. Make no mistake this EP is a game changer, it simply reeks of class.

The song writing sounds like it has come from the pens of seasoned pros but the vibe is exciting and new. The production is sublime too, just enough gain, no gimmicks and trimmed to perfection. Then we get to the vocals, both of them. Yep, The Fangs Of The Dodo boast both male and female vocals that take primary place depending on the song. It’s a big ace up the sleeve to have that kind of versatility. The Curtained Sleep is a wakeup call that will rouse not just the goths out there but will reach far wider. This could be one of the surprise hits of the year. (Gary Trueman)

DEVILSKIN RED

(SELF RELEASED)

There has been drama – drama – in the Wright household recently.

Black nail polish has been replaced with red. Concerns were raised and questions asked, but the reason remained completely unknown. Until the promo of ‘Red’ arrived.

Clearly in a moment of clairvoyance and divine inspiration, came the realisation red was the way forward. Musically and with manicures. ‘Red’ is a riot of carefully crafted sound. Strong, visceral vocals. Rock n roll attitude. Devilskin don’t sound like anyone else. Opening track ‘Do You See Birds’ is an absolute corker – and it almost didn’t make the final cut. That shows the standard of

this record. Then there’s the heavy, slamming force of lead single ‘Corrode’ to contend with. This ferocity flows throughout – cutting you to the bone and making you feel. Feel emotional, stirred, and just, well, feel. ‘Red’ is a massive album and deserves to go stratospheric. (Jo Wright)

FELICIA AND THE GAMMON LUMPZ TWISTED FRUIT EP

(SELF RELEASED)

You can feel the exuberance on this fine EP right from the first note. It’s a record that is all about self-confidence and freedom of expression.

The music is a perfect foil for Felicia’s down and dirty style. It has sleaze at its heart but its armour is fierce and determined. There’s a Marilyn Manson in Dope Show mode vibe on opener ‘She Who Thirsts’ which sets the tone, and a high bar for everything that follows. The vocals are delivered in a kind of understated way that gives them real emphasis while the lyrics scream and rage.

It’s quietly disconcerting, almost venomous, but always great fun. Now we get to the really astonishing bit. The Twisted Fruit EP was recorded entirely by Felicia during lockdown. That’s all the instruments, synth and vocals, all at home, and the result stands up to anything turned out by a high end studio. The only really sad thing is that we get just three tracks. This surely is a taster for much more to come though? We can only hope so. (Gary Trueman)

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER VERMINOUS

(METAL BLADE RECORDS)

Veteran death metallers The Black Dahlia Murder have to be applauded for not simply trying to take things more extreme levels on Verminous.

What they’ve done instead is combine their natural tendency for brutality with some grass roots metal. The result is mostly head poundingly excellent although here and there the join can be seen. You have to remember this is one of the bands many regard as in the elite bracket before looking at criticisms though, Those joins are still pretty tidy. Fans will love Verminous and it’ll likely gain the Michigan five piece some extra followers too. The vocals are still strong and crucially they’ll be familiar too. The music benefits from this new broadening of horizons with artistic creativity clearly a big part of the drive towards offering a modified if not new sound. Artists need to grow, they need to be allowed and encouraged to progress or they’ll stagnate.

This is The Black Dahlia Murder showing some welcome new moves and sounds.

This could be the beginning of their next chapter. (Jo Wright)

s review BLACKTOP MOJO STATIC EP

(SELF RELEASED)

You know the saying ‘if you know, you know’?

That’s Blacktop Mojo right there. If you’ve listened to them before, you know. You know this EP is going to be worth hearing. ‘The End’ is the kind of song that stadium bands open with. An anticipation building intro and reined back vocals that let rip into (King) Eddie Vedder growling and a cascade of guitars … aaaaannnddd then back down again. Gently fraying your nerves, waiting for the next sweet onslaught. It’s the lead track for very good reason. ‘Watch Me Drown’ brings down the pace but not the passion. ‘Leave It Alone’ takes it (relatively) easy and mixes nicely into ‘Static’s’ blend. ‘Signal’s Gone’ is slow and steady and a great vehicle for Matt James’ vocals. ‘Static’ is a big rock record from a band we just can’t get enough of. Four tracks of Blacktop Mojo is just never enough. Sigh. (Jo Wright)

THE MUFFIN HEADS F£E$H (SELF RELEASED)

Four tracks, that’s all it takes, and the foundations of your house will crumble to dust. The Muffin Heads aren’t any ordinary punk rock band. For one thing their songs span a wider range of the music spectrum.

There are gothic undertones and somehow some black metal vibes in the mix too. Then there’s the vocals. Rebecca Dolan wields a mean bass but does look a little like butter wouldn’t melt…. then she sings… and the voice of Beelzebub comes out. For those not in the know it can be a rather disturbing experience. Even for those that do know what to expect it’s still quite amazing. And all this devilish stuff translates so well onto a recording too. The production is quite stark which gives the three piece a real chance to all play there part. The drums are precise, the guitar shreds and that mighty bass grooves. You get some nice variations in pace too, this is far from a quick blast and off to the pub. This is Mudhoney meets Motorhead, and it’s a little slice of music heaven. (Gary Trueman)

WANT US TO REVIEW YOU? AS WELL AS PRINTING A SELECTION OF ALBUM EP AND DEMO REVIEWS EACH ISSUE WE ALSO UPLOAD THEM WEEKLY TO THE WEBSITE OVER AT DEVOLUTIONMAGAZINE.CO.UK EMAIL YOUR TRACKS ALONG WITH A SHORT BIO TO: INFO@DEVOLUTIONMAGAZINE.CO.UK

28 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

CUCARACHA

RED METHOD

CUCARACHA EP

FOR THE SICK

(SELF RELEASED)

(DEPRAVED RECORDS)

We all love to just let loose once in a while don’t we? We all need to just head bang to music that has groove and beat at its heart. Well this EP from Cucaracha will have you leaping around like a lunatic. Reminiscent of those southern influenced bands like Down and All Hail The Yeti Cucaracha are from the UK (Cheltenham) and are relatively new on the scene. Their big stoner sound gives them an aura of a much more established act. You also have to check that there are just three in the band too. It sounds like they’ve got some extra personnel hidden away somewhere such is the fullness of their delivery.

The songs don’t need to push boundaries, the writing is designed more with audience participation in mind. Importantly Cucaracha have their own definitive sound though.

Once heard you’ll know it’s them. Key to this is the pitch and tone of the vocals which sit just perfectly in the mix. You can hear every word without the instruments stepping back. And every word is as potent as moonshine. Big pat on the back for the sound engineer too then. Taking traditional stoner and giving it an upbeat vibe Cucaracha are well placed to do great things. Buy this EP while you can, it could become a collector’s item. (Gary Trueman)

NOVA TWINS WHO ARE THE GIRLS?

(333 WRECKORDS)

Not many things are as resoundingly fresh as ‘Who Are The Girls?’ the debut album from London based sound injectors Nova Twins.

What this pair of musical miscreants have gone and done is extend the vibe started so well by acts such as Rage Against The Machine and The Deftones. The rub is they’ve swung the pendulum a bit more in the direction of grime and the result is startling. You’ve got those amazing bass lines courtesy of Georgia South, all full of electronic wizardry and groove. Then there’s that Missy Elliot-esque vocal from Amy Love that has more attitude and bite than an angry lioness. You get a real sense of just how much of a force of nature the Nova Twins are live from this album. The production is spot on, it’s very clean but still has an edge to it. Some acts take an album or two to get going. It takes most at least a little while to get some traction and build a head of steam. Here the Nova Twins have simply revved the engine, dropped the hand brake and smoked the tyres until they’re on fire. People might ask who are the girls?, but very soon no one will be asking who are the Nova Twins. Very soon everyone will know their name. (Gary Trueman)

If bloody good heavy hardcore metal choons are what you’re after, with growling, screaming and a surprising spot of clean (ish!) singing, Red Method have got the goods. ‘For The Sick’ grabs you, shakes you, chews on your loud music loving form and spits you out. Leaving you in need of a sit down under a fleecy blanket while you take stock of what you have just heard. You see, ‘For The Sick’s’ tracks tell of the turmoil our minds are capable of making us deal with.

Which, as we all know, aint always pretty.

It’s heavy subject matter. Relayed with ravaging beats, and violent vocals laced with tenderness at times. All rounded off with a super creepy cover of ‘Heart Shaped Box’.

Listen to ‘For The Sick’. Feel it, think about it and be open about it. Spread the word.

Red Method hit hard but their message hits harder. (Jo Wright)

THE SHRIEKS ODE TO JOE

(SELF RELEASED)

Guys, wait! You’ve got it wrong. There’s no ‘e’ in Jo! Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Right, onwards and upwards in the form of New York City rockers The Shrieks.

Seasoned musicians taking it back to the old school, blending a Rolling Stones vibe with songs that are pertinent, probing and pretty easy on the ear. Just sit back and chill, and let the 13 tracks surround you in a musical cocoon. ‘Give Love’ will get you dancing. The title track will have you listening closer. ‘Ode to Joe’ is fairly quirky and definitely funky. The Shrieks hit us with the sound of NYC, which is, as you would imagine, cool, vibrant and unique. A million miles away from the noises many of us currently have in the background on a daily basis – kids squabbling, washing machine spinning full pelt and the buzzing of that bloody wasp that has somehow made its way into the kitchen. The record is a welcome distraction. (Jo Wright)

HEXVESSEL KINDRED

(SVART RECORDS)

Now for something completely different … and as we all know, different is good. Settle down somewhere cosy and peaceful, and get on board with Hexvessel’s way of thinking. Finland’s finest psychedelic forest folk-rockers guide us through a trippy, impassioned, inspired musical landscape enlightened by the past, with earthy tones and a cocooning story-telling vibe. In fairness, even if you can’t find a quiet spot (due to your house

s review

LUCIFER

LUCIFER III

>>CONTINUED becoming a school, office, gym, dance studio, football field, cricket pitch, pub, restaurant and dog basket) stick your headphones in, ‘Kindred’ on, and you’ll be transported out of the loop for the duration of this utterly intriguing album. Hexvessel are clearly devoted to their craft. ‘Kindred’ is unusual, captivating and completely addictive – it’s a struggle to stop listening to this record until the very end.

Enchanting. (Jo Wright)

IDEALISTICS THE RAIN IN OUR EYES (SELF RELEASED)

Cambridge based Idealistics make music that is stripped back to leave just the essence.

It’s heartening to hear songs that are so honest, it makes them somehow quite imposing but not in a heavy way. There’s quite a bit of variety on The Rain In Ours Eyes including rock, indie and even a nod to synth pop. The production is very clean which gives everything a fresh feel. While the song writing has its roots in the late 80s and early 90s the record itself doesn’t feel retro, it’s looking forward to the future and not looking to the past. Both male and female vocals are given a chance to shine and complement each other well. Ali Hirsz’s vox on My Rules are particularly engaging.

Idealistics have laid down a marker, look out for more from them in the future.

(Gary Trueman)

THERAPHOSA TRANSCENDENCE (SEASON OF MIST)

Heavy, intelligent, groovetastic, grating and grinding, Theraphosa’s debut album is as deep musically as it is lyrically. To simply tell you ‘Transcendence’ explores religious themes would be lazy journalism. This is a record that tackles highs and lows (notes and concepts). ‘Transcendence’ delves deep into human behaviour – earthly and divine – and provokes a similar action from the listener.

Clever eh? You could have it on in the background of your virtual meet up with friends, but you’d be best advised to have your pretend gathering actually revolve around listening to it. The music is clean cut and tight, as you would expect from a band of two brothers and a lifelong friend.

Well, would you look at that? No mention in this review of another certain band whose line-up includes brothers, and who Theraphosa are compared to. What? No! Not The Proclaimers. Nor Hanson. Gojira, silly! Oh bugger. (Jo Wright) 30 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

(CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS)

Devoted and dependable, Lucifer have produced a third album which is as solid as they come. Johanna Sadonis’ vocals are still killer. The dark, prolific, doom rock tunes are still constant. Guitars rev through ‘Midnight Phantom’, ‘Flanked By Snakes’ and ‘Lucifer’ (which Devo has been singing around the locked down house, much to the confusion of a fellow detainee, who declared that this was not their given name, and where was their snack?). ‘Leather Demon’ and ‘Coffin Fever’ see a sleazy drop in tempo but no downturn in intensity of emotions. ‘Stay Astray’ is an awesome track name, and the song, as you would expect, follows suit.

Lucifer list their influences to include Black Sabbath, Steppenwolf and Fleetwood Mac, and it’s a joy to play their new record, which brings back the best musical styles of some of history’s most glorious bands. Cliched as it may be, we look forward to ‘Lucifer IV’.

And ‘Lucifer X’. And ‘Lucifer L’. (Jo Wright)

DEAD POSEY

MALFUNCTION EP (SUMERIAN RECORDS)

Establishment shaking, no shit taking duo Dead Posey have constructed a four track chance to hit meaningless noise where it hurts.

‘Malfunction’ comprises of clearly intelligent compositions that use crushing beats, twisted guitars and delectable vocals to play with your mind and get their point across. Danyell Souza’s voice is so sharp it could cut, then cushion the wound with its slight squeal that is as soothing and melodious as it is captivating and unique.

‘Malfunction’ paints an intriguing picture of Dead Posey’s inner thoughts. This EP is sassy and chic, yes – but there’s a lot more to it than that. This pair have a lot of layers, and they put them across beautifully with their music. (Jo Wright)

DEALING WITH DAMAGE

HOME SECURITY EP (LITTLE ROCKET RECORDS)

Moving on a little from their previous EP Dealing With Damage are still very much a garage punk band but now they’ve added a bit of garnish to the already appetising fair. There’s shades of the Undertones in the song arrangements and even here and there in the vocals. The London lads have also gone to the trouble of penning an almost ballad in ‘Dust’ which benefits from thought provoking lyrics and subtle

use of a violin. Punk rock has long since left behind it’s almost cartoon like image of Mohawks and many zippered trousers and has diversified into a whole new animal. Sure the spikey hair and safety pins still prevail and rightly so but as Dealing with Damage ably demonstrate you can be punk and find your own individuality too. The Home Security EP shows a band maturing well and creating their niche. A full album would be most welcome. (Gary Trueman)

BLUE EYED CHRIST

WORLD ON FIRE (DISTORTION PRODUCTIONS)

Blue Eyed Christ’s “World on Fire” delivers some sexy ass tunes.

As soon as you start listening you become sucked into what promises to be a banging good electronica feast of an album. With heavy and dirty beats, the vocals balance it with a distorted delivery that works with their style and vibe. It takes you on an electro-alternative journey, the first track after the introduction “Stop the show!” draws you into the band’s world with a filthy seduction of sound. In contrast the following track “America H” takes a steadier bassline to its predecessor. The vocals remain strong and steady as the track progresses building tension as it does. The pacing of the album is interesting, from fast to medium bass lines, it creates a helter skelter of musical storytelling, By the time you hit halfway through the album, ‘Take you to the streets” it starts to develop its main storyline which has an anarchistic tone to it, deliberately pointed at the world we now live in, all demonstrated through music. All in all this album is highly recommended for those who enjoy a dirty drive of alternative music. (Lucy Slessor)

NAGLFAR

CERECLOTH (CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS)

In the same way that nothing can compare you for the total cost of your food shop at the minute, nothing – and that is to say – NOTHING, can prepare you for ‘Cerecloth’.

Dressed before noon, dishwasher emptied, coffee (x3) demolished? Nope, you’re still not ready. From the first flippin’ track, Naglfar tear into their tunes with so much force the word to describe it hasn’t been invented yet.

Not even the dictionary is ready for ‘Cerecloth’. This record has pace. It has purpose.

It’s black metal proper. Naglfar pummel their instruments with massive amounts of power. All this, fronted by fire-spitting vocals. It’s been an eight year wait for ‘Cerecloth’, and you may well need another eight years to get over it. Naglfar have delivered deliciously tense, eerie-sounding songs that are bold, brave and black. Unsettling never sounded so good. (Jo Wright)

By Gary Trueman

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Blood Crush Who’d be a new band right now? How to make your mark, how do you get seen, and for all the right reasons? Blood Crush only formed in 2019 but have already gained quite a significant amount of support on the strength of their debut single and no small amount of hard work. Gary Trueman chatted to the Brighton based four piece about getting started, their choice of name and who would play them in a film. The band are Nicole (vocals), Hareth (bass), Brad (guitar) and Phil (drums).

How would you describe Blood Crush to someone new to the band and what are your main influences?

Nicole: “We are a gothic industrial metal band. We have a lot of melodic elements in our music. Our main influences would be a combination of video games, cinematic films and music.”

Phil: “We’re quite inspired by HIM, In This Moment, Marilyn Manson, those kind of sounds. Dark vampiric kind of things. We have melodic elements too, so lots of influences.”

Where does the name Blood Crush come from?

Nicole: “The name was made up by the singer Caitlin Stokes from the band Corlyx.

We wanted to have a combination of a horror element and a lustful element. So the blood comes from the horror element and the crush from the lustful element.”

Obviously these days music has amalgamated and is crossing over. Do you think that’s an important thing to progress music, which people explore and don’t stay in their tight, narrow little channels all the time?

Brad: “The tree has to grow. The branches have to grow and more branches have to grow from them, otherwise you’re not going forward are you? It’s very important.”

Phil: “There aren’t any genres any more really if you think about it. Everything is just a beautiful mix of lots of different influences.”

Nicole: “It’s important to do exactly what you like and to try to accomplish what you like. And if other people like what we like then it’s good.”

You’re a pretty new band. So how far down the road are you in terms of albums, singles and videos?

Brad: “Well we have an albums worth of material written already and we have just released our first single and music video called Twisted Love. We’re currently preparing for gigging and recording our second single soon.”

Phil: “We’ve got a couple of gigs coming up and we’re working on an eight track album coming up later this year.”

Brad: “We’re already quite fortunate to have a moderate following online. So it’s already given us motivation to crank things up.”

How long have you been going for?

Nicole: “When I came to Brighton in the summer of 2019 I really wanted to form a metal band because I was missing playing. I found… auditioned Bradley, then later I met Herath and Phil. We can say we’ve been going since the summer of 2019 making music. And now we just want to release as many things as possible.”

So you’ve got an album’s worth of material in under a year. You’ve done well.

Brad: “We’ve put a lot of time into the band. It’s a big commitment.”

It’s important to not have just one person committed to a band though isn’t it? You need everyone committed?

Brad: “That’s what really drew us to Herath and Phil, because they were throwing themselves into the project.

In a project like this where we just want to go full steam you can’t have anybody that’s a bit flaky.”

Hareth: “I feel so lucky to have met people that pump out such great stuff and are so hard working and inspiring.

It’s been really fun so far.”

A lot of people have been commenting on the video saying how well written the music is, how well it fits together, and also how strong the vocals are but that they don’t over power the music. That balance is really important isn’t it?

Nicole: “When I started this band I wanted to make sure that every band member should have as much attention as the other. Everyone is equally

important. Everyone is a character in the band. That’s something I always want to keep.”

Who would be your dream person to share a stage with and why?

Nicole: “Marilyn Manson. What reason is there not too? He’s a great inspiration and someone you can learn a lot from as well.”

Herath: “We could always stick Rob Zombie on there, and Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails.”

Brad: “Chas N Dave ha-ha. It would be pretty cool to play with some of the old big thrash bands.”

Phil: “I’d love to share a stage with Jinjer or Spirit Box. They’re really awesome up and coming metal acts with incredible female vocalists as well.”

There’s been a lot in the media where they’ve been taking away the all-male bands from festival line ups and it’s not left a lot of female representation. While gender balance is important do you think it has to be done naturally? There has been some talk about Download never having had a female headliner. Do you think there are any out there that could do that?

Nicole: “To headline Download, that’s a tricky one.”

Hareth: “Download is an amazing festival and there are always new things but in terms of headliners it’s quite safe.”

Nicole: “There are bands like Nightwish that can handle a big audience. But there is definitely room for the newer female fronted bands to progress.”

facebook.com/bloodcrushuk instagram.com/bloodcrush Interview & Photo By Gary Trueman facebook.com/gtruemanBYHO

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 33

fashion

Superstitchious The alternative clothing market has never been so busy, or so varied. There are plenty of big name brands to choose from. But what if you want something a bit more specific, or you want to know that the dress you’re buying will fit like a glove? You might want to check out Superstitchious run by Zarah Lenore. She creates a range of gothic and steampunk apparel that has that bespoke element. Gary Trueman chatted to Zarah about her brand and how she can add that personal touch to her creations.

Tell us a little bit about Superstitchious and what it is, how long it’s been going.

“I started Superstitchious about eight years ago. It’s just myself, I do all of the designs which are mostly Goth, medieval and steampunk.”

years and it’s something that’s always been there but it changes so much. The styles change but you still have that very Goth or steampunk aesthetic. It’s such an interesting thing and there’s so much you can do with it. I think it will always be quite popular.”

Have you had any formal training as a clothing designer or seamstress?

How did you get going?

“I didn’t really. I have just always had a big interest in clothing and fashion. I started out customising things mostly.

Then went into making things. The first thing I made was a corset, which was the hardest thing I could possibly make to start with. From there I started to create my own designs. I wanted to make things for myself that I couldn’t find, things you can’t get in regular shops.”

So as a small independent if someone came to you and said they liked a particular design but they’d like it in a particular size or tailored for a particular body shape then you can do that? Do you think that’s where you might have the edge over a larger retailer, doing bespoke work?

“Yes. I get lots of people that want something custom made. I make all sorts of sizes. I love a challenge too so anybody that comes to me and asks if I can make this or add that then that’s great. They might have seen something else I’ve made and just want to add an extra feature. I’m always happy to do something different. And I’m always happy to do alterations”

You make all these wonderful clothes. What sort of equipment do you have to make them on?

“It’s nothing too technical. It’s just my domestic sewing machine in my spare room. I sit all on my own working away.

I’m always out shopping for fabric and looking around trying to find anything that looks unusual. I’m always coming up with new designs. I lie awake at night sometimes with all these ideas in my head.”

So do you find yourself eyeing up clothing being worn by people out on the street or at an event and think I really like that…. But… I could do it differently?

“Definitely. I’m always finding myself catching something like a top someone is wearing and thinking I could do something with that. It might just be a bit of detail I could add as a feature and make it my own.”

There seems to be very ready market for the style of clothing you make. Is it something that always has a certain level of popularity?

“It’s definitely grown a lot in recent 68 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 34

Being a one person band you’re obviously a lot more flexible than the big manufacturers and can make clothes to fit specific people. Do you think there are issues with bulk produced clothes with sizing where they vary from retailer to retailer?

Is it something that needs to be tackled?

“It’s quite a hard one. I hear about people who have ordered from a big brand and because they have their set sizes they don’t always fit every shape. With me it’s all custom made.

By Mark Bestford

DEVOLUTION DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE MAGAZINE 69 35

fashion

36  DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

I don’t know how it would work with bigger companies, if that’s something they could ever do. They’re having to produce so much. And every brand will be different, so you might get a small in one brand and a small in another and they’ll be completely different.”

Out of everything you’ve made so far which is your favourite piece?

“That’s quite a hard question but I’d probably say one of my medieval dresses which is a long hooded dress. It has ribbon at the front and a damask panel. It’s a nice design and it has the big flowing sleeves. That’s quite a popular one. I’ve made it in every single size you can imagine, and every colour. I’ve done that one a lot and I really like it.”

How does it make you feel when you see people wearing your clothing or when you get tagged in photos with people wearing your work?

“I feel really proud. It’s so nice to see that because I’m making the clothes all on my own and then shipping them off all over the world and I won’t get to see them again.

So when somebody sends me a picture of them wearing that dress it’s such a great feeling. It’s like I’ve really achieved something.”

How far would you like to take Superstitchious?

Would you always want to remain in total control of every aspect of every design personally or would you like it to grow to the point you are taking on employees?

“Well I’ve been doing this officially for about five years now and it’s always been just me, a one woman business.

Who knows in the future though? If it did grow I’d probably want to keep to a small team of people who I could trust. I would want people who understand what the business is about and how to recreate the clothes.

That’s a future dream I guess, if it gets that big.”

You also model. You modelled your own clothes for this particular feature. Have you found that the modelling goes hand in hand with you making the clothes? Have you ever modelled anybody else’s clothes or worked for any other brands?

“I haven’t actually worked for any other brands but I have modelled the odd thing. I mostly model my own clothes and I find that easy to do because I make them myself so I know how they work and how they fit.”

Outside of Superstitchious and modelling is there anything else you like to do?

“We have a dog who takes up a lot of my time, so lots of walks. I love cooking and I love getting out and about going to gigs, and festivals if I can. I run The Navigation pub in Nottingham with my partner who is in a band called Hecate Enthroned. I love most types of metal.”

facebook.com/Superstitchious.Clothing etsy.com/uk/shop/SuperstitchiousCo Interview & Photos By Gary Trueman facebook.com/gtruemanBYHO Model: Zarah Lenore

“ If it did grow I’d probably want to keep to a small team of people who I could trust.

I would want people who understand what the business is about and how to recreate the clothes. That’s a future dream I guess, if it gets that big.”

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 37

Ali Hirsz

Idealistics It’s tough catching a break in the music industry. There are many things to scupper your plans. Then if you’re a woman there are the issues encountering misogyny (yes it is still a thing). So imagine what Ali Hirsz has been going through. She’s not only trying to make her way in music with her band Idealistics, she’s also doing this while suffering from a very serious medical condition. The music bizz would rally round in support surely? As it turns out it’s mostly the opposite that is true. Gary Trueman met up with Ali to talk about her band, her condition and her treatment by people within the music industry.

So who is in Idealistics and what do they do in the band?

“I write the lyrics, play bass and do the vocals. George plays guitar, writes the music and also does vocals. George is also my partner. And we have Dom my sister on drums. She also adds little bits to the lyrics and helps write the music.

It’s quite a close knit way of working.”

You’ve recently released an EP. Tell us a little bit about that.

“So we’d just convinced my sister to join the band on drums. We were putting it together and trying to think of what songs would work together that would have a running theme. During the writing of a lot of the songs I was in

38 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

hospital in London, I was there for five or six weeks. We had a very early demo of Take Your Words Back which is the second song on the EP. I wrote the lyrics and it’s about the relationship between a patient and a doctor Timeless Goodbyes is about the most personal song we’ve ever written. That’s about when I was first in hospital, clinically malnourished and in and out of consciousness. I was very sick and the doctors were saying to my family I think you should say goodbye, there’s a good chance she won’t be walking out of here.”

We ought to run with the medical side of things really. Why were you in hospital, what did you have, and how did that affect you?

“I was born with a genetic condition called Elos Danlos Syndrome of which there are many different types which is the confusing part. My joints dislocate and on average I get that about three times a day. My skin splits because it’s so fragile. I have six different relating conditions through this one I’ve got. I’ve also got this random bit which doesn’t often come with this condition where my two major arteries have collapsed in on the first part of my major intestine.

What this has led to is that I can’t keep food down. It’ll be two years this May that I’ve not eaten. They were trying to find a safe way of feeding me. There was this way where they have put a feeding tube into my heart but with my heart problems they were very concerned to do that. But that was the best way so I just have to be more careful. It currently goes into my arm and then into my heart.”

So you’re playing in a band, fighting this condition, and then you’ve had people turning you down for gigs because of that. Is that true?

“It’s awful. To be honest I never even knew something like this could happen.

When I first had the feeding tube it was out of my nose and would tuck behind my ear. People were so weird about it. Then they changed the feeding tube to my arm and I thought people would be less weird about it but it only got worse. People were saying they didn’t want to see someone with something coming out of their skin, and I was like but what about piercings? It was just total ableism.”

There are people that support you too surely?

It’s great to have Rita and Malicia our managers supporting us so much. Some journalists are awful, some are lovely.

Someone from the BBC was interested but when they took it to their manager they said it was a bit gross with the tube… I was like whoa! So not impressed with the BBC either.”

We need to talk about the fact that you don’t just do music. You have your medical condition but it’s not stopped you doing what you want to do. You also do horse riding too.

“Yep, I’ve always been big on animals. I got really into horses and I do a lot of horse riding. I’ve been riding for about nine years now I break in and do odd jobs for certain people. It’s a very rewarding job for me.”

facebook.com/idealisticsband Interview & Photos By Gary Trueman facebook.com/gtruemanBYHO

By Gary Trueman

Movie: Beetlejuice

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 39

c l raven C L Raven are a couple of pole dancing horror writers from South Wales. So, with the world going through a literal horror story of its own right now there’s no more fitting pair of twins to talk to about their plans for the End of the World.

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DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 41

Before the world decided to go to Hell you had a busy few months, writing comic books, video games, working on a movie, setting up your own pole dancing classes, and writing a magazine. And in all this you still find time to write horror books. What are you doing right now in Lockdown?

Cat: “Writing! Editing a gothic epistolary novella that we were supposed to launch at a book event in Sweden in May. Guessing that’s cancelled! Also uploading flexibility and conditioning videos so our pole students can keep active. And we’re doing other pole dancers’ videos. Gardening – growing our own veg and planting wildflowers.

We’re planning on doing some guerrilla gardening: sprinkling wildflower seeds when we go on our daily dog walk. Be nicer to look at than the usual litter.”

Lynx: “The writing kind of took a backseat as we set up our mobile polefit studio, The Pole Vault, so it’s nice to get back to fulltime writing.

We seem to be one of the few people enjoying the lockdown, apart from our mum. It’s nice to walk the dog and not worry about being late. Our stress levels have dropped dramatically.”

Does writing things together make the creative process easier or harder?

Cat: “Easier, definitely! We can bounce off each other and take the stories in directions we might not have thought of alone.”

Lynx: “Definitely easier. If one of us gets stuck, we just hand it over and the other one writes us out of the rut.

But then we’re kind of like a hive mind so other people might find it harder, as they’d have to try to combine their different styles.”

Do you ever argue about which plot points to include in your works?

Cat: “No, cos we don’t plot!”

Lynx: “We know a lot of writers who collaborate split characters or take a chapter each, but that’s not how we write. One of us writes a page or two then we switch. No planning, no discussion, just hand it over and see where the other one takes it. Plotting would seriously hamper our working style.”

The comic book is ready to be released, how did that come about?

And which story did you contribute to the anthology?

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Cat: “We do a lot of comic cons with Hellbound Media, who publish horror comics and we’ve been friends for a few years. They asked if we wanted to contribute to a comic anthology celebrating monsters of the silver screen and it was a resounding ‘hell yes!’ from us. We converted a short werewolf story we’d had published – Of Wolf and Man – into a comic script. We had to learn how to write comic scripts. No pressure!”

Lynx: “We’ve since written two full length comics, but haven’t got an artist yet. There was going to be a big launch, but since the lockdown, that’s not going to happen.”

You’ve worked on several independent movies now, what was the last one you worked on and any plans for ones in the future?

Cat: “Last one was School Hall Slaughter, where we played serial killer twins butchering our way through a high school. Kinda like our high school experience but with more screaming.”

Lynx: “The next one is going to be our own. Hellbound Media are doing an anthology film on body horror, so we again adapted one of our short stories – The Black Kiss from our Romance Is Dead collection – and we’ll be codirecting it with our mate, filmmaker David V G Davies. It’s going to be gory!

We’re excited.”

You’re working on a video game, Silent Dawn: Asylum, how’s that going, and is it a collaborative project or solo?

Cat: “Collaborative because our knowledge of video games stretches to Streets of Rage and Golden Axe. In our novel, Silent Dawn, the characters play a game called Silent Dawn: Asylum and this game is a text-based version of the game from the novel.”

Lynx: “Our mate, Steve Hoskins, does some game development on the side and he’d found this platform, Twine, which lets you do text-based games.

He asked if we wanted to make a game with him, where we write the story,

he does the coding. We figured Silent Dawn: Asylum would be perfect. We’ve since made a couple of short games with him for game jams, but Silent Dawn has spiralled out of control and is way bigger than we ever imagined. It’s like a Hydra. Each time we think we’ve tied up a path, two more spring up.”

Your new pole dancing magazine is now complete, what made you decide to setup a magazine for pole dancing?

Cat: “Back in June, we wanted to write some non-fiction articles for magazines that interested us. We pitched an idea to a tattoo magazine, which was accepted and we had an article accepted into a True Crime anthology.

But finding pole dance magazines was a fail. There’s one in USA, Australia and Germany. Our German stretches to animals and jobs, not muscle engagement. We figured if we can’t find one to write for, we’d write our own.

We were young, naïve and full of hope back then.”

Lynx: “The idea came to us when we were walking our dogs. Normally, when we get ideas, people tell us they’re unrealistic, unworkable, or illegal, but people were enthusiastic about this.

It’s unnerving. With writing, you’re told to find a gap in the market. There’s a massive pole magazine shaped gap in the UK, so being writers, we figured we’d be the perfect people to start one.”

Is there anything from your experience of Lockdown that you’ll be carrying forward with you once this is all over?

Cat: “People are dicks! Down with the Tory government!”

Lynx: “We will continue to wear skull masks in public and keep 6 feet away from people, because people are clearly incapable of washing their damn hands.”

twitter.com/clraven clraven.wordpress.com Interview By Mark Bestford Photos C/O Broken Doll Images

“ We know a lot of writers who collaborate split characters or take a chapter each, but that’s not how we write. One of us writes a page or two then we switch. No planning, no discussion, just hand it over and see where the other one takes it. Plotting would seriously hamper our working style.”

~ Lynx - C L Raven

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 43

Mushroomhead Gary Trueman ByBy Alice Bizarre

44   DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

A whole two years before Slipknot burst onto the scene a band with a larger than usual compliment of musicians and a thing for horror themed masks started out on their own journey. Mushroomhead have consistently hit the right spot for fans that are open to the thought that the music spectrum is there to be mixed. Founding member and band drummer Skinny chatted to Gary Trueman. Up for discussion was new album ‘A Wonderful Life’, the impact of the virus outbreak and what you get to see from behind the drum kit others miss.

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 45

Latest album ‘A Wonderful Life’ has a more open feel to it particularly on songs such as ‘Carry On’. Is that simply a natural progression for the band sound and the way music matures or was it a more deliberate act?

“A little bit of both actually. The natural progression of this band has always been to experiment. With that particular song, it was very deliberate to experiment more.

Mostly playing with the new vocalists layering and harmonies.”

Was the writing process any different this time around than it was for earlier albums? What do you start with song wise, lyrics or music?

“Yes this one was a little different. We did a lot of writing and recording on the road. We even recorded some tracks at Abbey Road in London during a few UK tours. Usually all it takes is a melody. Sometimes it will be a guitar riff, some lyrics or a simple vocal melody that someone was humming.

With this band, inspiration is literally everywhere.”

While your music has always progressed you’ve retained that core sound throughout the life of the band.

Given your more recent successes in gaining recognition do you think Mushroomhead may have been a bit ahead of their time when it first started out?

“I don’t think we were ahead of our time per se. I’ve often thought mushroomhead doesn’t fit in with what the current musical metal genres have been over the years. I think that over the past 27 years we fit in and out of the scenes over and over.”

You’ve recently announced that Jackie LaPonza is joining Mushroomhead as a full time member. She’s a pretty awesome vocalist that adds a fresh dimension to the band. Have you found

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that you’re creating some parts of songs specifically for her?

“Yes, every now and again there will be a part that screams for her vocal.

Sometimes the songs really do call for a small creepy girl voice, which she is perfect for.”

got up & brushed herself off best she could. Next up is two obviously drunk girls walking together arm in arm…and I’m like ‘oh no...’ yep both went down…

Let’s just say I could barely play the rest of the fucking song! I damn near pissed myself!”

The UK is in a form of lockdown due to Covid 19 at the moment but we’ve seen various states in the US take differing measures. What are things like where you are? How are you coping with the changes?

“In a lot of ways things are still the same for me. I tend to quarantine myself in the studio all the time. The biggest thing is shit like the gas stations being closed at typical open hours. Little inconveniences that add up to big aggravation.”

You also produce all the Mushroom head material and have directed most of the band videos. With the production side of things and being a drummer do you feel that influences the sound giving the songs a very distinctive feel?

“What can I say everything I do ends up dark, doomy and creepy!”

Let’s talk drumming. You’ve been with the band from the start and seen it grow. We know load in is a pain for drummers so do you have help these days or does everyone disappear like they do with some bands?

Ha, yes people do tend to disappear at load in and load out don’t they?! Most of the time we have an amazing crew that takes care of us. God bless them!”

You get a unique view of the stage behind the kit. What’s the weirdest or funniest thing you’ve seen, maybe something the others in the band might have missed?

“One time we were playing an outside festival and the Porta potty’s were directly next to stage right. I saw a rather large girl slip and fall in a mud puddle. I kind of laughed a little after I saw she was OK and she got up. Not one minute later here comes another girl, BAM! slipped and falls right in the same spot. Now I’m starting to laugh pretty hard. Again the girl was OK, she

Who are the drummers who have influenced you as a musician? Is there anyone on the current circuit or anyone new that you’ve seen and really admire?

“I really dig a lot of the playing that Ryan Folden from Lacuna Coil does. He plays what the song calls for. Resulting in a lot of space for a huge sound canvas. Love those guys.”

What’s the one film you can watch over and over again and never get bored?

“There’s so many!! Lately it’s been Quinton Tarantino’s ‘Hateful Eight”...

Brilliant!”

It’s the future and your great great grandchild asks you what Mushroomhead were all about. What song (to date) would you play them first and what would you tell them?

“At that age, I will literally be able to tell them I’ve “seen it all”

mushroomhead.com Interview By Gary Trueman Photos C/O: Abe Robinson @ blind7 Photography

TROY JAMES

mammo gall

Creature actors are a rare and wonderful breed. Their physical theatre, discipline and creativity have allowed creature practical effects to stay well and truly alive! When creating horrifying and fantastic nightmares like The Jangly Man and Baba Yaga, Troy “Twisty” James is the man to go to! Propelled into the film industry after a video went viral, Troy talks to us about becoming a creature actor, being a contortionist and his strange relationship with spiders.

Your body movements are so unique!

Could you explain to our readers how you can do it?

“I was born this flexible! I like to think it was because I was born 5 months premature, but otherwise I’m not sure where it came from; no one else in my family is as flexible.”

Do you remember a specific moment when you realised you could move the way you do?

“Growing up, I thought it was normal. I thought everyone could move the way I did, watch TV upside down, scratch anywhere on my back. It wasn’t until the other children at school started making fun of me and calling me an alien, or a freak did I realise that I was different, and I actually didn’t like it. I hid my flexibility because I was embarrassed! It wasn’t until high school for a “Get to know each other” icebreaker did I show off, and this time people liked it.”

You went viral from a simple phone video of you being posted online, what happened after it exploded?

“I remember driving home on my way home from work, and my phone was buzzing in my pocket like crazy. I pulled into my driveway and it was my friends sending tons of text messages. Apparently I was all over the internet. I didn’t have anything but a personal Facebook profile at the time, and my “well intentioned” friends were quick to tag and say, “That’s my friend!” Well, for the next 48 hours I couldn’t use my phone as friend requests came in, and everybody suddenly wanted to talk to me. It was a little overwhelming.

And that’s the story of how I joined Instagram so that I could keep a family and

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friend circle on my (admittedly boring Facebook page) and still make silly fun bendy videos!”

Your movements are very animal like, is there anything you take inspiration from when working on your physicality and performance?

“I like have a strange relationship with spiders: I find them fascinating, but I like them best when they are in nature - not in my house, not too close. Crawling upside down seems to have the same effect on people - jumping upside down like a grasshopper, even more so! Once I found that it made people a little uneasy, the mischief maker in me leaned into that. Yes, I have made small children cry.

I’m sorry.”

What was it that made you want to try reality television like the ‘Got Talent’ shows that you’ve been on?

“I actually had to be cajoled into it.

Remember, I worked in HR. I’m what you might call “risk-averse”. I wasn’t in the drama club, I never particularly liked being the centre of attention, and all of a sudden this! When I think of Americas Got Talent, I think of performers who are really good at what they do, and at the time, I had what I figured was maybe a cool party trick. Or maybe something I do at the work function after one too many glasses of wine, and then I do the splits and rip my pants. (This has happened more than once.) I also wanted to see what Los Angeles was like. So, I put on my big boy pants and took the plunge!”

The Void was the first movie you did.

How did you feel being on a film set?

“My first ever film! A tiny appearance on screen, and nobody could ever have told

me it would turn into this! I had a ton of fun. I got to see what it was really like seeing it all come together. I had no idea it took so many to make a film.”

We heard you got into some mischief scaring people behind the scenes, is that true?

“I totally did get up to some fun. My character, “The Sleepwalker” rises up from the floor from a terrible contorted position and scrambles towards his unfortunate victim. During one of the resets, I just relaxed in that pose and chilled out waiting for the next call to action. Two of the crew came up and stood beside me talking to each other about scene stuff, but in that position I couldn’t see who was talking.

After about a minute or two, I turned my head to look, and one of the guys nearly jumped out of his skin. Turns out he thought I was a prop or a dummy because I was folded into a pile on the floor, not moving for so long. Ahhh, good times.”

Did you ever think you would go into acting?

“Not in a million years. Shielded away from attention, didn’t play any sports, wasn’t very physical, in fact when all this happened and I came to the point where I had to make a decision to quit my job and my co-workers had to tell me I was crazy not to think about giving it a shot. And then for the first year I was terrified that everyone would figure out I didn’t go to acting school and ask what right I had to be here. Now I can say my work speaks for itself, and I’m learning more every step of the way. It’s a thrilling adventure!”

By Alice Bizarre

othfest lery

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 49

This Page Top: Circus Rehearsal in China This Page Bottom: The Jangly Man Scary Stories To Tell in The Dark Right Page Top: Baba Yaga, HellBoy Right Page Middle: Pretzel Jack - Channel Zero Right Page Bottom: The Jangly Man 50  DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

You seem to have been scooped up

by Guillermo Del Toro for a number of projects! How have you found working with a director that is so known for his creatures?

“In 2017, I remember going to Guillermo Del Toro’s “At Home With Monsters” exhibition” at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, and meeting him in person for the first time. He signed a poster for me.

He’s been a storytelling movie hero of mine ever since Pan’s Labyrinth terrified me as a young one. I remember my friend joking to me that I’d work with him on set one day, and I laughed. I mean I played a character on ‘The Strain’, a television show he produced, but actually working with him in the flesh? Yeah right! One year later on the set of ‘Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark’, and I owe my friend $5 (laughs). He is so nice. His eyes light up when he explains his ideas, and you can’t help but feel happy along with him. I’m very honoured that I’ve had the chance to work with Guillermo as much as I have. Next on the list is sharing a scene with Doug Jones himself!”

Had you had much experience with special effect makeup and creature suits beforehand?

“Putting myself through undergrad, I worked at a theme park and we would dress up and scare guests during Halloween. It wasn’t movie-grade effects, but I got too used to wearing liquid latex and toilet paper. Now? Bring it on! Foam latex, silicone, and all the prosthetic appliances. For the roles involving lots of physical movement, care is taken beforehand to prepare something that I can move well in. You get used to spending hours sitting in a chair during the application process, but I love the final result so much I don’t mind the waiting.

You also learn to drop the modesty right away, you don’t wear much when getting a full body cast done. I had to perform in a loincloth once!”

What kind of changes have you seen to your work and performances since working with movement artists and choreographers like Roberto Campanella?

“I get to work with Roberto Campanella a lot. And I’m very lucky for it, because he’s the go to monster movement guy. Whether I’m acting as a human/dog Mongrel hybrid on The Strain, or crawling on cop cars as The Jangly Man, Roberto is often the one to realise the vision. And it’s not always scary monster work either. For much of 2019, I travelled the world doing circus festivals and talent shows. For France in particular, Roberto choreographed a beautifully modern duo contortion routine for Cirque de Demain and France’s Got Talent. We ended up winning the golden buzzer and performing a delicate, sincere piece for the finale. And with him, I am

currently learning a *new* talent for my next project with Guillermo Del Toro. You haven’t seen anything yet!”

You’ve had the pleasure of entering people nightmares. Is there a favourite character you’ve performed or role you have found more difficult than others?

“Is it bad to say I love them all? For different reasons. Pretzel Jack from Channel Zero: The Dream Door was a blast to play. He’s like a puppy in human form with a best friend that he would do anything to make happy - and then someone goes and gives him a knife... Baba Yaga from Hellboy was something special to me. It was my first big Hollywood movie. I had to talk. I had to act! I told myself that if I can do this, I could do anything. Perhaps I didn’t do too badly for myself, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone on to meet my hero Del Toro himself! Enter The Jangly Man (Scary Stories to tell in the Dark). This role was a little difficult to play because my goodness, it was physical. The suit had to be specially crafted because I’m upside down much of the time, so when I wasn’t upside down it wasn’t the most comfortable to wear. Add to that to climbing on jail cell bars in the dark and twisting through them while in a rubber suit? Phew. I got a workout in everyday!”

You have a number of projects in post-production such as ‘Separation’ and ‘The Windigo’. Would you be able to tell us a little about them?

“I’m not quite sure what I’m allowed to say, to be honest. NDAs are such dastardly little things, no? I usually play it safe and wait until the projects are released before talking about them.”

Would you want to explore CGI or motion capture in the future?

“Absolutely! I want to crawl on the walls.

I want to do wire work, and to fly and all of it. All of it! I’m not entirely new to motion capture. I got to do a bit of it for ‘The Strain’ and a few other projects to enhance the stuff I already do, but best of all, I did a bunch of creepy motion capture sequences for a project in South Korea last year. I can’t wait to see how that turns out.”

Any advice for kids or people who have a physical talent they want to show to the world?

“Do it do it do it do it do it! Don’t be scared. Don’t be shy. If it brings you joy, put it out there! You never know whose watching and will give you a shot!” facebook.com/TwistyTroy instagram.com/twistytroy Interview By Alice Bizarre

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 51

OTLIGHT LABEL SP

By Nickie Hobbs

SPOTLIGHT: APF RECORDS We here are Devolution have been proudly championing the underground and underdogs of the alternative scene for over 17 years giving a voice to those who may not normally be heard through more mainstream channels. Independent isn’t just a word to us it’s a way of life and it’s a vital importance within our scene. In this edition we are delighted to sit down with Andrew Field the brain behind APF Records who has been on our radar for quite some time now, due to his passion and commitment and due to the sheer calibre of incredible bands this independent label boasts.

Hey, can you introduce yourself and tell us when, how and why you started your own record label.

“Well hello! I’m Andrew Field. I started APF Records in early 2017. I’ve been obsessed by music since I was a kid. In my teens I started writing about it, initially for fanzines (because I’m old and grew up before the internet was a thing). At University I edited the campus music magazine and got to know the press team at EMI Records who would send me records to review. When I graduated in 1995 EMI offered me an internship, so I moved down to London to do press for artists as diverse as Pink Floyd, Cliff Richard, Eternal and Black Sabbath (who were signed to EMI subsidiary IRS Records). Unfortunately, I didn’t last long.

One day Adam Ant phoned in to speak to my boss. I put him on hold and forgot he was there. Mr Ant wasn’t happy. I got the heads up I was likely to lose my job for that faux pas, so at lunchtime told 52 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

colleagues I was off to buy a sandwich and never went back. True story.

Being young, naïve and idealistic I thought I could do things better than the corporate suits at EMI and – being honest with you – that thought never really left me. Fast forward 20 years and I found myself with the time and resources to have a go at it myself. So, I took the plunge by persuading one of my favourite local Manchester bands – Under – to let me release their new album on CD. I raided my savings, had 200 digipaks manufactured, and then realised I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I’ve spent the three years since then learning how to do it.”

What advantages do you feel independent labels have over the bigger labels?

“The independent labels I admire are generally run by people not unlike me: huge music fans who’ve decided to have a go at it themselves. The music

is the important thing to them. The thing all us Indies then have to do is figure out how to put that music out into the world without losing a fortune. Independents bring passion and drive with them, can adjust to trends quickly by virtue of their size, and are there to serve the bands and their fans above themselves. As most major labels are owned by conglomerates, and thus have shareholders to satisfy, it’s inevitable that the music itself takes a backseat to coining in the dollar.”

What criteria do you look for in an act to make you want to sign them? Is it purely the music or do other factors such as image, business acumen and lifestyle etc. play a part?

“It’s mostly about the music. I won’t sign a band and agree to release their music unless it gives me goose bumps. I get sent hundreds of submissions every year, and try to listen to them all, but very few of them blow me away. I live for the moment when I press play on something

and get that lightning strike moment where I think “oh dear god, I NEED this band on my label”. Money has to come into it, sadly. We are in an era where most people stream music but don’t buy it. My record label gets just £0.004p per full Spotify track stream, meaning that if one of my artists is streamed 100,000 times we get just £400. Those who do want to buy the music typically want to buy it on vinyl, and it costs a fortune to have vinyl manufactured because there are hardly any vinyl pressing plants left so they can charge what they like. If I hire a PR company to help get press for an artist, that will cost me between £1000 and £2000 for a 3-month campaign. Those are big sums of money to a small label like mine. If I’m going to cough up that level of investment, I want to be working with a band who will be active on social media, play live a lot, and have a level of commitment to their own music. The days where a band can sit at home doing fuck all whilst the record label does all the work are long gone. I try to avoid working with people with no drive or passion.”

Would you describe APF as an allinclusive genre releasing label or have you specifically defined your genres?

“This one is so tough to answer. There are 26 bands signed to APF. They all play hard rock or heavy metal. A handful of them are pure sludge, including Beggar, Mastiff and Battalions. A few of them are stoner rock, like Trevor’s Head and The Brothers Keg. A couple are black metalish: PIST and Video Nasties. But we also have a thrash band (RedEye Revival), an alternative rock quartet (The Hyena Kill), and a hard-core trio (War After War).

Plus we have Under, who are a genre all to themselves. I would hazard a guess that the only thing that binds all 26 bands together is a shared love of Black Sabbath.”

Quite a lot of independents have been bought up and are now owned by larger labels. Some of those are well known brands in their own right and they still have a level of autonomy. If you could still choose your roster and could stay committed to producing music in the spectrum you’re comfortable with would you consider becoming a part of/owned by a corporate label?

“No. I have a complete distrust of and dislike for the corporate world. Outside of music – because APF isn’t my only gig - I have worked for several PLCs and found the whole experience to be souldestroying. Any environment in which shareholders have to be satisfied is one I will run a mile from. APF will remain fiercely independent for as long as I’m at the helm.”

With bands in lockdown many are innovating new ways to interact with their fans. What changes are we seeing that you think will still be with us in the next few years?

“Bands were already live streaming before the pandemic, but that form of communication with their fans has been shown to be a clear way forward for the future. If it’s done right, it’s solid gold. I had never heard Post Malone before lockdown, but spending an hour watching him tare through Nirvana songs was one of the highlights of the last two months for me – and made me go check out his own stuff. Similarly, Kurokuma, a Sheffield band I love, played a killer set from their rehearsal room just before Boris told us we all had to stay home. Of course if it’s done wrong, as we saw with Puddle of Mudd’s mauling of ‘About A Girl’, it can backfire spectacularly.”

More bands are now using the internet to record music at home. Is this something you can see newer bands doing more of or will the music studios still be needed for bands starting out due to the initial costs of setting up a home studio?

“There is room for both, and rightly so. Different bands have different approaches and requirements. I am a big fan of studios, as are quite a few of my bands. Especially residential studios. Several APF artists have recorded at Foel Studio in Wales, for example. It’s in the middle of nowhere, is surrounded by beautiful countryside, and has accommodation for guests to stay in. A week in there allows the band to bond together, and really focus on the recording without distractions.

Add in a genius engineer like Chris Fielding – who has recorded lots of my bands at Foel – and you’re on to a winner. Conversely there are bands like Video Nasties on the label, who had a complete vision for their music and also the technical ability, desire and gear to record in their rehearsal space. No need for a studio or engineer, the big bonus being they save a fortune – which can instead be spent on their rather splendid drinking habit.”

lost a fortune and are here to tell you the tale. My passion for it remains undimmed.”

What are the biggest challenges you foresee for the music industry going forward?

“The music industry will always adapt.

The major labels have adjusted their business models away from physical sales to generating their income from streaming and “360 deals” (where they take a cut of the band’s merch and gig receipts). Small independents like APF, who cannot generate the money we need from streaming alone, ensure that the physical “product” is aspirational and thus something people want to buy. Vinyl is a great example of that.

People will buy a really great looking record, often regardless of what the music sounds like. In the heavy metal and hard rock world I inhabit, fans will always buy a sick t-shirt. It remains my job to work with bands to give their fans something they feel they need to own.”

For the remaining six months of 2020 do you have any goals and exciting releases that are planned?

“With 26 bands on APF there’s always a killer new release just around the corner. A couple I am super-excited about are the new albums by The Hyena Kill and Possessor. Both bands have smashed it out of the park with their new songs. Beyond that, my main goal for APF is to be ready for when things back to normal. As well as releasing albums APF puts a lot of gigs on. The day will come when we are allowed to go to concerts again.

When that happy day arrives, I’ve got a load of musicians on my roster who are chomping at the bit to get back out on the road again.” apfrecords.co.uk apfrecords.bandcamp.com facebook.com/apfrecords twitter.com/APF_Records instagram.com/apfrecords Email: info@apfrecords.co.uk Interview By Nickie Hobbs Photo C/O John Bentley

What do you consider your biggest APF achievement to date?

“Undoubtedly the fact APF is still here after three years, having released over 30 albums and EPs. Remember I said before I’ve been learning for the last three years? There has been a lot to learn. Releasing music is really hard. Getting people to buy it is really hard. Getting media to feature it is really hard. Getting word out to people about your bands is really hard. It’s all tough. But somehow, we haven’t

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 53

DESERT STORM With the music industry under complete siege from the catastrophic and immobilising effects of Covid 19 were all feeling the effects but none more so than the bands whose hands, mics and transportation wheels are completely tied. So imagine having to release their latest album in this new found situation? We caught up with Matt and Elliot from Oxfordshire’s Desert Storm to talk us through their new offering ‘Omens’.

Hey Guys, ok so let’s start with the unavoidable – how have you guys been during the Covid 19 lockdown which has only just started to ease as I type this…how did you each make the most of the time? What did you find the hardest things to endure during this time frame?

Matt: “Alive but bored, as I’m sure most of the world is. We’re quite fortunate to not be entirely reliant on our music to live but there are others really struggling right now, as there are in many industries. It’s a drag to not get out and play, especially when we’ve been building to the tour.

Personally, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to continue working from home for the duration of the pandemic.”

Your fifth album ‘Omens’ was released during the chaos of the world – with everyone tuned into their phone of computer screens for the majority of the day over the last few months did this has a positive or negative result on the release? And how was it to finally release the album?

Matt: “The pandemic landing right during

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By Nickie Hobbs our album release and associated tour has been a blow, we have not been able to promote the release of the album as well as we can do usually. We absolutely need to tour following the release of an album. It has affected the campaign, and affected us all as we gig so much. There is no money in streaming, so having everyone stuck at home hasn’t been a great help to the release. That being said, it does feel great to have it out there. ‘Omens’ has been in the works for a while and since its release has had some great reception which is fantastic.”

Elliot: “It was great to finally release the album as we are all very proud of it. At first, we were all pretty sceptical about releasing it during the lockdown period though because we thought it would affect our PR campaign in a bad way. To be honest at first the PR did suffer a bit, especially when it came to the UK print mags because Kerrang decided to stop publishing for a while and we missed out on Metal Hammer UK which was annoying. However, the campaign eventually started to pick up

with lots of great reviews coming in, most reviewers scoring the album an 8 or 9 out of 10. This was very pleasing for us. We also received a lot of praise for the record in print mags in Europe which was great, including a nice review feature from Metal Hammer Poland.”

You guys are signed to the very awesome APF records – what’s it like to work with Andrew Field pushing and championing you guys so passionately? You are in good company with other incredible bands that he has signed to his label.

Matt: “We are very happy with APF records, Fieldy is such a huge fan of the scene and it shows through everything that he does. It’s important in a working relationship that both sides are working towards the same goal and Fieldy is one hundred percent backing his roster.

Having somebody on board who is in to the music really helps. Plus he’s a super awesome guy, relaxed, easy to chat to, lives for it. Proud to call him a friend as much as a label boss!”

Can you tell us about the creative process and the physical recording for ‘Omens’? Having followed you guys for many years I personally think this album is a real heavy hitter and seems to have shifted away from the usual sludge tones making way for a more mature, grand and surprising direction.

Was this a natural move or purposely created?

Elliot: “I think the change in sound and musical direction on this album was quite intentional really. We had spoken before the writing sessions began, about taking a more progressive and heavier approach. To achieve this, we often tuned down lower than we had before. A lot of the songs on the album are tuned down to G. As for the song writing, we still approached it in a way that we always have which is based around a Guitar riff to begin with. After that, everything else evolves from jamming on the riff. Matt always writes his lyrics and vocal melodies. On ‘Omens’ the vocals are almost like stories which are laid down on top of the music which I think works great. It is a lot more unique and original; I think.”

Matt: “Laying it down, we joined forces with a good friend of ours Steve “Geezer” Watkins who has done our live sound loads before and who does a lot of recording work with a range of artists from various genres. He did an amazing job on production, which took place at Woodworm Studios in a sleepy village in Oxfordshire.

It’s a converted chapel that makes for a great backdrop to be laying something like this down.”

Lyrically the eight tracks are austere and bleak sounding – with the music providing a perfect soundscape – how

was the writing process and do you think ‘Omens’ is representative of the world in 2020?

Matt: “We have had a tendency to opt for a yin-yang approach to our albums with shades of spirituality, righteousness, positivity, and blues, juxtaposed by bleak and hard sludge, pain, rancid themes. This time around I felt the music getting darker and that was exciting. It led me to focus more attention on the dark aspects thematically. At one point I wanted to go full horror, and I think this is reflected in the lyrics. This has resulted in a more cohesive sounding, less scattered, complete experience. The only reprieve on the album takes the form of our album closer ‘Rebirth’, and this was actually originally written to appear on our previous release. We didn’t feel it appropriate at the time as the song still needed a lot of work, so we crafted it further and refined it to fit in with the sound of ‘Omens’. All that said, we have managed to inject some euphoria and positivity amongst all the heaviness. It’s important as it gives a backdrop to make things sound heavier. If everything is heavy then is it heavy at all? I think it is very poignant at this moment of stress and hardship in the world. Songs directly reference plagues, both of the pandemic variety, and of us as a stain on the planet. There are also songs about depression and addiction, self-depreciation, the desire to hurt just to feel alive. In general, it’s a really cheery album. There is a bit of fantasy added for good measure, with one track forming part of an ongoing saga between all of our albums, but

again this chapter ‘The Path of Most Resistance’ is a particular struggle.

This precedes the story told through ‘Enslaved in the Icy Tundra’, ‘Horizon’, and ‘Sway of the Tides’.”

The first single you released was ‘Black Bile’ – why did you choose this song? Was it a unanimous decision to pave the way and provide an insight for the rest of ‘Omens’?

Elliot: “That’s correct. I think we all felt that ‘Black Bile’ was one of the strongest tracks from the album and probably the one that showcases the new direction the best. It has the heaviness, it has the progressive middle section, it has the riffs and the hooking vocals. It also lent itself the best to the making of a video because of its vivid lyrical context about the Black Plague.

I think living in Oxford made for the perfect setting for the video. We are very lucky to live in a City which such old and beautiful buildings. It created a wonderfully dark atmosphere for the video shoot and worked well with the sound of the song.”

Matt: “I think it was quite unanimous. It was the last to be written for ‘Omens’, so the freshest in our minds, and also the one we felt most representative of the rest of the album. There is a good portion of everything in there and it fucking bites, so makes a great single.

Can’t wait to rip that one out on stage.

Another reason we opted for it was because we felt it would be a good one to shoot a video for, seeing as how it has quite a direct theme. It was fun brainstorming the concept of the video, we wanted to get across the message of the black death, so a bubonic plague personified by our >>>>

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>>> CONTINUED antagonist who takes the form of a plague doctor Freddy Kreuger type who takes the life of the drifters and travellers in their feverish sleep state. There was quite a bit of discussion around references, Begotten, The Shining, Hereditary, and Elm Street.

We were originally contemplating whether they should take the form of drug induced hallucinations but felt the feverish state was more true to the song, with the closing lyrics describing the descent from a fever in to death.”

You are a hard working touring band who would usually have cemented a solid list of dates across the UK and Europe – am I right in thinking you guys haven’t played this material live yet?

Matt: “Almost! Unlike all of our previously releases, which we have aired long before laying them down in the studio, we decided with ‘Omens’ to save the material until the album was out before performing them. This would make them feel fresher to us and to the audience, and not spoil the surprise to come on the album. As it has transpired we are now waiting to get out and play them but I think it’s an anticipation well worth the wait. We’ve waited long enough by this stage already.

The only exception to this is ‘Vengeful Gods’ which we decided to start performing live. This was to give everyone a taste of the new material, and to give us something new to mix in to the set. For our own sanity as much as anything else.”

You have however moved some tour dates to October of this year starting with a hometown show in Oxford then onto Europe, at the time of writing this does that tour still look possible?

What are some of the ‘new norms’ of travelling and playing live that do you have to be aware of? Are you excited or nervous to play again under the circumstances?

Elliot: “Yeah it seems like it should be possible as long as we don’t end up getting 56 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

a really bad second wave of covid. We are confident enough that it should happen though because I know that gigs have already started up again under 500 capacity in Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic, which are all countries on our routing. Some shows in Germany and Belgium are starting to happen again in the next couple of weeks as well. Holland is the one place that is a bit more worrying as they are still holding off for a while before making the decision to open again. Hopefully by September/October things will be open again though. I think maybe some of the shows might be at smaller capacities for safety reasons. We are fine with this however, we are just itching to get out and play again because we all miss playing live and touring a lot.”

Matt: “At this stage it looks likely that the revised tour dates could go ahead.

Restrictions are being eased and we see promoters, venues, and other bands lining things up towards the end of the year. However, it is difficult to really forecast this with how the government are dealing with the situation. Things are easing now yet the confirmed infections are high, so when will we see a second surge of coronavirus, and will this fall in the same period as our postponed tour? It’s difficult to tell right now but we might just have to ride that second wave like a bad trip.

I am very eager to get out gigging again, something is missing right now in our lives and it just fucking sucks to not have that. Bands are missing gigs as much as people are missing attending them. I feel there will still be distancing measures put in to place when the tour eventually goes ahead, which could seriously affect capacity and consequentially turnout, along with stage schematics, travel, and a whole host of other nasty surprises set to sting us. But I feel we’re desperate enough to gig at this point that we’ll jump off those bridges when it comes to it.”

The artwork for ‘Omens’ is striking with locks, chains, a key and what looks like a forest portal - can you explain in a much better way than I just did about the creative idea behind this and tell us a little about the artist you chose.

Matt: “We opted to commission work from Mattias Frisk who is an artist we admire, and who produced the cover art for our previous album ‘Sentinels’. He has done a lot of covers for bands and they are all stunning. Being happy with the work he had done for us before, and given that the new album was taking a much darker direction, we felt he would be a very good fit for it. It encapsulates

the album in that the themes encompass those I described previously, with the songs contained on the album being omens of things to come, represented by a key. It’s a grim and bleak looking cover of a deathly, barren, fantasy scene that could be imagined during some of the soundscapes on the album. Chains that bind us (addiction, depression), dead roots and rot. I highly recommend checking out his website, there is a nice mixture of oils on canvas and digital painting.”

As a band whose career spans an impressive 13 years what do you feel needs to happen next? Any solid plans moving forward?

Elliot: “We’d love to see the band step it up a notch and start playing some more major festivals and get on some bigger tours really. It would be great to tour in other parts of Europe that we have not yet played as a band, such as Scandinavia and also eventually get over to Canada and The United States.

I’m not sure how likely this is, but it would be nice if it did. As for a follow up album to ‘Omens’, I think we are going to take longer writing the next record, so I can’t imagine that coming out for a good 4 or 5 years yet. A fifteen-year Anniversary tour would be nice to do in a couple of years as well.”

Matt: “We would like to see how this album is received and what comes from it, what recognition it garners and where it can take us. It’s something of a benchmark moment for us as a band I feel. The festival season this year is a total blackout for aforementioned reasons, and there’s an obvious scarcity in gigs this year, but we need to be billed on festivals and tours in to 2021.”

If you guys could change one fundamental thing about our planet what would you do and why?

Matt: “I would like to think that the planet will still be here in for centuries to come but I’m quite doubtful of that.

We are reaching a sort of critical mass and mankind is the reason behind it.

We are likely not the final form in the evolutionary process, and I’d like to witness what comes in our wake, but by the same token I would also like to leave a world to our descendants.

Maybe just remove the DNA from our gene pool that make us such arseholes, tyrants, destroyers. Make humanity behave itself.”

desertstormband.com facebook.com/desertstormuk Interview By Nickie Hobbs

The home of the UK’s finest underground alternative rock and heavy metal apfrecords.co.uk/apfrecords.bandcamp.com

By Gary Trueman 58  DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

My Home Town

jinjer-Tatiana Shmailiuk How much of what we have do we take for granted? What if something as simple as living in peace was wrenched away from you and your town became part of a war zone? That almost unimaginable scenario happened to Tatiana Shmailiuk when her home town of Horlivka found itself on the front line of the recent Ukraine/Russia conflict. In a frank, open and very moving My Home Town Tatiana chats to Gary Trueman about the place she grew up in, the effects of war and her hopes for the future.

So just to start off you come from a town called Horlivka. Can you tell us a little about the town?

“In the past it is basically a coal mining town. Coal mining and engineering. It’s a huge town. It was founded by working class people. It’s twinned with Barnsley.

Now it’s almost ruined and there are soldiers living there. It’s their base.”

Is there a favourite place that you liked to hang out?

“I used to live almost in the city centre so if I go fifteen minutes one way I can go straight to the centre and fifteen minutes the other way I can go into the suburbs.

There is a chain of lakes. They used to look really nice but then they got forgotten. I really loved those places. I want people to understand that none of the places that used to be there exist anymore. What I remember from my childhood has gone.

Now it’s a warzone. Back in 2013 there was a café Arata that looked Ukrainian style interior wise but the name sounds more Arabic to me. The façade had two elephants, two concrete elephants like sculptures. We used to spend almost every single evening there eating and drinking.”

Is Horlivka somewhere that is safe to live now?

“It’s hard to tell. My parents still live there and they try to make it safe, they try not to think about the situation. So far it’s OK but from time to time at night you can hear bombing somewhere. Where you cannot tell, it’s still far away but not far away enough. It was in the spring (2019) that I visited my parents and I still heard bombing but right now I don’t know. Mum said it’s OK, it’s quiet, but I don’t know. It’s hard for me to say because I’m not there.”

Do you think it’s a case of people simply making life go on, having to make life and everyday stuff go on?

“There’s nothing else for them to do.

The obvious thing to do is to move to another city but when you are 60 years old and you’ve spent the biggest part of your life in your flat and it’s yours you probably don’t want to go somewhere else. It’s your nest. They’re too old to move and to settle down again. It’s like we’re here and this is our home. I think that’s the right way to think.”

Definitely. What would you like to see happen in the future in Horlivka?

“You know they say if you want to make something better than just make it worse and then make it back as it was. I think I would want my city to be back as it was six years ago.”

Have you got any particular treasured memories of Horlivka from before 2014 and the war?

“It’s all about my childhood. As a child I spent 24 hours a day seven days a week outside. It didn’t matter if it was summer or winter. I loved every single season. I loved my yard, and my hood.

There used to be a lot of children. It was a five story building, and a lot of children. Now it’s not like that anymore.

It’s deserted. People are still giving birth to children even though they realise life is not stable there. I can compare living in the 90s there because I know life from before the war. Now children who are still there, who are growing up there, they don’t know how it was. They don’t know peace. That’s crazy.”

Let’s hope that the children there now that only know war will know peace in the future.

“Some day they will know what peace is. I hope that the situation will get better. Maybe one day I will return…… maybe not. Maybe it’s too late because I’m so used to touring I cannot imagine myself settled down again in my parent’s house.” jinjer-metal.com facebook.com/JinjerOfficial

“People are still giving birth to children even though they realise life is not stable there. I can compare living in the 90s there because I know life from before the war.”

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 59

OTLIGHT LABEL SP

By Nickie Hobbs

SPOTLIGHT: REBCO RECORDS Devolution has been operating now for over seventeen years and Stephen Farr of Rebco Records was one of our first ever independent label contacts. He championed our title and was happy to oblige working and taking a chance with us even when our future was unknown purely because we were enthusiastically flying the flag for independent bands artists and industry folk – just like he and his label did and continue to do. So it seemed completely apt to be able to showcase his label and talk industry, criteria, achievements and challenges.

Hey, can you introduce yourself and tell us when, how and why you started your own record label.

Hi I am Ste Rebco and for my sins, of which there are many, I launched Rebco Records in 2006 and I am a musicaholic.

I have been involved in music scene since the late 70’s and my entry point was as a singer (loose term) in a punk rock band.

After about 4 years of this due to popular demand I stopped and moved into band management, and live music promotion.

Fast forward 25 years and I was running a synth pop label, Cobalt (Blue) Communications, which was having some success and as a result we had developed some good industry contacts and most importantly established some effective distribution channels (i.e. Plastic Head in the UK, Metropolis (USA), Audioglobe (Italy) etc. You see a label lives or dies by it distribution. You can have the best music product, but without the necessary

60 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

evils of marketing and distribution, you are going to struggle to get it in front of people and that’s quite important.

What advantages do you feel independent labels have over the bigger labels?

Indies are by nature always going to be more flexible and open to new trends, but let’s step back a moment. Many people forget that music is a business like any other and at corporate level it comes with boards concerned with profits and loss and shareholder value.

An indie is more likely to be concerned with breaking even (the dream), but when it comes down to it the challenge for all labels is the same, i.e. is to bring music to the market place that people want to hear (hopefully) purchase and enjoy.

What criteria do you look for in an act to make you want to sign them? Is it purely the music or do

other factors such as image, business acumen and lifestyle etc. play a part?

As a label or manager the very first thing you’re looking for in a band is self-belief.

If a band does not believe in itself then how can you reasonably expect other people to believe in you? It’s a fine line between that and being cocksure but the very best bands walk that line. The second thing is a strong work ethic. Any band who sits back and waits for things to happen is in for a long wait. You as a band have to put what you have created in front of people, any which way you can via all available channels. As a label your first point of contact with a band is likely to be via their EPK (electronic press kit).

Sadly most are shocking with no vision, no road map and little or no insight about who or what they are all about. What I personally look for in a band is a natural born show person. Our very first ad (in Kerrang) bought us Jay Smith i.e. Deviant UK probably the best showman of his generation in the UK alt scene.

Would you describe Rebco Records as an all-inclusive genre releasing label or have you specifically defined your genres?

We arrived from the gothic industrial scene and quickly expanded into electronica and alt rock. But at the end of the day genres are just a box the industry try’s to put you in so they can fit you into the system. The plus side is that a new act can find an immediate audience but it comes with a massive down side.

Most genres act like a trap, having a glass ceiling which is almost impossible to escape from. This is in the form of a specific set of rules that the genre operates under including both sound and styling. The very best bands of course are the ones that cross the divide. Think for example The Prodigy, so guys pick your particular prison carefully.

Quite a lot of independents have been bought up and are now owned by larger labels. Some of those are well known brands in their own right and they still have a level of autonomy. If you could still choose your roster and could stay committed to producing music in the spectrum you’re comfortable with would you consider becoming a part of/owned by a corporate label?

We are more than happy to be used as a stepping stone for bands who want to go on to bigger things, with larger labels, with better resources. We are quite happy spotting and nurturing talent. We do what we do because we love discovering new music that resonates with people.

We have no problem with our bands having burning ambition in fact we demand it. Rebco was itself built on the punk rock ethos i.e. we never own any of the music we are simply the releasing agent. In contrast most other labels own the band’s music for ten years.

With bands in lockdown many are innovating new ways to interact with their fans. What changes are we currently seeing that you think will still be with us in the next few years?

Fans have been enjoying the explosion of live streaming acoustic and semi acoustic shows via the likes of twitch, zoom and Facebook live and this looks likely to continue as a thing as venues struggle to get back up and running post Corona Virus. Add to this the whole incoming no deal brexit / work permit / visa fiasco which could make touring overseas really difficult and it’s clear the new landscape will present significant challenges for artists. I would encourage all bands to spend their time now, not just writing new material but planning their way out of this perfect shit storm we find ourselves living through.

More bands are now using the internet to record music at home. Is this something you can see newer bands doing more of or will the music studios still be needed for bands starting out due to the initial costs of setting up a home studio?

I would encourage all musicians to build up a home studio to use, certainly during the initial creative writing process, but I also see the added value of using a trained studio engineer and a sympathetic producer to help you focus and shape your ideas and bring out the best possible final mix. (Two Rebco bands have used Ade Fenton i.e. Gary Numan’s producer but it’s not a cheap option) Lots of bands still fall at the mastering stage. It’s a much overlooked dark art. Also at the start of the process bands need to spend more time simply arranging their songs. A killer arrangement turns a good song into a great song.

What do you consider your biggest label achievement to date?

If you’re moving forward, then your best work should be you’re most recent, where you aim to put everything you have learned to good use. Our current priority act are AUGER. Two young musicians from the industrial North of England, who we launched onto the scene in 2017. Happily they do easily fit into any specific genre so they enjoy maximum crossover which is the sweet spot to aim for. The guys are currently enjoying a solid run of alternative chart success in Germany, and we have also taken them as far as Malta, Estonia and Finland. We took one of our previous acts NOVUS to Switzerland, Serbia, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Portugal, Netherlands, etc. to build an audience.

So I guess the message is do not let the UK scene alone define whether you’re successful or not. Your music

will have audience, you have just got to search harder for it.

What are the biggest challenges you foresee for the music industry going forward?

As an artist you cannot eat exposure.

We have a new generation of music consumers who expect music to be free, but who will happily pay £20 for a cheeky Nando’s etc. So we coach all the acts we work with, to get their merchandising operation into good shape, as that may well provide their best income stream. It all starts though with the packaging and design. A killer logo, consistent branding, and lush packaging that makes people actually want to own the product. Selling just one CD blows a whole bunch of worthless (to you) Spotify streams right out of the water so do not be seduced and sucked into that numbers game.

Track the data for sure, but try and do everything in your power to convert that interest into real worthwhile sales that will provide you with the hard capital to re-invest in your band.

For the remaining six months of 2020 do you have any goals and exciting releases that are planned?

The biggest achievement for the whole music business in 2020 will simply be surviving. The new normal will throw up untold challenges but people will always want to be entertained and songs provide the sound track to your life. So in the end it’s all about the song. So in a nut shell write-good-songs!

facebook.com/rebcorecords twitter.com/rebcorecords Interview By Nickie Hobbs Image Below: Auger

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 61

62  DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

Michael Hussar In a year that has brought pandemic, fire, economic and political uncertainty, murder, revolution and entire continents in lockdown, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the information, inspiration and feelings that all provokes. Take a moment with us, pause, breathe and let us introduce the artist you need when the world is grotesque and beautiful and resembles a religious apocalypse. An artist who keeps old mediums alive amongst ‘fast’ art and new technologies.

We have the honour and privilege to introduce to you, a modern master, Michael Hussar.

“The world is in the middle of a deadly pandemic.

The economy has crashed. Millions are unemployed.

On top of that we here in the States are having a riot party.

All hell has broken loose. What an unfortunate time to sit down and talk about, myself...”

How old were you when you first became interesting in painting? Or (maybe a fairer question) when did you know art was something you wanted to pursue?

“I first picked up the brushes at five or six. I grew up in Southern California. In a suburb of Los Angeles called Chatsworth which is just north over the Hollywood hills.

My friends and I used to hike around and play in a train tunnel in the Santa Susana Mountains. It was about a mile from our house about 200 yards from Spahn Ranch. After the police raided the ranch and rounded up the Manson family all the parents were freaking out and wouldn’t let us hang out up there anymore. That following summer our parents wouldn’t let us venture too far from home so I was around the house a lot more and picked up painting as a hobby. It wasn’t until after high school and floating around Del Mar CA in my early twenties that I began to pursue painting as a possible career option. I was taking art classes here and there. A friend, Chuck Wein of Edie and Warhol fame, eventually convinced me to just go for it.

Do it and don’t look back.”

By Alice Bizarre

How important would you say it is to have classical training as an artist and painter?

“That really all depends on what you intend to do with the medium. To go to art school assumes you’ll learn all the rules of contrasts, strong design and develop an acute eye for seeing. That’s all important.

But unless you want to be an academic

realist, solid classical training can be a trap. You’ve got to have enough confidence to edit and eliminate some of what you’ve learned. Which sounds counter intuitive but that’s how you shape your visual voice. Or, you could move into a Masters’ program and let them do it for you. My best argument for attending a structured program is that creative types notoriously lack discipline so if that’s an issue for you I’d definitely recommend a solid art program. But a formal art education is not at all necessary.”

Your work has been described as American- Baroque, part of the “Lowbrow” movement, Surrealist, Neo surrealist and even Pop Surrealist. Labels can be a little gimmicky at times so how would you personally describe your work?

“Terms for movements as they are emerging are usually slung around as insults, so there’s that. Some stick. Some don’t. I prefer American Baroque. Low Brow was a cool insult back in the day, but that term didn’t really line up with me. It was always too broad and it mostly describes a Southern California suburban culture - a Gen-X lifestyle, but not necessarily a genre of painting. At least not one that I fit into. Occasionally, if the right person asks, I’ll refer to myself as a Neo post-modern neo-nihilist. That is me insulting myself.”

DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 63

Your art appears similar to that of the classical masters yet mix in with modern subject matter and imagery. What themes do you like to explore?

“It’s all very autobiographical. I paint what I know, who I’ve known. The things in my head that I’d never dare say out loud.

It’s a purging of all my dirty little secrets. Demons be gone. What may seem vague is an intentional abstraction of the central truth that I’m working through. As an Artist you never want to give too much. You need to leave enough room to allow the piece breath.

To allow others to gain access into the painting. That’s not to say that all my twisted knots aren’t unwound and laid bear with precision for all to see. It is. It’s all right there.”

You have become very well known for your red and white aesthetic. Reminiscent of the soft white and pink skin tones common in Rococo pieces but incorporating harshness with gloss, cuts and blood. What was it that lead you to this style or that makes this style appealing to you?

“Say what you want about Rococo but I’ve always loved it. And still do. Rococo was a reaction to and a dramatic bounce from the weight and darkness of the Baroque years. It was a big leap that didn’t happen overnight. In terms of palette process, I see myself as someone who’s exploring that silver stitch that lies between. Rococo was decadent and frivolous. That pale palette.

Those overtly sexual themes. The careless frolicking. It’s nothing but cake and champagne. What is there not to like about it?

Painting at that high key you find there’s nowhere to hide. It’s so unforgiving. No deep broad shadows to get lost in. It’s all right there. Right in your face. I like that challenge.”

The large lips often seen in your work have become almost iconic. Could you tell us a little about the interest in them?

“The wounded mouth symbolically references being repeatedly kicked in the teeth by the ones you love. As a kid growing up you learned to keep your mouth shut for fear you might say something stupid and suffer the crippling humiliation. Twist that up with some speech and pronunciation difficulties and you find yourself growing up with that perpetually bleeding wound.

Building visual narratives allowed me to restore some dignity. It allowed me to speak fluently without saying a word.”

There is a lot of religious symbolism in your work, would that be the baroque influence coming through or is there something else to it (i.e. are you religious yourself?)?

“I am not religious at all but put me in any Catholic Church in Italy or Spain and I can feel the hand of God. I thrive on being in those centuries old churches surrounded by the darkness of those passions and the brutal pain in those old pieces. I connect with the guilt and that desire for the light of redemption. It’s said that Christ died for our sins. I’m not quite sure what that means exactly but I’m having the time of my life exploring all the possibilities. And of course, my work differs considerably from that traditional Catholic vision. Over here in the States our Jesus wraps himself in the stars and stripes, carries a gun hidden in his Bible and has a hot little sister. And our Mother Mary was no virgin.”

Top Image: Morphine Right Image Top : Red King Right Image Bottom : Deader Than You

64 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

There is also a wonderfully warped and grotesque feel about your work being both provocative and uncomfortable.

Would you say your work is particularly sexual or voyeuristic?

“Well anytime you paint a nude or nudity there is something inherently sexual I suppose. I’m definitely not out there trying to push peoples’ buttons even though the work may come across that way. The work is honest and can be raw so it may require a bit of voyeuristic tendencies on the part of the viewers to fully appreciate. It’s hard for me to be objective about it so maybe that’s a question better asked of others. Again, I see my work as being very American which we all know is a culture that, as

you suggest, could be described as warped and often grotesque.

Pure sex, pure violence. Ultra-greed. Live and let Die. Rugged individualism. Get out of my way or get run over.”

I enjoy the circus and toy imagery (such as candy cane style horns and noses, makeup etc.) Could you tell us a little about these additions to your work?

“That aesthetic goes way back. More than anything it’s inspired by the WWI and WWII aviation livery and insignias that I used to paint on plastic models I built. Also, Evel Knievel was a huge phenomenon at the time. I was really into his aesthetic. He was the embodiment of Rococo before I even knew there was such a thing.

The highlight of the year was the traveling carnival that rolled into town for a month every summer. All that ran within a parallel moment of time. And it all left its mark. The carnival was one of first places our parents would dump all us off and let us roam around unsupervised. We were wild Indians back then.”

You’re most known for your oil paintings, but you also work with graphite, mix media pieces, sculpture, life casting and even making frames! Is there a particular medium you enjoy most outside of painting/drawing? Or one that you would like to explore more?

“Outside of painting and working in charcoal, working with wood is the next best thing. Carving frames is a blast. Even building the wood panels I paint on. But my dream is to have a gigantic vertical slab of the purest virgin white marble shipped over from Carrara Italy. Hammer away at it out in my yard and drive my neighbourhood nuts.”

What fuels your work? What inspires you or is it rather.... something in your head you are trying to get out?

“Resurrecting lost feelings-Putting back together broken memories.

Resolving issues and putting them to rest. Childhood tragedies?

My work is very autobiographical. For me painting is little more than a sort of visual diary. They’re visual anthems. At times it’s about looking for answers by recognizing and acknowledging past mistakes. And at other times it can be about revealing personal truths and purging demons. Sometimes I paint just because it’s just an excuse to be alone.”

Your portraits like ‘Hans Memling’ and ‘Daddy’s Girl’ perfectly intertwine the modern and classical elements of your work. Do you have any favourite pieces you have done? (I personally adore Morphine) “No, not really. I wish I could say that I have a favourite but I really don’t. Nor do I have one that’s my least favourite. They’re all right there in an acceptable sweet spot. The thing about painting is you have to know when to walk away from a piece, so any given piece is never finished. There’s always more you could do. But always a point is reached were you’re through with it; it’s not getting any better, it’s just getting different. That’s a line I don’t like to cross. If I had to make a list of the pieces where I threw in the towel at the right moment Morphine would be very close to the top. “Knuckle Pretty”, one of my more recent pieces was unusually satisfying to walk away from when I did.”

Your anatomy focus is incredible, especially the exaggerated and distorted features, reminding me a little of Hans Bellmer and even Joel Peter Witkin at times! What interests you about the human (or not so human) form?

“That’s some pretty good company. I’ve always struggled a bit with anatomy. Some days are better than others. But convincingly capturing the human form academically has always been a challenge. I’ve had some great teachers and I paid my dues studying the masters, but I still have this weird blind spot. It’s some sort of visual dyslexia. Seems my inadequacies have become part of my style so I’m cool with it now. When you mention names like Bellmer and Witkin I think what you may be seeing is how I’m

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Left Image: Knuckle Pretty Right Image: Love

referencing someone who was once close to me many years ago. Someone that lost a leg to disease when she was a teenager. Amputation and wooden legs were part of my life for as long as I can remember. It was unsettling.

Terrifying even. It made no sense to my young mind. It’d be negligent not to address that impact it had on me and apply it to my work.”

You previously did the cover for Sadistik’s Altars album. What was it about them that caught your attention?

“Well, at the time I was packing my bags and heading to Florence for a couple of weeks of research and to teach a workshop. I knew when I got back to LA it would be nice to change it up a little. Get out of my own head. Do something out of my comfort zone. The Altars project just seemed right and the timing was spot on. He started sending me rough tracks so I had a taste of where the album was heading. It’s a really dark album. Everybody should check it out.”

What sort of music are you into? Do you listen to anything in particular whilst working?

“Like anyone else I go through phases.

At the moment I’m way back in the late

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70s. I think of music in terms of albums. I don’t want to just hear a song here, and a song there. I want to listen to the whole record. The way it was recorded. I recently watched that ZZ Top documentary on Netflix. It inspired me to get their “Tres Hombres” album which I think came out in 73. It’s super solid. It reminded me how much I like the simplicity of that sound and those simple bluesy arrangements. In retrospect 1977 was a great year for music.

That sound from that era still resonates with me. It shaped why and how I listen to music now. I can hear the echo of that era in almost everything new I listen to now.

But if you want me rattle off some names.

Early Metal like Sabbath, Judas Priest. Alice Cooper. AC/DC, The Cult, Zeppelin. Huge fan of Cheap Trick, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, The Cars. Bad Company. Early Van Halen with DLR. Early Elton John. More recent stuff would be anything by Mike Patton or Josh Homme. STP. Tool. Alice in Chains. G n’ R. The list goes on and on and on.”

You have expressed a dislike for the gallery scene, why is this?

“No, I love galleries. And Museums. Any room full of Art. I’ve definitely had some bad experiences but none are hardly worth mentioning. It’s mostly all been good!

My issue, one that I know well, is that in business I don’t play well with others. I

know that and freely admit it. I find it difficult to play by the conventional rules and division of sales. To compromise in those ways just isn’t my thing. That’s very much my problem. Not at all theirs.

Group shows can be a lot of fun. Solo shows, not so much. You couldn’t pay me enough to be a gallery owner/director.

Working with a stable of artists would be dreadful. I’m sure it’s like herding cats.

Awful terrible cats.”

You do workshops and demos all over, even at tattoo conventions!

How did that come about?

“They’re a hell of a lot of fun. It’s like a carnival. Three days of madness.

Although at times I do miss teaching within a more formal institutional setting, guerrilla style workshops and demos at conventions are the perfect alternative. Kat von D hooked me up with my first convention. It was at Musink in Los Angeles back when Kat was involved with it. She gave me a booth and one of the only 5 silver wrist bands. Which was a fantastic perk. I didn’t teach at that one but it allowed me to acclimate myself to all energy and insanity that goes on at tattoo conventions. The next event, my first workshop, was at Miki Vialetto’s London convention at the Tobacco Dock. He set aside the rotunda space on the first floor

By Nickie Hobbs

Left Image: Twink Right Image: Medusa

that had a circular mezzanine up above on the second floor for spectators. It was like an old surgical theatre. I was hooked.”

Do you find teaching rewarding?

“I do. It’s endlessly rewarding. But exhausting. Passing along information and seeing it applied successfully is wildly gratifying. There’s nothing quite like it. My favourite is having classes with a wide range of levels of proficiency. It’s fun to drop back into the basics and nudge around the more advanced painters. And tease the beginners with more advanced concepts that they will all eventually get to. Those final layers of magic.

Show them what they have to look forward to. Teaching has reinforced something I already knew about myself.

That’s to be patient with others. To be kind.”

Your work has been a huge inspiration to so many people, how have you found meeting those who love your work, even those who have tattoos of your work?

“It’s a thrill to meet people that connect with what I do. I love hearing the various interpretations of any given piece. They differ so wildly from person to person. What’s fun is

you occasionally you run into somebody who knows the work but clearly doesn’t like it. Often those exchanges and strong opinions are more interesting than meeting someone who is into it. You learn a lot about that person. People are so willing to make assholes out of themselves. It’s fascinating. Meeting someone with one of my pieces tattooed is a magical moment for both of us. A special kind of privilege. That’s thrilling.”

Your art has also had a big influence on the makeup community! Did this surprise you at all?

“Huge surprise. It blows my mind to see these recreations. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined of such a thing. What is funny is I occasionally have a fussy MUA girl reach out to me and accuse me of stealing her thing. They clearly have lifted the look from another make-up artist that probably didn’t credit me. And I’ll always say, “Honey, I’ve been painting these things since before you were even born.” Then they of course block me. I’ve definitely lost control of this thing I’ve been developing over the years. But that’s a good thing, right?”

Our readers may not know that you created the artwork for the original poster of “Army of Darkness” could you tell us how that came about? Are you a horror movie fan yourself?

“The Army of Darkness one-sheet project had been up and running for some time. It came my way at literally the last minute. The studio had gone through at least two other artists but for whatever reason it got handed off to me.

There was about a three-week window to bring it to finish, which was gruelling.

I have no idea why they hired me. At the time I’d only been out of college for a few months so my commercial portfolio consisted almost exclusively of student work. I had, though, just finished up some high-visibility big-budget films including the Bram Stokers Dracula poster and 1492, a Ridley Scott movie, just to name a couple. The problem there was you aren’t allowed to show anybody those pieces until those films have been released. And I don’t think either had been yet, so the portfolio was really thin at that point. In retrospect what probably worked in my favour is Hollywood is a small gossipy world so people knew what everyone else was working on. I don’t know if they just took a chance because they were out of time and desperate. Or maybe without knowing it I’d established that they could trust me.”

You previously released the book “White: a decade”. Do you have any more publication planned in the future?

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Left Image: Jezebelle Right Image: Still-Life With A Smile All Images Used with Permission & Supplied By Michael Hussar

NICKIE WEARS: Mystic Mesh Maxi Dress Hemlock Hooded Maxi Dress Belt From Asos Horn Headwear From Faerie Tale Gothic

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“I am not religious at all but put me in any Catholic Church in Italy or Spain and I can feel the hand of God. I thrive on being in those centuries old churches surrounded by the darkness of those passions and the brutal pain in those old pieces. I connect with the guilt and that desire for the light of redemption. It’s said that Christ died for our sins. I’m not quite sure what that means exactly but I’m having the time of my life exploring all the possibilities. And of course, my work differs considerably from that traditional Catholic vision.

Over here in the States our Jesus wraps himself in the stars and stripes, carries a gun hidden in his Bible and has a hot little sister.

And our Mother Mary was no virgin.”

“Nothing solid is planned. When we were doing the White book there was talk with that publisher about doing a companion book of my larger darker pieces that span those same years, but that appears to have been shelved. Finishing this new body of work, these new larger paintings, is my focus. Then I’ll shop around for a new publisher. Publish my full catalogue.

Including the White pieces but this time at full page. With detail shots for all of them.”

What’s next for you?

“At the moment I’m working on a dozen or so large-scale paintings. Also need to finish up these last couple frames. After that I’ll look for sponsorships. And work toward seeing about shipping everything over to Italy for an exhibition.”

Any last words?

“Measure once - cut twice. And take no prisoners.” hussar.bigcartel.com twitter.com/michael_hussar instagram.com/michael_hussar

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fashion

Death & Millinery

By Nickie Hobbs

Every now and then we are lucky enough to stumble across a set of photos which showcase someone’s unique work and creativity which fondly transports you to an age and era gone by. In this case it was the millinery work of Ravenna Loveless Designs that caught our eye showing us just how bold and timeless these handcrafted statement pieces can be.

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fashion

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INSPIRATION The inspiration for the shoot was based around the designer’s fascination with Victorian mourning wear. As part of her degree Ravenna wanted to make an element of the desired gothic headwear, but incorporate her own style and physical representation of death - hence the taxidermy bird wings.

Incorporating death eternal with a look traditionally surrounding the process of death and mourning and then making it a thing of beauty.

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fashion

CREDITS Photographs By Meg Franklin Imagery facebook.com/MegFranklinImagery

Millinery by Ravenna Loveless Designs facebook.com/sheisloveless

Model - Beaux Sinner

instagram.com/beaux_the_sinner_is_here

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By Gary Trueman

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Tetrarch For those shouting that nu metal is dead Tetrarch are the band stepping forward bellowing “hold my beer”. And they have a point. Imagine Linkin Park fused wonderfully together with Lamb Of God and you get the gist. Tetrarch destined for great things. Gary Trueman chatted to guitarist Diamond Rowe about new album ‘Unstable’ how she got into metal and post virus plans for world domination.

The band have a very interesting sound and obviously lots of different influences. What does each band member bring to Tetrarch in terms of their music taste?

“Well, we all have very similar tastes in regard to heavy music but when you begin to branch out into different genres that’s where we all differ a bit. I think it’s safe to say that Ruben and I are the two metalheads of the band for sure!

The heavier the better for us. Josh and Ryan generally prefer listening to lighter stuff. Josh is really into bands like Green Day and Pearl Jam. Ryan tends to lean towards bands like Nothing More, Rise Against, etc. This helps a lot in the writing process because things never get boring or predictable. We always have a mix of influences that keeps what we do fresh.”

You have an album coming out soon and have released a single ‘I’m Not Right’ as a teaser. What’s the song about? Is it a good representation of what to expect from the full album?

“I’m Not Right’ is the first song that we really started writing for this new record.

It kind of jump started the whole writing process for ‘Unstable’. It’s basically about that moment in your life where you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see staring back at you enough to fix it and become a better version of yourself. We felt like everyone could relate to that in some capacity. I tell people a lot that this album is extremely versatile. There is something on this record for literally any kind of rock/metal fan. We have the heavy of the heavy and also the catchiest of the catchy. Whatever you seek, you will probably find on ‘Unstable’.”

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How does the band divide up writing duties? Do you all pitch in? Who writes the lyrics?

“Generally, it starts out with Josh or I coming up with a riff or a song and presenting it to the other. The two of us will kind of hash out the bare bones of the song as far as structure, riffs, basic beats, etc and then we will bring the other two in after that to get their opinions. They will put their bass and drum feels on it and that really brings it all together. Josh and I write all of the lyrics.”

You’re the lead guitarist and you have Josh on rhythm guitar and also lead vocals. Is there often a misconception that you’re the singer simply because you’re the only female in the band before anyone sees you play? Hopefully you soon put people right on that if it happens?

“Absolutely! Peoples first guess is always that I am the vocalist. After that they assume I play bass haha! It’s a lot of fun for me to prove them wrong though. I enjoy that part actually.”

How did you get into playing guitar?

Was there any one artist that made you want to pick up that particular instrument?

“When I was 12, I really started to get into heavier music than I had ever listened to before. I started with softer bands like Nirvana and quickly moved to System of a Down, Metallica, Lamb of God, Deftones, and others. I have never been a person to sit on the side lines with things that I enjoy so when I started listening to this music, I naturally wanted to be a part of it in some way. I easily decided on guitar

and it was a very natural transition. I never had an awkward guitar phase or anything. I think it was meant to be. I just spent a lot of time playing along to bands that I really loved and guitar players like James Hetfield / Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine, Slash, Dimebag Darrell, Munky and Head, Matt Heafy, Mark Morton, and the list goes on.”

Who influences you’re playing style the most these days? Has anyone blown you away in recent times?

“Honestly, I am still really influenced by the music and players that moved me as a teenager because music from that era really resonated with me. I love how heavy but melody driven songs were. It wasn’t about who could be the heaviest band in the world. Even bands like Pantera were super heavy but so song and melody driven it was awesome. So, I think we really try to have that mind set when writing music.”

How did you get into playing metal and how did you join Tetrarch?

“I actually had a friend in middle school that was really into rock and metal music. She was always talking about certain bands so one day I decided to actually delve into the bands she kept talking about and my life was changed forever from that point. Josh and another friend of ours named Tyler were like the only other kids in school that played metal and rock music so I asked to jam with them. What’s funny is that Josh actually didn’t want me in the band at first because I was a girl ha-ha! But eventually it all worked out, obviously. I’ll never let him forget that though ha-ha.”

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been coping with the restrictions imposed in the US? How have the rest of the band been coping?

“We have really been using this time to stay as busy as possible. As much as I wish we could tour at the moment, there are still so many things that we can accomplish and get done during this down time. Especially with a new album release on the horizon. So, we have spent the majority of this time off really focusing on making this album and the release the best it can be. We have a lot of amazing things in store that’s for sure.”

Will you be looking to get out and tour the new album as soon as possible? When do you think that might be?

“Absolutely! We have very extensive international touring plans for once these restrictions are lifted. I think we’re going to be on the road for close to 2 years with minimal breaks, so people will definitely get a chance to see Tetrarch as soon as we can get out there starting next year.”

“ I feel like in other genres mixing has always been pretty accepted but metal specifically is so heavily plagued with sub genres. Especially in America.”

Music is opening up so much more these days to how it used to be.

Music fans seem to be more willing to listen to a wider part of the music spectrum. Do you think a lot of this is to do with how easy music is to access via streaming now? Do you think that in turn artists are more willing to try new things and mix music styles?

“I feel like in other genres mixing has always been pretty accepted but metal specifically is so heavily plagued with sub genres. Especially in America. I feel like bands nowadays have so many different influences that people kind of are forced to listen to aspects of music that they generally may not have had to before. I see so many bands collaborating with rappers, pop artists, EDM DJs, and many other kinds of artists. With the internet there is so much music these days, and pretty much everything has been done already so I think people are starting to realize that accepting different influences showing up in the music they love might make it more interesting.”

While there are a few black artists in rock and metal, people such a Benji Webbe, Skin etc, and a while back artists such as Living Colour why do you think there aren’t more? Surely that’s something that would be great to change? Something that needs to change? Rock started with Gospel and the blues after all.

“I just think it’s not something that is widely accessible in black culture. Black culture is heavily influenced by other genres such as hip hop, R&B, etc. So if you grow up in that community, that’s probably what is put in front of you naturally unless you seek something else. It probably doesn’t have as much to do with the fact that black people wouldn’t like it as much as they just don’t really know much about it. Rock and Metal also aren’t the most popularized genres.

You don’t see it on TV or at radio as much as hip hop, rap, and country anymore for example. So it kind of is a form of music that anyone really has to seek after to find and become a part of that culture. I see it slowly changing though. There are a lot more people of colour at metal shows now than even 10 years ago I feel like which is really cool.”

The current pandemic has stopped the music scene in its tracks. How have you

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We all know there are some things we do well and some things not so well. So what are your best and worst traits?

“I think that I am very good at accomplishing goals that I really set my mind to. No matter how difficult or far-fetched they may seem. I kind of have the mentality that nothing is truly impossible and that helps me when I have big tasks at hand that I truly want to see through. On the flip side of that though – It is extremely hard for me to motivate myself to go over and beyond with things that I do not want to do or do not care about. Maybe that’s pure laziness, but I have just always had the hardest time with that ha-ha!”

If you could change one fundamental thing about our planet what would you do and why?

“I think it would be cool if people were more accepting of everyone’s differences. What makes everyone so unique is that fact that everyone thinks differently and looks different, and likes different things. It seems almost impossible to even hold a diplomatic conversation these days due to people not being able to just listen and learn from people who may not be just like them. Our band is all about everyone embracing their differences and accepting others and themselves.“ tetrarchmusic.com facebook.com/tetrarchmusic Interview By Gary Trueman

AH: “I played him Love Like Anthrax by Gang Of Four and if you listen to the lyrics on that they have two completely different vocal lines that occasionally come together. One’s sort of spoken and the other’s singing the melody and they just intertwine and I said let’s try this approach on it. And when you come back in the choruses it really bolsters up the bit I’m doing and it flies off.”

AON: “And I rewrote one line to make it dovetail with just the word survive, so on the second verse we both end on the word survive, so it kind of dovetails and then it joins in and goes into the… It’s a fun, knackering song to play live.”

AH: “I also don’t think there’s any other song written about cholera from the point of view of the microbes.”

AON: “I’m not sure there are any other songs written about cholera at all. It’s like Slayer writing a song about concentration camps. Slayer wrote that song Jihad which was from the point of view of terrorists” MB “And Andy writes a song about viruses from the point of view of the virus.”

From there we go into what seems to be the light entertainment of the album, Obscene Fucking Machine MB: “You say that but it’s a pretty hard song.”

AH: “I don’t see any lightness in that at all.”

AON: “I think you’re missing some irony there.”

AH: “He’s just a fascinating character, when you think that the times everyone was supposed to be so prim and proper there’s this absolute monster of a bloke.”

AON: “He had a chair made so he could fuck two women at once.”

AH: “Yeah, in a Paris brothel. He had his own chair, in a Paris brothel so he could fuck two women at once. Because he was so fat he had to hold his weight up. And people accepted his behaviour because they wanted to keep the status quo.”

AON: “We’ve got those chairs now on the merch stand.”

MB: “Musically that was a riff that Andrew brought in. Wasn’t it just called Bauhaus riff?”

AON: “Yeah.”

MB: “Which is interesting because the song doesn’t sound anything like Bauhaus.”

AON: “It’s more Joy Division isn’t it? I was listening to a lot of that new age goth stuff.”

MB: “Fun to play because I get to play a big monster bass riff with my fuzz pedal.

And shout Big Fat Fucking Machine which is a joy” AH: “The audience have really picked up on that one, it’s become a real sing along. And it throws them because the second verse has got a chorus…”

AON: “It’s an interesting thing, we’re playing nine new songs on this tour. It’s interesting that crowds are into it but there

a bit more, with the new stuff, because they haven’t lived with the record yet, it hasn’t intertwined and become the soundtrack to their lives. And I reckon when we do the next tour, when they’ve listened to it again and again, those choruses are just going to really jump out because they are gang choruses on the record.”

AH: “It’s already happening. On this tour there are people who have come to several of the gigs on the tour and they’re mouthing back words that I haven’t even fucking remembered.”

AON: “Absolutely. Same with Disease Control, I’ve seen people mouthing my words and I’ve thought fuck I’d better get these right, because people will know.”

Next we get onto probably your bestknown subject, Occam’s Razor MB: “I thought you were going to say Slayer” AON: “Yeah, this happened because Andy read his first book on Jack the Ripper and what always happens when you read your first book on Jack the Ripper you go oh, I’ve got the skinny on this now, this is a really good book. And then I sent him the debunkings.”

AH: “Actually no.”

AON: “Didn’t that happen?”

AH: “I said I was about to read it and I said is this any good and then everybody else jumped in including you, well read it, and then read all this which says virtually the opposite and then make your own mind up. And it just seemed like there’s so much fucking misinformation out there and no one knows what happened.”

AON: “Well it’s like the Dance of the GullCatchers, the appendix, not the appendix but the kind of coda to From Hell by Alan Moore, basically says there’s no, what’s the word I’m after…”

AH: “Clues?”

AON: “Yeah, but a particular type of evidence. Forensics, there’s no forensics, and every year I get a load of emails and messages going oh they’ve wrote a book, they’ve found out who Jack the Ripper is, and I go I bet they haven’t. And then you find out it’s about a guy who bought a scarf at an auction, and he’s claiming it was Catherine Eddowes scarf, and there’s some DNA on that, and that’s linked to someone else, but it’s mitochondrial DNA which only means it’s one in thirty as opposed to one in a million, oh as per usual it’s bullshit. And Andy, in a very short space of time, Andy basically become a Ripperologist. You know you’re a Ripperologist when you get fucked off at anyone claiming to know the truth.”

AH: “Yeah, and I’d only got about three chapters in. They used the word probably so manty times it really really annoyed me.”

AON: “There’s so much fudging. Basically,

any book that makes a bold claim for who it is, there’s so much fudging. But the kind of circumstantial evidence you go ah, this seems legit, this seems reasonable, because people are good at building narratives out of…”

JM: “Given that this probably happened then we can extrapolate. But we don’t know though do we.”

AH: “It’s also pretty bad taste to write about that.”

AON: “Bad taste? Says a man who wrote a song called There She Glows about Marie Curie?”

AH: “Basically it’s an entire industry based around the brutal murders of five women, isn’t it.”

AON: “And vulnerable women.”

AH: “And unashamed, they’re going to write some bollocks.”

AON: “And the thing about calling them whores or prostitutes when that was like their job. They were desperately poor women, all of them alcoholic, desperately trying to find a few pence either for a room for the night or a gin and what they would usually do is they would get price a fuck at the price of a gin as opposed to the price of a room, so they’d then drink gin and then have to go find someone else in order to actually get the room for a night. And they were women and they had lives and they had families and they had backgrounds, you know. And the industry around it is we might get you. Fucking unlikely mate, it was 150 years ago, it was over a hundred years ago.”

AH: “It was, totally.”

There’s quite a bit of capitalism in this album AH: “Anti-capitalism” God Is In The Bottom Line AH: “Yeah, it’s a sister song to Miner really. And A Clean Sweep.”

MB: “Another in a series of exploited people.”

AON: “Musically I wanted to write a song that sounded like it would fit on Raining Blood and I went into the studio and played them Necrophobic and wrote the song in about as long as the song takes.”

AH: “And I had the lyrics already to go.”

AON: “This is what Andy does, I’ll come up with a riff and then he goes oh I’ve got a thing, there’s this.”

AH: “As soon as I read out the first line Pity the fingerless children, yep that’s in.”

AON: “Notably Jez wrote Occam’s Razor.”

MB: “Yeah, credit where it’s due Jez wrote most of Occam’s Razor.”

JM: “Not the words obviously” AON: “Yeah, Jez isn’t very good with words, he’s from the Midlands.”

AH: “Yeah, he can’t spell Occam”

HT SPOTLIG

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ONEN EMPORIUM Gothic homewares and furniture are a particular weakness of mine. You spend hours trawling through websites like Instagram and Etsy dreaming of interiors and imaging where you would place your items and how you would style each room. Discovering Onen emporium based in Cornwall was a particularly welcome discovery so I caught up with owner Kim Sammons who talked coffins, covid and curiosities.

Hello, let’s start with you telling our readers about yourself and about Onen Emporium which originated as an idea and is now a fully-fledged independent business.

“We’re a husband and wife team based in Falmouth, Cornwall. Steve is a carpenter by trade with over 30 years’ experience and I am a tattoo artist. The idea for Onen Emporium started when I was doing my tattoo apprenticeship. I was making and selling jewellery to earn some pennies and wanted a nice display stand for them in the studio. Steve put his skills to work and made a fab little coffin shelf for me… then another. We had so many enquiries about them that Onen Jewellery soon became Onen Emporium and the coffin shelves are now our biggest seller.”

As a popular houseware item amongst the alternative community Coffin shelves are one of your main handmade crafted items – who builds these for you, what is the general process and how do your coffins compare to others in the market around the world?

“All of our coffin shelves are made by Steve in our home workshop, which is actually in our kitchen (!) It is literally the only space we have, though we are hoping to build a workshop outside this year so we can eat without a side of sawdust. The shelves are 100% made by Steve from start to finish. We buy in raw pine timber which is then cut to size with all the measured angles. The shape and angles we use were researched and taken from old Victorian coffin plans to get an authentic shape. We pride ourselves on a high level of design and finish. A lot of work goes into making sure our shelves are solid and stable with joints secure and flush. The next stage is filling and sanding, then a first coat of paint and a final fill and sand. A minimum of 3 layers of high quality paint is applied with sanding in between coats to achieve the smoothest finish. It’s quite labour intensive, especially for the 6 footers, but we won’t compromise on the finish or materials. We see ourselves towards the higher end of the market, i.e. luxury items. When we first started out we made

You also personally create unusual handmade curios, vintage wooden boxes and jewellery - what are you inspired by when you produce these items?

“I just love the vintage and antique look, showcased so well in so many horror films, especially the Victorian era with its intricate Gothic style. I’m definitely inspired by that. I like to go to auctions and sift through boxes of ephemera including old photos and papers and explore the history. I collect lots of things including bottles and apothecary paraphernalia, skulls and bones, taxidermy and uranium glass, basically anything odd and a bit out of the ordinary, the more macabre the better.”

small budget type coffin shelves out of cheaper materials but we were never really entirely happy with the quality and we couldn’t really charge less because there’s the same amount of labour involved. Our customer reviews have been great and the quality is definitely appreciated.”

You recently posted a new coffin design on Instagram which I was immediately drawn to – a gorgeous black coffin with doors handles and a shelf which would certainly be a statement piece of furniture in any room. Is this design a glimpse of the future of seeing Onen Emporium expand your coffin range?

“That post on Instagram got over 1500 likes which was amazing for our relatively small following! Definitely a sign that we’re heading in the right direction. The shelf with doors was a custom order made to measure for a specific space but we are adapting the design and offering it now as part of our range. There is definitely more to come.

We have so many ideas in development we could do with a few more hours in the day. Look out for some new kitchen goodies and a luxury pet bed amongst other things.”

How has Covid 19 affected you guys in then last few months if at all?

Did you have to find new innovative ways to keep creating and selling?

“Lockdown has been a strange one for us. Initial panic, as I had to close the tattoo studio and stop working. Luckily I’ve had some help as a self-employed person and my time’s certainly been well spent at home as we had a huge increase of orders while everyone was at home online shopping to relieve the boredom. I am the packing department!

Also the gofer. We took a bit of a hit financially as the price of materials almost doubled along with courier prices but we took it on the chin and all is well and prices have returned to normal.”

If you weren’t already busy enough with Onen Emporium and Onen Jewellery you also own Onen Tattoo tell us more about that side of the business.

“Well, because we’re gluttons for punishment we decided lockdown would be the perfect time to revamp the tattoo studio. I’ve been working with one other artist in a small private studio and we decided it’s time to expand so Steve (again!) is extending the studio and moving everything around, re-painting, new flooring and the result will be space for two more artists – yay!

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My tattoo style is mainly dotwork and blackwork but I can turn my hand to most styles. Of course I love the chance to tattoo anything in a dark and gothic style so they’re the designs I put out there the most.”

What’s next? What does the future hold for you and your emporium?

We need a workshop! We’re somewhat restricted by a lack of space at the moment so if we can sort out a workshop we can invest in more machine tools which will give us more scope with our designs. We still have quite a few new designs in the pipeline and are very customer led, so when we get enquiries for custom orders we are always happy to take this on board and develop it as a potential new product line. We had a successful event at Bristol Goth Market in March and this was the first outing for us taking our products out to the customer.

We hope to do more of this after Covid is over and hope to book for events such as For the Love of Horror, Leeds Festival of Gothica, Whitby Goth weekend and more.

Follow us: www.facebook.com/onenemporium www.facebook.com/onentattoo www.instagram.com/onenemporium www.instagram.com/onentattoo Buy from us: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/onenemporium www.ebay.com/str/onenemporium Interview By Nickie Hobbs Bathtray Image C/O @rosie.bud

“ I like to go to auctions and sift through boxes of ephemera including old photos and papers and explore the history. I collect lots of things including bottles and apothecary paraphernalia, skulls and bones, taxidermy and uranium glass, basically anything odd and a bit out of the ordinary, the more macabre the better. ”

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fashion

LONDONEDGE

Unlike a lot of general fashion shows LondonEdge offers the unique and exclusive opportunity for the alternative world to see creations that will be available in shops and online in the very near future and sometimes even the following season’s sneak peaks. There’s also an insight into how the public are helping to direct the industry too. It’s interesting to see that clothing and accessories are adapting and blending in much the same way that music has had to. The lines are blurring giving rise to some wonderfully bold and outlandish daring ideas that give real optimism for the industry. LondonEdge continues to provide a trusted platform for so much that is good in fashion today and for the future.

Here Are 8 Individual Traders That Really Caught Our Eye...

Sourpuss Sourpuss have been flying the independent retailer flag for niche and unique clothing, accessories, oddities, footwear and homewares since 2001 and peeking at the new goodies on offer they are still way ahead of the game with significant vibrant patterns and distinctive prints adorning a whole range of quirky items. The glitter coffin and bowler bags are a delight and tartan and plaid will never die as it sits proudly in the brands collection.

Creature from the Black Lagoon is this season’s spotlight focus and features on door mats, stickers, glassware, parasol and so much more. The collection of cute compact folding fans will land just in time for summer and are the perfect addition to any kitsch or gothic wardrobe with spider web, go away slogan and circus freak show icons.

Phaze Wholesale Phaze Clothing are pioneers or design.

With over 25 years under their belt they are one of the original labels that have survived every trend, every fad every evolution in the alternative fashion market and here at LondonEdge their clothing arsenal is overflowing with an abundance of quilted two piece biker inspired jackets and matching skirts, gold pvc, new pentagram themed jewellery, stunning eye catching body harnesses, shiny extra-terrestrial style dresses that are literally out of this world. Couple all of that with a 68 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE 84

healthy dose of leopard print and tartan garments and this completes the popular collection bought here to showcase.

Red Mutha This brand caught our eye immediately as we walked around the show – a stand that boasts punk diy jackets with all the spray painted slogan classics and vintage style patches with studs and chains to complete these custom made items. Established for 25 Years this husband and wife combo are looking to branch into kilts and expand their garment range.

New Rock A brand that needs no introduction but who are always keeping up and stepping out ahead of the latest trends. Our eye caught some beautiful chunky ‘damask’ inspired shoes and boots that were available in a beautiful pinky purple.

The large metal musical note serving as a jaw dropping heel on a boot was also s dramatic statement piece that would certainly turn heads.

Steelground Shoes These guys have an extensive range available but it was the gothic purple ribbon and intricate lace designs that beckoned us over. Offset the elaborate and chunky style of some of the footwear these were gorgeous.

Steelground also offer a large range of creepers and an adorable baby and toddler range are cute as hell. With standout greens, tartans, leopard print and buckles this collection is vast and distinctive.

By Alice Bizarre

Mysticum Luna Having followed Paige and her team on Instagram for a while we were curious to spy the collection in the flesh.

Influencers at the show had swarmed as we rocked up the stand and there was a real excitement about this independent company. The labour of love collection was cosmic and featured unique handmade jewellery, candles, enamel pins all with a dark, occult, witchcraft gothic and black magic vibe but the designs are intricate and womanly.

Favourites included the stainless steel cobweb jewellery sets and the crypt coffin rings. Mysticum Luna should be on many a LondonEdge buyer’s stockist list.

Collectif

design is carefully tailored into simple but gritty wearable pieces. Feminine yet fiery these items boast attitude and confidence. ‘All I Ever Wanted Was Everything’, ‘Burn In Hell’ and ‘Cry Baby’ are the stylised slogans pieces that stand out here amongst the d-rings, raglan, spider web, scarves, back patches and scared hearts.

londonedge.com facebook.com/LondonEdge The next show is due on the following date but check the website for Covid – 19 updates LONDON 6th - 7th SEPTEMBER 2020

By Mark Bestford

Review By Nickie Hobbs Photos C/O Gary Trueman facebook.com/gtruemanBYHO

It’s a monochrome summer! Embracing the black and white attire assortment you will find braces, skirts, gypsy and bardot tops, spots and polka dots and large buttons. Complete with 50’s and 50’s styles and cherry designs matched all with luxury cats eye glasses – Collectif need to be a staple favourite in your wardrobe this season. And if that wasn’t enough having a glimpse of their A/W range the bats, chiffon, velvet, peter pan collars, celestial moon and stars and witchcraft themes are going to blow your mind – from petite to plus size everyone will be happy and looking seriously chic.

Mary Wyatt The brainchild of Nicola – the brand was born in 2016 and has grown in strength year on. Known for its sassy yet simple and effective slogans, each

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‘Into The Time Slip’ Interviewing Patricia Quinn was not a simple Q and A session. It was dreamingly listening to an array of stories told in Quinn’s distinct and sultry voice. From Rocky Horror Picture Show mayhem and The Lord of Salem chaos to dinners with royalty and her husband’s knighthood. We sadly couldn’t fit it all into this issue but here are the highlights of our talk with the wonderfully charming, witty and downright iconic, Lady Patricia Quinn.

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By Alice Bizarre

An interview with Patricia Quinn

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How did get into acting?

“I became interested in acting when I was at Grammar school. I went into the Arts Theatre in Belfast and became an acting ASM (assistant stage manager).

They gave me great parts but at my age I felt there was nowhere else to go except there so I knew I had to leave Belfast. I wanted to be a stage actress more than anything so I got on a boat at 17 with a fiver in my pocket and came to London.

I found myself an agent, started getting work for small parts in television and then in the Old Vic Theatre and so on.”

Is there anything in particular about stage acting that you enjoy?

“It’s called an audience! It’s thrilling!

There is adrenaline in all kinds of acting but the best is on the stage. I got on the West End stage very quickly, then I joined the Royal Court Theatre which at the time was the best theatre in London and was filled with extraordinary actors and innovation. I did a play there

by Heathcote Williams’ called AC/DC which won the evening standard award for best play of the year! I went on to do The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht in the West End where I played a whore and was Vanessa Redgrave’s’ understudy. I thought “How could I go on as her? I have no costumes and she’s so much bigger than me!” (laughs) It was an amazing production and an astonishing piece of work.”

How did Rocky Horror come about?

“I auditioned darling! Little Nell says she slept with the Director but that’s her little joke because he’s gay. I asked my agent “What is this Rocky Horror thing?” and my agent said “I think it’s something about a circus” He wasn’t wrong! I’ve 88 DEVOLUTION MAGAZINE

been in this circus ever since. For the audition you had to sing a song, preferably a rock and roll song. I didn’t sing rock and rock, I mean…

I could sing but I didn’t “rock”. So I went along to see these guys and I thought they looked really ‘with it’, not my usual crowd. I sang a 1930s song called Over my Shoulder and they all looked at each other as if I was nuts. Richard O’Brien said to me “If I play you this song on the guitar, would you maybe try and sing along with me?” and he played ‘Science Fiction/Double Feature’. It was very suited to me. Afterwards I was skipping down Kings Road back in ‘73 thinking ‘that was fucking fantastic!’.

I wanted to do it just from that song!

Within half an hour they rang and said they wanted me! My agent said that I had to read the script, what if I had no lines? He was right, she had very few lines but I said “I’m doing it”!

My agent wasn’t thrilled with £18 a week at 10%.... (laughs) but it was an extraordinary collection of actors.”

How did you feel it was received on its original stage run?

“Very well. It was just going to run for 3 weeks in a 60-seat theatre. Mick Jagger was queuing up on the last night with Bianca Jagger and Elliot Gould, there only by word of mouth.

Then they were standing at the bar and I passed them very ‘coolly’ like I hadn’t even noticed them. I went upstairs to this one office room we shared (we didn’t have dressing rooms) and I said “Shit, Jagger’s in!” and was met with these very gloomy faces, particularly Tim Curry and I thought ‘what the fucks the matter with them’. I went to change

in the toilets and someone was in the shower making wailing noises. I realised it was Rayner [Bourton] who played Rocky so I asked what was wrong. We all wore glitter and back then glitter was made of metal and glass and was prickly and he said he had gotten it under his foreskin and it had swollen up and he couldn’t walk to which I replied “Don’t show it to me!” (Laughs) We had to postpone the show. At the time I was a married woman with a baby so I was thrilled I could go home! It was a let-down but that’s what happens! That’s how far we got in three weeks by word of mouth, sold out, with people just saying how fucking fantastic we were. It was amazing. It ran for two more weeks and we moved into a cinema down the road that was being demolished which was perfect as we kept changing cinemas into theatres.

I was then offered Christabel Pankhurst in the series “Shoulder to Shoulder” at the BBC even after I went to my interview in dungarees and covered in glitter! So, I left rocky after five weeks, they moved to another cinema and on it went.

They brought Lou Adler to the show and he took it too Hollywood to his place the Roxy Theatre but he only took Tim Curry. Everyone who was anyone went to see it which was a massive break for Tim. They took it to Broadway and it was produced like you were at a club so people could sit and have a drink and watch it. It closed within a week! It was a disaster. Then Lou Adler decided to make the movie! Apparently, Mick Jagger wanted to do it but Jim Sharman wouldn’t have anyone but Tim (and me and Nell and Richard).”

We heard you almost walked from the film because you were no longer going to sing Science Fiction!

“They explained that we couldn’t have an usherette opening as it won’t work film-wise. So, I said “I see.... so, I’m not singing Science Fiction?” They said no, so I told them “Then I’m not doing your film”. At this point I thought what they wanted was a voice like Shirley Bassey singing it instead of me. John Goldstone (producer) wanted to show me what they were planning so I looked at the costumes and sets and Transylvanians and said “Oh, I’m doing this!”. Later Richard O’Brien, Tim Curry and I were driving down to Bray Studios and I was sitting between them and asked who is singing science fiction and Richard said “I am”. I couldn’t believe it; bastard took my song (laughs).

On the last day of the shoot Jim Sharman (being the brilliant director that he is) asked if I had ever seen the Man Ray lips, which is a painting of a disembodied mouth in the sky.

He wanted to recreate that with my lips. There were no special effects so they completely blacked my face out, drew the red mouth, got a camera and covered it with a black cloth with a tiny piece cut out so it could focus on the mouth. When you sing your head moves and they couldn’t keep the lips in frame so they screwed my head into this lamp clamp. At the time my husband kept ringing the studio wanting a divorce so I told them to tell him I couldn’t answer because I was clamped (laughs), it was a brilliant idea.”

Did you see the FOX reboot of Rocky Horror?

“Of course, it was crap! The astonishing thing is that not only was it bloody

awful is that I couldn’t believe even the music was bad. I just ignored it.”

A lot of our readers will know you from Rob Zombies’ movie The Lords of Salem, how did this project come about?

“I got this straight letter from L.A saying Rob Zombie would like Patricia Quinn to play Megan in The Lords of Salem. I knew the Lords of Salem but I had never heard of him, but he was a Rocky Horror fan. So I watched his movies and I thought “oh these are awful” (laughs) by which I mean it was not my style, they were pretty gory!

Then in came White Zombies records and I remember telling everyone to turn that fucking thing off, and they told me it was Rob Zombie so I said “oooh keep it on he’s wonderful “ (laughs) so then I went to Hollywood and did the film with him.

You see, I’m quite good at being horrible. Being a witch in Hammer House of Horror was brilliant to play because its such fun. The Lords of Salem, I was a witch in an Armani jacket, I wasn’t naked and dancing around a fire (laughs). I had the best bit when I read [Sheri] Zombie’s palm. On the day of filming I found my speech was completely cut. I was beyond furious. Rob Zombie came down and I said “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” and he thought it was too long. “Not the way I do it” I said so we did the scene and the camera men applauded it. Now, that’s the biggest compliment an actor can get; if a camera crew claps your scene you’ve done good. The next day Rob Zombie comes in wearing an original Rocky Horror t-shirt, put his arms around me and says “I can’t thank you

enough for what you did yesterday”. The film was going off into nowhere, it had to be grounded and that scene brought it right into the level of frightening horror.”

How have you found the meeting your fans?

“I’ve adored it. It has been amazing to me and has taken me all around the world. I can go anywhere and join any group on stage. Little Nell and I did a tv show in Seattle and this woman said “Do you two never get tired of doing these conventions” and Nell said “Yeah, it’s very nice to be worshipped” and the woman said “oh I could do with a bit of that” so Nell told her to get a dog. (laughs) I nearly fell off my seat! But this woman being an American didn’t get the irony of it (a dog would worship you) so she just said it would be lovely to have a dog. But it really is lovely to be worshipped. Its lovely to talk to all these people because they are exceptional.

Now, Rocky Horror is really especially exceptional. I was speaking to Richard O’Brien about what’s its done. Meeting people who it changed their lives with changing sex, coming out etc. It’s done that for millions of people but I prefer O’Brien’s idea; what people love is that they can get dressed up, go on a stage and can act. That thrill of performing, it is so joyous. We weren’t out with messages and things, people chose that. I could never imagine the effect it’s had on people. We didn’t aim to change anybody’s life or to do anything like that, Rocky was sex drugs and rock and roll whilst kicking our heels up!”

patriciaquinn.co.uk facebook.com/patriciaquinnnews Interview By Alice Bizarre

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l tutoria

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A Michael Hussar Inspired Look

By Alice Bizarre Hussars work has inspired artists all over the world, including the makeup community.

So here is our step by step guide to becoming a creature, hopefully worthy of his world!

YOU WILL NEED:

(I USED)

* White Face Paint Or Foundation * Neutral Or White Setting Powder * Pale And Red Eyeshadow * Grey And Black Eyeshadows * Highlighter Powder * Red Lip Pencil * White Liquid Liner * Red Lipstick * Black Face Paint * Lip Gloss Or Shine * Red Lipstick * Black Face Paint * Lip gloss or shine * Muted Gold lipstick / paint

Kryolans Clown White Grease Paint Ben Nye Neutral Setting Powder Ve Cosmetics Nothing To Blush About Palette Ve Cosmetics Grimoire Palette Ve Cosmetics Grimoire Palette Barry M Red Lip Liner Nyx White Liquid Eyeliner Ve Cosmetics Blood Mood And Danger Lipsticks Mehrons Black Paradise Paint Ve Cosmetics Clear Spellbinding Lip Gloss - And / Or Illamasqua’s SFX Gel Ve Cosmetics Blood Mood and Danger Lipsticks Mehrons Black Paradise paint Ve Cosmetics Clear Spellbinding lip gloss - And/or Illamasqua’s SFX gel Ve cosmetics - Rose Gold Unicorn Goo

Prep Work: SFX: * Pros aide * IPA * Prosthetic Horns * Long Black Nails Before I began, I painted stripes on my horns using a white and red grease face paint and finished them with a setting spray. I bought long nails online and wearing thick gloves, I heated them a little and bent them to give a creepy claw look, I then painted them using regular black nail polish.

IF WEARING LENSES: Always put your contact lenses in first. However, if you are using mesh lenses it will be nearly impossible to see what you are doing so add afterward, just make sure they are clean and that you have tissues on hand!

IF APPLYING HORNS: You want your face to be as clean as possible, no moisture or foundation!

Put little IPA on a tissue and wipe the area you are apply your horns. Do this also to the underneath of your horns so there is no residue or dust.

• Apply the pros aide to the horn and a little to the area on your face.

• Wait a few moments and tap it a little so it goes ‘tacky’, this is when you want to press it on. I always wait a little while and hold them to make sure they are firm and in place.

• If it’s a silicone piece then dip your brush in some IPA and blend the edges. This will give your horns a smoother look. Don’t worry if you go too much and the horn peels away, you can always just add a little more glue!

Turn Over For The Step By Step Tutorial On How To Achieve This Incredible Look >>>>>

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Step By Step:

Lips:

1. Apply an even layer of white face paint to your exposed areas (face, neck and chest) using a blending sponge.

1. Use your red eyeshadow and blend around the lips whilst keeping the centre light

2. Gently powder all over with a light but large powder brush.

3. Apply a pale eye shadow over the eye. You don’t have to do this but I find it makes blending a little smoother!

I used only one Red eyeshadow colour here for the whole look (in various thicknesses) but you can use a range of reds and pinks, whatever you think works!

4. Apply a light layer of red eyeshadow to the inner and outer corner of your eyes and blend inwards (don’t worry about it being messy! We add to the middle highlight later) 5. With the white base it may go a little pink so simply repeat and press the eyeshadow on to give a gradual blended look.

6. Add the red to anywhere you think it’s suitable for your character.

Here I add it to my nose, collar bones and boobs.

7. Using a light grey, contour your cheekbones, nose and jaw line. Also blend your eyes outwards a little with it too.

I like to emphasis my horns, so I added a little grey around the edge.

8. Apply a little black shadow to the inner and outer corners of the eyes and gently blend! You can gradually build this up as you can always add more but can’t take it away!

9. Use the red lip pencil across your water line.

10. Go back into your light eye areas with a little white paint and pat down with a brush or your finger!

11. Then go over this and blend with a highlighter powder or pale colour.

If you have eyebrows I suggest you fill them in white it gives a bleached effect.

2. Add a little red lipstick and blend that out 3. Repeat until you are happy

Horns

Step 1

Step 3

Step 48

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

Lips Step 1

Lips Step 3

Lips Step 8

4. If you are adding points to your lips, lightly pull out these with the eyeshadow 5. You can either leave it light like this or apply a solid red lip colour 6. Using a firm brush, blend the lipstick edge out with a stroke and pat motion and repeat 7. Add a little extra white if needed 8. Using a thin brush, drag the slice marks out from your lips 9. I found mine was getting to purple so I went over it with a bolder red lip colour This same technique can be used for spikey bits and cuts over the rest of you. Simply apply some eyeshadow like a cross or slash, use the lipstick to make a cut mark, lightly blend the edges out.

10. Using the white liquid liner, draw highlights anywhere you feel works for your look. So here I drew it on my lip, a little on my chest and face, under my eyes and on my lid.

I also added clear gloss to my lips and sfx gel to my eyes for that classic Hussar wet look but your white liner would also be a perfect way to finish if you don’t want to add gloss!

If you are adding black nails, brush on the black paint around the tip on your fingers after applying the nails and blend down.

By Alice Bizarre facebook.com/alicewbizarre See more amazing ‘looks’ and step by step tutorials over at devolutionmagazine.co.uk

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Wendy James Some people get their fifteen minutes of fame and then the light dims and they are never heard of again. Some though become icons.

They are the ones that endure, they are the ones that span generations. Wendy James is such a musical icon born from the band Transvision Vamp but enduring through her solo work. Gary Trueman chatted to Wendy about her new album, the writing process and why she’s loving lockdown.

By Gary Trueman

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“ Whether it’s reading books or watching movies or listening to music, these things are done in isolation anyway for the most part.

So I don’t think artists are suffering as much as people who are used to being in a social environment all the time for their work and even extended families and friends. Financially artists are suffering, a lot of people have lost their gigs. But I think artists are mentally more able to deal with isolation.”

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Your new album Queen High Straight is named after a poker hand. Do you play?

“I knew about some phrases such as aces high and queen straight flush but I don’t play. It was just a good title for the new record.”

You cite favourite artists such as Lou Reed and The Stooges as ones you particularly admire. Are there any new artists that have started to come through that you also like and admire?

“I really like the Black Lips but they’re probably not that new anymore. There’s a band from New York that I liked called the Parquet Courts. They did some stuff that sounds a bit like Johnathan Richman, east coast new wave sounding music. And even though they’re massive superstars I’m always thrilled by Cardi B and Nicki Minaj and all those girls that shake their booty ha-ha.”

Was there anything in the writing process with the new album that you did differently from previous works and also is there anything in particular that you always do the same?

“It’s almost just me sitting by myself with my guitar and my lyrics and looking for the right feeling, the right chords that bring out the sentiment of the lyrics. I never have a plan of how the song is going to be. To a large degree the song tends to write itself. You kind of hit a vibe and you go with it. Nothing in the process has particularly changed except that I’m probably better at it now in terms of selfediting and self-awareness of what stays and what goes.”

So yourself critique has improved?

“Yeah, like any skill set. The more you do it hopefully the better you will become.”

When you put an album out the playlist is the order that the songs were written. That’s quite unusual with so many artists often agonising over the running order. Why is it that you do it this way and always have?

“That’s the most natural running order there can possibly be isn’t it? That’s the order they were invented, given birth to so to speak. It’s way too abstract for me to start thinking maybe track five should be track eighteen. I think they run together because there’s continuity there in as much as they’re all from me, all expressing different parts of my personality.”

You’ve released a double A side single as it were, Chicken Street and Perilous Beauty. Why those two songs in particular to fit together?

“Well when my band opened for the Psychedelic Furs last October we used the last third of the set list to play some of the new stuff and Perilous Beauty and Chicken

Street just went down so well. That’s why it’s a double A, to be honest I’d be happy with either of those being the lead tracks. I’m planning on releasing five double A sides this year from this album. And in the autumn releasing a little box set of seven inch vinyl which I think would be very nice. The more you hear this album, and there are 20 songs, there are a lot that could potentially be singles.”

It is unusual as an album that it has 20 songs on it. Did you just find it easy to write new material?

“I set myself the goal that I would do this as a double vinyl. As you know there’s a limit to how many tracks you can get onto vinyl without the audio degrading. So I thought I’d put five tracks per side. It just worked out that with the running order each side comes in at about 20 to 22 minutes and that’s perfect for a side for vinyl. So everything worked out.”

Vinyl has made a huge comeback recently too.

“Spotify is growing now but cds are down and vinyl is up.”

How are you coping with the Covid 19 lockdown?

“Really great, I love it. A lot of artists I’ve spoken to, we lead solitary lives anyway, with the creative process and taking time to think it all through. Whether it’s reading books or watching movies or listening to music, these things are done in isolation anyway for the most part.

So I don’t think artists are suffering as much as people who are used to being in a social environment all the time for their work and even extended families and friends. Financially artists are suffering, a lot of people have lost their gigs. But I think artists are mentally more able to deal with isolation.”

You mentioned gigs. You’ve got a tour planned for most of September.

If that can’t go ahead would you look to re-book it for as soon as possible?

“I think at that point if September is still untenable and maybe there’s not been a vaccine found, there could be a resurgence of illness. At that point it would be most practical to delay it until spring time 2021. Hopefully by then there really will be a vaccine. The self-isolation and social distancing is to safeguard from the numbers rising, but all the time there’s not a vaccine you’re not going to be sure you can’t catch it.”

Artists have been taking their music online with homegrown shows and mini gigs. What are your thoughts?

“I only saw the big one from New York the other day where the Stones and

everyone did their Zoom performances.

I’ve also seen a few very impressive ones of various national orchestras. The whole orchestra, about 60m people all on Zoom playing their part, that’s really impressive. All from their sitting rooms.”

You’ve played alongside some very highly regarded musicians. If you could choose one person you’ve not yet had the opportunity to share a stage with who would you like to perform with and what song would you choose?

“There’s no doubt that my answer to that is the Rolling Stones and the song Happy from Exile On Main Street.”

You’ve carved out a very successful solo career after Transvision Vamp.

It’s not like you just stopped or anything is it?

“Not at all. I think I’m unique in music history now. There’s no one quite like me.”

Those early videos are getting a lot of plays right now too. Do you think music has a cycle and things sometimes come around and get popular all over again when people rediscover music?

“Every generation discovers the Rolling Stones. Every generation discovers The Clash. There was that whole synth pop 80s revival a couple of years ago. I may have heard The Human League already but for these guys it’s new. So yes, it goes in cycles.”

You do get new younger fans coming along to your gigs too.

“Yes I do. The astonishing thing is people in their mid-20s and mid 30s thinking I’m really cool ha-ha. That’s always really gratifying. I know my fan base, we’ve been together for a long time. But it’s really gratifying to see someone who is clearly too young to be there the first time has joined the gang.”

If you could go back in time to just before Transvision Vamp are about to set foot on stage for the first time and give a younger you one piece of advice what would you say?

“Don’t spend all your money. I mean I can’t fault myself for what we did, I have great memories of Transvision Vamp. But like any teenager I thought it was going to last forever, and I spent it all ha-ha.”

thewendyjames.com facebook.com/thewendyjames Interview By Gary Trueman

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Gary Trueman Photography Model / Hair / MUA:

Rebecca Crow katsandcrows.co.uk

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Gary has worked for Devolution for six years. He has turned his passion for photography into a career which is now going from strength to strength. Specialising in street shoots and use of natural light Gary also utilises a small home studio shooting everything from bands to fashion to glamour.

To view more of Gary’s work or to contact him head over to his page.

Gary Trueman Photography

facebook.com/gtruemanBYHO