So here we are again. It doesn't seem like a year has past since we were last at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester. Watching sets from Deadguy, Sigh and Enslaved amongst others.
This year is as stacked as you would have expected as the organisers have outdone themselves once again.
This issue is has become something of a tradition here at Out of Step Towers and for the third year in a row I bring you the Damnation Festival preview!
This issue has been a year in development. It features interviews from every band that would return my emails!
I would like to thank those bands that have been involved and everyone who reads this issue. See you in the pit.
Dave Gilmore Out of Step UK
Playing on the Pelagic Records Stage at this years Night of Salvation are the enigmatic Sugar Horse. The band have just released a career defining record in "The Grand Scheme of Things". Their set will surely be a highlight of the night and the band themselves are keen to show off their new material.
The band will be playing this years Damnation Festival this November. Are you looking forward to it?
Yeah for sure. That's one of those bookings that we had locked in for a while, but had to wait for a while to announce, so feels good to have it properly announced and on the calendar.
We'll also get to see the good dudes in LLNN again as well, which is always a huge pleasure.
On paper Sugar Horse might not be the type of band expect to play the festival. Do gigs. Like this one ever intimate you or do you enjoy the nature of such things?
Yeah I wouldn't say anyone in the band is primarily a kind of "metal guy", although we dig a bunch of metal-ish bands. We'll definitely be the Indie Cindies walking round that backstage, but metal folks tend to be super nice so I'm not too worried. We may not be the heaviest band on the line up, but sure as shit we'll be the loudest.
Are there any other bands playing on the bill that you will be checking out?
We're playing the opening night, then have a Cardiff show the next day, so won't actually get to see anything that's not happening on our day. Kind of a shame, 'cause Nails would've been a cool set....alas...
We'll definitely be there for the LLNN set though....now they WILL be the heaviest band on the line up.
You recently created a split EP with LLNN, any chance of a collaboration on the day?
Haha would be cool, but we'll be midtour, so I'm not sure we'd have time to practice.
I'd be up for shouting along to Obsidian if Viktor would let me. I think I know the lyrics...
As a band you are part of Pelagic Records, how important do you feel it is to have the right label behind you as a band? Any past horror stories? It was nice to be invited to release a record with Pelagic for sure. We're really into a few bands on the roster and it definitely feels like it's a bit of a weirdo label....and we're big weirdos, so it's a good fit.
I think finding someone who is supportive enough to let you create without feeling the need to give input is incredibly important. That trust and flexibility needs to be there for a label/band relationship to thrive.
You recently supported Julie Christmas at her London show, how was that experience?
That was a fun show! I've been listening to Made Of Babies for years and listened to the Jesu/Battle Of Mice split a tonne back in the day, so was really cool to finally see Julie in the flesh and witness how crazy her vocals are live.
Can you tell me anything about your upcoming record? Will you be sticking with Andy Hawkins as producer? If so what do you feel he brings to the process?
Sure. I'm super excited to put it out! It's been a long time coming for sure. The record is definitely a mixed bag from a sound point of view and goes off in a lot of unexpected directions. Obviously there are super heavy bits, but there are also mega noisy parts, really fragile & melodic parts, as well as the odd piece of full on drone music. The whole thing is a bit of a journey from start to finish and is definitely the most cohesive record we've released so far.
Andy's work on the first record was invaluable. He showed us ways to work allowed us to keep things very live, quick & in the moment, while still allowing us to have a large amount of flexibility after the fact to explore the record's sounds. Andy's ears are also unparalleled and can hear things in a mix other folks just can't. That being said, I am a huge control freak and fancied a crack at this record myself. I've pretty much produced everything we've done except our first record, so it made sense to make that jump. I did have a bit of help from our live engineer Sam Drower, just 'cause playing and engineering is a bit of a pain. It did feel right to have that level of control over this record though. It's so personal and so ingrained with my life as I've lived it recently, that it felt right to also make the recording process as personal as possible.
The vast majority of the record was tracked in a disused community arts hall in Bristol called All Hallows Hall. The place was laid out like a former community church, that had been converted to host local drama performance/pantomimes, that kinda thing. It was beautiful, full of history and falling apart. The perfect place to track a record in my opinion. It may have been far from acoustically perfect, but perfection is beyond dull to us. We want something with character. Somewhere you can hear the floor, the walls and the ground hum. We tracked 90% of the record live in that room and you can hear the place so well in the record. In a world where so much music feels devoid of time and place, injecting human imperfection and a distinct sense of location into a record is very important to us.
From a less material, more ethereal and definitely a lot more pretentious perspective, I believe good art strives to most accurately describe complex emotion. While I'm not implying that I think this album is "good art" I think it fulfils the previously described remit. It attempts to describe the emotions behind the death of my father and is very much a tribute to his and my relationship over the years and what that relationship means to me.
Sadly Lord Dying will no longer be performing at this years festival but included below is the bands interview. I hope we get a chance to catch the band soon!
I understand The band supported Red Fang very early in your career, before the band had any music out or even a name! How was that experience and how did it feel being recognised as having “something” so early on? It was pretty awesome especially since we weren’t really even sure what we wanted to do with it yet. Red Fang are great guys and a great band. They are old buds of ours since long before we started Lord Dying.
Listening to Lord Dying I can hear some Enslaved and even Ihsahn influences here and there. Who would you say are the groups biggest influences and has that changed as your career has progressed?
We love Enslaved, and Ihsahn, Emperor too for that matter, but I’d say early influences would be King Crimson and Pink Floyd. Although now a days I don’t think we really listen to anything particularly for inspirational purposes. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Townes Van Zandt, ZZ Top, UFO, Nick Cave, Sisters of Mercy, etc.
The band is set to perform in a coheadline tour with Black Tusk, are you looking forward to it?
Hell yeah! Black Tusk are old friends of ours. Last time we toured with them was 2012 in US supporting Red Fang.
Your newest record (this years Clandestine Transcendence) is a beast of an album. Could you tell me a little about the concept behind it?
Sure, the album is a concept album as well as the second record in a trilogy. The story begins on the first album ‘Mysterium Tremendum’ with the Dreamer, an immortal being obsessed with mortality that wishes to die. On ‘Clandestine Transcendence’ the Dreamer gets that wish and the songs are about what happens beyond death.
The band will be playing this years Damnation Festival this November. Are you looking forward to it?
Definitely! We played Damnation back in 2019 when we were touring ‘Mysterium’ and we had a blast. It’s an incredibly well put together festival with tons of great bands.
Are there any other bands playing on the bill that you will be checking out?
I’m looking forward to seeing Memorium, Ruins of Beverast, Inter Arma, Dragged into Sunlight, Rezn and Russian Circles!
With Gojira playing the Olympics it feels that right now anything is possible for heavy metal. Do you think this kind of exposure is healthy for the scene or should metal be a niche, aside from the mainstream?
I think it’s awesome both for Gojira and the metal community that they played the Olympics. As for the scene, I don’t think it’s possible for metal to be niche anymore. With the internet and social media there’s way too much exposure to be underground.
2023’s ‘Engraved With Pain’ was a fantastically dark and emotive record that set it’s creators up as a true force in Blackened Doom metal. Morne will be playing this masterpiece in full at this years Night of Salvation.
As of writing you are embarking on your European tour in a few weeks. Do you have a favourite country or town you play in?
Milosz – This is our sixth euro tour. We have played in a bunch of places, and there are still a lot of places we haven’t been to. We have visited a lot of cool places run by great people, but I don’t have a particular favourite place. There are definitely cities and venues we try to go back to whenever we can. Touring is hard work, so getting into a town and experiencing a welcoming atmosphere is very rewarding. I’m very grateful that we get to do it.
Your latest record ‘Engraved With Pain” is a beast! Could you explain some of the themes you had in mind when writing the album?
Milosz – Thanks. Lyrically, every record is based on my own personal experiences. Daily stuff. Good stuff and bad stuff. I also write them so they can be interpreted differently. I don’t like to talk about them too much because some are very deep and very personal, and I would rather see people read them the way they want.
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing for the band? Do you still draw from the same places you did when you began writing music?
Milosz – inspirations come from all over. I’m not inspired by one particular thing. Never was. For me, writing is primarily instinctual. It’s natural, and it happens when it happens. It has been this way since day one. Of course, some bands or riffs left a mark on me, but in Morne, we try to do our own thing.
The band will be playing this year’s Damnation Festival this November.
Are you looking forward to it?
Milosz – Yes, of course. This show is also the last one on this tour. So it will be a little bittersweet. But we are definitely looking forward to playing at Damnation. Hopefully, people will enjoy our set.
Are there any other bands playing on the bill that you will be checking out?
Milosz – Discharge. We are there only for the day we play, but I will try to make time to check things out.
You will be playing your latest record “Engraved With Pain” in full at the festival. Is that something the band has been looking for perform do or was it a request from the festival?
Milosz – The festival requested it. We have never performed an entire album before so this will be a new experience for us. Our sets are always a mix of songs from a few albums.
Are there any challenges when performing a full record over a normal set?
Milosz – Well, like I said, we’ve never done it before, but I can say that added more work to our pre-tour preparations. We had to rehearse a few different sets. Fest sets, club sets, etc. I hope people will dig this full album set at Damnation Fest.
When you look back and reflect on the entire process creating that album, what were the main challenges you faced and will you be doing anything different when it comes to the next record?
Milosz – That album was mostly written over the pandemic shut downs and all that stuff. So, we couldn’t really rehearse, and everything was limited. But we got it done. We also recorded it in a different studio than usual and released it on a new record label, so that added another new thing to the list. But I must say I’m very happy with how this album came out.
The music Neo oblivicarous create is truly unique and their early evening, main stage set will undoubtedly keep the wheels turning for many metalheads. I true must watch set from a humble bunch of lads.
This November you will be playing your landmark record "Citadel" in full at Damnation Festival. How does it feel to celebrate that milestone?
TIM: It feels great. A fantastic opportunity to look back and appreciate what we’ve done and the special things we have created along the way. It’s funny, creating Citadel seems like a lifetime ago and yet at the same time when I revisit the record the music is just as inspiring as ever to me personally. That album was the one that saw us launch out of Australia onto the worldwide scene and so will always have a special place for us.
Was the full album set something the band wanted to draw from or was it suggested by the the festival?
TIM: It was something that we were looking for an opportunity to do and that we pitched to the festival. I’d had it in my head for a couple years that with Exul coming out in 2023 that would leave a bit of space for some Citadel 10 year anniversary shows in 2024 so happy we have been able to make this happen!
I appreciate the record feels like one epic, nuanced track but do you have a favourite track (or part) on that record to play live?
TIM: It definitely flows almost like one track, there is just the one moment of silence on the record in between Painters of the Tempest Part 3 & the start of Pyrrhic. It is always so hard to choose between songs when you write them yourself, but I think Painters of the Tempest is the one I am still most proud of. A 23 minute journey that goes in so many different directions and yet still flows so well. That was a song that was originally only 7 minutes and I kept saying “but what if then did this…” and the song just kept expanding in beautiful ways. I think that song gave us a lot of confidence we could pull off whatever we set our mind to when writing music.
Could you tell me a little about the concept of Citadel?
TIM: ‘CITADEL’ as a title and concept for the record is used to represent the human form; that we're all strongholds, and everyone has walls which hide and protect who we really are. But once the gates have been breached it reveals the flames within and how bright we really burn. The three tracks symbolise the points of a triangle, a symbol for fire; each song is a psychological and emotional exploration beyond those walls of flesh, into the strength and frailty of our existence
How do you feel the band has changed since that recording? Have you grown as musicians and people?
TIM: A lot things change in the span of a decade absolutely. As a violinist, singer and songwriter it’s been a great experience to continue to learn and grow with each album over these years. We’ve had a couple members change over the years, but really the band is in a better place than we’ve ever been. Back in Citadel era we were more seeking to prove ourselves and see if we could step out of our local scene. Now we’re confident about where we are at and who we are as a band. As people I think we’ve matured a lot also. When Citadel came out my daughter was only 2, now she’s getting ready to go off to high school next year. The whole experience of being a Dad has changed me in really positive ways.
Are you aware of the rest of the Damnation line-up and are there any bands you ll be checking out on the day?
TIM: The first thing I noticed was our old friends Cradle of Filth performing! We have done around 65+ shows around the world with them and always a pleasure to watch them live.
You are one if the few metal bands to incorporate live violin in your music. As a Violinist how did you find yourself being such an integral part of a metal band?!
TIM: In high school was always both as classical music nerd and a metalhead at the same time haha! When I was 17 I started to teach myself guitar and sing as I wanted to play in a band, but never really considered playing violin. The first time I heard a classical instrument play metal was Apocalyptica with their wonderful cellists and that created a desire to potentially explore combining my loves of violin and metal. The missing piece came together when I met Xen and he had the idea to add a violin or cello to the new band he was starting. I reached out to an online post he had made, we met up and had a jam and that was that! It has definitely been a journey of exploration to find the different ways my violin playing fits within this context as there was really nobody playing violin in metal the way I had it in my head, so I just experimented and found my own path.
The band seem to create songs very much as I'd imagine a classical composer would. Would you say that is the case or do you work in the more traditional "band" dynamic?
TIM: It depends on the song, but essentially the answer would be that we write in multiple ways. I did study classical composition at university and so some songs I write with a method that is definitely influenced by that background. And yet at the same time, we have also written songs jamming in the same room as a band, or sending different ideas back and forth online between members and piecing it together collaboratively. I think that’s one of the reasons why our sound is so diverse as we do approach things in a variety of ways within the context of NeO.
Your latest record "Exul" came out last year. Are you still touring that record or will you be back in the studio anytime soon?
TIM: We have just begun to work on new material fairly recently, but for now we’re still touring EXUL and trying to get to everywhere that wants to hear these songs. After playing at Damnation we are hoping to make it to South America for the first time as well plans to return to Asia and hopefully back to USA and Australia as well. So busy times, but it’s a fun time to have lots of invitations around the world to perform this music we rae so passionate about. New music will continue and I’m sure we’ll delve more heavily into that side of things next year as well.
Fen are a band that have carved out their niche in the metal world. Eight albums into their career the band have consistently improved upon their past works and shared their unique version of black metal to new audiences across the globe. Band leader, the fantastically named ‘The Watcher’ sat down with me recently to discuss all things Fen.
It seems that the band have had a very busy summer. You ve played Incineration and Alcatraz Festivals to name a few. How were those experiences?
It’s been great actually I have to say – we started working with the Mythology booking agency towards the end of last year and one of our objectives was to look at getting more festival dates in the calendar! For a lot of bands, the summer season is quite a busy one with lots of festival shows, however for us, our summers generally seemed to be quite quiet. That’s fine, it’s nice to relax and enjoy some time off but after a while, it felt like we were sat with our feet up and missing out a little on some great opportunities. With that in mind, Mythology really stepped up and put us forward for some excellent events – Incineration was cool, we opened the main stage there and as it’s something of a ‘hometown’ show, played to a passionate crowd.
The bands logo is iconic. How did you come up with it? Does it have any further meaning other than ascetics?
The logo was designed by Grungyn (bass/vocals) right at the very beginning of the band (when it was more of a studio project than a fully-fledged live act). Right away, I thought it was excellent – it really stood out as something different, something intriguing. It drew the eye and made one want to explore further. I’m not sure what was going through his mind at the time if I’m honest – I think he had spent some time back in the fens and was observing the patterns of nature, reflecting on the cycles of life, death, rebirth.
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing for Fen? Does it come from the same source as your writing with your solo project (Fellwarden)?
All of my inspiration ultimately comes from within – again, it is aligned with that ‘channelling’ process I mentioned earlier. It’s about creating the environment and ambience to draw upon the subconscious, to tap in to the inner wellspring of creativity that dwells within us all and extract ideas from this. That said, as much as the ‘lightning bolt’ of inspiration is important, so too is work and discipline. It isn’t enough to just sit around waiting to ‘feel inspired’ – quite often, I find one needs to work on it, to apportion some time in an evening to dedicate to composition and enter the right mind space. It takes focus, concentration and effort – free oneself of distractions, commit to really digging into the ambience you are trying to evoke and go allin on making that journey.
Even on a tired evening after a long day at work, I find this is possible – indeed, I find at times it is NECESSARY – to take myself off into my little music room with a glass of whisky and commit myself to stepping into the music. Let the ideas flow, explore the guitar and really focus on it. Something will always emerge – a passage, a single riff, a refrain, sometimes even a more or less fully-formed song. It is a careful balance of inspiration and perspiration, both essential components of crafting material with meaning.
Any chance of a co headline tour with both bands in the future haha?!
Ha, it’s an interesting question – part of me would love to do that but I genuinely don’t think I could physically do it! The stresses and strains of the years take their toll and back-toback headlining sets could be a bit much on the body (and indeed the throat!).
How do you juggle the twin responsibilities of Fen and your solo work? Do you feel that one takes priority over the other?
In terms of being a full, recognised ‘band’ with the pressures and responsibilities that come with that, then Fen takes priority in terms of how much energy and commitment is required. Fellwarden is a bit of a ‘free pass’ in many respects really –being predominantly a studio project (though we did play our first show back in June) and not as well known, the external pressures upon it are much less and therefore, there is a little more freedom in how I approach it.
With Fen, we have a committed audience now who we feel we owe a real debt of gratitude and responsibility to – a blessing of course as it is still an absolute honour and vindication that people around the world feel a connection with what we do, however of course with that comes a sense of responsibility to ensure that the material we create is of the highest possible standard whilst still very much embodying the essence of Fen. Aligned with that is our need as creators to explore new avenues, try different things and sonically explore whilst staying true to the band’s values.
The band will be playing this years Damnation Festival this November. Are you looking forward to it?
Yes I am – Damnation is always an entertaining event to attend and/or play, it’s a real meeting place of so many facets of the UK scene. You have death metal, doom, hardcore, black metal, post metal and a wealth of styles uniting under the same banner and it really does feel like a bit of a UK underground family get-together at times.
This year marks ten years since we last played so it’s a bit of milestone in that respect. It certainly feels that a return is due.
Are there any other bands playing on the bill that you will be checking out?
Absolutely. I’m really into a lot of the stuff on the Pelagic label at the moment so hope to spend a fair bit of time at their stage – LLNN and Hippotraktor are on my list. I also want to check out Celeste, The Ruins of Beverast (of course) and our old friends in Ahab. I’ve got to watch the oldschool Cradle of Filth set as well – those first few Cradle releases were absolutely essential back in the day so bearing witness to that material being unleashed is of course necessary.
Damnation Festival has a growing reputation for bands playing full album or otherwise special sets. What record (if any) of yours would you like to play in full and why?
We have actually been having these discussions internally actually over recent months as now we have a reasonably extensive back catalogue, this could well represent an interesting creative challenge. With that in mind, there may well be something in the offing for 2025… so it’s difficult for me to really respond in much detail at this stage! I guess all I can really say at this point is ‘watch this space’!
A Swarm the Sun are one of the most majestic bands on this years bill. The group are currently riding a wave of praise from their last record "An Empire" catch them on Friday to find out why!
The band recently played with a host of your label mates at Pelagic Fest. How was The show?
Jakob: It was absolutely fantastic. The venue is beautiful, the crowd and the general vibe was on another level, and not to forget the crew who was on top of their game. We had some technical issues with an amp breaking down mid set, but nothing that could break the spell. Shit can and will happen, that’s part of the magic in getting on a stage and performing live. It also was out first live show in five years, so it felt great to get back up there.
The band will be playing this years Damnation Festival this November. Are you looking forward to it?
Jakob: Definitely! It’s our first time playing the UK, and it’s the first time I visit Manchester, so this will be a real treat. Looking forward to it a lot.
The festival is getting quite a reputation for bands playing full album sets. If you were to play a set like that which record would chose and why?
Jakob: “An Empire”. It’s the one we’ve been living with for the past five years, and it’s the one I enjoy the most. I can’t wait to bring more of the new songs to the stage.
Are there any other bands playing on the bill that you will be checking out?
Jakob: NORNA for sure, I wouldn’t want to miss that. Also A.A. Williams and Inter Arma!
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing for the band? Do you still draw from the same places you did when you began writing music?
Jakob: No, not really. I mean, a lot of inspiration comes from life and experience and things that happen to you and around you, so in a sense it’s the same because you pull stuff from your own life. But what comes out of it is different because we change all the time. But what do I know really, it’s probably more similar than I think, like some painter painting the same motif over and over again without realising it. Apart from that, I find a great deal of inspiration through visual mediums like film and photography, and that’s also how Erik and I tend to hone in concepts and the overall feel when starting new projects. Musically we are all over the place when looking for inspiration, but not so much in finding references that we want to sound exactly like, it’s more about instrumentation, progressions, arrangements, and details like that.
Your latest record ‘An Empire’ has a beautiful melancholy through out. Could you explain some of the themes you had in mind when writing the album?
Jakob: “An Empire” is a deeply personal, even private, record for me. On a level that makes It hard to objectively describe, since it’s so immensely close. I don’t really like to talk about specifics when it comes to themes or what “something means”, on the one hand because it is too intimate and on the other because it might mean something completely different for someone else, and her truth is just as valid as mine. There’s a lot of soul searching in there though, and a lot of love for music and family. On a general level, I thought we were going to make a more extroverted and open record this time, but it turned out to be the most introverted, personal and internalised one yet. I had the title “An Empire” set years before we started writing, which is usually the case, and when time came to sit down and create a new album I spent a long time actually trying to find out what the title meant and what this was all about, and when it clicked it clicked hard.
When you look back and reflect on the entire process creating that album, what were the main challenges you faced and will you be doing anything different when it comes to the next record?
Jakob: There’s always the logistic challenge of not being a full band writing in a rehearsal space. Erik and I always have to kind of write with the other musicians in mind, recording placeholders for things like drums ourselves, and get the right people in as often as we can,
At as strategic places as possible. It’s not always easy, especially in the longer or heavier tracks, but on the other hand it has always been like that for us so we are used to it. Another thing more specific for “An Empire” is the sheer length of the album. It is the longest one yet by far, and some of the songs are almost 20 minutes long, so it’s a bit of a challenge finding the right dynamics, sequencing, thematic coherence and making it interesting across the entire duration. There’s a great deal of dramaturgy to it, which is difficult but fun.
This year at Damnation Festival we will all be spoilt for choice. Once again we have a line-up before us that leaves very little time to go to the bar or check out the merch. With such a stacked line-up clashes are inevitable (the 'Dragged into sunlight/Ahab clash being the most heiness).
That being said before you lies five bands you really must see. If you somehow drink yourself into oblivion or end up digging yourself out of a Khole and have time for nothing else then watch the following bands. You will have a fantastic day regardless of whatever else happens!
Insanity Alert
Anyone who witnessed the bands festival stealing set at Damnation 2022 will understand how entertaining these guys are. What was always going to be a great show has been elevated even further with the addition of a setlist of songs from their last EP and the classic "Stormtroopers of Death" record! This show will set the tone for the whole weekend and with a potential for Pokémon related fun in the pit you won't want to miss it!
Decapitated
Headlining this years Night of Salvation are Polish Death metal legends Decapitated. The band recently made headlines with the announcement that original lead singer Wojciech "Sauron" Wąsowicz would be joining the band for one night only at Damnation. This once in a lifetime set will be nothing short of a celebration of what the band has achieved and overcome. A brilliant high to finish the first night on.
Gillian Carter
One of the best 'screamo' bands out there Gillian Carter will put on a hell of a show. For three lads from Sheffield they create a mighty racket. Their 2018 record "This Earth Shaped Tomb" is unbeatable as it is heavy and their latest album 2022 Salvation Through Misery is just as world beating. A strong start to the early afternoon line-up.
Cradle of Filth Festival headliners COF are bringing a set full of classics during their 'Old School Ritual' performance on Saturday night. The set will comprise of songs from their first five albums which means long term fans like myself will get a chance to pretend we re teenagers again. New fans will also have a chance to hear songs from the bands back catalogue that they won't hear anywhere else. It will be a great end to our yearly pilgrimage to Manchester and I can't wait.
Bleeding Through
One of the best bands to ever do it, performing one of their best records in full will be mesmerising. The carnage when the first few bars of "Love Lost in A Hail of Gunfire" open up will level Bowlers Exhibition Centre. Like Decapitated the night before, Bleeding Through's set at this years festival feels like a celebration and one that will likely leave more than a few of us needing a little sit down afterwards.
Mushroomhead - Call the Devil
Like finding an old pair of boxers under the bed Mushroomhead's latest album still fits in all the ways it should but has me worried by suspect smells and odd stains from long forgotten midnight shenanigans. Also much like those old boxers, I haven't thought about the band since at least 2010.
In that time the band have gone through several line-up changes and rather more deliberate sound than the dated NU-metal I was expecting. As if to illustrate my point the band derail the Nu- Metal train entirety on hard rock track "We don't care" sounding more like Hailstorm than the masked mentalists of old. Like an unwanted blumkin from passing hobo, this is a change know one asked for and is uncomfortable to sit through. Not bad but in no way necessary either.
The band have always had a fair for the dramatic which rears it's masked head on the very next track "UIOP". The band pull out all their familiar tricks but the song ultimately sounds like an Ice Nine Kills tribute without any of the irony.
Overall this record isn't bad, although it isn't particularly good either. Like my car on the way to work it spins it's wheels too get to an unsatisfying and underpaid destination. Avoid if you plan on operating any heavy machinery or feel one more setback may tip you over the edge.
For Those Who Know Pain.
Lee Mckinney
It is with some trepidation that I decided to delve into the latest solo album by Born of Osiris axe welder Lee Mckinney. Normally, in my mind at least, guitarists solo efforts tend towards the wanky and technical side of things and lack strong song writing and feeling. How wrong I was.
"To those who know pain" is a revelation. This record is an emotional tempest from start to finish. Another factor in my distaste for guitarist led albums is they generally gear towards the instrumental. Whilst TTWKP is largely written in that vein Lee's vocals give a wholly unexpected and raw emotion to the record. Sounding like a particularly moody Vessel (Sleep Token) Lee's voice cuts through the music and whilst he uses it sparingly it is utilised to great effect. My hat comes off to the man as he has a voice like warm syrup poured into your ear cannel by a friendly gopher.
Musically Lee's guitar playing is equal parts Steve Vai and Tim Henson (Polyphia). Not a single note is wasted and each one is filled with emotion so much so that towards the end of the record I had to take a break and listen to the new Nails album as I was dangerously close to feeling an emotion.
The other musicians on this record perform at an amazing level and the saxophone passages by Adrián Terrazas-González and John Waugh on "Lost in My Head" had me smiling with the hint of a tear in my eyes. Naturally I pulled myself together and drank some beer and lifted some weights as well as other manly things till the feelings subsided.
Doing this job it is rare for me to write a review out of anything other than professional obligation, "professional" in massive air quotation marks. This album compelled me to tell you all about it. I can not remember when I was last moved so much by a record. Buy it, treasure it. I know I will.
Nails - Every Bridge Burning
Seventeen minutes; You can make love four times, watch half an episode of One Piece or stick an entire pack of Maltsters up your arse in that time. Yes the things you can do in seventeen minutes are as varied as they are sexy. If you were so inclined you could also listen to the new Nails record.
Like Terrier stuck in a club toilet this latest album is a wonderfully disgusting mix of grindcore infused metal and pure aggression in the best way possible. The track "Give me the Painkiller" had me headbanging so hard Maltesers shot out my bum. Like a cyanide laden sandwich "Every Bridge Burning" is all killer and no filler.
"Lacking the ability to Process Empathy" is the highlight here and sums up the record and the band perfectly. Nails are never going to be a band that surprise the listener but what they will do is devastate anyone within ear shot no matter what they do. EEB is yet another high quality album that sees the band once again leave everyone else in the dust.
Album Review Mimi Barks - This is Doom Trap
Sounding something like Ghostmane or Ho99o9 but written by your sister during a particularly heavy and viscus period. Mimi Barks brings us her latest record 'This is Doom Trap'. This is a rewarding and often experimental record that's refreshing as it is disturbing.
Mimi uses an odd reverb effect on her voice during some songs that sounds like she's singing in her newly decorated bathroom that she's so very desperate for you to ask about. Not a deal breaker but a distraction that has me pondering tile patterns and shower curtains over lyrical content.
Here and there Mimi experiments with more traditional vocals and less of the angry sister vibe from the bulk of the album. It would be great to hear more of this as the artist has a great voice which doesn't really need exaggerating or manipulating. As an artistic choice it certainly gives Ms Barks some uniqueness and her vocals could never be considered boring.
I plan on staying with this record for a while after review so you can take that as a recommendation if it makes you sleep better. Overall this is an interesting album with the seeds of something great somewhere in the mix.
Reviewed by Alex Newman
Playing to a friendly crowd of Metalheads, Goths, Rivetheads from OG Ministry fans to Gen Z new bloods, Zetra kick off proceedings with a lush, Dreamy set of prime cuts from their belting self titled debut, like an eldritch Deftones setting the pace for the evening. Following immediately on is the demonic Synthwave of Gost. While honestly lacking in variation with very little if any breathing space, the experience is more than made up for with sheer pummelling energy as Baalberith drops synth bomb after synth bomb just as hard as any Marshall stack patched into a HM-2.
After a joyous sing along to Neon Genesis Evangelion theme A Cruel Angels Thesis it's time for the evenings main event. Considering all the shitposty antics, the cosplay clad crowd, very otaku pre show music and Bassist/producer John Famiglietti walking on stage in pair of cat ears, It's safe to say the music itself wouldn't take itself too seriously, Right? No. Fucking No.
Straight out of the gate the LA trio bludgeon the crowd with a one two punch of Identity and Vol4 stomper God Botherer refusing to let up on the assault on both a sonic and emotional level. While having a setlist obviously skewed towards recent break out album Rat Wars the set list is still rammed with prime cuts all across the bands 15+ years tenure. Stonefist, Crack Metal, Hateful and others bangers bring the energy while heart-breaking cuts such as Ashamed, Demigods and Tears (from THAT airport scene in Max Payne 3) bring the cathartic emotional weight even dropping a couple of pummelling tunes from their first two albums and a very welcome cover of Be Quiet And Drive.
For a long time now, Industrial music has long since needed a successor from it's long time torch bearers, Your NINs, Godfleshs etc. After the stellar set tonight and the huge crowd they have rightfully pulled tonight, You can be absolutely sure they were right to be handed the keys to the kingdom. Get involved next tour if your Jive Turkey ass didn't this time.
