RAMzine 30: Dee Snider, PhoxJaw by RAMzine

rock & metal

WWW.RAMZINE.CO.UK ISSUE #30

An interview with Dee Snider Fifth Full-Length Solo Album, Leave A Scar, out July 30th via Napalm Records.

Thomas Fordham Social Media Exec & Writer social@ramzine.co.uk

The Surge of Vinyl 2

It is fair to say that the vinyl revival has been absolutely magical for music, especially over the last eighteen months where national and international touring hasn’t been an option for bands and artists. For the first time in thirty-plus years, vinyl has sold a higher quantity of units than CDs! With the plethora of vinyl variations out there

now, this can wreak havoc on the collectors mind as it becomes something much like Pokémon, “You gotta collect’em all!” and is probably one of the main reasons for this surge in vinyl purchasing, especially with bands getting even more experimental with their vinyl designs; picture discs, transparent, colour bursts,

two-tone, gradients etc. When I look back on lockdown, we had the time to fall in love with albums again, I like to think we’re coming back into the album’s heyday as the standard and quality of UK rock and metal has been raised considerably. Seeing people’s collections has definitely been inspiring for me, especially

as some of the smaller bands are reassessing high quality vinyls. Sometimes you can’t keep up, but if this is the best way to support bands going forward, we better start saving!

rock & metal WWW.RAMZINE.CO.UK OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY

Photo Credit: Paul McGuire

An interview with PhoxJaw

“Most of us grew up together and we’ve always been quite mad. I think humour is such an important thing for us all and connects us a lot. ” - Danny Garland

RAMzine Classic

We take a look back at Ace by Desperado

Jay Brown Assistant Editor assitant.editor@ramzine.co.uk

On the cover is Dee Snider by Stephanie Cabral.

RIP JOEY JORDISON

At the time of writing, the news has not long been broken about the passing of Joey Jordison at the young age of 46, a hugely influential, talented artist taken far too soon, a personal hero of mine, one of the artists that first introduced me to heavy music. Therefore I wanted to dedicate this editorial to him and all the other fantastic artists we have lost this year, here’s to them, rest in power.

Recently I’ve noticed a buzz of creativity in our community. Being music lovers, I’m a firm believer that we all have creativity in us Victoria Purcell somewhere in some Editor sort of form. Some vicky@ramzine.co.uk display this through fashion and the items they present themselves in, others through photos, paintings, drawings, or words. I’ve noticed people online release in many forms and share their creativity with their online community. It’s brave and can be healing, having an outlet can be important. Festivals, live music, the people in our community are all inspiring to me, they make me feel at home. Within this issue of RAMzine I’m pleased to include our first Creative Corner which includes submissions from some wonderful women who just happened to share their creativity online. If you would like to submit to the next one please email me at vicky@ramzine.co.uk. Also within these pages are some important thoughts from Twisted Sister vocalist Dee Snider, who I spoke with about his new album, cancel culture and cultural trends. He tells us that these days people need to stand up for what they believe in, that the loudest voices in the room while not always the ones we agree with are ending up making some big decisions for us. Therefore we need to stand up and speak. It’s a thought-provoking point that I look forward to mulling over with friends down the pub.

Neale McGeever Senior Contributor

Ashley Crowson Senior Contributor

neale@ramzine.co.uk

ash@ramzine.co.uk

Neale is a freelance journalist - check out his vintage clothing at Rock N Roll Retro.

Guitarist, photographer, geek, gamer, full on metalhead and allround barfly. 3

When I’m having a barbeque the one thing I like to try is the finest of sauces. For rock and metal fans, Bring Me The Horizon have you (and your food) covered with ‘Syko Sauce’. In collaboration with Lou’s Brews, who also produced You Me At Six’s SUCKAPUNCH sauce, The Sheffield rockers present “the perfect way to crank your barbecues up to the next level”. Like Oli Sykes, this sauced is totally vegan. This was announced via the Lou Brews Twitter in late July: “Beyond stoked to announce that we’ve teamed up with Bring Me The Horizon to create the sauce of the summer - Syko Juice.” The sauce retails at £10.00 per bottle via the Lou Brews website - get yours now. WORDS: NEALE MCGEEVR

The new R 18 Transcontinental and R 18 B offer an intense sound experience. A brand new 2-way speaker system has been developed with the help of Marshall Amplification and integrated into both bikes, featuring black speaker grilles adorned with the classic Marshall logo. The Marshall Gold Series Stage 1 and Stage 2 sound systems can be added further to provide an even more intense listening pleasure. Up to 4 loudspeakers and 2 subwoofers with 280 watts of total output provide incomparable sound quality and “good vibrations”. “The legendary Marshall spirit and the development power of BMW Motorrad fit perfectly together. It’s the perfect match,” says Alex Coombes, Commercial Director Marshall. “We’re already looking forward to much more to come”.

MuddiBrooke are a new grunge band from Derby made up of ‘Brooke’ (Harriet McDonnell) on guitar & lead vocals, Anna Melidone on bass & vocals, and Mary Prince on drums. They have just announced the release of their debut album Lunacy which displays sonic strands of vintage sounds, grunge, and gutsy lyrics. The songs and stories on Lunacy are said to ask the question, “What does it feel like to be one of society’s rejects”? MuddiBrooke look to own those feelings and though their music give the message of self-acceptance, being your own person and to wear that proudly. You can watch their video for ‘Devil’ on YouTube now. Lunacy will be out on 22nd October 2021.

Photo Credit: Ross Halfin

Photo Credit: Jason Bridges

Gibson has announced an official brand partnership with Kirk Hammett of Metallica, one of the most iconic rock guitarists today. The new partnership will span across Gibson Brands including Gibson and Epiphone guitars. “It’s a really great and exciting time for me to be joining forces with Gibson,” says Kirk Hammett. “I look forward to achieving great things together in the future.” “It’s an honor to welcome the icon, the ripper, Kirk Hammett back to the Gibson family,” says Cesar Gueikian, Brand President, Gibson Brands. “Kirk has been carrying the flag for hard rock and heavy metal for decades, and his Gibson guitars have been there with him from the very beginning. From his first Gibson, his 1979 Flying V to ‘Greeny’ and everything in between, Gibson guitars have been an integral part of Kirk’s sound”. Watch the new interview with Kirk Hammett and Cesar Gueikian on Gibson TV.

Five Finger Death Punch frontman, Ivan Moody, will make his literary debut in collaboration with Z2 Comics for the illustrated novel Dirty Poetry. The book will be released in Autumn with signed copies available on the Z2 website. This is a combination of original poetry by Moody, along with twisted watercolour artwork by Blake Armstrong. Ivan Moody said this about the collaboration - “I had no idea how this would turn out but thankfully - between Blake and myself - I’m ecstatic with this first edition of Dirty Poetry. I’m intrigued and excited to share this FULL DOSE of my thought-provoking/chaotic and emotionally stimulating artistic vision with all of you. Welcome... to My rabbit hole”. Z2 has worked with Babymetal, Poppy, and many other artists over the years. Dirty Poetry will be released on hardcover, will be 104 pages long, and released in October.

WORDS: NEALE MCGEEVR

THE

e v i t a Cre Corner Standing here glaring into this misty mirror, Many would not recognize who I see, Through the cracks and the dust, My inner demon is leering back at me. There have been times, when I’ve let my demon crawl out from the inner depths, But most people don’t appreciate and shudder from her presence, So, I keep her concealed, deep down inside my soul, As most people cannot grasp, how she helps my feelings grow. Most find her frightful, for they cannot understand, I don’t take it personally; I just keep her close at hand, It’s easier to fake a smile, and keep the world at bay, My inner demon is a part of me, she’s the one who feeds my creativity. There are a special few, Who don’t shy away, or get scared by what they see, In fact, they like the darkness, They take comfort, as they are just like me. They also have a demon, in the dark depths of their soul, When we come together, we get to climb outside our inner holes, So let me tell you this, it’s not as sinister as one might have first believed, When our darkness seeps together, our creativity brings a release and ease. 7 Words & Portrait by Pascal Simmons

hen our editor asked me to pull together some words about the Download Pilot event, I thought it’d be pretty straightforward. ‘Amazing’, ‘epic’, ‘momentous’… but to tell you the honest truth, no words are enough to sum up how truly life-affirming one single weekend could feel. I’ve agreed to it now though, so I guess I’ll have to try…

“

Mask-free dancing, moshing, hugging and crowd surfing touched every set, and it was shockingly easy to forget the world outside”

This summer 10,000 Download fans were given the chance to make history, with the first weekend ‘pilot’ festival event to test the spread of COVID-19 at a live event. PCRs and LFTs were taken, but once through those hallowed gates, all restrictions were off. Mask-free dancing, moshing,

hugging and crowd surfing touched every set, and it was shockingly easy to forget the world outside, and the trials of the past 18 months. With a stacked roster of solely British-based bands, the hastily recruited line-up was a testament to the absolutely stellar levels of talent on our shores right now. From long-term legends Bullet For My Valentine and Skindred, to fresh up-and-comers Hot Milk and Static Dress, we’d never been more grateful for a clash-free schedule. With so many performances across the weekend, it’d be easy to sing the praises of every single set. In terms of stand-outs, however, Friday headliner Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes was a glorious, riotous punch in the face serving big tunes and big attitude. On Saturday, Creeper’s set showed just why this band deserve to go completely nuclear, with their fresh take on operatic-tinged punk rock

delighting a packed-out tent. Closing out the Saturday, Enter Shikari cemented their status as one of the best live bands in Britain right now. A career-spanning setlist, including debut performances of tracks from last year’s Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible. As vocalist Rou Reynolds paced the stage, the emotion from every single person in the crowd reflected back on his face, it echoed the true joy seen from everyone performing across the weekend. After 18 months of life and livelihoods on hold, the air crackled with pure triumphant energy. The floodgates opened, and the moments we’d missed the most – singing along to our favourite songs, surrounded by best friends, drink in hand – came back like they’d never left. And we’ll never take them for granted again.

Photo Credit: James Bridle

Photo Credit: ThorEgilLeirtrø

Photo Credit: Matt Eachus

Photo Credit: James Bridle

If it doesn’t kill you, kill it & stand on a mountain in its skin.

ristol’s Phoxjaw have been tearing up the South West’s stages and beyond with their powerfully cataclysmic brand of riffs and eerily melodic atmospherics, steadily building a strong and loyal fanbase along the way. They are part of a wave of incredibly creative and groundbreaking bands from the city such as IDLES, Svalbard and Lice. With two brilliantly crafted EPs 2018’s Goodbye Dinosaur and 2019’s A Playground For Sad Adults, 2020 would have seen them reach their pinnacle, by playing Download Festival alongside releasing their critically acclaimed debut album Royal Swan. However, the dreaded c-word put a stop to all that, and as of June 2021 the band have been in the studio working on their eagerly anticipated sophomore album. I put some questions to Danny, the bass wielding, vocal battering ram of a frontman of the band. True to the bands abstract and chaotic style, I received some interesting, insightful and some absolute rib-tickling answers. So, dear readers, buckle up, it’s going to be a wild one! For those who don’t know who Phoxjaw are, how would you guys describe your sound to them? Phoxjaw is a polymath, a shape-shifting force of energy cloaked in thick black honey. So thick it’ll clump your hair together which we will then cut off and eat. You’ve always been a mercurial band, never afraid to shake it up

and push the boundaries of your sound, what are some of the influences behind the music you create? Is there any that might surprise people? We listen to lots of music, so much so our ears whinge and whine. Barry White is a universal love, he is loving and we love to love cause love is lovely and we love you. Oh and Abba. But check our mates out in Italy Zolle, I dig their riffs! There is a real DIY edge to the band, not just in the music but within the band itself. With Josh [Gallop, guitars/backing vocals] being a producer and Kieran [Gallop, drums] being a photographer, do you think this helps bring a natural edge to your songwriting? It’s great that the music and visual aspects are all created in the house. There is so much creativity in this band and we all add so much to the potion. Like we all can do bits that the others can’t, so it all fits together like an 800-piece expansion engine puzzle. I dunno how Josh wires his space wires to his inter-dimensional producer data box and of course he can’t close his eyes and feel the winds as I talk to the imps and feel the roots vibrate. It’s chemistry sometimes, you’re in the right place right time times, you’re in Alcatraz. Lucky to have these guys – imagine being the 578 pieces to that puzzle. Lost in a landfill site useless.

You’ve become well known for your organic brand of tongue-in-cheek, distinctly South West humour within your crazy behind-the-scenes videos, with a level of humanity and fun that people can really buy into, is this something that has evolved naturally over time or has always been present? Most of us grew up together and we’ve always been quite mad. I think humour is such an important thing for us all and connects us a lot. When Alexander joined, he made me laugh so much my belly hurt and I had to have some Calpol. We like to play characters a lot and you can expect sketches to come. Frustratingly you were meant to play Download in 2021, due to the raging pandemic this has now been moved to 2022, how has the pandemic affected the band as a whole? The pandemic changed all of our lives, some for the good some for the bad. When the virus hit, Josh and I went into writing mode and we put together the babies who are nearly ready to leave our clutches. Always look on the bright side I believe. If it doesn’t kill you kill it and stand on a mountain in its skin. But as for Download, we will be there next year and it will be biblical. You have built a reputation for absolutely chaotic live shows wherever you go, we should know having

been to a few! But what was it like to play to an all-seated crowd at Signature Brew back in May? There is like a force that takes over and from there it’s chaos. Signature Brewery were lovely but don’t get me wrong, I wanna feel the heat from the bodies, hear the roar and float on a river of hands. Are you planning anything crazy and off the wall for your two home town headline shows in October?

the listener. I wanna paint a location or scene a lot of the time. I’m a huge Scott Walker fan and reading Sun Dog helped me approach vocals differently on this record. You’ve recently been nominated for Best UK Breakthrough Band’ and ‘Best Album Artwork’ at the Heavy Music Awards 2021, how awesome does that feel to be on the same award bill alongside the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Deftones, Spiritbox and more?

Whenever we do something we wanna try something new. The new record’s sounding very different, we are using a lot more synthesisers and there’s definitely a more progressive, tropical feel in places. But shhhhh, I can’t spoil the surprise. The imagery in your lyrics is enigmatic, ambiguous, and drenched in metaphor, which only adds to the band’s mystique. What inspires you to conjure up such vivid and strange imagery? I’m very into creating imagery for

If there was one artist or band that you would love to collaborate with, who would you ask? Ya know we have this conversation a lot. I think Chari XCX is a big one, her last record was a lockdown classic. We always wanted to do something with Sophie also, she was a beam of light in her genre. We wanna work with those artists that sound different to us. Given that you have a song title that contains a menagerie of animals, if you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?

You’ll have to find out, but we got a new boy in the batch if you haven’t noticed already. He’s added a lot to the shows for sure, proper animal. It has been just over a year since the phenomenal Royal Swan was released, an album that was signature Phoxjaw but also packed with a lot of surprises, now that you’ve been in the studio for album number two (judging by your socials), can you give us a hint as to what we might expect? How has the writing process gone? What’s been done differently?

slamming into virtual bodies to ‘…Unicorn’s Blood’ would be wild.

It’s so lush to be nominated. The last trophy I won was a bronze shield for losing at a football match when I was about seven, so ya know it’ll be nice to feel a drop of glory. Watch out for our outfits on the night 😉

Well, my spirit animal is an owl. They land on my window ledge at night with parcels full of trinkets and old coins. Kieran is a bear; he eats up all the honey. Alex a fluttery butterfly flapping whilst tapping. Josh a beaver, cuz he holds the river Dam from spilling and washing us away. And last but not least, Elston is a chimpanzee swinging his arms around with a Brewdog in hand.

If someone was first discovering Phoxjaw, what three songs would you choose to recommend them the best overview of what Phoxjaw is all about?

What other bands are you currently digging at the moment? Any that you could recommend to me?

I would say Teething, Trophies In The Attic & Infinite Badness.

Check out Yard Arms, they are really close pals of ours and sing very nice songs. Also we are all huge Raketkanon fans, they rock.

If you could get a Phoxjaw song onto any film/video game new or old which one would it be? It would be nice to hear a Phox song on GTA to be honest, driving around

Finally, after watching the Monday Man video again recently, Bristol City or Bristol Rovers? BRISTOL ROVERS 4LIFE.

CLASSIC DESPERADO - ACE -

WORDS:TOM DIXON

Gillan ention the name Dee Snider C and LA S Sa numIC ber of times and and most would immediately can attest to their think of Twisted Sister and undoubted skills his make-up, snarling visage belting E SasPwell E R as AD in O out one of the rock anthems of the 80s, Dlive the studio, and ‘You Can’t Stop Rock ’n’ Roll’. can only bemoan the fact the band Mention Bernie Torme and most - A-C E A C-E - A C E never toured. would arrive at Gillan (the band) and his guitar wizardry across numerous This quality ‘lost album’ starts with albums and countless live shows – alsome bluesy mouth organ and acousthough, sadly, he’s no longer with us. tic slide as Dee begins the tale on Mention Clive Burr and thoughts turn to early Iron Maiden and to some, their ‘Hang ‘Em High’. The track builds to the typical Snider led join-in chorus best work. and Clive’s hi-hat work – before the unAdd in bass player Marc Russell (who mistakable Torme riffing turns it into stayed with Dee in Widowmaker) and a very high quality, heavy blues-rock you have Desperado. song with outstanding performances from everyone. Their debut album, known then as ‘Gone Bad’ may start acoustic but soon Bloodied But Unbowed was recorded graduates into a superb rocker that for Elektra Records who, for various could have been a hit single, as the reasons totally abandoned the band verses and chorus beg you to join in. [Read more about this on the following Bernie sparkles as usual and Clive pages in our interview with Snider]. I gives us cowbell, a great song. came across it in the UK when it was ‘Run Wild Run Free (The Maverick)’ reissued as Ace in 2006 on the Angel builds beautifully with hi-hat, bass Air label. Interestingly, after the usual and low down guitar before the vocals thank you’s on the liner notes, Dee show that Dee’s comments were true – added two extra lines, and I quote: he is on fire as he uses his lower range “Fuck Elektra Records; Fuck Bob to great effect, and behind it all Bernie Krasnow!” It did get another reissue in laces the Strat with his trademark 2009 but seems to have been untremolo work which is lovely. der-promoted, which is a great shame ‘Heart Is A Lonely Hunter’ is seven as it is a very strong rock album with minutes of heavy, high-quality rock eleven Snider/Torme compositions that Iommi would have been proud that should be heard much more of. Light passages interspersed with widely. Dee is on record as citing this weighty riffs and a genius solo, has the as the best record he ever made with band proving what could and should some of his best songwriting and, with have been were it not for the shuttered Bernie in tow I have to agree with him minds of label executives. [his newest release notwithstanding]. ‘Calling For You’ is the lighters aloft heavy ballad Dee excels at. I had the good fortune of seeing Twist‘See You At Sunrise’ is slightly faster ed Sister (supporting Alice Cooper)

but would qualify for yet more lighters burning fingers as you will be compelled to join in the chorus and then, with a mad time signature, Clive leads to a much faster finish. I’m not quite sure what the sound effects are (spurs? masticating?) or mean, but it leads to another great solo, so who cares? ‘No Angels Here’ is an acousticly-introed heavy rock ballad of such complexity and quality, it’s hard to comprehend why this record stays hidden. ‘Made For Trouble’ has one of the best intros ever, before Dee puts in a structured and quality vocal and (possibly) the odd double entendre. ‘Ride Thru The Storm’ delivers heavy/ light/heavy on a song that is begging to be done live (…ah, well). ‘Son Of A Gun’ has Marc a bit more to the fore, proving why Dee kept him for Widowmaker; Clive is errr, Clive and brilliant at it. Wrapping up the Angel Air release is the strangely spelt ‘Emaheevull’ (perhaps to distinguish it from another famous ‘Am I Evil’ song) but this is all Snider. The harmonica lays down a rhythm on the intro before being blown away by the rapid-fire instrumentation; great riff and yet another sing-along chorus. The central section is genius as harmonica and Strat have a battle and then call it a draw. A great song to close a great album. You can still get physical copies in the usual outlets as well as digitally, and I highly recommend you do as it is packed with 80s/90s anthems that stand against their peers then and now. 13

“WE ARE ALL FROM THE SAME FREAKING BLOODLINE!” - DEE SNIDER F

amous for fronting one of the biggest hair metal bands in the world, Twisted Sister, Dee Snider is back with his fifth FullLength Solo Album, Leave A Scar. Snider had quit music in 2019, about a year later the world changed; people could no longer leave the house to go to work, or even go outside at times, limited to one walk a day. Feeling that eventual entrapment of Covid-19 he knew now was the time to rock again and he knew he was not alone in these feelings. Rock fans all over the world were feeling the lack of live shows and need for music, and so Snider began writing new songs. Snider, who fought for censorship back in the ’80s, tells us his thoughts on “the loudest people” online and talks us through his thoughts on cancel culture. Read on for the full story. Some of my colleagues are attending Bloodstock and they told me that I need to mention “Mexican-Pizza-Donuts”.

Dee laughs as he says; I pride myself as a frontman on being reactive to the environment. There’s a lot of great frontmen out there, some better than others, many of them are great but they are repetitive, they do the same thing at the same time and don’t take in their surroundings. I remember being at a concert with a band in the late 70s with a band called Triumph, it was a theatre show and they had a regular part of the show where they would shine a light on the balcony and say “how are you doing up there!”. What they didn’t know or even ask about was that the show hadn’t sold well and they had closed the balcony. And so it got to that point in the show and they shone the light up there and it was just a janitor with a broom by himself standing up in the balcony. So you gotta look around and I just said Pizza… and I said Donut… I’m gonna get me some Donut Pizza after the show! And people never forgot that, it was just an observation.

...It’s true that if you spend enough hours doing something you just become better at it”

Photo Credit: Stephanie Cabral

“We don’t speak up enough. We’ve got these extremes on both sides and the loudest voices in the room are steering the ship”

-Dee Snider

I love that, you’ve got to bring something funny to the set sometimes, it does make people remember it. Yes well, that’s me, I like to play the fool. Honestly, I pride myself on [the fact that] you will laugh during a Dee Snider show, you’ll feel righteous indignation and anger and you will clench your fist and snarl and there will be moments where people will well up – like when I do ‘The Price’ and I put up pictures of all the rockers we have lost. It’s becoming a terrifying list actually. The Ramones, the original band… gone! Motorhead, the original line-up… gone! Put an X through that name, and you see people crying. But entertaining is taking people on an emotional journey. Yes, we are all there united by this one thing that we all love… Heavy Metal! And so people do feel strong 16

emotions to us remembering those who we have lost. I totally get that! I was very sad when Lemmy passed away. You have just released your new album Leave A Scar, and I’m loving the opening track ‘I Gotta Rock (Again)’ – I feel like we literally all gotta rock right now after having been locked inside for over a year! Well, that was the starting gun for the album. I don’t know if you had heard or read that I had mentally decided that after 2019, no big announcement, but I was just going to move on to other things. And suddenly mid-covid I just had this flash in my mind like I gotta rock again! I laughed because I said boy that’s a Dee Snider title if I ever heard one. Then I wrote it down and looked at it

and said I think the world is thinking this right now, everybody is feeling this exact thought and that started the writing and the whole idea of doing a new album and the writing process. ‘I Gotta Rock (Again)’ is a really great coming out of lockdown track. I thought that the guy chained to the chair in the video signified lockdown a little bit. Yeah, that was it 100%. There were certain bright spots in Covid, it was a difficult time but you gotta look for the silver linings. People were getting [like] ‘hey we get to be home’, and ‘wow I get to catch up on these shows I like so much’ and then all of a sudden it felt like we were in a prison. ‘Wait a minute I’m tired of sitting here, I’m tired of binge-watching another show, I’m tired of cleaning out my iPhone photo album…’ so yes it was symbolic, it was

becoming someone that I did not want to be. Fortunately, I’ve been wise enough to gut check and say ‘wait and minute… is this you?… And make some changes. So I think that really everybody could use that reminder, that number we need to check ourselves and there’s some evil people in the world going ‘yes!! I’m evil!’ and it’s like ok just keep going and do your thing, as long as that’s what you want to be! … but also we can make an adjustment along the way and say yeah I’m not really happy with where I’m headed right now but I’m going to re-change this course and go in a different direction. I’m reminding people of both things.

Photo Credit: Paul McGuire

metaphorical. Breaking the chains and rocking, smash the damn TV! Photo Credit:

‘Time To Choose’ (With Francesca Ludikar Cannibal Corpse’s George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher) was your second single out and you were quoted saying it’s about good vs. evil, is that what the choices are between? Or did you have something in particular in mind when writing the track? Well, I’ve explored this subject on a number of songs, first on my first album by Twisted Sister Under The Blade a song called ‘Sin After Sin’, on the Stay Hungry record there was a song called ‘Burn In Hell’. They were all about that moment of re-evaluation, what path am I on and what kind of person am I, and do I like what I am. Unfortunately, I’ve had a number of times where I have found myself

I feel like over the years people almost have had to re-evaluate the way they think, if you think about how cancel culture is so rife right now, I feel like it’s because of a big shift in the way that people see things. How people used to do things and how things work now, there are people in the middle going ‘yesterday things were like this’ and they are not quite getting the chance to catch up with it. And it’s a choice that people have to make about how to live now. Yeah, and most of us, the vast vast majority are the people in that big middle, leaning a little to the left, leaning a little to the right but somewhere here in the middle and we don’t speak up enough. We’ve got these extremes on both sides. Loudest voices in the room sort of steering the ship, and we say ‘wait woah, woah, what’s going on here’ and sometimes we get caught up in their craziness. And I think censorship, cancel culture, whatever you want to call it, is one of those things that we need to say ‘woah woah this is going a little too far now’. I’m all for not hurting people’s feelings. And caring about what you say affects other people but now it’s getting a little bit extreme. I personally experienced this on this creating this album, I caught myself thinking about the metaphors that I was using and going ‘oh would this be ok?’ and the

Dee Snider 1985-fighting censorship said “What the fuck are you doing! It’s a fucking metaphor man! If we can’t have a metaphor what do we get!?’ We get gangsta rap which doesn’t even try to hide anything. They say ‘I got a big wet pussy and suck my dick and there’s not even an attempt to hide it!’ So yeah, you gotta check yourself. I think the biggest question is how can people raise their voices without causing censorship? That’s very astute. You can find yourself getting caught up in it all and realising… I mean I know I’m guilty of it, here I am Mr Anti-censorship and I’ve had people call me on things that I’ve said online, famously the original singer of Cannibal Corpse, [Chris Barnes]. I had said something about Cannibal Corpse lyrics being just disgusting or something, but something censory and he said “I’m a big fan of yours and you fought for Censorship and I can’t believe you’re saying this” and on social media, I said ‘you’re right, I’m sorry, that was over the line and I shouldn’t of said that you have every right to speak just as much as anybody else’. And a lot of people commented ‘oh my god, a social media discussion so civil’ – where one person says something and the other person disagrees, and the other person says ‘yeah you’re right, I was wrong there’. But you do find yourself saying wait a minute, in an effort to try and do the right thing, and you suddenly find yourself being one of those cancel culture people I suppose that it’s just the shift in times and maybe at some point it will settle, I don’t know…? On my record and particularly on my song ‘Stand’ – I’m speaking on my whole album to the vast middle, because like I said we’ve got these small, loud, extremists, the loudest voices in the room, and they think because they got 10 thousand people on their Facebook group that they’re a movement, I’m here to tell you you’re a fucking parade! 10 thousand people is not a movement, there are seven billion people in the world and you don’t 17

speak for everybody and just because you’re loud, it doesn’t mean that you are right. I’m tucked in the middle of this idea of what you just said and I’m not chastising you, I’m just saying this is a problem. The middle have kind of gone with this thing ‘well I hope things will come back to normal, I trust that it will work out, I’m hopeful that things will turn out for the best… that is why we are here because the vast majority has been too willing to allow and just sit there and think it usually turns out ok, no it hasn’t, look at the world! Not just the United States, look at England, look at Spain, look at the world! We have this kind of thinking from the vast majority that has allowed small pockets of extremists to have the loudest voices and to make some major decisions for us and it’s time to stop with that ‘I hope it will work out for the best’, no, do something! Stand for something!

You know what, that makes a lot of sense, your lyrics say “Stand up, don’t leave a mark, leave a scar”, is this what you were talking about? It’s a metaphor, scars usually mean pain, and bad things emotional scars and physical scars. But it was actually a personal experience when I was a kid, I know it’s illegal but I painted my name on a building and a week later I went back and they painted it over, that was my mark. Around that same time I carved my name into a tree, 6 months ago I went back to the school that I went to as a child, it’s still there. As long as that tree is standing there, and even if they cut it down unless they chop it into a million pieces that scar is going to be there and that’s the difference between making a mark and a scar. It’s just a much more significant mark, so to speak.

That makes sense and I do believe that people should stand up for what they believe in. Your track ‘S.H.E’ what do the letters stand for? I will tell you in a second, I’m not going to be like WASP or KISS, what does it stand for… Kids In Satanic Service. I try to keep songs general enough… I had one friend who said my wife said ‘why don’t you write me a song like that’, I said well that’s why I write songs it doesn’t say who [it is], it says SHE, so you could play that song for your wife or say this reminds me of you. I had another person say are you talking about music? They felt that I was talking about music and there was a song (before you were born) and it was ‘You’re in my heart, you’re in my soul, when I grow old’ [Rod Stewart ‘You’re In My Heart’] and everyone thought he was talking about women… he was talking about soccer, football.

So it was just a solace for him, to go and enjoy a football match and kick the ball around. So anyway S.H.E stands for Suzett Has Everything, and that’s my wife, 45 years, and she’s just a staggering woman, you know [she did] hair for the band, make-up, the bone logo, she’s just is so talented and if you look at any rock stars wife list you’ll see her at the top. It’s crazy because it’s always like Keith Richards, Ringo Star and all these mega stars, and then it’s Dee Snider’s wife Suzzanna. They’re all supermodels and she is just this Italian from Brooklyn, New York, who just happens to be beautiful. It’s a good job that you did write a new album then, just so you could write her a song. I haven’t written a song since 1995, I’ve not been writing. So as I started writing again, I thought it was overdue and I didn’t wanna write a ballad, I wanted to write a heavy metal love song, so hence SHE. I was wondering which outlets and festivals have you found to be the most supportive of underground bands over the years? I can’t say specifically who. It seems to me that so many of them have this multiple-stage scenario where they’re giving a stage to black metal, death metal etc. They got all the different stages and I’m always impressed that you are seeing this support of the younger bands as well as the classic bands. The best festivals sort of follow my thought and that is: I’m a metal fan from day one, and I’m 100 years old and I was there for the beginning of metal, all the first albums when they were all first released, I got em, I was

championing it, I was in a band that only played Black Sabbath when I was 13 years old, only Sabbath! After the first album Paranoid came out, what else did you need? To me, metal is a big family, and it’s stronger if we support all the types. So when I get to a festival and I see the Dio Stage, and the black metal stage and all these different stages I see that they’re acknowledging the strength in numbers. Look you won’t have download numbers without having different stages and all those different levels of metal. But people need to remember it’s one bloodline, we’re all from the same freaking bloodline, I don’t care what you’ve become or turned into or how metal you think you are, you just follow it back and there’s Black Sabbath and then Blue Cheer and Grand Funk Railroad and the hard rock bands, Cream, Hendrix, it all is the same bloodline! What do you think of the current generation of bands? I am blessed to have had children who not only were metalheads but kept me connected to what was happening, the changes, the growth, the scene and the music they were listening to and sharing it with me, and going to concerts… Especially with my daughter, she’s 24 and she’s so brutal, she’s so heavy… Is that Shy? Yeah the wrongly named Shy, she terrifies everybody, I remember Jamey Jasta [Hatebreed] looking at the playlist that she sent me and he goes ‘oh

my god, it terrifies me, this stuff is like so heavy, so brutal’. So I’ve constantly been connected and seeing bands and meeting bands. I’m friends with a lot of bands because she would be into them and then I would, of course, being Dee Snider, take her backstage and get her to meet her heroes. And then she would move onto other music, but I’m still friends with all the bands. Let me tell you a cool story, so she got into Bring Me The Horizon, this is like ten years ago and she had Oli’s picture is all over the wall. So they are playing a club in New York and she wants to go see them. I said you’re 14 years old and you can’t go to a club, but I’m going to get you to meet the band. So I made some phone calls. The night of the show we drive down and we’re parked across the street and you could hear the music coming out of the club, and she said ‘what’s going to happen?’ I said wait for a phone call, phone rings “ready”, I drive round the back of the club and the place was mobbed, kids everywhere, people everywhere want to see the band. Suddenly the door flies open, Bring Me The Horizon runs out, jumps in my H2 Hummer, with my daughter and me and we drive off. Shy is in the front seat, and she turns around very slowly and she looks and there’s Bring Me The Horizon. Oli goes ‘Hi, how are you?’ and her fucking brain is just fucking fried! We took the guys out for a meal and she just sat there looking at them, she’s like there’s pictures on my walls and now they’re in my car!! At 14, I would be very shy meeting my favourite band! Yeah, hence the name. She had her mind completely blown and then afterwards she was yelling at me, ‘why did you do that, I can’t believe you did that! I was like what, you said you wanted to meet the band, you got to meet them!

Photo Credit: Ash Crowson Bloodstock 2016

good ones but anything goes wrong and it’s ‘it wasn’t me, it wasn’t me, they made me do it’ and I come from a generation where you just take responsibility. When Twisted Sister imploded yeah I could have said ‘well he did that and he did that’ but I knew the big problem was me, and yeah I was an asshole and I fucked up the band and I take responsibility, but I just see enough of that, too much, people are too quick to back away from their positions when they realise it’s not a popular position, or I’ve done something wrong, they just say ‘not my fault’ [They’re] not gonna say my fault, I fucked up sorry. So that was more of an observation on that.

So she’s just kept me connected. The biggest problem though is today’s technology, she constantly sending me ‘dads hardcore list’ which I listen to, but when you’re driving around or working out, it’s very rare that you open the phone and go oh who was that band, and try to see which track you just listened to. So I’m just hearing great new music and then not really connecting names to bands. When I was a kid you sat there with a CD or an album cover so you had that really locked in. I think anybody who says rock is dead is just so fucking wrong, just get out of your house, your mansion and go look around and open your ears, open your eyes, the talents there! The sad thing is it’s just not getting the exposure that it used to get. Yeah, I mean there are certain bands that are played on Radio1 for example Bring Me The Horizon could be played in a Radio 1 standard playlist, but it’s because they have that what people call ‘commercial sound’ these days. We know Bring Me The Horizon modified, they never had any melody, and they realized that unless you got that chorus, that hook, with the screaming 20

vocals and then when they did that it transcended. They moved into the next level, and of course, I’m sure that’s why Shy moved on, they’re no longer metal. She’s like ‘I’m not into them anymore, and I’m like I’m still friends with the fucking band! All those bands Asking Alexandria, Parkway Drive, I remember when she was into Parkway Drive and how hard they work and then somewhere they when ‘how do we find the balance?’. Put the melody in there and then they were headlining Bloodstock, everyone was like ‘what Parkway Drive?’ and they crushed it! And they’re a big frigging band, they’ve been playing stadiums in Australia for years now. We love Parkway, and they were definitely deserving of that headline slot. What was your track ‘Crying For Your Life’ about? Your lyrics say ‘You did the crime, do the time’? I’m not saying everybody in the younger generations, but it goes ‘after mine, and my children, and their children’s children. I’m responsible as a parent, but there’s this thing where people are very big on finger-pointing and not taking responsibility for their actions. They will take responsibility for the

Finally, for each issue, we do a RAMzine Classic album and this time we have chosen ‘Bloodied But Unbowed’. Oh thank you, let me just tell you something about that first of all. So the album was called Ace, [which I owe] to a man called Clive Burr. Elektra Records shelved it the week before I was leaving to do the first video in the UK. If you go online you’ll find that the album has a catalogue number, and a tracklisting, you’ll find it. They just stopped it because of political infighting between the guy who signed us and the president of the label, and he said ‘well fuck you I’m killing all your bands’. I was like, what the fuck you’re killing my band? So it came out as Bloodied but Unbowed as a bootleg because things were digitally recorded. But I was so glad because I couldn’t get the album released, I didn’t even mind, I was just glad that somebody got the music out because I couldn’t release the music. And somebody released it as Bloodied But Unbowed and I didn’t even raise any complaints and later Angel Air Records released it as Ace, the original title. Thank you for honoring Clive Burr. Sadly again, people we’ve lost, heroes!

Photo Credit: Ashley Crowson

’m sure long-time readers will know that RAMzine loves festivals, in particular, the ones which keep us coming back year after year (restrictions pending). We thought it’s time to give it the praise it deserves and tell you all why this is the start of big-name festivals coming back. Also a few things you may not know about Bloodstock. If you think there’s anything we have missed, let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

The People

It’s pretty obvious that awesome festivals contain awesome people. Bloodstock is no exception. Everyone you meet at Bloodstock is amazing in their own way. They obviously have good taste for a start. Speak to anyone, they will talk back. You will make friends for life and this will increase each time you visit. Bloodstock is a place you can truly be yourself.

» 2. New Blood and Jagermeister Stages

» 3. Bands you won’t see anywhere else and the variety

It would make sense for the next entry to be ‘the bands’ but that’s a bit too vague. It’s a given every band at the festival is worth watching, but you will find the real hidden gems and those metal discoveries on the New Blood or Jagermeister stages. A lot of these bands are winners of, or have competed in, Metal 2 The Masses – Bloodstock’s own battle of the bands. This gives independent, almost brand new bands the chance to play a bigname festival and gain more fans. These bands more than often go on to playing Sophie and main stage slots as well as other festivals and headlining their own tours. Watch the next generation of heavy unfold before your eyes and check out some of these acts.

Let’s get this straight – we love every festival we attend, we really do, but Bloodstock is the only festival that you will see some huge names in the world of extreme and heavy music. For example, this year’s line-up featured Therapy?, Saxon, and Evil Scarecrow on the same day. Where else can you see the variety and quality music like that? Plus bands like Lawnmower Deth or Gloryhammer. In the past we have seen returning legends and new bands who make Bloodstock their own. 2021 was no different.

’m sure we all have cover versions by our favourite bands; usually the odd track on an album or, more rarely, an album of just covers. Jeff Healey’s Cover To Cover springs to mind as an example where he brilliantly did an entire album of different artists’ original songs. The phenomenon of “Tribute to…” albums has also been going on for a long while, although I refuse to acknowledge the 1964 release, The Chipmunks Sing the Songs of the Beatles! Perhaps the seminal one in our rock world is a 1973 album by the name of Funky Junction Play A Tribute To Deep Purple; this is still in my collection and was bought long before the rumoured, then confirmed stories that it was in fact Thin Lizzy. [Although I only listen to the wonderful guitar playing of Eric Bell on the non-Purple instrumentals.] Things began to change as technology improved and it became easy for backing tracks to be assembled and emailed to vocalists and guitarists across the planet. They would add their ‘bit’, mail it back and it would all be stitched together in a studio and released; a comparatively cheap way of doing things. So began a trend for this new type of “Tribute to…” albums. However, the major selling point seems to have become, not the original band, but which ‘special guests’ were appearing on these versions: so fans of the guests were the targets as much as fans of the subject band… and yes, I fell for this on many, many occasions and

have a varied collection of the good, the bad and the indifferent. Now, to a cynic like me, they can appear to be a bunch of musicians cashing in on a band’s success, but these tracks can be a valid and listenable alternative to the originals. For me, they tend to fall into four categories: È Tribute to a band I wouldn’t dream of buying but with artists that I would, for example, I have a vinyl copy of a tribute to the Police (called Arrested) who I do not favour, but with Ian Paice, Don Airey, Gary Moore and Graham Bonnet, they become listenable! È Tribute to a band I like but ruined by the artists, for example AC/DC - Remixed To Hell; great artists but with a subtitle of ‘Metal vs. Electronica’ I should have guessed even if Lemmy, Jake E Lee, Dee Snider and others appear it is still filed away in my collection, never to see a player again. È Tribute to a band I like and interestingly interpreted by the artists, for example Humanary Stew - A Tribute To Alice Cooper; they will never supplant Alice originals but Joe Elliott doing ‘Under My Wheels’, Ronnie James Dio doing ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ and Bruce Dickinson doing ‘Black Widow’ with Phil Collen, Slash, Steve Lukather etc. interpreting the guitars, makes this a very good album.

È A tribute album to a band featuring people that were in the band!… this is the case on Snakebites as Micky Moody, Bernie Marsden and Neil Murray appear on a couple of tracks! (That’s more Whitesnake than any other line-up). Also mixed in is Doogie White, Bernie Shaw, Don Airey and Steve Overland to name a few. So, it is usually a case of “you pays your money and takes your chance” but I also have tribute albums to Queen, Yes, The Who, Zeppelin, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Ozzy, Rush and numerous others that tend toward the occasional, rewarding listen category and so shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. Most will never replace the originals but, as I said at the beginning, we have cover versions by our favourite artists, why not cover versions of our favourite artists by our favourite artists… worth a try methinks, if only via your chosen streamer.

RITUALS AWAKE

NIGHT THIEVES SPIRAL

Newcastle based Metalcore outfit Rituals are due to drop their debut EP Awake on September 3rd. A breath of fresh air in the easily stagnated Metalcore genre, Rituals offer a contemporary yet unique riff-driven sound. Having built their fan base over the past couple of years the band are ready to unleash their heavy, metallic brand of noise on the wider metal scene and this EP is not one to be slept on, heavy, punchy, melodic and progressive, well worth a listen. The band say “It is about developing a sense of self-worth...” Review by Jay Brown

London heavy rock trio Night Thieves deliver second EP, Spiral, in their burgeoning career. Jess Moyle, Paul Andrew, and Rick Hunter-Burns deliver three powerful statements of intent. ‘Atoned’ sets the tone with crystalline vocals, pop sensibilities overwritten by some serious rock riffing. Single ‘Off The Wire’ adds a grungey guitar; ‘Figure It Out’ is even heavier, catchier and complex… love it. A great mix of styles that work well as the band further develop their distinct, rocking identity. Spiral is out September 17th. Review by Tom Dixon

Photo Credit: ThorEgilLeirtrø

INTERNAL CONFLICT APORIA

Leicester’s Internal Conflict bring us APORIA. The five-piece have returned stronger and richer in this latest effort showcasing a plethora of adrenaline-fuelled noise for the metalcore fan. Most tracks pack a thrashy punch like opener ‘Kingdom of Apathy’. A raw, strained vocal delivery present throughout the album makes it feel like the lyrics are being pushed into your ears. This album shines brightest with ‘Parethesia’; a menacing song which transcends into a boastful anthem by the chorus. Review by Sean Rafferty

ARABS IN ASPIC STRANGE FRAME OF MIND Originally released back in 2010 and now remastered so that there is slightly more punch, clarity, and depth to the hazy and psychedelic prog rock affair, this one is a most welcome re-issue. From mellow and soul-stirringly melancholic to explosive and majestically heavy, this talented Norwegian outfit merges the warm, analogue spirit of Camel and Van Der Graaf Generator with the raw power of early Black Sabbath and the colorful nuances of Uriah Heep. The record sounds more sparkling than ever and is quite riveting. Review by Jens Nepper

DEAD REYNOLDS BREATHE WITH STRANGER High intensity propels Dean Reynolds to prominence and their record Breathe With Strangers is an array of songs detailing times when the world is weighing on young shoulders. Impactful and sincere, the record also interweaves candid lyricism with maximised guitar sequences, providing the listener with moments of bliss and artistry. Songs like ‘Voices’ and ‘By Your Side’ showcase the stride that Dead Reynolds have taken, as these tracks truly shape the record as a standout collection. It is a true fix of alternative rock. Review by Mark Mcconville

THE HAWKINS AFTERMATH Sweden’s garage rockers release a six-track EP that is themed around grief and yet their garage rock approach and semi-humorous lyrics make for a fun journey through depression… yes, really. The vocalist sounds a bit The Darkness but without the helium, coincidence. ‘Svääng’ combines glam, garage and punk in a great mix. ‘Cut Me Off Right’ confounds, an acoustic ballad and powerful electric conclusion: quality. A couple of listens and you’ll be hooked. Aftermath is out on vinyl and digital on September 3rd.

Review by Tom Dixon

NIGHT RANGER ATBPO The sparkling new output by US hard rockers Night Ranger sees them operating at full force. With an abundance of melodic hooks, meaty riffs, and big choruses, this is simply a cracking good set of energetic songs and a worthy reminder of the group’s creative power and ability to consistently deliver potent music. The overall spirit is uplifting, and the tracks are vibrant. On top of that, the record retains its momentum from the raunchy opener ‘Coming for You’ to the beautiful closing track ‘Tomorrow’. Review by Jens Nepper

NIGHTBLADE UNKNOWN TERRITORIES Midlands-based heavy rockers Nightblade are back with their fourth album, Unknown Territories. Unable to tour their well-received, 2020 album (Ignorance Is Bliss), the four-piece recorded eleven new, powerful tracks. ‘Wake Up’ is bluesy/ heavy rock. The title track is a measured, weighty epic. ‘Here’s To You’ is a ballad(ash) with heft. ‘No Part Of It’ is a great glam update with added heaviness. Another sterling set from the guys - varied, imaginative, original and above all, quality heavy rock. Review by Tom Dixon 25

DEATH INGLORIA II: DEATH BY ADMIN Accompanying this rather good, melodic rock EP is a superb comic that explains the title… biscuit counting! The first instalment, like this, addresses humanity’s ability to destroy, backed by quality rock throughout. A scan of a QR code brings the illustrations alive, accompanied by the music and is better than many TV programmes. ‘We Use It As A Weapon’, ‘Nuke The Site..’ border on operatic in structure, vocals and harmonies; ‘Battlestations’ and ‘The Ritual…’ are a bit more straightforward rock. A hugely entertaining five-track release. Review by Tom Dixon

FOREVER AUTUMN HAIL THE FOREST DARK Forever Autumn is a Black/Doom metal duo from Massachusetts and despite being an American outfit, they are sonically very Scandinavian. The EP sounds very lo-fi which is very in character for the type of release this is, it builds a gloomy atmosphere very well; in fact that one listener could call its greatest strength and another its most glaring flaw. Much like the rest of the genre, this album is an acquired taste. For fans of Immortal, Swallow the Sun and Sunn O))). Hail the Forest Dark is out on September 3rd 2021. Review by Dale Unsworth

PLANET OF THE DEAD PILGRIMS If you’re partial to a generous slab of murky, disgustingly heavy doom metal then you could do a lot worse than Pilgrims from Planet of the Dead. This is the second full-length release from the Kiwi riff masters and features eight tracks of dirty riffs and fuzzed-out, bedrock shaking bass lines akin to Monolord or Weedeater but with material based on classic science fiction/horror. An album worth a listen from a hot prospect from within the genre, standout tracks include ‘Pilgrim’ and ‘The Sprawl’. Review by Dale Unsworth

VARIOUS ARTISTS NEW WAVE OF CLASSIC ROCK - VOL.1 This is a double album filled with a wide variety of bands like South Of Salem, Massive, and Ward XVI - bands I wouldn’t usually associate with this category. NWOCR, New Wave Of Classic Rock, is what a lot of current hard rock bands are classed as recently. Clearly inspired by classic rock - use this as a way of discovering a few hard rock bands you may not have listened to before. Out now via RPM Rock People Management. Review by Neale McGeever 26

LONG SHADOWS DAWN ISLE OF WRATH A new venture for ex-Rainbow Man Doogie White teaming up with Persuader guitarist Emil Norberg for a 70s/80s rock fest. The usual top-notch performance from Doogie and Emil channels Blackmore with flair and panache: expect Rainbow with a hint of MSG, with ‘On Wings of Angels’, ‘Master of Illusion’ delivering quality heavy rock. An old Doogie song, ‘Never Wrote a Love Song’ providing the class ballad. An excellent album that may (or may not) tour but until then we have Alcatraz. Releases August 6th 2021. Review by Tom Dixon

MARIUS LEIRÅNES LANGTIDSPERSPEKTIV

CRIMSON FIRE ANOTHER DIMENSION

Langtidsperspektiv by multi-instrumentalist Marius Leirånes (Pixie Ninja) is a concept record that elegantly explores various stories and events relating to a hamlet in the northern part of Norway and the musician’s ancestral homestead. This intimate, immersive experience is a curious albeit beguiling mixture of prog rock, dark electronica, & ambient music. There is a strange beauty to these bewitching compositions & a filmic, melancholy atmosphere to the windswept opus. Several luminaries form the Norwegian prog rock scene make guest appearances throughout too. Recommended! Review by Jens Nepper

Greek rockers Crimson Fire are back with their third album of polished metal. Ten tracks of quality metallic rock with plenty of originality even if lead single, ‘Judas’ nods to Hellion; ‘No Fear’ has keys and a fast, audible solo, but the bluesy, progginess of ‘On The Edge’ is my favourite. ‘Chasing Time’ is heavy, heepy and lovely. It may not be new, new but it is a powerful statement of ability, intent and beats many in this crowded genre. Released on 27th August 2021 via No Remorse Records. Review by Tom Dixon

LEXI LAYNE SINNER & SAINT Leather, chains and tattoos wrapped in metal are present as Lexi Layne debuts. Think Evanescence with a dash of the Middle Eastern and industrial styles mixed in, and on ‘Dominate’ especially, electronica titivates. ‘Self Sabotage’ has weight, darkness and a great vocal. ‘Bloodless’ has that aforementioned Eastern percussion as this heavy ballad grows in volume and texture. ‘Lost Soul’ is metalled up pop and rather good. The title track is another pop/metal with great lyrics, orchestration and diaphanous choir… complex and worthy. Review by Tom Dixon 27

OVERSENSE EGOMANIA Oversense yearn for dreams to come true and life lived full, but where is the balance? Where is the “sweet spot” between endless longing and peace? The answers to such questions are found within the lyrical energies of songs like ‘The Longing’ from the German’s impressive second album, Egomania. The duet between Danny/Herma Sick (Sick N ’Beautiful) ‘Be’ is contextual, nuanced and satisfyingly heavy. The artificial-superficial world gets explored as these melodic rockers deliver incredible solos, colossal perspectives, and creative song making. Review by Neil Mach

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME COLORS II US prog metalcore outfit Between the Buried and Me’s latest album, Colors II, never quite reaches the lofty heights of Colors but still features much of the grandeur and technical spectacle we have come to expect from the band. The record features more short songs while still having some sprawling epics and feels like a comfortable middle ground for those who thought Colors was too heavy and chaotic and for those who thought Coma Ecliptic was too soft and melodic. For fans of Dream Theater, Periphery and The Faceless. Colors II is out via Sumerian Records on 20th August 2021. Review by Dales Unsworth

AS DECEMBER FALLS HAPPIER This is loud, and it’s perfect rock for the wisdom chasers and the fans who crave to lose their minds in a majestic embrace. As December Falls, do not cater to one trend. They embark on being diverse with their sophomore record Happier. Although the name may spell out optimism, darkness still rages through, as the lyrics detail struggle at moments. These moments do not derail the record, they give us an insight. Songs such as ‘You Say When’ offer sublime riffs and vivid imagery. Happier is released 6th August 2021. Review by Mark McConville

SHUMAUN MEMORIES & INTUITION Memories & Intuition is the third album from US band Shumaun, featuring twelve tracks of largely prog influenced and melodic rock. This is an album for fans who like their rock with melodies you can latch onto, but also with a touch of edge, which is provided here by ‘ Invincible’ and ‘Breathing Light,’ by coincidence the two longest tracks. But there are several other good pieces as well, including ‘Under the Sun’ and the Rush flavoured instrumental, ‘Pursuit of Happiness.’ Memories & Intuition is out September 10th 2021. Review by Laurence Todd

WHITE COWBELL OKLAHOMA TEXTOS RAROS - VOL 1 This Toronto band, in case you weren’t aware, have been defying convention for over twenty years with their mix of rock, heavy rock, blues, psych, prog and an extra twist of irreverence. This first retrospective draws on sessions and live performances culled from their seven previous albums. They came into being in 1999 and released their first album, Cencerro Blanca, in 2003 through to (my favourite) Seven Seas Of Sleeze in 2018. There’s 17 existing and former members contributing to this merry go round line-up but that doesn’t mean a drop in quality because, as the name suggests, there is humour and an awareness that filters through all of their music. Even the cover of Purple’s ‘Black Night’ has a lot going for it. There’s more Purple as ‘Take Me Down To Mexico’ owes a lot to ‘Highway Star’ but is still original and rather good. Of the live cuts, ‘Black Mountain Top (Whiskey Woman)’ is worth investigating with its Foghat meets Blue Cheer complexity and good times. ‘Just Some Things A Man Can’t Inside’ veers toward Zappa via Lou Reed with prog inflexions to keep it more than

interesting. Maintaining the Toronto transplanted into various American states situation, ‘Lone Star Love In’ hints at the Top but could also be on a soundtrack to desert set, whisky fuelled film! In case you want some Ramones style punk mixed with southern riffs, then ‘Rebel Woman’ is here with its sub-two-minute rock and

roll feast. It veers from blues to heavy rock and all points in between but is always entertaining and impeccably played, albeit in a raw live or studio live setting – which actually adds to the enjoyment as it brings a garage touch to the proceedings; well worth a listen Review by Tom Dixon

BASTETTE EXPOSED Blackburn based rock band, Bastette, based their name on the Egyptian deity and I think the things that she was/is responsible for may well apply to this powerhouse of pop-rock. Bastet(te) is usually represented by a woman with a cat or lions head, Defender of Ra and goddess of fertility… they certainly have the roar and musically are most definitely fertile! They’re a five-piece headed up by Caroline Kenyon on vocals with Sam Newiss (Lead Guitar), Eoin Kelly (Rhythm Guitar), Paddy Duffy (Bass) and Rob Hirst (Drums). This second release is evocatively titled Exposed and the five tracks show growth in confidence, coherence and the promise that was writ large on their first EP. The lead single ‘Talk About It’ has already made its mark and is one of the best tracks on the New Wave of Classic Rock Volume 1 compilation. It’s a track that has the lot, think of the best pop song you’ve heard but done with classy rock rhythms, backing and a vocalist that is up there with the likes of Halestorm,

and you’re approaching the quality here. It’s what I like to call ‘aural sex’ because it’s more than an earworm… it’s addictive. Elsewhere, ‘Stand Back’ is Gary Newman but heavier and better, ‘Rollercoaster’ is as good a pop/ rock ballad as you’re likely to hear. ‘Sick And Twisted’ is heavyweight Pretenders without the warble. But topping them all is the truly heavy ‘Poison’ with riffing, clever lyrics and

plenty of light and shade built-in. If you like rock with pop sensibilities without sacrificing heft, drama and seduction, then you are going to love this. Quality screams through every track and the only thing, for me, that could have improved it a bit would be to have allowed a few solos. Exposed is released on September 17th and touring in late 2021. Review by Tom Dixon