E! WELCOM
Contents
We want Festival Season! This is my most dreaded time of year, the long wait until the first festival of the year. Luckily it’s February already so we can official say that we are off to our first fest next month! Starting at Hammerfest in Wales, we are looking forward to seeing some familiar faces, and rocking out with lots of new friends too! Look our for our Team at Festivals this year, as we are always loaded with goodies, ready to spread the word about RAM! We shall even be heading out of the UK to see how other territories contend with the spirit of rock and metal! I hear Europe is a must for any rock and metal festival fan. Our year always end at Hard Rock Hell, in Wales, during November. They have just announced a killer line-up including Ugly Kid Joe, Ratt, Glenn Hughes, Hayseed Dixie, Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band, Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts and so many more! Tickets sell out fast, so check it out soon if you are thinking of going.
Featured 04 FESTIVAL PREVIEWS
From Hammerfest, to Ramblin’ Man Fair, MetalDays to Grizerock, we give you a snap shot of our favourite festivals.
Interview 14 WILL FRANCES OF AIDEN
Will reflects on Aiden, and tells us his advice for new bands.
INTRODUCING
- Victoria Purcell Edi tor-In-Ch eif
Head to RAMzine.co.uk to see our live coverage!
16 THE HERECTIC ORDER Lord Ranger Wangner tells us about his dark and evil band!
09 RAMZINE CLASSIC
Paying tribute to our rockstars in the sky, we devle into the past of Lemmy Killmister, Glen Frey, Jimmy Bain, and David Bowie.
17 Reviews -Petrol Girls - Some Thing -Joykill Collective - Joykill Collective -Desolated - The End -Simmer - Paper Prisms -Wendy James - The Price of The Ticket -Royal Republic - Weekend Man -On The Open Road - Storyteller -Textures - Phenotype -Horrified - Of Despair -Temple of Lies - From Sand -Paradigm- Realize -1968 - 1968 -Evil Scarecrow - At The Camden
Underworld
-Nameless Day Ritual - Birth
Contributors
Pagan Hel!
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RAMzine Senior Writer -RAMzine Classics: Tributes to Lemmy, Bowie, Jimmy & Glen.
Cover design: Ryan Stanikk www.ryanstanikk.co.uk
Photo of Till Lindemann, Rammstein by Guido Karp.
On the cover: William Francis Photo by Kimmi Boo Photos
Lemmy Illustation by Gerardo Israel Rodela Quiroz (Gerky Art) - http://gerky-art. deviantart.com
Edited by Marcus Wheeler. Proofread by Neale McGeever. Contributing Photograhers: Benji Walker, Jay Russell.
David Bowie Illistration by Gary David http://maniakuk.deviantart. com
Festival Previews by: Neil Mach, Neale McGeever, Milly Youngman, Victoria Purcell, Ashley Crowson, Sean Rafferty, Marcus Wheeler, Jay Russell. Reviews by: Neil Mach, Stuart Iversen, Pagan Hel, Victoria Purcell, Stephen Stanford, Marcus Wheeler, Rich Broome, Ashley Crowson.
Neale McGee ver! Contributing Editor -Inter view with Will Francis of Aiden. -5 things you didnʻt know about Bowie.
Festival Previews!
Festival Seaso n is Upon Us!
Hammerfest 10th - 13th March 2016 Pwllheli, North Wales www.hammerfest.co.uk Last year we got to see Dani Filth himself wondering around the festival after he had played with his band Devilment. We are very excited to see him back for a second year, this time in the headline slot with his primary band Cradle of Filth. COF released new album Hammer of the Witches last year, and have since embarked on a US & Canada tour, which they will be on until they head back to play Hammerfest. Bay Area thrash band Exodus are also playing a headline slot! Blood In Blood Out was released over a year ago now, a great album to sink your teeth into! Always showcasing a fine range of heavy bands, this year is not different. This year’s line-up includes Fleshgod Apocalypse, Lawnmower Deth, Reign of Fury, and many more! Hammerfest always starts our festival season off nicely, although do be warned it sells out at rocket speed. If you are thinking of going, you need to plan in advance. If you are lucky you may get a last minute ticket, if not you better start planning for next year now! Victoria Purcell
HRH AOR 10th - 13th March 2016 Pwllheli, North Wales www.hrhaor.com Perhaps some of your friends like the heavey side of things, but you prefer to ‘feel the noize’. Luckily at exactly the same time as Hammerfest, on the same site is HRH AOR festival. This year headlined by Quiet Riot. Delve into the 70s, as we also see a headline performance from Joe Lynn Turner. It’s sleazy, but that’s just how we like it! Many people tend to dress up at all of the HRH festivals. This is certainly a place to take a step out of day to day life, and become whoever you want to be for a weekend. Perhaps to re-live those golden years, or maybe to pretend that you were there. The Quireboys, often popular at HRH events, will be making a return to Camp HRH. Joining them will be newcommers Reckless Love, Jettblack, and Chase The Ace - amongst many more. The combination of great bands, keen pricing and decent accommodation will keep you coming back year after year!
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Victoria Purcell
HRH Blues 16th-17th APR 2016 O2 Academy Sheffield www.hrhblues.com HRH Blues was launched at Camp HRH in Pwllheli, North Wales but the folks at HRH have decided that this year the world-class event should be held in a city centre location. This exciting change of venue for the 2016 instalment will see it held at the O2 Academy, Sheffield, 16th-17th April and it is sponsored by some big names, too: Classic Rock Mag, Team Rock Radio and Blues Mag. Bernie Marsden will be headlining the event and is best known for his songwriting with Whitesnake; he wrote (or cowrote with Coverdale) many of the band’s biggest hits over the years, including the ever popular ‘Here I Go Again.’ Fellow Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody (also Juicy Lucy and Snafu) will be present as well. He has performed alongside some of the biggest names in the music world, including Eric Clapton, Alvin Lee and Rick Wakeman; recently he has been active
with Snakecharmer. We are also looking forward to The Yardbirds, Dr Feelgood and Ten Years After, plus some fresh talent such as The Malmo and Swedish musician Pontus Snibb, who is rightly celebrated for his right-on, hard-edged blues shows. We also like the vintage Sabbathy sounds of hardhitting blues rockers Pig Irön who, despite looking like they have more than a suggestion of southern twang about them, come at you with ferocity, much like early Zeppelin. Also, if you like the White Stripes, Slaves, Dolomite Minor and Royal Blood, then the amazing Graveltones will not disappoint; the duo, Jimmy O and Mikey Sorbello, offer out-and-out rock ‘n’ roll debauchery – we think that their sound comes from a lost era, circa 1955, and we love them! HRH Blues 2 promises to be a celebration of vintage rock and a stand-out weekend for all fans of British blues. Neil Mach
Festival Previews! HRH Prog Festival 17th-20th March 2016 Pwllheli, North Wales www.hammerfest.co.uk In addition to the highlights such as Focus, Caravan, Soft Machine and The Enid, those wonderful guys at Camp HRH in Pwllheli, North Wales have promised another bunch of interesting acts for their next installment of the well-run event HRH Prog 4 taking place March 17-20, 2016. We are particularly looking forward to the Finnish rockers the Von Hertzen Brothers, whose prog-rock numbers are filled with courage and fascinating bedazzlement. We are equally excited about the instrumental talent of the Fierce And The Dead whose lovingly exercised aural imagery often equals the classic sounds of King Crimson’s body of work. We are also looking forwards to the re-animated, thoroughly inventive UK band Third Quadrant who were initially formed back in the early 1980s. Also promised are the Glasgow based proggers Abel
Neil Mach
Whitby Goth Spring Weekend
Slam Dunk
22nd - 24th April 2016
28 / 29 / 30 May 2016
Whitby, North Yorkshire
North / Middlands / South http://slamdunkmusic.com/ This year, Slam Dunk Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary – and they’ve certainly scored major points for their 2016 line-up. After launching their latest record, Death of a Bachelor, to a sold-out crowd at Brixton Academy, Panic! At The Disco are primed and ready for their Slam Dunk headline set. Whether it’s the early, electronic-influenced vaudeville of the A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out days; the lighter, jazzier, Beatles-tinged Pretty. Odd.; or the epic, stadium-filling sound of recent track ‘Emperor’s New Clothes,’ Brendon and the boys have a huge back catalogue of songs to get this festival dancing. If you like your pop-punk all-American, you’re definitely in for a treat. For the old-schoolers, genre greats New Found Glory will be playing their high-ante, sing-along hits, and Four Year Strong and The Starting Line provide a whirlwind tour of your favourite tunes through the 2000s. Within their world of music, they’ve all acted as influencers for new bands on the scene, and it’s definitely worth checking out some of the bands that have emerged in recent years.
www.whitbygothweekend.co.uk Now celebrating its 22nd year, Whitby Goth Weekend has become a staple in the alternative music calendar. After an amazing 2015 Winter weekend, the Spring weekend looks as versatile as ever. Headlining are Northern Irish alt-metal legends Therapy? on Friday, while top of the bill on Saturday is The Mission’s legendary lead singer Wayne Hussy. Other acts confirmed are The Red Paintings, who create unique works of art on stage reflecting their music; girl grungers Hands Off Greytl and new wave icon Lene Lovich on Friday. Saturday sees dark-electronic duo She Made Me Do It, UK goth giants Rhombus and the first ladies of 80s synth-pop Fuzzbox. As you can probably guess, this weekend isn’t just about the music, soak up the North Yorkshire coast and dress up in as much black as possible while looking sublime amongst your fellow Goths. Whitby is the ideal location for such an event as Charles Dickens and even Dracula himself are said to have visited this borough of Scarborough. I know what you are thinking... this event is not just for ‘goths’, WGW attracts all sub-cultures: punks, emos, bikers, metelheads, as well as anyone else who enjoys alternative music, dancing, shopping and few drinks. Neale McGeever
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Ganz, who have recently worked with the legendary Fairport guitarist Jerry Donahue as well as RUNRIG’S Malcolm Jones. But it is the national treasure and household name, Ian Anderson, that is causing us the most excitement. The singer, flautist and frontman of British band Jethro Tull is one of the most creative artists around. Constantly reinventing himself, he has recently been touring nationally with his show ‘Jethro Tull’ which tells the story of the gentleman farmer through familiar songs from his much loved back-catalogue, with songs from the everpopular ‘Aqualung’ and ‘Heavy Horses’ along the way. This will be our fourth HRH PROG –it runs alongside the Sci-fi Weekender– and we highly recommend the cozy rooms, the excellent food stations and the well-supplied, round-the-clock bars. Combine that with more than 30 brilliant prog acts promised, plus many other interesting activities (like the amazing unplugged sessions), and progrock lovers are guaranteed an unforgettable weekend.
Real Friends’ fast-growing fan base is a testament to their ability to touch nerves and hearts; if you’re looking for something with its feet a little more in the hardcore pond, don’t miss Issues. Just days before their three-venue, three day London assault, Every Time I Die will be shaking up the festival with their powerful live show. There may be a heavy US swing at the moment, but the love for the UK is being spearheaded by rockers, Mallory Knox, swiftly climbing the bill despite only releasing their debut studio album in 2013; offering big tunes, sweeping choruses and incredible energy, these are definitely ones to watch. With loads more acts to be announced across seven stages, get your tickets now at www. slamdunkmusic.com. Milly Youngman
Festival Previews! Breaking Bands 27th-19th May 2016 Broomsgrove http://breakingbandsfestival.com Short-listed for ‘Best Independent Festival’ alongside Bloodstock, Wildfire, SOS Fest and Hard Rock Hell. Breaking Bands Festival will be back in Bromsgrove, May 2016. Festival organisers have promised that this second year will be even bigger and better than the last. Breaking Bands Festival is one of the most reasonably priced weekend festivals that you will find, in the UK, at just £30. This may be a new festival, but the team have a wealth of experience in listening and seeing the fans perspective. They ensure that you are having fun on a more personal level (not in a dodgy way). Last year there was a ‘loud t-shirt competition’, as well as a fireworks display with a difference. Last year was headlined by Breed 77, this year headlined by former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bailey - the line-up provides something familiar, and one thing that the line-up is never short of is talent. Another reason that Breaking Bands Festival is great, is because it really supports underground bands. Crashgate are a band that we have been dying to see for years now.
Vocalist Craig Sheridan sure does have some pipes on him, and I will be very surprised if you don’t make his acquaintance. Hard rock band Silent Jack have been climbing their way up over the past year, so it will be great to see them play. A Tower Of Crows from Coventry impressed us last year, and they shall be returning for this second year of the festival. Our suggestion is that you get your ticket sooner rather then later! Victoria Purcell
Download Festival 10th - 12th June 2016
Temples Festival
Donnington Park
2nd - 5th June 2016 Temple Meads, Bristol www.templesfestival.co.uk Temples Festival is Bristol’s finest event of the year. This independent music festival set in the industrial ‘Temples quarter’, the heart of the city, and brings the ultimate in live events, three years young and with two sold out years behind them, they are here to stay. Over the past years, they have had the pleasure of bands like Neurosis, Clutch, Electric Wizard, Pig Destroyer and Sunn0))) grace the stages to name but a few. This year will be just as good a festival, with acts such as Bongripper, Gentleman’s Pistols, Voices, Acid King, Ohmms, and, of course, the legendary Melvins all announced so far, with two headliners and more bands still yet to be announced, it is already shaping up to be a treat that will no doubt sell out again. Set for June 2nd – 5th, this rapidly grown festival will be one to add to the calendar, and with a flattering price of £116 for a weekend ticket, it’s hard to find a reason not to. In the words of Temples, “No Gods. No Masters. No Surrender.” Ashley Crowson
http://downloadfestival.co.uk Just had your GCSE results? You’re probably celebrating/commiserating at Download. Expecting your A-level results? You’re probably trying to keep your mind off them at Download. Need an easy stag or hen weekend? Download. Looking for internationally renowned acts but don’t fancy travelling? Download. Basically, Download Festival has fast become the UK’s old reliable in terms of an easypeasy festival that doesn’t compromise on huge names. Over a decade of churning out some of the most diverse rock and metal line-ups has made it one of the most easily loveable (if not occasionally controversial) festivals on our shores. This year isn’t offering any debut headliners as it did in 2014 and 2015, so no risk of any of the #whynotdyingfetus debacles we’ve seen in the past. In fact, it’s fair to say you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who might have any issues with the three legendary bands that have been brought in for 2016. Some of the most in-demand names of the year have been snapped up to top this year’s bill. 2015 was a huge year for Rammstein and Iron Maiden, who play the opening and
closing days respectively. The gears on Europe’s biggest industrial name began to once again set in motion towards the end of last year, and Maiden are returning with a new album to bring to the table along with their usual back catalogue of timeless classics. So who could you possibly sandwich between these two iconic acts? Perhaps only the most iconic heavy metal act of all time, the British godfathers of heavy metal: Black Sabbath. They will be playing what could well be their last ever UK festival before their live retirement. Obviously, it’s not only about the headliners; Download Festival is bringing us a wide range of other acts to fill the weekend. From what’s been released so far, it seems we’re being treated to a blanced range of usual favourites (Skindred, Killswtich Engage), new names (Gutterdamerung, Neck Deep) and names we haven’t seen on the bill for years (Disturbed, Deftones). After 14 years, Download shows us it can still give us a fresh and exciting line up. Possibly the most exciting thing is that we’re not even looking at the whole roster yet. Last year, there were over 120 performances across four stages, and with over five months to go, there’s still plenty of room on that poster for more names. Sean Rafferty
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Festival Previews!
Desertfest 29nd April - 1st May 2016 London www.thedesertfest.com/london
Bloodstock 11th - 14th August 2016 Derbyshire www.bloodstock.uk.com Britain’s premier outdoor festival, Bloodstock, is set to return to the hallowed grounds of Catton Hall in August. Headliners already named have proved they yet again are making this the go-to festival of the year, with Mastodon set to bring their mammoth machine on the Saturday, while thrash legends Slayer return to reign again, closing the festival on Sunday. While original glam legends Twisted Sister will be performing their one and only UK show on the Friday as part of the ‘Farewell 1976 - 2016 tour’, giving one last chance to catch the legends as they announce their retirement after the unexpected loss of drummer AJ Pero last year. Drumming legend Mike Portnoy is filling in behind the kit to give Twisted Sister the farewell they deserve. The ever growing line-up already has itself an amazing look, with Behemoth performing latest release ‘The Satanist’ in full, while fellow black metal legends Satyricon perform ‘Nemesis Divina’ in full to celebrate
20 years since their live debut. Venom will appear with Bloodstock being an exclusive UK festival appearance. French heavyweights, Gojira, perform as Saturday’s special guests, while Anthrax prove they are the law as Sunday’s special guests. Other worthwhile mentions include Paradise Lost, Fear Factory, Rotting Christ, Symphony X, Dragon Force and Acid Reign. Recent announcements also include Goat Whore on the SOPHIE stage, Stuck Mojo on the main stage, and RAMzine favourites Metal Allegiance, with Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs/Twisted Sister), Alex Skolnick (Testament), Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Gary Holt (Exodus/Slayer) and Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Charlie Benante. If the bands get too much, there will be an amazing atmosphere in the recently renamed “Lemmy’s Bar”, a great name that many will be raising countless toasts to! We’ll see you there! Ashley Crowson
Once again, Camden is set to become the stoner/doom/sludge capital of the world. Three days over the 29th April- 1st May bank holiday weekend will bring headline performances from Chicago, instrumental progsters Russian Circles, the mighty Electric Wizard and, not to forget, the legendary Corrosion of Conformity featuring Pepper Keenan. Other bone shattering bands playing include Pelican, Crowbar, Godflesh, Monarch, Conan, Bast, Witchsorrow and Gurt among many more, all for the affordable price of £100. Day tickets will soon be available. Desertfest is now in its fifth year and is showing no sign of slowing, proving to be the king of all stoner/doom/sludge events the UK has to offer and, as always, they bring superb treats such as this year’s special 30th anniversary performance by one of the true doom metal leaders, Trouble. Five legendary venues take part as hosts to this magnificent event including The Jazz Cafe, The Black Heart, The Underworld, The Electric Ballroom and Koko meaning you are never too far from a great band, great beer, and a great time. This is the experience to have. Ashley Crowson
Ramblin Man 23rd - 24th July 2016 Mote Park in Maidstone, Kent www.ramblinmanfair.com Ramblin Man Fair is one of the newer festivals that has erupted onto the fields of the South East. It’s certainly a unique success story; not many festivals could boast The Scorpions, Gregg Allman and Ian Anderson for a debut line-up. This year’s festival is looking forward to continuing last year’s triumph with yet another dreamy combination of classic rock giants and newer names. Whitesnake take over the stage on Saturday night as the first headliners for the weekend. Preceding them on the bill will be a very special performance from the returning Thin Lizzy who will play their only UK date of their Anniversary Tour at Ramblin Man. Sunday lets some fresher faces take the limelight as Black Stone Cherry take on headlining duties. They will share the stage with Airbourne and another sub-headliner who are yet to be announced, but a big name is promised. The likes of Ginger Wildheart, Hawkwind and Blurred Vision and others fill in beneath these tremendous bill toppers with more announcements to come.
Sean Rafferty
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Hard Rock Hell 10th -13th November 2016 Camp HRH, North Wales www.hardrockhell.com The cat is out of the bag, and into the cradle, apparently; Ugly Kid Joe have been announced as headliners for Hard Rock Hell X, along with Ratt, Glenn Hughes and Living Colour. Seeming like a distant memory, Hard Rock Hell 9 took place almost 3 months ago and was a smashing success. Big names, like Black Label Society, Helloween, UFO and Saxon, provided a solid foundation of hard rock and metal acts upon which one of the most enjoyable festivals of 2015 was built. Each act brought their own flavour to the table, we saw Aussie acts Dead City Ruins and power-duo King of the North; Swedish stoner rock group Skånska Mord; countrypunk rockers Dukes Of Bordello; groovy, bluesy rock act Sky Valley Mistress; upbeat, no-frills rockers Black State Highway; and many others. For those that don’t know, HRH is held at the Hafan Y Mor holiday park in North Wa-
les. As you might expect, it is a little late in the year for camping, so accommodation is either a shared holiday caravan or an apartment. With such superb music and excellent amenities onsite, which include a supermarket sized Spar, Papa John’s pizza, Burger King and a traditional chippy, HRH represents serious value for money. Of the many things that make Hard Rock Hell such a superb event, not least is the quality of the lesser known bands; those with the determination to make the most of the festival will find plenty of fresh acts – the only problem is trying to fit everything in. The last line-up was selected and timed with such finesse that, despite only having two stages, there was always something for everyone. The 10th anniversary of HRH will be held at Pwllheli, North Wales on 10-13 November 2016. Based on past experience, and with the other names announced — Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band, Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts, The Treatment, Bonfire, Massive, The Amorettes, Mojo Sinners, The Texas Flood, Chase the Ace — I think it is safe to say that it’s going to be another monumental event.
Marcus Wheeler
Festival Previews - Beyond the UK! Groezrock
Brutal assault
April 29 -30
10th - 14th August
Belgium, The Netherlands. www.groezrock.be Like punk, rock and hardcore? Groezrock is the Euro fest for you. With tickets and travel costing less than a UK weekender and cheap, tasty Belgian beer, what’s not to like? Oh, and the lineup’s pretty darn awesome and all. Topping the bill are the mighty Rancid, playing seminal album ...And Out Come the Wolves in full. If you’re ‘Still Waiting’ to catch them live, Sum 41 are making their long-awaited return to the festival scene at Groez. There are also plenty of special additions, with Dillinger Four and The Movielife (in their current touring run) performing as European exclusives. Plus, Sick Of It All are ready to celebrate their 30th anniversary with the crowds that flock to Meerhout this April. If skanking’s your jam, Less Than Jake are (we can hope!) a perfect sunshine band. After touring last year, original vocalist Anthony Green is back with the Saosin boys for the foreseeable future, and they’ll be bringing some post-hardcore tunes to the weekend. And be sure not to miss Letlive – known for their intense and exilherating stage performances.
Czech Republic http://brutalassault.cz/en/ Brutal Assault can be considered one of, if not the best, European metal festival out there today which is quite a bold statement considering the calibre of some festivals that the fans have a choice of these days. It’s set within the confines of Josefov, an old 18th century war fortress that the festival goers can explore at will, including all of the fortress tunnels, which usually have bars and market stalls contained within. The festival takes place across three days, bringing the absolute best metal from all around the world. Having hosted the likes of Machine Head, Fear Factory and Mastodon, Brutal Assault continues to grow year after year. For UK fans, it’s probably the cheapest too, costing a mere £55. So what are you waiting for? Get your ticket, book your flight, drink as much amazing yet ridiculously cheap Czech lager as you can (FYI the bars don’t close all weekend!), grab your kielbasa sausage and go sit and relax on the big fortress hill whilst you watch some amazing bands! What else could you possibly ask for?
Milly Youngman
Jay Russell
MetalDays 24-30 July Slovenia www.metaldays.net ‘‘The days you’ll always remember’’ they say, and they are certainly not wrong! Think entering a country with beautiful landscapes, clean flowing water, and hot weather. Wherever you are camped you are surrounded by scenes of mountains, unless of course you decide to camp under the trees, in the woodlands. You venture down to beach and take a dip in the lake, then head to the beach bar for a cocktail sound like a great holiday? Well imagine all of this with two arenas full to the brim with Heavy Metal!! And it’s all within walking distance. Yes, MetalDays is real, not just in your dreams! This year’s headliners include Kreator, Blind Guardian, Testament, and At The Gates - a fine selection of metal if I have ever seen one! Some of the UK favorites feature on the line-up such as Bury Tomorrow, Skindred, and Dragonforce - however there are also a whole wealth of European bands waiting for your discovery. Victoria Purcell
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RIP
Classics!
Glen Frey 1948 - 2016 The legendary Glen Frey, founder member of the Eagles, has died in New York after a long battle from complications arising from rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and pneumonia, according to reports. Frey wrote/co-wrote such classics as ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Take it Easy’ along with Don Henley. Frey underwent intestinal surgery last November, forcing the band to pull out of a ceremony the following month at the Kennedy Centre in Washington at which they were to be honoured along with other artists. The Eagles were formed in America in 1971 and consisted of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner. Linda Ronstadt and then-manager John Boylan recruited local musicians Glenn Frey and Don Henley for her band; Henley had moved to Los Angeles from Texas with his band Shiloh and Frey had come from Michigan and formed Longbranch Pe n ny w h i s t l e ; they had met in 1970 at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and became acquainted through their mutual record label, Amos Records. Randy Meisner, who had been working with Ricky Nelson’s backing band, the Stone Canyon Band, and Bernie Leadon, a veteran of the Flying Burrito Brothers, joined Ronstadt’s group of performers for her summer tour promoting the Silk Purse album. The Eagles are one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 150 million records, 100 million in the U.S. alone, including 42 million copies of Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and 32 million copies of Hotel California. Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) was the best-selling album of the 20th century in the U.S.. They are the fifth highest selling music act and the highest selling American band in U.S. history. The Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. Their music being described as “California Rock,” nobody
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really knew what California rock was except to say that in California anything was possible, free spirited summed them up! Their first two albums combined country, traditional R&R and folk music styles. By the third album, ‘On the Border,’ the band stretched their style and promoted a harder rock technique. The 1975 follow-up album ‘One of These Nights’ saw the group explore a softer sound, notably on the hit singles ‘Take It to the Limit’, and ‘Lyin’ Eyes’, which combined rock, pop, country and folk traits. The band’s 2007 comeback album, ‘Long Road Out of Eden’, saw them recall the country rock sound of their early days. The Eagles experimented with various genres in their songs, including blues rock, rhythm and blues, funk, pop rock, disco and bluegrass. So nobody could ever say the Eagles weren’t a diverse band. Like with most bands, big or small, The Eagles had their ups and downs. On February 6, 2001, Don Felder was fired from the Eagles. He responded by filing two lawsuits against Eagles, Ltd., a California corporation; Don Henley, an individual; Glenn Frey, an individual; and Does 1–50, alleging wrongful termination, breach of implied in fact contract and breach of fiduciary duty, reportedly seeking $50 million in damages. Felder alleged that from the 1994 Hell Freezes Over tour onward, Henley and Frey had insisted that they each receive a higher percentage of band profits, whereas the money had previously been split in five equal portions. Felder accused them of coercing him into signing an agreement under which Henley and Frey would receive three times as much of the Selected Works: 1972–1999 proceeds, however, it was all settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
By Pagan Hel
Classics!
RIP
Lemmy Kilmister 1945 – 2015 L
emmy, probably the world’s most famous bassist, was fired from Hawkwind in May 1975 after being arrested in Canada for possessing cocaine, forcing the band to cancel certain shows. The following month, June 1975, Lemmy started his own band, its name inspired by a song he wrote for Hawkwind; the song was called Motörhead. Years ago, I thought what an amazing surname for a rock bassist ‘Kilmister’ was –it just seemed so apt– and I read in Sounds about how he earned his nickname Lemmy. It was in the previous days of Hawkwind: Lemmy was always skint and would say to his bandmates ‘Lemme a Fiver,’ and the nickname stuck! ‘Philthy’ Phil Taylor and ‘Fast’ Eddie Clark were very much a part of Motörhead, although they were not drafted into Motörhead until slightly later; initially those jobs went to Larry Wallis (ex-Pink Fairies) on electric guitar, and Lucas Fox on drums; Lemmy wanted a loud and raucous sound for his band. The band’s first slot was supporting Greenslade at the Roundhouse, London, on July 20th, 1975, just a month after forming (pretty good going!) and then, after playing just ten gigs, they were catapulted up the ladder to support Blue Oyster Cult at the Hammersmith Odeon. The band were contracted to United Artists by Andrew Lauder, the A&R man for Hawkwind but, as time went on, Lemmy realised Fox was unreliable, cue the entrance of ‘Philthy’ Phil Taylor, who was a casual acquaintance of Lemmy’s. In the early days, Motörhead’s music dissatisfied their record company and they refused to release material, although subsequently released the band’s debut recording, “On Parole,” in 1979 after Motörhead got themselves better established. In March 1976, Lemmy wanted two guitarists for the band, so ‘Fast’ Eddie Clark auditioned and was given the job, however, Wallis subsequently
left and went back to the Pink Fairies, and so the classic Motörhead line-up was established. Initial reactions to the band, unbelievably, were ‘not favourable’ and to cement that, Motörhead won a poll for «the best worst band in the world» in the music magazine NME; needless to say, this did not deter Lemmy at all. In April 1977, Taylor and Clark lived in squats and, disheartened by their experience so far, decided to quit the band, but not before they decided to do a farewell show at the famous Marquee Club in London. The band, looking for something from their time together, wanted to record the Marquee show, but weren’t able to pay the £500 asking price. Instead, Ted Carroll, owner of Chiswick Records, offered the band two days at Escape Studios to record a single, but Motörhead, wanting to make the most of it, and confident in the material they’d been playing all year, decided to take a chance and recorded eleven unfinished tracks. Carroll, impressed with the progress, gave them additional studio time to finish the tracks. Motörhead the album was born, and it was enough to keep the band going. The band would go on to become one of the most well known hard rock acts of all time, creating 22 studio albums; the most recent, Bad Magic, was released only last year. When I hear the word Motörhead, I naturally think of Lemmy/Taylor/Clark, like all die-hard Motörhead fans – this concoction worked and all the best tracks came from them. On 28 December 2015, Lemmy passed away, just four days after celebrating his 70th birthday. Sadly, he was the second Motörhead member to die in 2015, following ‘Philthy’ Phil Taylor the previous month. Now the Motörhead era has finally come to a close, with the band saying ‘Lemmy was Motörhead,’ and indeed he was – he was born to lose and lived to win!
By Pagan Hel
Classics!
Classics!
RIP
Jimmy Bain 1947 - 2016 Jimmy Bain of Rainbow/Dio dies aged 68 ‘James Stewart’ Jimmy Bain was born on the 19th December 1947 and just celebrated his 68th birthday. He was the bassist with Rainbow and later worked alongside the legend Dio who died of Stomach Cancer aged 67. Bain was born in Newtonmore, Scotland, and like every teen played in a series of amateur bands before landing the role with classic rock band Rainbow. Bain formed Wild Horses in the summer of 1978, after being sacked from Rainbow earlier and took the role of lead vocalist, (but he also played keyboards too) releasing two albums – Wild Horses and Stand Your Ground both on the EMI Record label. He has worked with many famous names such as Phil Lynott, Roger Chapman, Roy Harper and Gary Moore. It wasn’t widely known at the time but Bain was asked to join the Scorpions by Rudy Schenker in 1984 to be a full-time bassist, after Francis Bucholz got into trouble for tax problems, for the ‘Love at first sting’ album, but as their management wanted
to keep the line-up German, Bucholz was brought back and sadly the bass tapes produced by Bain were deleted. In 2005, Bain again joined forces with former Black Sabbath and Dio drummer Vinnie Appice for two projects, The Hollywood All Starz and 3 Legged Dogg. In an interview with journalist, David Lee Wilson, Bain lamented Appice’s ultimate choice to leave both these groups so that he could tour with Ronnie James Dio in the Black Sab-
bath offshoot, Heaven and Hell. The band Last In Line was put together in 2013 comprising Jimmy, Viv Campbell, Vinny Appice, Claude Schnell and Andrew Freeman. The line-up, excluding singer Freeman, were the original song writers and performers on the early classic DIO albums, and so intended to play gigs under the band-name Last In Line’ performing these songs.
By Pagan Hel
5 Things You Might Not Know About Bowie! 1. He released an industrial/goth rock album. You read that right. In 1997, Bowie collaborated with Nine Inch Nails front-man Trent Reznor on his 20th studio album, ‘Earthling’. The result of this included some amazing industrial tracks such as single ‘I’m Afraid Of Americans’, which sounds a bit like Marilyn Manson or later Gary Numan. There’s even a couple of Drum ‘n’ Bass tracks on there, too check out the video for ‘Little Wonder’, it’s almost a Tool promo recast with Bowie himself. Nine Inch Nails even co-headlined with David Bowie on the ‘Outside’ tour between ‘95 and ‘96. Yes, this tour DID come to the UK in November 1995. This included the now-defunct Phoenix Festival in Stratford, alongside Sex Pistols, Foo Fighters and The Prodigy. On this tour Bowie also covered NIN’s ‘Reptile’ and ‘Hurt’, which later became a hit for Johnny Cash.
2. He was in an obscure, heavier band between 1988 and 1992. You might be wondering how you missed this one. Tin Machine were formed in 1988 by Bowie and three American musicians with the intent to create something entirely different. They released two studio albums and a live album until their disbanding in 1992. The reason you possibly haven’t heard of them is because they didn’t do so well compared to Bowie’s previous material. The band’s highest charting UK single was 1991’s ‘Baby Universal’ in at number 33. Tin Machine found mild success in the US rock charts but never reached the dizzy heights of Bowie’s solo work. Alt-rock fans should give them a listen. Tin Machine’s sound falls somewhere between Faith No More and The Pixies with a splash of heavy metal attitude. Some cite their first album as the one Bowie album to avoid, yet some consider some the work he purposely down-played as ‘classics’.
3. He was considered to play The Joker. You may have heard this one before. We all know Bowie gave as much to the film industry as he did to music, but something that hasn’t been talked about enough is the rumour that Bowie would play the clown prince of Gotham opposite Bill Murray as Batman and Michael J Fox as Robin. Although there is a lot of fan coverage on this (including some really creative fan-art) there has never been any solid evidence. Reports also say this would have preceded Burton’s 1989 version of the caped crusader, being released in 1985 and have more of a light-hearted vibe. Maybe someone saw the video for ‘Ashes To Ashes’ and their imagination ran away with it.
4. He released his most successful album as revenge. It’s hard to think about David Bowie as a mysterious figure who had a select fan-base but, early on, his music was considered too peculiar for some. In the 1980s, Bowie was the biggest star on the planet, selling out stadiums and becoming the poster-boy for the ‘New Romantic’ generation, however, between 1976 and 1980, Bowie made his most intentionally uncommercial albums. This was due to his manager at the time, Tony Defries, being a tad unfair with royalties: Bowie would pay for his tours and promotions while Defries would get all the profit. So, as you would, Bowie parted ways with Defries only to realise he was contracted to give him 50% of his royalties until September 1982. Bowie reportedly spent a week locked in his attic, screaming and possibly plotting sweet revenge.
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RIP
Classics!
David Bowie 1947 - 2016 The many changing faces of David Bowie
I
t beggars belief that another highly influential figurehead has been taken from us by that disgusting disease Cancer, two days after his 69th Birthday. David Robert Jones was born 8th January 1947 before taking on the name David Bowie. He was raised in South London. His first ever release was Space Oddity, which reached the top five of the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. Bowie quickly succumbed to the flamboyance of the 70’s and delved into the glam rock era, his personality and eccentric alter ego determined him and he renamed himself Ziggy Stardust, although it was relatively short lived. In 1975 Bowie released Fame and it was a major crossover onto American soil. The album he released there was called Young Americans. Bowie loved to experiment with various styles so as probably not to be pigeon holed and brought us an array of eclectic styles, bringing him a large fan base. In 1981, he did a collaboration with Queen and also sung Dancing in the Street with Mick Jagger. Bowie released his new studio album Blackstar on 8th January 2016, his 69th birthday, just two days before his death from liver cancer. There is no getting away from it: David Bowie was a unique and quirky performer and altered a lot of lives in his time as a performer. I used to tell my young brother that David Bowie was an alien
from outer space because of his different coloured eyes; strangely enough my brother believed me! Throughout his career, he has sold an estimated 140 million records worldwide. In the UK, he has been awarded nine Platinum album certifications, eleven Gold and eight Silver, and in the US, five Platinum and seven Gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Strangely enough, while attending Burnt Ash Junior School. His voice was considered ‘‘adequate’’ by the school choir, but his recorder playing judged to demonstrate above-average musical ability and so the star continued to blossom. Like most stars starting off in the 60’s their main influence was Elvis Presley and Bowie was no exception to the rule, later taking up the ukulele and tea-chest bass and begun to participate in skiffle sessions with friends, and had started to play the piano; meanwhile his stage presentation of numbers by both Presley and Chuck Berry - complete with gyrations in tribute to the original artists to his local Wolf Cub group was described as ‘‘mesmerizing... like someone from another planet!” (Maybe I was right after all!) David Bowie died peacefully surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with liver cancer. Tributes have been pouring in for Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of his era, from around the world. He will be sorely missed!
By Pagan Hel
Although considered classics by today’s standards - Low and Heroes were mostly instrumental albums (not very accessible ones either), and Lodger is his strangest release to date. Defries even excluded Low from the contract, labelling it a «piece of crap.» Between ‘81 and’82, Bowie didn’t release any music with the exception of ‘Under Pressure’ with Queen, where Bowie gave up his royalties to the legendary band, so Defries got nothing. After the contract ended, Bowie released Let’s Dance, famously produced by Nile Rodgers and selling 10 million copies, making Bowie a millionaire. This was his most successful album of his career and launched Bowie to global superstardom. No doubt Tony Defries was a bit peeved to say the least.
5. He invented ‘Ten Second Songs’ One of the most popular music-performance based YouTube channels is known as ‘10 Second Songs’, you know the ones: lines of popular songs sung in the style of various different vocalists. A video from the channel ‘10 Second Songs’ of Adele’s ‘Hello’ recently went viral. The owner of this channel, Anthony Vincent, is known as the originator of this style. Wrong! After the tragic passing of Bowie in January, a lost out-take reel from 1986 was leaked online. This tape contains out-takes of the Starman himself recording a verse of ‘Absolute Beginner’ (from the film of the same name) sang in the style of his contemporaries Iggy Pop, Marc Bolan and Lou Reed, as well as Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and actor Anthony Newly. The audio can be heard on various YouTube posts under the search term ‘David Bowie Impersonates’. You can even hear Bowie saying his best mate Iggy Pop is the hardest to impersonate as he is «a mix of all of them.» Thirty years on, covers in the style of other artists is all the rage. There’s also footage of Bowie impersonating Elvis Presley and other singers if you look hard enough.
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By Neale McGee ver
WILLIAM FRANCIS
OF AIDEN By Neale McGee ver
I
f you look at the biggest modern rock acts of today - such as New Year’s Day, Black Veil Brides, Ashestoangels, etc. - they all have one thing in common; no, I’m not talking heavy eye-liner. Aiden have proven to be one of the most influential rock bands of the 21st century, carrying on their legacy from the ‘emo’ scene, through to New Grave and beyond. Last year, front-man William Francis (also known as William Control or wiL), with help from some friends, headed back to the studio to lay down what would be Aiden’s comeback album. In January 2016, Francis took this show on the road for one last time. We caught up with the man himself to talk about returning to the horror-punk style, how the music industry has changed, and carrying on the Aiden legacy. So you have just kicked off your ‘Last Sunrise’ farewell tour with Aiden, how is it going so far? Madness. We played Sound Control in Manchester last night and it was a great way to end Aiden for them. How did you feel revisiting your original material with Aiden , along with recording a new album? I certainly feel nostalgic, I’ve been playing these songs for more than a decade. I feel
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a tremendous sense of closure going in to this... kind of. The UK was always a big market for us, it was always a good place to come; press treated us well and the fans always supported us, so it’s a good place to end the Aiden legacy. Do you think the UK has embraced Aiden more than other territories? Aiden did do well in the US, as well as some European markets. At the end of the day it was really expensive, so we thought it would be a better use of resources to come out to the UK. You have some really good support on this tour from bands such as The Dead XIII, Ashestoangels, Never Found, etc. - did you choose these yourself? Yeah! Well, Ashestoangels ended up booking this whole tour. After the deal with the agency fell through, Crilly [Ashestoangels front man] picked up the fucking pace and did it himself! We’ve been friends with them for a while, and Never Found have been coming to Aiden shows since 2006, so it was great to have them on tour. Since it has been so long since the first Aiden album, do you feel there are bands popping up who are carrying on the Aiden legacy?
I do feel Aiden has done its part in influencing children to pick up a guitar and put on some eye-liner! But I mean we’re not the only ones: lots of bands in 2005-07 were of that calibre. For example, My Chemical Romance had broke through and AFI were releasing new material. I definitely see a lot of influence in a lot of the bands I see today. I do really think it’s cool.
“I do feel Aiden has done its part in influencing kids to pick up a guitar and put on some eye Liner” What made you go back to your roots and make another Aiden album? Do you want me to be honest? I was tired of people saying they wanted to hear another record like ‘Nightmare Anatomy’ [Aiden’s 2005 breakthrough album]. So... I decided to make another album like ‘Nightmare Anatomy’ [William cracks a sinister smile]…
Interview to shut them the FUCK up! Also, I wanted to do another last record because the one we released last, before this one, was ‘Some Kind Of Hate’ in 2011. Which really was just a record of b-sides that I compiled together to finish my contract with Victory. It wasn’t a cohesive album I sat down and wrote as a piece of art, it was more like “I need to get the fuck off Victory Records, so here’s an album” just to fulfil my contractual obligations. We never did a tour on it, and it kind of ended so badly. I feel like I wanted to make a record that ripped and I wanted to give it away for free as a thank you to all the people who supported our band. On this album there is a lot of collaboration from younger talent such as Crilly (Ashestoangels), Chris Motionless (MIW) and Ash Costello (NYD) - was this like a celebration of the current music scene and the Aiden legacy? Yeah, I really just wanted to have my friends on there: I have Raphael from Prayers on there - which is sick, because he’s fucking great. These are my friends. I just wanted them on my last album. So what advice would you give to someone following your footsteps and starting a band today? I would say [pauses] that you should go to school, get a degree in law, or medicine, and learn how to write a song before you put out albums, because that way, when you put out shitty albums and no-one buys them, you have a way to make money [he laughs], because there is NO money in music. It’s way different to when Aiden started; we used to rely on record sales to make money. The way the digital world has washed out the way musicians make money, it’s really sad. You need to find other ways of making money. I just used to do Aiden, that was my job, that one thing, but now as an artist I have to do many things to pay the bills: I have to produce records; I have to make merch; I need to write music; do design; I have to tour; and make my own solo records [William Control]. There’s so many different things I do to make enough to survive on and continue as an artist - which is sort of the sad thing about it. I mean you NEED a job. There’s bands ‘that big’ that go home to regular day-jobs. You have your fingers in so many pies! Would you do something out of the ordinary? For example, Fearless Vampire Killers
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released a book. I’ve already released a book, but yeah I’d try anything. I don’t care what it is; if I’m in to it, I’ll fuck it up. The last album is fan-funded, would you say this is the best way for bands to release a record? Well, the truth is labels don’t have money anymore. The labels that did want to put the album out were offering me, like, ten thousand dollars. ‘Nightmare Anatomy’ cost twenty thousand, for example. That’s when we first got signed. It costs a lot to make an album: to mix it, master it, get pressed. So for someone else to own the music and only give you ten grand is not even a good deal, but that’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way. Do you feel that you aren’t held back by a record company and you are more in control? Absolutely. I used to solely rely on the label’s schedule and if it was the right time to put out the record for them. So now I can do whatever the fuck I want. I can bring out an acoustic album when I want; I can release a book; release another record of mine. So, fuck everybody! Before you started the album, and this tour, you put out an open letter on social media to the former members of Aiden. What kind of response did you get? I didn’t hear anything back, but I didn’t hear anything negative also. Those dudes are busy living their lives. For me, music has always been something that I NEED to do... because I’m a fucking psycho. I have to make art - in order to not be a serial killer or some kind of whack-job in a padded cell. Art is my life. For those guys, they were on this adventure where it was super-rad and we got to play killer shows. We got paid money but they wanted a stable life. Those guys wanted a job with benefits. As soon as Aiden stopped making money was when they were like “well we need to figure out what to do with our lives.” I’ve always been pretty resourceful and thought “Well Aiden’s not making money so let’s do... ‘this’ to fund my life.” That was probably because I was a drug addict in my youth and I was always able to come up with something. Hopefully this won’t be the last we see of Aiden. If this really is the end - they went out with a bang and a long lasting legacy.
Introducing The Herectic Order
By Victoria Purcell
T
he Heretic Order are a new evil metal band from London. The band began playing together in 2014, and have recently released their debut album All Hail The Order through Massacre Records. We caught up with front-man Lord Ragnar Wagner, to find out more: How did The Heretic Order commence? I decided that I loved everything heavy and evil, and this should be shown to the world - hence the idea for the band was created in a dark day in late 2014 in gloomy London. How would you describe the personality of the band? Dark and Evil! Ha ha! We are just four metal lads playing the music we love and having a good time. What was it that attracted you to the dark and more evil things in life? I (Lord Ragnar Wagner) don’t really believe in good and evil, it’s just a human invention, all of us are capable of having dual personality, creating mayhem or creating beauty, there is no wrong or right in the natural world so why should humans be any different? We are all tenants of the same planet, although the darker side of humanity is more interesting to write about and I am just a story teller. What in the world do you draw in-
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fluences from? History, the world, philosophy. Our history as a species is so fucked up that it’s easier to find a negative vile story that occurred for real rather than rely on fiction. The fact is our history is sicker than fiction . Your debut album ‘All Hail The Order’ is very skillful, so I would assume that quite a few of you have been doing this a long time? I composed the album before finding a band, then Rotted Skull joined on Bass, followed by Evil E in drums and last the Count came to the fold on guitar just as we were recording the said album. Satan works in mysterious ways. Everything came together in 2015 . How has it been starting as a new band this past year? Of course, the music industry has changed. It’s been on its death throes for years, today it’s harder to get by as a pro band, record companies don’t get a return, hence they don’t invest in new talent (not even in established bands). It’s a more DIY business bands need to pay their way, it’s become an expensive hobby rather than a career, sad but true. You need to do your music purely for the love of it. We saw your new video for ‘Death Ride Blues’ - who is that drunk man stumbling around?
Ha ha ha! That’s Dave The Beast, a top actor with unbelievable skills. He should be in Hollywood in big budget movies. Where was the video filmed? Did you scare any dog walkers / passers by in the filming process? We were lucky enough that one of the Satanic Nymphs managed to secure permission to film in a private property around Oxfordshire so no we didn’t scare anyone - maybe the local animals . [The Heretic Order have two female Satanic Nymphs who perform with them at each live show, and also feature in their videos.] What are your future plans? We will keep doing music and play where ever they have us. All Hail The Order! Spread The Evil! This February we are on the road in the UK with I.C.O.N on the British Riff Alliance tour, so get your arses to the gigs! See you all on the road!
“all of us are capable of having dual personality, creating mayhem or creating beauty”
Reviews
Petrol Girls
Joykill Collective
Some Thing
Joykill Collective
Bomber Music Words: Neil Mach
Self Release Words: Stuart Iversen
The South-East London feminist post-hardcore quartet, Petrol Girls, comprising of Ren Aldridge (guitar, lead vocals), Liepa Kuraite (bass, vocals), Joe York (guitar, vocals) and May Mansour (drums), will release their highly evocative Some Thing EP this month. The six-track release bestows everything you would ever want from dirty, hard-headed punk - it’s disobedient, irascible and incredibly neat. Take ‘Protagonist’, for example, with its impeccable guitars, power chugging and obstinate rhythms that help sledgehammer home Ren’s sneer and vitriol. ‘Separated’ has a groovy feel with an imaginative beat and some sweeter sounding vocals that you might not expect from these riot grrrls; here the guitar work flares and the melody is complicated and immensely satisfying. The opening track is the charging, hardskinned ‘Slug’, with some shimmering guitars and tremendously effective drums. The vocals are always smart and skillful. The passion and zeal is palpable. The Petrol Girls combine the sweet-anger found in 1970s bands (reminding us of The Jam) with the wild rock ‘n’ roll antics of the early Runaways. There is less screaming noise here than we find in “mainstream” hardcorepunk (if there is such a thing) because the girls present songs that are clever, accomplished and proficient, though they never lose sight of their political targets and fire burns ever-bright in their bellies. This new EP, containing 3 bonus tracks, is a destructive-fire Molotov wrapped in close-braids of velvet: A flammable mixture of white phosphorus pride and political fervour.
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The Joykill Collective didn’t come together like most bands. Born in an artistic commune in Northampton, they were the brainchild of vocalist/guitarist Leif, who drew together his arty friends to create what they have today. It means the list of band members includes names like Ben (no surname) credited as Stories and Andy as Film. The question is whether their self-titled debut EP can live up to that intrigue. Opener ‘Liberty Taker’ starts off well. Bearing similarities to Ghost but with the doom element stripped back. It all sounds very solemn and dramatic and like it was recorded in a church. A big chorus definitely helps things along, and you quickly find yourself getting on board. ‘Battle Cry’ has a similar sized chorus, but the song loses itself under the weighty production. The feeling that you are listening to a band begins to evaporate, and it feels like they are trying to be a bit too smart. They make up for that on the simple fragility of ‘Lies and Gold’, a stripped back song that is unlikely to have you swinging from the ceiling but strikes a chord nonetheless. It’s in stark contrast to closer ‘Game Show’, which out of nowhere pulls out some space-tinged metal influences alongside its melodic chorus. It’s a massive left turn and kind of works but feels at odds with what has come before. This kind of helps sum up the Joykill Collective, they just don’t quite feel like a coherent band, but more like a collection of ideas thrown onto an EP to see what sticks. It’s hard to dislike them, though, there is an earnestness to their music that suggest it comes from a place of love. It is not the best release you will hear this year, but it is interesting enough to make it worth a few minutes of your time.
Desolated
Simmer
Wendy James
The End
Paper Prisms
The Price Of The Ticket
BDHW/ Souldfood Words: Pagan Hel
Dog Knights Productions Words: Stuart Iversen
earMUSIC Words: Stuart Iversen
To get to the point, this is a UK band - hailing from Southampton. Their sprawling magnitude of hardcore is more than a touch high-spirited, giving you a good bitch slap round the chops. The carnivorous tempo thunders with hardening rhythms and in your-face lyrics, and that’s just for starters! The sizzle of electric guitar and pounding bass licks are at the heart of the proceedings and a perpetual drum beat smashes through the sound barrier, showing more than a hint of punk element. it is very predatory and volatile although it offers a doom element that is potent and very heavy. The weave of sounds are dynamic, heartfelt and boisterous in delivery. This album doesn’t just blow your mind, it will blow your speakers too! It gets to the crux of the matter instantaneously, burrowing feverishly into the ears, swamping them with brutal and malignant stamina. The vocal chants are brutish while the music stomps, showing not only a mean side but also a mischievous one and revels in its psychotic stance. Thrusting its energy into the spotlight, it is furiously inspiring with gripping excellence. The sultry grooves are compelling because of their abrasive nature. There is no slowing down or becoming complacent, despite some tracks being short, there is a lot of melodic appetite that allows for head-banging, be it the nu-metal way of throwing your body into spasming contortions as the music effortlessly erupts around you. The track ‘Out of Luck’ starts off quite sinister and deliberate and, although it still contains that ripe resonating heaviness of doom, shows great endeavour and contrast to the previous tracks. This album is like the blackdeath. It will spread its evil and infect every bugger under the sun – forget the cure, just enjoy its magic and let your body spasm with contentment!
Rock and Roll’s bite might be as addictive as nicotine laced with crack cocaine, but there is no denying that sometimes life leaves you in a spot where you need to get a bit introspective: You fancy gazing at your shoes, nodding your head gently and figuring out exactly where you are in the world. That’s when you turn off AC/DC and you go looking for a band like Simmer. Their debut album, Paper Prisms (2016), is a fuzzy piece of shoe-gaze, melded with emo and a smidgen of punk to stop it all getting a bit too gentle. As ‘Faze’ kicks off with the buzz of feedback, you can’t help but feel warmly embraced into this world. The vocals are deliberately low in the mix, almost merging with the music at times and forcing you to listen hard to make them out at all; it is a smart move that not only draws you into the music but also brings a lot to songs like the introspective ‘Antwerp’. Almost splitting the album into two is the more dreamlike ‘Calendar’, an instrumental track which, when we come out the other side, leads us into a few rockier numbers, ‘Gold’ being the prime example. It’s a subtle change but it is an important one in an album that, at times, feels a bit ‘one beat’. The songs have a tendency to merge into each other and, even on this relatively short album, you do begin to feel like you have heard it all before. If you like your punk rock brimming with spit and anger, then Simmer are not the band for you. This is music for the spaces in between the anger, those times when you need to slow down a bit and have a glimpse of your shoes. If that is what you are looking for, this won’t disappoint.
On paper, there is not much to dislike about Wendy James’ band. Musicians like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) and James herself (Transvision Vamp), make sure it all looks good. Going in you would be safe in declaring that they are more than capable of delivering a decent album’s worth of music. This does not help to temper the disappointment when they struggle to rise above just being decent. You see, The Price of the Ticket is an album with two faces. Too often we are presented with the safe dreamlike rock of opener ‘Paloma’s Down’, which breezes nicely into one ear but doesn’t bother sticking around for long before floating straight back out the other one. It is fine, but we are not looking for fine, we are looking for great. Something which ‘King Rat’ might well have been, as Matlock’s bass gets a proper airing, giving the song some groove. Sadly, it’s let down by the strange decision to have apparently allowed James to sing while suffering from the hiccups. These moments are all the more frustrating when we get a glimpse of that other face. ‘Bad Intentions and a bit of Cruelty’ sounds like toned down Hole, while ‘You’re a Dirtbomb, Lester’ is far too long, but is enjoyable in its punky attitude. ‘Screamin’ Back Washington’, meanwhile, sees James give her best vocal performance on the album, her voice sounding beautiful in its openness, which is why you end up banging your head on the wall when they return to the safe territory of ‘Farewell to Love’ and ‘Indigent Blues’. It’s not that they’re bad, but just that you can’t help feeling this should all be so much better. The Price of the Ticket verges on being a great album, but too often slips back into sad mediocrity.
Reviews Rhyn
Royal Republic
On The Open Road
TEXTURES
Horrified
Absence
Weekend Man
Storyteller
Phenotype
Of Despair
Self Release Words: Victoria Purcell Rhyn intrigued me from the start. First track ‘Elegy’ hooks you in with melody and easy sing-a-long vocals. It’s quite singy, quite dreamy, passionate music. It’s refreshing to hear some keys, it’s been so long since I heard melody such as this. The vocals on ‘Victory’ make you want to sing or cry from the off. There is something reminisent of my emo days here, I wouldn’t put them in that bracket, although this music is packed full of feeling. Absence has many tones, have a listen through, let it take you on a journey.
Spinefarm Records Words: Stephen Stanford There were oft times it felt a little bit like listening to something produced by fellow compatriots The Hives, other times it sounded like a heavier version of The Strokes, but these aren’t criticisms, far from it. They have been able to take elements from a series of genres and mix them into something they can call their own, an almost unique blend of music that will get inside your head and be incredibly difficult to shift. They combined their training with talent and love of fast paced melodies and hard, fast drums.
Self Release Words: Stephen Stanford I defy you all to listen to Storyteller by Nottingham/ Manchester based On The Open Road, and not catch yourself bobbing your head and tapping your toes along with their infectious poppunk riffs (think Veara, not Green Day). The eight-track EP is soaked in catchy melodies, sing-along anthems and nostalgic vibes. OTOR have almost effortlessly, created something that will undoubtedly be a hit. ‘Rainy Days’, the fifth track and lead single, stands above the rest (and it was hard to choose just one).
Nuclear Blast Words: Marcus Wheeler Textures’ debut album, Polars (‘04, re-released in ‘14), immediately established the Dutch metal band as a force to be reckoned with and was cited as the “best metal album that’s ever come out of the Netherlands.” Over a decade later, Phenotype sees not so much a maturing of Textures’ style, but further explorations in melody, composition and song-craft. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable, pounding metal-assault full of crushing riffs, crisp production and melodic oases.
Stormspell Records Words: Pagan Hel From the off it savages the breast with putrid essences that flow, be it somewhat aggressively and harsh, but isn’t that what you expect from death metal? It’s an unstoppable album that flourishes with enjoyable and mischievous intent that just keeps on giving. nperturbed and unyielding in their bid to ravage the ear drums.Emotions fit to bursting, involving toxic swagger and beastly seductive turmoil, it ignites with ingenious assault and will no doubt leave your orifices bleeding!
Temple Of Lies From Sand
Attic Records Relative unknowns, Temple of Lies, offer us 11 tracks of catchy, head-banging hard-rock in their debut release, From Sand (2016). All involved with music from an early age, the four members of the Leicester-based powerhouse bring decades of passion and experience, each of them having been involved in numerous projects in their time. Not giving anything away, opening track, ‘Rope’, starts with a brief solo riff, which almost serves as a cheeky wink before everything kicks in: no dramatic build up; no bullshit, just straight down to business; it does a great job of setting the tone for the feel of the album as a whole: It’s got grit and it’s unrelenting. Tracks like ‘Bats’, ‘Feed The Greed’ and ‘Crystal’ are the bread and butter of this album — easy to
Paradigm Realize
Sumind Records When the first few lines of the opening track, ‘Desire,’ rang through my speakers, I almost wondered if I was listening to a Chris Cornell song by accident. So much so, I had to open up my iTunes and check I hadn’t accidently pressed the wrong button! Alex Blake has a very distinctive set of vocals, one I think that will stand out with ease. They are a band who are seemingly very new; their Facebook page only has 316 likes and, yes, I know that’s not always a good indication to go on with a band, but to have two highly acclaimed producers working on your first major EP, is very impressive, namely John Cornfield and Paul Corkett who, between them, have produced Oasis, Muse, Bjork, Placebo and many others besides. This EP jumps all over the place, from a fast
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beating opener, ‘Desire,’ to the much slower swayings of ‘The Miracle,’ demonstrating the sheer diversity of the band. No two songs sound the same and this is almost a rarity in any genre these days. It’s a very good cross section of what we can expect to hear from this band in the years to come. The London-based three-piece have as their third song on the album, ‘Strangers’; it is a slow and soft song which perks up in the choruses and really comes alive with the excellent guitar solo in the last quarter of the song, something that took me by surprise, before fading out nicely at the end of the song. As ‘The Miracle’ begins, your ears perk up with the slow notes of the piano and the much faster strumming of a guitar underneath it. It feels as if the video for this song might be set in some sort of Victorian room, dark, rich coloured, plush rugs with the grand piano in the corner. The album is out on Friday, 8th April. Go check it out. Rich Broome
listen to and easy to enjoy. There are a couple of tracks that stand out from the rest as ‘stronger’: ‘From Sand’, with its mysterious feel and slower pace, give more focus on Si Shaw’s pleasingly raspy vocals while the guitars swagger, almost lazily, in the background; aptly titled ‘Riff Machine’ is a well selected single, seemingly named after guitarist Jon Scranney —AKA The Riff Machine— and is one of the groovier songs on the album. On more than one occasion, I get notes of Metallica’s Load and St. Anger (worth clarifying that I really enjoyed St. Anger!). The production has captured the grit essential to this genre but, for me, there is a gap in the upper frequency range that could have been filled by a slightly crisper crunch to the guitar. Temple Of Lies aren’t breaking any new ground, but they blend hardrock and thrash elements to tremendous effect, and I can safely say that these fellas would receive a warm welcome at Hark Rock Hell. Marcus Wheeler
Evil Scarecrow The Underworld Camden
January 28th saw the first of a three headline UK tour for Evil Scarecrow, starting at The Underworld, Camden. Having sold out, it was the largest sold out headline crowd the band had ever seen, or at least until January 30th, having already sold out their Rock City show in Nottingham. It was something to really look forward to even for someone that has already seen them a ridiculous amount of times. Before they even begin, the place has become a heavy metal pantomime. It’s the least to be expected, unique isn’t a good enough word to describe any performance they put on, or the connection they have with their fans. The ever impressive show is only ever as good as the crowd, and they outdid themselves with the oldest, baldest and most bearded leading the charge. All the fan favourites are heard, ‘Blacken the Everything’, ‘Robototron’, ‘War and Seek’ (this time with bags and bags of party poppers thrown to the crowd!), ‘Dance of the Cyclops’ which is heavily entertaining in a room so packed, and of course, the much anticipated ‘End Level Boss’ which even needed a small practise to make sure the crowd knew the right moves... turns out it helps if the band knew them in the correct order first, thankfully drummer, Monty, saved the day. The place is on a high and the band close up, even those that aren’t fans are set to walk out
L i ve! gleaming. Of course, Evil Scarecrow soon take back to the stage for a one track encore with ‘Crabulon’. Witnessing Evil Scarecrow in such a packed, small venue is up there for entertainment and value for money. It’s hard to see how they can top such a small tour like this, but if this band are known for doing anything, it’s coming up with something completely crazy and absurd for the next time... and they will, no doubt, impress as always!
Review & Photos by Ashley Crowson
Nameless Day Ritual Birth
Pagan Hel
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SAOL Formed in 2013, enigmatic band, Nameless Day Ritual, is a metal-fusion project based in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. There is little information about them available, aside from the fact that they are releasing a six track album imminently: Birth. We’re very excited. It is easy to see why the opening track is called‘Far Out’. It ticks all the boxes for being one savage wow moment! It utilises seething screaming along with perfectly tempered female vocals from frontwoman, Asya. It conjures up a formidable atmosphere and has a very moreish flavour about it. The track cultivates a superb intensity that is compulsive and brooding; it’s a very involved composition that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Along the same vein as the previous track, ‘Birth’ features sharp atmospheric leanings as Asya sings in a very twisted tone, backed up with a solid beat and rasping riffs that make it very hard-hitting. At times, her vocal chords could almost make your ears bleed as they pursue the lyrical content with continued seething vibrance, but without ever losing sight of the goal. The strings flow with ease on third track, ‘I’. It changes direction and follows a tempered beat that lies beneath Asya’s vocal range. It holds a beautiful melodic
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core that introduces beauty to the beast, with the fusions moulding perfectly to produce a very unusual and heartfelt track. ‘Nevermind’, holding a brooding malignance, ambles aimlessly through its guarded paces, until the guitar kicks in and it ravages the ears. The vocal textures are again twisted, but tantalising, while still being imaginative and contrasting. Very heavy fusions flood the speakers and are powerful and all embracing. ‘Chiming Through’ takes a while to thaw, but once it does, it brings a stabbing of strings that are produced in such an unusual way that it sends goose bumps down the back bone and is what I would describe as bewitching. The guitars propel an all-round sound that is breath taking. Bringing the album to a close, ‘The Long Run’ is a beautiful track that is outlined with soft strings and a softly carved and slightly slurred vocal, giving a stimulating ambience. The rhythms change to the drive of the hard edged drumming and hardy bass licks that merge with Asya’s vocal, giving the track a thrilling edge. I am going to say without a shadow of a doubt that Nameless Day Ritual deserve the title of ‘exciting newcomers of 2016,’ as this album does not just awaken the senses, it gives them a shake and then some! Don’t be fooled by the slower bits – this band have really thought about their compositions and know just where to hit in order to fully engage with their ever growing audience. Buy it!
t u o 8 e u s s I ! 6 1 0 2 l i r p A
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