Firebrand After Dark Issue 12 Censored!!!

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Censored due to false copyright claim - claiming copyright infringement for a band that was not featured in the issue.

For reference ALL photos/album covers etc are used with the appropriate permissions granted by the bands representative

Issue 12 - June 2014

PLUS Anathema Desecration Helstar Onslaught Aurora Borealis E-Force Exorcism Sabbatory Pet The Preacher Vahrzaw

10 14 16 20 24 28 30 34 36 40 44

04 07 09 46 66 68 70

- Onslaught - Darkest Era - Allegaeon - Elvenking - Desecration - Helstar - Hyperborean - Tankard - Dust Bolt - Anathema - Reign Of Fury

22 - Courtney Love Live Review 53 - Under The Curch - E-Force 54 - Anathema 55 - Servants Of The Mist - Deathkings 56 - Exorcism - Vahrzaw 57 - Mekong Delta 58 - Sabbatory - Pet The Preacher

- News - Top 5 Videos - Top 5 Album Covers - Games Dungeon - Top 20 Chart - Presenter Of The Month - Gig Listing

59 - Words Of Farewell - Ecocide 60 - Hellgoat 61 - Elvenking - Unearthly 62 - Aurora Borealis - Killchain 63 - Centurian 64 - Entrapment - Bloody Hammers 65 - Casualties Of Cool

*All content and layout are copyright of Firebrand Magazine. Any attempt to distribute Firebrand Magazine to another site for purposes of download is strictly prohibited. All Firebrand Magazines are property of Firebrand. *

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Meet The Team!

Editor In Chief Rick Palin

The month of June is normally a happy Senior Media Consultant occasion due to the festivities at Donington as Rachel Whiston part of the Download festival or Hellfest over in Clisson in France both of which have the Editor uncanny ability to put on cracking lineups year Lee Walker after year. This June though is marred by the unexpected passing of one of the trueluy Reviews Team iconic comic figures of our time in Rik Mayall.

Gavin Griffiths Making his name in those early anarchy Graham Pritchard fuelled 80s Rik successfully brought his Joey Lowebins cheeky, dry sense of humour to countless Rob Birtley generations of people though his various sit Stephen Brophy coms and comedies and recently though his Stoodge McNulty adverts for Bombardier.

Download Content Team Rick Palin And with that thought its time to raise a glass Judith Fisher and toast a hearty "Huzzah!� in his memory.

Rik Mayall 1958 - 2015

Content Download sales@firebrandrr.co.uk Advertising Enquiries sales@firebrandrr.co.uk Review Requests afterdark@firebrandrr.co.uk

Contact Telephone +44(0)207 0978556

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NEWS

Kobra And The Lotus reveal new lyric video and confirmed for Kiss/Def Leppard US tour

Explosive hard rockers Kobra And The Lotus have been confirmed as opening act for legendary bands KISS and Def Leppard this summer on KISS’ massive 40 Anniversary North American tour. Kobra And The Lotus take to the road in support of their new album, High Priestess, due out in the UK on September 29th.

Produced by the Grammy-nominated Johnny K (Megadeth, Disturbed, Three Doors Down), High Priestess delivers a blend of fiery vocals (courtesy of lead singer Kobra Paige), heavy riff-laden melodies and ferocious musicianship.

Led by frontwoman, the classically-trained vocal powerhouse, Kobra Paige, Kobra And The Lotus have been making a name for themselves worldwide with extensive touring, plus a well-received album in Kobra And The Lotus (2012), the band’s first with Spinefarm.

KATL have already played the main stage at huge European festivals such as Download (UK), Sonisphere (Spain), Hellfest (France), Gods Of Metal (Italy), Bloodstock (UK) and more. The band has also supported the likes of Judas Priest in the UK. Check out the brand new lyric video for the first track to be revealed from High Priestess, titled ‘I Am, I Am’,

Ill Niño Release Album Title, Artwork, New Single Back and better than ever, Ill Niño have returned with their third album on Victory Records, Till Death, La Familia. Set for release on July 22nd, Till Death, La

Familia is an 11-track collection of Ill Niño ‘s most daring, Latin-infused heavy metal songs to date.

Produced by Eddie Wohl (Anthrax, Fuel, Cradle Of Filth), co-produced by Dave Chavarri and Ill Niño, and mastered by Maor Applebaum (Sepultura), this album is everything fans have come to expect and much more.

Drummer, Chavarri, comments Ill Niño’s Till Death, La Familia is by far the most modern, brutal, and memorable release since our debut release Revolution, Revolución.”

Pre-order packages for Till Death, La Familia are now available at VictoryMerch.com.

Every pre-order for Till Death, La Familia will receive an instant download of “Live Like There’s No Tomorrow” and will automatically be entered to win an ESP guitar autographed by Ill Niño Don’t miss Ill Niño performing all summer on the Victory Records Stage at the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

Dark Tranquillity and Insomnium announce North American Tour 2015 Last week, Sweden's Dark Tranquillity and Finland's Insomnium announced a North American tour together! The Century Media package will start in New York City in the first week of January 2015 and run through the end of the month.

Dark Tranquillity released their latest album "Construct" in May of 2013 and featured the video for "Uniformity."

Insomnium's new album "Shadows Of The Dying Sun" hit stores in April, with critics declaring it to be "...yet another excellent album from this premier melodic death metal band." (Metal Storm.net) For a preview

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of "Shadows Of The Dying Sun", be sure to check out She explained in an online posting: "Anyone at that show who saw me body slam through the fucking the video for "While We Sleep" riser could imagine there would be some damage.

But I'm a stubborn fuck and I waited a few shows before going to get x-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests. The damage to my head, arms and legs is just bad bruising, there is no apparent organ damage and no internal bleeding. Unfortunately, there is a compound break on one rib and severe bruising around several others. Good news is that the pieces of the rib are well aligned to heal back in place!" She added: "The doctor forbade me to continue playing shows... But cancelling shows would hurt way worse."

We have biggest respect to be tougher than tough and send her best wishes!

Arch Enemy: second part of Track By Track Sanctuary: finishes The Year The Sun Died, video Announce Street Date Arch Enemy's highly anticipated album "War Eternal" is coming out NOW. Check out the second part of the Track By Track video with Michael Amott (guitar) and new vocalist Alissa White-Gluz: Part One

Reactivated legendary Seattle metal band, Sanctuary, have wrapped up the recording of their new album, The Year The Sun Died, and have set a Sept 30th US street date (Sept 29th in Europe).

Recorded in Seattle at Soundhouse Studios with Zeuss (Whitechapel, Hatebreed), the album will feature 11 tracks and a bonus track, a cover of the Doors classic, Waiting for the Sun. Comments singer, Warrel Dane: Now that hell has officially frozen over and the pigs have flown I can proudly say The Year The Sun Died is finished.

The record that nobody thought would ever get here has come in kicking ... and yes there is screaming!

Working with Zeuss (aka the commander) was great. He really pushed us all to be better. This is a very modern sounding record with roots still firmly planted in old school six string metal and I gotta give him creds for that.

Sanctuary was formed in Seattle in 1985 and released two studio albums on Epic Records, Refuge Denied in 1987 and Into the Mirror Black in 1989.

They toured the world with the likes of Megadeth, Warlock, Fates Warning, Death Angel and many more. In 1992, the band officially disbanded with singer Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard forming the critically acclaimed group, Nevermore.

Sanctuary announced in 2010 that they would be reuniting and played metal festivals in both Europe and the US with the original line up save for guitarist Sean Blosl. Former Forced Entry guitarist, Brad Hull has stepped into to fill his shoes as a permanent touring and recording member.

Part Two The band already finished the first 10 shows and crowds have been welcoming Alissa with open arms and horns high. At one of the first shows, however, Alissa actually jumped so hard on stage that she broke her riser into pieces and broke a rib in the fall.

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Metal vids to sink your teeth into

1 2 3 4 5 8

Alestorm Drink AC Angry Hellrock Anthem Superfecta Pendulum Emmure E Mastodon High Road Firebrand After Dark

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One of the things that we at Firebrand After Dark have noticed is that we don’t always give credit where it is due to the artwork which accompanies the albums. We would like to address by bringin to you, what the team feel are the best 5 covers of the material which we have reviewed this month. If you have any comments about them please feel free to tweet us @fbadmag, comment on Facebook /FirebrandAfterDark or email us at afterdark@firebrandrr.co.uk

1

Aurora Borealis Worldshapers Elvenking The Pagan Manifesto

3

Killchain Where Is Your Saviour Under The Church Under The Church EP

5 10

2

Sabbatory

Endless Aspyxiating Gloom

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Lee Walker speaks to Nige Rockett Ahead of thrash veterans Onslaught’s latest UK tour, Lee briefly caught up with Nige for an update on how the tour is going so far and what they have lined up for their UK fans Firebrand After Dark

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The last time we spoke the album ‘VI’ had just been released and the feedback was starting to come in, have you been happy with the overall way it has been received?

Yeah; in all honestly we have been completely blown away; it’s always a real nervous time waiting for the feedback to filter through on a new release, but when it came the press and fans response to the new ‘VI’ record was absolutely phenomenal.

Many, many reviews have rated this as the best album of our career so far and a big majority of fans agree with that statement too, so we could not have asked for more.

I remember that you were looking forward to play the ‘Underwall Festrival’ in Croatia, has the dust settled over the cancellation / collapse of that?

Well, we are still real angry about the whole situation, and it’s a complete disgrace that people can get treated in this manner.. Some of the stories I have heard are quite honestly shocking. Luckily for us we never actually made it to the festival at all.

The business is hard enough for bands as it is and when the fans are spending lots of hard earned money to travel great distances to see their favourite bands everyone expects what they are promised… I am hoping this was a one off situation because shit like this really does not help the ‘live metal scene’ whatsoever..! These so called promoters can surely never be allowed to work in the music industry again.

What are the set lists looking like for this tour?

You’re recording a ‘live DVD’ too; tell us about that?

We have put together a very special set list for the UK leg of the tour; we wanted to do something a little different for our home crowds.. I really can’t say what we are planning right now, as I don’t wanna spoil the surprise, but there will be some very cool stuff included.

And, yeah, a new live DVD is on the cards. If all goes to plan it will be released in December this year via our label AFM Records. We are filming / recording the Bristol and London shows with full production and recording all of the other shows on a smaller format for inclusion also.. I’m hoping we’re gonna get some real crazy reactions to show the rest of the world what the UK is all about. We will be out filming the fans and getting some of their reactions too for inclusion on the DVD.

With the exception of the ‘Underwall Festival’, how has the rest of the tour been so far?

So far, so very, very good thanks..!! South America was particularly amazing; the biggest, craziest crowds we have had over there so far. There’s still a huge amount of touring in support of the ‘VI’ record to go, that’s for sure; we’re going to the US / Canada for 6 weeks in October/Nov., then immediately after that we return to South America for a further 2 weeks at the start of December.

2015 we will be taking in territories like Australia / Japan / South Eastern Europe and lots of other weird and wonderful places.. No rest for the wicked!

How has the new ‘VI’ material been received by the crowds so far?

Amazingly well thank fuck..!! The fans are really loving the new album and that’s the biggest kick we get; it’s a great reward for all the hard work that has gone into writing and recording ‘VI’. The fans are your biggest critics at the end of the day.

We only ever play 3 or 4 tracks from the new record at each show, but tracks like ’66 Fucking 6’ and ‘Chaos Is King’ in particular stand up very strongly against some of the old classics!

Are there any messages you would like to pass on to the fans?

Obviously you are about to hit the UK leg of the As always, we would like to pass on our huge thanks tour in July. Are you looking forward to it? to our fans for their true and continued support Yeah, for sure; it’s always a special feeling coming throughout the ‘VI’ era. It really does mean a lot to us home..!! We don’t ever do that many UK shows and because without you guys and girls we are nothing! when we do we try to make things as special as “Now let’s go and make one completely insane possible… It’s so good to see all the old friends from DVD together and show everyone that the UK can around the country, who helped get us where we are still kick some serious Metal Ass!!! today.

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Stoodge Mc Nulty chats to Ade Mulgrew from

Stoodge speaks to Ade Mulgrew (Guitar) from Irish Metallars Darkest Era about their recent album release “Severance�, the current scene in Ireland and romantic poets.

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Your new album "Severance" is out 13th June here in Europe. What can we expect from the record?

A dark and visceral storm of pure epic heavy metal laden with might, muster and melancholy. Those seeking throwback metal, retro-ironic occult fuzz-doom or party-metal drinking anthems may look elsewhere.

When put up against your first album "The Last Caress of Light" what are the distinct differences?

The first thing people will probably notice is that the songs are darker, heavier and a bit more aggressive.

Part of that is due to the production. We stripped the guitars back to just one track each this time, as opposed to double track layered guitars. This gave us a grittier tone overall, rather than the wall of sound atmosphere of the first record. Aside from that the songs are generally tighter and more focused. We trimmed the fat in the arrangements from the first album. There are more riffs, melodies and solos to my ears and I think in general it’s a more varied record. It’s the natural successor to our debut; we’ve taken our core influences with us but there is much more of our own identity on this album.

November/December 2012. It was very intense but you can either lay down your arms or you can thrive on the pressure, and we chose the latter.

What influences from outside the realm of music do you extract through the cusp and incorporate into the Darkest Era package?

The most integral I guess is the influence literature has on our lyrics. They tend to be quite packed full of imagery and symbolism; written in such a way that is directly inspired by the Romantic Poets, old Irish poets, mythological tales and to an extent fantasy writers. I have to say that although we don’t write songs about Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit, like Blind Guardian or someone for example, my lyric writing is definitely influenced by Tolkien’s style. He had an absolutely wonderful way with words and the songs and poems he wrote in his books were extremely evocative.

Have your musical tastes changed much since you formed the band back in 2005?

Yes and no. The range of music that we all listen to has expanded dramatically, but that is to be expected as you grow up. Some of us are into everything from black, Was the mentality of the band prior to writing and death, doom, blues, electronic, country, synth-pop, recording to do something slightly different or was it glitch.. and yet we still hold the bands that inspired us in the beginning just as dear as back then. Sometimes the a case of not fixing something that's not broke? further you stray from your roots, the more you come We’re not interested in making the same album twice or staying still creatively. We wanted to open our sound back to them with renewed appreciation. out more; be a little more ambitious with what we wrote Have you noticed a change in the Irish metal scene but also make the songs a lot leaner and less ponderous. We have many different influences in the since back then? band and it was a case of fine tuning these, with the Not hugely to be honest, except we’ve gone through a overall desire to hone our own sound and our own few more of the cyclical peaks and dips in terms of gig identity. attendance that seem to happen. It seems that the health of the scene sometimes just depends on who you Were there any nerves from the band with the ask! There are a bunch of really great bands coming through, some of those linked with the Invictus label recording of the supposed difficult second album?

I don’t think we felt any pressure for the second album, have started to make waves internationally which I think is great, it’s what we really need to happen for the we were in the midst of lineup changes and the band profile of Irish metal to grow. Sadly there is still the usual was pretty much in turmoil so there were a lot of emotions flying around. I guess there were nerves when crop of hometown heroes who sit on their asses think we booked the studio, purely in terms of the timeframe. the world owes them something. I guess that’s part of every scene.

We had a very short space of time to write the songs and perhaps in the back of our minds we were thinking Any major tours on the horizon to back up the album's ‘….will we get this done in time.’ release we should know about?

Having included a few prior demo tracks on your first Yes we’ll be heading out on our first ever headline tour of the UK this September. We’re very excited about it, record, how was it having to write and record all we’re returning to cities that we’ve played before on exclusive new material for "Severance"?

It was liberating in a way. Some of the demo tracks that previous UK tours and it’s going to be great to finally do some headline shows. We’ll also be playing Belfast and were included on the album had been written years before they appeared on ‘The Last Caress..’ but we felt Dublin over the summer, and hope to announce details they were too strong to be left off what was a worldwide of those soon. release on a major label. As I mentioned though because 2012 mostly consisted of lineup difficulties, by the end of the year we had a very short space of time to actually pull the material together. There were some riffs and ideas floating around but almost all of the songs were written in a 10 week period or so across

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Stoodge Mc Nulty Speaks to Greg Burgess Firebrand After Dark

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Stoodge recently spoke to guitarist Greg Burgess from Colorado's Allegaeon. The band's newest and third album “Elements of the Infinite” is released on 24th June on Metal Blade records. In the following interview Greg talks about the latest album, the making of the band's epic video for “1.618”, String Theory and death.

"Elements of the Infinite" is out this month on Blade Records. What can we expect from the album?

10 tracks, buttloads of solos, some sciency lyrics, and some classical guitar bits. Ya know the usual.

Are there many distinct differences from your past two albums that will surprise fans of Allegaeon?

A few things, we've touched on this in a few areas, but the orchestral element is a bigger part. We've had backing keys on all our albums but this time they play a bigger part. Besides that we took special effort to make the rhythm section sound better.

It's also the first album with Brandon Park on drums and Michael Stancel on Guitars. What impact have the new guys had on the band's musical output?

The biggest effect is their attitudes, they really want to be here and it shows, not only in their hunger for the material but just their preparedness in the studio. Mike did contribute to two songs on the record. The first one The Phylogenesis Stretch, was not supposed to be an Allegaeon track, it was basically written the first night he owned an 8 string.

The second, Genocide For Praise was basically a writing test for him. I wrote all this classical guitar stuff, and told him to write a tune based around this, make it long and epic. He hit a home run on both.

gave to Corey. I had the idea, the day of the Crabcore bit, to paint Myles red... that turned out well. It was just fun. A couple weekends of just laughing your ass off at the absurdity of what we were doing. The best was when we were in that field getting our crabcore moves on, a car drove by with a couple dudes, and yelled "FUCK YOU" at us. We were dying laughing.

I remember first gravitating towards to guys whilst reading the tracklisting for your first album. I seen you had songs called "The God Particle" and "A Cosmic Question", and being someone that has a massive interest in the Universe and what binds us together I found a band that sing about the shit I read about. Is it common for you guys to meet fans that share their own hypothesis with the band? I knew a guy that believed absolutely nothing, but not in an Atheistic way, it was more in a conspiracy kind of way. The Moon belongs to North Korea was one of his theories. An interesting guy all the same.

From my experience there are a fair amount of fans that really love our lyrical content. It's always nice to see people singing at your shows, but the fact they take the time to come up and discuss the topics with us is amazing. I can't imagine people pull Glen Benton aside and go "Hey man, so that new track, ya know the one about Satan...?" Don't get me wrong, I love Deicide... almost too much, but I don't have questions about the lyrics.

From all the theories out there including String Theory and Simulation Theory, do you have any Tell us about the making of your snowblinding personal favourites or one's that you'll always promo video for "1.618". Did all the corpsepaint refer to or preach whilst in discussion? give you a hunger for Goats?

Mmmmm Goats. The concept has been around for Thats a great question. I don't personally, I mean this video since Formshifter, in fact we actually filmed we're by no means under any delusions that we're the black metal scene with our old guitar player and authorities on these subjects. We just research the topics that interest us, and Ezra writes about them. our touring drummer for the song However I have been wanting to do a song about Formshifter. Shooting most of the video was really fun, our buddies Lance and Deja at Flow Forum are string theory, but to write about something you should probably have a decent understanding of the fun guys so they are down or anything stupid we topic, and it's still blowing my mind... 11 dimensions wanna try. I have lots of great memories from the GET OUTTA HERE!! Also Chaos theory and how it shoot. My favourite thing about the video was that everyone contributed ideas. We'd be sitting around can be used to predict weather cycles is another one, on my to do list. and Mike would say "what if in the thrash scene we all had Suicidal hats" or "I ran out of letters so this one is just gonna say 'salsa'", which of course we

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With all this knowledge and explanations is there any kind of void left for a God or creator to reside?

I'm an athiest, I don't buy into the God thing, however I'm the first dude to say I don't know. I feel we all create things, so in a way we're all godlike, but one dude making everything, watching everything... nope. I do believe there are beings greater than us out there but, that would fall under Alien beliefs not religious ones.

I can get a little over zealous with Science at times. I have this ability in which I can drop a reference to a Multiverse whilst conversing about a recent football match. The reason is pretty simple, it's fucking interesting. Alot more interesting that last night's football result. Does this sound familiar to any of you guys?

Hell yeah!! I for one would like to believe in a different reality, ya know we're a really good band, that millions of people actually like!

Why the convergence of tech death metal and the cosmos? I just can't see a barbershop quartet

doing any songs about The Hidden Xenocryst. Could it be that consciousness and quantum theory are both complicated as is the music you play, so boom!

I'd like to believe that your average tech death individual is more intelligent, and is curious about the universe and the world we live in. Who knows though?

What happens when we die? Or is the clue in the word 'DEATH'?

Our matter is recycled and we become one with the universe. Our Conscious is basically energy, and energy can not be destroyed so it'll be exciting to find out.

Will you be spreading the Allegaeon seed later this year with a World Tour?

We're hoping so! Thats my biggest priority to get out of the states during this cycle.

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Lee Walker Speaks with Jakob Just after the release of Elvenking’s ‘The Pagan Manifesto’ Lee spoke to Jakob to discuss the band’s links with elves and to find out more about their manifesto Firebrand After Dark

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Elvenking to me conjures up images of Dungeons and Dragons, Lord Of The Rings and other mythical realms. Why did you choose it as the name of the band originally and is it still the same ethos today?

I think it’s still relevant yes! The band was totally into themes of ‘Fantasy’ and literature back in the beginning and actually the name of the band was a reflection of that influence as well, so it still plays a part.

The Elvenking was the king of the elves in Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”! We’ve developed our likes and passions in different ways since those beginnings, but we are still very attached to that kind of imagery as fantasy and human fantasy is still directly linked to our music.

people can easily think that you’re only advertising the latest product from the band, and that you always have to say that it’s the best album ever, right? But I actually think that “The Pagan Manifesto” is the best album Elvenking has ever written. We worked so hard on it, choosing only top tunes amongst tons of material and improving our technique like never before. I don’t wanna be arrogant, but I’m so proud of this work. It’s is the perfect synthesis of everything Elvenking like, has been and wants to be.

As a title for an album ‘The Pagan Manifesto’ makes a pretty strong statement. Was that the intent when you chose it for the album title?

It wanted to be a statement, of course! It is where all our music and lyrical features unite: looking forward, but influenced by our own roots. Every song is an introspection on ourselves and our original message; seen with different points of view.

Do you have many tour dates lined up to support the album launch?

We have already scheduled a lot of summer festivals in Italy to support the album here, and we’ve been out with Rhapsody Of Fire and Gamma Ray in Europe, which was a marvellous tour for us to do.

We’ll start booking shows in the rest of Europe from October. I can’t anticipate anything yet, but I hope we’ll land on British shores again soon as well…

How do you think this album compares to your earlier work, such as ‘Heathenreel’ or ‘Wyrd’?

As I said, after many years of experimentation, we started listening to some old material again. Now we have a very different line up and a totally Your press release quotes you as returning to different way of playing and arranging the songs, but your folk routes (with this new album). Has the band’s sound changed much since it started off? I think the album shows how much we like the good, old Power Metal and yet, how we’ve tried to Elvenking has always been a band that likes to experiment, and I always like to say that we’ve never “update” those sonorities for a very modern record. wanted to do the same album twice. Therefore, I noticed that you are joined on ‘King Of The Elves’ after the first three albums (“Heathenreel”, 2001; particularly by Amanda Somerville from “Wyrd”, 2004; “The Winter Wake”, 2006), which Avantasia/Kiske/Somerville; how did this were essentially power metal with a lot of folk teaming up occur? influences, the band started exploring new paths: more extreme sounds on say “The Scythe” (2007), In a pretty smooth way, actually. We needed female and an acoustic experiment with “Two Tragedy vocals on that song and Amanda was amongst the Poets” (2008). Then, a lot of melodic stuff with “Red top names we pulled out for that… Then it turns out Silent Tides” (2010). Those album allowed us to that she is a friend of our manager. And that’s it! express all the different sides of our sound, but sometimes shocked our fans too. So, when we felt Can we expect more collaborations between the time was right to go back to our roots, we Elvenking and Amanda or other similar artists? opened the door again, firstly with “Era” (2012); and I’d really love to, surse; she did an awesome job. then with what lies beyond that door; “The Pagan Would be cool to play “King Of The Elves” live with Manifesto”, the current record. her, too.

Is this the bands ways of saying this is who we / Elvenking are?

Exactly. It’s not really a concept album, but the songs are connected by many recurring concepts, and some of them are metaphors about ourselves certainly. The “Elvenlegions” single, for example, is a song about us, our fans and the awesome relationship we have with those people. Then, we have this long and epic first track, “King Of The Elves”, which is about growing up, reaching goals and finding out who you really want to be: just like us.

Do you have any message that you would like to pass on to your fans?

Nothing that they don’t already know, haha! The ‘Elvenlegions’ are the best fans we could ever wish to have; they are our supporters, our friends and our musical family. I’m looking forward very much to hitting the road again and meet even more ‘Elvenbrothers’ from all around the world!

How would you describe the album itself?

It’s always hard to describe your “new album”:

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O2 Academy 2, Birmingham, May 18th 2014 Support from White Miles Review and photos from Reg Richardson I got to the venue around 10 minutes after the doors were due to open to find just 6 people outside; that didn't bode well....or so I thought! The box office didn't have the photo passes, they were 'on their way down' with the promoter. There must have several thousand steps to come down because the passes didn't arrive until support band, White Miles, were well under way. The line of six people outside was far from the indicator I thought it was going to be regarding the crowd because the venue was packed, wall-to-wall, with fans ranging from young teenagers to pensioners.

White Miles were surprisingly good for a duo, a sort of White Stripes in reverse except that the lad playing the drums could, well, play the drums! This was Hansjรถrg Loferer, better known as Lofi and he was joined on stage by Medina Rekic, a very good blues-rock guitarist with a decent voice and a rock attitude. You might think that a duo such as this can't possibly make a

rounded sound, but they actually do a very good job of it and you don't really notice the absence of a dedicated bass line at all. The pair were showcasing their recent album 'Job: Genius, Diagnose: Madness' and if this performance is anything to go by it should sound pretty good.

The songs were catchy and energetic, the guitar licks engaging and the drum fills well timed and thunderous. This is a pair worth seeing again and if they're listed as a support for your favourite band make sure you get there in time to hear them play.

This tour by Courtney Love was undertaken, it would seem, to promote relatively little; a new double A-side single ('You Know my Name/Wedding Day') but apparently no album in prospect despite spending the last couple of years writing new solo material which, she claims, is in the same vein as that of Hole.

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come on stage.

I did think for a second that I was in the wrong hall because the band came on stage ahead of Ms. Love and there in the spotlights was Ginger Wildheart are there any bands he doesn't play with?

Enter stage left: Courtney Love. For a woman heading for her 50th birthday she didn't look too bad at all, she was bright eyed, engaging and interactive and immediately hit the ground running as the band kicked off with 'Wedding Day' from the new single. It was, then, a little disappointing that the rest of the set comprised the title track from the single, a handful of covers and a stream of songs written when she was part of Hole. There were no other solo efforts whatsoever.

Now, it may just be co-incidence that this 8-stop tour was undertaken 20 years, almost to the day, from the time the rock world lost Curt Cobain, though I suspect not; but the crowd seemed to be there for one reason only and she was about to As the set went on it was obvious how much the crowd lover her as they seemed to know the words for every song and contributed at every opportunity.

Which was just as well because by the end of the evening the bright-eyed Ms. Love that started the gig looked tired, drawn and was a little off-key. No-one seemed to care. She berated the crowd who had announced her as the Queen of Grunge, she berated her band and just about anything or anyone else she could think of, but this is rock and roll baby!

At the end of the main set the band left the stage just long enough for Ms. Love to take on a change of clothes and the encore comprised four additional songs which included a cover of the Crystals controversial 1962 single 'He Hit Me and it Felt Like a Kiss'. The evening finished off with 'Doll Parts'. This turned out to be more of a retrospective of Hole rather than anything new from Courtney Love but the packed house loved it, they loved her and long may that remain. An entertaining night all round with a welcome introduction to the White Miles duo!

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It has been six years since these Welsh Death Metal Bastards last released a studio album. Mic Hourihan (Drums) tells Stoodge what can we expect from the band's latest discharge of decomposed macabre �Cemetery Sickness�. Mic also tells us of his opinion on what Death Metal really is..

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Hey dudes! So how does it feel to be on the cusp of another album release?

Absolutely awesome. We're chuffed beyond belief with the new songs, and the production on the new album. Joe (Thompson, Sonic Forge) has done an incredible job of producing it, as has Adam (Edgerley, Sonic Forge) with shooting and editing our first video for one of the tracks from it, "Coffin Smasher" It has been six years since your last record "Forensix" was discharged into the World. Has there been a fundamental reason why we've been made to wait so long for "Cemetery Sickness"?

Desecration has never been our main source of income, so we've never needed to (or been tied to contracts which require us to) release albums every year or so. Therefore, we've only released albums when we've had enough material we're completely happy with. And since we're not massive sellers, our albums have a pretty long shelf-life, and it gives us time to tour and promote in many countries (since we all work normal jobs outside of the band, we can't tour all the time and at the drop of a hat).

That having been said, Cemetery Sickness would have been released over a year ago if we hadn't had the problems in the studio.. It was recorded and produced in the studio I co-run with the above-mentioned Joe and Adam (Sonic Forge), and about a year ago our main machine (with all our data) died a day after all our backups also failed. This was a disaster, as we lost not only lots of other studio work, but 3 of our clients' albums (Cemetery Sickness being one of them) which were near the mastering stage and had been paid for in full! So we (Sonic Forge) had to work stupidly hard to re-record everything as well as continue with the normal running of the studio!

There is never any "hunger" for writing, we just write whenever we have ideas. We started writing for this album as soon as Forensix was finished, "I, Cadaver" being the first song we wrote for it. Within a year of Forensix's release, we pretty much had an album's worth of material, but then scrapped most of it because it wasn't good enough! We don't want to release anything unless it's slammin'! In fact, we have already written the first of a new batch of songs..

There's a few subtle song titles on the album. My personal favourites are "Cunt Full of Maggots", "Cut Up & Fed To The Dog" and "Tactile Necrophile". What is your thoughts on what distinguishes reality from fantasy? That's if picturing a woman's vagina infested with grubs can be constituted as a fantasy.

I personally think that the line between fantasy and reality is always blurred, as this is music, art. I also

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think that if you can think of something, the chances are that someone at some point in the past has not only thought the same thing, but has actually done something similar, hence the blurred line. In other words, our songs are mostly all fantasy, but that doesn't mean they don't reflect reality, even if we're not aware of it specifically.

Can you regale us with the controversy that surrounded the release of your debut album "Gore And Perversion" back in 1995?

Haha, that old chestnut..! Basically, in a nutshell, the band (before Andi and I joined) wrote the sickest album in history, and the people printing the CDs and inlay detail (artwork and lyrics etc) took offence to this, and reported it to the authorities who then took the band to court for attempting to distribute obscene material ("outraging public decency" was the charge if I'm not mistaken).

Have you found yourselves become more desensitised over the years with such brutal music and especially lyrics, or does the same shock value still remain with the band?

Personally, from a very young age, I have always been able to distinguish fantasy from reality, and have always been pretty unshockable, so I think "desensitised" is not quite the correct term. Besides, can anyone actually understand death metal vocals??? =D (ok, some vocalists are easier to understand than others, but you get my point?!)

There's people that would place Desecration as a band floating high on the echelons of the death

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metal genre. And there's those that would consider The Welsh Death Metal Bastards as their beloved underground entity. How would you categorize yourselves on the death metal ladder and does it really matter?

I don't think it really matters, as long as people can listen to our music if they want to. We've never been big sellers, but we're slowly climbing the ladder.

Obviously, it'd be nice to become much more well-known because that means (a) more money (or SOME money, haha!) and (b) more people can get to hear quality music!

vikings, oil spills and Jesus all have a place in the genre?

In my opinion, most certainly not. It's art, it doesn't matter what style of music you play, there's nothing to say you can't sing about whatever you want (it's MY band, I'll sing about whatever I want to). And again, does anyone really understand the lyrics? I can't understand what pop bands sing, so to me, music is music. If you want to get into lyrics only, then why don't you just listen to/read poetry?

For me, if the music's good enough, the lyrics can be about death, gore, love, romance, political issues, silly subjects, anything at all.

With so many projection tools available these days In the words of Dee Sneider, I (just) wanna for bands like Facebook and Twitter, is there still a ROCK!!! true or 'Orthodox' death metal underground scene creeping around under peoples toes?

Lyrically, is there a frontier you'll not impinge on?

In essence, I don't think there is any difference, I just Haha, I think we've impinged on the very worst think that there's now different means of getting subjects on our controversial first album, nothing's your music to people, and the modern internet gonna be worse than that, so no, there's nothing we makes it easier to reach a wider audience won't touch lyrically Where does the line between cult/underground and molten death metal become pellucid?

I don't really know what is meant by "molten death metal", but I if you're talking about the line between underground and commercial metal, it's all about how many CDs you sell, and how much you're able to charge for a booking! If you're making enough money to survive off your music, then you're out of the underground.

(I hate describing it in terms of how much money is made from it, but at the end of the day, bands are businesses. We do it for the love of it, but if we didn't get paid, we couldn't afford to keep putting albums out and touring. Same with any hobby really, when it reaches a certain stage.

Is it imperative for a death metal band to spew lyrics about gore and necromancing, or do trolls,

Any movies that you can recommend to watch with the volume down whilst blasting "Cemetery Sickness?

I'm not really into movies/tv all that much, so I'm not really the best person to ask this question to. I guess any film which deals with the same sorta subject matter as the songs perhaps.

Will there be a full on tour coming up later this year? I know the World could do with a full on wide spread Desecration pandemic.

We'd love to do a massive world tour, but like I said previously, we're all busy with our day work, and with other bands (Ollie and Andi with Extreme Noise Terror, and this Autumn I'm gonna be away LOTS with Onslaught.

But we will be gigging/touring as much as we can over the next few years. Watch this space!

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Lee Walker chats to Larry Barragan of

Lee caught up with Larry Barragan of American metal legends Helstar for a quick glimpse into their Wicked Nest Firebrand After Dark

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Helstar have been around the US metal scene for what seems like an eternity now. Back when the band first started out, did you think that it would still be going some 20 odd years later?

Well, it’s been 30 odd years later actually.

But, never in my wildest dreams did I think we would still be recording and touring.

When we first started doing this, we just wanted to play music and have fun. I don’t think anyone goes into this thinking there will be a long career ahead of them. Of course, we had dreams of being stars but I think everyone that picks up an instrument has that flickering moment when you think, “hey, wouldn’t it be great to play in front of thousands of people”. In all honesty, I feel very blessed to be able to still record and play live shows.

Do you think the band’s sound has changed much over the years?

Oh, of course. When we first started out, we were just trying to be Iron Maiden. As time went on, we evolved and became more ourselves.

To this day, we are still changing and trying new things. I think we’re a lot heavier now than we were back in the 80s. I don’t think any band that has been around as long as we have hasn’t changed their sound. It’s inevitable.

What prompted the reformation of the ‘classic Helstar lineup’ in 2006?

I really didn’t want to do it really, but looking back I guess that’s where this started? Rob and I had started a band call Eternity Black; we really wanted to do just that and not rest on our history with Helstar. But we had a friend that wanted to do a show celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Remnants Of War”. And once we got together and started rehearsing, it really just snowballed from there.

Is there any update on Jerry Abarca?

Not really. After the split he pretty much just cut us off. I know he is still having problems from what friends tell us. He never wanted to walk away and I think to some extent he must feel he was letting us down; but you know, we’re all going to have to walk away at some point. He was sick every time we played. We played a few shows without a bass player, when he became ill on the road. So, we just couldn’t really continue along that path. It wasn’t fair to him, to the fans or to us.

really go into it with that intention when I started writing songs for ‘This Wicked Nest’. It just happened to have that feel and end result. I think though that it is a true statement. This album does have a nostalgic feel to it as well as keeping that heavy thrash direction that was part of ‘Glory Of Chaos’.

Do you have any favourite tracks on the album?

Yeah; I really like ‘Defy The Swarm’ and, of course the opener ‘Fall Of Dominion’.

Have you been happy with the feedback on the album?

So far so good. I mean, you’re always going to have bad reviews. The world would be unbalanced if God forbid everyone liked your music. But those have been few and far between thankfully.

With the new album coming out no doubt you would be under pressure to tour to support its release. Do you have many dates lined up?

We did a short two week tour of Europe recently, and we just finished a West Coast run here. We’ll continue to play throughout the year. We actually have something big coming together for next year, but I’ll keep that under wraps for now.

Do you have any messages that you would like to pass onto your fans?

With the new album (‘This Wicked Nest’) you have To the fans; thank you! You guys have been been quoted as saying that you would ‘merge the unbelievable! Every time we hit the stage it’s a rush to play for such loyal fans.

80’s Helstar with what you did on ‘Glory Of Chaos’. Could you expand on this a little?

Well, I think James really may have said that. I didn’t

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Stoodge Mc Nulty caught up with Swedish Black Metal tetrapod Hyperborean to discuss the two-piece's brand new expulsion “Mythos of the Great Pestilence”.

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Guys, you've just released your second full length album "Mythos of the Great Pestilence". How does it feel to be back in business?

Magnus: Well it´s good to finally have the album out, it has been delayed for quite a bit thanks to our previous label. It´s more a feeling of relief for just getting it released rather than any feelings of triumphant success of anything of that nature.

that includes the ones on our previous album, are all written with a narrative in mind that deal with the essence of mankind. What this animal is and seeing her through different perspectives, be it war or be it great natural catastrophes, like the plague for example. Then there are other themes intertwining through the album but they are there for the observant listener to find.

It has been three years since your last album "The Spirit of Warfare." What have you been up to?

Andreas: I´ve written songs practiced guitar and recorded. After TSOW was finished we felt that we could do better. We just weren´t satisfied with the album. In retrospect I haven´t been satisfied with any of the Hyperborean recordings that I´ve been a part of before Mythos, but it has given us a lot of knowledge throughout the years on what to do and what not to do to do a successful recording. What works and what doesn´t work for us. We´ve been able to use this knowledge to record the album that I always knew that we could do, but never quite got right in the past. For example I can´t record all the guitars and the bass in a couple of days or in a week in a studio, my hands are too weak for that. On this album I recorded the guitars and the bass during a 10-11 month process and we re-amped them in the studio. It took a long time and was a massive amount of work, but it was necessary to make us satisfied and proud of the result.

And the cover version of "Don't Fear the Reaper, who's idea was that?

Magnus: Well we had discussed making a cover for a long time and just never gotten around to doing one before. To me it was important to find a song that would not feel to out of place with the rest of the lyrics of the album. I think I was the one who suggested the song if I remember correctly, but the way it is arranged and in part rewritten, all of that is Andreas. I think it turned out really well in the end.

On the first listen of the new record I noticed a sharper and cleaner production to it than of your first album. The music though is a lot more rustic and harsh. Was this the intention when you began writing "Mythos of the..."?

Production wise a lot of the credit should go to Magnus ”Devo” Andersson off Marduk, he got us a sound that we are very happy with, in the past things like that have always taken a long time but he pretty much nailed it right away. Yes the intentions were to write harsher and more chaotic music from the get go. These days we prefer harsher sounding metal ourselves so that is why there is more of that direction in our music, even if there still are melodies in there. But it was a direction we wanted to go for so we decided to not include any keyboards at all this time.

Were you both massive Black Metal fans growing up and how would you describe the genre's evolution?

Andreas: I started listening to Metallica when I was fifteen. They were the first Metal band I discovered.

Then from there Iron Maiden, Kiss and that type of Metal before moving on to bands like In Flames and The Haunted that made a strong impression on me.

A few years later I found a home in Black Metal. I´ve listened to a lot of varying types of Metal and on a lot of genres through the years, but I seem to always return to Black Metal. I feel that melodic black has

Is there a fundamental concept that runs through the record?

Andreas: What inspired me the most in writing the music for this album was a few years of my and some of my friends lives. The album had to be written in a way, it felt important to get these things on tape.

Magnus: If we are talking lyrically, yes there is. There are several themes running through the album, the most obvious one is of course the three songs that deal with the Black Death. But all of the songs, and

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been pretty watered down for many years. But there are on the other hand some bands that keep the flame burning, Watain is a good example.

Magnus: Black Metal was pretty much the first Metal genre I got into. And on its evolution, I mainly listened to the older stuff. I don´t really see the point in having a thousand bands just repeating what was done in the Nineties, unless you are really really good at it. But there are some interesting directions being taken by some bands like Deathspell Omega that I feel are expanding and developing the genre in a positive way.

What are the pros & cons of being a two piece?

Andreas: There have been quite a few discussions and differences of opinion in Hyperborean throughout the years. And that is a natural thing when many strong wills are involved in a project. Just being the two of us really lessens this a lot, even if we still have to discuss things at times. Actually it is pretty nice and makes us able to focus more on the music. By now we know and trust each other to take care of the areas we are good at as individuals so we really don´t need to have to many debates on every last little thing. That would be the positive. The negative is that we obviously can´t perform live without calling in session musicians and the more members you have it gives the band a larger network.

Magnus: There is. We know and trust each other so if one of us says something will get done the other one knows that it will. I would say that is a rare quality among musicians.

How does being a two piece affect your touring schedules?

Magnus: Well, because of there just being the two if us we don´t play live so we can´t tour. That would be the downside of being a two piece.

So what's next for the four legged creature that is Hyperborean?

Andreas: We don’t know right now. We are promoting Mythos right now and I think a lot will depend on how it does, after this we will have to get together and see if we will do another album or not.

Is there more a sense of freedom perhaps having only to deal with two brains?

Andreas: Definitely. And it motivated me to do my best during the work with MotGP. It’s very motivating to know that you have total control yourself and that the result depends on you.

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Interviewed by Lee Walker Ahead of the band’s latest instalment of their alcoholic adventures, Lee caught up with Olaf to discuss the alcoholic percentage of the new album, their favourite album covers and drinking songs and if they will finally be resting in beer.

So another album has been released by you guys.

This must be your 15th or 16th studio album since you started off. How do you keep on creating new studio albums?

Usually we book a studio one year before the recordings and then we always wait far too long to start writing songs so the last few weeks before we enter the studio are very busy. It seems that we need the pressure of running out of time to get it done well.

Beer and music are always a great combination.

Was it intentional for you to claim the title of being “your favourite alcoholic thrash band”?

If there was an intention it maybe was to be different from others. Worshipping God XY or running around in the woods armed like knight or sacrifice virgins and so on. We have seen lot of bands doing lyrics like that drinking like we do but we've never seen them doing a serious fight against a dragon.

You have produced some great album covers over Are there any process you go through for writing and releasing new albums? the years. What would be your top five Tankard Nothing special. As I told you before we are always album covers? late when we start with the new stuff and surely there is not much time for experiments so the only recurrent process is “hurry up” #5: Beast Of Bourbon Tankard albums are well Tankard albums, full of thrash and beer, what was the alcoholic percentage of this album?

Must be about 50%. Years ago somebody made a #4: Chemical Invasion list with Tankard songs containing the word beer and the list was endless and is still growing by every release. #3: Alien

#2: The Meaning Of Life

#1: Hair Of The Dog

What are your favourite songs on the album?

Fooled By Your Guts and The Party Ain't Over.

With a title like ‘Rest In Beer’ I have to ask the question are you guys ready to rest in beer right now or will you keep on creating music?

We are not finished. RIB is just continuing the story from the Chemical Invasion title track.

With the likes of Iron Maiden and Wolfsbane producing their own beers can we expect to see a Tankard beer on the horizon at any point?

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We've had negotiations with some breweries over the years but at the end of the day we are not big enough to buy the minimum order quantity. Selling it via web is costly and the club owners won't be amused if we start to sell beer with our merch.

Do you have any messages to pass on to your fans?

Check out our new album “Rest In Beer” and if you want us to come to England you have to wear down your local promoters. Cheers.

Can we expect to see you in the UK at any point?

I'm not sure. The last offer we received was impertinent but if we get a serious request we will come to the island again.

What are your favourite top 10 drinking songs? (can be from any band as long as the song involves drinking something alcoholic) #10: Die Toten Hosen , Bomerlunder #9: Tom Waits , Warm Beer And Cold Women #8: Kiss , Cold Gin #7: George Thorogood And The Destroyers , One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer #6: Marius Müller Westernhagen , Johnny Walker #5: Dead Kennedys , To Drunk To Fuck #4: Zeltinger Band , Müngerdorfer Stadion #3: Die Goldenen Zitronen , Für immer Punk #2: Heinz Erhardt , Immer wenn ich traurig bin, trink ich einen Korn #1: Gang Green , Alcohol

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Stoodge Chats with Lenny Germany's thrashers Dust Bolt have just released their new album “Awake The Riot� on Napalm Records. Stoodge speaks to Lenny the band's vocalist and guitarist about the band's recent rise up the thrash metal ladder and we also find out if having an average age of 21 makes that much of a difference for aDark band.

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Hey Guys, with your new album "Awake the Riot" just out you must be pretty busy of late?

Hey ;-) thanks for the interview! Yes!! We are quiet busy at the minute! The release of an album always brings a lot of different things to do and to organize and it´s sometimes hard to find some free minutes to pick up the guitar at the moment haha ;-) But everything is doing good and our first shows for the album have been great so we really enjoy everything that´s going on right now!!

How was the preparation and recording this time compared to your debuting "Violent Demolition" record?

There was a big difference in the preparation of the album, compared to Violent Demolition. For our debut, we had all songs written completely and we already played most of them live before going into the studio. This time we took some time off in the summer last year to concentrate on the new songs and the stuff we had written so far. Well the whole time of the writing process for the album has been very interesting and exciting for us. During the time since our last record everyone of us just made many new experiences , personally, musically, together as a band and everyone on his own. And that whole process and happening had a great impact on the writing of the music. For us, music always was also a way to handle the things going on and surrounding us. But before finishing the record we really felt extreme powerful and hungry for more and that was the perfect condition to record the album. Some of the songs and many some details developed during the recording process and the other guys heard my vocals for the songs in the studio for the very first time which was really exciting. We didn´t play any note of the songs live before that. It was very interesting to see in which directions the songs would finally go and we´re really content with it!

kind of liked the idea of having a specific name that has not a certain meaning yet. So there?s no big story behind, but maybe we?ll find the meaning behind it one day..

You signed with Napalm Records after your first album was released. How has your relationship been with the guys over at the label?

We are really happy about working with them and the relationship is great and very uncomplicated, which is worth a lot! They are very supportive in every way and they let us make every decision on our own. As soon as we come up with ideas we talk to them and see who we can bring it to the people. To be told what songs to release, what cover to choose, when to go to the studio etc. would be something we couldn´t stand. Napalm Records really are a big reason for the success of Dust Bolt and we are really happy to be able to work with the guys!

You guys are still pretty young having an average age of 21. When you guys first got together as a band how serious were you all about making music?

Dust Bolt started back in 2006. Our bassplayer Bene and me (Lenny, singer and guitarplayer) went to school together and started to play music together and we wanted to form a band when me met our drummer Nico and our other guitarplayer Flo, living in the same village as Bene did. At that point we all were about 13 years old just starting to cover songs of our favourite Punk and Metal bands.

But things soon got more serious as we explored our will to write own songs and play shows.The main reason always was and still is passion for music and fun! It´s hard to point out the moment we decided to take it serious. We always had a burning ambition for what we do and we always tried to become better musicians and a better band. We just always focused on the next step, whatever it looked like, and How much has the band matured since the first tried to achieve our next aims. Back then this was to record? write the first own songs or to go into the studio the A lot! As I said, we have been on tour a couple of first time and now it´s about going on tour and play times and played our asses off since the release of festivals. The aims change but we kind of stay the the first album. And playing live is still the biggest and same and still try to develope in any direction and best experience you can make as a musician. But just do would we love to do. also as human, as far as you meet a lot of great people, make new friends, maybe lose old “friends” How does having such a young average age affect and make a lot of experiences in general. All that you guys when preparing for shows and festivals? really improved us as musicians and songwriters and Is the age thing an issue at all and would you see I think one can definitely hear that on the record. yourselves as the new kids on the block anyway having only released two full lengths.

And the name 'Dust Bolt'? What's the story behind We don´t think about it too much actually. Of course that. It sounds like something you'd find in a Car there is often people that treat you like small kids Engine? and don´t respect you as musicians just because Haha !! before we put out our first demotape we had your still that young, but it´s getting better and a pretty silly German band name and we were just better and I don´t care for such people. But most of looking for a new one. Someone of us just came up the people and bands we met have been fucking with Dust Bolt which we really liked and we just great to us and we hang out with them, make party chose it because it sounded and looked cool and we and talk on the same level although they are twice as

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old as we are sometimes, but the great thing about music and especially metal in my opinion is, that superficial things like that do not matter! We just try to use our young energy and bring it on stage and to the crowd!

Being from Germany would you cite band like Kreator, Destruction and Sodom as your biggest influences or are you more drawn into the imported US Thrash scene?

Well it´s hard to decide for one side and both had an great impact on our music of course!I´m a big Thrash metal fan and Kreator was one of the biggest influences for me definitely!! But in general I think I would go more for the US Thrash scene!

It must be awesome getting to mingle and hang out with some of your favorite bands at shows. Are there any particular highlights thus far for you guys?

Many!! Yes it´s so fuckin cool for us to hang out with them and realizing that they are all just normal and funny people you can hang out with! There have been were big highlights, as far as these bands were one many highlights and I can´t really point out a special of the most important bands for me when I started one. But for example being on tour with Sepultura or listening to metal! also Obituary, who became kind of friends of us now,

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Lee Walker catches up with Danny Of

Anathema have always been something of an enigma within the music scene. Lee caught up with Danny to discuss the band’s family connection, their new album and what the future holds.

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The band was founded around 1990.

Back when you first started it all off did you think that the band would still be going now?

You don’t think that far ahead when you are 18 years old. I was 16 or 17 when it actually started. I don’t think we ever thought that far ahead. It was just a case of living in the moment which it what you do when you are young.

There wasn’t any great plan. I’ve been lucky really as the chemistry that I have got with John and Vincent is so irreplaceable and so ingrained that it has become a lifelong thing. Which is great and I’m very grateful to the guys even though we have never made a great deal of money out of it but it is a beautiful thing to be doing with your life with those people and I’m very grateful to them.

I was going to ask about the family connection. Do you think it has helped or hindered things?

Both. Ultimately it helps things coz its working. It works because it’s good not because they are family. It works because they are good.

John is a great songwriter. It’s not the fact that Lee is John’s sister that makes it work it’s the fact that she is good that makes it work. It’s the same with Vinnie. I write songs but it’s not because he is my brother that it works it’s because he’s good.

I’ve seen all sorts of references to the sounds of the music that you which has been bounced around all sorts over the years from doom and gloom though to alternative (whatever the Hell alternative is). How would you describe it if you had to?

I usually say its just a rock band. Kind of emotional, kind of beautiful and words like that. If I was talking to taxi driver who has no idea who we are I’d say it’s like a modern version of Pink Floyd. Its very heart felt and real music but they aren’t really tags for journalists. Those words aren’t the ones a journalist would use to describe a rock band.

You do get people refer to some bands as emo but that’s not really good I don’t think (laughter) I don’t even know what half of that stuff is.

You’ve not missed much Do you think your sound as a band has changed much over the years?

Of course it has. We are always finding ourselves. If we thought we found ourselves on Judgment that moved on quickly. I thought we found ourselves on Fine Day To Exit that moved on. We thought we found ourselves on Here but that’s moved on. It’s really about the search rather than finding anything.

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Ultimately it’s about being honest and writing good, honest songs and being there for each other. If the songs are right then the songs are good. It’s the feeling that’s good and the music is where it needs to be the atmosphere of the band is where it needs to be. That is as much as we can ask for and that’s our job really to make all of the happen.

Going on from that I know at one point you were signed on Music For Nations and it was absorbed into Sony wasn’t it? You had to rejig the entire thing. How did you cope with going from a known label to having to go the DIY approach as it’s referred to?

The only issue we had really wasn’t the label change it was that we didn’t have a manager. Being absolutely honest with you, that was the issue, a lack of management. The current rhythm in the band at the time was that we don’t need a manager but that was wrong and you learn from these lessons and we learnt the hard way that we do need a strong manager and it has taken us until this year to get it but it is there now, You live and learn from things like this that you learn along the way. Now I would say get as good a manager as you can and trust him or her. That is one of the key elements really I would say. Certainly that was how it rolled for us, when we didn’t have a manager fuck all happened.

Obviously you are putting a new album out. Have you had much feedback from it already?

No Ill check online tonight but I haven’t seen any reviews yet. I went on tour, and I didn’t see any reviews before I went I am looking forward

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to seeing how the reaction is as there are a few different elements on this album that I’m interested in seeing how it comes across at first I suspect it won’t be as instantly warmly received as weather systems? Because the songs are not quite a catchy as weather system songs are, they are a little harder work but if you give the album time it will do it for you. It certainly does it for me.

don’t. There is a lot of love and compassion in that title although he was only speaking about his song and his life but he kind of spoke for all of us and all of our stories and particularly our stories together as a family sometimes you are distant and sometimes you are close It just spoke to me in such a profound way I dint know what it was or I hadn’t slept enough or was feeling extra emotional or something. It really spoke to me and was the title of the album within ten minutes of hearing it and we had a celebratory It sounds like one of those albums that will grow curry that night on people?

The infamous curry (laughter) I would think so. Weather systems starts with one of the biggest hooks that we have ever written if not It’s got to be done the biggest hook we have ever written and it’s the opening track of the album so by the time the Right we have got to wrap this up. Obviously you second song comes they and is finished everybody have got the album due out shortly. What else do goes ‘fuck me’ This album isn’t quite like that, It you have lined up for the rest of the year? takes a while. It has its hooks but they are not as A lot of gigs really. Lots of gigs there is also some prevalent and instant. It’s a bit more of a kind of al- acoustic shows a Cathedral gig in Gloucester which bum that you need to give it time to speak to you is apparently selling quite well. Just lots of shows and wash over you rather than grabbing you as inand towards the end of the year me and the boys, stantly as the others did. At least it seems that way well me Vinny and John will look at what material to me. I have no idea how it’s going to be received. might be around and I would say March next year All I know is that I believe in it and I have listen to it we’ll look at doing a pre-production session and see over a hundred times and I really do believe in it. what the next album might look like. And playing some tunes and getting together with Christa and That was going to be my next question as in how seeing what he thinks as Christa the producer is like do you think it is going to compare to your earlier the extra member of the band he is the one who releases? brings it all together everything goes though him so we will get together for christopher for a week and In my mind it stands up to anything we have done and in some way is superior in terms of its musical maybe just put some tunes together and see how it adventurousness especially the second half than our all fits and look at another record. The idea is just to previous releases but that said you can’t argue with stay together and love in each and expand the music and live productive lives with love in the heart dongs like Internal Landscapes, Untouchable so I don’t think its possible for us to get much better and good music and good energy and lots of hard than we have already but we can explore new areas work really. and that is what we have started doing here. I don’t The new album is a long way off. Do you think it think we will ever get that much better than songs will go down a similar route? like Premium Landscapes, Untouchables I don’t I think it will be a be a bit different, I think we are on think it is possible for us to get that much better a bit of a pattern. We have opened the door with than that but I think we can keep the song writing this album and I think it will go further. level up and keep it high and keep pushing new areas that’s what this album is. It’s a branch into That’s pretty much it. Do you have any message new directions and that’s why |I like it. I love the that you would like to pass onto your fans? second half of the album for the facts its brave, it It was nice to speak to somebody from the Wirral to has got the electronica vibe. I like the bravery of this be honest with you. Its really great (laughter) record.

Yes we do tend to pop up in strange places (laughter) That seems to tie in with your title, I mean you I’m grateful for the English fans they have really called it Distant Satellites which seems to tie in grown in the last three years since so it’s become with how you described the album? an even greater pleasure to play in England than it That came from John who is our long term ever was before and it was big before. It’s become a compadre and part of the song writing team, He good thing for us to be a part of the English music was really talking about part of his life in a way and scene. when he told me I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’ve heard, It almost made me cry to be honest, because I felt so much compassion about that title because it told our personal stories. It’s about people and how they can go on strange orbits sometimes they come back and sometimes they

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Stoodge Speaks to Andy Pilkington Of

Stoodge caught up with Reign of Fury Bass wielder Andy Pilkington to talk about the band's upcoming new album and the busy Summer that lays awaiting.

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Hey guys! How's the writing for your next album coming along?

It's going very well, though we're finding the more we progress the more we're coming up with improved versions!

Should we expect a continuation from "World Detonation" or are there a few surprizes in store on the new record?

You'll definitely hear our style carried forwards but yeah, we think this could surprise a few people as it's sounding very heavy indeed! We think the fans of the last album are going to love it.

Any plans on expanding the tour of "Headbangers Balls" over to Europe in the future?

Fuck yeah, we're desperate to, to it all depends on how things develop this year. Taking things over the water means we'll need a lot more financial backing and that's the hard and pretty unpleasant side to the tour… so we'll see! This year we've partnered up with a lot of promoters to bring the shows together, so if we can find like minded people in Europe… why not?!

Reign of Fury is a band that have been heavily involved with the British scene over the past few years. Have you noticed any changes within the British scene in that time?

Any idea on when the record might be released?

I don't think much has changed in terms of the bands We'll definitely have something out in the autumn, themselves, but how they're engaging fans has but whether it's singles or the whole album depends certainly changed. It's a mixed bag now we can all on when we stop improving the tunes! talk to our fans so directly and easily, and whilst it means we can be far closer to the fans, I think the down side is that fans see far too much of the 'warts You've got the "Fury Over England" and and all' these days. Too many promoters, venues, "Headbangers Balls" tours coming up. Will these gigs be the first opportunity for audiences to hear bands and the like airing grievances and talking about the kind of stuff fans used to have to guess the new material? about… I think it's taken a lot of the cool mystique We're planning on airing our first new tune at Les Fest as a bit of a thank you to our Scottish fans who away from being in a band, and maybe that makes going to see a band a little less exciting at times. have been amazing since we played Glasgow last year, so yeah we'll definitely be adding them in.

For a band that have played as many gigs as you guys, the laws of mathematics permit something The "Headbangers Balls" tour is of course to go wrong at some stage. Any major balls-ups something that's held close to the heart of the band, and especially by Bison. Can you tell us about that you wish you could forget?

We never make mistakes. Honest! No, I think we've the tour and reasons behind it?

It's all about putting something back, really. As Bison been lucky… plenty has gone wrong but nothing we feel we've been too responsible. Last year we had a is fortunate to have survived cancer, we all have a show where Magic put the kick-drum skin through in pretty clear perspective on what it means to go through the treatment and come out the other side. the first song at a festival (it was the house kit) and We as a band have also lost close friends and family the stage crew were all pissed at the bar and completely ignored the issue… so no-one sorted it. to cancer recently, so it's something that feels just as important as the music. We love the new friends We ended up having to just pack up and leave. Not a great experience, and I know it's one the organiser we've made over the last couple of years too, and would definitely like to forget!! maybe we just done that little bit, as a group of bands playing the tour, to bring metal back together.

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Square Enix and CI Games release Enemy Front for sound in the universe - it was stuff I didn't know a huge amount about," admits Anthony. "It just PlayStation 3 system, Xbox 360 and PC sounded excitingly bonkers."

Join the Resistance to sabotage, snipe, and fight Cloud Chamber will release next month for PC through historical European World War II conflicts via Steam and other digital distributors.

Square Enix Ltd. and CI Games, a fast-growing international publisher and developer of interactive entertainment, have released Enemy Front, a new Crystal Dynamics Unveils Lara Croft And The first-person shooter action game set against the Temple Of Osiris backdrop of the Warsaw Uprising during World War II. Enemy Front is now available for £39.99 on Xbox Sequel to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light features an all-new adventure with stunning visuals 360 games and entertainment system from and four-player co-op.

Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer Crystal Dynamics, a Square Enix studio, today entertainment system, and £29.99 on PC. announced its latest title in the Lara Croft series, Lara Croft® and the Temple of Osiris™. The game Cloud Chamber interview goes behind the scenes will launch on the Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the with director, writer and actor PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Creative director Christian Fonnesbech - along with Windows® PC. writer Darin Mercado (Jawbreaker, The X Files Game) and actor Gethin Anthony (Game of Thrones) - discusses the nature of the universe, and its influence in the narrative of Investigate North's upcoming sci-fi MMO. Cloud Chamber, which will launch for PC next month, is a new kind of multiplayer game with a strong focus on collaborative investigation and storytelling. Players plug into Crowdscape, a virtual environment containing hundreds of classified and otherwise secret documents, as they work together to uncover the dark story of the Petersen Institute and attempt to solve both a murder, and the appearance of mysterious signals from somewhere deep in the universe.

"There's so much going on out there in the War of the Vikings Refuses to Defend New universe, and our planet is so small, that I had to ‘Berserker Class’ Update learn about the universe, and galaxies, and all kinds of things that have always been a little bit conceptual Paradox Interactive today revealed and added a new character class to War of the Vikings, the Viking Age to me," says Cloud Chamber's writer, Darin close-quarter combat game from Fatshark. The Mercado, of his involvement with the project.

Berserker, a dual-wielding class focused entirely on Along with hours of 'found film' footage - shot offensive capabilities and intimidating appearances, by the team behind The Killing and starring actors from Game of Thrones and James Bond - the game joins War of the Vikings today as part of a free update to the game. This update also includes three features genuine space documentary footage new in-game maps to allow the Berserker a variety provided by the European Space Agency. of terrain to charge across, as well as a new game "We're actually trying to give players an mode, “Domination,” to provide veteran Vikings with emotional relationship with the geography of the a novel challenge. universe," says Christian Fonnesbech, Cloud See the Berserker’s Fury in a new spotlight Chamber's creative director.

The Berserker sacrifices armor, ranged weaponry, "We got a collaboration with the European and weapon pick-ups in exchange for pure adrenaline Space Agency, so we were actually able to put -powered attacks, possessing the ability to dual-wield astrophysics documentary in there. So you're actually travelling out into the universe and learning weapons. Players taking the role of Berserker will no longer charge up their swings, instead focusing on where we are, at the same time as you're travelling special attacks and a new combo system to keep into the story."

It was the this approach to the narrative which their blades flying. Combos can be created with queued attacks, dodges, and different move sets attracted Gethin Anthony, best known for playing depending on whether a warrior wields two swords, Renly Baratheon in Game of Thrones, to his first two axes, or one of each. In addition, the Berserker video game role.

"All this crazy stuff about cloud chambers and will be visually distinct on the battlefield,

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clad in bear pelts, fierce tattoos, and the blood of their enemies.

What’s more, a Berserker will not die easily: when struck by a fatal blow, the character is granted 10 seconds of ‘blood rage,’ which will allow them to continue the fight if they can claim a kill before that adrenaline runs out!

Berserkers will make their debut alongside three new maps and a new fast-paced game mode called Domination. In Domination, the Vikings and Saxons must compete for control of only a few flags – and holding the majority will cause the enemy to start losing respawn tickets, as will slaughtering their warriors. The last team with tickets remaining is the victor!

Developed by Fatshark, War of The Vikings brings the next generation of close-quarter combat games to Viking Age England, allowing players to conquest across the British shores as fierce Vikings – or defend them as stalwart Saxons. With skill-based combat, authentic historical weaponry and environments, and a variety of game modes, War of the Vikings will test players’ mettle and determine who is worthy of entry to Valhalla.

offers presets that have been acoustically tuned for first person shooter, racing, and sports games. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 15 hours of playing time, and new high-performance WiFi ensures an interference-free wireless experience. Swap out the removable microphone for the included mobile cable and use the Stealth 500X on the road as wired headset.

The Ear Force XO ONE is a lightweight, comfortable stereo Xbox One gaming headset that is packed full of features. The XO ONE features finely tuned 50mm drivers, multi-step Bass Boost and Microphone Monitor. The high-quality flex microphone is removable for use with mobile devices as a headphone.

With the new Stealth 500X and XO ONE, Turtle Beach now offers five Xbox One headsets. In March 2014, Turtle Beach released the first officially-licensed Xbox One headsets on the market: the XO FOUR, XO SEVEN, and Titanfall Atlas.

PlayStation®4 Compatible Headsets The all-new Turtle Beach Elite 800 is the most technologically-advanced wireless gaming headset ever made, setting a new standard for wireless gaming audio.

Compatible with the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3, the Elite 800 utilizes DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround Turtle Beach Unveils New Gaming Headsets and sound and active noise cancellation to create an Partnerships incredible, immersive audio experience. Both are firsts New headsets announced for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 for console gaming headsets. A completely reimagined and PC platforms preset system allows surround sound modes to be finely Turtle Beach, the leading audio brand in the video tuned for different types of games, movies and music. games industry, today announced a broad lineup of new Presets can be customised and managed using a new headsets and partnerships spanning Xbox, PlayStation mobile app. Dual invisible microphones provide and PC gaming platforms (NASDAQ: HEAR). high-quality chat audio and a clean, boom-free look.

New product highlights include: Rocker plate controls makes using features easy and · The first gaming headsets for the PlayStation®4 keeps the Elite 800 looking sharp. Customize the look of and Xbox One with DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround the Elite 800 with a wide range of snap-on speaker sound plates available at TurtleBeach.com. A low profile · The first gaming headset to provide fully wireless magnetic charging stand keeps the Elite 800 charged game and chat audio for the Xbox One without cables and the rechargeable battery provides up · The first noise-cancelling headphones for the to 15 hours of playing time. High-performance WiFi PlayStation®4 ensures an interference-free wireless experience, and · A Tournament Audio Controller (TAC) that sets a Bluetooth connects to mobile devices for phone calls, new standard for console and PC professional gaming, music and more. with unique advanced features for audio control and The Ear Force Stealth 400 is a fully wireless broadcast streaming stereo headset compatible with PlayStation®4 and · New additions to an expanding portfolio of PC PlayStation®3 consoles. A new lightweight, sleek design headsets provides comfort during long sessions of game play or · An Elite Membership Program that offers movie marathons. Controls on the ear cup provide quick exclusive benefits to competitive gamers access to separate game and chat volume, as well as for distinct surround sound presets for games, movies Xbox One Compatible Headsets and music. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up The Ear Force Stealth 500X is a fully wireless surround to 15 hours of playing time and new high-performance sound headset for the Xbox One console. The Stealth WiFi ensures an interference-free wireless experience.

500X delivers digital audio from the Xbox One’s optical Acoustically angled, large 50mm Neodymium speakers connection, and separate wireless channels for chat and deliver an immersive audio experience. Swap out the game audio. Utilizing immersive DTS Headphone:X 7.1 removable microphone for the included mobile cable surround sound and a completely reimagined preset with inline mic and use the Stealth 400 on the road as system, players can use surround sound modes that are wired headset. finely tuned for different types of games, movies and The new Ear Force P12 amplified stereo gaming music. For example, the game surround sound mode headset provides high-quality digital game and chat

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audio through a single USB connection for the PlayStation®4. The P12 incorporates features popular with gamers, including adjustable Bass Boost and Microphone Monitor. An inline amplifier provides easy access to volume controls and microphone mute. Large 50mm speakers deliver a full-range of high-quality audio, from crisp highs to thumping lows. The P12 also disconnects from the in-line amp for use on PS VitaTM and other mobile devices. The P12 will be available globally on July 10.

Turtle Beach previously released the PX4 wireless surround headset andP4C chat communicator for the PlayStation®4 console. With the addition of the Elite 800, Stealth 400 and P12, Turtle Beach has now announced five gaming headsets for PlayStation®4 since the console launched in November, 2013.

Tournament Audio Controller A brand new Tournament Audio Controller (TAC) provides precise, fingertip control over audio so players can adjust their audio mix to match changing game conditions. The Elite Tournament Audio Controller (TAC) is compatible with PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360 consoles, as well as PCs and Macs. Dolby AC3 decoding to DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound ensures an immersive, high-quality audio experience.

The TAC has a central master volume control knob, a game/chat mix slider, groundbreaking mic controls and ergonomically placed buttons for intuitive control over advanced audio features. The TAC also outputs audio for professional-quality live streaming or recording of full gameplay and chat audio. TAC units can be daisy-chained for tournament or LAN gaming. An auxiliary input allows you to connect a mobile device and mix in voice calls or music. The Elite Tournament Audio Controller will be available in the winter of 2014 and integrated into future tournament gaming headset systems.

Turtle Beach Elite Membership Program The purchase of any Elite gaming headset includes the opportunity to enroll in the Turtle Beach Elite Membership Program. Member benefits include discounts, two-year extended product warranty, early access to news and product information, and a range of unique, member-only opportunities at Major League Gaming (MLG) and other gaming events. The Turtle Beach Elite Program is only available to participants who reside in markets where Turtle Beach Elite products are sold. Additionally, specific program benefits vary by market and will also be subject to local restrictions.

“The Turtle Beach Elite Membership Program is a unique offering for tournament professionals and competitive gamers,” said Bob Picunko, Chief Marketing Officer at Turtle Beach Corporation. “We look forward to providing members with one-of-a-kind opportunities and special benefits.”

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PC Gaming Headsets The Heroes of the StormTM Stereo PC Gaming Headset is the ultimate headset for fans of Heroes of the Storm, a new raucous online team brawler that draws iconic characters from more than 20 years of Blizzard gaming history, including the award-winning Warcraft®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®franchises. The new PC gaming headset features swappable speaker plates, so fans can personalise their headset with a unique design featuring their favorite Blizzard heroes. Powerful 50mm speakers deliver all the crisp highs and powerful lows. In-line controls provide easy access to volume and microphone mute. Breathable, around-the-ear cushions are optimized for noise isolation and comfort during long play sessions. A fully adjustable, high-sensitivity microphone on a removable boom provides loud, clear chat audio.

The Ear Force Recon 320 brings surround sound gaming to the PC market at a very competitive price. Amazing Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound allows players to pinpoint enemy locations and hear accurate, immersive surround sound with any type of content. A new around-the-ear headset design allows for hours of comfort and noise-isolation plus the ability to personalize the Recon 320 with swappable speaker plates. Amplified 50mm Neodymium speakers deliver crisp highs and powerful lows. The Recon 320 uses a single USB connection for PC or a 3.5mm jack on mobile devices. A high-sensitivity microphone on a flexible, removable boom provides loud, clear chat audio. An included mobile cable with in-line mic and multi-function button for mobile controls such as answer call, pause music, and skip track makes the Recon 320 a true mobile headset as well.

The Heroes of the Storm and Recon 320 gaming headsets will join Turtle Beach’s growing PC gaming portfolio, which includes three models introduced in 2013 - the surround sound Z SEVEN wired and Z300 wireless headsets, and the stereo Z22 wired headset, and the soon to be released Z60 which is the first PC gaming headset with DTS Headphone:X 7.1 channel surround sound and large, 60mm neodymium speaker drivers. These new headsets will contribute to Turtle Beach’s efforts to increase the company’s share of the PC gaming headset market.

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For any review requests please contact the Firebrand After Dark team at afterdark@firebrandrr.co.uk

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Under The Church - Under The Church EP Label: Pulverised Records Released: 16 June 2014 Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Highlight: Haunted By Demons Website: https://www.facebook.com/UnderTheChurch

Formally known as Nirvana 2002, these Swede's may have re-emerged with the new cognomen of Under The Church, but the same ungovernable attitude remains.

Although being a distant dark cloud far from the whirlwind of ingenuity, what's found regorging from this onrushing ruinous cyclone is countless shards and remnants that typify the genre. As a final result we've As well as including four new tracks, this seven track EP got seven excessively fortified tracks from the also recapitulates the trio of songs from their past EP miscreation that is Under The Church, aswell as a release “Demo 2013”. thirsting denomination that's now awaiting the band's first full length record.

Starting off the blitzkrieg is “Denial of Death”, a track that immediately preaches and conveys destruction.

And it's that ritual of annihilation that's fervent throughout the EP as it thrusts, propels and incessantly dismantles all surrounding structures.

“Macabre Cadaver” continues the obliterating assault and old school death metal sound that's all just a formality for the turbulent ternary. The frantic “Digging In The Dirt” and the raging “Haunted By Demons” also deserve a distinguished mention. Both salvo's emit a conflagration that would make an arsonist shit himself.

E-Force - The Curse Label: Mausoleum Records Reviewer: Stephen Brohpy Website: www.facebook.com/eforceofficial

E-Force is the project of former Voivod lead singer Eric Forrest. The Curse is their third album release, meaning that they are far from prolific from a band that was formed in 2001. Their first album release was Evil Forces in 2003, with the second album Modified Poison coming out in 2008. The band plays what I would describe as not a million miles away from what Eric was working on with Voivod, but with more of a trash vein running through it. Eric's vocals throughout are aggressive and pitch from all out assault to what he was producing with Voivod, and that's the last time I'll mention the association, as E-Force are definitely their own band, and there's been a development over the years from Evil Forces to now, the new album The Curse is very much a product of E-Force.

On The Curse we get 11 tracks of full on thrash aggression which in many ways harks back to the glory days of the late 80's and early 90's, which is no bad thing at all, this is classic, with almost a Germanic feel to

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Released: 11 April 2014 Highlight: Devoured

it, fast too with pummelling double bass drums, s upported by a so solid bass line and riffmania. This is certainly quite a long way from their debut album and a healthy direction too, I can only imagine that this material will melt your face live, in places where the odd song such as "Mass Deception" seems to be plodding a long a little, in kicks a solo or a killer riff and it's off we go on a relentless road to needing a neck brace.

For me the stand out tracks on the album are "Your Beloved Hate", "Perverse Media" and the killer "Devoured" which is a powerhouse of a track. E-Force mightn't be a band that people have paid much attention to over the years, and if you haven't open your lugs and get a blast of this, it will definitely be sitting in my collection, yes this album is not something that's creating a new form of music, it's not an operatic masterpiece, but it does exactly what it says on the bloody tin - this is Thrash Metal.

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Anathema - Distant Satellites Label: Kscope Reviewer: Phil Kane Website: http://www.anathema.ws/

Imagine sitting on a hill, and watching an approaching thunderstorm as it sweeps towards you. That’s what quite a few of the songs on ‘Distant Satellites’ sound like; dreamy, serene beginnings that gradually build into strident, towering storm clouds of sound with ‘Anathema’, ‘Dusk (Dark Is Descending)’, ‘The Lost Song’ (all three parts of it), and the beautiful ‘Ariel’ wonderfully summing up the album’s grace and power.

Pink Floyd comparisons are inevitable, the orchestrated washes and the electronic ambience make them unavoidable. So, thinking of Floyd getting it together with Ludovico Einaudi and Choir Of Young Believers (the theme to ‘The Bridge’ anyone?) goes some way to giving the uninitiated an idea of where ‘Distant Satellites’ is coming from. Throughout, the vocal interplay between Cavanagh and Lee Douglas are exquisite, haunting, and the instrumental soloing is beautifully understated. The simple ambience of ‘Firelight’ carries as much depth as anything Neptune Towers has ever produced (tip; listen to this where you can surround yourself with bird song, it’s almost spiritual), and the title track, with its trance groove thing, suggests that Anathema aren’t finished exploring just yet. With subtle Elbow eclecticisms and whispers of the band’s formative extreme metal years drifting through this album like echoes from deep space, ‘You’re Not Alone’ for instance, there’s an optimism, despite the occasional stridency, and a modern world weary new age metal edge that puts it in a different orbit.

The band have again drafted in Christer-André Cederberg to do the recording, ‘You’re Not Alone’ and the swelling plainsong of ‘Take Shelter’ (I think) were mixed by Steven Wilson, and Dave Stewart created the album’s orchestral arrangements, all crafting an album of composure and elegance. There is no rampant

Released: 9 June 2014 Highlight:

double kick drumming to test the record to destruction, no time changes that rip holes in the fabric of space, no glass shattering vox. ‘Distant Satellites’ is more organic, less gimmicky than its two predecessors, no wince inducing soliloquies for instance, but whether it is better will be down to personal choice, it’s certainly as good as anything that’s gone before.

Danny Cavanagh (vocals, electric, acoustic, and bass guitars, keyboards) has said of ‘Distant Satellites’, “This album is more stripped back and that was conscious.

We thought it was time to strip the elements back, so unless something really needs to be there we’re not gonna put it on,” he says. “It was a bit of the Radiohead ‘Kid A’ approach. ‘OK Computer’ was very dense and layered, and they came back with this stripped back recording that was based and built around the vocals and it wasn’t totally jammed and multi-layered. AC/DC have a similar simplistic approach – take a few simple elements and make them sound huge. Believe it or not, one of the working titles for this album was ‘Kid AC/ DC'!" And he’s right, to a point, at least compared to previous albums, but weighed against the offerings of lesser mortals, it remains a multi layered masterpiece, the Coldplay reference a tad misleading.

Do you remember the album that first fired your imagination so much you sat up all night playing it over and over again, and have you been looking for that same buzz ever since? Well here is an album that might just see your search come to fruition. Treat yourself and get a copy, it just might prove to be the life changing experience you’ve been waiting for.

Truly outstanding.

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Servants Of The Mist - Gross Knowledge Of Genital Mutilation Label: Self Release Released: 24 June 2014 Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Highlight: Undeserving Website: https://www.facebook.com/servantsofthemist

From the unfathomable swampy subsurface of Florida come Servants Of The Mist. Emerging with their new EP and following up from last year's Suicide Sex Pact EP, Servants Of The Mist serve up a nebula of sludge and moribundity.

with its immersive execution it does a perfect job in sucking you in.

You can liken the band's sound to perhaps Bongzilla, that's if the neo-weed riffmongers were to replace their Pot with bong hits of self immolation.

With “Gross Knowledge Of...” these sludge overlords are hell bent on tearing your balls off! And they do a great job at it...ouch!

There's even a befitting tribute to G.G Allin with a curious and engrossing cover of “Commit Suicide”.

Breaking the listener in is “Sadism & Suffering”, a cursory introduction to the impending disintegration that's obtrusive throughout the rest of the record. It's a short verbal exchange between what sounds like a suicidal prisoner and his female interrogator. Whatever the scenario is, it sure gets this brute of an EP lactating its heinous juices from the get go.

The imbibing and crushing “Undeserving” is a twelve minute cannonade of piercing, fuzz potent doom, and

Deathkings - Destroyer Label: Midnite Collective Released: 24 June 2014 Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Highlight: Destroyer Website: https://www.facebook.com/DeathkingsMusic

Whilst anticipation grips the sludgy underworld in awaiting their next studio combustion “All That Is Beautiful”, their debut “Destroyer” has been re-released on vinyl. They are Deathkings and they bring forth riffs so devastating they would turn a Sherman tank on its back like a misguided Turtle. Deathkings have a four track arsenal so heavy that if it was launched into space it would acquire its own gravitational pull.

with an anchor attached.

The record's closer “Destroyer” like the first track is a fourteen minute long journey of pervasive post rock dirge with auspicious doom decorum. As a whole, “Destroyer” is an enterprising piece of work.

These doom reformists come from the city of lost angels Los Angeles, and ironically with “Destroyer” they bare a record void of heavenly values.

Opener 'Halo of the Sun' blasts out with elephantine fortitude and vigour, a trait that carries on throughout this forty minute volcanic pitfall. 'Martyrs Vol.1' & Vol.2' bring us to a slightly different realm of the Deathkings Universe. Although the essence of the doom encrusted beast we hear as the record commences seems to retreat, each riff and drum blast is hammered home

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Exorcism - I Am God Label: Golden Core Records/ZYX Music Reviewer: Stephen Brophy Website: http://www.exorcism13.com/

Now I don't know about you but when I hear the band name is Exorcism, the album is titled "I Am God" and the cover is definitely has the elements to make me believe that this is another Death Metal Band, but I'm definitely wrong, this being a case for not judging a book by it's cover.

Exorcism are a group made up of 3 members of Raven Lord that have also played in other bands such as HolyHell and Killing Machine, and a drummer that has toured with the likes of Joe Lynn Turner and Jeff Beck, so there's plenty of pedigree here.

Right from the first track you get the impression that this band aren't even quite Doom, but they are damn good, there's some places here that you get reminded a but of Metal Church, this is powerful stuff, but it technically isn't Doom either, this is just really good Heavy Metal, lots of melody in there, excellent vocals all the way through and the sum of the component parts certainly making a very tight integrated unit.

Released: 25 April 2014 Highlight: Stay In Hell

to the killer bass driving through "Master Of Evil" this maybe isn't the most modern of releases, it has a very classic vibe throughout, and I love it for that, I'm sure this is going to be compared to the likes of Down and the modern Doom bands, but this is much clearer, much sharper to me and never steers anywhere near being sloppy. Csaba Zvekan switches between standard and high pitched ear bleeding power very easily and it all sounds like it should be there, have to be honest here this album has gotten better on successive listens.

Were we in the days of Single releases I think "Stay In Hell" would be an obvious candidate, it's got a lot going on, keyboard into, spoken word into the track itself and some cracking guitar playing right down the middle.

"Fade The Day" and "Zero G" round out the album nicely and as opposed to a lot of Doom Metal these days I haven't come away from listening to this release reaching for the bottle, it's interesting, great music and superb vocals, although I know that these guys have been around and are seasoned musicians, for a debut album with this band we have a cracker, if you get the There are no lulls here or breaks in the output, from the opportunity get out there and here this one, pretty sure opener "End Of Days" through the title track "I Am God", you'll like it.

Vahrzaw - Twin Suns & Wolves’ Tongues Label: Crawling Chaos Productions Released: 17 March 2014 Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Highlight: ...On The Shoulders Of Giants Website: https://www.facebook.com/VAHRZAW

Since 1992 this acidulous creature has been an indelible force within the metal fraternity down under.

With their existence not always evident, the plague inflicting Twin Suns & Wolves' Tongues makes their presence undeniable. For over twenty years these tormentors have been Australia's best keep secret.

Now the classified chaos machine has returned, and with them they've brought some good old blackened death metal depravity. Like a putrefying serpent, Vahrzaw have again emerged to the surface, and the serpentine predator is amorous for flesh, and bones, and blood, and basically anything that emanates vitality.

duress that keeps this diabolical procession in orbit throughout. “Acta Non Verba”, “Scourge” and the album's title track all help unsure the perverse beast remains inviolable.

If you've never been acquainted with Vahrzaw before then the cluster of razor sharp vocals, malicious string slaying and pig skin mauling on Twin Suns & Wolves' Tongues will give you a swift yet discourteous introduction.

The opening attack of “Arrows Pierce The Fog” launches the stampede. The album's second track “....on the Shoulders of Giants” does a splendid job of keeping the knife turning. And it's that immutable and unyielding

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Mekong Delta - In A Mirror Darkly Label: Steamhammer/SPV Reviewer: Phil Kane Website: http://www.mekongdelta.eu/

There's no denying Mekong Delta are legends, though few know it. When they raised their ugly mugs above thrash’s parapet way back around 1985, they caused more than a few twitchy sphincters. There have been few bands like them, and none quite as innovative. You could even argue this lot are the ultimate underground guerrilla metal outfit, its early years spent under an information lockdown, the shroud of mystery making popularity difficult, though the paradox would’ve probably caused the band to implode anyway.

‘In A Mirror Darkly’ is the band's eleventh album and generally picks up where predecessor 'Wanderer On The Edge Of Time' left off, as band foundergründer und Oberbefehlshaber (yep, they're German) Ralf Hubert explains. “For me, music doesn’t start with A and end with Z, it’s an ongoing process. In this respect, you could call 'In A Mirror Darkly' the continuation of the 'Wanderer...' theme, but it’s no copy, it’s an independent recording. Each Mekong album sounds unique and forward-looking in the original sense of the term. As a composer, I consciously allow myself to drift, to be able to consistently explore new horizons.” Which part of his A to Z he's stuck in he doesn’t say, though he adds, “I feel that we’ve once again found the right mix of complexity and uninterrupted leitmotiv." So, no chance of a shag then?

Manically technical, brutally melodic, ‘In A Mirror Darkly’ swings wildly from progressive metallic complexity, 'Hindsight Bias' and ‘Ouverture’ for instance, to comparatively out and out thrash, 'Mutant Messiah' and 'Armageddon Machine', 'The Silver In Gods Eye' and instrumental ‘Inside The Outside Of The Inside' do it in one hit, the band's willingness to dabble in the classics beavering away in 'Janus'. The album will prove a festival

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Released: 28 April 2014 Highlight: Inside The Outside Of The Inside

of joys for Delta heads and as befitting this sort of bludgeon heavy stuff, the devil is in the detail. The arrangements subtly intricate, it's to the bands credit the heavy gauge riffola and over complex drumming doesn’t pummel the whole affair to pieces, no honey monster vox either, hoorah!

The combination of progressive metallic complexities and thrash's aggressiveness can create interesting possibilities, but the intense technical excellence sucks the soul out of this album, along with any reason why you should care, Mekong Delta nicking from others what others had nicked from them, hiding the lazy ersatz creativity under a bludgeon fest of hyperactivity. It's hard to say where this album belongs, it’s too flailing to be deemed considered and way too arch for mass appeal.

Done by a younger band ‘In A Mirror Darkly’ would be considered brilliant, but from such a pioneering outfit, it is standard stuff (the now generic classical guitar of ‘Introduction’ for instance). It's not clear what Mekong Delta are playing at here; are they treading water, playing the young pretenders at their own game, or just taking the piss? Dunno, but their worthy aversion to success, conscious or otherwise, hamstrings them. God forbid they should suffer the artisan's ultimate nightmare and find commercial acceptance. The band could've produced something amazing but have instead chosen to just maintain the momentum of fan friendly familiarity, pushing no boundaries, the progressive questionable. So, they have a problem; with a new crowd of ambitious prog bands snapping at their heels, Mekong Delta can rest on their laurels and join the nostalgia gravy train or get their thumbs out of their collective arses, flip back into innovation mode, and face down the baying pack.

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Sabbatory - Endless Asphyxiating Gloom Label: Unspeakable Axe Records Released: 27 May 2014 Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Highlight: Corrosive Decay Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabbatory/302276589803917

Having spent the past few years accumulating a hefty following through playing live, Sabbatory have finally ejaculated their first ruthless taste of septic death metal into the worldwide audience. The savages from Winnipeg have marked their arrival on a far broader scale than before. And rightly so. You know what they say, ”If you've got the appendage then dig deep my friend, dig deep”. And that's just what Sabbatory have done with their debuting outburst.

crippling “Corrosive Decay”, the eight legged Canadian vitriolic machine not only do a fine job in administering a ceremony of Nihilism but they're also proficient in provoking frantic horripilation within its congregation.

If you're a Chef or in anyway familiar with cooking, you too and create your very own Sabbatory feast. Simply churn Sepultura, Nile and Celtic Frost together then marinade with brimstone. And don't forget to put the cherry on top.

Through the chaotic “Hypnotic Regression” and the

Pet The Preacher - The Cave & The Sunlight Label: Napalm Records Released: 24 April 2014 Reviewer: Phil Kane Highlight: Let Your Dragon Fly Website: https://www.facebook.com/petthepreacher

Ever wondered what would happen if you gave a bunch of Danish metal heads a big bag of Lebanese and a Groundhogs, Bukka White or Mountain album? No, me neither, but the result would probably sound like this.

The Pet The Preacher boys take the blues and slow.... theem..... riiiigghhhht...... dooowwwn until, in places, 'The Cave & The Sunlight' just about achieves near dead stop velocity. Giving more than a nod to Clutch, Monster Magnet even, the Sabbath comparisons inevitable, it certainly can’t be regarded as unique. Yet, the boys have done the almost impossible and put their own modern spin on an old groove that is so heavy duty, so low slung and dirty, that they may have stumbled across a sonic identity of their own. Some have labelled this doom or stoner, but no, it’s basically da blues of the classic power trio variety, cranked right up to within an inch of its life.

Don't expect retreads of Cream, Blue Cheer or Taste though, oh no, this is more the metalized stuff that Zakk Wylde would flip into when he's on a real downer. If 'The Cave & The Sunlight' got any heavier it'd generate its own gravitational field. In fact, when I went to put the album on the death decks, passing my old lady as she sat polishing her chain mail, it made her tits swing.

slow burning blues with some nice restrained slide, described by guitarist and singer Christian Hede Madsen as a ballad; heaviest, dirtiest damn ballad I've ever come across. ‘I'm Not Gonna’ is an impressive grunter too and the eight minute wig out of 'The Web' could arguably be described as experimental. There aren't any duff tracks as such, but the apparent zero tolerance of stepping away from the samey leaden groove is wearying, making picking out tracks for particular mention difficult. 'The Cave & The Sunlight' flirts with the tripped out psychedelic in places and borders on the blues metallic elsewhere, getting about as progressive as this sort of relentlessly heavy as fuck blues can get. Far too intense for its own good, it’s slow, brooding, bad assed and a bit, well, boring. Not the best album to have on when yer putting yer slap on and getting ready for a good night out then, but when yer bird's just ditched you, it’s almost pitch perfect.

If you want something to soundtrack a session of solitary, candle lit navel gazing, this melancholy album is for you. Oh, and get the vinyl version, you'll need it for rolling all those spliffs. Definitely an album for the 'heads', man.

The album rarely gets beyond second gear, though 'Let Your Dragon Fly' and ‘Kamikaze Knight’ try their damnedest; their failure heroic. So it isn't for those with a tendency to chase a gut full of downers with a bottle of whiskey. You’ve been warned. 'Remains' is a real heavy,

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Words Of Farewell - The Black Wild Yonder Label: AFM Records Reviewer: Stephen Brophy Website: www.wordsoffarewell.de

Words Of Farewell are a German Progressive Death Metal, and yes that is actually a pretty decent description of their music, band trying to stamp their own little piece of authority on the scene. Hailing from Marl in North West Germany, The Black Wild Yonder is their second album, following up 2012's Immersion, which I have to say completely passed me by.

Released: 28 February 2014 Highlight: Beauty In Passing

"Beauty In Passing".

There is plenty to enjoy here and I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for album number three from these guys. At times there are just too many bands doing straightforward Melodic Death Metal, so nice to have something a little different hit your ears.

A lot of what we get here is pretty much expected, Death Metal vocals with some progressive guitar but you should take note of keyboards, especially on tracks like "Telltale Nation" which lift the song into a slightly different place. This album has pleasantly surprised me, there are definitely elements of bands like Trivium in here, but still it's put together. Take "Temporary Loss Of Reason" for example which starts out quite heavy and runs right into some excellent keyboards, just to balance the light and shade. With bands like this I tend to get immediately drawn to the heavier tracks on the album, so for me it's tracks like "Antibiosis" and the excellent

Ecocide - Eye Of Wicked Sight Label: Disharmonic Records Released: 10 June 2014 Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Highlight: Unknown Disease Website: https://www.facebook.com/EcocideMetal

Disharmonic Records have decided to give this death metal gem the re-released treatment. Originally detonated last year, Ecocide now have a deserved second chance to extirpate the foundations of the modern scene.

robust as a unit the three piece from the Netherlands is. Whilst “Unknown Disease” showcases not only a band proud on diligence but nourished on devout death metal teachings.

These guys are currently brooding their next It would be unfair to place Ecocide under the old school cataclysmic release. Bring it on! death metal umbra. Yeah there's no doubting the band's influences, but there's also a calculus of latter day importance and individuality that bulges from the material. Powered by defiance and hamstrung by stature (so far), the Ecocide anatomy is a resolute and hard nosed hypertrophy.

Opening up with the eerie “Multiverse” instrumental, the gates fling open for the oncoming tales of hypothesis and conspiracies. “Planet Eater” and “Alien Intervention” will keep all you Martian theists attentive and jubilant.

The title track provides compelling evidence of how

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Hellgoat - End Of Man Label: Boris Records Released: 31 May 2014 Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Highlight: End Of Man Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hellgoat/359498710801448

Made up of members Amon Demogorgon, Asmodeus Loriol Vetis and Vaedis, this black metal triptych have a plethora of iniquity and an unremitting fixation for the noisemaker down below. It makes perfect sense then that whilst the first track “Demonic Worship of the Horned Beast” could probably summon the Tempter himself, the second and final track “End of Man” makes sure it's the last time he'll have to crusade to our boreal surface.

This is a very concise 7” vinyl release consisting of two tracks of ground rumbling devastation. For nine minutes the fiery Goat escapes from his pastures in Atlanta to reek absolute havoc. Fuelled on a concoction of harvesting sacrificial remains and shrubbery, this wild buck is berserk. Spewing forth with polluting venomous black metal, Hellgoat don't just engender a sense of dystopia, but they probably reside there also.

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Elvenking - The Pagan Manifesto Label: AFM Records Reviewer: Stephen Brophy Website: www.elvenking.net

Italy's Power/Folk Metal freaks Elvenking return with their new album The Pagan Manifesto, the follow up to 2012's excellent Era album. For this new album what we get is more of the same, a big player in the genre, Elvenking, along with being excellent musicians bring a lot of energy to their music. This is shown right at the start of the album, after the introduction of "The Pagan Manifesto" the band race and rampage through almost thirteen minutes of "King Of The Elves" which holds pretty much everything Elvenking are about in this one piece of music, from folk acoustic guitar, instruments and vocal accompaniment through classic Power Metal runs, screaming guitars and vocals to match the mythical themes at play.

Released: 9 May 2014 Highlight: King Of The Elves

Midway through this album we get two slower paced tracks "The Solitaire" and the classy "Towards The Shores", but they do not break the momentum that's been built up, if anything they balance the album and run really well into the 2nd half. The track that really grabs me here is "Black Roses For The Wicked One" which again is a cracking song, maybe falls a little outside most of the rest of the album but is essentially a ballad.

Repeating myself a little, but this isn't the type of music always gets my juices flowing, but it's hard to bypass a quality album, and this certainly has enough differences on it to make it a decent addition to the collection.

Some of the albums best tracks like "The Druid Ritual Of Oak" and "Grandier's Funeral Pyre" call upon the stables of the Power Metal, a solid rhythm and some excellent guitar work circling around it in a feverish blend of rock and folk, Elvenking really do know their craft very well.

Unearthly - Flagellum Dei Label: Metal Age Productions Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Website: http://www.theunearthly.com/

For the first time thanks to Metal Age Productions, this lesser known paragon of Brazilian death metal has been released in Europe. Flagellum Dei was actually recorded in 2011 and this is the band's fourth studio album release.

Released: 21 May 2014 Highlight: Baptized In Blood

“Limbus” is an unusual inclusion, featuring what sounds like a didgeridoo, or at least the South American equivalent. Placed on the record at number 9 the instrumental does seem a little out of place, although it does serve as a great build up for the album's penultimate bruiser “Insurgency”.

When you have an album produced at Hertz Studio (Poland) with Wojtek & Slawek Wieslawski (Vader, Hate, Flegellum Dei is as album attaining from a menacing Decapitated) twiddling the knobs you know you've got groundwork and soaking of demonic principles. something of merit. And with brandishing a form of neo-technical metal akin to perhaps Nile, this seed of Rio is set to effloresce into wider territories from it's previous isolated turf. The incursion has begun!

As a band they're not afraid to go against the grain, and they can pride themselves on deviating from the orthodox. “Lord Of All Battle” begins with a computerised synth pad prelude before germinating into a track that sounds like Behemoth powered by a microprocessing chip.

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Aurora Borealis - Worldshapers Label: Xtreem Music Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Website: http://www.auroraborealis.org/

Somewhere at some stage in the vast multiverse, Jeff Walker (Carcass) and Peter Tagtgren (Hypocrisy) have crossed paths. A meeting so amicable they've decided to start a band and record an album together. Sadly limits to our observational knowledge don't allow us to access the material engendered from the rendezvous of the two death metal titans. Fortunately though, we already have our own force right here in our own Universe and on our very own planet.

Released: 1 March 2014 Highlight: Watchers From Above

Aurora Borealis to the next level, if only just slightly.

Stand out tracks include “God Like Redemption”, “Watchers From Above”, and “A Subtle Way To Eradicate Them”.

Worldshapers is the seventh full length interstellar transmission from Maryland's Aurora Borealis. And thanks to their Sci-fi-death metal fusion we have no need to ask Stephen Hawking about wormholes or cosmic teleportation.

Musically there's nothing strikingly distinct from the band's last release “Timeline: The Beginning and End of Everything”. Cloaked by efficacious utterance and fuelled by compelling salutation, Worldshapers has taken

Killchain - Where Is Your Saviour Label: Metal Age Productions Released: 19 June 2014 Reviewer: Stoodge Mc Nulty Highlight: Where The Dreams Of Dreamed Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Killchain/44027331800

“Where Is Your Saviour” is the third putridly toxic full length from the Slovakian harbingers of havoc. Bringing frenzy, thuggery, ferocity and mainly bloodshed to the table, Killchain also have the standing of holding the bloodied gavel. Take it as a lecture on anarchy and a lesson in butchery.

gut smearing barrage of “Where Is Your Saviour, You Fucking Dog”.

Marcel Andrejko

In dissecting “Where Is....” just like the poor old chap on the artwork, we find a few interesting facets moving under the microscope. Through the overt hardcore roots there's also a cloggy grindcore influence protruding from the specimen, even at quantum level.

Killchain have wielded together a tight, transfixing sound, be it a ubiquitous one. Although not being the most divergent of albums, the butchers slab introduced with opener “In Rotting From Insode Out” ends up a mound of chalk dust come the final

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Of Purest Fire Highlight: God Got Killed

Label: Hells Headbangers Records

Choronozonic Chaos Gods

Released: 29 April 2014 Reviewer: Stephen Brophy

Highlight: Let Jesus Bleed

Website: www.centurian333.com

This year appears to be the year of the re-releases, and here we have something that's more than worth a second look. Hells Headbangers Records have gained the rights to re-release the classic Centurian Demo from 1997 Of Purest Fire and also their first full length album 1999's Choronozonic Chaos Gods, this is dark, black Death Metal played at a blistering pace, definitely one for fans of blast beats, chaos and raw aggression.

It's great that these releases have been made, especially Of Purest Fire as the only place to get a copy of the long sold out classic would have been second hand stores or EBay. Centurian are a Dutch Death Metal band that were formed after the demise of Inquisitor.

the hammering "God Got Killed".

So a demo like that had to lead to an Album, and so it did, and the debut Centurian album Choronozonic Chaos Gods builds on that aggression and smashes you head first to the concrete. But at the same time there's definitely signs of growth and maturing already from the demo to the first album, it starts as it means to continue with "Damned And Dead" and powers and blasts all the way through to the finish, it's not subtle, but it's definitely not supposed to be, there really is no let up here in terms of aggression or brutality, it's a stand out album that So lets look at Of has stood the Purest Fire first, it's test of time a collection of 5 and doesn't Centurian tracks, a sound at all cover of an dated in Inquisitor (the band 2014. There's that spawned them) no dud tracks track and an here either, excellent cover of it's quality all Morbid Angels through "Blasphemy" and an "Outro" to round off the Demo. Let's especially the likes of "Blood For Satan", "Misanthropic be honest for any band bringing out your Demo with 8 Luciferian Onslaught" and the blasting closer "In The tracks on it is pretty impressive and the quality here was Name Of Chaos". always going to impress. This wasn't made for the Easy Listening section or Drive time, you get what you want Centurian may not be the biggest name in Death Metal and expect, it's extreme, it's brutal and it's punishing, these days or the first mentioned in the first thought of great stuff, and as an introduction to the band this is a bands from the late 90's but this is one album that must. A great piece of work for a Demo of it's time. Pay should be in all of our collections, it deserves to be particular attention to the title track "Of Purest Fire" and heard by a new generation of Metal Heads.

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Entrapment - Lamentations Of The Flesh Label: Soulseller Records Released: 23 May 2014 Reviewer: Gavin Griffiths Highlight: Lamentation Of The Flesh Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/entrapment/171603089577707

If you’re a fan of extreme metal icons such as Nihilist and Autopsy, you’ll most certainly not be able to escape the sounds of Entrapment. The Dutch death metal 4-piece have recently dropped their brand new album, ‘Lamentations Of The Flesh’ via Soulseller Records, and it’s nothing short of visceral.

The album then carries on relentlessly through tracks such as ‘Seditious Dreamers’, ‘The Faithless’ (which on the initial listen sounds like a nod to early Paradise Lost) and ‘Engulfed By Flames’. Entrapment have taken a genre known for its brutality, they’ve ticked all the boxes and delivered an album that not only retains the classic sound handed down to them by genre pioneers such as Starting off delicately with a sort of Indian style Sitar Death, but given that genre new life. Musically, you playing in ‘Perpetual Impudence’ , it quickly becomes a obviously can’t please everyone, and heavy trash / more familiar Slayer inspired sound; sinister, slow, death metal is an acquired taste, but even if you aren’t intense guitars building up to reveal the tracks true into that sort of thing, give this one a go, you never know torturous colours. ‘Proclamation’ again, starts off slowly; what pits it will open up for you. focusing on the mood, the almost evil vibe of the music, before delivering the sucker punch. The guitars are sleek, especially the great thrash/speed metal style solo towards the tracks climax, which leads us straight into the album’s title track. There’s no let-up here, it’s straight down to business with some high impact sonic bludgeoning from the moment it kicks in. It’s quality stuff.

Bloody Hammers - Under Satan’s Sun Label: Napalm Records Reviewer: Gavin Griffiths Website: http://www.bloodyhammers.com

Hailing from Transylvania County, North Carolina, it’s easy to see where Bloody Hammers have taken inspiration from to create their brand new album; ‘Under Satan’s Sun’. With art work that pays homage to the classic gothic horror styling’s of early Hammer Horror movies, and the works of Edgar Allan Poe as portrayed by Vincent Price, combined with a sound somewhere in between Ghost and Fireball Ministry, with a slight hint of Ancient Vvisdom, it all adds up to make one melancholic yet enjoyable listen.

Released: 10 June 2014 Highlight: Dead Man’s Shadow On The Wall

more hypnotic than unimaginative, a real grower.

The title track carries with it just a tad more swagger, it’s kept its simple formula, a touch of the Misfits horror rock influence coming through this one but not as punk-paced, naturally, before we end up on ‘The Necromancer’. Louder, harder yet still restrained within their preferred style, they charge through the track with sheer determination, sounding very much like Ghost’s angrier brothers band. Ultimately though, ‘Under Satan’s Sun’ is an enjoyable listen from start to finish.

Starting off with what can only be described as a creepy It’s not going to make you get up and move with any nursery rhyme (‘Did you ever think, when the hearse sense of vigour, but it doesn’t set out to achieve that. Its rolls by, that someday you are going to die?’), we dive purpose is to be morose, gothic at heart and straight into the blues rock tones of ‘The Town That occasionally dark, but with added groove and an Dreaded Sundown’. It lumbers on depressingly, a dash old-school blues sense of rhythm. Under Satan’s Sun of piano sprinkled here and there, coming to life seems like the place to be this Summer. approaching the end of the track. It’s slow but it’s not boring to the point you lose interest. The same can be said for ‘Death Does Us Part’, its simplistic approach

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Casualties Of Cool - Casualties Of Cool Label: Pledge Music Reviewer: Gavin Griffiths Website: http://www.hevydevy.com/

Devin Townsend. You’d be hard pushed to find a better-rounded and respected musician in rock and metal in this day and age. Regardless of what he’s involved with, be it his recent works under ‘The Devin Townsend Project’, be it his past, heavier incarnations under ‘Strapping Young Lad’ or be it his more experimental works as ‘Ziltoid The Omniscient’, what remains evident throughout is his passion for creating music. His imagination and creative ethos know no boundaries and he isn’t afraid to try something new.

That being said, here we find him separating himself once again from any previous projects, to bring us this; ‘Casualties Of Cool’, a collaboration with fellow Canadian musician Ché Aimee Dorval. Described as ‘haunted Johnny Cash songs…late night music’…what exactly have they created?

Released: 14 May 2014 Highlight: Mountaintop

see’s Townsend get to offer up some vocals himself, and his hushed almost whispered delivery allows for a very mellow, very relaxing experience. It’s a delightful little track and an album highlight.

‘The Code’ carries with it a slight southern blues tone, while ‘Ether’, ‘Forgive Me’ and ‘The Field’ all keep the album strumming along nicely, rarely straying from the path of the peaceful, ambient tone laid out throughout.

It’s easy to see why Townsend described this as late night music, it’s the kind of album you could easily put on your iPod, lay under the stars and watch the world pass by whilst listening and absorbing, imagining the journey the characters are embarking on as the album unfolds.

The average Devin Townsend fan may find ‘Casualties Of Cool’ a tad bit quiet, I mean it’s hardly ‘Lucky Animals’ let What’s apparent is that we have a concept album on alone ‘Detox’, but if you head into this album open our hands, and according to Townsend it’s a simple minded and simply let the album speak to you, what story of a traveller, finding his way through space being you’ve got here is a really well written, beautifully lured to a sentient planet, confronting his fears, and it produced record. If you’re waiting for the next official unfolds throughout a collection of beautifully played country inspired, jazz infused melodies. The Johnny Cash instalment of ‘The Devin Townsend Project’, this is more than enough to tide you over. influence is clear as day on opening track ‘Daddy’, with Ché the equivalent of June Carter delivering some soft, delicate vocals over simple acoustic guitars and a basic snare-fuelled percussion. Lead single ‘Mountaintop’

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Tony C

Tony Corner is the Presenter of two Shows

Tony has built up a popular following on the radio airwave From The Bins’ and progressing with his passion for Blu listeners regularly tuning in from all over the world, Tony Firebr

Ably assisted by his producer Trevor Hazel, who only wo guaranteed an interesting two hours of ear-lu

Tony’s “Spins From The Bins” airs every Thursday at 8pm and metal, blues and is often home to long tracks too. If it’s music and the show really reflects

September 2012 saw the start of Tony’s “Blues Corner” w features a wide variety of blues styles from across the g upbeat numbers, acoustic, e

Check out Tony

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Absolva September 05 FR Arras, Blue Devil's Bar 06 DE Waldbronn Soundcheck One 12 DE Berlin Blackland 13 PL Bielsko-Biala Rude Boy Club 14 CZ Litvinov Attic Rock Club 19 NL Amsterdam The Cave 21 NL Emmen, Blanko 26 BE Namur Magick 27 BE Aalter Wizz's Autumn Festival October 02 DE Muhlhausen Kulturfabrik 03 DE Herdorf Rattenloch 04 FR Fismes Underground Investigation Festival 11 FR Bartenheim Caf Conc 18 NL, Nijmegen Rockcafe Backstage 19 BE Roeselare De Verlichte Geest Anathema September 18 Belfast The Limelight 2 19 Dublin The Button Factory Anthrax July 01 Belfast The Limelight 05 Knebworth Sonisphere Bernie Torme October 17 York Fibbers Black Star Riders July 18 West Yorkshire The Picturedrome 22 Northampton Roadmender August Buckley Tivoli Dragonforce September 17 Edinburgh Liquid Room 18 Aberdeen The Lemon Tree 19 Glasgow King Tuts Wah Hut 20 Belfast The Limelight 2 25 Manchester The Deaf Institute 27 Birmingham The Institute

30 Brighton Haunt October 02 London White Rabbit 03 Bridgend Hobos Live Music Venue 04 Bristol Thekla

19 Bridlington Basement

Dream Theatre July 05 Sheffield City Hall 03 – 07Knebworth Sonisphere

Jeff Scott Soto June 25 London Borderline

Eagles June 23 Leeds first direct arena 25 Manchester Phones 4u Arena Extreme ‘Pornograffitti Live’ Tour July 04 Manchester Academy 05 O2 Academy Glasgow 07 Birmingham Institute 08 London Forum Fish September 29 Durham Gala Theatre December 19 Liverpool O2 Academy 20 Sheffield City Hall FM August 09 Cambridge Rock Festival Furyon with Mordred August 22 Dublin The Voodoo 23 Belfast The Limelight2 25 London O2 Academy 26 Birmingham O2 Academy 27 Glasgow O2 Academy 28 Newcastle O2 Academy 29 Sheffield O2 Academy 30 Liverpool O2 Academy 31 Bristol O2 Academy September 01 Brighton Concorde 2

Iron Knights July 26 London The Garage

Machine Head July 29 Nottingham Rescue Rooms 31 Edinburgh Liquid Room August Newcastle University Student Union My Ruin August 20 Birmingham O2 Academy 21 Bristol Fleece Onslaught July 13 Dublin Voodoo Lounge 14 Belfast Limelight 2 16 Newcastle 02 Academy 2

Bloodstock 7-10 August Down, Emperor, Megadeth, Dimmu Borgir, Carcass, Amon Amarth, Children Of Bodom and many more

Hecate Enthroned July

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17 Glasgow ABC 2 18 Sheffield 02 Academy 2 19 Bristol Academy 20 London Islington 02 Academy 21 Birmingham 02 Academy 2 Orange Goblin October 30 Dublin The Button Factory 31 Belfast The Limelight 2

Primal Fear September 17 London 2 Academy Islington 19 Glasgow O2 ABC 21 Sheffield O2 Academy 24 Newcastle O2 Academy 25 Liverpool O2 Academy 27 Leicester O2 Academy Rayne June 28 Bridlington Basement Saxon November 30 Bristol Academy December 01 Bournemouth Academy 02 Nottingham Rock City 04 Manchester Ritz 05 Dublin Academy 06 Belfast Limelight/ Mandela Hall 07 Glasgow ABC 09 Newcastle Academy 10 Leeds Academy 11 Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall 12 Oxford Academy 13 London Shepherd's Bush Empire Sebastian Bach July 03 - 07 Knebworth Sonisphere 08 Wolverhampton Slade Rooms 09 London O2 Academy Slayer June 29 Belfast The Limelight 30 Belfast The Limelight July 01 Dublin The Academy 03 - 07 Knebworth Sonisphere

June 13 Cheshire Cholmondeley Castle 14 Cheshire Cholmondeley Castle December 06 Liverpool Exho Arena 16 Cardiff Motorpoint Arena The Day Will Come June 21 Bridlington Basement Vain July 06 Norwich The Waterfront 07 Edinburgh Bannermanns 08 Sheffield Corporation 09 London The Underworld Winger June 20 Bristol O2 Academy 21 London O2 Academy Islington Wolf September 13 Nottingham Rescue Rooms 14 London Borderline

19 - 20 July Absolva, Savage Messiah, Monument, Exit State, Wizz Wizzard, Fantasist, Blaze Bayley (With Chris Appleton) and many more

For a free listing please email your gig or festival information to: sales@firebrandrr.co.uk

Sonisphere 2014 4 - 6 of July The Prodigy, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Alice in Chains, Airbourne, Anthrax and many more

Status Quo

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SOS Festival

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Cambridge Rock Festival 7 - 10 August FM, Wishbone Ash, Snakecharmer, The Ultimate Eagles, Chantel McGregor and many more

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