RMP Magazine #13 by RMP Magazine

RMP Magazine #13

THANKS TO

CEO Kenny Leys // CEO

Lisse Wets

David Marote // Managing Editor

Joshua Stronko

Design Jolien Krijnen // Chief designer Lena Stahl Ray Slavenburg

Editors Frederik Geuvens // Editor in chief Krystal Cole

Photography Daria Colaes Matt Howard Jennifer McCord Charlotte Davidson Kip Terry Katie Hovland Jurriaan Hodzelmans

www.rock-metal-punk.org 2

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Writers Cameron Smith // Copywriter liaison Renske Gommer Stefan Van Den broek Lisa Leysen Jesse Mouart Tara Bosman Marianna Rousaki Holly Reijs Roel Vanobbergen Sarah Kempster

CONTENT

Inter view//Descendents

I n t e r v i e w / / M o d e r n L i f e I s Wa r

6 I n t e r v i e w / / Touché Amoré

14 Inter view//Gameface

Photospecial//Groezrock 2014

Album r eviews

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Thanks To

A W

FROM THE EDITOR

Hello again! Hell Yeah, welcome back to our thirteenth issue. An unlucky number they say, but not for us. Groezrock happened a couple of weeks ago and we’re still under the influence of such an amazing experience. What a kick off to the upcoming festival season! Like each year before, we hassled some bands at the festival to pick their brains about all the things you want to know about them. For this edition we’ve got some killer bands lined up! From our talk with Descendents legendary drummer Bill Stevenson to the reunited Gameface, Modern Life To War, and more. We were able to catch their attention and have a nice chat with them. Of course we all want to share that knowledge with our beloved readers. So take a look at what we have dubbed our “Groezrock Issue” and we also took the liberty to provide you with a photo special of two days of Groezrock madness by our crew members. We also bring you the usual suspects, as in every issue the food porn and reviews. Man, what a blast Groezrock was and a perfect warm up for what’s coming this summer. Looks like we have a bright future ahead to report on all the amazing bands coming over soon. See you next issue for more rock, metal, and punk. Let the summer and festivals begin!

David Marote

Managing editor RMP magazine

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THE EDITOR’S CHOICE

Uke Hunt – The Prettiest Star Imagine yourself walking across the pier, strolling around, minding your own business. Suddenly, one of the performing bands catches your attention with their merry tune. You try to decipher the familiar ukelele sounds when suddenly it strikes! It’s a Ziggy Stardust song! Amazing, who is this strange threesome playing these covers? The Prettiest Star is the brand new EP by Uke Hunt, the latest project of Spike Slawson featuring Joe Raposo (Lagwagon/RKL) on upright bass and Randy Burk (Filthy Thieving Bastards) on percussion. No worries though, he still remains active as the vocalist for those other cover heroes, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes. So Spike goes on playing covers, but this time the musical soundtrack is provided by a ukelele. Yes, you read that right, U-K-EL-E-L-E. No, I didn’t put a hipster alert in front of it, so? Because the two songs featured on this teaser EP for the upcoming full album will grab you by the neck and drag you along to a sunny beach where you’re sipping Mai-Tai’s with Spike and the boys providing you a soothing tune to lua to. Summer’s near and I’m ready for that upcoming full album to get my Tiki party started!

Ve g a s / I n t e g r i t y s p l i t – L o v e M e , I ’ m B e d a z z l e d If you read my editor’s pick on a regular base (hello to all three of you), then you’re probably thinking, ‘not another Integrity release’. Yes, another Integrity release, but in this piece I want to focus on the Vegas part of this magnificent split. The elusive Vegas, whose tentacles reach to the furthest outskirts of charted territory, has teamed up with their musical inspiration, Integrity. Together the holy terrorists have created a new soundtrack to a classic tale. Bedazzled, a 60’s cult film, based on the contemporary Faust story, is the main theme throughout this recording and matching artwork (gigantic film poster included!). 50 years later, Vegas and Integrity have left their mark on the art scene. From the original movie SoundBits that are used as intros to the double bassdrum and chaotic madness of terrorizing guitar noise, Vegas screams, begs, and cries out “Be Loved”. Integrity’s song “I’m Bedazzled”, kicks off with a hypnotizing bass line as an intro to the opening gates of hell. A389 recordings is responsible for this madness and never ceases to amaze with the detail that goes into the whole package, from artwork to actual content. It’s all there to love and be bedazzled!

Me Fir st And T he Gimme Gimmes – Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!

With albums like Take A Break and Have A Ball, these merry supermen of punkrock won me over, with their later work such as the Japan and Australia album, they lost me. But enter 2014: time for a new approach and a new full album! Noticing the downward trend with the last albums, my expectations were rather low and the few new tracks during their recent European tour didn’t convince me either. Listening to this new record however has left me constantly hitting myself in the head for passing up on this. This album is topnotch material and shows perfectly how this band has matured to near perfection! Spike’s vocals to the rocking versions of what I recall as boring songs full of melancholic vomit-indulging drama, are spot on. Epic punkrock sing-alongs are the end result. From the use of autotune on Cher’s “Believe” to the runner up for a Tarantino movie soundtrack, “My Heart Will Go On”, and even Boy George’s “Karma Chameleon” gets the Gimmes’ glitter touch. The Gimmes are back and they’re not leaving. With this release they are world-class covering some of the corniest diva tracks around and successfully turning them into energetic punkrock! Me First And The Gimme Gimmes are back and they’re not leaving. With this release, they are on Top Of The World covering some of the corniest diva tracks around and successfully turning them into energetic punk rock!

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Writer // David Marote

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ill Stevenson is a legend in punk rock; from playing drums for Black Flag to performing with his two iconic punk bands Descendents and All, up to his work as a producer in his very own Blastin Room studios in Fort Collins Colorado, this man has shaped punk rock for many generations. When given the opportunity to interview such an icon, we at RMP Magazine had to grab the opportunity to sit down with Bill over a good cup of coffee and discuss some obvious topics as well as some more emotional matters.

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INTERVIEW // DESCENDENTS

Hello Bill, and welcome back to Belgium. This is your second time here at the Groezrock festival; you were here in 2011 with the Descendents. I think. Didn’t we play here like a really long time ago, I’m not actually sure. We’re really pleased that this year both Descendents and All are playing the same fest. That doesn’t happen often, does it? Yeah, we’ve been trying to do that a little bit more. when we show up in a city, we try to do both bands. If I recall correctly, in 2011 after your Groezrock appearance, you went on to Australia to play, but Milo lost his voice. How is his voice now, and has he been working to do something about that? Yeah, I just think as people get older they have to not take for granted the idea that they can just do everything the same as if they were a teenager. Like with me, with the drumming, I have to be sure that I stretch myself properly. I have to do a lot, a lot of practicing forehand to make sure that everything goes well; maybe when we were younger we could get up there and just kind of do it,

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because you’re younger and sort of more resilient and stronger. When we first started doing shows again, I would mark that timeframe as the end of 2010, after I recovered from my brain surgery. We started doing shows again and we kind of had to learn how to kind of do it right. It took a few pulled muscles or losing voices. That’s all part of it though. With this kind of music there’s a kind of an urgency to it, sometimes you do pull things or blow out. Sometimes we like practice for one month for just one show. You’re doing a couple of selected European shows this year, we’re lucky to have you here in Belgium. But what helped you decide to do such one-off shows? And is it really such a luxury that you can just pick and choose what you want to do. Yeah, we do have the luxury to pick them out, we try to go to different areas. So that people can get a chance to see us allover. So far we haven’t got the chance to go to like China or South America. There’s certain places we haven’t got to and I hope we could one day.

Have you ever considered playing less obvious locations like Indonesia, China, Russia; like uncharted territory where they hardly see western bands? The more remote the location, the more attracted we are to it. All has been a few more places than Descendents has. Because All just did so much more touring. All went to South America once but that was like twenty years ago. Neither band has been to China. No plans to do that in the future? I want to, but right now we’re starting to work on our new record so we will be playing fewer shows to focus on the new record. So you’re working on a new album; any insights on that? Is it going to be on Fat Wreck? Oh, the label, we haven’t figured that out yet. It’s going to be for 2014? I think 2015, we all have a lot of stuff that we do, so a Descendents recording is like something we do whenever we want to. We don’t really operate on a schedule.

Photographer // Jurriaan Hodzelmans

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good feeling, even on a small level, like if a fan comes up and tells us that a certain lyric to a certain song made them feel better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;

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INTERVIEW // DESCENDENTS

It must be difficult because you also have Blasting Room Studios, Milo has his job, so it must require a lot of scheduling to get things done? A lot of us have kids too and such, so life moves forward. Descendents has become a household name in punk rock, but back in the day you started as a small band that was hardly taken seriously by the other punk bands. How does it feel to become so ‘iconic’? A simple drawing of Milo by Chris Shary is now synonymous to melodic punk about girls and farts... people even tattoo that logo... Well, I probably should get the record straight on the logo. That was something from our high school, our friend Roger drew that, he invented the Milo. But Chris Shary now does a tremendous amount of our artwork, but originally it was drawn by Roger. I just feel fortunate to be able to be part of something creative that people also seem to admire and even respect. It’s a good feeling, even on a small level. Like, if a fan comes up and tells us that a certain lyric to a certain song made them feel better; that’s a pretty rewarding situation to be in.

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In the past you played for like a hundred people, today you’re playing for like thousands of people on the main stage. Have you ever considered doing those small shows again? We played one in New York a few months back, I don’t know how long ago, could be a year. We’ve played like for 150 people. That was fun. I like small clubs, all of my best memories of shows were in small clubs. I prefer that intense energy. I feel like that we have to make it work on both levels. We try to create an intimate environment when we play on a big stage too. We set up our stuff really close to each other. So even it’s a really big stage Karl is like three metres away from me. So is Stephen and so is Milo. So our energy together is that way. Recently a documentary was released regarding The Descendents, with the suiting title ‘Filmage’. It’s not publicly spread yet but screenings have appeared. How did the documentary happen? Whose idea was it and what was your part in it? Well these fans just wanted to make a movie about the band. It seemed like they were going to do a good job,

so we agreed to it. I think they did a great job. We would have never been organized enough to do it ourselves, or even hire people. They came to us and they wanted to do it. We weren’t really involved in every decision. If we had thoughts or comments we let them know. We just more or less let them do it. Making a movie about yourself is weird. Most of you are nearly in the fifties now with kids, mortgages and steady jobs, lots of responsibilities and other worries. Your music reflects

I try to sit down with them and talk about it. Here’s what happened when I did whatever. Every kid is different and every generation is different. The kids of this generation, it’s completely different. Me growing up in LA in the seventies that’s totally different from now, my kids are growing up in Colorado in 2014. I mean it’s like parenting and all that responsibility, life is about exercising integrity in the moment of decision. When I have an interaction with them I try to use integrity.

fun, love songs for the broken-hearted, flatulence, goofing around and basically sustaining maturity. How does it feel to be a punk parent? Like now you need to get your kids in line so they don’t do the stupid shit you did back then. Isn’t that weird sometimes? I always try to remember the idea of wanting to be a hypocrite parent. My kids are twelve and fifteen, so I try to treat them as adults. I mean I talk to them like adults. If I did something stupid when I was a kid and I think they are going to do the same stupid thing,

Bill, next to Descendents and All you also play drums for Only Crime. A new album is coming soon, any update on that release and why we should go out and buy it? It’s really nice to have the Only Crime coming out. Only Crime was the worst victim of my sickness. Right when Only Crime was getting going, like 2006-2007 was when I started getting sick, the effects of the brain tumour. This was one of the first things I wanted to do after I recovered from my illness, to get the Only Crime recording going and finding a label for it. So now it’s finally coming out. Pretty soon.

Must be pretty hard since Russ also has his solo work and Good Riddance. Oh yes, scheduling Only Crime is impossible, it’s all impossible. My calendar just looks like all colours and blocks. And of course to close this thing off, the mandatory coffee question: you created your signature Descendents coffee last year, how did that come about? And feel free to make some promo. I started working with this local roaster in Fort Collins, I wanted a coffee for two reasons: I wanted a coffee so that we could just have it at the Blasting Room that was our coffee. Then I could buy it in large quantities and get a good price on it. But also once we had a good roast that we really liked, we could sell it as Descendents coffee. It’s really fun and people like it. It’s something new, most bands come with hot sauces and such. Yeah, I mean we’re the band that should do it! So is it perfect to make a bonus cup with? Yeah.

facebook.com/thedescendents

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SlamDunk Festival UK, 2014 Photographer // Jennifer McCord

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Writer // Lisa Leysen

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odern Life Is War is around since 2002. They’re very openhearted about why they took a break for a while and tell us more about how they created a scene in their hometown. Their excitement is as big as when they started the band. Chris: “I think for a while we started to do what people told us to do rather than what we wanted to do. Now we’re back and we’re doing things the way we want them to do.”

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INTERVIEW // MODERN LIFE IS WAR

The place where you grew up -Marshall Town- is the name of an album, but did it influence you in other ways too? Jeff: It influenced everything, we all grew up there. Everything comes back to our hometown, our hometown scene. The feeling, all the things I wrote about growing up there. For me it was like being nowhere and then realizing that where you’re from is cool. The most important thing in the world is where you’re from. Other places you go, and other cities are not

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as cool as your own town and your own friends. MLIW was not our first band together; we were in other bands before. MLIW is a sort of combination of echoes of all the bands we’ve been in before. Chris: We were in high school together, and we played in bands but we organized our own shows; we just asked 3 euros to get in. People liked it and suddenly 300 people showed up for a venue for 100 people. We were 16 years old and they came to us playing crappy music together. It was great,

it was something that defined our lives and still does.

Jeff: I remember that people in our high school were talking shit on us because they thought that they were real musicians because they listened to Jimmy Hendrix. We weren’t real musicians but we cared more about music. They didn’t form their own bands, organized shows, recorded or printed their own flyers. A lot of it was about our enthusiasm and it was a super co-operative effort.

We were determined to do it, not only do it, but do it without anyone’s approval. We wanted to make people excited about what we were doing no matter what. We’ve put flyers on every single light pole in town. The cops called my parents and told me you can’t do this. My parents didn’t know what they were talking about. “All the flyers all over town, your address is on it.” If you want to do something, start doing it. To me creating that scene is the coolest thing in the world. We didn’t

come from Boston or New York where they had a scene, but we created it. We’re still keeping that spirit, even if we’re playing bigger shows now. This is Modern Life Is War part 2, are there any differences compared to Modern Life Is war before the reunion? Chris: I think we’re back to the original vibe. Our album ‘Witness’ sounds like it sounds because we were all miserable at that time. ‘Fever Hunting’ sounds different because

we’re all very happy. But I think we are back to the feeling we had when we started the band, our excitement is as big as then. Jeff: The vibe we have now is the vibe like the early days. We’re all older and smarter but our excitement is the same. You start something that you never could anticipate or imagine this big. It messes with your mind. We did become a band, did giant tours and played a CBGB’s and that was never a possibility for us.

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INTERVIEW // MODERN LIFE IS WAR

That all happened very fast and it was difficult to keep that humble, sane mentality when you’re touring all the time. You’re trying to process it in time but the world is moving faster than your mind can work. It messes up your mind, it certainly did to me to a certain degree. Things got fucked up for a while, for us as a band, for us as friends. Luckily we recognized the things that were important and the things that were not. We’ve put our focus where it used to be. Chris: I think for a while we started to do what people told us to do rather than what we wanted to do. We started this band because that’s what we wanted to do. So not listening to ourselves has hurt us in a lot of ways. Now we’re back and we’re doing things the way we want them to do. A lot of bands are influenced by your sound. If young bands say ‘I want to be like MLIW’, how does that make you feel? Matt : It’s a huge compliment; I wish these bands the best. Chris: I don’t know if there’s a bigger

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compliment. If one kid in the world would tell me that my band is their favourite band, that would be it. Jeff: No music comes from nowhere. Everyone is influenced by someone. It’s cool that bands name you, that means you’re a part of history. Any new material coming soon? Matt: I’ve written a bunch of stuff, John has a bunch of stuff and we’re very excited to write a new record soon. We all live in separate places, so it’s just a matter or organizing when we can get together. How does it feel like to be successful? Matt: Confusing. Jeff: It’s weird, no matter how much you’ve done you always want to be more important to more people. We as band members are all a little part of the success. MLIW is a thing that’s successful but my life is so fucked up and weird. It’s what we do together. MLIW can be successful but I don’t feel like I’m successful as a person. We’re all struggling. The success from our

band almost feels complete separate from my life. I’m proud of what we’ve done, but I don’t take the credit.

Chris: The combination of the five of us just works out. I don’t know what it is, but it works. Jeff: I think it’s chemistry. You can put five weird people together and it works. It’s not like we’re five very intelligent guys that are all technically very good at playing music, it’s just the weird chemistry between us. Chris: Thanks to that we can fly to Belgium and play a show. When I tell people I fly to Europe with my band people think that I’m really good but I’m not, “Play something on your bass”, then I say: “No, you don’t want to hear that, that’s not going to be impressive to you. ” They also ask me what it’s like hanging out backstage. Then I just say: “More beer!” I just have very talented friends that I hang out with. I just feel lucky. Jeff: People tell me “Oh you must be a really good singer then.”

My answer to that is: “No you can never imagine how terrible my voice is.” Matt: If people ask which band I’m in, then I say that there’s 99% chance that they won’t like it. How about the band name, is it a statement or is rather a random name? Jeff: The name is a statement.

“I think we suffer from a different kind of poverty in America, a spiritual poverty. That’s what we lack, we’re consumed by competition and we’re chasing the dollar”.

When we started as a band people thought the name was very dramatic and they gave us disparaging comments about it. ‘You’re life is not that bad.’ Nowadays I hear more comments like ‘I totally agree with that statement.’ Even old people told me that, they said: Yes, modern life ís war. The world is a difficult place, it’s not difficult to just exist but it’s difficult to be an individual and a creative and passionate thinker. It’s discouraging. But not everything is about my life, to the extent that I want to think about what other people go through. The way the world is turned during the last ten years makes the name more relevant and truthful to people.”

Chris: It’s funny but I think our band name makes more sense now than it did 12 years ago. Jeff: People aren’t better off now comparing to ten years ago. I know people who were living the good life back then and now they can barely pay their rent. I think we suffer from a different kind of poverty in America, a

spiritual poverty. That’s what we lack, we’re consumed by competition and we’re chasing the dollar. I’m getting philosophical but I do recognize the suffering that’s been caused by our country and by the way we live. In the song ‘John and Jimmy’ that line about ‘the passive sinners’, I’m proud off that line because that’s a statement. You’re living the good life, but you’re also hurting someone. You’re privileged and all the things you have has an effect on someone else that lives somewhere else. A lot of Americans choose to be ignorant to that, but we’ve chosen not to be.

New Album : “Fever Hunting”

Out now!

facebook.com/ModernLifeIsWarOfficial

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SlamDunk Festival UK, 2014 Photographer //Charlotte Davidson

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INTERVIEW // TOUCHÉ AMORÉ

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never would have “ Ithought that my words would have such an

effect. “

Writer // Lisa Leysen

MP had a chat at Groezrock with Jeremy Bolm, the frontman of Touché Amoré. We talked about his record label, the past, the future and his passion for the music scene: “Music keeps me on the road, it keeps me busy and I still get the same spark and excitement when there’s a band that comes out with a new record or plays a great show.”

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INTERVIEW // TOUCHÉ AMORÉ

Four years ago there was the show in Mechelen, that was a little venue. Now you play on a huge festival, what’s next? I don’t know, I can’t imagine anything crazier than Groezrock is, I think we want to keep up this level. We’ve been doing a lot of festivals but there are also shows on this tour where we play for 150 people, and that’s where our most comfort is. We are at our best in an intimate space, but we can’t keep doing the same thing. So playing a huge festival is stepping out of our comfort zone. We are challenging ourselves. How do you react if people say that you’re a sell-out because you play on these big festivals? Most people that say those things don’t play in bands. Or maybe they just don’t have these opportunities. It’s just an anger issue, it is what it is. All we want to do is playing music to people, as long as the owner or the festival doesn’t support homophobia or racism.

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recorded songs with Self Defense “ We just Family and one of the songs is about that.... why do the things that I say matter to you? You don’t know me.Think for yourself

In the song Pathfinder you sing about loss, is it about you or did you get into someone else’s mind? It’s about the struggles of being on tour. It’s for all people who travel. Things that you deal with when travelling. Do you remember the first time that you rehearsed with TA, The first time you felt like you were a band? The first time it was a different line-up. It was me, our original drummer and original guitar player, but they’re both not in the band anymore. I do remember playing our first show: that was house show.

Our friends were there, and no one knew our lyrics or any of our songs but it was so much fun. Then we realized that it was actually a thing. We played an American Nightmare cover; it was the one time we ever did a cover song. We got to open for American Nightmare a while ago and I was so nervous that night and the only thing I said on stage was: “This is exciting because the first show we ever played, we did an American Nightmare cover. Thanks for letting us play.” That’s all I said.

“

What are the bands that you looked up to when you were younger? I always loved and still love Pearl Jam. I remember seeing a documentary about the singer Eddie Vedder and it’s so strange that I can relate to him because I’m in a band myself now. I understand what he’s talking about. I really love Nirvana too, I just don’t get tired of these two bands. You have your own record label, Secret Voice Records. How is that going? It’s going well, I’ve been very busy with that, I’ve also put out Newmoon, a new band from Belgium. I’m really excited, it keeps me busy. When I’m at home I have to be doing multiple things. When we get home, the band scatters. Everyone goes to different parts of the USA and I have to keep busy.

I have to pick my battles. I never would have thought that my words would have such an effect. It’s weird to me that if I would say something controversial and this would be published somewhere, that 1000 kids are going to hate me. That happened and it’s strange to me. Why do you care about my opinion? We just recorded songs with Self Defense Family and one of the songs is about that: why do the things that I say matter to you? You don’t know me. Think for yourself. If I say that I don’t like a band, and you love that band, are you going to hate me for it? Why does anyone else care what anyone else thinks? That’s something that I’ve struggled with. By The way the collaborative 7” is hopefully going to be out in the fall. We‘ve just finished it.

You’ve been around since 2008, do you have any regrets? I get myself into trouble now and then with things I’ve said in interviews.

What makes the music scene so interesting that you love it so much? Or do you ever become tired of it? I don’t know any better,

I think it’s great. I feel the need to get involved as much as I can. It keeps me on the road, it keeps me busy and I still get the same spark and excitement when there’s a band that comes out with a new record or plays a great show. If that spark eventually dies, I’ll move on to the next thing but now I still like it.

New Album : “Is urvived by”

Out now!

Next Belgian shows: 16/8 - Pukkelpop//Kiewit facebook.com/ToucheAmore

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SlamDunk Festival UK, 2014 Photographer //Jennifer Mccord

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ameface is back after a hiatus of over ten years, the Orange County based rockers have rejoined and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve released a new album too. We at RMP recently had a talk with Jeff Caudill and his fellow Gamefacers at their recent only European show at Groezrock. From picking up the pieces to the new album and even some words on the changes they witnessed during their absence.

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Writer // David Marote

Welcome to Belgium, first time at the Groezrock festival? Jeff : Well, it’s our second, our first time was twelve years ago. Paul : Only two stages at that time, one day, two stages. Jeff : It may have been close to one of our last shows ever in Europe before we broke up. How has it been so far? Jeff : It’s awesome, it’s grown in the right way.

It’s not too commercial; the bands are still like all indie bands. It’s really the best festival in Europe. Paul : We even talked to some people from Finland earlier, that was strange... You’ve been playing for almost two years now. Jeff : I guess so, we got back together in 2012 to do the Revelation records reunion 25th anniversary and then we did a couple of other shows and that led to now.

To a new record and here we are. Just a few one-off reunion shows that led to more and even a new record that was recently released, Now Is What Matters Now. Jeff : I demanded no new material, I thought when we did the reunion we just were going to do reunion shows, play the old song and things happen.

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INTERVIEW // GAMEFACE

Things happen, things start to feel good, creativity, happiness.... Steve : We went into not wanting to..., I mean Jeff send me a text that said “Hey, I have a new song idea”, and I was like “bring it on!” Jeff : Only if it’s really good, I didn’t want to, usually when bands get to together after such a long time, it’s been over ten years. It’s hard to kind of regain that same feeling. At first I didn’t want to mess with the memory of our old material. It’s a hard thing to do, to recapture that feeling. But I felt with the new thing that it was worth starting over again. I kind of look at it as two separate lives; they’re still the same but also different. I’m really excited about it. The new material fits with the old material but still feels new and still goes in line with the rest. So how was the show today, it was pretty early on the bill? Jeff : I think it was great. Paul : It’s a new start. Jeff : Also we got to play on the mainstage, I think we could have played higher on one of the smaller stages but I think the fact that the festival gave us the big stage

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kind of spoke well for us. I would have played anytime, any stage. We’re really happy with it. Yesterday you did the pre-show with The Menzingers, PUP and a couple of other bands. Paul: I liked the energy, we may have been a little tense from flying over, but it was a small club and lots of things can go wrong with technical stuff, you know sound and whatever. For what it was we had a great time. Steve: The energy was great, we had some technical problems on stage but it was great. Jeff: Today the staff and the people who run the stage are great. They were awesome, the sound was awesome, everything happened fast. This is like a really well run production. There’s a video for Picture Day that is already circulating the internet. Photography is the keyword in that particular song and video. A passion of one of the band members? Jeff : Well, I’m an artist, I do graphic design, I’m very visual. Not only in like design but also in how I write songs. That has always been the idea

of like a photograph, like a memory or a keepsake of something. It’s always been an inspiration for song writing for me. The idea of capturing a moment in time with a photograph has always been like a theme. I have always been sort of inspired by that. One of the new songs is titled ‘Quiet Type’, so who’s the Quiet Type in the band? Jeff: I am, yeah, you know, there’s a few levels to what who that song is really directed to. It’s more about like what you don’t say is more important than what you do say. You know what I’m talking about (laughs). Gameface always claims to be influenced by melodic bands such as the Descendents. So what about Descendents playing tonight? Paul: Milo watched half of our set today! Jeff: Today was a really great day, I got to meet and talk to Milo. I obviously would be surprised that I they haven’t been influenced by every band playing here today. There just one of those groups, there will not be another line-up like that.

To be on the same bill like they are today, that certainly convinced us. We wanted to come here anyway but that certainly sweetened the deal. Steve: Our booking agent sent us all the info and stuff and we got announced the same day as The Descendents. So we knew a little bit ahead of time. So we were like, oh wait, we’re getting announced and The Descendents are getting announced. Wow... Like me and Jeff called each other immediately after hearing that. Jeff: All this reunion nonsense has finally paid off (laughs) Paul: And then today we got to talk with Bill Stevenson about van size and how that’s a really awesome size for a van. Any plans on working with Bill at the Blastin Room studios? Paul : You never know,

Jeff : Actually the guy who produced our record worked with Bill, was it Rise Against? Paul : Yeah, the last Rise Against record

Jeff : We do have some mutual friends, certainly we wouldn’t say no. Anything else you want to see today? Paul : We missed The Menzingers, we missed Restorations, both bands we really wanted to see. We got other things to do

then. Jeff : We missed Bodyjar Steve : We missed PUP too. Paul : A lot of the bands we wanted to see played around the time when we played or during our set up. Jeff : Later on this evening of course Descendents and Quicksand. Those are the ones we want to see. When Gameface started in the early 90’s it must have been a different world and approach to music compared to today? Have you noticed a lot of changes in the music business after almost a decade? Jeff : Especially being out of the picture for over ten years. So much has changed with how bands operate these days. We started our band before the internet and we would book our tour by the telephone. Paul : We used maps...

RMP Magazine #13

INTERVIEW // GAMEFACE

Jeff : Yeah, we would drive and we would read these maps and pull over and find a pay phone to see if the show was happening. We were really kind of slow on the whole kind of digital social media thing. We have our Facebook page and Twitter but we are very far behind. Paul : we come from an era where it was all about fanzines, you went to a show and you got a piece of paper, someone photocopied that thing and stapled it together. And then you go through and you found something new. Then you asked the guy in the record store: “Hey, have you heard of this band?” “Yeah, they suck or they’re great.” Then you would buy records before you ever heard them. Now it’s awesome for kids, they can just go online and like, ‘oh what’s that...’ Jeff : It’s awesome in a way you can like discover a hundred of bands a day. But I don’t know, I guess I can remember when I would see a band for the very first time, just by hearing about them from

RMP Magazine #13

your friends. Not hearing a note and having no way of going online. There’s something about that time, like ‘dude you got to go see that’. Way back when we started in the early nineties we played a lot in the Orange County hardcore scene. And someone would say, ‘Hey, you’ve got to see that band Inside Out’. They really couldn’t express like what it was. But then I couldn’t go on Youtube and check it out. Not knowing anything,

Now you can see exactly who they are and listen and who their peers are. You can find out all those things. There’s something cool and mysterious about back when you didn’t have access to all that stuff. Paul : Pretty much, it’s like bound to our age to say: ‘kids today have it fucking easy’, like we went to shows, we were reading fanzines, we talked to people at shows. It was work!

not how they sound or look like and then seeing them for the first time. That’s the one thing that’s gone.

Now people can sit in a room never talking to anybody and like Jeff said discover hundreds of bands a day.

Steve : It was that discovery, you tried ten things and you found that one thing. Yes, it was fucking amazing. Paul : In the same time it’s awesome now, we benefit from it as well, like if someone says check these guys out they can do it right now. There’s also a Gameface song, Swing State, on the limited Groezrock compilation vinyl. How does that feel to be a part of that experience? And why the choice for that song on the compilation? Jeff : We’re really fortunate, I know that we’re not a huge band. We have a really small but amazing group of supporters and fans. I think that it says a lot to be asked to be here, I know the guys that do the festival are fans and it means a lot to us to not only be part of the festival but also to be on the compilation. We’re honoured to be on that. So the new album is out on Redfield records from Germany, how did you meet up with them to release this? Jeff : The Redfield guys, I did a solo record in 2006

and put it out myself but they licensed it in Germany. That’s how I met those guys. I did a small acoustic tour when Gameface was down and they were big fans of the band so they knew who I was. So we stayed in touch and as soon as they knew we were coming together they contacted Equal Vision records, our label in the states. Jeff, in the meantime when Gameface left, we had your solo work and the albums with Your Favorite Trainwreck. Any updates on that front? Jeff : Who knows, I love just making music, actually the one good thing that came from Gameface breaking up in 2003 was that I sort of felt liberated to do a solo record or be part of another band and do whatever I would. In turn it made me a better musician. And then my old buddy Popeye, he goes back as far as Gameface does, but that was something I always wanted to do, hopefully there will be more. For now we’re just happy we got to do that. It’s really on a small scale so I don’t expect that to reach out to many people.

But the people that are aware of that, it’s awesome. And any last words to our readers why they should pick up a copy today! Jeff : Other than it’s awesome! Paul : Other than it’s a great rock record. Jeff : I think if you want a good introduction to our band it is a good place to start, like I said earlier, it feels very current yet it feels like it falls in line with everything we’ve done in the past. So if you want to start there, that’s the one to get. And then you can discover twenty years ago. Paul: Pretty much it’s a record that’s twenty plus years in the making. Steve: It will make you drive faster, it will make you sing along!

New Album : “Now is What Matters Now”

Out now!

facebook.com/gamefacerock

RMP Magazine #13

GROEZROCK 2014 Photo special Photographer // Jurriaan Hodzelmans

RMP Magazine #13

PHOTO SPECIAL // GROEZROCK 2014

DAY 01 1. Terror 2. Brand New 3. Madball

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PHOTO SPECIAL // GROEZROCK 2014

DAY 02 4. Saves The Day 5. NOFX

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PHOTO SPECIAL // GROEZROCK 2014

DAY 02 6. Casualties 7. Bury Tomorrow 8. Liferuiner

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PHOTO SPECIAL // GROEZROCK 2014

DAY 02 9. New Found Glory 10. Calliban

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BLOG // FOOD

FOOD BLOG

Pretty Vegan* Never mind the bollocks

ged 14 I was asked why I ate meat. I could not think of any reason that justified my behaviour. I ate meat because it was what I had always been doing and what everyone around me did. There had never popped up any reason to question it… up until then. It was the one and only time I was asked why I did eat meat. Ever since I’ve been asked why I don’t. And to lots of people not eating meat still makes some kind of sense. Why someone chooses not to use any animal derived products, however, is an incomprehensible case of self-tor ture to most people. Guess what… here’s why they are wrong.

RMP Magazine #13

BLOG // FOOD

FOOD BLOG

Kinship I am the voice of the voiceless; through me the dumb shall speak, ‘till the deaf world’s ear be made to hear the wrongs of the wordless weak. From street, from cage and from kennel, from stable and zoo, the wail of my tortured kin proclaims the sin of the mighty against the frail. Oh, shame on the mothers of mortals, who have not stooped to teach of the sorrow that lies in dear, dumb eyes. The sorrow that has no speech and I am my brother’s keeper, and I will fight this fight,

RMP Magazine #13

and speak the word for beast and bird ‘till the world shall set things right. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, 1850-1919 I think the above might give you some kind of idea as to what forms the basis of me being vegan. I strongly believe there is no way we can justify the fact that we put ourselves, ‘humanity’, not next to the other animal types but above them. Just as little as white men had any ground to base their being superior to black men upon and just as little as men had to put themselves above women.

For some reason, on some people, at some point in time, the idea grew that being different -read: worth less- had to lead to being treated differently -read: less good, or actually, any way the one ‘worth more’ feels like treating the one ‘worth less’-. Needless to say this led to all kinds of abhorring oppression. Anyway, I think that empathy, but more than anything pure reason brought me to condemning slavery, racism, sexism, fascism, ... and it’s the exact same things that brought

me to condemning speciesism. As a consequence I thought about the things I did in my daily life that were an utterance of speciesism. Not seeing myself as a species that is worth more than any other species, just because there is a difference in physical appearance or in the extent to which we act according to our instincts or in the way we are able to speak or think or in the way we are conscious, or in how we evolve because we are able to pass on knowledge to the next generation,…

RMP Magazine #13

BLOG // FOOD

took away every argument I could have to use other species to feed me, to dress me, to entertain me, to use them in whatever way I would want to. Nothing justifies. And so began a journey to what I would call a far more conscious, a richer and above all a less cruel life. Veganism is a splendid way of decreasing your ecological footprint and the damage you cause just by being alive. If it were only that, it would still have been more than worth it. But I soon discovered it is a lot more than that. First of all I was amazed by the wide rage of foods I had yet to explore. Veganism opened doors to the food room instead of closing them. The healthfood shop became a frequented place and not only did it offer me endless possibilities to be creative with food, it also was a stepping stone to knowing more about food and consuming much more consciously and consequently far more healthily. I became vegan about ten years ago and I think my diet changed gradually in those ten years from one that was merely replacing the animal ingredients of my previous diet by 100% vegetable lookalikes to a very ‘typical me’ one. I mean, I found myself gradually overcoming the need to ‘replace’ and I think I have a rather ‘pure’ way of feeding myself now. But all around I can see vegans going even more pure and others indulging in vegan versions of whatever delights one can think of.

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Secondly, and I realize this is the point where some people will take their leave and leave it to the cuckoo ones amongst us, but damn, it just feels amazing to be more part of the solution than a part of the problem (the animal industry problem, the world food problem, the environmental problem,…). On the risk of being regarded as a total fruitcake, it really feels different to not feed yourself with the products of suffering. It feels different to not have blood on your hands. It feels more pure, more free, more aware, more connected, just more right.

Also, this way of living has brought me some of the most interesting and enriching conversations ever, some of which led to amazing friendships. It has broadened my horizons and it has challenged me to broaden those of others. It has led to sharing for sure. I know what some of you might think: “Come on, don’t throw us the fairy-tale -land bone. Sure it’s not all glitter and gold.” No, of course it isn’t. It takes some time to adjust. All of the sudden you find yourself reading the information labels on food products, on cosmetic and hygiene products, on basically everything you buy. You more or less OD on whatever information you find on the internet,

in leaflets and in books. You read contradicting things about it all and it takes some time until you find your vegan way. It has a comprehensive effect on your social life. You’re almost on the verge of making this T-shirt that states what it’s all about. “What, why,… and no it’s not pathetic, and yes, you have enough protein, and no, it’s not a religion and yes, you still have a life, and no, you didn’t change into a rabbit,…”. At some point you really do grow tired of having to justify why you refrain from doing something. Because most people show no genuine interest,

RMP Magazine #13

BLOG // FOOD

of, but the effort that would ask, is “quantité négligeable” really, compared to the benefits? There are plenty of places where you can easily have a ‘100% suitable for vegans meal’. Also, hey, be a sport, don’t get all difficult when you don’t get that seven-course vegan specialties.

they just want to have you explaining yourself and they try to set out pitfalls and they want you to be wrong, because if you would be right, they would be wrong. Some however are able to isolate their own opinion for a while and are willing to join you down the track and its mutual sharing, not mutual condemnation. As your surroundings, however, get used to the idea of having this strange species in their midst, namely ‘a herbivore’, they leave you be most of the time. It pops up again of course when there is some ‘eating out’ event. I must say my diet has never prevented me from being a part of such social activities. Sure, some things have to be taken care

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So, yes, you shop in some different stores, you eat at some different places, you have to inform yourself, you change habits, you have to answer questions about it, but honestly, does that really make the scale balance to ‘nah, not my cuppa’? You really make a difference, one that only leads to benefits. Or maybe, no, wait, the butcher and some major companies will not benefit from you going cruelty-free. * Veganism: a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practical—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. A vegan (one who practices veganism) does not consume or use animal products, notably meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products, leather, wool, silk or any derivatives.

By: Iris Walgraeve, working for ‘Just like your mom, catering’ facebook.com/justlikeyourmom

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BEST THREE PARTY’S

Three of the biggest parties taking place over the next couple of months. Do all those concerts and festivals make you feel dizzy? Don’t you really know where to start or do you just want to try something new? No worries, we’ve put out some of the top upcoming events that you sure as hell don’t want to miss.

GET YOUR TICKETS!

Photographer // Matt Howard

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BEST THREE PARTY’S

ANTWERP METAL FEST 2014

// Bouckenborghpark, Merksem (BE), Friday July 11th – Saturday July 12th

It has been a year since Antwerp received its own proper metal/hardcore festival and what a blast that first edition was. A second edition was the only logic result. On the first bill, we saw a lot of Belgian bands, joined by the rising stars of Diablo Blvd. Even at their first edition they managed to get some international bands, where Napalm Death was the crown on the festival. This year is no different and more international bands have found their way to the growing Antwerp Metal Fest. It is obvious to notice that Friday is the hardcore day and being an Antwerp based hardcore band, Fatal Move will be playing in their own backyard! Their aggressive sound will get your heart pumping in no time. So do your stretch workout, because there is going to be some pit action. The Setup is another one of these Belgian prides. They are growing since 2002 and let’s just say that they will get lots of opportunities in the future! One of the international bands on this opening day is the American hardcore band Evergreen Terrace, a very nice band with melodic and fast hardcore riffs that will make you go wild in a heartbeat. The headliner of the evening is the German metalcore band Caliban. They recently released their new album ‘Ghost Empire’ and will be eager to present it to us. Be sure to see one hell of a show. It is called Antwerp METAL Fest for a reason. On Saturday this becomes clearer. The Belgian band Prematory describes itself as ‘high energy metal’. For all you label Nazis out there, you will find influences of thrash, cross-over with some speed influences. If you are into fast riffs with some serious thrash and heavy metal influences then Evil Invaders is something for you: the sweeps and the solos will hit you in the face during the whole set, you can count on that! For some brutal, hyperactive and structured chaos you will need to take a look at BEAR. Their almost mathematical music will run over you like a train. Their “wreck things” mentality will be sure to provide some major pit action. The last band of the evening and the biggest name on the bill are the thrash legends from Exodus. They will be playing only two shows in Europe including the one at Antwerp Metal Fest. These giants are cofounders of the thrash genre and cannot be missed at all. It might be the only chance to catch them this year in Europe, so get your ass over there!

By Tara Bosman

RMP Magazine #13

BEST THREE PARTY’S

PUNK ROCK HOLIDAY 2014

// Talmin (SL), Tuesday August 5th – Saturday August 9th If you’ve never heard of this festival before, we cannot blame you. We just found out about it ourselves! Punk Rock Holiday is a fairly new force to be reckoned with, with one of the most awesome locations ever. Some of you might know the location from Metal Days (former Metalcamp). It is located near a river were you can cool down and with the main stage in a forest and escape from the beating Slovenian sun. There is a second stage called the beach stage, yes indeed, for epic beach party concerts! If the environment isn’t enough for an awesome vacation you’ll get treated with some of the best bands punk and hardcore has to offer. Bane is definitely one of them. These ‘old-farts’ live and breathe oldschool hardcore. Although they have been around since 1995, they’ve only release a couple of albums. ‘Don’t Wait Up’ has just been released this year, so they will be bringing some new stuff this summer. The Californian Reel Big Fish cannot be left out on this festival. Their warm, sunny ska-punk will even lighten the beach on a rainy day and bring a smile upon your face. Be prepared to party all night long! If you’re feeling a little more ‘country’, we would suggest Old Man Markley. You could say that bluegrass is a dying genre and that the youth is not really interested into stuff like this anymore. These guys however know how to make it interesting again and make an awesome atmosphere on stage. The heavier stuff comes from August Burns Red. The metalcore band from Pennsylvania is not a small-time player. They’ve been touring the world for some years now and gained a tremendous fan base. Be ready because the uncountable circle pits will be wild! Next on the hard and heavy list, we should probably mention Architects. The British boys are going very strong. They have not released a new studio album that long ago. ‘Lost Forever // Lost Together’ got several positive reviews, so it will be very cool to hear some new stuff, wouldn’t it? Be sure to also check out Ignite. Lead singer Zoli Teglas returned to his band after a severe back injury and a couple of years touring with Pennywise. They will be hitting the studio soon, so maybe we can expect some new stuff. Either way you can be sure of some strong sing-along lyrics! Punk Rock Holiday has also already announced some headliner-worthy material. The New York hardcore legends of Sick Of It All will be tearing up the place. The other heavyweight band must be NOFX. Being one of the most politically incorrect punkrock bands ever, they must answer to their reputation of awkward jokes, heavy drinking and forgetting a song every once and a while. This is just what a NOFX show is all about: lots of laughs and lots of fun. By Tara Bosman

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BEST THREE PARTY’S

NOTHING MORE & KARNIVOOL

// Trix, Antwerpen (BE), Wednesday June 11th

The first band of the night is the American rock band Nothing More. They recently got signed by Eleven Seven Music (Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Drowning Pool) which is quit a catch for them. This could also describe their music style in a way: a poprock sound with some new metal influences; not very renewing, but certainly something that’s likable and sells. They’ve just released their self-titled studio album and they will be presenting this to us without a doubt. The headliner of the evening is the praised Kanivool, already very popular in Australia and now growing in fame throughout Europe. Karnivool brings us some alternative rock with a progressive touch and a slice of metal. They’ve been compared to Tool many times, but you should not take this too seriously. Maybe because they are refreshing in the same trend as Tool, but soundwise they have their very own identity. Their most recent album ‘Asymmetry’ did very well in the charts and stresses this defining sound. So let yourselves loose and pulled in another dimension with these guys!

By Jesse Mouart

RMP Magazine #13

ALBUM REVIEWS

03/07 HET BOS ANTWERP

BEASTMILK(FIN)/ + ...

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13/07 JAGERSBORG MAASMECHELEN

STEVE HARRIS BRITISH LION(UK) THE RAVEN AGE(UK)/ + ...

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26/08 KAVKA ANTWERP

MASKED INTRUDER(US) THE MURDERBURGERS(UK)/ + ...

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29/08 TRIX ANTWERP

ALL OUT WAR(US)/ + ...

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07/10 KAVKA ANTWERP

THE MENZINGERS(US)

THE SMITH STREET BAND(AUS)/ THE HOLY MESS(US)/ + ...

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17/10 KAVKA ANTWERP

BALANCE AND COMPOSURE(US)+ ...

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11/06 TRIX ANTWERP

K ARNIVOOL(AUS)/ NOTHING MORE

31/10 KLINKER AARSCHOT

SPIRIT CARAVAN(US)

ABORTED(BE)/ ORIGIN(US)

(US) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13/06 MAGASIN 4 BRUS SEL

ACID KING(US)/ PET THE PREACH

ER ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(DK)

16/06 KAVKA ANTWERP

WITCH MOUNTAIN(US)/ TOMBST ONES

(NO) -----------------------------------------------------------/+... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

18/06 KAVKA ANTWERP

WEEKEND NACHOS(US)

PRIMITIVE MAN(US)/ WAKE(CAN) EKZEEM-A(BE)/ NERVOUS MOTHE

RS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(BE)

19/06 TRIX ANTWERP

NOCTURNUS A.D.(US)

CARNATION(BE)/ BONES(BE) ----------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------19/06 DE CENT RALE GENT -----------------------------------------------------------------

TOXIC HOLOCAUST(US) BLA CK TUSK(US)/ DOWNFALL OF

DEAF HAVANA(UK)/ BLITZ KIDS

(UK)

21/11 KLINKER AARSCHOT EXHUMED(US)/ MIASMAL(SWE)/ + ...

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03/12 DE KLINKER AARSCHOT

THE AMITY AFFLICTION(AUS)

BURIED IN VERONA(AUS)/ HEART IN HAND(UK)/ NAPOLEON(UK) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

27/11 TRIX ANTWERP

Impericon NEVER SAY DIE! tour ‘14

K KID(US) TERROR(US)/COMEBAC(US) STICK TO YOUR GUNS OBEY THE BRAVE(CAN)/ MORE THAN A THOUSAND(POR) NO BRAGGING RIGHTS(US)/ CAPSIZE(US)

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29/11 MAGASIN 4 BRUSSEL

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS(UK)+ ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GAIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

06/12 M.O.D. HASSELT

/ + ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

18/12 TRIX ANTWERP

(GER)

21/06 KAVKA ANTWERP

CASPIAN(US)/ LEHNEN

(AUT)

25/06 KAVKA ANTWERP

SLAPSHOT(US)/ TOXIC SHOCK

/ + ...

(BE)

/ + ...

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TAKING BACK SUNDAY(US)+ ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AT THE GATES(SWE)

TRIPTYKON(CH)/ MORBUS CHRON(SWE)

RMP Magazine #13

ALBUM REVIEWS

Old Man Markley Stupid Today

Orgaanklap Kwarktassen

Bentley Park Innocence

Old Man Markley (OMM) has released some new tunes! For this new EP, containing 2 songs, they’ve covered a NOFX song, “Reeko”. They turned this punk song into one of their own: fast tuned and happy. The difference has been made clear from the start, where the original version starts slowly and stays that way until three quarters into the song the OMM version starts off with a bang.

It’s a lot of sex, it’s a lot of crazy, it’s Orgaanklap’s debut album “Kwarktassen”. This album will probably send the more ‘demure’ ones among us skyrocketing out of their comfort zones and even leave them a little unhinged, but I’ll tell you: it’s worth it. Because these guys are not only amazingly talented, they also know how to make an impression.

The UK hardcore/rock scene has been honoured to introduce a fresh debut. Bentley Park’s “Innocence” is an album of honest roots. With origins extending into York, the Manchester-based musicians have had a warm ovation into the world of professional music.

A banjo, violin and drums is all you need to get sucked into this album, with the other members falling in their time. It really doesn’t sound anything like the original version! The other song, a fresh one of their own, is called “Stupid Today”. This one is taking it easy at the start. But it can’t stay like that. After a while it gets louder and louder, urging you to get up and dance. It’s an album you must hear if you call yourself a bluegrass enthusiast, or a fan of the alternative punk genre.

By Roel Vanobbergen

RMP Magazine #13

Their short, wacky, salacious songs sound effortlessly fabulous and you can almost see Orgaanklap’s enthusiasm dripping from your speakers. Their punky guitar and bass riffs are just peachy and the Dutch lyrics that are more melodically screamed than sung, are...well... fascinating. Sounds interesting? Well I dare you, I double dare you to at least take a look at some of Orgaanklap’s video clips (if you’re feeling adventurous maybe even try a live impression to see these guys doing silly stuff in their underwear). If you’re easily shocked and a little squeamish: maybe don’t. By Renske Gommer

Compiling a prefect mixture of screaming vocals and pure singing, the album seems to follow some kind of grey storyline. The imagery has been properly refined to form a large world spiralling into disillusion. A tale of desperation in desperate times; subtly included into the mix is the unmistakable echo of grinding electric guitars working together to form an idiosyncratic harmony. From what I have heard so far, I would image that the group commands attention with a powerful stage presence and a confident persona. Follow their mysterious journey into the void and hop aboard the train of structured melodies. I predict “Blood Ties” to be a listener’s favourite. By Cameron Smith

ALBUM REVIEWS

Diablo Blvd Follow The Deadlights

From Cocktail To Fire / Barabbas split

Diablo Blvd is a Belgian heavy metal band. Most people refer to it as “Alex Agnew’s band”. But it really is so much more than that. A group of great musicians and an amazing vocalist. And for their new album they really gave it all!

From Cocktail To Fire is a Belgian based band that plays ‘traditional’ hardcore as made famous in the 80’s NYHC scene, topped up with some more modern metalcore elements. Angry, pissed off vocals guided by heavy riffs will have their spectators banging their heads. Four banging tracks provide the first part of this split as stated earlier.

In every song they just stomp in with a battering ram, knocking you off your feet. The up-tempo songs like “Son of Cain” and “Get Up 9” are mixed with some slower ones like “Follow the Deadlights” and “Beyond the Veil”. But that doesn’t mean that they’re any less than the faster songs, not at all! The variation makes you want to listen to the album even more. It’s just a matter of time before the rest of the world will get to know them. This album will definitely be at the top of my favourite albums of the year and I can’t wait to see them perform live!

By Roel Vanobbergen

Barabbas, a Limburg based stonerrock ensemble delivers the other goodies on this “split”. Something different to combine on a split since we mostly see two ‘similar’-styled bands doing this split release thing. But in this case it makes it interesting to cross-contaminate both styles to each other’s fans. Barabbas plays a riff-based heavy stonerstyle of rock that have you horn your fingers in the air. No need for revolutionary acts here, just good old rock ‘n’ roll in different forms performed by musicians who carve their own path, respecting their roots. By David Marote

Black Label Society Catacombs of the Black Vatican On their new album “Catacombs of the Black Vatican”, Black Label Society do what they do best: giving you a taste of screaming guitars, smashing drums and scorching solo’s. At the same time they show off their softer side with songs like “Angel of Mercy” and “Scars”, and even though you wouldn’t expect it, I think these might just be the best songs on the album. Because even though the more heavy songs are quite enjoyable, to me it feels like there’s nothing really ‘new’ about them. Of course for BLS fans this shouldn’t be a problem, but for the people out there who are looking for something vibrant and new, this may not be the best choice. Overall I think “Catacombs of the Black Vatican” is a nice laidback metal album that helps you unwind or pumps you up, depending on the mood you’re in. Take a listen if you like!

By Renske Gommer

RMP Magazine #13

ALBUM REVIEWS

Last Fear Incidents

Being As An Ocean How We Both Wondrously Perish

Last Fear are a death metal combo from Purmerend in the Netherlands. At first you would say, another death metal band, but wait, this time it’s female fronted. Curious what that might sound like? Well, Last Fear does prove honour to its name. Fear is what frontwoman Lisa Leerkamp embodies with her dark brutal vocals. Lucifer’s bride could pass for a 120 pound GG Allin lookalike while grinding glass with his bare teeth.

The album seeks to explore the estranged complexities of life, and societal pressures, which lead us to suffer amongst inevitable human struggling. With tracks such as, “Deaths Great Black Wing Shapes the Air” the hardcore sounds releases the angst for the world we live in. With a unique spoken monologue for where we should be placing the blame ‘Hate, ignorance, and inhumanity are what we should be battling... unlearn society’s teachings...Because what you must learn, Is that the problem is us.’

Musically it is death metal as it should be, fast raging riffs and thundering drums drifting Lisa into a fit. Lyrically the album is some sort of concept album, from the artwork that reads like a newspaper, The Last Post-Gazette, to the different tracks that are all small stories of a depraved society, murder, torture, death and even Jeffrey Dahmer. A bit like your daily newspaper but with less candy coating. All in all a well-thought and packaged concept. Good Dutch death metal with a blood red line running through it.

By David Marote

RMP Magazine #13

Each track works to understand why psychologically we do what we do, and how we should replace the selfishness, and the heartache with understanding and hope. Maybe then, we will not perish. “Natures” supports this, a stripped down, electrotoned track, which explains the pain of what it means to be human. However, with a perfect build-up of percussion, the album ends on a sense of hope. We are all alone, but we are together in that sense, we are ‘one flesh’.

By Sarah Kempster

RMP Magazine #13

ALBUM REVIEWS

Consider Me Dead Young At Heart

MY AIM Heartburn

Melodic EDM inspired metalcore has found a new ally. Enter a new digital age of rumbling electronic vibrations, high reverbed EQ’s, shiny beats and visual ecstasy. Consider me dead might have discovered the art of EDM mixing, but they haven’t necessarily perfected it. A little on the light side, most listeners might find the combination of ballads and metalcore more sugary than powerful. Consider Me Dead seem to have a passion for the darker side of life and bring forward a plethora of emo lyrics.

MY AIM is a progressive metalcore band from Belgium, that has been around since 2009. After releasing a few singles in the previous years, they got to record their first fulllength album “Heartburn” in 2013. The album holds a number of very good tracks, especially if you’re a fan of the genre. Instrumentally one can tell it’s very well-produced and worked on (Miah Lajeunesse helped with producing the album), giving a cool sound with some challenging guitar tones and fast, rhythmic drums.

The ultimate result? An overdose of experimentation. No doubt a lot of talent and workmanship has gone into this album – which has given the band an innovative look and feel. If you love electronicore in its entirety, this album is a must have. “Digital Demons”, “Pointless Chase” and “Rise of the Harlot” are my top pickings in this amalgamation of explosive music.

However, it feels like they stay on the topics of destruction, anger and pain throughout the whole album, which in this case feels lyrically unimaginative and generic in a way, especially in a scene where this kind of subjects are exhaustingly used over and over. The -nonetheless good- vocals don’t deliver something that hasn’t been said before, or add a fresh note.

By Cameron Smith

By Marianna Rousaki

RMP Magazine #13

Emmure Eternal Enemies Emmure has been a band for more than a decade. After taking a small break, the lads are back with their latest album “Eternal Enemies”. The album starts with an untitled track and jumps into a rough start. It was once titled “Bring a Gun to School” but controversy stepped in and suggested the band should ditch the title. It’s a short song which should have been ditched altogether in my opinion. In the song “Most Hated” Palmeri sounds very similar to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Those lyrics are the most ambitious lyrics of the entire album. All in all, it is a mediocre album. However, I feel that men of Emmure are trying to change their style of music. In a way, that is good as they are gaining more fans. On the other hand, they are losing fans at the same time.

By Holly Reijs

ALBUM REVIEWS

Patrons Patrons Jolly old England has made room for an up and coming posthardcore sound. Currently based in Devon, the band’s debut EP enshrines a new wave of grunge in three interesting songs. The lyrics moan to the beat of the drums and seem to cry a call of misery. A steady but slow tempo throughout ensures a consistent attack of bluesy screamo. The sun has set, but a new star has risen for this UK quartet. Their shadowy lyrics and edge solos will fit in well with the recent spike of grunge subgenres in the local music scene. “Movements” captures the essence of a greyish world.

By Cameron Smith

Subscribe This Moment Will Soon Be Gone Subscribe is back with another release featuring their mix of folk, jazz, reggae, hardcore and funk. With previous release Bookmarks, we at RMP already got acquainted with this Hungarian six piece. “This Moment Will Soon Be Gone” is once again a rollercoaster of sounds meandering through your ear tunnels. From soft to hard and back this band takes you an a trip of their own. Slapping bass, heavy riffs and melodic vocals are the key ingredients here. Subscribe is considered one of the best underground bands in Hungary and have shared stages with bands like Machine Head, Deftones, Nightwish, Katatonia and many more. A diffuse sound that overlaps with the elements, Subscribe perfectly stitches into one complete sound. They even have a track in Hungarian to serve their massive group of fans back home. With a unified Europe these gang has to expand its boundaries to a stage near us soon. By David Marote

Muscle And Bone Peace And Light “Peace And Light” is the band’s first full-length record after their well-received self-titled EP. On this album, Muscle And Bone have very successfully fused melodies from 90’s rock, indie, emo and pop. And while that might seem confusing to some, musically it works in a very pleasant and well put-together way. Apart from the nostalgic vocals and lyrics, the instruments give the songs a balance that begs to differ from your standard emo band. Reportedly ‘recorded in a cabin on top of a mountain’, the tracks are indeed very calming in a way and enjoyable. A great soundtrack for relaxing moments but upbeat enough to be fun and interesting to listen to. It seems like the guys of Muscle And Bone have found the key to making an album that can be listened to over and over again and still gives something new every time.

By Marianna Rousakis

RMP Magazine #13

ALBUM REVIEWS

Hotel Books Everything We Could Have

Hotel Books is a three-headed outfit from Porterville/ Phoenix. They began in 2011. They describe their music as spoken word/emotive/ambient. The truth why they make music is that “it’s not about sharing finances, or even art, it’s about sharing love. This all started because we believe love exists, and you deserve to experience it. We believe in God, and we believe in love. But also, we believe that if you don’t believe in God, you still deserve to be loved. Love is not exclusive.” As you can see, Cam Smith is one of the greatest poets/writers that I’ve ever experienced. The way he can play with words and proverbs is undoubtedly present in this album. When the first tune of the first song plays, you can feel the whole feeling that they express. They wander between screaming and speaking. You can feel the pain and loss he’s talking about. In “I Always Thought That I Would Be Okay” he summarizes the whole song and spirit that Hotel Books brings. “It’s funny how artistic we become when our hearts are broken.” “Car Crash” is one of the best songs on this compilation. The only thing that’s not positive about this kind of music is that it can make you feel down for the whole evening (count me in). If you are interested, check out the songs “Lose Yourself” and “Constant Collapse”. This is their new work and their music increased a lot.

By Paulien Verfaillie

RMP Magazine #13

All for Nothing What Lies Within Us

The Netherlands is one of the underdogs when talking about the hardcore scene. Bands like Born from Pain and De Heideroosjes already had their fame abroad, but will All For Nothing get the same kind of recognition with the release of their newest album “What Lies Within Us?” Let’s find out, shall we? Cindy, their vocalist, blew me away. I just loved the rawness and the emotion of her growls and screams; they just deliver like hardcore is supposed to! The breakdowns are well-timed and not overdone, the guitar work is better than most of the hardcore bands I’ve listened too and we also get a fair amount of bass sent to our ears. But you can’t only have good things in life and the same is the case with this records. The reason that is, is because of the drums, they still leave space for improvement, although they sound right on, but shallow, but maybe that’s just me and my (slightly damaged) ears? “Burn the lies” is definitely the best song on the album, and “Black Damp” is a nice addition to the whole record, I just love some instrumentals to ease down from the raw stuff on the records. So, yeah, this is one solid album, coming from my place of origin and I really hope that some mediocre hardcore bands can learn something from it.

By Stefan van Den Broek

ALBUM REVIEWS

Hard Pipe Hitters Revenge, Rebellion And What Have You

Mad Caddies Dirty Rice

Ska mavericks Mad Caddies have recently released their sixth studio album. Eagerly awaited by fans, “Dirty Rice” is the first full-length album in seven years; the predecessor being the highly successful Keep it Going form 2007. The band has been spreading their unique blend of groovy upbeat tunes since 1995, and “Dirty Rice” is a quality addition for the trophy room.

Hard Pipe Hitters hail from the city of sin, Las Vegas. Next to rolling dices and terrorizing The Strip these fellows deliver a mean set of hardcore punk with a few dashes of ska blended in. “Revenge, Rebellion And What have You”, their second full album is coming soon (digital release on bandcamp, tangible version for the summer) and let’s just say this record hits the pipes quite hard.

Not swaying too far from their ska/punk roots, the album has also laid down room for big band-themed rhythms – and they’ve absolutely nailed it! Have a listen to “Look In The Dark” for a representation of this modern twist to a vintage sound. Lead vocalist Steve Robertson’s singing continues to resonate with passion. His particular style in this album has giving the overall direction of songs a very earthy, island feel – so grab the guitar and jam along! “Little Town” is one the best happy-go-lucky numbers I’ve heard in a while. “Ska City” delves into somewhat psychedelic harmonies, which may create some mix and mash we’re not used to and that we might be a little afraid of. Nonetheless, Mad Caddies continue to lead the forefront of experimental punk music.

No nonsense hardcore/punkrock with screeching guitars will make you circle pit your bedroom into a pulp. For aficionados of The Germs, Minor Threat.. in other words the ‘80’s true hardcore. With titles such as “Drink Untill We Die”, “My Satanic Appetite” and “Heroin” you can already guess that these fine chaps don’t care about your opinion and just rock out to their own vices. And actually they do a great job doing so. I for one am hoping that these desert dwellers find their way to a European stage someday soon!

By Cameron Smith

By David Marote

RMP Magazine #13