S.K.O.A Magazine Issue 3 by S.K.O.A Magazine

ISSUE 3

Battlecross Infernaeon The Absence Devilment Elize Ryd

Verity Vian

Arven

Launching 11 Jan 2014

Jossie Ayame

Contents 12

the sixth string 08 Infernaeon 12 the absence 18 arven 22 devilment 26

battlecross

30 Chrome Division

the singularity

elize ryd (amaranthe)

tHUNDERFUCK 40

Groinchurn

INK & BEAUTY 42

Yliana Paolini

verity vian

The Edge 56

12 albums that help shape today’s metal Scene

remebering dio

long live the crüe

REVIEWS 68

ALBUM REVIEWS

Paul’s Corner 70

Paul’s Corner

FROM THE EDITOR Ho ho ho fellow metal heads! Christmas is well on its way, and due to this time of festivities, S.K.O.A will only be releasing the next issue in 2014. However, until then we have one action packed issue that will keep you entertained. As you turn the pages of this issue, make sure to check out each band featured. They deserve all your support, and fact of the matter is they make some great fucking music! Let’s face it people, music is what got us through this year with our minds still intact, well sort of. Once again, and we can never say this enough…Thank you for all the support from everyone who’s taken the time to read the first two issues. We hope to keep doing this for years to come. Happy holidays and keep it metal! That’s all folks \m/

Editor In Chief Riaan Jooste Associate Editor Zoey Els

Graphic Artist Brendon Nox Contributing Writers Lucinda Villian Louise Gorman Paul’s Corner Paul Hodgson

Cover Model: Verity Vian Photo by: Clara Götz Photography

The Sixth String

from left to right Tayler Nordberg – Guitar Dave Stein – Keyboards Eric Rhodes – Vocals Steven Harger – Guitar Jeramie Kling – Drums Kevin Gibbons – Bass

Photo by: Aly Webstar

The Cancer Within

A band that rose from the swamps of South Florida. They incorporate a crisp sound, with just the right amount of brutality to unleash to the masses. With four album releases, the latest having been released this year, this band is active in the industry, and are definitely something to watch out for. Having formed in 2004, Infernaeon bring real brutality to the table. Their first studio demo “Oracle of Armageddon” exploded in the local Florida scene, and later had much deserved success nationally. Since then these boys have busted their asses, and as a result produced some master piece albums! Their most recent release “The Cancer Within” is definitely a master piece in its own right. Produced, recorded and mastered by James Murphy, who has worked with bands such as Testament, Death and Obituary; and mixed by the one and only Peter Tἃgtgren (Hypocrisy, PAIN). The band has signed to Black&Blue Records this year, and

we can definitely say that The Cancer Within has been one of the best death metal albums of 2013. The symphonic and subtle “black” sounds are beautifully crafted, and brought to life. This band has no limits, and as far as talent and passion for metal goes, well there’s just no questioning it. Being one of the many great bands to come from Florida, it really makes you wonder what those local Floridians put in their morning porridge. Whatever it is, we suggest they keep doing it. The band is set to tour as special guests alongside The Absence and other bands, for their tour of the US come spring 2014. If you are in any of the areas this band will be playing, go show some support to a great metal band! Until then though, here is an interview with bassist Kevin Gibbons.

“Stream it, borrow it, steal it, or just buy the fucking thing, it’s really not that expensive, and we’re broke.”

Before you guys formed the band, what was the metal scene like in South Florida? Coming from NJ where the metal scene at the time was practically non-existent, it seemed to be the place to be. In the storage complex we practiced at in Pompano Beach, there were three other metal bands ranging from Grind-Core to Power Metal, and just about any other storage complex in South Florida you went to it was the same scene. It really was pretty awesome now that I look back on it, especially coming from a place where the scene was inundated with Hardcore and Nu-Metal bands. What bands inspired you guys to form? That’s a question that could only be answered with a very long list, but if I had to break it down to just several they would probably be DEATH, KING DIAMOND, EMPEROR, TESTAMENT and CORONER, not to mention countless horror films. You describe your sound as a combination of Floridian death metal with the symphonic approach of European black metal. What was the inspiration behind this brutal combination? We don’t actually like to describe ourselves that way, if you asked us what kind of music we play we would only answer with Metal. The goal of the band has always just been to try and sound like ourselves. We all have a lot of different influences from various bands, which of course have an impact on our sound. But I think it wouldn’t be very interesting if we just limited ourselves to one sub-genre, or by trying to emulate a sound some other band already came up with 10 or 20 years ago. How did you come up with the name Infernaeon? When we formed in 2004 it was actually under the name LEGION, really it was just for the sake of having a name so we could go out and play shows. As we

developed our sound and our lyrical content we figured it would be better to choose a more suiting and original sounding name, or as we ended up doing, creating one. INFERNAEON is basically a composite of two ideas both our vocalist at the time, Chris Defaut and I had which were Infernus Mortis and Necraeon. Ultimately the name means Age of War or Age of Atrocities, only it’s compounded into a single word. What can people expect from an Infernaeon live show? Us putting in 110% of our energy into what we try to make an exceptionally memorable experience for the audience, followed by us trying to drink the bar dry and engaging In whatever socially unacceptable opportunities are at our disposal that night. With your new album The Cancer Within out, you are set to start touring this spring. What’s the best part about touring together as a band? Yes! I know it seems that bands always say their newest album is the best they’ve ever done, but I think in our case it really is and I know we’re all really looking forward to getting out there and playing it for people, some of the old stuff will of course be played too. As far as the best thing about touring together I would have to say is just being able to party and experience all the craziness that the road has to offer with my friends. With your new album out, how have you found the response from your fans? We’ve gotten nothing but positive responses from everyone we talk to; we’ve even had some previous Haters turn into fans but, fuck those people anyway, ha! What was it like in studio recording the new album? It was personally the best experience I’ve ever had in a recording environment. James Murphy is one of my all time

favorite guitarists, and he turned out to be one of the coolest and most professional guys I’ve ever had a chance to work with. We all had a lot of fun writing and recording this album and I think it came through in the final sound of it. What inspired the album cover art for The Cancer Within? Well, the Cancer is the fetus and it is within the earth causing its destruction. Basically it is just portraying humanity as a disease on the earth, the album is mostly about the various ways the earth could be destroyed which of course would bring about the much welcome elimination of humanity from the universe. We were all really impressed with how well artist Bahrull Marta of Abomination Imagery portrayed that whole idea. Aside from tearing it up in the metal industry, what other hobbies and interests do the band have? We’re really all over the place. Some of us are really into recording music, some of us really enjoy handling fire arms, and some of us really, really like screaming obscenities at children on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Who are some of your favorite upcoming bands of 2013? None. Anything else the band would like to add about the new album and upcoming tour? Any messages to the fans out there? Just give it a listen and come out to see us and decide for yourselves. Stream it, borrow it, steal it, or just buy the fucking thing, it’s really not that expensive, and we’re broke. As far as a message goes, don’t blindly believe what you’re told by anyone, most people are self important idiots without a clue, but think they have all the answers.

Words & Questions: Zoey Answers: Kevin Gibbons

The Sixth String

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Take no prisoners, take n Photo by: Alex Morgan

no shit”

from left to right Michael Joseph Leon – Bass Per Nilsson – Guitar Jamie Stewart – Vocals Patrick Scott Pintavalle – Guitar Jeramie Kling - Drums

Having been carried by an enormous swell of ups and downs in the extreme, Tampa’s The Absence have grown stronger as a group. There is a new dawn on the horizon for The Absence, and one can only expect great things to come from this band. Tampa’s finest have been going at it full speed since 2005 when they released their full length debut album “From Your Grave”, and since then have shown no signs of slowing down. In 2007, they released their second album “Riders Of The Plague”, an album that was praised in a review for finding an “interesting balance” between the genres of death metal and thrash metal. The band experienced some line-up changes, but on September 14, 2010, they released their third album “Enemy Unbound”. Having been one of the best metal albums of that year, “Enemy Unbound” offered you riffs that were highly addictive and extremely catchy. Their new single “Oceans” is now available digitally, and will definitely have you looking forward to a new album. The song is put together beautifully, and definitely shows how skillfully this band has grown over the years, and their unwavering passion for metal. The band is set to kick of their US tour in spring 2014. They will be touring along with special guests Infernaeon, From the Embrace and The Mirage Theory. Be sure not to miss it! We caught up with vocalist Jamie Stewart, and spoke about heading in new directions with fresh philosophies, music and renewed commitment.

How does each member fit in the overall writing process?

What drives you to keep making music and touring?

Have you been listening to anything interesting lately?

Each guitarist writes his songs/parts which are then given to the drummer. After some tweaks & demos, then I write some lyrics. After that we all come together to craft the final product

It’s my release and it’s what truly makes me happy at the end of the day. If I didn’t have the power to create and really exercise my demons, I think I would either be insane or on a rampage somewhere. As far as touring goes, as cliché as it sounds, waking up in a different city every day is pretty awesome. Seeing our friend’s faces in the crowd every night, singing along and going wild, what an amazing feeling, what an honour to be able to do this. I’d like to do that for as long as I can.

I’d like to think so haha! I myself tend to listen to the grittier kind of stuff. The new Converge album is fucking great, the new Nails record kills, Deafheaven, All Pigs Must Die, the new Carcass slays (along with old Carcass of course), the new Havok record…Entombed, Celtic Frost, and lots of old punk & hip-hop too. I’m all over the place…

How do you start writing the lyrics, what goes into the thought process? I am always jotting notes & lines down throughout my days & nights; I have quite a collection of random thoughts on everything from napkins to full notebooks. As far as the thought process itself, I’ll usually get a line or a feeling stuck in my head and then I just roll with it writing it down over and over until the inspiration hits. Some inspirations come easier than others I suppose, haha!

What elements of your personal philosophies surface through your music? The daily struggles of real life with no sugar coating or regrets. We are all very different people at the end of the day, so I try to write about things everyone in the band can relate to along with the listener. That being said, sometimes you have to write one for yourself, Dead and Gone being a perfect example. That one is for me.

How do you keep things fresh and interesting for yourself? By keeping my mind as open as possible. It’s hard sometimes because, like I said earlier, we are all very different people especially in our musical tastes. I think it comes together quite nicely though with the flavours each of us bring to the music.

What are the best and worst things about being in a band?

Per and The Absence have been good friends ever since we put out the Riders of the Plague album. The connection came from Jonas Kjellgren who produced the record and played guitarist for Scar Symmetry. He sent Per some tracks and the rest is guitar heaven history. He’s such an awesome guy on top of being one of the best fret masters in the game, so it was a no-brainer to have him join.

When someone takes the time out of their life to listen to something I had something to do with; when someone comes to you and tells you how your music moves them & helps get them through the day; when someone pays their hard earned money to come see us or buy something; when someone truly believes in what you do and goes out of their way just to help…. It really is the most powerful thing I have ever come into contact with and it keeps me very humble and appreciative because these people could be listening to, doing, or buying anything in the world… it’s quite a feeling to say the least.

What was it like working with a legend like James Murphy?

What’s the best advice someone gave you?

Man, I’ll tell you it’s pretty great. I mean, it’s James Murphy you know? Seriously though, we’ve had a history with James for quite some time now. In the early days we played a benefit for him and he was really into our music. He was definitely a major factor in helping us get signed. He also did the initial mastering on our first E.P, on top of doing some guest leads throughout the years, bringing us to the recording of Oceans. It was a pleasure to work with him again, and I think he brought out some really fierce performances.

‘Take no prisoners, take no shit”

January 2013 it was announced that insane shredder Per Nilsson had joined the band. Please tell us more.

It’s been great talking to you, do you have any closing comments for your fans? Thank you so much for the opportunity to share, it is greatly appreciated! To our friends and Absence family out there, keeps your heads up and ears ready, we’ve got an onslaught coming your way! Cheers!

Words & Questions: Riaan Answers: Jamie Stewart

Launching 11 Jan 2014

The Sixth String

Hailing from Frankfurt in Germany, with their strong passion for melodic symphonic metal and nightingale like vocals, Arven formed in 2006. More than a female-fronted metal band, but one fronted by five ladies and backed up by a male drummer, Arven delivers the symphonic power metal goods with aplomb. With their Dreamful and catchy melodies and strong Celtic influences, they signed to Massacre records and recently released their second album Black is the Colour. The band was founded by guitarist and songwriter Anastasia Schmidt, looking for female candidates. After many auditions, Arven was born with just the perfect combination of talented and passionate musicians. They released their first demo album in 2008, and in 2011, Arven released their first official studio album “Music Of Light” via Massacre Records. Since the release of the first album, things kicked off for the band, gaining them plenty of fans and support throughout Germany and numerous European countries. After the release of their third studio album “Black Is The Colour”, the album entered the German charts at number 65 shortly afterwards. One can only expect to hear more from this six-piece symphony for years to come! We were lucky enough to chat to Anastasia, Lisa and Ines from the band about the new album, and life in Arven.

From left to right: Till Felden – Drums Ines Thomé – Guitar Anastasia Schmidt – Guitar, Songwriting Carina Hanselmann – Vocals Lisa Marie Geiss – Bass Lena Yatsula – Piano

Photo by: Niko Neuwirth

Black Is The Colour

Tell me about your new album, Black Is The Colour. What is the title about, and what can fans expect to hear? Ines: The Album “Black Is The Colour” is named after a beautiful Irish folk tune we all liked and performed in a few Gigs. When we searched for a title for the album we thought it would be a nice contrast to our first album “Music Of Light”; at the same time it’s creating a similar atmosphere, just a little darker. And so do the songs compared to our first album. On the one hand they still sound like Arven, with beautiful melodies and folk and melodic elements. On the other hand there are more heavy parts with aggressive guitars and drums, and the whole album turned out more symphonic. And for the ones who like it more calm and beautiful, I can recommend to listen to the digipack version of the CD, then you can also hear the tune “Black Is The Colour” in an amazing arrangement for vocals, cello and classical guitar. What sort of mindset do you get into when writing material? Anastasia: “Black is the colour” is a very spontaneous album, the songs often reflect the mood I was in when I worked on the songs. I didn’t have to sit down and think about what themes the songs should be about, I just needed to express certain feelings really badly and immersed myself into the process of songwriting like mad. There are some light positive songs on the album, like “Rainsong”, “Cercle d’Emeraude” or “Fireside Stories”. Working on these songs I had fun searching for good melodies and explored mixing different styles like pop or folk music. Other songs on

the album are quite the opposite and have a very personal meaning: I experienced a rather difficult period in my life as I wrote “My Fall” and “All I Got”, so the songs turned out to be very emotional. Finally there are Songs on the album like “Believe”, “Don’t Look Back” and “The One For Me” that also deal with the challenges of overcoming rejection and loss of dreams. This time there’s hope for a better future and the songs are actually perfect to cheer you up, if you’re dealing with problems in life. While I was the only Songwriter on “Music Of Light”, on our new CD I got help from Lena and Ines who wrote “Cercle d’Emeraude” and “My Darkest Dream”. And last but not least in all the songs I worked with Benjamin Reiter from the progressive metal Band “Awaiting Dawn” on the arrangements, you can hear his voice in the bonus track “Black Is The Colour”. I’d like to thank him warmly for his help. What has the response been so far from fans and critics? Ines: The feedback from the reviewers and, more importantly, from our fans is very good so far. We got a lot of great responses which encourages us a lot. We’d like to say thank you to our fans, who give us the feeling that we are on the right track with our music. Also we are very proud that the album entered the German album charts shortly after the release! How did you get started in music? Was there a song or artist that inspired you to want to perform music? Lisa: I learned to play guitar early and started to play bass guitar in

a cover band at thirteen because I was interested in playing songs I like. I was inspired by the typical bands like Metallica and AC/DC. Also I loved some German bands. I’m happy, that I started to play in a band that early. Anastasia: I started to play guitar at thirteen and played in different metal bands in my early twenties. They were all kinds of metal bands like black metal, power metal, melodic death and brutal death metal bands. I enjoyed exploring all the different styles of metal and had many favourite bands like Nightwish, Blind Guardian, In Flames, Bathory, Schandmaul and many others until I founded Arven, which became my biggest hobby since 2006. Unfortunately we don’t see a large number of women working as musicians in the rock scene. What do you think about it? Did you suffer or are you still suffering prejudice? Ines: It was purpose to found a women band, so of course we like it! Compared to a men-band there are both advantages and disadvantages. We mostly get a lot of attention and make people curious because we are unusual. But on the other hand we have to prove if our songs are good enough to touch the fans. Sometimes it is even harder to convince people of the music being seen as a girl-dominated band. Especially in the metal scene. We still get commentaries from time to time like: “I didn’t expect that from a band with five girls”. So if we do bad albums, some people immediately will see their prejudices proven true.

What are the largest and smallest crowds you’ve played in front of? Ines: We made experiences playing in front of not only small audiences but also in front of a few hundred people. Fortunately our gigs were getting better and better in last few years. But actually it doesn’t matter that much how big the crowd is you play for, it is more important that people in the audience are interested in the genre that you play like your music. If that’s the case performing is awesome! And as a musician I notice that our fans in the front rows know our lyrics sometimes even better than I do, I am sooo happy. I can hardly imagine how it would be, if thousands of people would be singing our songs, that’s so exciting... we will see what happens in the next few years... :) Any tour horror stories? Ines: Tour horror stories?? Well, I don’t know, I’d rather remember the good stuff! ;) One of our greatest experiences so far were two gigs we played in Frances historical area Normandie. We played in a small club called “Cercle d’Emeraud” which was so nice, that we named a song on our album after it. The folks there were very nice and we spent an amazing evening with them. Thanks for this! What’s the strangest thing you’ve been asked to autograph? Lisa: A few weeks ago we had to autograph boobs, which was really strange. Also we had to sign arms, legs and asses *(laughing)* What advice would you give to those who intend to follow the same path you did? Ines: Haha, this is a nice question, it

makes me feel grown up... ;) Actually we are still in the beginning but so far a can only give everyone the advice to never give up something you really want. We had some troubles finding the right musicians for Arven, and it was and still is not always easy. But if it is worth to fight for it, then fight! Which bands or solo artists do you admire most? Lisa: I am still a huge fan of Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. A great person and a great band. But I often meet musicians who impress me, often unknown musicians on small concerts. Musicians with great ideas and songs, musicians who are strong and uncomplicated. Thank you for your time, and good luck in all your future endeavors. We wish you all the best with the new release. Finally, is there anything that you would like to say? Ines: Again, thanks to our fans! You are the best support and we love you! And for those who don’t know us: check out our videos on YouTube or let us know what you think on Facebook. We hope you like our music!

Did you know? Cannibal Corpse was the band that performs on stage in Ace Ventura Pet Detective. Bruce Dickinson fronted the band Samson before Iron Maiden Pantera released their first album in 1983 Michael J. Fox auditioned as bass player for the band Helix Termites eat faster when listening to heavy metal “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the name or slogan of a deodorant brand Jerry Lee Lewis married his cousin in 1957 Rock ‘N Roll originated in the 40’s but wasn’t recognised as rock ‘n roll till the 50’s. Ozzy Osbourne hates Christmas. He thinks it’s silly to spend all your money at the end of the year.

Words & Questions: Riaan Answers: Ines Thomé, Anastasia Schmidt, Lisa Marie Geib

The Sixth String

The genius idea behind the formation of Devilment comes from guitarist Daniel Finch, who went about searching for members that now bring to life this devilish combination. After Cradle Of Filth vocalist Dani filth entered the picture, things started to come together for the band. He agreed to help out on a couple of tracks, and soon after that it turned into a studio demo. The band is now completed with Dani Filth, Daniel Finch, Colin Parks, Nick Johnson, Aaron Boast and Lauren Francis. Though most of the members are all from different bands, Devilment are looking to stay as a serious band, and not just a side project. Their debut is due for release soon, and highly anticipated by

good old fashio

on groove metal

Photo by: Dex

fans. Some describe the Devilment sound as Horror metal, with the creepy element the music brings. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low but heavy, and has an industrial element added to it which makes it feel like your treading through a dark forest while listening to one of the tracks. As one can only expect many great things to come from this band, we were fortunate enough to get an interview with Daniel Finch, the man who started it all.

When was Devilment formed? The idea original came around in 2001, I was playing guitar in loads of different bands, but none of them felt right for me. I wanted to do my own thing so I started writing this kind of groove based music with techno loops drums. Over the years I kept writing but never did anything more with it. In 2011 I wanted to put a band together and brought in my friend Simon Dawson on Drums (Steve Harris Band, Ex Dearly Beheaded), my ex band member from 13 Candles Justin Walker to play bass and my good friend Kieron De Manns, we wrote some songs together and jammed. But we couldn’t find a singer. I was good friends with Dani Filth and he loved what I was doing. He knew my struggles with finding a suitable singer and offered to sing on a demo we started to record, to help us out. I loved what he did and before I had the chance to ask him, he asked me if he could join the band. How did you come up with the name Devilment? It was originally called “Brutal Grooves Inc” but Dani came up with the name. If you had to describe your music to someone who hasn’t had the opportunity to hear it yet, how would you describe it? Its good old fashion groove metal, main stream perhaps, it’s not extreme like you would expect to be with Dani Filth singing, but it’s just good metal. How has the reaction been to Devilment so far? It’s been slow but we are still a new

band. People love what they’ve heard in regards to the demos we’ve posted. When is your debut album due for release, and what can fans expect from it? We still recording right now and it’ should be finished by the end of the year. We still in talks with record labels but hoping it will come out around May 2014. It’s gonna be no thrills full on metal from start to finish. I think we’re recording like 10 main songs for the album, plus there will be some bonus tracks. It’s pretty solid and tight. There’s some good melodies and Dani has taken on a new vocal style, and is trying new things. Would you prefer to be signed to a major record label, or an independent one? It would matter to me, as long as the label are wanting to push our band and promote us. We did talk about putting it out via our own record label. But none of us have the money, and I don’t as I’m going through a costly divorce. Who are your musical and nonmusical influences? That’s always a hard question for me, I own over 5000 albums and I listen to so much. I guess Devin Townsend is a big influence. I was an Am still a massive Iron Maiden fan and I used to buy every single that came out on every format, be that 12 inch, 7 inch, cd single etc. Black Sabbath was the first band I remember listening to as a child. You can hear a lot of influences in our music.

Anything you could share about what 2014 has in store for Devilment in terms of live shows etc.? We’ve got a booking agent now, and were already lining up some summer European festivals. I think the plan is to do a European tour around September time. How has the recording process been for Devilment? Were about 50% done with the album. I’ve got about 4 more songs to finish guitars on. Drums are all done. Dani started his vocals this week. Lauren did some keyboards last week. It’s sounding better than I could ever think it could be. Scott Atkins the producer at Grindstone Studios has really pushed us to perform the best we can. Anything else you would like to share? Not really, but I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind words of support towards me over the past few months. I’ve been in some really dark places but I’m finally getting my shit together. So from the bottom of my heart thank you.

Words & Questions: Zoey Answers: Daniel Finch

Photo by: Dex

“it’s not extreme like you would expect to be with Dani Filth singing, but it’s just good metal.”

The Sixth String

Celebrated for their cross-over thrash/classic American heavy metal image and sound, Detroit’s BATTLECROSS continue their climb as one of metals most impressive new bands. By 2013, they’ve signed to Metal Blade Records, and have partied like rock stars! “War of Will” marks the band’s first ever Billboard chart debut, and since then they have only been climbing further up the proverbial ladder. Having self-released their debut album “Push Pull And Destroy” back in 2010, all their hard work and effort to promote themselves has paid off. In 2012, the band was set to open for Metalhammer’s “Trespass America Festival” which was headlined by Five Finger Death Punch, with additional support from God Forbid, Emmure, Pop Evil, Trivium and Killswitch Engage. The Trespass America Festival Tour lasted from July 13 to August 28, 2012. This was the band’s breakout performance that contributed to their worldwide popularity as crossover metal artists. Their latest album “War Of Will” has taken the metal community by storm. In one review, this album is described as a “masterpiece of modern American heavy metal”, and that is definitely an apt description. These guys know how to make metal! Drumming with precision, and guitar riffs and bass lines that will make your eyeballs sizzle as they melt out of your sockets. These gents are the crème of the crop, and deserve every ounce of support they have gotten so far. Lucky for us we had a little Q&A with guitarist Hiran Deranlyaga, and spoke about the bands experiences so far, and just about everything else Battlecross!

“There’s no bullshit or gimmicks to what we do. 100% Energetic Heavy Metal!”

from left to right Tony Asta - Guitar Kyle “Gumby” Gunther – Vocals Hiran Deraniyagala – Guitar Don Slater - Bass

Photo by: Alex Morgan

Please finish this sentence: ‘you should go check out our music because......’ There’s no bullshit or gimmicks to what we do. 100% Energetic Heavy Metal! Who were your first musical heroes?

My musical heroes starting out were bands like Rage Against The Machine, Korn, Tool, Deftones and other 90s Alternative/Heavy bands that gave me the itch to start playing guitar, and really loving heavy music. I grew up during the Grunge and Nu-Metal period so when I was going to shows I was exposed to a lot of these bands. Soon after I got into bands like Pantera, Metallica and Slayer, that drove me into heavier music. Once I heard the extremity of real heavy metal I was hooked and I knew it was the direction I wanted to go in musically. What’s been the highpoint of your career so far? I would say our career highpoint was playing Orion Music and More in 2013. We played to a bad ass hometown crowd and we were introduced by James Hetfield! It doesn’t get much more metal than that! We also had a lot of exposure to new press outlets because we got to participate in a press conference with Metallica. We gained a lot of new fans as well which was awesome and I’m very grateful we got the opportunity. Which song are you most proud of writing? Personally for me, I would say “Beast” because it was a song that I had been working on for a long time. It was basically trying to re-write the idea of an old song we had and trying to make it better. I remember sending the finished product to the guys without any pre-pro drums. It was originally 7 minutes long! Hahaha! Tony, along with the other guys helped trim the fat and add their input to the song and it turned out to be a killer song, and a fan favorite which I’m very humbled by. What are your thoughts on piracy? How would you go about preventing it? I personally don’t like the idea of people being able to freely take an artist’s music without their consent. It’s one thing if the artist wants to give out their music, but for people to just rip music off from the band without any support is wrong. I think the idea of downloading music is great and if more people were willing to support the artist in other ways it wouldn’t be so bad but there are people out there who probably never drop a dime on an artist, and I feel if you truly support an artist you should pay for their music or at least support them by other means by buying merch or going to shows. I guess the best way to prevent piracy is to offer other incentives for the fans to buy your music. In a different light, downloading music puts the artist in a position to actually write and release quality music. Before people pretty much had to buy whatever was being pushed so a lot of underground bands that wrote quality music were being unnoticed. Now that everyone has access to download or hear music before buying it, it puts the choice in the consumer’s hands. I don’t think you can prevent piracy but there are ways to make your fans want to support you and buy your music, just like any other business out there selling a product. How you market yourself and your quality of product will depend on the willingness of the fan to buy your music and support you.

Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Metallica and In Flames. All these bands have had success with what they’re doing and it’s awesome to welcome a new band and give us a chance to play in front of their audience. Some bands don’t get the opportunities like we do so we’re very thankful that bands like them take us out for tours and open their stage to us. Other people in the industry like Jose Mangin from Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal has been a huge help to us in our career. People like Jose, open doors for new metal bands like us to be heard by fans and by other bands and people in the industry. We owe a lot of credit to Jose and the rest of the Liquid Metal crew for playing our music and helping us get on great tours. A lot of people in the industry look to Jose for advice as to what’s new in the music scene and who’s doing well so building relationships with the right people can go a long way. Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade Records, is another dude I look up to. He’s been running Metal Blade for about 30 years now and to see how he took his love for music from the garage to worldwide is amazing. It shows that hard work, sacrifice and dedication are recipes for success and longevity. What do you think is the future of metal? Do you think it’ll be a little more mainstream? I think the future of metal is looking bright and I think that the bands that are sticking to their guns and pulling off their music live will prevail. Social media and crowd funding are the ways of the future for bands to promote and fund themselves. I don’t think metal will ever be as mainstream as pop music but I think that if bands and the industry focus more on developing the band’s career and take risks that the metal industry can actually flourish and bands can actually make a living off of their music. “War of Will” debuted at #134 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, #118 on the top current albums chart, #2 on the Heatseeker chart, #15 on the current hard music chart, #16 on the hard music overall chart, and #32 on the independent albums chart. That is your highest charting in the U.S to date. How does it feel to have that kind of support? It’s amazing! Being a new band and already having our 2nd album chart that well is incredible. It goes to show that people will support and buy your music if you give them a reason to. Our efforts through social media, being personable and putting on a great live show have all played a huge factor in our success with our fans. We show our appreciation to them, and they give it right back. Touring. How big a deal is it in terms of getting your music out there? It’s a pretty constant thing in your life, yes? Touring is crucial and it’s probably the most important means to get your music out there. It’s key to the artists’ survival in the music industry, and if you’re not reminding fans who you are and putting on a good show then eventually you’ll fade away. I love touring and I really can’t wait to travel from one continent to the next playing music we love for people who appreciate it. What is next for Battlecross? We have our first European tour coming up at the beginning of next year with Killswitch Engage, Trivium and Miss May I! Stoked to finally make our way across the pond! After that there’s going to be more touring in the states and hopefully some festivals in the summer!

Are there any bands or people you look up to in the music industry?

Anything else you’d like to add?

Bands that we’ve had the chance to tour with I look up to because a lot of them have been helpful and open to a new band like us. We’ve had the opportunity to play with bands like Five Finger Death Punch,

Thanks to all of our fans who support us! Please keep spreading the word! Thanks! \m/

Words & Questions: Riaan Answers: Hiran Deraniyagala

The Sixth String

Most of you know Shagrath from the mighty Black Metal legends Dimmu Borgir. It might come as a surprise to some when this dark soul shows he has a dirty Rock and Roller side. Apart from being the vocalist for Dimmu Borgir, Shagrath plays guitar for the Heavy Metal Rock and Roll band Chrome Division. Shagrath and Lex Icon (founder of The Kovenant) came up with the idea for Chrome Division back in 1999 when Lex Icon was still playing for Dimmu Borgir. It was not until mid-2004 that they got together to form the band. Musically it can be compared to the likes of Motörhead, and their look is based upon imagery from the motorcycling subculture. Mentioned influences include Black Label Society, Spiritual Beggars and AC/DC. Persisting through many changes in their band member line-up (including the co-founder Lex Icon), the new, permanent line-up have worked intensely with the new songs and sound of Chrome Division. To date, Chrome Division has released three albums, Doomsday Rock ‘n Roll in 2006, Booze, Broads and Beelzebub in 2008 and “3rd Round Knock Out” in 2011, which have all been highly successful. Their fourth album “Infernal Rock Internal” is due for release on January 17, 2014. This band is a perfect blend of Dirty Rock and Stoner elements. Long live Doomsday Rock ‘n Roll! Photo by: Tove Forwald

Dirty Doo

omsday

from left to right Ogee Ferrari - Bass guitar & backing vocals Damage Karlsen - Lead Guitar & backing vocals Shady Blue-Vocals Shagrath - Guitar & Backing vocals Tony White - Drums

Rock

and

Roll

A New Era Has Begun!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. How is the recording for the 4th album coming along? What can we expect from this release? After 2 years in the making, the last year spent in and out of studio recording, I can happily say it`s DONE! And it feels very good I must admit. We had a vision for this album, and I am proud to say we managed to capture the essence of it! You can expect a whole new Chrome Division. Of course all the classic elemenst are still present, but with the addition of the two new permanent members Damage Karlsen and Ogee we have a newfound magic in this group. The fact that Shagrath and Damage have written roughly each their half of the new material just creates a huge diversity in the total outcome, and not to forget the fact that they complete eachother as guitarists in just a brilliant way. The chemistry we have had in songwriting these past 2 years has been a first time experience for me. The album is packed with all our emotions and the things we have gone through the last years and it feels good now to unleash it onto the world. It`s so diverse and has elements of so much in the world of rock n` roll, and I am really exited about old and new fan`s reactions to it! Your influences are clearly taken from the likes of Motörhead. Who else would you classify as major influences for you? Oh, the list goes on and on. In our upbringing we rocked out to the likes of WASP, Twisted Sister, Saxon, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, Black Sabbath, DIO, AC/DC etc etc. And in recent years we have enjoyed the sounds of DOWN, Black Label Society, Pantera, Devil Doll, Black Stone Cherry to name a few. But yeah, if there ever was a mold and a formula for rock n` roll, I am sure Lemmy would get much of the credit for that. The first two albums of Chrome were maybe more Motörhead-ish than the two latest ones. At least that`s my impression after joining the band 5

years ago. We have evolved and taken on a style of our own. Something I am very pleased about. Coz we don`t want to be stuck in the whole Retro-Rock trend that so many have jumped onboard. We want to be able to make contemporary, modern rock with great respect to the classic way of doing it of course How would you say the line-up changes have influenced your style? Quite alot actually. Just the basic groove of the bass has alot so say I can assure you. Whilst Luna was more of an average bass player who was just in it for the fun of it, Ogge posesses a wide understanding for the importance of bass, and have taken it to new levels, and work really well with the beats of Tony. Replacing Ricky after he had to be let go seemd like an impossible task given his talent. But chance had it that we were tipped off by the studio engineer on 3rd Round Knockout actually, who informed us that there was this hugely talented guy named Damage Karlsen. I had heard of him but not heard that much of his work. Well, when we prepared for a lengthy round of many auditions, we could actually lock the door when Damage stepped into the room and just go from there, ha ha. He just blew us away halfway into the first audition song and we just all smiled at eachother and agreed, we had found the new guy! Damage fits right into our style and the first riffs he presented to us was just right up our alley and the magic started happening! The two greatest additions a band can be fortunate enough to receive. How do you all balance your various bands with touring and commitments? It has not always been easy. When your guitar player is the singer of the worlds biggest black metal band, it has its challenges when it comes to keeping a tight schedule and planning stuff. This is the main reason Chrome has played so few shows over the years, and nothing else. It`s not that we don`t take this band seriously or don`t want to go on the road, it has just not been

possible before. We have had to grab the opportunities in between the Dimmu stuff, and have tried to make the best out of it. Now it has been quiet around Dimmu for some time and there are only a few shows set up for next year for them, so we will enjoy this opportunity to build on the foundation of Chrome. We have booked some summer festivals in Europe already and are looking very much forward to rock those big stages! When you have a deep passion for something, you somehow just have to make it happen. And the right time is definately now! Chrome is no longer just a project like it maybe was in the start of the band. It now has equal status as our other bands, so it`s all a matter of who beats who at the finish line ;) Do any of you hold down a day job? Some of us do yeah. It`s in studio related and TV companies. And one actually works for the government! I myself have a busy occupation when it comes to voiceover dubbing work. I am engaged by several studios to lay down norwegian language on foreign cartoons and childrens movies. It`s a very nice job actually Can you give us a run down on how you go about creating a song? The process, who does what, is it a team effort? Sometimes people have fooled around with riffs at home in their studios and bring them to rehearsal to jam on, other times we just meet up emptyhanded and rock out for hours and hours. Sometimes we come up with a prospective song or two, sometimes nothing at all. All depends of the mood of the day really. We have regular rehearsals every week regardless of shows or not, so we cherish these moments and have a good time wether or not we write anything new. It`s healthy just to keep the machinery going and inspiration flowing. All in all it`s team effort, yes. We all have equally much to say and we have different oppinions on things, and we throw the ball back and forth and discuss it on

an almost absurd level, ha ha. Music geeks some would call us. But once we have made a solid structure at the rehearsal place, we next time meet up in Shagrath`s studio and do a preproduction recording of it. I then take it home and start to work on the lyrics and vocal arrangements. And then we take the final ideas back to the rehearsal place and make it come to life there. How do you guys feel about the availability of music for download via piracy, and the state of the industry today compared to when you all started out in the business? I have stopped giving this too much thought. It`s the state of things now in the technological world we live in and there seems to be no way around it. When something is available for you for free, right in front of your nose, it`s human nature to just grab it. The bands that deserve to get big today will still get big, and we can hopefully continue to make some money off the shows and merchandize. The only positive thing about free downloads is that your music is more widespread and available. But you have no freakin` idea how big your band is, coz there are no official numbers anywhere. As long as people keep supporting and turning up at shows, we are happy. Do you all enjoy life on the road? Is it all “Booze, Broads and Beelzebub” or are you all really mild mannered animal lovers who drink tea all day? Ha ha, I just took a sip of tea while I read your question, guess I`m busted ;) Naah, I guess it was worse in the early days when you had a healthier, younger body. We don`t last that long anymore, and besides when you have to be at the next airport at 05:00 in the morning after a show, you do not want to be hung over... Sure we celebrate the joy and satisfaction of a good show. But we keep normally to ourselves and our closest friends and have a nice chilled night in the backstage with something good to drink. It`s no cirkus, no. But we love to travel around the world and meet people

and play shows in fantastic new places! Give us a brief description of an average week on the road with Chrome Division? Wouldn`t know what to tell you. We have never been on the road for a week. We have maybe played 15 shows all in all since the band started 10 years ago. This will all change in the future now that we are more available and the motivation is there to take it all the way, of course. But until now we have only done shows here and there. The longest run was actually this year when we did 2 shows in Germany and then one in Italy. But that weekend was spent more in the air than on the road, he he. We flew from place to place to make it to the shows and it was alot of stress but in the end a good experience What does 2014 have in store for Chrome Division? Any plans to head down to South Africa at any point? Wow, wouldn`t that be something! I have been to Sudan, Kenya and Tunisia, but always wanted to go down south. It looks very beautiful there. And I just love the landscape and scenery. We would jump on the first possibility to come down and play, so if you know anyone with the balls to book us, then just direct them my way!! We have booked some shows for Norway and Europe next year. A debut concert at one of the biggest European festivals is something we look very much forward to! We have just started working with a brand new management and an international booking agency. So we are excited about what the future will bring! Now first, let`s get that album out there! Thanks for your time! Any last words for the fans? I wanna thank you so much for checking in, and for the constant support! Hope you all will enjoy the new album we have worked so long and hard on. I guess it`s something on there for both old and new fans. Excited to hear what

you think! Let us know on the Facebook page please! Cheers for now, Rock out! Shady Blue CHROME DIVISION

“Quotes” “Rock is so much fun. That’s what it’s all about - filling up the chest cavities and empty kneecaps and elbows.” Jimi Hendrix “Get as rude as possible and don’t let anyone tell you how to live.” Mötley Crüe “I’ve never taken vocal lessons. My early trumpet training and a fortunate talent for singing has always been enough for me. In the case of rock singing, I’ve always felt it was better to remain a bit untrained to maintain your individuality.” Ronnie James Dio “I got rabies shots for biting the head off a bat but that’s OK - the bat had to get Ozzy shots.” Ozzy Osbourne “I couldn’t be a royal. It’s like living in a supersonic goldfish bowl.” Ozzy Osbourne “Girls have got balls. They’re just a little higher up that’s all.” Joan Jett “Born to lose. Live to win.” Lemmy Kilmister, Motörhead “Cold was my soul untold was the pain. I faced when you left me a rose in the rain.” Cradle Of Filth “I wear black because I’m comfortable in it. But then in the summertime when it’s hot I’m comfortable in light blue.” Johnny Cash

Words & Questions: Louise Answers: Shady Blue

Singulartiy

Photo by: Ville Juurikkala

Elize Ryd

Swedish singer, Elize Ryd is one of the most promising female vocalists in the current rock/metal scene. Elize started out her singing career when she recorded backing vocals for power metal band Falconer in 2003 and 2005. After graduating from a 3-year education at Gothenburg Performing Arts School, she joined modern metal band Amaranthe, whose debut album charted in Sweden and Finland. With a voice that stands out for its warmth, energy and purity Elize receives countless requests from well-known artists to feature her great voice on their albums. We got to know her a little better and spoke about her passion for life, music, animals, nature and love.

It was my family that led me into music. My mother was a singer and artist so she taught me how to sing and perform at a very early age.

difficulties in life touring is nothing. I am so grateful I have come this far in my career, and besides the hard parts I love being on the road. And I have the best support I could ever get from home.

What do you consider some of your greatest accomplishments to date? Any regrets or experiences that you feel helped you grow personally or professionally?

What’s the song writing process like in the band, is it a collaborative thing?

Do you have to take special precautions to look after your voice, particularly on tour?

Me, Jake E and Olof write all songs together, more or less - sometimes it´s only me and Olof behind a song, and sometimes Jake and Olof. Since Olof is the main composer he is involved in everything. I stand for the vocal melodies, it´s my speciality.

Think about keeping my throat warm and stay healthy, that is the most important for me. Besides that I don’t practice my voice in any specific way, just trying to be constantly careful with what I do.

Oh yes, I grow every day. I have went through so much lately, so right now it’s hard for me to point out anything specific. I guess I will have to write a book in the future.

How did you get started in music?

What are your inspirations for the lyrics that you write? As I said I write most vocal melodies, but I been involved in many lyric lines as well of course. My personal inspiration comes from things I have experienced, and thoughts I have had or have regarding nature, humanity, death, life, future, hope and so on..

Who are some of your musical influences? There are many, but if I have to mention some I would say that Madonna and Freddy Mercury are my top 2.

Touring must be quite disruptive to your life, being away from home for long periods of time. Would you say it’s difficult to deal with sometimes? Oh yes, sometimes it´s very hard. But I am used to it and compared to other

Are there any festivals you’re particularly looking forward to playing? The schedule isn’t complete yet, so it’s too early to tell. But I usually don’t favor any gigs, I look forward to all of them. =)

You’ve worked with various artists including Dreamland, Kamelot, Falconer and Avalon. How did you find working with Timo Tolkki? Timo heard my recording of “Alone in the Universe” by Alexey Soloviev on YouTube and contacted my personal assistant. We met in Helsinki a short time after and discussed the project. Next time we recorded the album in four days in a studio in Örebro. It was an uncomplicated, professional and funny experience. Everything went good, and I think the result came out great.

When you buy music, which do you prefer and why – CD or legal mp3 downloads? I buy all music on iTunes. It´s easy, and you get the booklet with pictures and lyrics digitally, I like that. It works great since I travel a lot I can easy bring all music on the road without having to carry a whole bunch of CD’s with me, like I used to back in the days. It had its charm also though.

What was the last album you bought? Lana Del Rey - Born to Die

What is your worst habit? Decision anxiety and coffee

What is your favorite hobby away from music? Hard, but I would say fashion.

Do you have any messages or last comment to your fans out there? Easy, I love you!

Photo by: Ville Juurikkala

Words & Questions: Riaan Answers: Elize Ryd

Thunderfuck

Groinchurn Interview 1994 Thunderfuck ‘Zine

from left to right MArk Chapman - Guitar Christo Bester– Vocals & Bass Sergio Christina – Drums

Groinchurn originally started off as a side project from members of Sepsis and Desecrator. How did the collaboration come about? Mark approached me about a side project he wanted to do. He initially asked me to do the backing vocals on one track called ‘Your Other Face’. On the day they were supposed to record the demo, Sergio who was actually the one who was going to do the vocals, realized his vocals wouldn’t be good enough. So the afternoon he phoned me and asked if I would do vocals. I agreed and we went in to record that same night. After Sepsis split up Mark and Sergio decided to do Groinchurn full time and because I don’t have a life I decided to stay on as vocalist. How would you describe Groinchurn’s music? I would describe it as a really catchy kind of Grind core and some other influences thrown into a certain extent. Who writes the band’s material and who are your major influences? All the stuff on the demo was written by Mark and Sergio. The new material we wrote in collaboration, Mark and Sergio all of the music and I did some of the lyrics. Our influences range from Assuck, Agathocles, Terrorizer and Brutal Truth to just plain Death Metal. How was ‘Human Filth’ received worldwide? So far the response has been excellent since its release 3 months ago. Most people like it and also positive response from ‘Zines, distributors, etc. You are going into the studio soon to record a new release for ‘The Edge” records? Yes, it’s a 15 track album titled Every Dog Has It’s Decay and was mostly organized by Mark Chapman and Mark Biaggo who is also the guitarist for Mind Theatre. We’re hoping for a mega response as we have been promoting the album allover. Are you considering an extra member to the current line up? Maybe a bassist? Yes indeed, we would like to get a permanent bass player, but as anyone in a band can tell you, they are hard to find. At the moment the bassist from my previous band Desecrator will probably fill in should we go live.

Can we expect a tour soon? It’s really hard to say as Mark has got a fulltime job, but we will be playing the local scene soon. What is your view on the local underground scene, where is it heading and what does it hold for Groinchurn? The scene has always been around and in a way I think it has grown, because only dedicated people tend to get involved in it and to be a capitalist pig, I hope we sell a lot of albums through the underground. Any comments why our readers should listen to Groinchurn? Anyone who likes and supports brutal and extreme music with views ranging from social issues to personal conflict will like our style. All three members are totally dedicated to the underground and we guarantee no rip offs, and a sure reply!

Christo Bester

Ink

Yliana Paolini My name is Yliana Paolini, and I was born in Lagunillas Estado Zulia, Venezuela, on 7 December, I am young at heart :) I am an artist and was received as an Architect in Venezuela as a formal education. I have suffered and experience many kinds of Kafkanian transformations during the developing journey to find myself as an artist, and one of those has been the encounter with art of tattooing. Tattooing has been a very beautiful experience, and has led me to walk many different paths that I never thought I would be living, beside the freedom on a life style that has provided me the opportunity to study music and work in something I love at the same time. To be precise enough: painting, playing guitar and tattooing are the things I enjoy the most when it comes to spending time with myself and others. My work is taking shape itself right now in this stage of its life, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s developing its own style under some rules, and I have set myself to create durable tattoo work. I cannot really describe the style though but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a combination of ideas that has merged together to create a signature. Right now I am working, and I am based in Brighton UK, working in a local shop called Velvet Tattoo but more like in a selfemployed status, making few guest spots here and there and for next year in Canada at Imperial Tattoo Conexion and Onemore Tattoo in Luxembourg. To anyone who would like to get tattooed by me or any other inquiry can write me directly on my website and I will receive it in my email, or just to my email :) www.ylianapaolini.com ylianapaolini@gmail.com

www.ylianapaolini.com

Yliana

Paolini

Beauty

Verity

Photo by: Cocographie

Vian

Photo by: SYB

Photo by: Der Schnoerkel

Photo by: Stefan Weber

Photo by: Cocographie

Photo by: SYB

Photo by: Cocographie

Photo by: Verity Vian

Photo by: Timo Raab

Photo by: Verity Vian

Photo by: Claudia Dupont

The beautiful Verity Vian is a talented model, photographer, performer and makeup artist all the way from Frankfurt, Germany. She has not only caught the attention of thousands with her stunning photographs, but she also knows how to capture beauty from the other side of the lens. With such talent and versatility we had to chat to the lady herself about her experiences and accomplishments over the years.

You are quite versatile in the industry, being a model, photographer and makeup artist. Have you always known that this was the direction you wanted to go, or did something point you to it? First of all thank you so much for the interest in my work and the possibility to show a small part of my multiple self. :) The one I am now and the things I am doing involved a way of adaption of circumstances, not a dream of my childhood. Time and experiences shape our personality and interests so we are in a never ending process of self-development. It all began with a birthday gift for my mother. My sister and I searched for a special personalized present – there is nothing worse than pre-packaged stuff from the supermarket, so we decided to go to a photographer in my little home town. While we got photographed in all “funny-sister-poses “I could already feel how much fun it was. A little pudgy man with thin white hair and a camera in his hands seemed to have fun as well. :) More than once he noticed that it looked like I did this many times before – but it was my first camera date. He asked me if I would be interested to do another shoot with him and I agreed with the thought of a possible new found hobby. In the end I became his “store model “for advertisement and experiments with new camera equipment. We worked together for almost 2 years. I engaged myself in creating outfits and fitting make up for the shoots themes, and learned a lot about body language and visual impressions. He was responsible for taking the pics and entertainment. As time went by I became busier with school and daily life. After I finished high school I moved to Belgium, worked there a lot and almost completely lost focus on modelling. I quickly could feel that something was missing within myself, not only because I lost my time and energy for my hobby, but also because I had a quite an unhappy and forced life there. So I wouldn’t lose myself, I started being creative with makeup, captured it in pictures and experimented many hours with Photoshop to distract myself from that desolate routine. I always searched for new inspiration especially in music and nature. One day I found an advertisement for a professional makeup artist course,

and I was more than willing to take part. It was lots of fun, but most of the things I already knew because I had been putting make up on my face since I was 13 years old :) After I moved back to Germany I discovered my interest behind the camera. It was like a sudden enlightenment when I realized that I could combine all the things I like into one creative wave. So I started vocational training in photography, and finished it with great success. I am just busy starting my own make up and photography business, which will be a lot of work, but there is nothing better than turning your hobby into a career :) What is your favourite type of photography, and do you get to do it often? Well, I have a wide range of photographical interests, but mostly I like beauty portraits, editorial, fashion and experimental photography. I’m regularly working alongside several designers and models, and love to create new concepts and ideas in combination with my own created make up. Your photos are amazing! Describe to us what your photo shoots are like? Thank you so much for the kind words! I really appreciate it! Well many times I collect ideas while listening to music, see artworks or get inspired by accessories I see in stores, which I mostly directly have to buy :) I save these things like a sponge in my head and create an individual concept. I also used to plan and adapt them in cooperation with model and/ or designer, so everybody is giving their input :) Sometimes I create spontaneous ideas with my models on the shooting day itself, with mostly very creative results. I place high value on a good shooting atmosphere. You can see in the pictures if a model felt comfortable or not. It is very important to learn to know a little bit about the person you are shooting. A great first chance to break the spell is doing the makeup and having some small talk :) Do you ever do your own make-up for a shoot?

I guess I did my make up in 99% of all the shoots I had :) The other 1% was an editorial shoot for a clothing store where the makeup artist just adapted some things on my existing daily make up. But I surely would like to experience more relaxing “getting painted “moments. :) If you could photograph any location in the world, where would it be? I would love to visit and take pics of ancient places and temples like the Maya one. But even more than this I am very attracted by African jungles and deserts. Only the thought of this adventure and the things to capture make me dream :) Do you have any experiences you could share in your career that might help young girls pursuing modelling or photography prepare themselves? What I learned, and what is most important is to stay true to yourself and create your own style. Do not try to compare yourself with others all the time. Use it more as a boost for your own creativity. One of my leading philosophies are that you don’t desperately need the most expensive equipment to create a good picture, you just need to be able to apply it with your soul. Young girls who are interested in the modelling business should surely take care of the people they want to work with, and make sure there is only professional interest. They should never do what they don’t want to do, and always remember that they should keep certain things in borders. Never forget that even if your body is only your shell and you can use it in many ways, your core can be hurt very quickly and irretrievably. Don’t take it so far that you are only reduced to your shell ;) We wish you continued success in your career! Any last words? Biggest thanks for the wishes! I always try to expand my horizon and creative ways, and would be happy if you stay tuned :)

Words & Questions: Zoey Answers: Verity Vian

Albums that helped shape todays

metal scene

Mercyful Fate Don’t Break the Oath

In Flames Clayman

Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast

Venom Black Metal

Don’t Break the Oath is Mercyful Fate’s second fulllength album. It was released in 1984. The style Mercyful Fate employed on Don’t Break the Oath resembled a mixture of Iron Maiden heavy metal with progressive elements, lyrically preoccupied with Satan and the occult and distinguished by King Diamond’s theatrical falsetto vocals.

Clayman is the fifth album by Swedish heavy metal band, In Flames. The album was released via Nuclear Blast in 2000. Most of the lyrics deal with depression and internal struggles. The album’s cover art is based on Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing, the Vitruvian Man...

The Number of the Beast is the third studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden released in March 1982. It saw the debut of vocalist Bruce Dickenson and the final appearance of drummer Clive Burr.

Black Metal is the second album by English heavy metal band venom. It was released in November 1982, during the great flourishing of metal music in the UK that was the New Wave of British heavy metal and is considered a major influence on the thrash metal, death metal and black metal scenes that emerged in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Slayer Reign in Blood

Possessed Seven Churches

Reign in Blood is the third studio album and major label debut by American Thrash Metal band Slayer. It was released on October 7, 1986 on Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band’s first collaboration with record producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band’s sound evolve

Seven Churches is the debut album by death metal band Possessed. The title of the album refers to the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of revelation “The Exorcist” begins with producer Randy Burns’ version of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells arranged and performed as it was in the 1973 horror film of the same name.

Bathory Under the Sign of the Black Mark

Dimmu Borgir Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia

Under the Sign of the Black Mark is the third studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Bathory. It was recorded in September 1986, and released on 11 May 1987 through Under One Flag. It was a key album in the development of the black metal genre, and greatly influenced the Norwegian black metal scene that emerged in the early 1990s.

Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia is the fifth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Dimmu Borgir. It was released via Nuclear Blast records in 2001. This is also the first album to feature Nicholis Barker, Galder and ICS Vortex as full-time members and the first time the band used real orchestral instrumentation in place of the keyboard lines.

Dio Holy Diver

Judas Priest British Steel

Dark Tranquility The Gallery

At The Gates Slaughter of the Soul

Holy Diver “an influential and undeniable classic”, which contributed to the birth of the power metal subgenre Released on May 25, 1983, the album has been hailed as Dio’s best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre.

British Steel saw the Judas Priest reprise the commercial sound they had established on Killing Machine. This time, they abandoned many of the dark lyrical themes, which had been prominent on their previous releases. Digital sampling was not yet widely available at the time of recording, so the band used analog recording of smashing milk bottles to be included in “Breaking the Law” as well as various sounds in “Metal Gods” produced by billiard cues and trays of cutlery.

The Gallery is the second full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquility, released on November 27, 1995. It was the first fulllength release to feature Mikael Stanne on lead vocals, while passing down his position of guitarist to Fredrik Johansson. The Gallery is considered a classic album of the Gothenburg style of metal, exhibiting the dual guitar leads, growled vocals and acoustic sections typical of the genre. The release of the album was pushed forward because Kristian Wåhlin took a lot of time to work on the album cover.

Slaughter of the Soul is the fourth and final studio album by At The Gates, released on November 14, 1995. Slaughter of the Soul is considered a landmark in melodic death metal, and played a major role in popularizing the Gothenburg scene, alongside The Jester Race by In Flames and The Gaklley by Dark Tranquility. Andy Larocque’s neo-classical guest solo on “Cold” was widely acclaimed as one of the greatest metal solos and guitarist Anders Björler admitted in 2007 he still could not play it properly.

Remembering

1942-2010 Dio was renowned throughout the world as one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. A heavy-metal purist, Mr. Dio was known as much for his vocal prowess as for his Mephistophelean stage persona. He sang about devils, defiance and the glory of rock ’n’ roll with a strong, mean voice that rose to a bombastic vibrato. The grand wizard of classic rock. A poet of hope for the downtrodden. The single most important vocal technician in the history of heavy metal. Ronnie James Dio was born in New Hampshire to Italian parents. The family resided in Portsmouth and moved to New York early in his life. Dio listened to a great deal of opera while growing up, and was influenced vocally by American tenor Mario Lanza. He received no vocal training at all and his only formal musical training was as a trumpet player beginning at age five. Dio graduated from the Cortland City School in 1960, and was inducted to the Cortland City School Hall of Fame in 2004.He was also honored on November 15, 1988 by his hometown naming a street after him, Dio Way. Despite having been known for his powerful singing voice, Dio claimed never to have taken any vocal training. He attributed his singing ability to the correct breathing techniques he learned when playing the French horn as a child. He initially played the trumpet and French horn and even recorded several singles with various rockabilly bands when he was a boy. Dio’s musical career began in 1957 when several Cortland, New York musicians formed the band The Vegas Kings. In 1958, the band again changed their name, along with a few changes of personnel. After a period when the band was called Ronnie & The Rumblers, it was now known as Ronnie and the Redcaps. At this point, Padavona began singing, replacing DeWolfe. Musci also left the band, and a new guitarist, Dick Botoff, joined. The Redcaps lineup released two singles: “Conquest” b/w “Lover” (with DeWolfe on vocals on the B-side, and an instrumental reminiscent of The Ventures, featuring Dio on trumpet, on the A-side) on the Reb label, and on Seneca (S 178-102, USA), “An Angel Is Missing” with “What’d I Say” on the B-side (both songs featuring Padavona on vocals). Explanations vary for how Padavona came to call himself

“Dio”. One story is that Dio was a reference to mafia member Johnny Dio. Another has it that Padavona’s grandmother said he had a gift from God and should be called “Dio”. Whatever the source, Padavona first used it on a recording in 1960, when he added it to the band’s second release on Seneca. Soon after that, the band changed their name to Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. The Prophets lineup lasted for several years, touring throughout the New York region and playing college fraternity parties. They produced one single and one album. Some of the singles (such as “Mr. Misery”, released on Swan) were labeled as being by Ronnie Dio as a solo artist even if the rest of the Prophets may have contributed to the recording. The group released several singles during the following years, until early 1967. Dio continued to use his original last name on any songwriting credits on those releases. In late 1967 Ronnie Dio and the Prophets transformed into a new band called The Electric Elves and added a keyboard player. Following recovery from a deadly car accident in February 1968, (which killed guitarist Nick Pantas and put Dio and other band members in the hospital briefly), the group shortened its name to The Elves and used that name until mid-1972 when it released its first proper album under the name Elf. Over the next few years, the group went on to become a regular opening act for Deep Purple. Elf recorded three albums until the members’ involvement recording the first Rainbow album in early 1975 resulted in Elf disbanding. Dio’s vocals caught the ear of Ritchie Blackmore in the mid1970s, who was planning to leave Deep Purple due to creative differences over the band’s new direction. Blackmore invited Dio to record two songs in Tampa, on December 12, 1974. Blackmore stated in 1983 “I left Deep Purple because I’d met up with Ronnie Dio, and he was so easy to work with. He was originally just going to do one track of a solo LP, but we ended up doing the whole LP in three weeks, which I was very excited about.” Being satisfied with the results, Blackmore decided to recruit more of Elf ’s musicians and form his own band, primarily known as Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. They released the self-entitled debut album in early 1975. After that, Dio recorded two studio albums and one live album with Blackmore. During his venture with Rainbow, Dio and Blackmore were the only constant members. Dio is credited on those albums for all lyrical authorship as well as collaboration with Blackmore on musical arrangement. He

decided to leave after Blackmore tried to take the band into a more commercial/radio friendly direction, thus abandoning their trademark “sword and sorcery” theme. By 1978, Dio was already contemplating forming a band under his own name, as he grew tired of his differences with Blackmore. Dio left Rainbow in 1979 and soon joined Black Sabbath replacing the fired Ozzy Osbourne. Dio met Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi by chance at The Rainbow on Sunset Strip in L.A.in 1979. Both men were in similar situations, as Dio was seeking a new project and Iommi required a vocalist. The pair kept in touch via telephone, until Dio arrived at Iommi’s Los Angeles house for a relaxed, getting-to-know-you jam session. On that first day, the duo wrote the song “Children Of The Sea” which would appear on the Heaven and Hell album, the first the band recorded with Dio as vocalist in 1980. The follow-up, Mob Rules featured new drummer Vinny Appice. Personality conflicts began emerging within the band. The next album was a little different; conflict arose over the mixing of the Live Evil album. Iommi asserted that the album’s engineer began complaining to him that he would work all day long on a mix, only to have Dio return to the studio at night to “do his own mix” in which his vocals were more prominent. Dio denied doing anything of the sort. The conflict led to Dio and Appice ultimately quitting the band later that year. In a 1987 episode of Cheers, psychologist Frasier Crane is revealed to be a long-time Dio fan, a theme which was continued in several episodes of the spin-off series, Frasier. In 1992, Dio briefly returned to Black Sabbath to record the Dehumanizer album. The album was a minor hit. The single “Time Machine” was featured in the movie Wayne’s World, the tenth highest-grossing film of 1992. Soon Dio and Appice again left the band, citing an inability to work with Iommi and Butler. Wanting to continue together as a band, Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice formed Dio the band, in 1982. Their debut album, Holy Diver included the hit singles “Rainbow in the Dark” and the title track. The band changed members over the years and leaving Dio as the only original member. Except a few breaks, Dio, the band, was always touring or recording. They released ten albums, with “Master Of The Moon” being the last one, recorded in 2004. In October 2006, it was confirmed that Dio would be joining Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice to tour under the moniker Heaven & Hell, the title of the first Dio era Black Sabbath album. They chose the name Heaven & Hell as Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were still in Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne and felt it was best to use a different moniker for the Dio version of the band. In 2008, the band completed a 98-date world tour. The band released one album under the Heaven & Hell name, The Devil You Know to critical and commercial acclaim. They also had planned to release a follow-up in 2010. In late 2009 Dio announced he was suffering from stomach cancer; he died the following May.

Recording and touring consistently in six different decades? That is just one of the many claims to fame enjoyed by Ronnie James Dio. Dio had become a fixture in heavy metal’s global family, his legend burnished by his being credited with making the “devil horns” hand gesture the international metal call sign. Dio claimed he had learned it from his Italian grandmother, who used it to ward off evil spirits. To this day, it is still widely seen at virtually all hard rock concerts, and is used by audience members to reflect their enthusiasm for the music. Dio’s career spanned over fifty years. During this period, and particularly in the 21st century, he received a number of distinctions and awards. He was inducted into the Cortland City Hall of Fame in 2004, and has a street named after him there called Dio Way. On July 10, 2011, in parallel to Dio’s birthday, Cortland, NY held a daylong event featuring many central New York local bands and talent for a benefit to the Stand Up and Shout Cancer foundation for cancer research and Dio Memorial concert. Part of the proceeds from the event went to fund a memorial music scholarship for the local city high school in his name. In the 2006 film “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny,” a boy whose father has forbidden him to play metal prays in his bedroom to a poster of Dio sitting on a hellish throne; Dio, holding a medieval-style goblet, comes to life and urges the boy to forge his own way. “You will face your inner demons,” Mr. Dio sings. “Now go, my son, and rock.”

Words by: Riaan Jooste

Long Live The Cr端e

Currently residing in the 21st century, it is hard enough dealing with the way technology is advancing, and somehow, every now and again you find yourself falling behind. Your hair has to be perfectly straight and curl free, and if your jeans reach up to your belly button, you’re stuck in the 80’s. If you think back, regardless of the fact that you might have only been born in that time, or maybe even after, the 80’s was a decade to be a part of. It was the time of high riding jeans, leather and hair metal! Until the day that time travel is made possible, there are other way to reminisce about the good old days! So let’s close our eyes, and pay respect to one of the all-time greats, Mötley Crüe! It all started on January 17, 1981 bassist Nikki Sixx left the band London, and started rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and Greg Leon, who was their guitarist/vocalist at the time. When Leon decided not to continue with the trio, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee started in their venture for new members to complete the band. It was then later that they found an add placed in the newspaper for guitarist Mick Mars, who had headlined the ad with “Loud and aggressive guitarist”. Mick Mars then later auditioned for the band and was hired soon after. With just a vocalist left to complete the band, they initially had vocalist who auditioned by the name O’Dean, but Tommy Lee remembered Vince Neil from High School, and suggested they look him up. After seeing him perform at the Starwood in Hollywood, California, with his band at the time, Mick Mars suggested they hire him as their vocalist. At first, Vince Neil refused, but as his band members at the time had all started with their own side projects, Vince Neil decided it was a good time to try something new. He then later auditioned for the band and was hired as the new vocalist on April 1, 1981. Even though the formation of the band and giving a little back-story on how it all started is very interesting, the focus

should be on the accomplishments of Mötley Crüe throughout the years. They have left their mark in rock history as being the world’s most notorious rock band, as well as the world’s best-selling group of all time having sold 80 million albums, and 25 million in the US. The release of their debut album “Too Fast For Love” in 1981 was only the beginning of a very long career. Mötley Crüe’s breakthrough album was “Shout At The Devil” which was released September 26, 1983. The album established Mötley Crüe as one of the top selling heavy metal acts of the 1980’s. After some inner conflicts, which resulted in line-up changes with the departure of vocalist Vince Neil in ’93 and drummer Tommy Lee in ’99, the band re-joined with all original members in 2004. Since then they have been busier than ever, and have definitely shown the world that Mötley Crüe is a force to be reckoned with. In 2008, they released their latest album “Saints Of Los Angeles”, which was the band’s first album together in eight years since the departure of Tommy Lee and Vince Neil. Saints Of Los Angeles skyrocketed to the top hitting the billboard charts at number 2, and selling about 99,000 copies within its first week of release. The album Saint Of Los Angeles is also the soundtrack for the bands autobiography “The Dirt” which was published in 2001, and was collaboratively written by the band, Neil Strauss and the “Motley” managers. The book contains over 100 photographs, mostly black and white, and a sixteenpage colour section in the middle of the book. Having been on the New York Times best-seller list for four weeks, and sold 13,000 copies in the UK, “The Dirt is your very own guide to the life of rock royalty Mötley Crüe from the beginning. On September 18, 2007, “The Heroin Diaries: A Year In The Life Of A Shattered Rock Star” which was co-

written by bassist Nikki Sixx was published. The book takes you back to the 1987, a year that Nikki Sixx hit rock bottom. The book consists of diaries that he had kept at the time, giving the reader a personal look into the dark thoughts of an addict. Nikki Sixx and his band Sixx:AM recorded “The Heroin Diaries” soundtrack, which was inspired by the book. The soundtrack was released in August 2007. Having overcome addictions, Mötley Crüe are still here today and better than ever! This year it was announced that director Jeff Tremaine has signed on to direct the biopic for “The Dirt”. Jeff Tremaine is best known for directing Jackass, and considering that, he will definitely be the right man for the job. Though it is not yet been announced when the biopic will be released, it will definitely be a must see for any Mötley Crüe fan. Having raised hell for more than three decades, Mötley Crüe will be calling it quits with their farewell tour next year. Vocalist Vince Neil shed a little light on the subject on Billboard, saying “I think we’ll start the tour around May -- I’m just kind of guessing on that, but in the spring of ‘14, and we’ll do one more time around the world and kinda call it quits,”. Unfortunately, it seems to be official, but we can only expect a band like Möley Crüe to go out with the loudest bang anyone has ever seen, while they raise hell, and break hearts one last time. So if you are a die-hard Mötley Crüe fan, stay tuned and make sure to catch every last minute of action, from the upcoming film, to the farewell tour.

Words by: Zoey Els

Reviews

A must have album to add to your collection

War Of Will is fast and quite heavy, taking a little from the thrash genre and molding it with a little of the core rhythm and vocal structures. Battlecross have forged an album that comes off as immediately catchy and still a “grower” album at the same time. Short, simple, and to the point. War of Will is a definite must have addition to the collection, alongside that memorable Pursuit of Honor. Go check this release out as soon as you can, as I promise it won’t disappoint.

Motörhead Aftershock Being around for nearly 40 years now, churning out albums at a feverish pace since 1977, and ‘Aftershock’ marks Motörhead’s 21st studio album, and sounds exactly how fans expect it to sound: like Motörhead. The warm and fuzzy production with organic sounding drums is the bread and butter of the power trio, as Lemmy’s bass rumbles with its maxed out distortion. His gravelly voice remains as unchanged as Motörhead’s music. There’s not a bad song on ‘Aftershock’ and so many are standout tracks. Skillful arrangements ensure that the listener appreciates the component parts of this classic power trio. A classic ride-or-die Motörhead proposition ‘Aftershock’ is unquestionably Motörhead’s finest album. Fortress show the band again in top form, and will hopefully be the album that introduces the band into the vast metal environment.

Herald Angels Sing” kicks off Christmas Songs adding extra oomph. Technically proficient, though not meant to be taken super seriously, Christmas Songs is a fun enough, but ultimately non-essential piece of Bad Religion. Its clear Bad Religion are having fun.

Death Angel The Dream Calls for Blood The flow of the album is easy and satisfies the eardrums throughout. Catchy riffs and easy shout-a-long phrases make this album a great listen either to get you amped for a night of head banging or to get you through that late afternoon slump at work. The production is brilliant and makes it stand apart from the usual productions you hear these days. You can feel the realism and life in the music from the first note. The Dream Calls for Blood is a perfect follow up to 2011’s Relentless Retribution and a top contender for thrash metal album of 2013.

Alter Bridge Fortress Alterbridge composed what could easily be considered their first metal album. So what is it that distinguishes Fortress from its three predecessors? The guys have matured with their respective side projects, Fortress is, in fact, the band’s most progressive album to date, featuring three 6 plus minute long tracks, whispering intros, frequent (and sometimes unsettling) tempo changes and choruses that seem to wink at the epic side of metal. Give this album its righteous time, and will amaze by its undeniable value.

Bad Religion Christmas Songs Bad Religion play it relatively straight on Christmas Songs. These versions are faithful, both to the source material and to the vocal-harmony. Heavy, zealous sound BR have established over the past three decades. Traditional, religiously heavyhanded covers. “Hark! The

Battlecross War Of Will Battlecross have been making a name for themselves recently, but have only just released their second album “War Of Will” through Metal Blade Records.

Degradead The Monster Within Swedish Gothenburg driven Death Metal, assuming the role of the late 90s In Flames while devising several additions of modern Thrash Metal. Degradead composed neck-breaking songs,

arising simple things, not too much complexity, packing several chorus driven tunes oozed with catchiness that served them well. The rhythm section is tight, shifting from the speediness of Thrash to groovy Death, The vocals, fluctuating from mid-tohigh register growls to melodic clean varieties. Degradead show they have character, somewhat revamping the old Gothenburg spirit, I liked what they had to prove on this album.

Deicide In The Minds Of Evil God - bashers Deicide have been going strong since 1987 and these Tampa Death Metal legends are back with a new album, “In The Minds of Evil”. This is Deicide’s eleventh release and first to feature guitarist Kevin Quirion. Deicide might not have anything “new” to offer to their listeners but they are not a band who needs to change their sound to remain important to the Death Metal genre. With “In the Minds of Evil” Deicide recaptures some of the old school, honest Death Metal magic. It’s a quality straightforward album and one of their strongest releases in many years.

Five Finger Death Punch writes has the potential to be a single. Their songs are heavy and melodic. It has all the elements of previous six FDP albums: crunchy riffs, a lot of melody and hooks. ‘Volume 2‘s’ cover is ‘House of the Rising Sun.’ recorded by The Animals in 1964.Amazing no bull heavy metal. So go check out this record today. You won’t regret it. It’s the band’s best record yet.

One of the most popular and commercially successful hard rock/metal bands around today. Picking up where Vol.1 left off, the second half packs a more pummeling, potent, and powerful punch. Pretty much every song

I’ve always followed the Cavalera brothers’ projects because I am a devoted fan of the old Sepultura albums. Being a fan of Soulfly since forever, due to the unique South American flare in their songs, I was hoping that this release would be as great as The Dark Ages and ConquerSavages. Regrettably, this is not the case. Overall is not a bad album at all, but definitely average compared to the last four releases that came from the Soulfly crypt. Luckily, Soulfly are one of those bands that bring out albums quite often. Here’s hoping that they go back to their roots (bloody roots) and that the next release will have that flare and feeling they are so well known for.

Lita Ford The Bitch Is Back The Bitch Is Back Live is an hourlong set with a good selection of songs from Ford’s catalog. In addition to live material from her latest studio release, The Bitch is Back also digs deep into Ford’s catalog, showcasing songs from Out for Blood, Dancin’ on the Edge and 1988’s monster album, Lita. The album sounds good; Lita Ford is kicking out the jams. This live recording is the next best thing to being front row at one of Lita’s concerts. Easily recommended. Hard, loud, and full of attitude.

Queensryche Queensryche

Five Finger Death Punch The Wrong Side of Heaven and The Righteous Side of Hell Vol.2

gives an astonishing performance throughout this new album. His range is simply uncanny, there is no way a human being should be able to produce those menacing growls at the end of “Don’t Look Back”, and still be able to hit ball crushing highs such as those found in “Vindication.” It shouldn’t be possible for a band to make a comeback as glorious as Queensryche has with their new album. I personally could not be happier or more impressed with this album. For the first time since 1994, I have been able to listen to a Queensryche album from start to finish.

Queensryche, in its earliest beginnings, was progressive metal at its best. This album is a proud collection of eleven new compositions that all are simply soaked in classic Queensryche influence. All of those aforementioned factors that made the band’s earlier material so iconic, have proudly returned, and louder than ever. Lead vocalist Todd La Torre

Sammy Hagar Sammy Hagar & Friends Hagar has assembled an all-star cast of ‘friends’, Bill Church and Denny Carmassi , Heart’s Nancy Wilson, Taj Mahal, Kid Rock, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, Journey’s Neil Schon, Ronnie Dunn (Brooks and Dunn) and Toby Keith. Sammy Hagar and Friends is a mixed bag. There’s plenty of rocking’ blues, a few excursions into pop country, along with brief samplings of gospel. Sammy Hagar & Friends is the best collection he’s put together solo-wise in some time. This collection is smart, slick and intelligent. The songs are the most expansive and varied he’s done in regards to stretching his musical talents, and definitely draws upon all 4+ decades of experience the Red Rocker has to offer.

Soulfly Savages

Trivium Vengeance Falls Trivium are still testing what the barriers of metal core actually are, and have produced an outstanding body of work that can be seen, in many ways, as the coming of age for the band. Straight off the bat, this is a great piece of music. I firmly believe that this is one of the greatest metal core albums of recent times. The production quality is top-notch: everything on the album can be heard with perfect clarity. Melody and thematic driven songwriting. The bass/ drums combo that Trivium have as of late is perfect. Trivium have matured, and fully grown as musicians. Vengeance falls is glorious and refreshing.

Reviewed by: Riaan Jooste, Lucinda Villian, Louise Gorman

Paul’s Corner

r e n r o c s ’ paul The do’s and don’ts of touring Paul Hodgson Photo by: Chan Shisler and Carel Scheepers

Hey everybody, this month has been a little crazy and I haven’t had time

“Look at the guitarist, using a digital multi-effects pedal, he has no ear for

to write something new. So I’m sending you a slightly edited version of

good tone.”

something I put on my blog last year sometime. Hope you enjoy, see you

“Brand new guitars, obvious their rich mommy and daddy are paying for

next year!

their gear, spoilt wanna-be rock stars.” “Oh great, they’re playing synths, a bunch of stupid hipsters.”

Advice for Touring Bands I’ve totally made those exact judgement calls on bands simply by looking at We’ve been touring for about 10 years now; starting from the simple drives

the gear they’re carrying into the venue, and I know those judgements have

down to Bloemfontein, Durban or Cape Town, all the way through to our

been made on us. I guess its human nature, the need to elevate yourself by

current 2 month tours that cross the entire USA, and then go into the UK

bringing down those around you, and the natural competiveness between

and Europe. I’m not trying to boast, and we’re nowhere near what the big

bands.

bands like RHCP or Coldplay do, but I feel we’ve got some pretty decent

We’re all here to rock, and every band thinks they are the most kick-ass

experience when it comes to touring as a band.

and everyone has come to see them. And of course if an overwhelming percentage of the audience has come to see one of the other bands, it’s only

So being such a nice guy, as well as having several hours a day in a van with

because that band has SOLD OUT! Their soulless, shitty music is just so

nothing to do, I thought I’d start putting together a list called “Rules for

commercial and bland... It’s all about the money for them, but with your

Touring Bands.” Then I decided “Rules” was a little draconian, so I’d make

band it’s just about the music man...

it a little more friendly-sounding and call it “Advice.” And yes, I realise there is slight irony in using inverted commas around the word advice, but

Ok, I’m straying off the path a little here, let me try get back on track. So

maybe I meant it like that.

as the tour progresses, gradually the bands let their guards down, open up a little to their touring companions. And sometimes you like the people

So here it is, a loose collection of hints, tips and anecdotes that will be a

you’re touring with, and sometimes you don’t.

work-in-progress on my blog. Some of it may contradict itself. Some of it

You’re generally off to a good start, you have several things in common.

may come across as sarcastic, sardonic, pretentious or pathetic, but take it

The love of music for one, and of course the fact you’re both in bands, you’ll

all with a pinch of salt. This isn’t the constitution, it’s just some random bits

have similar stories. Bands also love talking gear, put a couple of guitarists

and pieces from a bunch of guys doing what they love: playing music and

in a room together and they’ll spend hours talking about pedals.

travelling around the world.

But people are people, you like some and you don’t like others. And let me mention, it doesn’t have to be a long 4 week tour across a

Rule Zero: Don’t be a dick (or for the sensitive, “Be Nice”.)

county. It could also be playing with the same bands every couple of weekends over the period of a year or whatever, basically you gonna be

I’ve contradicted my opening statement by calling it a rule when I

spending a fair amount of time playing with the same other bands.

specifically said its advice and not a set of hard-and-fast rules, but I think

With us, we’ve normally ended up becoming good friends with many of the

this one should be a rule.

bands we’ve played with over the years. We don’t see them a lot, because we’re always away on tour, but when we do reconnect we can pick up right

So anyway, in my opinion, this is where it all stems from. This is the simple

we left off.

underlying truth that I believe has played a big part in our journey and the

And if you like the people, you are going to be more open to their music,

success we’ve enjoyed so far. Of course that is simplifying things to a large

less judgemental and a little more open-minded. Ok, so they’re playing

degree; there’s also a lot of flippen hard work and sacrifice, but we’ll get to

pop-punk on Gibson guitars and Marshall Amps, but you’re giving them

all that in later posts.

a chance, standing at the back of the venue with your beer and vaguelydisapproving eye. Next thing you know, a few gigs down the line, and

We’ve toured with many, many bands. Some are world-famous, others

you’re on stage with them, singing along to one of their songs. And they’re

are utterly obscure; most fall somewhere in the middle of those extremes.

doing the same. You’re sharing beers after the show, talking about gear and

Some are still going, most of them aren’t together anymore. When you first

girls and bitching about the low attendance at shows and coming up with

begin a tour with a band, both bands are a little wary and on their guard.

excuses.

There’s friendly greetings all around, but the bands stay in their separate

“There was a 21st in town tonight, everyone was there. Normally this place

groups at first, sussing each other out. The band that’s travelled the furthest

pumps.”

is normally the least social, they’re tired and dirty and just want to shower

“It’s holidays, everyone is at the coast.”

and get some sleep, get some food. And of course the bands watch each

“No one comes to gigs in Durban, but in Jo’burg it’s always full.”

other play, make some initial judgements on the songs, analyze the skills

“The gig wasn’t advertised, the venue should have put up posters.”

and techniques of the various band members. And of course, make massive assumptions based on the gear the band is using.

That last one is a classic. It doesn’t matter how many posters a venue puts

“Ah, they’re playing Marshall Amps, probably gonna be some heavy hard

up, if you’re some arb little band no one has ever heard of, people aren’t

rock crap.”

going to come. Frank Zappa apparently once said “People don’t know what

they like, they like what they know.” And unfortunately that’s particularly

And even if the other bands are terrible, and the venue is a toilet, and the

true in the live music world. People are paying money and sacrificing their

sound engineer is a stoned idiot working on a desk with where half the

precious weekends, they want to see something they know they are going

channels are faulty, get over it. You’re not Snow Patrol, you’re an unknown,

to enjoy. They want to sing along to songs they’ve heard on the radio, they

inexperienced and a clueless band at the bottom of the food chain. Swallow

don’t want to be in a mostly empty pub watching some amateurs mangle

your pride, be nice to everyone, do your best. And do it again next weekend,

their instruments and attempt a half-assed cover of Third Eye Blind. (That

and the next and the next and the next. Suddenly one day you look around

was us, by the way, many years ago.)

and have 100 people at your shows, you have an “ok” demo you can sell for

Ok. Obviously, there are exceptions. This is a general guide, the “90% of the

beer and/or petrol money, you have bought a new guitar pedal that makes

time, 90% of the people” average. There are some people who love watching

you sound half-decent, and your band can almost play in time. You’re on

obscure new little bands no one has heard of yet. There are some brand new

your way up man, only 10 years to go.

young bands out there that are bloody good, playing in crap-hole venues on cheap-ass instruments and sounding terrible, but having that something

As much as it may kill you, just be nice. Like attracts like, and you’re

that intrigues you and holds the promise of something amazing in the

beginning to surround yourself with like-minded souls, an important part

making. Provided, of course, they can stick it out for a few years.

of everything.

Ok, wow. I’ve really wandered off the path now. Let me try summarise and wrap this up. Don’t be a dick. It’s pretty simple really, be nice. Treat the other bands with respect, try be friendly. Offer to share gear, especially drums and bass amps. Those things are big and heavy, and a pain in the ass to change around for every band. Be nice to the sound engineer, maybe he is actually just the barman who has a vague idea of how the sound desk works, but he is probably the most important person in the room. If he does a bad job, no matter how good your vocalist is, or how expensive your snare drum is, you’re gonna sound terrible. (Of course, blaming the sound engineer for everything is a whole other chapter, for now just be nice to him, hopefully it’ll make him try figure out what where that horrid squealing feedback is coming and do something about it.) If you’re really in this for the long haul, you are going to be running into the same people over the next 10 years or so. Sound engineers, other bands, venue owners, people who claim to “be in the music industry”, and most importantly: the people who come to shows, the people you’re trying to make your fans. It just takes one member of your band being a dickhead rockstar to make a bad impression (and this includes your non-musical friend who has become your “manager”.) Bossing around the sound engineer, refusing to share your guitar amp, taking long to get on or off stage or be overheard dissing the other bands or venue. All stupid and short-sighted. It becomes a vicious circle, if you’re a dick to the other bands, they’ll be dicks right back. Treat the sound engineer like an idiot and he’ll do a crappy job mixing your sound, you both lose. Your band sounds terrible and no one wants to use that sound guy again. He blames you and your guitarist who refused to turn his amp down, the band blames the idiot who doesn’t know his job. The whole situation becomes ugly and unpleasant. Soon you don’t want play gigs with that band, or play at that venue where that sound engineer works, and suddenly you have no gigs. Blame everyone else, call it quits, start a new band, start at the bottom again.