SONIC SHOCKS 11/2012

Interviews with Devin Townsend, As I Lay Dying, Trail of Dead, Sophicide, Therapy?, Bison BC, Malignancy, Incite, The Ordeal, Sparzanza, ex Roxx Gang Kevin Steele, Missy LePink, Alestorm, God Seed, Rival Sons, Marduk, Daylight Dies... plus the latest movies, albums and live shows and our usual Burlesque and unsigned sections.

Issue 11/2012

SHINING

£ FREE

I’M Ainside FASCIST, NOT A RACIST Niklas Kvarforth’s dark mind

Enjoy!

‘That is what the hurting world needs: God’s grace and mercy’ Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D. + The Whosoevers) A DISCLAIMER - OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO MAKE OF IT I wish this clarification was not necessary – it shouldn’t be really – but we all know how some people get hung up as certain words are mentioned, be it ‘Fascist’ or ‘Christian’, or any word strongly expressing a view that may not approve of. If you’re one of those people, I’m warning you: this paper may offend you multiple times, so feel free to stop reading now. You do have a choice.

We’re independent press. We’re a well assorted bunch of different personas and we strive to respect everyone’s ideas, including those of the artists we interview. This doesn’t mean we share those ideas, and it doesn’t mean we despise them either. We simply listen and offer you a chance to do the same when you pick up a copy of our magazine or browse our website. The only thing we defend – and always will – is freedom of speech.

Sonic Shocks does not believe in censorship; our interviews will not be cut because of inconvenient words or statements, and our writers will not be corrected if they reckon that Freddie Mercury was overrated – even if I will privately insult them no

PETE DOHERTY SHOWS UP & PLAYS A FULL 90 MINS SET!

end – or the much awaited new Deftones indeed sucks (now, sorry Deftones, we haven’t really listened to it yet and we can’t wait, which is exactly why it was a fitting example).

So here we are, talking about Christianity with Sonny from P.O.D. , Fascism and oppression with Niklas from Shining, reviewing the latest Warrior Soul strongly political as always and the new Cockney Rejects flying the flag of the working class. You will also find Peter Doherty next to Ensiferum and Reckless Love next to Voivod. From black metal to pop, from left to right, what you will not find is hypocrisy. And obviously that stuff that is just wrong at every level, like children and animal cruelty, that’s just sick; you have to draw a line somewhere…

And now is up to you if you want to keep reading, but for all those throwing stones from their glass houses, let me remind you who killed Lester Burnham and why. You have never seen American Beauty? I thought so. Maybe you should.

by Cristina Massei

OUR GUIDE TO

Sonic Shocks

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Issue 11/2012

e c a r g ’s in God ercy and m

Sonic Shocks Ltd www.sonicshocks.com info@sonicshocks.com Editor in Chief and Creative Director Cristina Massei

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Content Director Matt Dawson

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Business Director Marcus J West

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Unsigned Editor Dan Balchin

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US Correspondent Denise Bales Britt Burlesque & Nightlife Sophia Disgrace Photographers (this issue) Cristina Massei Marcus J West Krystal Britt Matt Higgs Writers (this issue) Cristina Massei Matt Dawson Marcus J West Dan Balchin Matthew Tilt John Morgan Sophia Disgrace Matt Higgs Claudio Pucci Cohen Brown

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An interview with Sonny Sandoval

by Denise Britt

POD is an amazingly talented kick ass band who also happens to be a Christian band. I am talking 100% in your face Christian. The new album is phenomenal and I wanted to ask about the songs, I really did, but one thing just kept leading to another, like I was talking with an old friend. It wasn’t until almost 20 minutes into our conversation that I realized I hadn’t even mentioned the album.

Sonny and I had such a meaningful visit that afternoon. It truly touched my heart and gave me a new found hope. I promised him I would tell you all about The Whosoevers.

The faces of The Whosoevers today is Sonny Sandoval (POD), Lacey Sturm (Flyleaf), Ryan Ries, Ronnie Faisst (Metal Mulisha) and Brian HEAD Welch (KORN). There are many more behind the scenes as well. The Whosoevers go speak at rehab centers, schools, youth events and I believe Sonny also mentioned jails. Remember when you were young and made to go to church and someone would get up and share a testimony of how they used to be before being saved? Well this is what they do; only the stories are coming from rock stars. They are stories of hope. If someone like us can be made clean and pure why not you they say. www.thewhosovers.com Please check them out.

Share the website.

What follows is a portion of our conversation that afternoon. Enjoy.

First of all I wanted to congratulate you all on the new CD. (Murdered Love) I heard y’all had a little shindig last night. How was it?

It was amazing. We had a little release party at The Roxy in Hollywood and we are all still here! We are headed to a meeting here in Hollywood.

I covered Rocklahoma over Memorial Day Weekend…

Oh Dang!

I listed you guys as one of the top 5 acts on my review. I wrote that I had felt like I left church after seeing POD Friday night at Rocklahoma!

Nice! I will take that!

Then I went from church on Friday to Zombie and Satan on Saturday night! *laughter* I guess that’s how it works sometimes!

Tell me how the new album Murdered Love came about.

SWe had taken a long time off and it turned into 4-5 years, time goes by fast. I had taken a break from the industry and the business. I just really wanted to go home to be with my family, my wife and kids. I wanted to get things right in my own life, get my priorities straight. I got to be involved in cool charity events and outreaches. I was just trying to grow closer to God and my faith until it was time to go back out there and try to be whatever light I could possibly be.

Going back to Rocklahoma, I don’t care who you are and what you believe in, if you didn’t walk away from your guys set feeling something stir inside you, something is wrong with you. I literally watched you Sonny, praising God on stage.

As a Christian myself it is something wonderful to see. How hard is that for you to do in the setting with Rob Zombie and bands like that next to you? I mean I love Zombie’s production and I am there for the musicality of it all but it does bother me, spiritually. Does it bother you at all?

Do you just let it blow off of you? Pray for them?

We have been in this game for so long. You know I didn’t grow up in church and when I got saved I felt like God was calling me to music. Not because I’m a musician or I like to be on stage. It was because music was powerful to me growing up and I was influenced a lot by the lyrical content of the music I listen to and I do have a mind to think for myself. I got asked to be in some heavy, hardcore crazy band and I thought well why can’t our lyrics be positive, why can’t we send out messages of hope and

love and faith. We have done that for almost 20 years. Once I realized you get out there and really have haters, people who don’t really like your music or you just because you took on the name of Jesus. That was a learning thing for me. I was like wow this is crazy, this is actually real, and there really is a spiritual battle. Like when play stuff like Ozzfest and these big rock metal shows and people are flipping you off in the shape of a cross. I’ve actually jumped in the crowd and got in people’s faces. But I have to just ignore that and fall in love with God as we play the music. It’s a very personal thing, I don’t know if anyone will really understand because it is so intense but it’s like that is all I have, I have the faith that God is doing something in people’s hearts and minds without having to go up there and hear a sermon. The world doesn’t want to hear that, but they do want compassion.

I‘ve noticed that more and more hard rockers becoming Christian. Like Zakk Wylde. Almost like all these people that don’t “look” (which is stupid) Christian are coming out. They are standing up and saying they believe.

You would be surprised that the majority of these guys in these bands are pastor’s kids and have grown up in the church and now are having a season of rebellion. American Christianity has a million faces and the only face it should have is the face of Jesus. There are a lot of guys in bands that don’t have a problem with Jesus. They tell me “I believe the same thing, check out the cross on my back” They just have been so turned off by religion and the hypocrisy of it. You look at someone like Alice Cooper. They thought he was Satan himself back then. Now the guy is in love with Jesus. All we can do is pray for these people, stop judging them. My only worry is that a lot of times when someone like Zakk comes to know the Lord, I get very defensive; I’ve seen firsthand that once the church gets hold of them they try to mold and shape them into the image of the church. I don’t know if that image if what we need. We need to be shaped into the image of Jesus. That is kind of why started the whole Whosoever thing. We want to be there to pray for them, to hold them accountable and make sure the church doesn’t use them as their guinea pig. I’ve seen it where this has happened and they get so turned off they are just over it. It is a very fine line.

Whosoevers – What an amazing thing you have started with this! Are you reaching a lot of youth?

Are you getting a good response? Are you getting any help?

When I took off time from POD, I wanted real ac-

countability and discipleship and I wanted to be around people who love the Lord. I needed to be around people that were struggling. I started walking with people like that, like Head (from Korn), there are a couple of guys from the Metal Mulisha, there are people we don’t even use their faces yet because they are such babies in the Lord.

They are still being discipled. I don’t want someone to see them and then they get thrown up on a Christian rock star church pedestal and they are held accountable to be perfect in the eyes of the church and they are still trying to figure it out themselves. Then the moment they are caught on camera drinking a glass of wine or saying a curse word they are judged and labeled “anti-Jesus”.

Whosoevers started as a brotherhood and then it just really opened up more doors because we were “celebrities” and we were able to go into the schools, youth facilities and rehabs and be able to share our own stories and testimonies and the world will actually give us 2 more seconds then they would some pastor or evangelist. They are like, ‘these guys look like me, sound like me, their stories are like mine, yet they are so compassionate, humble and walking in grace and mercy’. That is what the hurting world needs: God’s grace and mercy.

I totally agree. What can we as music lovers and Jesus lovers do to help the Whosoevers?

We are non-profit. We need exposure. We want people to go to the website and see us and see that we are normal people, we don’t want the face of this thing to look like organized Christianity.

Wow, I’m sorry; we really haven’t talked a lot about the new album, which I love. (Sonny is rolling with laughter at this observation). I have been listening to it. It kicks a whole lotta ass. I love it. It’s already getting great reviews.

It is exciting to have plans and opportunities and feels like we are doing something right again.

That’s what matters. You are out there for a reason, probably deeper than you guys even know.

I hope so.

You have been such a pleasure to talk to. I could sit here and talk Jesus with you all day long and then turn around and talk rock and roll all night long.

I’m the same way.

Any wise words for the youth of our nation?

Don’t grow up too fast. Be leaders, not followers. I want these kids to feel loved out there.

Go to to find out more

www.thewhosoevers.com

Sonic Shocks

Issue 11/2012

Page 3

REAL LIFE DARKNESS an interview with Niklas Kvarforth

by Marcus J West

There’s a saying by Nietzsche from his work Beyond Good And Evil: And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.

When it comes to Niklas Kvarforth this is a man that has been diagnosed with bipolar, schizophrenia, split personality and panic attacks, faked his own death in 2006 which lead to a chaotic show in February 2007 and has been one of the most infamous names in the black metal scene since the age of 13. He is a man that has gazed into the abyss and rather than fight it – he has embraced it but as we shall discover he does plan to change..

What you are about to read is frank and honest – this is Niklas opening up about religion, divorce, suicide and more. You have been warned..

Let’s start by talking about your live performances: Shining always seems to encourage some kind of violence and often incites uncontrollable reactions from the crowd. How have the venue owners and festival organizers responded over the years to all that is a Shining live show?

At the end of the day, we learn from many bad experiences; we always have to get paid in advance (laugh!). I am an artist, and as any artist I should not have any boundaries whatsoever; once you do, you just become a product. This is probably what makes Shining different from some of the other bands out there. The only problem is that people do not understand that Shining for me is …

When I play ten songs live a night at every show, it is like re-living ten nightmares every time. All of these songs have been written while I was destroying something I loved: like putting my grandmother into hospital or fucking my wife’s best friend just to make her want to split up with me; not because I liked it, but because of the fact that I need to get out a certain wave of negativity, creating my music around that. So when I go on stage, sometimes I freak out, I get angry.

Violence is part of our society, what I do on stage happens in the streets every night.

That’s why I do not see what the big deal is.

Rock and Roll or what ever you call it is supposed to be dangerous. When I was growing up, I was afraid of certain people; black metal was small in Sweden, I knew that some of the guys in the old black metal bands were beating people up because of the t-shirt they wore, and that is something I would like to recreate today, that Shining is feared. Think of Alice Cooper or Kiss, the best example, parents were screaming to their children not to go to their shows… Music has to become dangerous again, that’s why people like me are here.

Based on the themes you have been dealing with in your song writing process, the lyrics for every song you have written must hold a special meaning to you.

Of course. Like I said if one song is built around a certain moment in my life, everything in that song has to be a representation of that very bad moment in all its negativity and darkness; that’s why for me it’s very difficult to perform live, because I have to sing about it. During the making of our seventh album, VII: Född Förlorare, my mother died….

Sorry to hear about that….

It’s a flash…. And I had a dear friend of mine, she was into drugs; I love drugs and she wanted me to get her some heroin. So I got her some heroin which was a bad one and she died that night. This is what Shining is about, real life darkness, not like running around with a sword in the forest. That has his charm as well I agree, but I always want to create something that comes from my heart, not from my mind; I do not want to think about something I want to do, I want to feel it even if it’s against my nature. I will do it, just to experiment with pain, pleasure whatever it may be, you know? It does not have to be necessarily something negative.

That’s the way I work in my life with every-

thing.

What about dealing with the more controversial themes like suicide and drug use?

Have you ever experienced problems with fanatics and religious groups and was this difficult for you to deal with?

Yeah…many times, but it has never been difficult. We had been attacked with fire and condemned by some anti-fascist groups; I am a fascist, but I am not racist. I like oppression, or better I like the fundamentals of it. We had some problems with religious groups, but I am religious myself and if I have a religious group coming against me, be it a Muslim or a Christian one, I can always answer better because I have read both the Koran and the Bible at least ten times more than they have.

And I know about theology, if they want to talk about religion with me then come on! I have never been anti religious; I think that religion, and even more so religious wars, are tools of the devil so they should be glorified as satanic entities. The first great act that the devil did was to convince the church that he did not exist and he confused us all, particularly the religious fanatics with their “kill for Jesus” or “kill for Allah.”

Looking at your extensive career, you started Shining in 1996 and your first album, I: Within Deep Dark Chambers, came out in 2000. You split up briefly in 2004 and few other times before and after that. Shining then started all over again and has continued until today: what brought on these separations and reunions?

Shining did not become a band until two years ago, before that it was only me. I have some mental problems: I am bipolar type 2, schizophrenic and now doctors believe that I also have a split personality. I had to go to hospitals and institutions because of this which never helped at all as they are just storage places for human bodies. This has always made me take very fast decisions; I kicked people out of the band even though they had not done anything, yet I believed they did. Right now, I am having therapy through spiritual guidance to get hold of or have more control of the darkness inside, which is very hard, through all the tears of family members and friends dying, disappearing just like that.

But it’s worth it, I know I cannot live my life like this anymore. Shining will never die as it will continue until the day I die, which may be in a week as you never know.

Please try not to…. You are way too young..

(Laugh!)… I also got divorced six months ago, that was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I mean, she was a wonderful woman, she was very young… I am talking too much about personal stuff.

Would you like me to stop the recording?

No don’t, please. I just want to be honest you know? This woman that I married, I fell in love with her, we had been together for four years. She has never done anything as I have always supported her, I paid all her debts to society, then I got repaid with… When I was in Mexico, I got a phone call from her about a picture of me and a female fan on the internet; so what, I take at least a hundred of those pictures every day and I was on the other side of the globe. She did not trust me, so I had to leave all this; I lost so much because of relationships.

Going back to the definition of Shining as progressive black metal, is this the one you want to keep to give Shining its particular identity, or do you think you will experiment with something even more different considering all the black metal variations that are out there today?

Like I said, boundaries and limitations are stupid, so if you want to call us dubstep metal or fucking … I do not care. I had problems in the past as I created this suicidal black metal thing in 1996, all the bands misunderstood it like always; people are generally stupid. We can be called what people want.

Let’s talk about the new album, it’s going to be released on October 29th.

Is it?

Yes, that’s what I was told. I will definitely make sure to review it.

Then I want you to write that it has the ugliest cover you have ever seen. It’s really shit.

People will remember it.

The album features members of Anthrax and Mercyful Fate.

The guests that we have in every Shining album are not in because I wrote a part for a particular person, it’s just to add colour. Record label reps usually believe that you sell many more records with a sticker on the album saying featuring Kirk Hammett from Metallica. Maybe this was true in the nineties, but today if you have that sticker you sell maybe two hundred copies more only; I do not want to write on anyone’s name. Shining is one of the best selling black metal bands there is, so I do not give a fuck; I live out of it, I can buy my house, I can buy my wine, I can buy my meat, that’s fine with me. I do not need to become bigger than I want to, I do not care about money in that sense, you know. It’s sad that we have come to these situations where you essentially base everything on your contacts and stuff like that; that is what record labels are trying to do.

Of the three songs that I listened to from the new album, I was fascinated by For the God Below. It’s beautifully structured and the vocals just melt in the music. The acoustic section in the middle is just wonderful: is this a religious song?

This is the second religious song we have ever done, it’s a love song to the devil basically.

The chorus has a very interesting story: I was sitting with my ex-wife and I found out that she had stolen lots of money from me. It did not matter as I do not care about the money, but it pissed me off that she lied to me. She was afraid of me back then, even though I have never used violence against women (unless it was sexually if they wanted sadistic stuff.) I was sitting, writing the acoustic part, and she was saying that she would do anything for me and I replied to her saying my devotion to evil will always come before you. That became the end of the chorus and I started writing the song around these words.

You have to have a clear focus in life of what you want to do, what you want to live for.

This song shows people that Satanism is not such a bad choice, but you have to understand Satanism; people think its about running around in black clothes with inverted

crosses, which are actually strong Christian symbols if you think of Paul who wanted to be crucified inverted because he did not deserve to die like his Master. It’s the same about when Gaahl (ex Gorgoroth) went out and said he was gay; people said that destroyed Black Metal, but have you ever read the Bible? In the third book of Genesis, the thirteenth verse says if a man lies with a man such as man lies with another woman, both men are guilty of abomination and therefore they are punished by death. This was taken away from the 2000 edition of the Bible because it is considered immoral to kill someone because he is homosexual. Ok, so Gaahl is gay so what’s the problem? I was happy for him because he was in love for the first time.

He has been a friend of mine for a long time.

If I was a man liking men that way, I would love to have Gaahl as a boyfriend. Everyone says he (Gaahl) is a psychopath. He is not, he is kind and he is one of the biggest gentleman I have ever met, and I do not like that the media made him a big bad wolf.

How do you feel about this album coming up? You seem happy to me…

I am actually; it’s the perfect album for me.

I am only dissatisfied with one thing on the album: and that is that the first solo on For the God Below is a bit too long. The rest is perfect; it feels good to sing about religious stuff again, it comes from the heart.

So many people seem to be waiting for it: there is always so much eagerness around your name and next steps. What about your next live performances?

We were going to play at Bloodstock, but we said no; it wasn’t the right offer for us. I have designed the stage show for the next tour with loads of stuff, I want to give a whole two hour show every night with everything you want to see live.

When can we expect to see Shining live in Europe?

In December. Later tonight we have a meeting with a booking agent; I do not care though if they are big or not, what I want is dedication. I want to bring this band to the top, I do not want to be a small fish in a big pond, it does not work.

Shining’s new album ‘Redefining Darkness’ is out October 29th on Spinefarm.

Page 4

Sonic Shocks

Issue 11/2012

From The Circus to Ziltoid 2:

An interview with Devin Townsend

By Matt Dawson Main picture by Erich Saide

There’s always a time in any musician’s career where the urge strikes to look back on their career: some do it with autobiographies, some with greatest hits packages with a couple of new/re-recorded songs but Devin Townsend decided to go for a spectacular show titled The Retinal Circus.

Matt Dawson caught up with Devin the week prior before the big show and asked about preparation, the use of contrast in Devin’s work, upcoming projects, touring with TesseracT and… Katy Perry?!

After the initial greetings have been exchanged – in which Devin jokes about how he’s figuring out the phone system due to how “the Canadian in me comes out” we begin by carrying on essentially where we left off last time – his thoughts on playing Damnation festival.

It was cool because we had the whole big back wall to put our projections so I remember turning around at one point and seeing a 60 foot Ziltoid which is like a twentieth of my goal so it’s a good start! [laughs].

This of course was followed by the big shows in London, how do you feel that went overall?

It was good! I think when they came to me after they said “Well we need a name for this boxset..” I thought ‘By a Thread’ is perfect because that’s how I feel the shows went together. What I find about the UK and what I do in general is the audience really helps, it’s a lot less about us being up there and being perpetually put in this position of ‘impress us!’ because you can only do so much.

With the amount of rehearsal, capital or whatever you’ve got to work with there’s a limit to how much you’re able to do and I think if it was just that then it would be what it is but to have people that want it to be fun or want it to succeed or to work everything just sort of propels itself and I found that those 4 shows were the case where the audience really fed it and as a result of that we really had such a good time, any mistakes and things where we fucked up and what have you were reasons to try and make this one that much better.

We learn from everything we do – “that doesn’t work or this would work” – the bottom line is it’s just a lot of fun and that with a lot of things going on in life at this point is kind of what my goal is.

Wallowing just seems to be a job that you get a lot of company in which isn’t as fun…

How are things going when preparing for the Retinal Circus?

It’s chaos! [laughs] We’ve got about 10 factions of people that have been rehearsing independently to one script and relentless phone calls in the early hours of the morning as we’ve all got a number of jobs that we’re responsible for – I had the idea for the story then some friends scripted it out followed by us going back and forth on that then there’s the circus troupe that have to do the skits and scenarios, there’s the actors along with visual, light and DVD elements, the props and all this stuff.

Of course this is all on a budget so the hope is that we’re based in Vancouver while the circus performers are over here in London, we’ve been on the phone and Skype plus a couple at the Roundhouse beforehand.

My fingers are crossed that we’ve all been rehearsing to the same script because if that works out it’s going to be awesome but if not [chuckles] it’s going to be some sort of avant-garde theatre piece!

It’ll be a spectacle but not in the way you intended type of deal...

Yeah but the way I look at it whether or not everything aligns perfectly it’s going to be epic either way! If we have a clown car that drives off the front row into an orchestra pit we’ll get a story out of it [laughs]!

Is there anything you can give us as a tease?

Well there’s a giant prosthetic penis at some point…

[Both of us chuckle] It’s not a show without one of those I guess!

Essentially What I plan to do in the future is EPIC presentations regardless of whether people hate what I do musically they just want to go to because they want to see something like that and so this is our first High School Musical style attempt at that – not that I’m saying it’s totally high school because I feel it could be super epic but in order to start that off we haven’t had enough time to keep revising the script.

Essentially we’re making an over the top, theatrical version of how my records have arced in how I change and grown up, I’ve tried to make it a metaphor so it’s less ‘the me show starring me’ at the end of the day it will be epic whether it’s perfect or imperfect.

So how far back are we going with the Circus? Sex and Religion era?

Oh yeah! Maybe not musically but thematically. I wish I was in the audience to see it because at this point it’s been so much conversation and the amount of things that have been discussed are just so much that it’s been hard to keep track of. Even yesterday someone said “What are we going to do about this thing we’ve been discussing? And I’m like ‘oh shit I forgot that’s happening!’ It’s potentially an awesome thing for everybody, the audience is a BIG part of the Retinal Circus and what we are choosing to do.

It’s like opening up a box of Crackerjacks!

Or Pandora’s box…

Yep! There’s also the upcoming tour with Fear Factory and TesseracT – how does it feel to tour with both?

Well with Fear Factory I’ve known those guys for like 20 years and they were a big influence on Strapping Young Lad and me in general so I’ve always got on well with Dino, people that have been touring for 20 years doing it together can’t be bad on that level and in terms of TesseracT we’ve toured with them before – they’re a great band, fun people and I get on well with the bass player (Amos Williams). I think the whole package is great.

The longer I do music, the more I realise the BS that comes along with it for everybody involved from the band to the crew, label etc ultimately it’s a lot of hard work but there’s always an underlying desire that everyone just wants to put on a good show. I’m interested in music because as a kid I loved it, some shows or musicians were tentative to my growth as a person.

A lot of times you forget that because of arguments between everybody – agents, money and such – that everybody wants to put on a show and life and the world is such at this point that you can get caught up in the doom and gloom.

The reason I personally put as much effort is because at the end of it that experience of putting on a good show and having the audience participate and enjoy it is worth it. Retinal Circus hopefully is the first example at what we can do at this level.

I saw a documentary about Katy Perry the other day on the plane and I was like ‘I want THAT!’ Maybe not EXACTLY that but more the level of production was like: monsters, aliens, serious and funny things you know? I think that would be great, ultimately music is what I do as a person, I’ve developed and evolved musically into the banana that I am.

Music should be a soundtrack in what we want to do and it’s not just me, my role in Retinal Circus and Epicloud - I write of course and get to be the bald guy in a suit that jumps around like an ass right? Ultimately I’m just a part of it and so is whoever else that’s involved and that’s what I find engaging about it.

The attention that it brings I’m OK with because that comes with the job but it’s not what my goal is, I want to make shows, music and to entertain people and at this stage of the game all the effort everyone’s putting into this Retinal Circus hopefully is such that when people see it whether it be DVD or PPV whatever they’ll be like ‘Imagine what these bananas can do in a real West End musical type production.

So maybe one day we’ll see a Glee episode of Devin Townsend then..

[Laughs loudly] We’re in, man. If they can find a way to crowbar Ziltoid in then I’m there.

It’d be an episode even *I*

would watch that’s for sure!

I find however that when I’m on my own my mind wanders to just ‘everything’s fucked’ but when I get together with friends and people what comes out of it is that we’re trying to educate each other first and foremost and I don’t think that’s a bad thing at this point.

In fact I turned on Slacker radio (Think a service similar to Spotify) and essentially every song was a dude complaining about his life right? Everybody’s in the same position and because there’s so many god damn people on the planet everybody wants to be acknowledged - ‘someone pay attention to ME, MY life is shit!’ and I’m like we’re all there man!

When we all get together at least for a couple of hours we can have some fun right?

That’s what makes it all worthwhile in the end isn’t it really.

I agree and that’s what the point of the Retinal Circus is. Life IS shit but it’s only as shit as you let it be.

Next up is ‘Casualties of Cool’ which is possibly under just ‘Devin Townsend’?

I don’t know yet, it depends, Casualties was written the same time as Epicloud so it’s accessible and revealing as Epicloud is, the reaction to this has been the same as the one to Alien was Synchestra, Deconstruction was Ghost, it’s a very hidden in the shadows kind of record, I love it!

It’s a very important record to me just because it IS so quiet, it sounds like some weird AM radio playing odd folky, country, outer space music! [laughs] I’m happy to follow whatever path seems to be coming down the road as quickly and thoroughly as it wants to go, I don’t see any reason not to follow it, if it appears it’s what wants to happen.

Casualties is what needed to happen after Epicloud and I’m glad to be working on that right now, I have an amazing drummer working on this record, the guy’s incredible!

(Morgan Agren – known for his work in Kaipa and on Fredrik from Meshuggah’s Sol Niger Within release) Epicloud had the grandiose feeling with the choir and had the idea of love unleashed I thought.

That’s the idea and I thought if you were going to make a statement like that when the process for Epicloud started coming into view if I was going to do it half-assed it would have been this cheesy 80’s rock sounding record..

Nothing wrong with that now and again!

I appreciate that man but for me because it is those standard structures, to take it as over the top and space rock as it kind of went then it becomes what it WANTS to be and anything other than that just seems a disservice to it. I felt the same way about Alien – if I had half-assed that one it wouldn’t have ended up being the traumatic record it was or with Casualties it’d be a really boring record but to take it as far as it wants will make it a real creepy record. For me

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Issue 11/2012

what defines what I do is the direction I feel compelled to go in I have to take it or it’s not worth doing and luckily at this point I’ve got people that understand and are willing to go the same lengths that I am, it’s definitely much more than I can do on my own and that’s the goal.

In the case of Epicloud you mentioned Ginger and Rob Swire as influences, what were the ones for Casualties?

Probably Johnny Cash. That was the first music I grew up listening to, that 50’s/rockabilly/Southern American kind of vibe, I like the idea of trains and Depression era – O Brother Where Art Thou sort of vibe but in outer space of course!

Then comes Ziltoid 2, how are plans coming along since our last chat?

Ziltoid’s a big deal to me as I want to make a super epic puppet show, when I write the music it tends to evolve as it goes and you can only take it so far on a record so I wonder if Ziltoid as an entity has the music supporting it rather than the other way around ,otherwise you get weird metal songs about aliens and puppets which could still be the case but it’s very much a process of elimination for me like it could be this but then I’ll go down a path where it’s kind of about this but more regarding this other thing plus the project ends up being something I had no idea it was going to evolve into at the beginning, sometimes for better or worse. It can go in SO many different directions at this point that I haven’t quite pinpointed what it wants to be but I know that we’re building a new Ziltoid puppet that’s unbelievable but whether that’s the cornerstone of the record or for something else I’m just going to go wherever it wants me to.

It all depends on where this rollercoaster called life takes you I suppose.

That’s it, every decision I make at this point affects what comes next and always I get the record when it’s finished, like with Epicloud I was ‘Holy shit! Where did THIS come from?’ because when you do it you think it’s going to be something and when you hear it you’re like wow it happens despite you!

That’s to me what makes records like Epicloud work: there are so many layers that every time you hear it you discover something new that enhances the listening.

Me too. I remember that I hadn’t reacted as strongly to a record since Alien, both of them said things I didn’t realise I was saying and then you have to deal with it afterwards – this large statement of your nature that you were uncomfortable or unaware of trying to get out so it’s a good learning curve, you just have to learn to react to them.

Alien was, to me at least, the pure anger album of sorts at the time..

Or fear! It shocked me after Alien was done how strong that element of my nature ended up being because I spend a lot of my time thinking I’m a peaceful person then Alien came out and I was like ‘No, you’re fucked! You’ve got all this shit in you that comes out while thinking about other things’ and with Epicloud I was thinking I was an angry person then after THAT came out it was the thought of that element was strong that you didn’t recognise needed to get out.

I guess the thing is I keep my fingers crossed that whatever wants to get out is not one that causes a shit ton of problems!

Inevitably it does so plug your nose and jump in!

I think sometimes writers can feel the same way...

I think your subconscious says what it wants to no matter which way you’ve got to get it out, it’s like the thought of making a comic that becomes what it needs to, it’s all about keeping your shit straight and hoping it all comes out together.

On that note I wish you all the best of luck with the Retinal Circus...

Me too!

The upcoming tour and hopefully sometime in 2013 we can see how the next phase unfolds!

Thanks for all the support and speak soon!

If you missed the October shows - or even if you didn’t - make sure you catch Devin with Fear Factory in December: 13/12/12- Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall 14/12/12 - Glasgow - ABC 15/12/12 - Manchester - Ritz 16/12/12 - Bristol - Academy 17/12/12- Southampton - Mo’Club

Page 5

Conrad Keely talks about the band’s new album, Pussy Riot and the latest books on his bedside table

by Matt Dawson As we get ever so closer to hitting the 20 year mark with Trail Of Dead how do you feel the band has evolved over time?

We seem to get more rebellious and unconventional, while younger bands seem to get more boring and less risk-taking.

Don't ask me why, I always thought it would be the opposite.

What would you say were the biggest lessons you¹ve learned over that time?

Perhaps I ought to have stuck with art, and being one of those people who keep a guitar in the corner to make noise on and make the living room look nice.

Why was Hanover chosen as the location to record ‘Lost Songs’?

Ask any German and they will tell you that Hanover is the coolest town in all of Germany, it has the best nightlife, it has an amazing music scene, and is considered a fecund cultural breeding ground, fomenting revolutionary ideas and leaving dull places like Hamburg in the dust.

‘Up To Infinity’ has been dedicated to not just Pussy Riot but any artist suffering in oppression. ¬Do you believe that the detainment of the 3 members can be easily construed as a possible distraction tactic?

Distraction from what? Do people need any more distractions than we already have? Nothing ought to be "easily construed", at the risk of one's folly. Reading too much into events and not taking them for their most obvious face value has the potential to lead one down the dark road of defeatism and denial. Winston Churchill pointed this out.

Also what are your thoughts on the fallout concerning Wikileaks?

Assange will most likely need a miracle.

Please elaborate on the work you do in Cambodia I'm writing a science fiction novel called Strange News from Another Planet. It takes place on a world I've been developing since childhood, and involves a lot of airships, political turmoil, and chicks with swords.

Describe the concept behind the story that comes with the deluxe edition of the album.

There are two chapters from the novel included, which follow the stories of two of the main characters (there are a total of eight central protagonists). Adsel is a young boy with innate powers who is adopted by a paramilitary school that intends to use him as a tool. Gilroy is an anthropomorphic fox-like alien who struggles against the prejudice of human society, and is straddled with an illegal task in order to save his brother from execution.

You are touring with maybeshewill, how is it touring with them?

It's been good, and I think musically it's a good pairing, not because we sound alike, but because we sound different.

Which bands would you like to tour with in the future, any recommendation of new bands to our readers?

I don't know who we ought to tour with, I don't think we have much in common with many other bands, and certainly not any of the bands who we are compared to or commonly associate with. I like touring with bands I'm not familiar with.

The most recent album I liked was Sea Pony, their album Go With Me. I liked the soundtrack to Prometheus, and of course I really like the Turquoise Jeep album. As far as recommendations, I suspect your readers are better informed about new music than I am.

I could recommend some books, maybe. Just finished the Life of Pi, currently reading Mao: the Untold Story. Enjoyed the Dragon Tattoo book, and recently finished True Grit, a true classic American western I wish there were more like. For those who enjoy Tudor biographies I got a lot out of Children of Henry VIII, and anyone with SE Asian interests might get a kick from Off the Rails in Phnom Penh.

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n Of Society The Visbyio Marcus J. West German mastermind Adam Laszlo shares his commitment to a technically brutal revolution with his solo (but not for long) project, Sophicide, and he debuts a state of the art collection of murderous tracks by the name of Perdition of the Sublime What triggered the formation of Sophicide as a one man project?

Basically, Sophicide started as kind of my creative outlet for heavier and more technical music that didn't fit any of my bands at that time. At that time, I chose not to look for other musicians for this project out of sheer simplicity as I had been writing and producing music on my own for a little while, just for fun. And finding good musicians can be damn hard, at least where I live.

About the name that you choose for your band, I read the following statement: “It’s another word for anti-intellectualism. People are stupid, ignorant and seem to be proud of it. This is a disturbing trend.” How did you develop such a vision of society? Do you refer to your own country in particular or to the whole world?

The above description is the short and simplified version of it. Of course this doesn't apply to all people in all parts of the world equally, but it seems like a general trend, especially in First World countries, so, I'm referring not to my home country specifically. But

if you take a look at today’s media environment, it seems like we are conditioned to cherish shallowness and superficial values and most people don't have a problem with that, let alone realise it. In my opinion, there are enough problems that we should take care of and it's a shame that we keep ourselves busy with the yellow press instead.

You have been introduced to the public as German technical death metal sorcerers. Why do you think the word sorcerer has been associated with Sophicide?

Haha, that's a good question. I used to look a bit like Harry Potter some years ago but that's probably not it, haha. No seriously, I think it's mainly because of our age; we're still pretty young I'd say, and things have developed quite rapidly for us in the last months since we came out of nothing, pretty much.

As a matter of fact, as I listed to Perdition of the Sublime, the first impression that I had was that it’s a very technical album: what background do you have as a musician?

That's interesting. Before I showed the album to people, I wouldn't have said it's particularly technical, but since almost everyone has confirmed this, I guess it is. As for my musical background, I picked up acoustic guitar at age 6 until I got into heavy metal about 7 years later.

So I switched to electric guitar and slowly but steadily I started to listen

to more progressive music.

After a while I also began to appreciate death metal and Sophicide was basically my first attempt at writing this kind of music.

Is there any particular band that strongly influenced both your artistic growth and the making of your debut album?

I don't think there is one band in particular, but the most important ones would probably be Opeth, The Faceless, Bloodbath and Necrophagist. And a bunch more, I guess. It's really hard to reduce my musical influences to a couple of bands; I listen to a lot of music from very different genres.

Could you share some details on your home studio?

Actually my setup is rather humble.

I'm using a small audio interface, a tube preamp and a large-diaphragm condenser microphone, besides my instruments of course. Everything else happens inside my computer, which is probably the most important piece of equipment. I use a lot of VST plug-ins, amp simulations, stuff like that. And that's about it, there's not much more to it other than a lot of practice.

The opening track, The Art of Atrocity, is to me is a track that embodies the archetype of good production. Was this a difficult track to create?

Thanks! Actually this was probably the easiest song to create; it took me about 2 or 3 days, I think. Besides, it was the first Sophicide song ever and the first death metal song I wrote, so I'm really glad people like it.

What about the very looming acoustic section and the truly imposing guitar solo towards the end of Within Darkness?

These are two very different structures that surface in this very powerful song and that layer perfectly.

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This was the second song I wrote for Sophicide. It took a bit longer than the first one, but still I'd say the writing process was smooth.

I felt like the acoustic passage really helps the dark and eerie atmosphere.

Dawn of a New Age (superb and brutal,) allows the album to progress into authentic wrath: is this the wrath you feel towards the whole concept of Sophicide and that you want to share with the world?

Well you could say so, I think. The song includes one of the central appeals on the album: it's time for us to initiate a new age, where humans don't let themselves be reduced to mindless consumers, but stand up against injustice and unethical governments and corporations.

Your growling is very powerful and strong; there is not one minute in the whole of Perdition of the Sublime without a sense of spell-binding tenacity. It is a very elaborate show of strength, how did you develop such a singing technique?

Thanks, I'm glad you like it! To be honest this was one of the parts I struggled with the most during the production. I'm not originally a singer, so PotS is the first album with me doing the vocals. I learned

to growl mainly through YouTube tutorials and just trying around on my own.

Perdition of the Sublime has a striking cover design by artist Steve Voigt: how did you reach the final ideas for the graphics with him?

I had a vague idea of the concept and how the artwork could look like, so I told him my ideas and he just went with it. I know some of his work and I completely trusted him. He showed me his mockups every now and then and we talked about it, but we were on the same page most of the time anyway, so things went really smoothly.

Can we expect to see you live in Europe soon and if so (hopefully) how are you planning to create the perfect live version of Sophicide? Is there any musician you are already thinking of involving?

Definitely, the next big goal is to get Sophicide on the stage. Besides Sebastian Bracht who joined me on guitar, I'm looking for a drummer and a bassist to complete our lineup. As soon as this is the case the plan is to rehearse and go live.

‘Perdition of the Sublime’ is out now on Hammerheart Records

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Issue 11/2012

Tim Lambesis: an interview

by Marcus J. West As I lay dying, the woman with the dog's eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades.

William Faulkner, 1930 After successfully opening for labelmate Amon Amarth back in March, Californian As I Lay Dying are back as part of the contingent supporting Trivium on their current European tour. From their very early days with their first album, Beneath the Encasing of Ashes, to their latest release, Awakened, the metalcore masters have been tirelessly honouring the universe with their unique blend of layered ferocity and intensity. Today, their native San Diego boasts one of the most interesting metalcore scenes which

is constantly evolving and expanding; As I Lay Dying is the fuel that feeds this unstoppable fire, which is engulfing the growing number of followers at a raging speed. Here is what frontman Tim Lambesis shares from the backstage area of the Shepherd’s Bush Empire prior to mesmerising and owning, once again, the souls of the Londoners with another memorable show.

Despite being a relatively young band, you have been in the business for quite a long time now. What keeps you so motivated to make every album of As I Lay Dying, up until the recent one Awakened, a brand a new experience with so much new energy, intensity and creativity?

I think that what keeps us staying passionate is taking time off from the road. When we are on tour for too long, we starts feeling like it’s only a performance and it becomes like a job. We find ourselves having the desire to do something creative and start writing new music. And of course, when we stay too long away from touring, we start missing it. This cycle of coming on and off touring keeps us going.

And how do you feel about the fact that there are so many bands now that are following your footsteps on the other side of the ocean, like France’s Betraying The Martyrs?

We are honoured that we have influenced in some way or another other bands that are almost as equally successful as us. On the other hand, we have also been influenced by some of the older Swedish bands like In Flames. The newer generation of metalcore bands like Asking Alexandria shows the similar process of us being influenced

by In Flames.

Examining the way music is made available to people now, particularly via the growing social media, how is As Lay Dying using this to build its own brand?

We want to be as genuine to our fans as possible, but, there is this fine line between band and fans and making social media sites as big advertisement. It is necessary because it’s where most of our promotional income comes from, so we need it to announce new albums, new tours, and new merchandise. I think that our fans are smart enough so that we can create a little bit of both.

Is this new universe of social media and technology challenging or intimidating for you?

It’s challenging. I do not feel comfortable being public all the time and sometimes I would share publically more than what I generally do. But I have accepted that I am a public figure and the idea for me is to become more comfortable with this challenge over time.

Page 7 Do you think that from your start with Beneath the Encasing of Ashes to the present, with Awake, that this sharing and new technology has brought As I Lay Dying greater accessibility?

It’s hard to say as there are lots of elements that are more accessible to our band today. One is that our song writing has developed and matured; we are all now better at our instruments and putting all those things together. If we are talking about music as a product, it’s a much better product than it used to be. And to go back to your first question, this is part of what keeps us passionate, the progress.

It’s only been two years between The Powerless Rise and Awakened: these two albums seem to complement each other, would you agree on that?

During the making of The Powerless Rise, we were really focused on the details of every song. When we were done, we thought that that album had some ideas that were overthought. When we started writing Awakened, we just decided to get a bunch of demos and pick ones that just stood out at the initial listen, not focussing too much on small details. Once we had the basic big picture of the album, we just realise that Awakened was going to be more memorable because of the initial listen.

The beginning with Cauterize is just epic; I had to go back to that song a few times as I could not resist listening to it again and again. How has the response been so far when taking Awakened live?

This is the first tour since the album has been out. We have only played two songs so far….

Is Cauterize one of those?

Yeah!

Great!

We are just waiting for the crowd to become a little be more familiar with the album before playing more of the new songs. It always takes a little bit of time.

And what about you, are you happy the way Awakened is part of your live show?

Oh yeah definitely, but we are still getting comfortable with some of the songs.

Going back to Cauterize, can you tell me a bit more about this incredible song?

Because of my profession and the fact that I am a public figure, I feel that a lot of people know me but

very few people know me on a level that my family would. This is a song is a lot about being torn between wanting to open up and wanting to have close friendships, which is very hard to do because of what I do. It’s really about finding that true friendship which gives the feeling that I am not holding everything in.

That’s a very deep concept, that’s why the song feels very emotional despite being a crazy one…

Yeah…

Talking about where you come from: how come there are so many cool bands coming from San Diego?

San Diego is only two hours away from Los Angeles, but it has a drastically different feeling to it. In LA, so many people are caught up with so many trends and fashions; this is the typical LA mentality. San Diego is still a big city, but it’s very laid back and the music community still has those networking people that are working together and are working as best they can to try to create the best music they can. They do it for the love of music, that’s why the results are genuine and sincere.

Think of the older San Diego bands like Blink 182, who starting doing that pop punk music back in the day because to them it was cool, and coincidently it became popular. It’s the same for us. We started playing this combination of metal with rhythmic and hardcore parts before there was even a genre called metalcore; it then it became a subgenre of metal. This is what happens when you play music for the right reasons.

With so much that you have achieved already in your career as a musician and composer, how do you see yourself and As I Lay Dying ten years from now and what do you think should happen to make you really happy?

I have seen lots of friends having very happy moments, followed by very dark and sad moments. To me, being content in the long term is most important. If I wake up every day looking at all my options and continue doing what I like, it gives the greatest sense of passion. If it wasn’t the case, we would take a break. For the time being, I cannot picture a better career path; I do not take it for granted, but I am doing what I love for a living.

As I Lay Dying ‘Awakened’ is out now on Metal Blade

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Issue 11/2012

and the Spanish Chicken Incident

By Cristina Massei We had a lovely chat with Mr Andy Cairns as he gets ready to hit Europe once again with Therapy? He told us about some good and bad times in the history of the band, and that day Barcelona greeted them with a live chicken in a cage…

So you’re going to be on a European tour very soon…

We’re starting in Germany and then finish in London on 7th December so we’re away for two months!

How are you preparing for it?

We’ve done rehearsals, we’ve got all our bags packed, all our shampoos, sweets and all that! [laughs] We’re ready to rock.

What’s the thing you miss the most when you’re on tour?

My family because I like being with them, my wife, son and the dog but I really enjoy touring. It’s different now with Skype and all these other forms of communication – back in the day when Therapy started when you went away for 2 months you never heard or saw anybody!

What was the weirdest request you’ve ever made on tour?

We were in Spain once and we used to ask for some chicken pieces for the band, just to have a sandwich to eat and stuff… When we got to Barcelona there was an actual chicken in a cage!

We said to the guy “What’s this?” and he says “I was looking at your request and it said you wanted a chicken.” The guy had misread the rider and actually thought we wanted a chicken, we said to him that we weren’t going to do an Ozzy Osbourne so he took the chicken away!

[Both laugh] A Brief Crack Of Light has been out for a while now, a rather challenging album; where do you see Therapy going after this?

We’re going to start working on the new record in 2013, we’ve already talked about it and we like tracks such as ‘Living in the shadow of the terrible thing’ and ‘ Before you, With You, After You’, the tracks with catchy choruses , heavy guitar riffs and most importantly a really good groove. I think with the next record it’ll be 10 to 12 really anthemic rock songs in the Therapy style.

Have there been any moments where it felt like you didn’t know where to go next?

The worst year we ever had was 2001,

when we did Shameless and we were excited to head to Seattle to work with Jack Endino but the band just wasn’t getting on; the drummer we had at the time didn’t want to be part of the band but he didn’t tell us this at the time. It was just a long and difficult process - when we tried to get songs together someone didn’t like the direction the song was taking and in the end the album was very confused.

We’ve gradually getting back to what Therapy’s about with the last 2 records that have our strong points, really good soundscapes with lots of energy in them so I think we’re going in the right direction again.

What are the fondest memories of your career?

I have a lot of fond memories for the early days of the band because when we formed there was no proper music scene in Northern Ireland, there was a great underground punk and metal scene; but I think when we came out with Babyteeth out of nowhere in Northern Ireland and it went to number 1 in the Indie charts, then a John Peel session followed by signing with a label, Touch And Go, which had some of our heroes on it, people like The Jesus Lizard.

Following that the time in the late 90s we had some mainstream success and were playing the Ulster Hall where I’ve seen Metallica, The Smiths and Jesus And Mary Chain, all these bands over the years, and we got to play there a few times when Troublegum came out… That was amazing just because after seeing it so many as a fan, to get up on that stage was brilliant!

You were invited

by Metallica to play Donington in 1995, how was that?

It was alright. We played Donington the year before as well, but I think the album we had out when we did that Metallica show, Infernal Love, a lot of metal fans didn’t like it because it had cellos on it, too many strings, the songs were a bit more gothic and the Troublegum album went down brilliantly with the metal fans when we played Donington in 1994, that was great, so we were really excited about playing the following year.

It was good and Metallica were great guys but they had the Snakepit at the front and that was hard work as the hardcore fans just shouted abuse so it took the shine off it a little bit but Metallica were cool and we got to

hang out with them afterwards, really nice people.

Any plans for festivals in 2013?

We hope so! We’ve been in touch with a few because we missed a few of the metal/alternative rock festivals that we thought we were meant to be getting.

Therapy’s a weird one because we can play the shows in the UK and get good crowds but people take us for granted, so when it comes to picking slots for festivals in the UK promoters go ‘Oh yeah, I really like them but I’ll put them on next year’ and that’s been happening for the past 10-15 years, whereas we go to Europe and get on more festivals higher up the bill.

You did the Jagermeister tour recently , what songs did you feel were best received from the new album?

There’s one song that we were surprised by called ‘Get Your Dead Hand Off My Shoulder’ which is very mid paced and dubby but the crowd absolutely loved it! That was good as it was more experimental rather than the straight laced rocky songs that we have and showed

the crowd were really open minded.

You also played Danny McCormack’s birthday gig..

I’ve known Chris and Danny for many years and we got a call from Chris asking if we wanted to play. That was a fun night and it was good to see Danny in such good shape and being so full of good humour. I think everyone had sore heads the next day! I don’t party as much as I used do but I knew with Chris and Danny it was going to be a party so I cancelled all my plans the next day! Was a good night!

It was a really enjoyable night, there should be more like that! [laughs] You recently did some dates in Ireland including one in Belfast that was broadcasted live through Gifted TV (www.giftedlive.com); are there plans for more shows in Belfast on the upcoming tour?

There are no plans as we’ve done one in Belfast and two in Dublin this year, we might do some next year as we plan to tour A Brief Crack Of Light up to Easter meaning a full year tour cycle. After this tour finishes on the 7th December we’re going to take Christmas off then we’ll see what comes up.

How was the live broadcast experience with Gifted Live, Do you feel doing an internet gig helps spread the word more?

We’ve done a few in Europe before, I think they’re good fun. For me, I enjoyed the gig so much I forgot it was going live, but for the fans, for a band like Therapy, given that the album was released worldwide a lot of people don’t get to see us very often it gives them a little glimpse of what’s going on with the band.

Do you think they’ll be a chance to do

more on this tour?

It really depends on who organises it, what tends to happen is two months worth of gigs and we’ll get to a gig in Europe and someone will say “Did the promoter tell you we’re filming tonight?” Just a matter with keeping an eye on Twitter and Facebook.

I see you’re embracing social networking, there’s a blog coming of this tour correct?

Yes, it’s also good for us because we do like letting people know plus once we’ve played someone’s town it keeps them interested on what else we’re getting up to, it’s something for us to do during the day. We try and write new material on tour if we can because it’s a chance to get the band together, but we’ll update it as much as we can.

What do you think is better: Facebook or Twitter?

The band checks them more than I do, I get quite addicted to things and I knew if I got involved no songwriting would ever get done, so Michael [bass player]

keeps track of it and anything that’s relevant or questions he forwards them to me.

You can end up just typing stuff on your smartphone all the time!

I do have a smartphone but I use it for diary and memory purposes, I’m old school with social interaction – I’d rather talk to someone in a club or a fan after a show.

If music wasn’t your full time job what would you be doing instead?

I don’t really know, it’d have to be something creative, I nearly gave up on music after trying for a year after dropping out of college but luckily I met Fyfe and Michael. It made me a lot better as I was less angry around other people.

Failing that I always said to Michael I’d probably be a postman or look after animals somewhere!

You mentioned a dog earlier..

Yeah, got a boxer, also guinea pigs and a hamster! It’s nice living in the countryside, getting back after a tour somewhere where your head can have some space.

Nice! Is there anyone aside from fans you have to thank for being where you are today?

To be honest, aside from the other guys in the band and the fans, it has to go to our manager Gerry Harford who has been with us since the beginning; he helped even through the darkest times, always making sure there was enough for us all to get by, he’s always been good at making decisions.

Any final messages for the fans?

Yes, sometimes I still can’t believe that we’re around after all this time so a big thanks to the Therapy? fans reading this wherever they are!

Sonic Shocks

Issue 11/2012

Page 9

Stay Malignant

by Marcus J West Malignancy, the dangerous death metal squad from New York, is back at full raging speed with Eugenics, their third full length album, which is available now on Hammerheart Records. Vocalist Danny Nelson speaks of his journey from a glorious past as one of the pioneers in the NY underground death metal scene and of a future cemented in the realm of those bands that mean it. Death, Metal, Brutality: Stay Malignant!

Malignancy is recognized as one of the longest standing and best-known bands in the New York death metal scene along with Incantation, Mortician and Suffocation.

Would you have thought when you started it all back in 1992 that one day you would have read such a statement?

To be honest with you, no. When it all started, the band was basically me and a couple of high school friends.

Our name was Carcinogen at first, you know, the toxins that are in cigarettes, but we decided we did not like it anymore. One of my family members suggested we should use Malignancy, so we did and from there it was all unrelenting, I just never stopped. Every time somebody left the band, I found a replacement, trying to keep the band going until I got the solid line up that I really needed. Right now, Ron Kachnic, our guitarist, has been with me longer than everybody else. He is the sound of Malignancy, he and my old drummer Roger J. Beaujard. The three of us had the Malignancy sound that I have been always looking for and then from there, we took it to whatever level we had to.

What are for you the key factors to maintaining the longevity and essence of a band with so much competition going on? In the case of Malignancy, what was the progression of the band in terms of its dynamics towards the increasing popularity of death metal?

Well you know, it’s funny. I think that one of the main reasons we stayed fresh is because we do not really dig what trends are going on. I always try to get the guys focused on what we want to do as opposed to what is popular. Obviously if we did play what was popular, we would be gigantic, playing everywhere all the time, but we want to maintain an underground status and be a band that writes stuff that is off the curve, not something that you hear all the time. With the dynamics of the band, our drummer Mike (Heller) who has been with us since 2004 and who is jamming with Fear Factory now brought more precision style drumming than Roger had. Roger was more organic and loose, Mike is more straightforward with his focus. He wanted to record our new album, Eugenics, with a quick track; he was very adamant about doing it that way because he felt that we would get the best performance out of everybody. And you know, he was right, everything feels super-tight, clarity is there; this is something that we had been looking forward to for a long time.

From your first demo, Eaten out from Within (released in April 1993) to your current Eugenics, how did you manage to keep such strong, powerful vocals?

It’s one of those things where….. the more you do it….

It’s like they say, practice makes perfect. I am by no means perfect, but I always try to push myself to see what I can do. On Eugenics, the guys said “why don’t you try a couple of different things,” so I decided to do

more screaming just to mix it up a little bit and to match the vocals more to how the music sounded. In the past, a lot of our stuff was just brutal with a lot of techno parts. This time I had more time to ease in and see what I could pull off. To be honest, when I have young singers coming to me asking how do I do this voice, it’s kind of hard to explain what I do without singing properly.

I do not sing from my diaphragm, or maybe I am, who knows? It’s one those things that it’s just a feeling. I like the music to take over and guide me on how I am going to approach a lot of the singing and I always try to keep the intensity.

What to you think are the major differences in the song writing process of Malignancy’s three albums: Intrauterine Cannibalism (1999), Inhuman Grotesqueries (2007) and now with Eugenics We actually have done more than that considering the EPs and the splits we have made; it’s six albums we have out in total. As far as the writing style, it has changed since 1999. Intrauterine Cannibalism was basically our material from let’s say 1994 to 1998 which we were just saving to release in an album. After that we really started the weird technical stuff: Ronny, my guitarist, would come to practice and he would just sasy Hey, check this out, this is what I’ve got. Nowadays the writing style has progressed more into almost a jazz session. My drummer Mike and Ronny, they jam together and then they build off of that. This is how Eugenics was written.

One other thing: there are a couple of songs where I gave them a mood, telling them to think more gloomy, to have a really darker, more depressed look on things and write the riffs according to that. This is something that we have never done before. I usually write the lyrics when the music is already done, but this time I was going to give both of them an idea of what direction I was going to go lyrically, so they took it from there.

Your latest album, Eugenics is coming out on October 8th. It was recorded by Elliott Gellar at Gellar studio outside NY and it was mixed and mastered by Luca Minieri at Dissonant Studio in Aosta, Italy. Why the choice of these two very different locations and how do you know Luca Minieri?

We know Luca because we toured with him; we did a US tour with Illogicist back in 2008. It was a great tour, we had a great time and got to know Luca pretty well.

We kept in close contact with him. Once we were done tracking the record, which took a while because our old bass player left, we asked Roger if he would help us out.

This was obviously a large learning curve; he is used to playing guitar, so he had to switch to finger bass and learn the whole record that way, and he did. When the tracking was ready, initially it was Elliott Gellar who was going to do the mixing for us, but due to a scheduling conflict he could not do it so we did not have anybody who could mix it. So my drummer approached Luca who said he would do it, no problem. Same thing happened with the mastering, we told Luca, listen, you know the record now, would you also do the mastering for us and he agreed. It would have been really cool to go all the way to Aosta but we did not go, it all happened by email.

MALIGNANCY - Eugenics CD

The title has a very powerful meaning: how did you come up with developing such a concept through the word eugenics?

We have all heard about the eugenics which was very prevalent during the Nazi times when they were trying to experiment with that. I had found out that there were eugenic experiments in the United States too, which I wasn’t aware of; it wasn’t something that I was happy to read about. You take pride in where you come from, and to hear something like that was very disturbing, the concept of trying to create perfect people and get rid of the imperfect ones. To be honest with you, our imperfections are what make people interesting, people have different outlooks. If everybody was the same, life would be pretty boring. It is a concept record, all the lyrics are intertwined and they are all one story that I came up with: eugenics and my take on it and what may happen. Something that is not an impossibility; it could have happened already you know?

I really like the title track, it’s pure technical / grind bliss.

Would you agree that this is where the album culminates in its potency?

When it was written, it wasn’t necessarily going to be the title track. I chose it because I felt it really said what I was going for insofar as what direction this album would go; I wanted to show fans that we still have it, we are still writing brutal technical stuff, we are going a step beyond. In all our albums, the second song is always the title track just because I think it’s something cool; I do not know why I have done it, I like to do it that way. So after Type Zero Civilization ends, the way Eugenics begins is more like a punch in the face. It’s like the first song of the album punches you and the second song punches you even harder. The song definitely shows what we can do and what we have done and what we are going to continue to do.

Mike (Heller) is doing an amazing job throughout the album: what is it like to work with him?

It’s actually a very interesting story with him: when he joined Malignancy, he could not even do a blast beat, he was more a regular metal drummer to be honest with you.

We gave him the opportunity to join, we trained him for a year to lean our style and then he took it from there: he went to the Drummers Collective, which is a school in Manhattan, and he learned a lot more than he could obviously learn when you were doing it on your own. He then decided to make this his career and had opportunities to join other bands such as Fear Factory; he got it out of lots of drummers, he beat them all. He has seen the world in a totally different way being in a much larger band like Fear Factory. We have played in many places, but we could never

VILE - Rare Tracks CD

tour as extensively as Fear Factory. We have careers outside of the band, so it’s not even an option for us.

I still do not believe there is just one man (Ron Kachnic) behind the guitar work, particularly in songs like Global Systemic and Monstrous. How these two songs did come together?

Global Systemic is a song that Ronny and I wrote together. Mike was like “oh man I do not think I can handle this, it’s just too sporadic,” so he shuffled some things around so it become more cohesive to him and we were able to lean it that way and the song, I think, came up much better. This song is also one of my and Ronny’s favorite. Monstrous was more…. Let’s kick start this record again with a crazy grind song.

I read this comment: Eugenics is a culmination of Malignancy past and present with a hint of what’s to come in the future. Would you agree?

Yeah, I am the one who said that.

That makes sense. When can we expect to see you live in the UK and the rest of Europe?

I am not sure it will happen this year because we were in Europe in July, so we are talking with Hammerheart and we want to come back very soon; we are hoping early 2013, between March and May. We really want to go out for this album properly. We would love to do a US tour as well but good luck with that… a US tour will be harder to combine. And by the way, before this interview I found out that the album leaked. I was wondering if I should maybe put something in about that.

All the hard work that we did for the record, we are not going to see the rewards basically because everybody has it already. We were looking forward to the release of the record; we are an underground death metal band so there is not such a thing as making money in our book.

You can try doing a little bit but to be honest with you, this is our love for the music. When it’s pirated like that, it hurts us more than it hurts anybody else. You can do your service to the death metal community by not sharing it. We have two songs that were released already; put those on your site, but not the entire album. Even if you have heard the record, do not share it. It’s one of those things that is almost impossible to avoid in this day and age, but at least give us a chance to release the damn thing. It just sucks. Whoever shares our record this way is not a fan, if you are a fan you should only share it the proper way.

SOPHICIDE - Perdition of the Sublime CD

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Sonic Shocks

Page 10 The will to grow. The god within man.

The god within nature, and the will to reach one's highest potential...

Interview by Marcus J. West Photo by Haakon Hoseth God Seed has finally come of age: after one of the most infamous disputes in black metal history, which saw Gaahl and King ov Hell parting ways with Gorgoroth in 2009, a new path was set towards a future of certain conquest and dominance. I Begin could not be a better way to name the first chapter of this new, mind altering band; God Seed’s first album is raw, organic, very dark and profound. It was written and arranged at various locations in Oslo and Bergen during August 2011 and July 2012 and from the very first notes of the opening track, Awake, it’s palpable that it showcases some of the most remarkable metal in today’s scene. There is nothing but true musicianship here, drenched in eerie atmospheres and new elements which embrace the listener in a whirlpool of strong desire; the desire to make God Seed great. As the band is about to embark on their first full European tour with Cradle of Filth and Rotting Christ, here is King ov Hell’s portrayal of the significant new chapter that has just started to unfold.

I Begin could not have been a better first album for God Seed. How has the writing and recording process been for you compared to the many works you have done in your career as a composer and a musician?

I used lot of time and energy for this album; I composed most of the material before anyone else was even involved.

When I presented all the tracks to the all the members, it started working on them. It is a new direction: we have a new drummer, Kenneth Kapstad, who is originally a jazz and avant-garde drummer, so he has a very different approach to playing drums than a typical metal drummer. Also, our keyboard player Geir Bratland, whom I have known from Dimmu Borgir, has also been crucial in the whole process. I worked very closelt with Lost Kilman, one of our guitarists together with Sir; he wrote a song for this album, Aldrande Tre. So to summarise the writing process for I Begin , it has developed in two phases: one where I was working all by myself without a band, and the second when we became a band

in the actual process of creating this album.

I Begin showcases some of the most organic, warm and focused metal sound around; it’s a true example of some of the highest musicianship. The beginning with Awake is simply epic: what was the choice to open the album with this superb track?

This album started as a journey. Some of the songs are very different from what we have done in the past; we did not write Awake to be the opening track, it just happened to be.

That’s when it becomes the best choice.

Yeah.

Some of the tracks, like my favourites Alt Liv, Hintsu Dagar and Aldrande Tre, emanate a strong desire to capture the atmosphere.

Is this an approach you adopted b e fore you

It is yes. Everybody should know who Belial is. It’s very clear what the concept of the album is and it’s all in the lyrics of each song; that is where the meaning is, the lyrical concept has no hidden agenda.

The video for Souls for Belial is extraordinary and grotesque: how did you develop the artwork and concept

by Marcus J. West with Håkan Sjödin?

We have known him for few A spectacular full moon emerges in the sky as Swedish black metallers Marduk are ap- years actually, he is the vocalist for the Swedproaching the Underworld for their first ish metal band Sathereal; he started making live show in the capital in a long time, too videos and wanted to work with us. For us it long. There is an eerie atmosphere in an- was great working with someone who really ticipation of their arrival, much like that of understands our music, we really did not their mighty Babylonian Goddess Marduk want to get any outside guy; we wanted to who descended unto the humans to bring get involved with someone who has a relalight, the light that leads. With Serpent tion to our music, which he does. He had Sermon, the latest and twelfth black metal ideas, he had equipment and he was just masterpiece of their fourteen year career, hungry to work with us. We had a strong viMarduk are ready to satiate the crowds sion on how the video should be, so it all felt of followers. Before they embark on this very natural. It has such a primitive touch chapter of the Marduk tale, we chatted and that’s the approach we have in making with guitarist and mighty founding mem- videos. We do not like all that crazy equipber Morgan "Evil" Steinmeyer Håkansson ment that so many bands are using these about the new album and their creative days. It’s the same for me when I want to choose to watch a movie, I prefer the old process. ones because the directors would build more Souls for Belial is the first single from your on the actors than on the video technique. twelfth album, Serpent Sermon: why the Italian horror movies are my favourite, like I choice of this song over the other nine to be Lunghi Capelli Della Morte.

Is that why you choose the sepia color for the released as the first single?

All the songs represent the album, but in video? the end you have to choose one; it’s not that Yes, it’s like the atmosphere in Nosferatu... we are a pop band looking to strike a hit. that darkness that reflects in the music.

All the songs are as strong, but we had a vi- Are you planning to work with Håkan again? sion for the video for Souls for Belial which Yeah, definitely. is a good representation of the album. It’s a The title track opens the album majestically: very consistent, heavy, fast and a very tra- vocals (Daniel "Mortuus" Rostén), guitars, drums (Lars Broddesson) and bass (Magnus ditional Marduk song.

It immediately hit me when I first listened "Devo" Andersson) are beautilly architecto Serpernt Sermon and became one of my tured and blended together and set the album favourite songs of the album: who is Belial on a very passionate path.

We have passion for the creations we are and was this song created as an adoration?

None of the Ancient Worlds Are Gone

Issue 11/2012

starting writing the album, or did it develop as I Begin progressed?

I made a conscious decision to make this album by using whatever me and Gaahl created together when we were with Gorgoroth. I also decided to include some elements from the seventies. I was raised in the seventies and eighties; that’s where I got my music understanding from, from band like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath. That’s where the atmospheric, organic sound comes from, by using these influences.

I Begin introduces new elements in the shape of organs and electronic sounds, such as in Lit. How did you get the inspiration to encompass these two elements into your sound?

Geir Bratland is responsible for those; he is the keyboard player for Dimmu Borgir. We toured together with another band I was part of, I quit now, Sahg. Then we become friends and we worked very closely on the keyboard arrangements.

I simply adore your latest promotional photos: how did you come up with such an eerie artwork?

We worked with a Norwegian photographer and designer, Haakon Hoseth; he is a great guy. It’s his work, but of course we have talked it through all together, me and Gaahl, about the concept and how we wanted the results. The symbols and the pictures are very much linked to the lyrics of the album.

Is it ok now to talk about Gorgoroth?

Of course….

It’s clear to me from the title you choose that I Begin represents a new chapter in your career as a talented musician and a composer. Were there some major aspects you wanted to change in your life?

Not that I am consciously aware of.

There has been lots of stress in the outside world, but coming to composing music and working philosophically, I have not changed very much; it was all part of a natural development. I have always been and I will always be interested in different kinds of music, even when I was with Gorgoroth and Sahg and other bands. Probably there is more of me in God Seed than there was in Gorgoroth; in God Seed, everything I did in the past is combined, basically.

The name God Seed was adopted by you following the conclusion of the Gorgoroth name dispute. How did you decide to combine these two

working on. A lot of bands make music and then when they go into the studio, they sit down and write lyrics to it. I think that music and lyrics should reflect each other because it’s the meaning behind the lyrics that make a song very powerful. When we make our music, one song is never created the same way as the other; sometimes I have a riff in my head then I put it away for later when I start adding to it and feel the connection.

And what about Into Second Death?

I cannot really explained how this song came all together, I never really sit down and plan.. I know for sure that Into Second Death was also created as uniquely; one way or the other the song fall into the right place.

Temple of Decay encompasses a stunning guitar part, is this a difficult song to play?

No, absolutely not, it’s probably one of the easiest. Most of the black metal songs are very primitive and I think that Temple of Decay is a very good example; it’s mainly built on feelings. I do not believe in creating music just with the intention of making it too complicated or too primitive; for me it’s always about painting a strong picture in your mind.

Serpent Sermon has been out since May this year: since then you have been touring relentlessly, even reaching South America. Is there any country you have recently played where you felt that the album was particularly well received?

I think pretty much everywhere. We actually started touring for the album in April, playing in Russia and even at the border with Mongolia. You would be surprised how things are working well over there and how many fans there are. In that perspective, it’s a small world. We will be starting a tour across Scandinavia soon, then early next year we are going to Asia and then there will be another US tour before the summer Festivals.

Marduk is the name of the patron deity of the city of Babylon. How creatively and culturally close do you still feel close to this inspiring force and to the ancient worlds?

I think that none of ancient worlds are gone in that perspective. Marduk is the Goddess of Light and we wanted to choose a

powerful words together for your new band?

It’s actually a track from one of the Gorgoroth albums, Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam. It’s also linked to the lyrical concept from the Gorgoroth area.

Do you think that the Gorgoroth dispute was something inevitable after so many years and albums together?

We tried to work as a three piece for a long, long time. In the end, it was not working anymore; we had to split and started fighting about the band name. It’s part of the past now. Gorgoroth for me was not the dispute, it was the end of something, of almost ten years of my life. We made lots of music together.

Gorgoroth now is Infernus’ band. Do you think you will ever come to terms with him and perhaps tour together?

I doubt that God Seed and Gorgoroth will ever tour together. No, I do not think it will ever happen.

And talking about touring and the near future: the Creatures from the Black Abyss – European Tour 2012 will be your next live adventure with Cradle of Filth and Rotting Christ. What can we expect live from God Seed?

Honestly, we have not rehearsed so much yet; we are going to start rehearsing pretty soon. It’s too soon to say what we are going to do live as these will be the first shows with this new line up. You can expect lots of the new material, but also some of the old songs that we and Gaahl wrote together.

name that was the exact opposite of what we represent, something that can be corrupted and turned into something else. That was the idea that we had back in the days, a few hundred years ago! I am 39 but I still feel like a kid though, you know?

Since the release of the awesome Panzer Division Marduk in 1999, you have developed your songwriting around very important and upsetting chapters of human history such as World War II and the Third Reich. Do you still feel like you want to dig more in the part of history?

It’s something that we will never escape.

When it comes to World War II and the Third Reich, I have been reading a lot about it and watching documentaries on these subjects since I was very young, and that has definitely affected me in a way that eventually starting creating music in my mind, almost like a soundtrack to what I was learning. I have a fascination with these parts of history; some people have a problem with them, but I do not. Writing about depressed swans looking into a lake does not work for us. The groundwork is always there but it’s always expanding.

Because of what is behind to your lyrical approach, do you think that Marduk has contributed to make black metal accessible to a wider audience that feels more open-minded?

I do not know really, it’s hard to say. But I found that the Italian fans we have came across are definitely more open minded than others; I like Italy from this perspective.

With such a prolific black metal scene in Sweden today, are all bands united to make it ‘the one’ or are they fighting for dominance?

I am not interested in dominance really.

The only thing that matters to us is doing what we do; I do not need to be part of a scene, the important thing is to always go your own way and do what you want to do.

Do you listen to other music genre rather than just metal?

I listen to any artist that is genuine, that can grip something inside of me, whether it’s black metal or some Christian rock bands or Dead Can Dance. I used to hate AC/DC, I never understood how they were called metal when I thought it was fucking rock for old people…and fifteen years later, I got into them and understood them in a different way and I think they’re one of the best bands ever. I am happy that I can still discover things. I also listen to lots of classical music. It still sounds the same as it did three hundred years ago, it still affects people and will always be there. We will probably be forgotten, but nobody will ever forget Bach.

Sonic Shocks

Issue 11/2012

Page 11

Q&A with oliver ‘Olli’ opperman from

by Matt Dawson Describe The Ordeal in 3 words or less.

Heavy brilliant Metal What would you say were your biggest influences musically and personally while growing up?

I´ve always been a fan of classical music, especially Ludwig van Beethoven and J.S. Bach were my favorites. The first Hardrock and Metal albums I bought and which I love up to now are Rainbow Rising, The number of the Beast and Highway to Hell. In general I´ve been a fan of skilled and melodic front singers, like Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Göran Edman, Jeff Scott Soto or Bruce Dickinson.

What led to the decision to cover Peter Gabriel? Were there any other options in mind?

No, I always wanted to do only this song and had no other options in mind. It is not we´re in this cover business normally, but this song moved me for over twenty years and only now I felt myself good enough to try it.

How was it having the album mastered by Michael Wagener?

Kai, our guitar player knew Michael a long time before, and after we tried some other mastering studios in Hannover we sent him some songs. He did an quiet awesome mastering and we´re totally happy with that sound.

How is it coming to the UK with Knock Out Kaine?

I´m very curious to the Uk, cause I´ve never been there be-

fore. What a shame, it´s the language and a culture I respect so much, hope it´s never too late. And the KOKs are label mates, we love their stunning debut "House Of Sins", they are brilliant on stage and great guys!

Which bands would you love to play with in the future?

I always wanted to do a support for Dio, but no chance at all now. He´s dead and gone. Michael Schenker could be interesting or a Rainbow Reunion. There are many bands I´d like to tour with for example: The Answer, Rage, Saxon.

The world is about to end in 24 hours, what would you do in the 24 hours left?

I would sit down somewhere green and pleasant with my little son and my wife and spend my last hours with them.

h Q&A wit N ARLSSO JOHAN C

from

by Matt Dawson and Ashley Naismith - photo C. Massei

by Matt Dawson

OT TAIN, LIFE IS N R E C IS H T A E D the new album ctober 29th!

Out in the UK O

In less than five words describe how you perceive Sparanza’s sound?

Heavy, melancholic, dark and amazing How was it working with Rikard Lofgren again?

Rikard is always nice to work with. He’s been working with us for so long now that we know each others work styles and so on. This time though we changed how we recorded a bit, and had a different goal on how the album should sound than before, so it was a little bit different.

We wanted the album to sound more organic and raw, if you will. And of course we wanted to get the album as dark as possible, without changing to something we are not. The big choruses and strong melodies are there.

You will be playing in the UK very soon, what are your thoughts?

We are super excited to go tour the UK, our first time there actually. I am glad that we got to play such good venues when we do our first tour, and I really think we will catch a big crowd, and have a lot of fun. And do amazing live performances aswell.

Also, I have heard that there is beer ;-) What motivates you when it comes to creating music?

Personally if I did not create music or performed it to an audience, it would drive me mad. I have been in bands since 1990 and written songs since then aswell so it’s kind of a therapy to do it. My ex girlfriend told me once, that she was happy when I got the inspiration and spend hours in my home studio almost every night, because it made me happy.

Another thing is the fact that I get to spend a lot of time with my 4 best friends and the greatest human beings in the world, when we rehearse, record, write or go on tour.

If we talk about writing there is a lot that influences you. It could be a rhythm of a wheelbarrow in the garden or a new song from Foo Fighters or whatever. It could be movies, happenings in the world, pretty much anything that you feel you gotta write about or make a song out of.

What led to the consideration of live strings on the record?

Well, as I mentioned before we wanted a more organic sound on the album, so to use plug ins in the computer to create the strings was not an option actually. So we found the guys to play the strings to get a better feeling. Aswell as the 15-people strong quire of doom that sings on a few songs.

Name your top 5 horror movies of all time and give reasons why.

1.The Shining – because of Jack Nickolson, amazing character in that movie.

2.Hellraiser – well, Pinhead, you gotta love him 3.Rec – I almost shit my pants when I saw that movie. The Spanish movie, not the remakes.

4.Silence Of The Lambs – well, maybe not a horror movie, but a very very good thriller. I gotta mention that.

5.Dumb and dumber – eh?!?!?!

What are your thoughts on death and what is believed to happen after you die?

Well death is certain! Of course. I have spend time thinking about it now and then, especially when someone close to me has passed away. I have been lucky so far and really no one has died of anything else than old age that has been really close. But when I hear of someone dying premature of sickness or whatever it kind of makes me think “whats the fucking point” you know.

Nice people dying in vain, when they should live a great life several years more, that sucks!

Regarding what happens when you die, I am not sure. If you ask me now I don’t believe in an afterlife, I just think it goes boom, and you’re gone, but if you think deeper, I mean what happens with your soul? I am aware, right now, that I am alive, but I have no idea what happened before I was born, and no idea what will happen after I die. Reincarnation, heaven, hell, whatever? Well, time will tell wont it?

How do you see Sparzanza in 5 years time?

We will have conquered the world and released the darkest album of all time, sold gold an platinum of all albums and I would be rich as hell.

Well, seriously we will have released another one or two albums and toured a large part of the world, and still will be making great music that people appreciate.

As the Cavalera’s tour hits the UK, we manage to have a chat with Max’s son Richie to find out more about Incite and family life on the road...

The Maximum Cavalera Tour’ made an inescapable connection between you and Max. What was the mood on the tour bus, more family or more friendly?

It really just feels like any tour to me, it has a great atmosphere for the people who are are part of it and for the people who attend.

We're family, but each band is very different from the others, and all have a great energy. I'm glad to have had these experiences with my brothers, and father. It is a special event. The bus gets crazy, but that's touring!

The new Incite album is coming out in November.

What impact, if any, did Max have on it?

None really. Max doesn't get involved with Incite other than sometimes taking us on tour. We really do it on our own, and in our own way. He does his thing and we do ours, as far as the music is concerned.

In your song ‘Nothing to Fear’ you say ‘we have found our strength in your voice’. Whose voice are you referring to? A revolutionary? A leader? Or is it just an aesthetic choice?

I am saying to people that the voice inside them can be their greatest strength.

When you follow your heart and believe it, you don't need to fear anything. Your heart can be your best leader.

Given the overarching themes of war, have you ever served?

No, I haven't but growing up in the generation that I have, it's really been a part of all our lives, as well as millions of others throughout human history. I don't really look at 'All Out War' being about

actual war, it's more of a metaphor for life. Every day we are fighting battles, and after what I went through during the writing process of this record, I officially declared war on all the shit that was bringing me down, mentally and physically. So I felt it summed up the overall meaning of this record to me.

What would you say has been the defining moment of Incite so far?

I think it'd be our new record, 'All Out War' that is about to come out. I believe it will show people the realness of this band, and the growth from the first album to this one. I think this album defines where this band can go if we keep at it. It's very exciting for us right now.All Out War has the energy of a thrash band from the glory days albeit with your own twist. What are your feelings on the idea that this genre is currently going a revival of sorts?

It's really good to know metal is coming back. I think there are a lot of good young bands coming into the scene. People are realizing how cool, and real metal can be. I just want to help it continue to grow and keep people fired up.

Which musician would you like to tour with and why?

I would like to tour with Slayer. They are one of the greatest and most influential bands in metal history. I respect everything they have done and it would be an honour to share the stage with them.

Check Sonic Shocks’ website for an interview with Max Cavalera and a review of Incite’s new album coming soon!

Page 12

Issue 11/2012

Sonic Shocks

Once upon a time, in a dark, boisterous tavern……

by Marcus J West Since their blasting debut in 2004, Scottish pirates Alestorm have been sailing across the seven seas, hunting high and low and savaging stages and crowds. Since the release of Back Through Time in 2011, the relentless quintet have been adamant on making sure that the name Alestorm resonates well whenever piracy, taverns and plentiful ale are invoked. From the Battleheart days to tonight’s support pole position for Dragonforce at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, here is what bassist Gareth Murdock and drummer Peter Alcorn are thinking in anticipation of another welcome in London.

You are the pioneers of a very unique form of metal, how did you decide to explore the worlds and tales of Scottish pirates?

GM: It started like some sort of joke which spiraled out of control really. It’s a fun subject isn’t it? There was the first song on pirates, then one more and then few more; after that, Alestorm became a pirate band.

How did you get then involved in Alestorm?

GM: I have known Chris (Christopher Bowes; lead vocals, keyboard) for years. We were drunk, his old guitarist was not being very fun and Chris said to me: you are lots of fun, do you want to be in my band? I said yes, of course!

And that’s what happened.

PA: I played in bands in Ireland with Gareth before, so we knew each other from back home.

When I graduated from University there were not many jobs in architecture, so I joined Alestorm quite suddenly; I remember having only 2-3 days of practice to learn all the songs.

So what was it like to unexpectedly find yourself in this crazy band?

PA: It was terrifying at first. I mean it was cool, but it was… wow, people actually like this band.

I would have never thought that somebody may

actually know the lyrics to one of my songs.

GM: But we got through that and it’s all lovely now.

Before Alestorm you were called Battleheart: how would explain the transition between such different names?

GM: I do remember when they changed the name, I remember the meeting they had with the record label. Battleheart is a very stupid metal name, too generic. You pick two words, battle and heart, and stick them together…. I think Alestorm is a brilliant name because it’s original and it kinds of sums it all up.

PA: Not to be confused with Halestorm. I have never heard them but last time we played in Bristol, they were in Bristol as well and…

GM: I was worried there were going to be few pirates showing up at their show that night!

Alestorm and Halestorm could not be more different. When I hear the name Alestorm I can start picturing the pirates, the battles and the taverns.

GM: I always think of a storm of alcohol… And a ship going through a storm.

Let’s talk about when Napalm Records found out about you and you got signed by a label that specialises in unique metal genres like yours.

GM: I wasn’t in the band, but I remember the process and stuff. It did not take a long for the band to get signed; I think Napalm got interested as soon as they heard the word pirate. It was just ‘here are a couple of songs’ and then they said we like them, here is the deal. It was good because Alestorm never really did the whole play in pubs in front of very few people thing that every band goes through.

Back Through Time is only a year old: what was the reaction you encountered as you took it live?

PA: We are playing some of the new songs only on this tour; we did not feed the new material live all at once.

GA: The album was received well, it charted higher than any other album. scarf wrapped around his neck, it’s a far cry from the sharp dressed man we see on stage. But we’re not here to discuss fashion, as the topic of today’s meeting is music, and with the band having just released their latest album, Head Down, there are plenty of cards on the table to play with…

Keep On Swinging: a chat with Jay Buchanan

by Cayleigh Shepherd When Jay walks in the room, he looks extremely comfortable. His chosen attire makes him look like he’s come straight from an air force base. Dressed in green overalls with a

You’re back again on another whirlwind extensive European tour. You seem to spend more time playing over here than you do back home…

Well our record label, Earache, are based here in Nottingham. So with their extensive European links it really fell into place in terms of promotions and things like that. So this is where we’ve been busy.

Have you found it easier to break the market over here because of that?

I can’t give you a fair answer to that because this is what we’ve done over here so far. We haven’t put all of our efforts into the US yet. We haven’t even put all of our efforts into Canada either. Canada has been very kind to us. We’ve been very successful there, but we haven’t done the full press thing out in the US, so I can’t say “oh yeah, it’s easier here!”

Do you feel like it’s paying off so far?

Absolutely. You’re here talking to me, aren’t you?

You sell out every time you come to the UK. Have you thought about doing a live record, or do you believe it’s more important to feel like part of the energy rather than trying to capture it?

This last year we played a show in Stockholm, and that’s the entire set: it’s available online. But that last part: that’s interesting. A live show is a live show. As far as capturing the live energy and preserving it, we’ve thought about it, but not much obviously because we haven’t done it. It’s very self-gratifying to think we could do a live record. I think we do a good job with our live shows; people seem to be pleased enough. Maybe one day we will.

You recorded Head Down in Nashville. Did that bring anything extra to the table, working in a city that is so synonymous with the world of music?

No I don’t think so. I don’t think the location had anything to do with it. It all adds up to the same thing: We’re leaving the cottage we stay at and we’re driving straight to the studio in the morning. Then we’re staying there all day – maybe going out and getting something to eat – and then we’re working to exhaustion. Then at the end of the night we drive straight back and go to bed. You could be anywhere, I suppose. But it sure is nice; we love Nashville, and the history there is fantastic. It’s really turned into the new Los Angeles. It’s Music City, but at the same time, because of that, stylistically and culturally, it’s bound to get destroyed; the same way Los Angeles did. But right now it’s a pretty cool spot!

All your albums are recorded in such a short period of time.

Since the first album, Captain Morgan’s Revenge, how would you describe the evolution within the band from both the songwriting and the music making point of view?

GM: I guess it’s matured to some degree.

PA: There are more blast beats, experimentation and doing new things. There are still some songs from the first album that we play live now like Captain Morgan’s Revenge; it’s always a good song.

You have been touring non-stop since the release of Back Through Time. Is this too soon to start talking about the follow up?

GM: Yes definitely it’s too soon to tell, but we soon have to start writing. We have not done it in a while. Out next release will be a DVD that we start filming in Australia in January. The reason why we chose Australia is that we have done two tours there already. Both were brilliant, lots of shows were sold out and we saw a lot of enthusiastic people. Australia kind of gets forgotten if you think about it, it’s all away over there! People there always complain that they do not get enough shows, so this will be our way to thank them for giving us two amazing tours! There will be both live footage, which will be amazing, and lots of travel filming depending if it’s not too boring with us sleeping all the time. Australia can be so stressful to tour with all the long distances

to cover.

Last time when I saw you live at the Forum as part of the Heidenfest together with bands like Turisas and Finntroll.

GA: Did you see Mathias (Lillmåns) when he joined us for the Death Throes of the Terrorsquid?

That was the best part of the show I think.

GA: It’s nice to have a special guest on stage, people liked that a lot!

Then you toured the US with Turisas again. What was the reaction of the American crowds to Alestorm in that tour?

GM: I think that the reason why they like us so much is because they do not have a culture of their own and they get excited by everything that is very European, you know? They also get the humor as well and get super excited about that. We get so many people in the US, particularly in the East Coast, that come to us saying oh I am Scottish too!

PA: And we got lot of those in Canada too!

So the Alestorm line up as it is today, do you think this is it?

GM: I think that since Pete joined in March 2010 we have felt like a band; if anyone was to leave now it wouldn’t be the same. We were able to replace members before but we are kind of in place right now.

Is there a reason why you don’t seem to dwell on anything?

We do it very intentionally, because if you give yourself a bunch of time you’re bound to digress. If you give yourself options, what you’re doing is creating room for laziness.

But if you really put your head on the chopping block there, shoulder to the wheel and force yourself to have to work…

Artists are notoriously lazy, unless completely inspired. So by giving ourselves that short amount of time, it forces us to work on instinct. It’s done well for us. I don’t know whether we’ll always make records that way, but we’re doing it right now. We’ve done our past four records this way and it works for us. If it stops working or we want to take another approach to it, we will.

You also release your albums in rather quick succession. Is that because song writing comes easily to you or do you have a backlog of ideas waiting to be thrown out there?

I wouldn’t say that ‘easy’ is the word. All of us have devoted our lives to this craft, so it’s definitely a labour. Being in the studio like that, it’s a very intense process, and it’s actually very difficult. It’s more taxing energy-wise and emotionally, you know? But we’re capable enough to be able to force ourselves to do it. It’s definitely not easy though. There’s a certainty of purpose, when I’m writing, that I feel that I’m fulfilling my role in life. I feel like a hammer being used to hit a nail in, or a saw that’s finally cutting wood instead of sitting around in the shop.

You also seem to have found a producer who totally ‘gets’ you guys as well…

David [Cobb] definitely understands what we’re doing, and that’s why we go to him over and over. Other producers will approach us, wanting to work with us, but we know that David really understands who we are and what this band is trying to do. He doesn’t sweet-talk us at all, and he is as discriminating as we are when we get in the studio. Naturally, I’ll have to wrestle with him from time to time, but it’s because we have this very respectful rapport, and he has it with the rest of the band too. He’s a great barometer of reminding us who we are. I have a tendency to go off and get too arty with stuff, and he’ll say “Jay, remember: you’re in a fuckin’ rock n roll band!” and suddenly I’m like “Oh! Oh yeah! Okay! Thanks Dave!”

Each of your records sounds different from the last. Is that a conscious decision you as a band made?

Perhaps, collectively, it is a decision. But we’ve never spoken of it. When we made Pressure & Time last year, we were that band. Since then we’ve been out on tour, playing every night, so now we’re this band. Like I said, we’ve never talked about it, but I don’t think anybody wants to re-tread old territory. It’s never come up in conversation; no one’s ever said “oh, we did that like this. That sounds like the last record.” We just make songs. Now vocally, I’m spreading myself out and using different tones and singing in different ways. Like on this record – a high falsetto, or the low, deep, Scott Walker style tone, I’m entertaining myself. These are character driven songs, and it suits the tone for each one. I’m a vocalist, I’m fortunate enough to have

a wide palette in terms of what I can do, and so I just use that. I don’t have guitar pedals. Scott has a gazillion pedals, he can choose all these different tones whereas all I have is my microphone. I’m not going to use effects or anything, and that’s the only way I’m able to express what I do.

Despite good intentions, are you sick and tired of people comparing you to the likes of The Black Crowes and Led Zeppelin?

Nobody wants to hear “aww, you’re just like your older brother.” or “Yeah, you’re pretty, just like your older sister.

She was super hot though…” You know what I mean? But it’s HUGE honour. Anybody who loves rock n roll loves The Black Crowes, and Led Zeppelin? That’s the greatest rock n roll band ever, so I’ll take it: I love it! At different points it’s been really interesting. The press have really tried to squeeze it out, saying “you hate it, don’t cha?” Well, no! That’s like somebody telling you you’re really handsome! It makes you feel better and puts a spring in your step. At some point it’s a natural trajectory: that we would want to purvey our own style and that’s what we try to do more than anything. There are many other bands that really inspire us, but it’s gonna take us time to really hone in on exactly who we are, and we try to be true to ourselves as much as possible.

You mentioned how Nashville is a great music city, but it’s only a matter of time before it’s destroyed. What do you think of the state of rock n roll music today?

I think it’s great. It’s actually really healthy. People are really keen to sit in their armchairs and complain about it, but we’re out here on the road and we see bands all the time. Rock and roll is very much alive and very healthy. It’s just the entire landscape of music has changed dramatically in the last fifteen years. The advent of the Internet has changed everything. You can get online and find anything, anything at all, which is great. You can’t scoff at it and say, “it’s fucked everything up and it’s not like the old days”; we have everything at our fingertips now. When you have more choices that way, naturally the populace is going to develop a shorter attention span. I think that’s proven to be the case in all facets of our society. It’s not just music; everything’s changing right now. We’re in flux.

Are there any bands out there you personally would recommend checking out?

Oh hell yeah! Graveyard out of Sweden: If you’re into rock n roll, you’ll really dig them. Great band. For the more folky/soul type stuff: a band out of Bristol - Phantom Limb.

One of the best vocalists out there: she’s incredible. Then there’s all of your pop music. You’ve got your Black Keys, Jack White and Alabama Shakes; they play good honest music. Real music is out there and it’s being made and rock n roll is never gonna die. It’s alive and well. When people say, “you’re bringing it back!” I ask, “Where the fuck do you think it went?” We’re not revivalists, every once in a while you get a band like The Black Crowes, they didn’t invent it, but they carried the torch. We’re doing the same thing: carrying the fire.

Sonic Shocks

Issue 11/2012

Page 13

THE HAIRSPRAY CORNER

by Claudio Pucci

KEVIN STEELE FROM

and still rockin’!

TO

They were a cult band during the 80s and they still are for many fans of the genre. Today we talk to Roxx Gang’ frontman Kevin Steele.

by Sophia Disgrace Burlesque!

code befitting of the theme is encouraged and ‘surprises and goodies' are promised. Music will include a touch of electro jazz, Italian vintage hits and rockabilly. If you yearn for a little respite, head to the elaborate Mirror Hall and engage in a spot of seduction over a drink or two...

Welcome to your one stop drop for all the news on the best burlesque nights, in the capital and beyond!

My name is Sophia Disgrace and I’ve performed at numerous events in the U.K and abroad, from festivals to the most exclusive clubs. I tend perform in a neo burlesque style and o en Tickets from 380KR available via incorparate other elements, such as http://www.tickster.com/sv/events/ fire play, into my routines. ll6b3h0zna9y382 Burlesque - or ‘the art of tease’ as it’s also known, first rose to prominence in the 1950’s; in recent years it’s enjoyed something of a revival, with stars such as Dita Von Teese helping to popularise the scene once again.

CHAZ ROYALS 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Bush Hall, London Fri-Sat 23-24th November 2012 8pm-late

Chaz Royal has acquired near legendary status as the no.1 burlesque promoter in the UK and beyond.

Well known as the creative muscle behind the infamous London Burlesque Festival, this special two day Here are my pick of all things bur- extravaganza serves as a celebration lesque this month... and testament to his work and passion for all things burlesque.

Winners from the acclaimed World Burlesque Games will be performing alongside a number of secret guests - thrills and spills aplenty BURLESQUE MASQUERADE BALL guaranteed! Look out for Vivid The Frontroom, Wellington, New Angel, British Heart and other top notch artists.

Zealand Saturday 3rd November 2012 Tickets start at £15.00 in advance 8pm-1 am available online via Ticketweb Venturing a little further afield than normal, take a peek at burlesque across the globe. Do it Kiwi style This months velvet curtain reveals... with a wide and varied selection of performers-from boylesque to Burlesque Spotlight! french can-can to salsa and classic burlesque. With ten performers noted and counting - such as Miss Red, Willow Noir, Diamond Belles ‘BETTIE PAGE REVEALS ALL’ and more – there’s sure to be someTHE MOVIE thing for everyone. Eat, drink and be merry at the highlight of New Directed by Academy Award Zealand’s burlesque scene! nominated Mark Mori, ‘Bettie Page All’ is currently causing a Tickets start at $30.00, please book Reveals stir at film festivals in the U.S. via eventfinda.co.nz The only authorised account of the unique life story of the most noCARNEVALESQUE DELLA SE- torious pin-up, who is still to this RENISSIMA day idolized by any retro fan worth Malmo, Sweden their salt. Follow Bettie’s unwitting Saturday 17th November 2012 ascent from all American girl next 9pm-very late! door to worldwide sex symbol!

A quirky event, which draws inspi- You can contribute directly to the ration from the spirit of Venetian film (and get your name in the carnivals. With an elegant procredits!) via the movie website gramme of performance, including boylesque from The Gentlemen and http://www.bettiepagemovie.com/ singing variety from The BlackBird index.php Burlesque Cabaret, the emphasis of the night is you, the guest. A dress London as ever is at the fore front of this movement, which is both alluring and inspiring for men and women alike.

Hi Kevin, nice to meet you! Roxx Gang were a great band in the 80s rock scene. How do you feel about that era?

Thank you, you are very generous. Those were great times. Lots of drugs and no AIDS. I don't mean to sound like a pig but it was a great time to be a lead singer in a rock 'n' roll band!

I still remember your album “Thing you never done before”…

I think it was a great album that suffered from ill timing. If Roxx Gang had been signed two or three years earlier they would have been huge. We were poor boys from Florida without the money to move to L.A. where the music business was and we suffered because of it. Lots of other bands (who I won't name) had rich daddies who bought them everything but we got Virgin Records to come and see us in Florida. I'm very proud of that but it was really too late.

How was working with a legend like Gene Simmons and how did that help your career as a band?

I'm not a fan of Kiss so it really wasn't that big of a deal to me personally. I don't know how the other guys in the Gang felt.

It was a charity event for a children's home. We never saw him before or after the gig and he didn't do anything for our band.

Many people don’t know that after that album you released some more, but by then Nirvana had happened …Do you hate grunge?

Yes, Roxx Gang had four other albums and a "best of ". Unfortunately we were signed at the end of that "Glam Metal" scene. By the time our first album came out Nirvana's album was already in the charts so we were screwed before we even got started. We still sold 250,000 copies of "Things You've Never Done Before" but the rug had been pulled out from under us. And yes, I do hate grunge. What a joke. It was like revenge of the nerds.

When I watched your videos of “Scratch My Back” and “No Easy Way Out” I thought you were so cool! Can you tell me more about that period?

Well we were very cool. If I do say so myself. One of the coolest looking bands of the day. We also had a sound that set us apart from all the "hair bands". With the exception of possibly L.A.Guns there were no bands that had the "street" cred of Roxx Gang. We did not sing about Cherry Pie or Down Boys or do the Unskinny Bop. We sang about Live Fast Die Young and put a Red Rose on my grave. We were hard rock, not cookie-cutter pop rock. And we were real. Not a bunch of fat hairy old guys in girdles with hair extensions.

I remember an interview on Hard’n’Heavy where you talk about C.C. and Poison, are you a fan of Poison or Motley Crue?

I'm afraid I'm not a fan of Poison or Motley Crue. I think I was making fun of Poison in that interview if I'm not mistaken. Vince Neil killed the drummer of one of my all time favorite bands, Hanoi Rocks. In my opinion he should be in prison today. I never felt connected to any of the L.A. bands of that time. They were all much more "pop" and very much wimpier than Roxx Gang. I was influenced by 70's Glam like T. Rex & Mott The Hoople.

What do you think about all the recent reunions, is it still like the 80s or something has changed?

I think it's kind of sad to see middle aged men in tight pants and make up.

When we can see Roxx Gang in Europe?

Never. Roxx Gang will never reunite. We don't even like each other and I could never sing those songs again. Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of Roxx Gang but I was a kid then. I'm a grown man now and the songs I wrote back then just aren't relevant to me any longer. I've been with my band The Mojo Gurus for years and have no intention of revisiting the past. I'm much more interested in what the future will bring.

Your current favorite bands?

The Rolling Stones, The Faces, The New York Dolls, T. Rex, & Mott The Hoople. These are the bands that influenced the look and sound of Roxx Gang. I was really into 70's Glam Rock, not so much 80's hair metal.

The best live concert you have see in your life and why?

That's a tough one. Probably the first time I saw The Stones. It was on their "Some Girls" tour. Mick & Keith are just so great. Keith Richards IS rock 'n' roll and they just have such a great body of work. The Dolls are right up there with my favorite concert too. I love David Johansen.

What do you think about Van Halen?

I love the "Roth" era of Van Halen and though I am a fan of Sammy Hagar's solo work I really didn't care much for Van Hagar. Also with all due respect to Wolfgang, I think it's a shame the way they've treated Michael Anthony.

Can you tell me about your life today?

I front a band called The Mojo Gurus. We have a brand new album coming out called "Who Asked Ya?" and I think it's the best work I've ever done so be on the lookout for it. Check us out at mojogurus.com. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Do you have a family, hobbies?

The Gurus are my family. I have a beautiful girlfriend who I've lived with for years. I have no intention of ever getting married or having kids. That life is just not for me. I'm still a bit of a pirate I guess.

Can you tell your fans where they can contact you or find your cd?

Yes, as I've mentioned mojogurus.com or Facebook us at The Mojo Gurus.

Have you a message for all Roxx Gang fans who never had a chance to see the band live?

I'm sorry you missed it. F 'n' A Records has put out a Three disc box set called "Boxx Of Roxx".

Two discs of music (one of which is a rare live performance from Dallas Texas 1989) and one disc with all seven of Roxx Gang's videos. It's the next best thing to being there. There are also plans for a final Roxx Gang CD, "Last Laugh" of very early unreleased recordings.

What do you think about Steel Panther?

I haven't heard them yet but I'm going to You Tube them right now! Thank you very much for having me. It's been grand.

Sonic Shocks

Page 14

A Frail Becoming Marcus J. West

Melodic death metallers Daylight Dies fourth studio album, A Frail Becoming has been released on October 9th: here is what guitarist Barre Gambling and drummer Jesse Haff shares on this exciting new journey culminating in one of the most captivating release of the year.

A Frail Becoming is your fourth studio album/ Were the writing and the recording processes difficult for the band and how do you feel with the results you have achieved?

• BG: The circumstances around creating this album varied tremendously from the beginning to the end. Jesse was living in NY for much of the time (now Los Angeles), while I was living in Los Angeles. Upon my return to North Caroline in 2010, it became a priority to make this album happen, and Egan (Egan O'Rourke - bass, clean vocals) and I began analyzing/rearranging/rewriting the music we had been creating in isolation over the years since Lost to the Living. We each had written a number of songs, and ended up writing a few together. We had a few periods of full band rehearsals for a few weeks at a time in which the whole band could play the material and help shape the songs. The actual recording process was much smoother, being our 4th full-length album, we knew the process and what to expect, more or less. We tracked the drums at Sound Pure studios in Durham, NC in October 2011. The rest of the music was recorded at Egan’s TMC labs studio between the following winter and early spring of 2012. We sent the final recording to Jens Bogren at Fascination Street studios in Sweden for his mixing and mastering expertise. I feel despite the difficulties of creating this album, it is our strongest to date, and reflects a natural progression for us as a band as well as individual musicians.

• The album yields nearly fifty minutes of tumultuous, orchestrated doom metal superiority, flooded with as much emotion as aggression: how did you develop this balanced approach to making

such powerful songs?

BG: We’ve developed a method of writing more music than we need, flexibility with the material, and patience. Some of the songs have riffs beside each other that were written years and thousands of miles apart, but when the parts were meant to be together, it doesn't matter. With our music we seek to write songs having all the elements that we love in songs as listeners. Aggression and madness, fragility and introspection, bitter sweet nostalgia, cold disorienting alienation; these are all feelings that we express through music, and the results can have a great variety.

How much of your personal life did you analyze when you found in the middle of the making of A Frail Becoming?

BG: I wouldn’t know how to separate personal life from the music. Everything I write is influenced by what’s going on internally. For example I wrote the bulk of the music for Hold On to Nothing and Heir To Emptiness during the lowest and most chaotic point of my life. It was cathartic at the time and maybe others will find solace as well.

A Pale Approach is a beautifully crafted track that sets the standard of the album very high: is there a story behind this song?

BG: Thank you. That song is unique because almost each individual riff was written in a different year and place. These parts were all time travelers; dormant until they found their destined home together in this song. I created most of these riffs, but Egan and I collaborated on the chorus and outro, and arrangement. Egan surprised us all one day by presenting his masterfully layered (10 tracks!!!) vocal harmony section for the outro, which really brought the last ‘wow’ factor to the song.

The track that follows, Sunset has a very crushing contrast of vocals, from intense clean, delightfully dreamy ones to state of the art growling. The intro of this song is simply magic. I defined the amazing solo towards the end as the bridge between light and

darkness.

BG: We’re all very pleased with the intro to this song, I especially like when the clean vocals kick in over the verse. Egan created almost all of these parts, and we arranged it together and with the band. The alternation between Egan’s clean vox and Nathan’s (Nathan Ellis – harsh vocals) death vox turned out effective and strong, we haven’t tried anything like that previously. That’s Charley Shackelford ripping the solo at the end, his tone and intensity is incredible.

The drumming seems to connect lots of emotions that are surfacing in this awesome album, particularly in tracks like Infidel and Hold On To Nothing (another of my favorite tracks). Do you think you have achieved an even higher level of drumming technique in the making of A Frail Becoming?

JH: Thanks, I'm pleased you pick up on that. The drummers that have inspired me are ones that have risen above simply adding a beat to the music by also contributing to the emotional quality and intensity as well. Drummers have the ability to dial up or down the dynamics of the music that soars overhead, and to add their own flourishes. It has nothing to do with technicality, sometimes the most simple drumming which accents just the right moments, or contributes just the right details will make a huge difference.

That's the technique and goal I tried to achieve on A Frail Becoming, and I feel happy with the result.

And what about the cover: was the idea for the developing artwork a team work or did it come from one of you specifically?

JH: We had a general idea of what we wanted artwork wise. Despite this digital age where many listeners may not see anything beyond the cover, I still highly value the full layout and lyrics which accompanies an album. It's an extremely important piece of the story. I first approached some artists who are well known to the metal world, but they weren't able to capture the atmosphere we were going for. Ultimately I turned to my cousin, Jonathan Mehring, who I knew to be a fantastic photographer and gave him

by Cristina Massei We visited Miss Kiria in her Pink Palace to

talk about new EP London Crawlin’ and an unexpected side project in cosmetics, while sipping fennel tea with a pink elephant in the room…

A chat with Missy about elephants, RnR, tattoos, and the benefits of cider vinegar...

How was working on the new record?

Was great! New people, new band, new studio… a learning curve for my confidence! There’s a new recording studio in Camden called Camden Arch, the guy there is in quite a few rockabilly/ psychobilly bands, specializes in that kind of sound, plenty of bands coming and going.

Loved the EP… Are we gonna get more of this?

Yes, I wanted the EP to be a taster of different things on the album: the more upbeat feisty stuff, a soft ballad type of track and the other one is just a song I really like… I’ve been know for my giant pink elephant after all! It’s a little girl dream sitting on a pink elephant I think, it’s been hard finding someone to do it, had to spray paint it, and then transport it everywhere… but I really like the idea of the pink elephant in the room.

Someone sent me a picture of Marilyn Monroe time ago sitting on the back of an elephant in a circus, she has a big dress and the elephant is all dressed up and she looks so happy!

Do you inspire yourself to Marilyn a bit?

When I was a kid my dad had a huge film collection and I used to watch a lot of old movies.

Those with Marilyn always stood out. She was so glamorous and gentle, when she was on the screen you wouldn’t look at anyone else. I think she’s just one of the strongest female characters I admire. Her and Bette Davis.

She (Marilyn) wasn’t so strong in the end?

No, it’s sad, there were two sides in her character, a fragile one and the really strong one she put out, but she’s been through a lot and made a career in between, which makes her a bit of a heroin to me.

Do you feel you have her strength?

Some days. I’ve done a lot of the things I wanted to do, some days I feel strong, but I have dark days.

How does it feel being on stage, is it more empowering or terrifying?

I love it! It’s strange, I feel the prospect of going on stage and singing in front of a big crowd of people is terrifying, but as soon as you get

Issue 11/2012 the general direction. We couldn't be happier with his result. I'd love to make posters of every photograph included in the album.

Dreaming Of Breathing is the first video from A Frail Becoming: how did you develop the production concept to bring this very intense track on to the screen?

JH: It was a combination of what visual metaphors would be most appropriate with the lyrics, and also drawing from the aesthetic Jonathan had created with the artwork. The video actually complements the artwork exceptionally well. We turned to Ramon Boutviseth to direct the video, as we were thrilled with another video he directed for us back in 2006.

We just saw the final result of the video, and we're thrilled with the result.

Any other video project you would like to share with us?

JH: No, videos in general are quite rare for us.

Daylight Dies: epic doom metal or melodic death metal or a captivating combination of both?

BG: People can call us whatever they wish, that’s for the rest of the world to decide.

Tell us about the band formation as it stands today. It gives a feeling of a solid, extremely well blended team of talented musicians.

BG: Well thank you, it’s taken quite some time and effort to develop this team! We’ve all grown together over the years and albums. Jesse and I have been playing together since we were 14 and 15. We met and began working with Egan and Nate when we were teenagers as well. We knew of Charley but he was in other bands in those days. In addition to trying to get better at our instruments and as a unit, we would have long discussions about the nature of the music we make and listen to, what’s good and bad about it, and why. We tried to translate into words the magic of a perfect dark riff, or the vibe of a creepy series of key changes, and try to analyze and distill what makes certain combinations of notes and rhythms so powerful in the hopes of a deeper understanding of that power for our own compositions.

We all lived in Asheville, NC during those years, which is an enchanted mountain town. Listening to doom/black/death/ambient/classical while looking out at snow-capped mountain peaks across epic valleys was quite inspirational. I think we all carry the memories of the natural beauty to this day. Developing the sound of Daylight Dies in that environment was quite natural for us. We’ve been honing our craft since then, as a group and as individual musicians.

I’m extremely pleased with the new talents that have been showcased on this album, we’re doing things we couldn’t do a few years ago.

I am looking forward to seeing the new songs live: when can we expect you in Europe soon?

BG: We hope to return to Europe in 2013, but as of yet there have been no announced tour plans. Check out www.daylightdies.com for more info and news.

on stage and realize your voice IS gonna come out… I don’t get it so much anymore now but I used to be terrified, I was a guitarist at first and used to stand with my back to the audience. But I find it fantastic now, a very liberating feeling.

I actually remember a day when your voice didn’t come out at the Boston Music Rooms, but you didn’t let that scare you at all… (laughs) I remember, that was laryngitis, I couldn’t believe it when I woke up like that on the morning of the show! So I did my lyrics on paper the Bob Dylan way and I called Andy Close on stage to help me out and he sang ‘Trash’ by the New York Dolls… We had so much fun!

So back to the EP, when is it going to be out?

On October 29th, and you can find it in Camden from the Camden Arch record shop, which is in Camden Market, and will be available on my website.

Is it going to be on the traditional digital channels, like iTunes etc?

No, I did it with my last record but they take a huge chunk just to host your record and don’t do any advertising, help for you in any way. It’s not just the money but the ethics; you don’t have a record deal or anything. At least if you are on a big record label they spend money on promotion.

Talking promotion, what’s planned for this EP? I’m trying to arrange a show/launch party for November down at the Camden Arch, I think we’re gonna drag the the elephant down to the market and see if there’s any sexy sailor around to come and celebrate!

Are you going to play outside London as well?

For sure! I love playing outside of London, people are more willing to ‘play’ with you, they dress up and get really excited. London gigs compared to that are a bit serious. The one I recently played in Plymouth for example at the White Rabbit for a fetish party, we took the elephant… When I got in there I wasn’t sure they were going to like rockabilly, they were quite a mixed bunch listening to a lot of heavy dance music, but they were all lovely, they came around and some on stage, danced with us and thanked us afterwards. I had a fluffy white rabbit to give away to the one putting up the sexiest show on stage and I had this gay couple dressed with next to nothing coming up and they were

Sonic Shocks

Issue 11/2012

FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL

Page 15

THE SAPPHIRES

Out November 2nd Starring: Lauren Miller (also writer), Justin Long, Ari Graynor Director: Jamie Travis

Out November 7th Starring Chris O’Dowd, Deborah Mailman Director: Wayne Blair

One of the acclaimed comedies of Sundance this year this comedy revolves around Lauren (played by Lauren Miller) having to find a new place to live after a relationship ends but ends up moving in with a woman she hated in college – Katie (played by Ari Graynor), however Katie’s work for a phone sex chatline leads to a business plan coming (no pun intended.) together.

Chris O’Dowd managing an unlikely girl soul band, aka plenty of laughs and great music, what’s not to like? Already previewed at Cannes Festival and released in Australia, the feel-good movie of this autumn is finally released in the UK on November 7th. Filmed between New South Wales in Australia and Vietnam, the scenery is another welcome bonus.

ARGO

RUST AND BONE

Out 7th November Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston Director: Ben Affleck

Out November 2nd Starring Marion Cotillard, Armand Verdure, Matthias Schoenaerts Director: Jacques Audiard

Is Ben Affleck going to charm us with his directing skills for a third time?

Based on an article on how the CIA faked a film to rescue US citizens from Tehran this film looks like it will, with its cast of stars like Bryan Cranston (not just content with wowing us on Breaking Bad) there’s even whispers of this being Academy Award material…

The latest offering from the director of A Prophet and The Beat That My Heart Skipped, this moving romantic drama should be your film of choice if you’re looking to shed a few tears. The trailer had me at the beautiful killer whale.

THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS

EAST END BABYLON

Now here’s the ‘popcorn flick’ of November : take a member of Wu-Tang Clan, the woman that portrayed O-Ren Ishii, a man that once played a gladiator, a man known for playing Ryu (Byron Mann), a MMA fighter (Cung Le), a former pro wrestler (Bautista) and Eli Roth helping out a screenplay set in feudal China means there’s going to be action and violence galore.

The already acclaimed documentary telling the story of London’s East End through the eyes of born and bred punk icons the Cockney Rejects will hit UK cinemas on November 8th, with a DVD/Blu Ray version to be released in Spring. ‘There were only three ways out of the East End: Football, Boxing and Rock’n’Roll’ - East End Babylon is the only way to see the truth of them all this close without getting seriously hurt.

Out November 16th Starring Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, Cung Le, Dave Bautista Director: RZA

great! They’ve been sending me pictures of the rabbit in compromising positions since…

A lot of them said rockabilly wouldn’t have been their music of choice before, they thought it’d be boring to watch, but we turned a few heads and inspired some people which is great.

Have you always been into rockabilly?

No, but I remember my mum used to be a big fan of Elvis and I guess somewhere unconsciously it stuck. I remember having my phase of teenage anger and getting into very heavy rock and then punk, they all reflected a different phase but now I got more confident, got my Baby Gretch guitar and I’m starting to work on getting ‘that’ sound. It’s always been there but I’m glad I now found the balls to do it.

Where did you learn guitar?

From my mum, she always used to play some soft rock’n’roll, Elvis, Bob Dylan. I learned on her big Spanish acoustic guitar and my fingers could barely reach the strings, she said ‘if you can learn three cords I’ll buy you the one you want’: it took me 1 hour! Was about 12-13. She couldn’t buy it to me straight away, she didn’t have much money so it took about more than one year, but by then I had learned more and was much easier.

What about singing?

That was desperation (laughs). I used to have nightmares of singing in public, I was so shy I would wake up in a sweat thinking ‘I could NEVER do that’. But I was really passionate about music, so I started designing artwork as it seemed the only way to be near music. I had been writing songs and I was starting to get more confident about them, they were not bad songs, so I started putting bands together and giving them my music. I was trying to put together a girl band, it’s always been my ultimate dream to put together a great girl band, but when I got that we kept changing singers as after all I knew how I wanted them to be sung being a repressed singer myself and I was never happy. Until someone in the studio suggested I’d do it, and at first I said no ‘cause I didn’t have the balls, but ultimately I knew that I couldn’t do those frustrating recording sessions anymore and had to be me.

Can you tell us about the rest of your band?

The recording band is slightly different from the one I use live, mainly as my horn player Terry

Edwards, who’s worked with Tom Waits and The Specials, is booked up until April so I’m looking for a new sax player I can use on stage… There’s just something about an elephant and the sax!

Beside that, I have John Grogan, lead singer and guitarist of the Graveyard Johnnys, he did some backing vocals on the tracks, Jamal the drummer is Egyptian and he’s amazing, you play him a song and he’ll just go and record the drums without a click-check or any music, he just remembers and he’s just 19! And then there’s Phil Doyle, who is also in the Guitar Slingers who we love, and in Nigel Lewis and the Zorchmen, he’s normally a guitarist but he’s been doing double bass for me on the tracks in studio… Quite a mixed bunch!

All men though, what happened to the girl band?

I don’t know what it is about female musicians, they’re either not completely professional or have an attitude problem, I find it hard to find a good one. My last bass player was good actually but rockabilly requires upright bass and wasn’t her thing.

Is it difficult for a woman in this industry? (laughs) Go on, let it all out!

This should be where I start fuming and the Jack Daniels comes out…! Yes, and sometimes I find myself wishing I had chosen a different career because of it. It’s still a men’s world I think, you get criticized for the way you look and dress, there are still several stigmas attached to women in rock’n’roll. I’ve been cancelling gigs over some of the male bands, not mentioning names but general arguments, men not knowing how to behave around a lady, same with some record industry executives… It’s not easy. You have to listen to a lot of criticism, sexism and all these naff old things. If you meet a woman who resisted more than a few years and she made a success, she deserves your respect because it is hard.

Is it difficult to be taken seriously for your talent rather than just your appearance?

Definitely. I had record labels calling me in for my music and then wanted to know who wrote the songs as they couldn’t believe they were mine, or that I was playing guitar on them. They always think ‘There’s gotta be a man behind this woman’, and it’s such an insult.

They can’t believe you can be talented and well presented at the same time…

Out November 8th Starring: Cockney Rejects Director: Richard England

They don’t want to believe it.

They must find it terrifying. Don’t get angry next time, just feel sorry for them! (laughs) You just came out with your own line of beauty products, first being a completely natural ‘tattoo toner’…

I’ve been making my own products for a few years now as I have a delicate skin and I don’t like all the chemicals and animal products they put everywhere. I’m a keen gardener, and my mum has always been growing her own fresh produce. The difference in using plants and natural products and eating natural non-processed food is obvious and speaks for itself. The tattoo toner came around because… there wasn’t any! I didn’t like putting chemicals or things with bees wax, lanolin based products or petroleum on my tattoos. The ingredients in the tonic are 100% natural, researched and picked to give the skin elasticity and take care of the colours. Things like lanolin obstruct the pores and are not good for skin healing.

Is it useful for anything else concerning skin elasticity?

Sure, I use it as well for my fingers as they get very dry and flaky playing guitar, it’s been fantastic on them and it also has rosemary in it which is very anti-bacterial. It’s been very good for healing scars and cuts too.

Where can we find it and will you do more?

You can find it on my website and yes, I’d definitely like to do a full range of beauty products leaving out certain ingredients.

So before I let you go, can you give us an all natural tip? For example – unless you’re natural pink – how do you keep your hair so healthy despite the colouring?

Adding a few drops of rosemary oil to your shampoo is very good for your hair but apple cider vinegar is a very good product; not only is great for detox if you drink it or put it on your salad, but it

works the same on the hair. If you mix it with some pre-boiled or mineral water and mix it 3 part water, possibly a few drops of rosemary oil and the rest apple cider vinegar and apply to your hair just after washing, it will leave them all supple and wonderful!

Viva Le Pink ‘London Crawlin’ EP and Missy new 100% natural tattoo toner are available now on

www.missylepink.co.uk

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LIVE!

PETER DOHERTY

Nambucca, London - 24th October 2012

by Cristina Massei Icon and anti-icon, here’s the man you’ve been seeing on every media mostly because he never gave a toss about any of them, so they ended up creating their own Peter Doherty: a self absorbed junkie who owes his fame to dating VIGs (Very Important Groupies) from Kate Moss to – allegedly - Charlotte Gainsbourg. Besides that, pretty much a scumbag in and out of jail, crashing cars and lives without a care in the world. But you don’t really know Peter Doherty until you see him on a stage, and let’s face it, that’s not the easiest thing in the world. Tonight, at the intimate Nambucca on Holloway Road, I finally get lucky.

Much of the sold-out audience is still at the bar when The New Cut Gang take stage, which is a shame; check these guys out next time they’re playing near you… I definitely will. And then, the waiting begins. Is he going to show up this time? Only 15 minutes late, Nambucca gives Peter Doherty the warmest welcome its crowd is capable of. What follow is love, sweat and mayhem, in one of the best and truest gigs I’ve seen in a very long time. The intimate space gives the gig the atmosphere of an improvised jam in Peter’s own front room; someone in the wild moshpit even lights a cigarette. Security tries to contain the ongoing stage invasion, but Doherty doesn’t seem bothered: actually, he smiles and has several goes at crowd surfing, leading to a brief interruption to retrieve his guitar lost somewhere in the audience.

Football match style chants, singalongs and loud ‘We love you Pete’ greet every song , be it solo material from ‘Grace/Wastelands’, Babyshambles hits like ‘Fuck Forever’ or classic Libertines like ‘What Became of the Likely Lads’, ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ or the unforgettable ‘What A Waster’, or even covers like The Stooges ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’. The crowd is definitely loving it. As for Doherty, he looks pleased, comfortable, like there’s no other place he would be, yet he looks like he just ‘happens to be there’. Even when he actually shows up at his own sold out gig, nothing about him feels prepared. I don’t even think there’s an actual set list, just 100% a spontaneous jam, fans ask fans get.

Tonight’s show crosses the not-so-thin line between a gig down your local and a big one, and it’s not just due to a venue that managed to maintain its homely feel, but also and mostly to an artist who – despite becoming a familiar face on mainstream media – remains quite simply a poet and a musician, uninterested to any rockstar tag they’ve been tried to stick on him. I find

Peter again outside surrounded by fans until someone pushes him into a cab; amused at the attention, he leaves smiling and blessing his followers with beer.

Paris definitely suits him. I can see him sitting along the Seine with his guitar, a cigarette and a glass of cheap wine, like a bit of a clochard; people stopping by, curious, forming a circle around him, as another beautiful piece of music comes to life. Thanks Pete, to another thousand of these nights!

with special guests MARK TREMONTI & GINGER WILDHEART O2 Brixton Academy, London 11th October 2012

by Cristina Massei

You can be forgiven for being worried that a night of rock’n’roll can’t end any better than it started when the opening act is Ginger; as the final notes of ‘I Wanna Go Where the People Go’ fade at Brixton Academy, you realize this would normally be time to leave with a big smile and another great memory. Instead, tonight this is just the beginning. Next on the menu – to keep it all in the Alter Bridge family – is Mark Tremonti, and hidden in a dark corner behind him is a bass player with a hell of a name: Wolfgang… wait for it… Van Halen! If you’re a rock creatures of the 80s, this should be a pretty special night, one of those the Gods of Rock’n’Roll will be watching from up (or down) there. And it couldn’t be otherwise when the headliner is an icon like Slash.

The Garage, London - 7th October 2012 Review by John Morgan - Photos by Cristina Massei

Tonight sees a bill featuring two bands who have been an influ- Voivod are back on top form. With a new album on the way, tonight sees the airing of new songs that sit very ence and inspiration to many a musician over the years. comfortably with a selection of classics dating back to Doom have been one of the major players in the whole Grind- the mid eighties. core Scum scene since the 80s and the anticipation for tonight’s show is high. Hammering through a set which includes (see From the haunting echoes of opener ‘Voivod’ the band setlists photo cris) the band prove that there’s life in the old dog plod through a set of multiple time changes and feroyet and a very healthy crowd lap up every minute. Few thrash cious menace. This was one of the gigs of the year for bands could hope to follow Doom’s onslaught, however Voivod many a punter… myself included. are no ordinary thrash band. Enjoying a recent resurgence,

Forget the typical ‘most of the new album and a few greatest hits’ set list: here’s an artist who made every moment of his career count, with a legendary catalogue spacing from Guns’n’Roses to Snakepit, from Velvet Revolver to solo material and several prominent collaborations like ‘Ghost’, originally performed with The Cult’s Ian Astbury on his first solo album and chosen as tonight’s opener. ‘Standing in the Sun’ from praised recent album ‘Apocalyptic Love’ follows before we all board the ‘Nighttrain’ and enjoy a memorable ride. All the aforementioned projects get the deserved exposure, Myles Kennedy proves once more his talent and versatility but Todd Kerns is also brilliant as he takes charge of lead vocals for three tracks, including Guns’n’Roses ‘Out To Get Me’. For the encore, Mark Tremonti joins in for a cover of Alter Bridge ‘Rise Today’, then the mic goes to Kerns again for classic ‘Welcome To The Jungle’.

Sadly we got to the end of our ride, last stop: Paradise City… What an amazing journey. The only crowded train, dear Slash, I wish I could stay on forever.

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Sonic Shocks

LIVE!

Page 17

DYING FETUS - JOB FOR A COWBOY REVOCATION - CEREBRAL BORE The Underworld, London - 23rd September 2012

By Marcus J. West Undiluted primitive aggression. This is what Scotland’s Cerebral Bore encompassed this evening as the opening band for American death metal legends, Dying Fetus. The Scottish foursome are wanted live on both sides of the pond, and for good reason. It was not long ago (at the last Hammerfest) that guitarist Paul McGuire announced their place on the very exclusive shortlist for the Summer Slaughter Tour the following year. They made it, and tonight the Underworld marks their triumphant return to their London fans.

Simone "Som" Pluijmers is in top shape and her growling hits as hard as hell with compelling renditions of Maniacal Miscreation and their latest track, Horrendous Acts of Iniquity. Revocation are next and do their best; however, a slowly dissolving crowd puts a damper on the mood. The evening continues with American deathsters Job for A Cowboy, who are back to the capital after more than successfully opening for Cannibal Corpse last March. Jonny Davy's distinctive deep, guttural, vocals reach their highest pick in the deadly Constitutional Masturbation, which is made louder and yet more brutal thanks to Jon Rice’s killer riffing.

The powerful frontman’s mournful voice soars through the new material from their latest album Demonocracy and the much anticipated Tarnished Gluttony. This song shows a deadly serious progression in the song writing and depth. Tonight’s performance just shows what a formidable live force they have become. It's Dying Fetus’ turn to take the stage. Tray Williams drums relentlessly at lightning speed from the very first scorching notes of From Womb to Waste. From there, their set continues in only one direction: upwards, and with more brutality than ever.

John Gallagher owns the stage with his strong presence and nearly fearful definition. He kills mercilessly with his guitar as very few frontmen can do.

Bassist Sean Beasley completes the perfect formation of a band that nobody will ever get tired of; they are just too unique on stage and in the studio. The evening closes with Pissing in the Mainstream and the most anticipated Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog. Epic, violent, indisputably perfect!

The Garage, London - 16th October 2012

By Marcus J. West The insatiable hunger and thirst for one of Poland’s most supreme death metal bands, Decapitated, has left the lucky ones who made it to (and survived) their last London appearance at the infamous Dingwalls with a hunger for more. Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (guitars), Rafał "Rasta" Piotrowski (vocals), Pawel "Paul" Jaroszewicz (drums), and Konrad Rossa (live bass) are back and are united in the name of lethal perfection. But let's start from the beginning. This epic evening began with Bloodshot Dawn who malevolently graced the stage of The Purple Turtle (opening for Fleshgod Apocalypose) not too long ago. They set the mood of the evening sky high with their unique blend of dangerous death/thrash tainted by hell driven, melodic, scorching blasts. The followers, Dyscarnate, are both brilliant and majestic.

They are another pride of the English death metal scene who deserve all the eyes and ears of the beholders tonight. Bassist Henry Bates and guitarist Tom Whitty do an amazing job of duelling with grating riffs and gruesome vocals that make the spine curve; this band definitely deserves lots of attention. Xerath are next, and with the power to keep the adrenaline flowing, they hit the stage like a spray of fire and gasoline with whirlpools of craftsmanship and whiplashes of pure, genuine hatred. They know how to pinpoint their brutality on stage and they do so, breaking loose occasionally with some mid paced solos that could easily kill from 20 feet. Flawless, ruthless, soulful: Decapitated encompass pure perfection tonight at the Garage as their performance hits the crowd mercilessly with dangerous energy and headbanging induced power. Their stage presence is encapsulating from the earliest notes of The Knife and Pest. Their fatal death metal is epic in the truest sense of the word; they deliver a sonic and visual feast. They are back and they clearly and powerfully know who they are. The past hit them harder than most bands on the planet, but Decapitated are now ready to conquer the future, show after show.

By Marcus J. West With a tour that goes by the name of Kill Fest, the message is dead clear: tonight, the walls will most likely collapse. A highly charged up crowd, looking more like a growing congregation, made it to witness the first band of the evening.

Swedish Degraded tear apart the bloody curtain of lights and kick off the proceedings with their take on the typical Swedish death metal sound; they are indeed a different kind of beast. From Sweden, we move to Norway with Purified in Blood.

As the squad hits the stage, the guitar sound spreads through like fire. They deliver a truly storming set, culminating with frontman Glenn Reaper jumping into a very surprised crowd. Canadian Three Inches of Blood deliver an astonishing performance with a combination of thrashing blasts and blood covered passages. Despite its short length, the set is nevertheless unrelenting from the opening notes of Leather Lord to the finish with The Goatrider's Horde. It's the perfect combination of scorching riffs which are magnificently blended by guitarists Justin Hagberg and Shane Clark into Cam Pipes' grating vocals. They own their set and are clearly wanted back soon. Overkill's larger than life vocalist, Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, stomps on stage as the bullet like notes of Come and Get It and Bring Me the Night hit the onlookers who have been waiting for the New Jersey thrashers.

They are clearly bristling with venom tonight as they showed through neckbreaking renditions of Old School and Who Tends The Fire. The encore of Coma and Fuck You / Powersurge cements Overkill in the hall of fame yet again.

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Issue 11/2012

LIVE!

AXEWOUND

Wolverhampton Slade Rooms - 4th October 2012

by Matthew Higgs Officially 6 months old and with their first album released only days previous, some might question why five hundred midlanders would descend midweek upon Wolverhampton’s Slade Rooms to see a band taking to their first tour.

Those crowding the barrier chanting for their first glimpse of their heroes however are in the know: this is no group of young upstarts, but rock’s latest ‘supergroup’ Axewound.

Axewound are far more than the half baked side project for aging cronies that usually calls for the use of the word ‘supergroup’ however, instead being driven by the arena filling Matt Tuck from Bullet For My Valentine and possibly the hardest working frontman alive Cancer Bats vocalist Liam Corimer. Accompanied by guitarist Mike Kingswood of Glamour Of The Kill, bassist Joe Copcutt of Rise To Remain and Pitchshifter’s Jason Bowld on drums the band have more than a proven ancestry in how to rock, and hard at that. From the night’s opener and album title track Vultures it’s clear that the band are here to have fun, Corimer wastes no time stomping and screaming his way across the stage with the endless energy and raw aggression that has made him one of Metalcore’s figureheads. Copcutt grins from ear to ear as the band bate the crowd into the night’s first pits when they burst into ‘Victim Of The System’.

As the band break into new single ‘Exorchrist’, it’s easy to see exactly what both Corimer and Tuck bring to the table. While Tuck, tied to the mic stand, stretches his vocal chords and lays down the kind of riff that helped bring Bullet into the spotlight, Corimer is free to enjoy the limelight as his throaty roars tear across the track and he snarls into the crowd whipping them into a frenzy. With so much passion and energy on stage for the crowd to draw upon, it’s no wonder that a maelstrom of bodies forms offstage as Corimer tells the crowd to “Wake The Fuck Up” ‘Burn Alive’ and ‘Church Of Nothing’ maintain the bands pace as they plough through their set list. It’s a heavy mix on offer that maybe sits closer to Cancer Bats blend of Punk Metal then Bullet’s more melodic style as Axewound work their way through the tracks from their debut album.

As Tuck steps closer to the mic to take the lead for the band’s first single ‘Cold’, it’s a balance that does however shift; Tuck’s trademark riffs and soaring vocals replace the nights general chugging and screams for a track that is sang back to the band with all the vigor of a classic that may have long been established.

It’s a switch that stands out in the bands repertoire, but shows just how adept the new group is at writing tracks that pull on all of its members skills, arranging them in a variety of effortlessly catchy or broodingly heavy possibilities. ‘Blood Money and Lies’, ‘Collide’ and ‘Destroy’ all receive outings before the crowd are treated to a cover of Pantera’s ‘Fucking Hostile’, their just reward for being in “The most metal city we have visited this tour”. Horns extended, the crowd make sure their appreciation is known before the band warn there is only one song left. “Post Apocalyptic Party” sees Corimer continue his unrelenting whirlwind as his screams refuse to falter. The technical mastery of the band also continues to shine as despite forty minutes of hard rocking they still sound impressively tight.

With their debut played in its entirety many are left wondering what may come next as Axewound draw their set to a close. Tuck admits they have only one final chance for the crowd to go wild, and, as the opening bars to ‘Exorchrist’ ring out for the second time, wild is exactly how the crowd go. The band say their thanks to those assembled in front of them before leaving the stage. It’s a set they can be proud of that they leave in their wake. With so many calls on the band’s time, it will be interesting to see how active they stay; judging on tonight's performance though, there will be no shortage of energy available.

RECKLESS LOVE/MALLORY KNOX Stoke Sugarmill - 10th October 2012

By Matt Dawson Middle of the week gigs are always a strange entity, sure the dread of Monday has escaped but there’s still 48 hours to go until the weekend.

Luckily the bands on show at The Sugarmill on this night make sure that the two day gap would go by faster with their use of songs that have quite the sing-along factor included amongst them; Mallory Knox begin by admitting that they’re not everyone’s cup of tea on the bill, however soon as Mikey Chapman’s voice and the guitars of Joe Savins and James Gillet kick in the doubt flies out of the window.

With tracks like ‘Hello’, their new single ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Death Rattle’ they strongly show that British rock with a touch of emotional hardcore along with bands such as Lower Than Atlantis is flying strong.

The venue then seems to take a trip back 30 years as the glam begins and Reckless Love take the stage – the first thing you notice when a show by them starts is the SCREAMS, no doubt for Olli, that are relentless as the show goes on, a fact Olli milks throughout cupping his ear and moving his arms up and down to control it.

Songs like ‘Sex’ and ‘Push’ have the ‘keep it simple’ formula but the people don’t care, they’re singing along – when the screams die down – and are watching a show at work, their eyes focusing on Pepe’s guitar solos but mostly on Oli getting them in the right mood as the weekend gets closer.

ENSIFERUM / AMORAL / PROFANE OMEN London, The O2 Academy Islington – 18 Sept 2012

Review by Ashley Naismith Photos by Marcus J. West The drums are beating, the banners flying; a crowd dressed in armour and horns descended upon the O2 Academy Islington for one of the biggest folk metal events of the year. The heathen warriors themselves, Ensiferum, would be leading the invasion from the stage, and the audience was left to their pagan dreams until the call to arms.

The crowd’s reverie was shattered as Profane Omen burst from the wings and let fly their guttural ‘death ‘n roll’ attacks. Hailing from Finland, the five piece have the youthful energy of a band just starting, yet their career already spans seven years. The interplay between Williami Kurki and Antti Kokkonen on guitars leads to a fusion of fury, speed and rage which blasts the crowd back and incites a furious pit. Battered and bruised, the crowd awaits the next instalment with eager anticipation.

The unmistakable opening riff to Amoral’s signature track Mute shocks the audience into frenzied headbanging. Vocalist and frontman Ari Koivunen commanded the feral crowd to dance and sing to songs old and new. They do well at warming up the stage, but the revellers know that the best is yet to come.

Then, in a flash of lights and folk melodies, Ensiferum appear. Nothing the other bands could have done quite prepared those watching for what was to come; with a back catalogues like theirs, it is obvious that they would play an all-hit set. New songs, such as the title track to Unsung Heroes, were well received and timeless classics like Twilight Tavern and One More Magic Potion were greeted with rapturous applause and feral moshing. Singer and frontman Petri Lindroos ordered his army, some dressed in chainmail, to do battle in the pit and, to the sound of Markus Toivonen’s powerful guitar licks in Into Battle, battle they did. After an early encore of classics including crowd favourite Token of Time and some comedy improvisation, they return to the tavern so that they might bring the pagan invasion to the North and to Ireland, the next legs of their tour.

The Asylum 2 Birmingham 10th October 2012

by Matthew Higgs

After a week long delay due to what was said to be a ‘skateboarding accident’, Jonny Craig finally made his way to British shores and to Birmingham as part of a rare solo tour. The former vocalist of Dance Gavin Dance and Emarosa has always been one for drama: numerous times Craig has appeared to be on the edge of his own downfall, but in an old school rock sort of way, it has only ever seemed to add to his appeal. And then of course, there’s the voice.

As Craig walks through the crowd to the venue’s small stage arms reach to touch him like he is some kind of new messiah. Picking up the microphone he explains that tonight is all about his songs and his voice, maybe not the most modest statement but in truth it’s an honest one. With support act, rapper Dae Bryson manning the samples on an otherwise empty stage, it takes only the first few bars of ‘7AM, 2 Bottles and the Wrong Road’ for Craig’s voice to shine. While the response from the crowd is instant, the reaction from the parents accompanying its younger members is maybe the most interesting, as feigned interest turns into awe.

‘IStillFeelHer III’ encourages the crowd to stretch their own vocal cords as Craig strolls down the front row of the crowd, effortlessly hitting the range that has won his voice critical acclaim.

Craig introduces one of the first live outings of new song ‘Nobody Ever Will’ an even more R & B infused track that shows a glimpse of what his long anticipated second album may sound like, and judging from the audiences response already another on the must buy list.

With Dae Bryson picking up an acoustic guitar its time for Craig to

try some ‘Freestyle’, ok so it does all go a bit too smoothly to sound like its off the top of his head, but once more the vocal gymnastics are effortlessly flowing in a manner which can achieve nothing but praise. After his flow Jonny encourages every girl in the room to “Go change your pants”, failing on the modesty once more, but once probably closer to the truth than is worth imagining .

It’s then time for Craig to add his own spin to a couple of classics, starting with The Weeknd’s ‘Rolling Stone’ and then managing to make Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me A River’ his own. The latter in particular winning the kind of screams usually reserved for the arenas played by JT himself.

Explaining that there is only time for one more song, the heartfelt ‘Children Of Divorce’ sees Craig prove exactly why he is held on a pedestal by many of his fans, as once more he effortlessly flexes his Tenor range. Sure the guy always seems to be at the center of some scandal, and his drug related incidents are well known, but when it comes to talent the man oozes it. While people like Amy Winehouse always had their critics, ultimately it will be Craig’s voice that will be remembered.

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Haven’t decided to go to Damnation yet? Need a reason? Well Matt Tilt and Matt Dawson pick some bands you should see at this year’s excellent event!

Matt D’s picks GAMA BOMB

Celebrating ten years are the party thrashers - lovers of drinking, sci-fi and JCVD the Newry/Dublin lot will get the party atmosphere going in a spectacular way- miss this lot at your peril!

MY DYING BRIDE

One of the forefathers in UK doom – My Dying Bride will be playing their ONLY show outside of London at this year’s event and given they’ve just released another strong masterpiece this guarantees (more so if you go to 40 Watt Sun as well) to allow the more melancholy side to take hold but it’s worth it.

TEXTURES

The only tech-metal based band on this year’s lineup means that Textures should create an interesting show but with an album as catchy as Dualism they manage to be suited towards Damnation just the same as any doom/grindcore.

THE ATROCITY EXHIBIT

FINALLY gracing the festival with their high energy presence these lads will get the festival off to a ferocious start and hell, how can you hate a band that use the scream of ‘bastard’ from cult 80’s horror movie Pieces so damn well?

HAWK EYES

Continuing the high wave of praise that they truly deserve alt-rockers Hawk Eyes will be opening the Jagermeister stage with the intent of gaining new fans and for those that know them from their gigs with Ginger et al another chance to catch them doing what they do best: kicking ass.

Matt Tilt’s choices DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL

Combining rich soundscapes and biting hardcore, DSHS were a surprising addition to normally metal based Damnation, but one that so beautifully fits in with the festival’s eclectic nature. New album Empire of Light continues the bands rise, improving on the releases before and keeping the experimentation and aggression that makes them a must see this year.

BLACKLISTERS

When Pissed Jeans is mentioned as an influence you should know what to expect from Blacklisters. Feedback drenched, dirty noise rock fronted by Billy, whose demented vocals and lurching, gurning stage presence offer a sense of the blackly comic during their unpredictable, if well-honed shows.

BELPHEGOR

They might not be big or clever, but you don’t receive the praise this band has received unless you know what you’re doing. Blackened death metal, with an emphasis on all things blasphemous, erotic and gory, presented in a live show that never slows it’s pace, never apologises and never offers anything other than dark, cold brutality. For the fans who want to switch off for a half hour.

PIG DESTROYER

For close on a decade this vicious, nihilistic four-piece have stayed away. Now, back on UK soil, and with a new album in tow, they promise to destroy the Terrorizer stage. With a series of critically acclaimed albums to pull tracks from, a collection of some of the best musicians grindcore has ever seen and a fury rarely matched Pig Destroyer are the most exciting headliner Damnation have had in a long time, and are reason enough to buy a ticket. The rest is just a bonus.

Tickets are available on http://www.damnationfestival.co.uk/tickets For more info go to WWW.DAMNATIONFESTIVAL.CO.UK

Denise and Krystal Britt were back at Austin City Limits this year to report again for Sonic Shocks. Discover Denise’s pick of old and new artists from the Festival – pictures by Krystal – and hear from newbie Emily at her first ACL experience.

From Denise Britt: Here we are at ACL Festival already! Weren’t we just here? Friday was a mixture of sun and clouds and lots of Central Texas muggy heat.

Saturday was rainy all day. Mud at a Texas festival? Oh yeah! Sunday was clear skies and hellish October heat. Add about 75,000 bodies and you have ACL 2012.

ALABAMA SHAKES – I passed by this stage on the way to see Florence. I really wish we had the time to catch the whole set. What a voice this woman (Brittany Howard) has. So much soul and power! I will be checking out more of this band and soon! In the meantime give them a listen. www.alabamashakes.com KISHI BASHI – Huh? This act blew me away. I had not even planned on stopping by but when the music hit my ears I had no choice. A violin and a banjo. 2 men. That was it. That is all that was needed for this explosively electric set. I needed to know more.

Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym of singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter K (Kaoru) Ishibashi. The banjo picker who joined him after a few songs is Mike Pavino. This act is what music festivals should be about. Discovering a whole new sound and loving it! www.kishibashi.bandcamp.com

BASSNECTAR – Damn. Skrillex who? Man, this set was probably my favorite of the whole 3 days. The energy from the crowd was unreal. All you saw was a 2 storey tall stage of beautiful lights and the silhouette of Lorin Ashton with his ass long, black hair flying all around him. Anyone that can get a crowd of tens and tens of thousands to abandon all and dance unabashedly in the mud for a solid hour has my vote for act of the festival. www. bassnectar.net Check this out. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6oWlaHPl3cQ

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JACK WHITE – Jack White, looking like a Johnny Depp character, was surrounded by a bevy of beautiful, musically talented female band members who totally rocked (The Peacocks). He performed at the same time as Neil Young & Crazy Horse but that didn’t seem to matter to the thousands of fans screaming Jack’s name. They played songs from The White Stripes along with some Raconteurs with little to none interaction with the crowd. Good set, just kind of weird. Maybe he knew we all really should have been over at Neil Young’s show. www. jackwhiteiii.com

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – Headlining the 3 day festival is none other than the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I stood in the record breaking crowd for 2 hours before the start of this set. That is how badly I wanted to see this iconic group live. I’m so glad I did.

19 songs later my feet were not so happy but my ears were quite content.

GARY CLARK JR. – Another of Austin’s own guitar gods. This young man is a force to be reckoned with. Smiling humbly at the huge crowd of friends and fans Gary played a set that Stevie Ray Vaughn would be proud of. ATX is pretty proud of you too Gary.

It was awesome watching the crowd sing every song played. Generations of RHCP fans came together as one. They played a massive set of almost 2 solid hours. After an encore that ended with ‘Give It Away’ we were left standing there wanting more. Dammit you did not sing ‘Scar Tissue’, it can’t be over. www.redhotchilipeppers.com

big beats and bright lights. From Montreal, the DJ and turntablist drew in an audience that stretched all the way to the next stage.

Every single fan around me was jumping, shuffling, and sweating out of pure enjoyment to the bass that reverberated through our bodies. The crowd moved in sync as each drop came out of the speakers. Seeing and feeling such a massive sea of bodies jumping and fist pumping in connection with each other, had us craving more. I left feeling nothing less than intense satisfaction. The festival did an incredible job of encompassing the many different genres of music, accommodating for the vast amount of musical tastes in and around Austin. I know I’ll be back next year for another insanely beautiful weekend.

Denise’s Top 3 of ACL 2012

www.garyclarkjr.com IGGY & THE STOOGES – Iggy Pop is one sassy old man. He twists onto the stage shirtless (of course) looking just like he always has. This man has not an ounce of fat on his tiny little frame. He has more energy than a classroom of 5 year olds off their Ritalin. The poor microphone stand was beat senselessly.

He practically ordered the fans to “bum rush the stage”. And they did. A stage full of delighted fans danced around with the crazy singer for about half a song. The poor security dudes were freaking out. There is no physical way possible to hold back 50,000 pumped up people, especially when the lead singer is commanding them to break on through. Being a peaceful crowd most heeded securities pleas to get off the stage and out of the pit. I think Iggy was a little disappointed. At the end of the set he casually strolled off, hand in the air sporting the peace sign. Oh wait, the peace sign just turned into the middle finger. One can’t help but love him. www. iggyandthestoogesmusic.com

1.Bassnectar 2.Florence & The Machine 3.Red Hot Chili Peppers From Emily Mighton: Music, beer and rain. My first ACL was a raging success. From The Civil Wars to Die Antwoord, I was enraptured by sweet harmonies and pounding bass. However, The CIVIL WARS stood out among most of the artist in my venture. The couple, accompanied by a single guitar, created a set filled with sexual tension in the sweet melodies of an album based solely on the ups and downs of relationships. The crowd slowly swayed along as Joy Williams and John Paul White dug into our emotions with each song. Rarely do you see such a simple set completely awe such a massive crowd. As one of my favorites during ACL, the show was definitely an outlet for a chaotic weekend. Opposite to The Civil Wars was DIE ANTWOORD of South Africa with aggressive lyrics and loud beats. For such a strange ensemble, the rap duo and DJ had the crowd sweating and chanting for more.

Ninja and Yolandi Visser knew what it took to pump up a crowd of all ages and left everyone with intense satisfaction as they closed their set with the viral hit, “Enter the Ninja.”

Also representing South Africa, CIVIL TWILIGHT began a show pulling in a small crowd if veteran fans. But, as the set progressed, the integration of unique vocals and piano, somewhat reminiscent of Coldplay, brought in a larger audience. The artists’ combination of profound lyrics and highly attractive melodies swooned a sea of new listeners, as well as dedicated fans. Being a favorite of mine, Civil Twilight is highly underrated and is without a doubt worth a few minutes of your time. They even look as sexy as they sound!

What’s not to love?

In preparation for BASSNECTAR, I needed some electro house to get my blood running.

A-TRAK threw down an awesome set with

Emily’s Top 3 of ACL 2012 1.Red Hot Chili Peppers 2.Civil Twilight 3.Civil Wars

Sonic Shocks

Issue 11/2012

ABIOTIC Symbiosis Out now on Metal Blade

ALUNAH White Hoarhound Out Now on Psychedoomelic Records

By Matt Dawson Florida: the city of two minds. For every mention of it being a holiday resort for families featuring Disney and universal Studios there’s the other side, one that has the place show in news round ups of strange stories and a death metal scene that contains legendary bands such as Death, Obituary and Deicide. Death branched out into the more technical side during their later days, and it is with this in mind along with the rise of technical death over the past few years that Abiotic break out of the gate with Symbiosis.

The musicality of this record brings out a band that are not just willing to make you listen through the guitar sweeps of John Matos and Matt Mendez on songs like ‘A Universal Plague’ and ‘Facades’, the scream of Ray Jimenez that can counter into a growl of command, but they’re willing to surprise with the melodic passages scattered throughout.

What remains absolutely clear is that the Florida scene still thrives all these years later even with a side of technical fun thrown in; a worthy debut by Abiotic – now to see where they go from here.

By Matthew Tilt Despite an overwhelmingly pointless end that comes two minutes after the end of Oak Ritual II and, incredibly, manages to take the atmosphere out of atmospherics Alunah have managed to create a decent slab of Sabbath worship.

Let’s face it, you’ve already got the sound and image in your head haven’t you? It’s probably not far off in fairness; the references definitely aren’t subtle and nor is the band’s pagan views but in a way that’s nice. So many bands hop, skip and jump around their influences creating confused messes so that they sound original; here, it’s nice to hear a band look up to an undeniable group of legends.

Vocalist Soph Day has a great voice, keeping that spaced out, distant sound that so many doom bands but taking the mantle with confidence and making each note her own, not just some carbon copy. Her guitar work, along with David Day’s and Gaz Imber’s bass create a fuzz heavy atmosphere, unbothered by fast, overtly technical solos, instead keeping a steady beat that’s guaranteed to burst some eardrums live with a little wiggle room to edge into psychedelia.

Oak Ritual I is the only place where they slip out of their routine; gently picked acoustic guitars feel the air instead of skull crushing riffs and the whole thing takes on a suitably ritualistic feel, building up to the grand finale.

It’s refreshing to see a band so nonchalant about any trends, concentrating on writing solid songs in a genre they love. This might not break any of doom metal’s boundaries; it might hit the pages of the hip magazines looking out for the hipsters’ new favourite band.

What this will do is put a big shit eating grin on the face of anyone who ever just sat back and enjoyed a heavy metal album.

FOCUS Focus X Eastworld – 5th November

By Matt Dawson When it comes to memorable names during the first wave of prog Focus may be remembered for two things: yodelling and a concerto about hamburgers – you read that last part correctly!

The band split up after a flop album that weirdly had P.J Proby (him of the split jeans on stage ‘scandal’) but reconvened in 2001; only now however have they been whisked back into the public consciousness with Focus X, beginning in grand style with an instrumental dedicated to Father Bacchus. If your appetite for progressive with the slight hint of insanity has been cruelly unabated – even more so if Anchorman and Ron Burgundy’s use of jazz flute got you curious - then the twists and turns of this album will truly satisfy with the mix of organ and flute, the latter

by Thijs Van Leer, working very well indeed. There’s even in true inevitable style a proper curveball thrown at the listener, ‘Le Tango’, which allows Focus to create a slight twist on the style; it’s quite interesting to hear Thijs’ vocal take.

For those wondering where Focus will go at this interesting crossroads of their rebirth, it looks like after all this time the ‘Hocus Pocus’, if you will, has worked it’s magic once again.

ESO Nothing Left To Lose 5th November - Trak Records

By Matt Dawson Some may remember a band called Esoterica from a few years ago; after some time away they return as ESO and finally should get the praise they deserved before. The main reason for this is the powerful soundscape created through the combination of synths and guitars; granted there has been criticism of bands like Muse very recently over trying to do the same thing, however Eso take this and actually manage to balance it out while throwing some moments that A Perfect Circle fans will truly love.

Another point to make is how their frustrations on trying to break through the industry itself is referenced during the album – ‘You’ll Never Know’ and ‘The Awakening’ - but by being honest it allows the power to truly show throughout of how this band’s time is truly now.

With everything to gain ESO’s debut is a strong indicator of what can be done if the elements of rock and synth truly align; avoid them if you dare and if you were foolish the first time around – time to redeem yourself.

NEUROSIS Honor Found in Decay Out Now on Neurot Recordings

By John Morgan Oakland heavyweights Neurosis return with their first album of new material since 2007, and what a good album it is. From the band’s early post punk racket days of the mid eighties thru to the sonic grandeur of today, Neurosis has always been a band all about evolution, and Honor Found in Decay continues the journey into the void.

Working again with producer Steve Albini, the band continue to carve a uniqueness in their music that could as easily be described as classical as it could metal. Benefiting from a much more textured vocal delivery, the songs on this album really complement each other, making this album one of the band’s finest offerings for a long time (if not ever). I recommend a darkened room, a good sound system and a couple of candles… Well worth the time. 9/10

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THE LAST VEGAS Bad Decisions AFM Records – 16th November

ASHES YOU LEAVE The Cure for Happiness November 29th - Rock’n’Growl Records

By Cristina Massei It was just about time my sleazy longhaired friends had something else to listen to than yet another Motley Crue boxset. Quite happily, I'll join them to celebrate the release of this new Last Vegas album: a shot of hairspray and leather smell pulling you right back to 80s Sunset Strip, with a slice of 70s Aerosmith thrown in for good measure. A proof, if necessary, that the band is mature enough to do without Nikki Sixx – whose attention they caught in their early days – and find their own wings.

Dirty guitar licks and sex charged riffs are blended with warm bluesy notes at times (‘Don’t Take It So Hard’) for all Cinderella nostalgics out there; Last Vegas take hints also from the raw street sound of bands like LA Guns (‘It Ain’t Easy’) and occasionally switch to a catchy Pretty Boy Floyd (‘The Devil in You’) mode, for a cocktail you may have tested before but you may not have had enough of. And let’s not forget the aptly titled closing ballad ‘Good Night’.

If the hair metal days were too few for you, or if you feel you missed out, there's something new in town bound to rock your socks off. Let your hair down and don't forget to backcomb. As Steel Panther would say, heavy metal - at least a very specific part of it - is finally back. Bring them live now: I can’t wait to see the spandex fly.

By Matthew Tilt Ashes You Leave have made this all a bit too easy if I’m honest. They’ve called their album The Cure for Happiness and, within, actually perfected a cure for happiness. I wasn’t happy when I listened to this, and I don’t mean this album is so emotive and sad that I couldn’t be happy; I mean this album is so bad that I couldn’t even consider it a joke and raise a smile.

Apparently these guys have been doing this since 1995, an unbelievable fact when you consider they’ve had 17 years to improve.

How did they spend their time? I guess we’ll never know but it wasn’t spent on song craft.

The best part is no one can accuse me of hating them because of their preferred genre either because: 1.They don’t know what their preferred genre is; preferring to take as many down in the crossfire as they can.

2.This is bad even by the worst standards of melodic, gothic metal. I mean that seems to what they’re going for.

I’ll admit I don’t like this genre at the best of times but I’m not so biased that I won’t admit to a gorgeous piece of music or a talented singer, nor will I shy away from pointing out offensive, simplistic crap when I hear it.

It’s a shame because Giada is a talented singer but she’s ruined by the series of clichés put behind her. Shoddy growls, generic orchestral parts and guitars that don’t chug, but stutter and stall; most of this album sounds like they got Billy Bibbit from One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest to hum a tune. I’m sure the people involved are talented but when they come together they must cancel each other out, or attempt to write and play using only their big toes.

WARRIOR SOUL Stiff Middle Finger Out now on Livewire/Cargo

By Cristina Massei And it’s a Stiff Middle Finger to the system that Kory Clarke sticks out once again with this new Warrior Soul album. Get past the cover of bad teeth and machine guns and the soundtrack to a revolution begins with ‘Occupy’, ending with an invitation to ‘Light Your Bonfires’ and let freedom reign. In between, with very few exceptions, modern politics is the centre of a record that is as explicit as it gets, in both thoughts and language.

Musically speaking, there are some raw punk rock numbers greatly complimented by Clarke’s trademark voice that will work wonders live, as those who attended the recent Warrior Soul tour can confirm; it’s the case of ‘Planetary Revolution’, ‘Wall Street’ and nonpolitical ‘Junky Stripper’. Other tracks are almost spoken words, like ‘Occupy’, ‘2012’ or ‘Light Your Bonfires’ where the music is rather a background to the lyrics, as Kory’s call for rebellion takes the centre stage; and rightly so, when topics such as slave labour and religion are out there, big corporations are called out and words like ‘dick’, ‘scum’, ‘fuck’ and ‘douchebag’ are not replaced in the name of political correctness.

‘2012’, a comprehensive list of most diseases afflicting modern society, vomits in succession some of the biggest corporate brands from Barclays to Budweiser. Lyrics like ‘they scan your eyeballs, squeeze your nuts, body x-ray scan, put your dick in their vice’ express the frustration of a majority increasingly deprived of their freedom and individualism.

‘Stiff Middle Finger’ is definitely not going to make Kory Clarke any friends in high places; it may rather increase the already high number of enemies if anything. But hey, he was never in this to make friends, and this is why he can afford to write and sing songs about ‘Saudi cunts and Israeli Aipac Fascists’: because he doesn’t care.

From Wikipedia: ‘In its original incarnation, the punk subculture was primarily concerned with concepts such as rebellion, anti-authoritarianism, individualism, free thought and discontent’: if only more would remember.

FLOODS Self Titled Out now on Smalltown Records

By Matt Dawson The world of post-hardcore is one that needed a slight shake up; with bands like Alexisonfire splitting and Finch et al reuniting, regardless for how long, there needed to be a UK band that decided to proclaim ‘Hey it’s our time to make a statement!’

Floods at the very least show that they have the chance to do so with their self titled record, one that manages to remain melodic through the combined efforts of James Power on lead vocals, Joe Page and Ash Hughes on guitar (along with scream/ backup vocals) and through screams allowing the more raging side of Floods to come out on tracks like ‘ Light’ and ‘Snake Eater’. Emotion is the main key of focus here – lines about thinking before you speak, fighting thoughts while allowing the screams to act out the raging side – they’re harsh for a reason.

One of the UK post-hardcore that are worth giving a listen to, it will be interesting to see Floods evolve over the next few years along with the UK post-hardcore scene in general.

TEMPUS FUSION To End It All Out November 19th

By Matt Dawson The year 2012 has brought many conspiracy theories along with it, most notably the idea that due to a calendar of the Mayans the world will end in December OR the world will be brought to a new age of enlightenment.

Tempus Fusion with To End It All obviously subscribe to the first theory as they chronicle the idea of Armageddon throughout and when you manage to combine former members of the brilliant The Defiled and Season’s End to create an album that rivals Scar Symmetry’s The Unseen Empire for brilliance in the combination of progressive and metal.

With guitars that signal each side’s attack clearly and effectively, vocals that give the feeling of a chronicle being written by someone watching it all unfold there’s a lyric by another band that seems very fitting overall.

It’s the end of the world as we know it and with an album like this I feel fine.

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OPENSIGHT The Voice Of Nothing Out now via opensightband.com

By Matt Dawson With a combination of rock and progressive metal the Colombian/London based band Opensight showcase their talent on this EP titled The Voice Of Nothing.

Beginning with a vibe that echoes early Swedish melodic death on ‘Only When’ with its stance to go from heavy towards the lighter side as the short solo kicks in while Ivan David’s voice carries the melody through the emotional ride it deserves.

Things quickly escalate by the time we reach ‘Deleted Scene’ however as what starts as a tribute of a sort to Pink Floyd and Mars Volta to build tension suddenly turns into a rockier, string based story of memories that you want to forget but can’t – very much the reverse of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.

As the EP draws to a close the two formulas continue to alternate and as good as this is it makes you wonder even more that despite the strong showing from Opensight their next album will expand them even more but as a good starting point this is effective enough to gain more fans.

ORDEN OGAN To The End Out now on AFM Records

By Matt Dawson With their latest release to The End, Orden Ogan decided to stray slightly away from the progressive slant of their last album Easton Hope into more of an anthem based power metal nature akin to peers such as Blind Guardian.

This change manages to work more in favour for the group as we get a nice balance between power and what is sometimes referred to as speed metal – tracks like ‘Till The Stars Cry Out’ and ‘The Things We Believe In’ manage to show this at its strongest strength, while Seeb’s vocals show the most confidence when surrounded by the grandiose production.That’s the main common factor: everything sounds crisp but there are brief moments where there is the worry that it may just collapse, sometimes the guitars do tend to overpower the vocals and yet there will be the urge to sing the choruses as loud as possible.

In a way Orden Ogan stick to the power metal rulebook and carry it off without straying into the usual clichés too much – yes there’s a concept to do with a world of ice but that’s not too complex.

PARKWAY DRIVE Atlas Out now on Resist/Epitaph

TEGAN AND SARA In Your Head – An Introduction..

Out Now on Warner Bros Records

By Matt Dawson When you reach a decade of a band’s life there is the inevitable feeling of ‘well let’s see how the next 10 years pan out’ and, while Deep Blue really captured more of the metalcore fanbase after a steady rise, the main question is whether Atlas ends up regurgitating what came before.

Starting with the subdued ‘Sparks’, the listener is then thrown into a world of breakdowns, blehs and the world of metalcore as portrayed by Winston McCall and company, but before the usual brigade start going ‘it’s all the same formula’ as they do, there are parts that are not used too much such as gang vocals ( and always in context). They’re also willing to go back into subdued waters with ‘The River’ but still keeping the battle cry to fight on ‘Atlas’, however there IS a point of the filter effects being overused – a couple of times it can work for tension but no more.

One for the lovers of metalcore as it stands in 2012 – Parkway Drive manage to rise from the ‘Deep Blue’ to the skies, let’s hope it doesn’t come crashing to Earth too soon.

By Cristina Massei Power Pop cult duo Tegan and Sara seem poised to take the leap to mainstream, as the twins get ready to open for The Killers in their upcoming arena tour. To raise wider awareness of their fresh, effervescent sound, they release EP ‘In Your Head – An Introduction…’, a very well picked sampler showcasing their song-writing talent and the maturity acquired since the beginning.

Tegan and Sara take a track from 2004 album ‘So Jealous’ in ‘Walking with a Ghost’, then two songs each from 2007 ‘The Con’ and more radio friendly 2009 release ‘Sainthood’ and finally add an anticipation of ‘Heartthrob’, all ready to hit the stores in 2013. And judging from ‘I’m Not Your Hero’, it’s going to be an album to look forward to.

Although being some kind of mini ‘greatest hits’ for the benefit of the yet unconquered UK market, ‘In Your Head’ can boast a selection of tracks – in no particular order – which is various yet blending nicely enough to form an album in its own rights.

From the laid back vibe of ‘Call It Off ’ – which Yael Naim and Edie Brickell fans will particularly appreciate – to teenage hit ‘Alligator’ and rockier episode ‘Hell’, Tegan and Sara call to all the stops to make sure they have something for you.

Some good things are coming from Canada these days, even Barney Stinson would have to agree… Catch Tegan and Sara with The Killers or get the full treatment at one of their headlining dates this November, after a good few spins of ‘In Your Head…’, out now on Warner.

STONE SOUR House of Gold and Bones Part 1 Out now on Roadrunner Records

By Matt Dawson When Corey Taylor describes the first part of the House Of Gold And Bones concept by comparing it to a legendary record as Pink Floyd’s The Wall there are thoughts that it is a pretty bold statement to make, one that even a man of Corey’s stature may find difficult to live up to. Same goes with the idea that Stone Sour have created a concept album – a deal mostly left to bands like the aforementioned Pink Floyd and Coheed And Cambria, not a band whose biggest hits range from hard hitting ‘30-30-150’ to tender ‘Bother’ with the closest to prog being ‘Sillyworld’.

No surprises then to know that hard hitting is the best way to describe the opening doubleshot of ‘Going Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero’, but then this is when some may be surprised: the album begins to incorporate moments of grunge – ‘Tired’ - and then we get an album that splits into two styles. For every song like the opening two there’s a much tender song such as ‘Taicitum’ to follow, but even if this allows a good mixture it does cause a thought of – where’s the progressive side? Part 1 is a Stone Sour album which, although a positive thing, doesn’t go as far as the comparison mentioned at the beginning.

A good start at the very least, part 2 should be very interesting indeed.

Issue 11/2012

NINE BELOW ZERO Live at the Marquee Out now on A&M/Universal

KAMIKAZE TEST PILOTS Self Titled Self Released- Out Now

By Cristina Massei Cult Eighties bluesmen Nine Below Zero got their fans an early Christmas present with this double live CD/DVD of their legendary Marquee live show back in 1980. What is so special about a live album that had already been published right after the show – as the band’s debut album nonetheless - is that this is the complete recording of that night, rather than an incomplete one as dictated by the limited space available on a vinyl.

While the first 14 tracks left untouched from the original versions, the extra ones have been remixed and added as an encore experience, together with a DVD containing some of the performance recorded on 16mm. The vintage sounds and visuals of yesterday are brought back to life with the help of today’s technology, but without losing any of the original warmth. To complete the package, there’s a nice booklet of memories and anecdotes from those two days.

If you missed this unique show, or if you were there and you’d just like to re-live the memory, polish your dancing shoes and get yourself the soundtrack of an era that will hardly be forgotten.

By Cohen Brown On first listen to the self titled debut fulllength from Kamikaze Test Pilots you’d be forgiven for dismissing them as a poor man’s System of a Down. But closer inspection of the album reveals a band with an eclectic range of influences in thier arsenal.

Jumping from seizure-inducing drop-D riffage across to infectious world music beats and over to the glorified wank of hairmetal guitar solos, this release is more the showcase of a band’s diversity than a cohesive collection of work. Although it gives the impression of a group unsure about their sound, what’s obvious is the band’s strength of songwriting across the board.

From the frenetic jolts of the opener 'Dinosaur’ and the headbanger’s wet-dream ‘Fairy Tales’ to the acoustic harmony of 'Betterway’, it’s clear that these guys can pen a tune with the best in the game. Ryan Niemandt’s urgent vocal style lends the listener a genuine sense of authenticity as he howls lines like ‘It’s not working anymore - everything’s broken!’ with the band surging along in a sonic wave of power underneath.

KTP’s sound plays skillfully on contrasts and dynamics, resulting in pieces that engage the listener but at the same time teeter on the borderline of 'how much is too much?’ Paradoxically, the most consistent (albeit out-of-place) track, ‘Perserverance’, is probably the strongest on the album.

With heavy-blues hooks and an anthemic quality that would be eaten whole in a heartbeat by Planet Rock listeners, it’s a wonder whether the band included it out of genuine self-expression or because of its obvious commercial viability.

KTP’s self titled debut presents an ambiguous but enticing introduction to a talented band that, if able to focus thier influences into a more distinctive sound, could be capable of great things. Then again, if you’re a believer in the industry’s current mantra of ‘songs not albums’, Kamikaze Test Pilots may have just hit the nail on the head.

NUCLEAR DEATH TERROR Chaos Reigns Out now on Southern Lord UNDER THE INFLUENCE Kings And Cretins Out now - Self released

By Matt Dawson Reaching their second mini album Under The Influence state that they want to use genres in a way that is very much a case of ‘being the leader not a follower’, yes the idea of combining electronics and rock once again turns up.

This is the problem: bands deeming themselves unique is nothing new in this industry, in fact second in line is the adage of ‘the next big thing’ however sometimes you do have to wonder what EXACTLY deems their right to uniqueness? For these guys we get a combination of what has become popular in the UK scene: vocals being rapped – check, gang vocals during the chorus – check, chorus sung – check and finally the odd use of loops and electronics to round it all off.

Now there is a positive however: it sounds good enough to please the masses that engage in this scene regularly, and that’s what will matter in the long run if they strike while the iron’s hot; HOWEVER the giant risk is it becomes just another group stuck in a trend. It is time to prove more of what they claim to be – unique.

By Matt Dawson Ah Crust punk – one of the filthiest and brutal music genres known in this world – a feeling that Copenhagen’s Nuclear Death Terror agree with all too well and with this compilation of previous work, with four new songs added and a cover of Celtic Frost’s ‘Morbid Tales’ it is time for those yet to experience their musical equivalent of the apocalypse for themselves.

With the bass and guitars providing the power there’s a sense of impending dread followed by a ferocious attack – as the end of the world would probably feel like I imagine – as the fourth new track ‘Abyss’ showcases well with its intro that becomes a chant of ‘Cold, dead Earth’ before the chaos kicks in.

Some will complain that there may be less variation but with crust punk this is more of a positive, plus given the influence you can hear on this album including Amebix and Discharge there’s no doubt that the urge to cause chaos yourself to this is itching away at the back of the mind.

Adding another good Crust band to a label that has been engaging in educating the masses in Southern Lord, Nuclear Death Terror lets chaos reign supreme.

ISIS Temporal Ipecac Recordings – 6th November

By John Morgan Isis’ new album Temporal is more a posthumous collection of unreleased material as it is an album of new songs. Featuring cover songs from Godflesh and Black Sabbath and alternative versions of some of the band’s earlier material, this is a perfect album for anyone unfamiliar with their music. There’s also enough diversity in the remixes to keep the hard core fans happy.

14 songs spread over 2 discs and various DVD promos make this a collection of music that’s well worth the while of anyone who likes their alternative music on the heavy side. The band split up in 2010 stating that they had done everything they had wanted and said everything that they had wanted to say; this collection is a good representation of that. 8/10

Sonic Shocks

Issue 11/2012

Here you’ll find some full length reviews, alongside more succinct summaries of the latest in Unsigned and New music. All of these artist’s deserve your time and attention, so look them up and maybe you’ll find something special.

termined [Album] The Apostates have been on the outskirts for quite some time now, remaining relatively unknown. However, this thirteen track album has plenty of tracks to appeal to a wide audience and they would all suit any playlist of radio station dipping into a bit of light rock. My personal favourite is Acrylic Friends, which represents The Apostates worth for this top ten list.

Visit them here - https://www.facebook.com/TheApostates For fans of: Young Guns, Razorlight, You Me At Six

self a copy!

Visit them here - www.facebook.com/ chickrides For fans of: Quirky and cool

1. Process – Through Acknowledgement Only [Album] Danish metallers Process are nothing short of kick-ass. Never mind the fact that I nearly lost my hearing when I listened to their album through, this album is a reminder that blistering double-foot action and raw vocals can still be presented in an accessible and commendable manner. Process should be the name on everyone’s lips and I'm gobsmacked as to why they’ve not been on my radar before.

Visit them here - http://www.facebook. com/processdenmark For fans of: Trivium, Lamb of God

2. Frail Grounds – The fields of trauma [Album] Damn this band are great. Crossing the genres of melodic rock and progressive metal, these Norwegians are superb and if I could have a joint number one spot, they’d be up there without hesitation. I’ve not heard better guitar solos and infectious licks in quite a while and it was a pleasant reminder that there are still bands out there who can cut it in this business.

Visit them here - http://www.facebook. com/frailgrounds For fans of: Symphony X, Savatage, Stratovarius 3. Hey Vanity – Colours & Signs [Single] Hey Vanity are a new music project from ex-Fei Comodo members Marc and Will. Lead single ‘Colours and Signs’ represents a taste of what’s to come and features sharp and fast guitar riffs combined with Marc’s iconic tone and mature lyrics. I'm impressed with this lot and it fills me with great confidence that future releases will be something quite special.

Visit them here - www.facebook.com/ heyvanityuk For fans of: Fei Comodo, Floods, Deaf Havana 4. Chick Rides Artist – Live strut Die [EP] When I first heard this EP, I made immediate comparisons with their debut, which I always really enjoyed, both on CD and how it translated live.

‘Live Strut Die’ sees Chick Rides Artist showcase their ability to explore jerky, off-beat rhythms, alongside the shared screamo and clean joint lead vocal work. My favourite song of this EP has to be ‘Lost in the flex’. What is even cooler is that this EP is totally free, so get on Google and grab your-

5. Peter Dolving – Thieves and Liars [Album] This is one of those albums which you can’t help but listen to until the end, with its infectious beats and symphonic elements, it was reminiscent at times of Stone Roses material and this sustained my interest. For those who know Peter Dolving from his previous accolades with The Haunted, his unique and recognisable stamp on this album is one to be enjoyed over and over.

Visit him here – https://www.facebook. com/HouseOfDolving For fans of: Peter Dolving!

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Introducing

PROCESS 7. Project Mars – Dont hold back [Album] A tasty outfit from Ottawa exploring a perfect blend of rock and grunge to culminate in a decent album. I put this record on with the expectation of reaching for the stop button shortly after, however I couldn’t help but be really taken by what I heard. Project Mars might well be an example of a band that will never get the credit they deserve, solely due to trends in music and whether their chosen genre makes a comeback on a level that generates a worldwide fan base.

Visit them here - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Mars For fans of: Finger Eleven, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden 8.Exalt Cycle – The Passing [Single] Italian based Exalt Cycle have a very familiar style and sound, which cements their worth within a circle of heavy hitters such as Machine Head and Mastodon. ‘The Passing’ is the lead single from their forthcoming album Revelations and if they can produce another handful of tracks of equal quality I see no reason why Exalt Cycle shouldn’t be appearing on the bill for many a festival and support slots around the world in 2013.

Visit them here - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Exalt-Cycle For fans of: Machine Head, Mastodon

6. Jamie Parisio – You promised me the sea [EP] Jamie Parisio isn’t doing anything wrong as such, but he isn’t bringing anything new to the already crowded table of artists offering a similar sound.

The EP is an easy listen and it accompanied my Sunday afternoon ironing session, but I would like to see Jamie step it up a gear with his future work.

Visit him here - https://www.facebook. com/Jamie.Parisio For fans of: Blur, Radiohead, Indie

Who are ‘Process’ and how would you describe yourselves to potential new fans?

We´re a Danish metal band consisting of 5 members with different backgrounds and inspirations. We play melodic metal with aggressive/clean vocal.

The lineup is 2 guitars, bas backing vocal, drums and lead vocal.

Process have made 3 ep´s before “Through Acknowledgment Only” and were formed back in the nineteen’s as an idea. The first many years it were not so seriously and we proceeded were slow. A lot of changes of members in that period were also slowing things down.

After a couple of ep´s we felt that things were not moving so Mario and Mads joined the band to speed things up.

Which artists do you cite as influences on your sound?

Hmm it´s quite difficult to say. We tried to achieve a clear and precise sound so you really could hear what´s been played, and we think the result is satisfying.

With our budget you can´t expect to have a sound like Meshuggah.

Have you ever been compared to a band which you would rather not be associated with!?

No, not so far I remember. We have been compared with a lot off bands and some of these were a bit strange but the most of the comparisons whereflattering FX Sylosis – All That Remains – Death …. .

You have recently released your new second full length album. How did you approach the writing and recording of this record? Did the line-up change effect your sound / style?

It´s actually our first full length album.

The lineup changed back in 2008 where guitarist Mario joined the band. We already had most of the material written but Mario gave a lot of god newinputs and of course he´s solo’s.

Yes we changed the stile after Mads and Mario joined the band, to faster and more technically music with more leads and harmonies. Lennarth have also changed the vocal into a more aggressive style.

What has the feedback been like so far from press, fans, family?

So far we had some pretty god reviews from magazines and webzines and only two who suggested that we moved to the moon.

The fans have been really great and their support have been amazing, so it´s really a pleasure to play live. At one gig a guy came to the stage and said that he has tried to get the album and t-shirt for more than a half year.

Our families have been great supporting us through hard times and of course they bay a lot of merchandise Ha ha How do your songs translate live? And are there any personal favourites for both yourselves and the fans?

Live, the songs get more energy and brutality, they really come alive.

Any favorites hmm? For me personally I really like to play “Human Sacrifice”, and the fans, according to our My Space, are “Detached from Life” their favorite, but in general we get applause for all the tunes. .What are you feelings about the music industry? What lessons have you learned so far?

The Industry struggle to survive, and of course we as musicians haven´t the same opportunities to financing records and tour´s. We have learned that only hard work and a little bit off luck is how to run band.

Tell us about your rider list for the tour? Are you metal divas?

Ha ha – metal divas. No, we are all hard working men with jobs 8-6. Only in the evening we are “metal heroes”.

So basically we need food, beers and audience – then we are happy.

If you could share the stage with any band, who would it be and why?

There are so many, and to be honest we all have our favorite artist, but for me maybe Arch Enemy or Entombed should be the band. Arch Enemy because off their guitar work - Entombed while they made me listening to metal.

Where can we find out more about you online?

Visit process at www.Myspace.com/processdenmark And on www.facebook.com/processdenmark Contact and booking: processdenmark@hotmail.com Any parting words for the Sonic Shocks readers....

Check out our new video to “fatality” onwww.youtube.com/user/Process6000Remember to eat a lot of red meat, drink a lot of beers and stay fucking metal.

Cheers,

Anders M. Pedersen.

6. The Apostates – Wide Eyed and De9. The Dead Oaks – Karhu [EP] Fresh on the scene and waving the flag for alternative rock acts, they are clearly a talented bunch with a chilled out vocal, you can’t help but tap your feet along to this three track debut EP. I have no doubt that we’ll be hearing and seeing The Dead Oaks making an impact in 2013 and once they’ve perfected their chosen sound, they’ll be flying.

Visit them here - www.facebook.com/ pages/The-Dead-Oaks For fans of: Kasabian, Keane 10. Romina Power – Da Lontano [Album] We really don’t get the country, Americana stuff here in the UK and whilst

Romina Power does an adequate job of representing her genre, it’s unlikely that she’ll make too much of an impact on overseas charts. She is a good singer-songwriter, but this is music fit for furniture shops.

Visit her here - https://www.facebook. com/pages/Romina-Power-official For fans of: Country, Americana, Female singers