OF MICE & MEN | THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA | DON BROCO | CROASSFAITH
“IF I WASN’T IN THE BAND... I’D BE A TWO TIME LOSER.”
WE CATCH UP WITH MR CARLILE - OF MICE & MEN!
TELL IT HOW IT IS!
YOU’RE NOT ANT TO GOING TO W UE! ISS IS H T MISS
WE SPEAK TO THE CHEERY DAN WILLIAMS - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
WE TAKE TO THE STREETS WITH KEELAN PHILLIPS
INTERVIEWS | ALT BEAUTIES: BETTY HAVOK | REVIEWS | EVENTS
CONTENTS
[W! #23] Hey W! Readers, Welcome to the New Year, better late than never. We’re currently in the midst of quite a few changes within the zine and the team so you’re likely to see that within the next few issues! Here you can find interviews with the likes of ‘Of Mice & Men’ and ‘Emmure’, reviews of ‘Trivium’, ‘Unforeseen Prophecy’ and more. Also, you won’t want to miss this month’s smoking Alternative Beauty, Miss Betty Havok! Next month we’re bringing back our ‘introducing’ section, bringing you the newest, hottest bands on the scene as well as lots more luscious girls and would you believe it, guys as well! Loads more bands, loads more ink, loads more reviews in next month’s issue! Lots of love, Zoe Blush xo
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Editor Zoe Blush Writers Jake Owens Carl Battams Zoe Blush Photographers Carl Battams Jake Owens Lauren-Becki Rowlands Frances Sales Designer Zoe Blush
Š Wasted! Magazine All Rights Reserved. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that details in this publication are accurate, we cannot accept responsibility for such. Readers are advised to check listings information to avoid disappointment. Views and opinions expressed by contributors are that of their own and not of the magazine as a whole.
Having done a full interview with the guys from Of Mice & Men in a past issue, Jake went to catch up with the boys & see what they’re making of 2012! One of America’s finest bands recently toured the UK, playing sold out shows pretty much everywhere. We caught up with the chaps to discuss all things Micey. SO ALL THE SHOWS ON THIS TOUR ARE SOLD OUT, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU GUYS FEEL? “It feels great! I remember the 1st time we came here after getting Alan back, and I said, we’re on another continent, and people are coming to our shows, and that’s the greatest thing ever. Some of these people’s 1st language aren’t even English but they’re coming to our shows and singing along to all our songs, and I don’t think there’s many greater feelings than that. We’re really very grateful for that, it’s unbelievable.” WHAT KIND OF STUFF DO YOU GUYS LIKE TO DO BACKSTAGE THEN? “That we’re allowed to discuss? Not much haha! We err... We have a good time, you know, we party hard within responsible limits. We’ll do anything other than trash places, we rage hard but we’re a group of guys that were all raised really well. We work hard and we play hard, although we probably work harder. Our mentality is; we’re really glad to be playing these shows so we won’t trash the dressing rooms or whatever. But on the other hand you know, we’re in this situation and what would any band do? Being on tour with your best friends, we’re gunna party and have a good time haha.”
SO AARON PAULEY FILLED IN ON BASS FOR YOU GUYS THIS SUMMER, DO WE SMELL A PERMANENT POSITION THERE? “It’s still a relationship you know? It’s like we’re dating him, like when you have a girlfriend right, you date them because you love them. Unless you’re cheeky. It’s like that because if it keeps going on, and going great like it is, then we’ll probably marry him. But on the other hand, if it gets worse then we’ll break up with him and look for a new ‘girl’ you know? That’s how we treat it anyway, Aaron’s a great guy, and an amazing vocalist, flawless live, plus all the positivity and light he brings to the band! We’re in one of those relationships where people would have to unfollow us on Twitter because we’re so in love haha, that’s how we are with Aaron! Within 3 or 4 months everyone will know if he’s there or if he’s gone, but we love him to death. Hopefully we don’t cheat on him! OH NO, I SLEPT WITH ANOTHER BASSIST! Hahaha.” SO ON THE RE-RELEASE OF THE FLOOD, WE ALL HEARD A MORE AGGRESSIVE SOUND, TELL US A BIT ABOUT THAT? “We were pissed off. We felt aggressive haha. We wanted to make 3 songs that were just more mean and angsty, cos that’s just where we were, but we didn’t wanna do a whole CD like that because it’s not a new direction we want to take the band in entirely, we just wanted to go there for a bit. Our 3rd album is going to go right back into where The Flood was, and include bits from the re-release, so it’ll have those melodic choruses, big bridges, but with heavier breakdowns and a bit faster. For the re-release we just wanted to make these 3 pissed off songs, and the stuff
we wrote about was meaningful too, we didn’t just wanna seem angry. The lyrics are real things that’ve happened in my life you know? That’s something that I’ll always keep as an artist you know? Booty and cash flowin’ up in the club is great, and I love hip-hop and pop (Sings Justin Beiber - Boyfriend), man I love that song! BUT! I’d rather write about stuff people can hear and go wow, I’ve felt that too. It’s stuff we’ve felt too, we can relate to it too, it’s our lives on a CD.” WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE NEW RELEASE THAT WE’VE NEVER SEEN FROM OF MICE & MEN BEFORE? “We for the 1st time in our career are getting to take our time with it! We’ve penciled in some studio time next year and it’s a way away, which’ll give us the time to do the writing we do when we’re on our bus both here and in the States. Then we’ve got some time off at the end of the year so we can all be with our families and some more time writing. We have a lot of time to write skeletons and demos of songs, then meet and work on them over a few weeks, which is really awesome for us as a band. If you love Of Mice & Men already, you’re going to fucking LOVE the 3rd album, and if you’ve not heard of us before you’ll either love it or continue to not give a shit haha. Everyone who likes us and is listening to this video will dig it, unless you’re a Grandma, in which case it may not be for you!” The Flood Deluxe Re-Issue is out now via Rise Records.
WASTED! | 8
One of the bands that people love to hate, and hate to love, Emmure, to some, are everything wrong with the ‘Deathcore’ scene, although this is something that the band are quick to dissociate themselves from. Hailing from Queens NY, the band are not only one of the heaviest, yet accessible bands in ages, but they combine elements from extreme metal and rap music, something they pull off seamlessly. We were lucky enough to have a chat with frontman Frankie Palmeri when the band were in town supporting Parkway Drive, here’s what went down. SO YOU BROUGHT OUT A NEW ALBUM OUT LAST APRIL, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT? “Slave to the Game’, it’s been well received overall I think. There’s some songs on it that I’m really stoked on and I consider it as a stepping stone for the band’s creatively. We’re looking forward to putting a new album out already and that’s really it you know, we placed some songs on that album that I think really translate well and I think it’s pretty brutal and real.” WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH JOEY STURGIS AGAIN? “Well, he’s a professional and a master of his craft in his own right so he definitely helped bring an awesome sound to the band and really knows how to bring a band to life and make sure the material the band brings to the plate is top notch. He definitely plays his role and his part and much love to him for working with us once again.” YOU’RE ONE OF THE BIGGER NAME IN THE DEATHCORE SCENE, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT PERSONALLY AND AS A BAND? “Personally, I don’t really care much for the title, but I think its cool that people consider us leaders or something, whether it’s deathcore or whatever that’s cool, I just hope that heavy music continues to grow and more people can learn to understand the evolution of it all because it can become such a niche thing that not a lot of people get a chance to get involved in it. I hope that more bands and people allow some breathing room for more extreme bands to able to become more mainstream as we would say.” YOUR GENRE CAN RECEIVE A LOT OF CRITICISM AND CAN BE PERCEIVED NEGATIVELY, WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ON THIS? “I think its great that there are people out there that try to bat it down because that creates a counter energy from the people that want to see it do well and there’s always going to be those two opposing forces you know so people that want to say that they don’t like it, I don’t really care because music and everything evolves and as we grow into the future, ideas are starting to become more and more cross pollinated and you’re started to see artists sharing different kinds of genres. I’ve heard metal bands use techno and you know hip hop artists meshing with hardcore bands so the sky’s the limit really.”
WASTED! | 9
DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR FUTURE RELEASES? “Yeah, we’re working on some stuff right now. We’re pretty anxious to put some new music out because I think that what was on our last album was more of a test run to see if we could pull off story telling rather than raw emotion, which I think where our band really excels is kind of being more honest and pure in terms of writing and lyrically so we’re looking forward to getting back in the studio and putting some stuff down that’s going to be really moving, really honest and more personal than our previous releases.”
HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN ANYTHING THAT YOU’VE FELT TOO CONTROVERSIAL? “I’ve questioned myself in that sense and I’ve also, maybe shot myself in the foot by being almost too open but I think that to be an artist that stands out you kind of have to be like that, be ready to risk it all and put it all out there so I don’t really regret anything at all just, there’s definitely that in the back of my mind just, you know - “Am I sharing too much?” But I think that at the end of the day that’s what an artist needs to do, put it all out there and be transparent so hopefully I’ve achieved that.”
CAN YOU TELL US THE INSPIRATION BEHIND SOME OF THE MORE PERSONAL LYRICS THROUGHOUT YOUR WORK? “There’s been a lot of familiar topics that I’ve dealt with, I mean I’m 26 so I guess you could consider most of my lyrics as a coming of age kind of thing, putting things in perspective, whether it be heartache or friendships or family or things like that, things you go through becoming a young adult and I think I’ve come a long way so I’m ready to explain new territories and things I’ve felt as a part of my life.”
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK YOU’VE EVER WRITTEN AND ANY REASON BEHIND IT? “Ahh man, I don’t play favourites man *laughs* I really don’t, there are some favourites we have together when we play live that we love playing, like Children of Cybertron is a really fun track to play, even if it’s not one of the most personal tracks we play its still like an anthem and I really like it for that reason so I would consider that one of my favourites.” SO IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD
CHANGE ABOUT YOUR SITUATION TODAY? “No, I think that we’ve come a long way, I think that where we are right now is really awesome and we’re still growing as people and as a band so I think that right now we are at our tightest and strongest that we’ve ever been and we’re ready to tackle anything as a group.” HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY BANDS OR ARTISTS THAT HAVE HAD A PARTICULAR INFLUENCE ON YOU AS A BAND OR PERSONALLY? “Yeah I mean I get influenced by things that I hear all the time, whether it be from hip hop or EDM or hardcore or whatever, notable bands that have made an impact on me were bands like ‘Neck’ which I grew up listening to, obviously everyone knows I was a huge ‘Limp Bizkit’ fan, I still am, love that band, there’s a long list of bands where I love the raw energy, the list goes on. SO HOW ARE YOU FINDING THE PWD TOUR SO FAR? “It’s great, Parkway are our peers and our homies for sure, being on tour with them is an awesome way for both of us to reach some great audiences, have them come out and
enjoy at a really good ticket price so yeah!” HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR DOWNTIME FROM THE BAND? “Either working on music or writing or getting tattooed or speaking to friends and family back home, you know, stuff like that.” HAVE YOU GOT ANY PLANS BEYOND THIS TOUR? “Yeah we’re heading back to the states in January to go on tour with our friends in Whitechapel, but we’re planning on coming back to Europe soon after that so keep an eye out for us.” SO WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WEREN’T WITH EMMURE? “I swear if I wasn’t in the band I’d be selling drugs and writing on walls. I know that I’d be a two time loser.” WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT? “I guess it has to be surviving it all, you know, still being here, still dealing with the ups and down of it all and keeping a positive attitude throughout, I get a lot of stick from the metal/hardcore community but I think at the
end of the day it’s only made me stronger and made me appreciate what I do even more.” IS THERE ANYTHING TO ASPIRE TO IN THE FUTURE? “Continue with my music, reach more people and stay creative, whatever comes my way, you know I’m down to do anything, I’ve done some acting, write all kinds of music and I just, do it all what can I say. Is there going to be anything special due tonight in terms of material/surprises? I don’t know, tonight will definitely be a special night just for the crowd, I think it’s going to make the night great, seems like the people in London really freak out!” HAVE YOU GOT ANY MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD FOR FANS? “Much love and respect to all of our fans here in the UK we feel the love and its much appreciated, to anyone reading, thanks for checking us out and we’ll catch you soon!” Emmure’s catalogue is available through Victory Records, and the band will be back in the UK in April with Chelsea Grin, Attila and Obey The Brave! Go see them live and see what all the fuss is about!
WASTED! | 10
TELL US THE WEIRDEST FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?
“I can put both feet behind my head.” ______________________________________________
WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
“You will always find me at the cinema! I love a good Horror movie! Either that or I’ll be at the day job making Coffee’s for the masses.” ______________________________________________________________
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE BAND?
I’m getting back into good ol’ slipknot! Ready for Download! Nothing like a classic to bring back some happy memories! ____________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST LIVE SHOW YOU’VE BEEN TO AND WHY?
“I’ve been to so many it’s hard to pick one but if I had to I’d pick Family Force 5! They were amazing and because it was a small venue it was more personal and at one point the lead singer was running around wearing mirror ball hulk fists, what more could you want!?”
DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL HABITS OR HOBBIES? “I think a lot of people would say that being a fetish model would be quite an unusual hobby!” _________________________________________ TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR INK?
“My first was a tiny little ladybird on my left wrist that I got when I first turned 18 and most recently I’ve finished the big pink roses on my ribs. I love all my tattoos but my favourite is a small part of my right sleeve - I’ve got a tiny little cherub that looks a little bit like Donny Osmund!” __________________________________________
WHO ARE YOU CRUSHING ON? “M Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold HANDS DOWN!”
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FUNNIEST DRUNKEN MOMENT?
I used to live in Milton Keynes near an old Rock Club, (it isn’t there anymore) and there used to be a horse statue, I think the funniest thing I’ve ever done drunk was spend about an hour trying to climb on top of this statue and then acting out a scene from the grand nationals with my sister. _________________________________________________
WHAT IS YOUR CLAIM TO FAME?
“Getting the Cover of Hayburner magazine! Seeing my face all over VW Festivals is pretty awesome!” ____________________________________________
GIVE US YOUR BEST CHAT UP LINE?
“I bet your name is Jacobs, cause you’re a real cracker!”
IF YOU WERE A FLAVOUR OF ICE CREAM, WHAT WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?
“I would be chocolate but with brownies, sprinkles and whipped cream! There’s nothing better than making something even better with some extras! Just like tattoos!” _____________________________________
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS TIME? Everywhere! I want everyone to be so sick of my face! But seriously, I’d love to continue on with my modelling and have made loads more amazing friends and built some great friendships with companies and designers.
BMX PROFILE: KEELAN PHILLIPS
WHEN DID/HOW YOU START BMX?
“I started when I was about 9 or 10, my brother gave me his crappy old bmx and I loved it, I was out on it all the time!”
WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE YOU HAVE RIDDEN? “There’s been loads but as far as a ‘riding trip’ the best place by far was Athens/Atlanta USA. It was so cool out there, riding everyday, partying at night, contests etc, everything, makes me want to go out to America all the time, cant wait to go back at some point!”
WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE?
“Out of all the riders worldwide, there’s only about 6 or 7 which I really like, if they have a new video out I must watch it, they all stand out as individuals which is really important. That’s the biggest influence, seeing someone just being themselves and not caring what anyone thinks of them, that’s what freestyle is all about, doing your own thing.”
WHAT MADE YOU PICK FLATLAND AS OPPOSED TO PARK/TRAILS/STREET ETC?
“I personally did it to be different. Everybody rides street or ramps, I liked flatland as it was so different but not only that, in the flatland world, each rider can be very different too. I feel there was way more I could do with flatland.”
TRICKS, YOU HAVE INVENTED A FEW IN YOUR PRO CAREER RESPECTIVELY. ANY NEW ONES YOU ARE WORKING ON THAT YOU WOULD CARE TO TELL THE READERS OF WASTED? “For me it’s about jump tricks now, or air tricks, so hard, and I’m battering myself learning these new combo’s but its got to be done!”
HOW HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN SINCE APPEARING ON CHANNEL 4’S ‘CONCRETE CIRCUS LAST YEAR?
“It has been the same. I still do shows/demo’s all over the world but its cool that people got a chance to see flatland on mainstream telly! Not many people even knew what it was so I’m chuffed they got to see me do it!”
DO YOU HAVE ANY SOLID PLANS RIGHT NOW, OR ARE THINGS STILL UP IN THE AIR?
“Yes I have some solid plans involved with riding, I’ve got three big projects I have to do by the end of the year. It can be quite stressful but it is worth it in the end. I want to be learning these new tricks and riding every day.”
ANY LAST WORDS?
“Yeah, just that if I can be a slight influence to anyone, I just want to say that you’ve got to do your own things. No matter how big or small, even if people don’t understand or they think it’s weird, just go down your own route and don’t give a fuck!” Thank you for your time Keelan, we wish you all the best for the future! Images and interview by Carl Battams.
WHEN DID/HOW YOU START BMX?
“I started when I was about 9 or 10, my brother gave me his crappy old bmx and I it, I was out on it all the time!”
WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE YOU HAV RIDDEN?
“There’s been loads but as far as a ‘rid ing trip’ the best place by far was Ath Atlanta USA. It was so cool out there, everyday, partying at night, contests e everything, makes me want to go out America all the time, cant wait to go b some point!”
WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE?
“Out of all the riders worldwide, ther only about 6 or 7 which I really like, if have a new video out I must watch it, all stand out as individuals which is re important. That’s the biggest influenc ing someone just being themselves an caring what anyone thinks of them, th what freestyle is all about, doing your thing.”
WHAT MADE YOU PICK FLATLAND AS POSED TO PARK/TRAILS/STREET ETC
“I personally did it to be different. Eve body rides street or ramps, I liked flat as it was so different but not only tha the flatland world, each rider can be v different too. I feel there was way mo could do with flatland.”
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THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Coming off the back of the huge Rockstar festival with the likes of Slayer, Slipknot and As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada returned to England a full year (and a bit) after the release of their most successful record to date, Dead Throne. I caught up with drummer Dan Williams before the show at the Electric Ballroom supporting August Burns Red to have a chat about future plans, touring and the general goings-on of ‘Prada. WITH THE HUGE SUCCESS OF “DEAD THRONE” LAST YEAR, WHAT WILL WE SEE FROM TDWP GOING INTO THE FUTURE? I think it will kinda be along the same lines, if you look back at our old stuff you kinda see a progression, maybe a little bit heavier. I mean, we just got off tour with slayer, so maybe a bit faster. WE SAW THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HEAVIER SOUND COMING FROM ZOMBIES EP COMING INTO DEAD THRONE, ANY PLANS FOR A FUTURE RELEASE SHOWCASING THIS PROGRESSION? Yeah, actually we’ve already started writing stuff for the next record, nothing recorded yet but probably at the start of the next year, so yeah, very soon. SO WHAT ACTUALLY INFLUENCED THIS HEAVIER DIRECTION THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING FOR? I think to be honest it was a bit of the outside music world, people were associating us with bands that are similar to us that we didn’t really like, so we were like, “You know what? We’re not
like these bands” and we were gonna show people that we do our own thing, mixing like, new school metalcore with a heavier vibe and we kinda created our own thing. DO YOU GUYS FEEL THAT THIS PROGRESSION WAS A MATURITY THING AS THE BAND GROWS YOU’RE GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR DIRECTION AND WHATNOT? Yeah, we’ve been a band for so long now that we’ve learned how each other write and what kinda music tastes we have and our overall band vibe is kinda more in sync, brings on the fact that they’re more cohesive songs and they’re not just random all the time, they’re more directed towards a certain sound. SO YOU GUYS RECORDED WITH ADAM D. LAST TIME, ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR YOU GUYS TO BE WORKING TOGETHER AGAIN IN THE FUTURE? I hope so, I would love to do another record with him, but right now I think it all just comes down to timing, because he has Killswitch going on again now. So if timing works out then yeah, but if not hopefully he could still give us some insight. AND OF COURSE, HOW WAS IT TO WORK WITH ADAM? It was awesome, man he is...he is crazy. He pushes you to your limits, so it made for a better record for sure, plus you eat a lot of chicken when hanging around with him, he eats a lotta chicken.
Coming off the back of the huge Rockstar festival with the likes of Slayer, Slipknot and As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada returned to England a full year (and a bit) after the release of their most successful record to date, Dead Throne. I caught up with drummer Dan Williams before the show at the Electric Ballroom supporting August Burns Red to have a chat about future plans, touring and the general goings-on of ‘Prada.
SO YOU GUYS RECORDED WITH ADAM D. LAST TIME, ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR YOU GUYS TO BE WORKING TOGETHER AGAIN IN THE FUTURE? I hope so, I would love to do another record with him, but right now I think it all just comes down to timing, because he has Killswitch going on again now. So if timing works out then yeah, but if not hopefully he could still give us some insight.
WITH THE HUGE SUCCESS OF “DEAD THRONE” LAST YEAR, WHAT WILL WE SEE FROM TDWP GOING INTO THE FUTURE? I think it will kinda be along the same lines, if you look back at our old stuff you kinda see a progression, maybe a little bit heavier. I mean, we just got off tour with slayer, so maybe a bit faster.
AND OF COURSE, HOW WAS IT TO WORK WITH ADAM? It was awesome, man he is...he is crazy. He pushes you to your limits, so it made for a better record for sure, plus you eat a lot of chicken when hanging around with him, he eats a lotta chicken.
WE SAW THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HEAVIER SOUND COMING FROM ZOMBIES EP COMING INTO DEAD THRONE, ANY PLANS FOR A FUTURE RELEASE SHOWCASING THIS PROGRESSION? Yeah, actually we’ve already started writing stuff for the next record, nothing recorded yet but probably at the start of the next year, so yeah, very soon. SO WHAT ACTUALLY INFLUENCED THIS HEAVIER DIRECTION THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING FOR? I think to be honest it was a bit of the outside music world, people were associating us with bands that are similar to us that we didn’t really like, so we were like, “You know what? We’re not like these bands” and we were gonna show people that we do our own thing, mixing like, new school metalcore with a heavier vibe and we kinda created our own thing. DO YOU GUYS FEEL THAT THIS PROGRESSION WAS A MATURITY THING AS THE BAND GROWS YOU’RE GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR DIRECTION AND WHATNOT? Yeah, we’ve been a band for so long now that we’ve learned how each other write and what kinda music tastes we have and our overall band vibe is kinda more in sync, brings on the fact that they’re more cohesive songs and they’re not just random all the time, they’re more directed towards a certain sound.
SO THIS IS YOUR LAST DAY OF THE TOUR IN THE UK, FINISHING IT ALL OFF IN LONDON, HOW PSYCHED ARE YOU GUYS TO FINISH IT OFF IN THE CAPITAL? I love London, man. Last time we played the Underworld and that show was awesome people were just crawling all over each other, always good shows in London so I’ve actually been looking forward to this, especially because this is the last English I’ll be hearing for a month. SO UNFORTUNATELY WHITECHAPEL HAD TO PULL OUT OF THIS TOUR BECAUSE OF A FAMILY ILLNESS, BUT YOU’VE GOT VEIL OF MAYA COMING ALONG WITH YOU GUYS NOW, HOW HAS IT BEEN HAVING THEM ALONG? They’re actually a really good band, cool guys. We played a show with them in Texas once which was the first time we had met, but yeah I’m stoked to get to hang out with them again for the next few weeks. SO, YOU SAID YOU GUYS LOVE COMING TO THE UK, BUT WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO TOUR? My favourite place to tour is America, because were from there I think the shows are a bit more wild, as far as the UK goes, I definitely love it, but each place has its own vibe, you know? AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE SHOW COMING OUT OF THIS UK TOUR SO FAR? Ooh, favourite show...I can’t play favourites or I’ll get in trouble, we played somewhere we’d never played before,
TRIVIUM
AS I LAY DYING, CALIBAN & UPON A BURNING BODY @ SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE The night is off to a somewhat shakey start, as news reaches the venue that the trailer containing Caliban’s and Upon A Burning Body’s gear has been damaged and is stuck up in Nottingham, meaning that Caliban are unable to play. A real shame as we were looking forward to seeing them for the 1st time. Opening the show are Texas mafia boys Upon A Burning Body, who are, for want of a better word, heavy. The kind of heavy where it’s actually a bit confusing. This is good. Their mind boggling blend of borrowed lyrics from movies and umm... Prince, and crushing breakdowns is a real eye opener, and a lot of the crowd seem to be impressed with their performance. Personally we found them to be a laugh as well as a bloody good heavy band. Lovely. (8/10) As I Lay Dying are up next, and they set out to prove why they’re considered one of the best metalcore bands in the world. Their set is made up of their best tracks from their 11 year career and their latest album ‘Awakened’. All the songs are performed with a ferocity and passion which isn’t really apparent on the recordings, but live? Hot damn. It’s helped by the fact that Tim Lambesis’ vocals are so powerful live that the songs seem a lot more aggressive and gets everyone going. Some highlights would have to be ‘94 hours’, ‘Cauterize’ and ‘Nothing Left”, all of which sound absolutely enormous and get the crowd pumped. A real treat to see a band on such good form! Definitely recommended! (9/10) Finally it’s time for the headliners; Trivium. One of the UK metal scenes favourites since their famous Download performance in 2006, they’re back supporting new album ‘In Waves’ which is somewhat of a crowning achievement for Florida’s finest. They really look and act the part tonight, performing for over an hour and a half without taking any breaks or stopping for the pointless en cour moment, which is really professional and refreshing. They play incredibly well and stay true to their sound on the records, a sign of how good this band really is. The guys also have built a bloomin’ huge stage around them, with a huge drum riser, mirrored logos and lights galore. They put on a really great show and are one of the very best metal bands around right now, and you’d be mad not to go and see them when you can! Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! (10/10)
AUGUST BURNS RED THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA & VEIL OF MAYA @ ELECTRIC BALLROOM With a line up featuring two of the biggest names in modern metalcore and a technical death metal wild-card, this show was shaping up to be a killer; with huge riffs,beat downs, and even some salsa mixed in there for good measure, some serious showmanship was on the cards, so lets take a look at how this triple threat blew my mind. With Veil of Maya not necessarily fitting too well into this line-up being bought in after Whitechapel unfortunately pulled out due to a family illness, it was going interesting to see how they would approach this but as always, they didn’t disappoint. Veil of Maya’s set was the living definition of groove, bursting on to the stage with an explosive exuberance unparalleled by any opening act I’ve ever seen, with some seriously vicious string work by guitarist Markus Okubo and bassist Danny Hauser turning the crowd into a veritable sea of meshuggah-esque head bobbers. The clincher for their performance however was the insurmountable talent that was displayed by vocalist Brandon Butler, with earth shattering lows and harpy-like highs his live performance outshone anything he produced in the studio, all wrapped together nicely with his, quite frankly, sinisterly smiley stage presence. (9/10)
Next to take the stage were the highly anticipated fore-runners of modern metalcore The Devil Wears Prada famous for a pent up stage show with an animalistic presence from the entire group. The amount of aggression that Prada gave that fateful night in Camden must have been felt all the way in the South Bank as a be-bearded Hranica and Co. delivered the goods, breakdown after gut wrenching breakdown, riff after destructive riff the crowd were encapsulated by the pure aggro that was put on display. Their set went from strength to strength with the Zombie EP sounding as heavy as ever with the keys complimenting the harsh guitar tones perfectly and the clean vocals provided by Jeremy DePoyster clashing with Hranica’s primal, yet occasionally throaty, screams to deliver that Prada vibe that we all know and love. The only thing thing that could be said about this set that diminished the enjoyment slightly was the overpowering back line of drums that on occasion drowned out the guitars, but yet again that’s just a tiny nitpick in an otherwise great set. (8/10) Last, but certainly not least, the head liners took to the stage, the almighty
August Burns Red. What went from their classic club intro producing a dance party of epic proportions utter brutality ensued with riff after riff turning the crowd from a group of static intervals into a melting pot of endless circle pits. The string-men of ABR tore the place apart with a mind-blowingly airtight performance of blistering technicality and beat-downs of mass destruction perfected with years of pure professionalism with shred coming out of their ears. With enough meat in the tone to feed a pride of hungry lions and enough chug to service even the most well stocked fraternity house, you would have thought that the guitarists stole the show for ABR tonight? - Wrong. The highlight of their performance came from none other than their lead vocalist Jake Luhrs, with a stage presence as evil as they come. With arms as thick as tree trunks Luhrs dominated the stage showcasing his classic mic swinging shtick however when the mic wasn’t being swung round his head it was projecting some of the most utterly destructive vocals mankind have ever heard proving that once and for all, Christians can be brutal too. (9/10)
REVIEWS Don Broco - Fancy Dress.
Crossfaith - Zion EP
Unforeseen Prophecy Without Consequence
Don Broco are one of those bands which are very difficult to dislike, and their new single ‘Fancy Dress’ is just further confirmation of this feat. It begins with a bouncy riff and some excellently delivered lyrics, before launching into a big singalong chorus. From a technical perspective, the engineering on this single is very impressive, with all of the layers being easily discernable and clean, making for an easy listen. The bridge section which builds up to the final chorus and outro is a brilliant addition, and doesn’t feel like it’s just been bolted on for the sake of it. All in all this is just one of those solid songs which is bound to get you in the mood to listen to whatever this young band has to offer next, and based on current form, we can assume that whatever it may be will be brilliant as well. Stick this in your car and imagine you’re driving in the sun, it’s really rather pleasant. (8/10) - Jake Owens
Hotly tipped (and rightly so) as one of the hottest bands in the world right now, Crossfaith are a real thing to behold. If you’ve been lucky enough to see them live you’ll know exactly why there is such a big hype building around them, and if you haven’t, then you’re silly and really NEED to go out and watch them. They’re nuts. The Zion EP has been out overseas for a while now, and is just about ready to drop over here, and showcases a number of new tracks from Japan’s finest. Opener Monolith is a brilliant metalcore song, laced with a heavy dance track intro, pounding drums and downtuned guitars and some quality screamed vocals. In all honesty it’s probably the best song on the EP, and is hard for the rest to follow, although they all do a solid job of doing so. Jagerbomb is another great offering from Crossfaith, one which is sure to be a staple of the bands live show for years to come. The production is clean and helps to showcase the dynamic soundscape that this young band employ, and as a result, this is their best release to date. You need to buy this, and then go and see the band live, and they’ll likely become your new favourite thing ever. Fact. (8/10) - Jake Owens
Listen to this when you’ve had a bad day. Why? Because it’s utterly furious. Without Consequence is the new relentlessly heavy six-track offering from the Kentish quintet that delivers a continual supply of huge riffs and breakdowns without fail. First track ‘Trials’ kicks things off with one of the more melodic riffs from the EP, but it’s not long before Paul Well’s gnarling vocals come out of nowhere and grab you by the throat. It’s hard to describe just how coarse the screams sound, but if you imagine Randy Blythe smoking 20 fags with a throat infection you might get some idea. Merciless drop-tuned guitars and repetitive chants in ‘Silent Voice’ are reminiscent of Hatebreed at points but let’s face it; that can never be a bad thing. Impressive shredding solos also make a welcome appearance here adding yet more layers to the song. The clean female vocals towards the end however do sound somewhat out of place. Although this is an area definitely worth experimenting with, perhaps it just needs a bit of reworking. ‘God’s Gift’ stands out as one of the most memorable tracks, mainly due to its enormous intro riff which sounds like something Machine Head wish they would have written during the Burn My Eyes era. Chugging guitars in the verses pan across your headphones making you feel like you’re being punched in the head from both sides whilst double bass is used intelligently and effectively throughout. The EP continues to impress with a hilariously heavy breakdown in ‘Judgement Call’ and a brutal opening to ‘Fractured’ which could well be mistaken for Sevendust on steroids. Buy it, listen to it and work out some anger; it’s cheaper and a lot more fun than counselling. 7/10 – Connor Bryan
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