Metal Junkie

assassins Creed Revelations Review

2012-07-12T17:27:00.001+01:00

Assassins Creed is a series which has been going on since 2007, and with the now yearly release of the series, one has to wonder if the people at Ubisoft are looking at making this is alternative for video game fans who don’t want to partake in the yearly Call of Duty fest that happens every November. Thankfully this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Each new instalment since Assassins Creed 2 has focused on Ezio Auditore, a young nobleman from Italy. Whilst this is going on, in the background you have the continued story of Desmond Miles as well. This may become confusing for most video games developers, but Ubisoft have handled the two sections really well, keeping the 2 sections separated, but also interlinked via certain in game objects. Unfortunately this has all gone out of the window in Revelations, where the Desmond sections are entirely optional, where you have to collect a certain number of animus fragments to actually unlock his missions, and when you do get to these missions, there a mix of Portal and Tron, absolutely nothing like the original sections from Assassins Creed up to Brotherhood. It also throws you into first person camera, which throws the player off-balance as well, and makes jumping and platforming more awkward. If they were going to go first person, one would at least hope for some Mirrors Edge style parkour free-roaming, but no, it’s all linear. This is so disappointing as the story for Desmond was left at such as cliff-hanger at the end of Brotherhood, to be given this feels slightly insulting. It all feels like it’s just an add-on thrown in at the last minute with minimal thought involved.

The Den Defence missions as well, seem to be a clunky add-on rather than a well-thought out mini-game. Now these missions, apart from the first one, are optional, you just have to keep your notoriety metre down, which I managed to do throughout the entire game, so only had to play through the defence once, which was more than enough. You position assassins on the roof of buildings and shoot down attacking Templars, which on paper seems rather fun. But in person, the camera moves badly, and you just feel like you want to whip your sword out and start jumping down to face them one on one, but you can’t actually move.

Now these are just minor complaints against a massive backdrop of awesome, with the main point in question is that you get to play as both Altair and Ezio. Both have fairly different playing styles as Ezio has all the technology available to him during the 15^th century, whereas Altair is limited to what he had in the first game. Whilst these are amazingly fun to play, they unfortunately are few and far between. However the pure joy you get at playing as Altair again does make the wait worth it.

Another improvement is that you get bombs in this version, as well as a different type of hidden blade. These add extra dynamics to the game, with the hook-blade allowing you to travel on zip-wires throughout the city, which is an exceedingly fun way to get around the massive city of Constantinople.

It isn’t a vastly different game from its predecessors, but it does conclude the Ezio trilogy quite nicely, especially if you got the collector’s edition which came with Assassins Creed: Embers, which is a 20 minute short film on the conclusion of Ezio’s life.

This is a game that is definitely worth picking up if you are a fan of the series, but if you are new I would recommend starting at the first, and then working your way along as the story is so intriguing you will want to know what is happening.

Overall I give this game a 8.5/10

Transcendency- Weight of the World Review

2012-06-16T10:44:00.002+01:00

Transcendency are a local up and coming band from Guildford and have just released their debut EP. Having built a fairly big following around the local area the band are looking to break out with the release of this EP. With the quality of this E, they may very well be able to do it.

Featuring local promoter Graham on lead vocals (Check out his promotions company here), this is a band who knows the local scene like the back of their collective hands and know what their target audience is looking for. They hit that nail smack bang on the head with a collection of heavy riffs and the standard collection of screamed and clean vocals. Whilst this may sound standard in many of today’s metal bands, this is a band who manages to breathe a breath of fresh air into the music to make it move and come alive.

My only complaint really is that some of the vocals need a little bit worked on as some areas where the vocals hit seem a little off to me, which may be done intentionally or unintentionally. This is most apparent on Perseverance. Whilst this is only a small complaint, it does tend to become grating after a while. However on every other track it is done to near perfection.

Overall I am very impressed with this debut EP and as they have released it for FREE, it is definitely worth checking out.

8/10

As My World Burns - Mistakes art Gallery Review

2012-05-16T16:45:00.001+01:00

Metal bands from Spain are a rare breed, there are very few I can think off to name, now whether this is due to an enclosed musical climate, or them never breaking out of the local scene. Hopefully As My World Burns is one of the few to break out of their native country and break into the UK Scene.

Featuring both screamed and melodic vocals, As My World Burns features extracts from the metalcore scene as well as fusing it with the progressive genre to create a sonic implosion of sound that keeps the listener guessing. Throwing some djent style riffs down as well, this is a band that is always keeping the listener on their toes.

Featuring songs with names such as “Dali Carried A Melting Clock in His Pocket” and “Water Bears and Jellyfish” you can tell that this band is suitably insane which definitely fits in with their musical style. They flow from brutal metal to extremely minimalist passages featuring barely any guitar and vocals only.

My one complaint is that the mix needs to be better to get the vocals higher, and that the clean vocals need to be worked on a little bit more, in some tracks they are great, whereas in some others it starts to become a little bit grating over long listening.

Overall this this is a damn good attempt for an EP and is definitely the building blocks of something bigger. I definitely hope to see more of this band in the future.

7/10

7 Horns 7 Eyes- Throes of Absolution Review

2012-05-14T17:29:00.000+01:00

Having featured a review of their EP Convalescence a few months ago (Found here) Metal Junkie were already big fans of 7 Horns 7 Eyes and we were expecting a lot from this debut album. Thankfully they didn’t let us down and released an absolute knockout of an album.

We previously stated on our review of their EP “If you throw Prog, Death Metal and a little bit of Black Metal all into a pot and stir, what you are left with is 7 Horns 7 Eyes” and Throes of Absolution really brings this into a reality. Mixing all the above into one brutal and terrifying monster and really bringing all the influences to the fore whilst simultaneously forging their own unforgettable sound.

Featuring two songs from the previously mentioned EP, “The Winnowing and Vindicator” throes of absolution features 7 new tracks for listeners to get their head around. Final track regeneration is an opus to the progressiveness of Opeth, whereas “Delusions” goes into the death metal and black metal territories. This is an album that is full off little surprises”

There is not a single bad thing I can say about this album, it is definitely one of the best new albums I have heard, and is a finely formed debut album that goes beyond their years.

I heartily recommend this album to anyone who loves metal as a whole.

10/10

KARYBDIS announce details for debut album - From The Depths

2012-05-14T17:12:00.000+01:00

Listen to a preview track: http://karybdis.bandcamp.com/track/minotaur?permalink

Find out more about the band: http://holdtightpr.tumblr.com/post/22840082359/introducing-karybdis-melodic-death-metal-from

"The sound of metal’s past, present and future colliding in a shower of sparks, this band are constructing their own immortal mythology before our eyes and ears. Prepare yourselves: a new legend is rising from the depths!” - Dom Lawson, Metal Hammer

"An international maelstrom of metal coming at you from all four corners of the globe like a tag team fisting!" - Russ Russell, Producer

Rising from the UK metal underground scene, London based KARYBDIS are set to release their debut album 'From The Depths' on July 2nd 2012. Showcasing breathtaking flair and finesse, this is forward-thinking heavy music that marries the savage riffing and percussive precision of death metal, groove metal and brutal hardcore to the epic sweep of ancient Greek myths and legends. A potent new hybrid driven by passion, power and the tireless pursuit of progress, 'From The Depths' is as fresh and invigorating as any metal album in recent memory.

"We all have such different influences that we can’t be pinned down to a specific genre,” explains drummer Mitch McGugan. “The combination of all our ideas makes us unique. When we write we do it together and write what we want to hear. We never try to cater to a specific audience.”

Exemplified by a genre-blending versatility and a devastating degree of sonic depth and muscle, songs like imperious album opener 'Minotaur' and the monumental 'Demonstration' exhibit an otherworldly quality that belies KARYBDIS’ burgeoning reputation as new metalcore figureheads. Completed by guitarists Pierre Dujardin and Harsha Dusari, bassist Jay Gladwin and recently-recruited frontman Rich O’Donnell, this international wrecking crew have evolved at a breathless pace since forming in 2008 and have struck upon a fizzing, ferocious inter-band chemistry that has led to a debut album that bulges with jaw-dropping dynamics and moments of exhilarating intensity. Named after a mythical sea creature that appears in Homer’s Odyssey, KARYBDIS are as ageless and epic as the ancient tales they tell on 'From The Depths'.

“Karybdis created huge whirlpools from the depths of the ocean in order to engulf any passing sailors,” explains McGugan. “We want to exert that kind of power too. We wanted a link between the name of the band and album title, something that also represented the beginning of something new for us. The lyrics range from being about dreams and mythological creatures to notions of love, lust and grief. Rich is quite a recent addition to the band, but he really pulled out all the stops on this album, and surprised us all a few times during the recording process!”

The final piece of this compelling jigsaw slotted into place when KARYBDIS joined forces with legendary producer and sound wizard RUSS RUSSELL, recording 'From the Depths' with the great man at Parlour Studios in Northamptonshire. Famed for his work with Napalm Death, Evile, Dimmu Borgir and many more, Russell has brought the band’s music to life like never before.

“Russ was fantastic to work with,” states McGugan. “He was patient and helpful with things we found difficult and a real taskmaster when he felt we weren't doing the best we could! We had a huge amount to cram into the time we had and he worked incredibly hard to bring our dream to fruition: an album that sounds exactly as we wanted it to.”

Leading UK metal into inspiring and uncharted territory, pushing boundaries and pursuing a brave and noble path into the unknown, KARYBDIS will unleash 'From the Depths' on JULY 2nd, before embarking on their own epic quest to spread the dark magic of their music to the four corners of the globe. The sound of metal’s past, present and future colliding in a shower of sparks, this band are constructing their own immortal mythology before our eyes and ears.

‘From the Depths’ track-listing:

1) Minotaur

2) From the Depths

3) Without Wings

4) Arson Aesthetics

5) Worth It

6) I Say

7) Medusa

8) Maelstrom

9) The Hourglass

10) Deathtoll

Deprevate- Deprevate Review

2012-05-12T09:41:00.002+01:00

South London based Deprevate go against the status quo of the fact that Metal does not necessarily have to go hand in hand with screamed undecipherable vocals. Featuring heavy riffs and breakdowns galore, it is also accompanied with soaring vocals that fly over the tracks and really hit home.

Melodic Metal is a genre that really divides public opinion and it is a genre that normally needs quite a lot of power to break through the hordes of wannabe acts that are out there at the moment. Deprevate is one of these acts that are gaining the momentum to break through, helped by none other than Matt Hyde who has worked with metal titans such as Trivium and Machine Head. This in itself is a glowing praise of recommendation, and the production really stands for it, everything on the mix is really clear cut and mixed perfectly.

The songwriting is what stands the band apart from all the other clones out there. Big catchy songs with lots of riffs. Just what the doctor ordered for the metal scene

This is a genre that does grow stale very quickly however and Deprevate will need to evolve in order to stay fresh but at the moment they are creating a lot of ground movement and are definitely a band to keep an eye out for in the future.

8/10

GORTAL reveals details of new album !!!

2012-05-12T00:53:00.002+01:00

Polish death metallers GORTAL will enter the studio on 16th June 2012 to begin recording their second album entitled Deamonolith for a autumn of 2012 release by Pagan Records. The new CD has to consist of completely 9 new death metal anthems. All tracks will be laid down at Studio Progresja with Paweł Janos Grabowski at the helm.

GORTAL invited Michael, the bassist of polish legend PANDEMONIUM to record all bass guitar tracks. The cover artwork will be created again by Michał Xaay Loranc, who has previously worked with bands such as Nile, Behemoth, Armagedon, Trauma and many more.

Line up:

Chryste - guitars, vox (Pyorrhoea)
Major - guitars (Conquest Icon)
Desecrate - drums (ex-Lost Soul, ex-Pyorrhoea)
Michael - session bass (Pandemonium)

More info:
http://www.facebook.com/GORTAL666
http://www.myspace.com/gortal
http://www.youtube.com/user/666gortal

PAGAN RECORDS:
http://www.paganrecords.com.pl

Neverstar- When Dreams Come True

2012-05-11T23:00:00.002+01:00

Whenever someone mentions Symphonic Hard rock or metal, my mind immediately jumps to established acts such as Nightwish, or Within Temptation and I’ll admit I tend to forget about the smaller bands, but Neverstar are here to change that attitude.

With the voice of an angel, London symphonic metallers Neverstar are a breath of fresh air in a genre that can quickly grow stagnant and decay. They bring the heavier side of their influences to the game and don’t just rely on Vega’s vocals. They actually rock hard and Vega’s voice is just the cherry on top of the heavy cake.

What makes this band from all off the others that float around this genre? Well for one, they don’t rely on male vocals to back up the female vocals, they stand straight on their own, which while this may not be to different from the norm, if there were male vocals in, it would actually ruin the tracks. Vega’s voice is so strong it manages to seduce the listener into sitting there mesmerized and just focused on the music.

There is absolutely nothing to fault this band for, absolutely amazing and sonically beautiful music.They really live up to their album title, as for me, this really is a dream come true.

10/10

TesseracT- Perspective EP Review

2012-05-11T22:31:00.002+01:00

When Tesseract replaced their old singer with Elliot Coleman, a lot of people were worried about the direction the band were going to take, or even if they were going to implode or fall away silently. However this is not the case whatsoever, with Elliot’s soaring vocals being the main centrepiece of this acoustic EP.

Featuring re-workings of some of their songs off of the album “One” this is a perfect way to show off the new style of the band, and also how diverse they are as instrumentalists as their acoustic reworkings, not just straight ahead metal versions with new vocals plastered over the top. Also showing off the bands varied influences, this also features a cover of “Dream Brother” originally done by Jeff Buckley.

All of these songs show a different side of the band, which with their music predominantly featuring heavy 7 string guitar passages, these songs are beautifully melodic and make good use of Elliot’s voice, which as mentioned before, is definitely the focal point of this E.P. Although that isn’t to understate the value of the other musicians in the band as the transition from metal to acoustic is seamless and it seems like the tracks were written for acoustic performances, not metal. This shows a high-class off song-writing from the band.

Clocking in at 23 minutes in length, this is a piece of acoustic beauty that many don’t expect to come from the metal scene, and this will be an EP that will divide people heavily as some will want the metal side, whilst others will appreciate the beauty on offer here.

8/10

Lady Starlight announced for Born This Way Ball with Lady Gaga plus Judas Priest shows

2012-04-16T17:05:00.000+01:00

Lady Gaga has announced that long time collaborator and friend Lady Starlight will join her on the Born This Way Ball this year.

Opening the Ball, Starlight will DJ and perform to her favourite rock and metal tunes – awakening new people to her music taste and downright ballsy attitude.

Since the Monster Ball in 2010, Lady Starlight has been busy supporting bands (including Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Rival Sons, Black Label Society); as well as playing rock clubs, awards and festivals with her Rock DJing and performance art. She is currently on tour with Judas Priest in Eastern Europe, before she joins Lady Gaga on tour later this year.

Starlight says: “The Born This Way Ball is proof that dreams come true, the dream has never been to get famous and make money. My dream has been to have the ability to express myself in any way I want. Gaga has achieved this and wouldn't rest until she gave me the same opportunity. She is a true best friend. I was lucky enough to do the Monster Ball in 2010, and that was such a blast playing Slayer and Pantera to all the Little Monsters that now I¹m coming back!

I¹ve shifted focus to include my passion for progressive rock. Notably Peter Hammill and Van Der Graaf Generator - both forms of music that don't typically bring to mind theatrical performance! Developing a new kind of performance that combines many different artistic mediums music, theater, dance, fashion and video. Challenging expectations of the performers role as I’ve done with DJing. I hope to open minds and inspire people to follow their creative vision no matter how unusual or impossible it may seem. The Born This Way ball is the best place to deliver this message. It's all about inspiration, acceptance and freedom - and rocking out.”

Tour dates:

JUDAS PRIEST:

16th April Sportpalace, Kiev, Ukraine

18th April The Stadium, Moscow, Russia

20th April Jubileny, St Petersburg, Russia

BORN THIS WAY BALL

EURO DATES:
August 14: Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia
August 16: Arena Nationala Stadium, Bucharest
August 18: Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna
August 21: Vingls Parks, Vilnius
August 23: Riga Mezaparks, Riga
August 25: Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, Tallinn
August 27: Hartwall Arena, Helsinki
August 30: Ericsson Globe, Stockholm
September 2: Parken Stadium, Copenhagen
September 4: Lanxess Arena, Köln
September 8: Twickenham Stadium, London
September 9: Twickenham Stadium, London
September 11: Manchester Arena, Manchester
September 15: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
September 17: Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
September 22: Stade de France, Paris
September 24: TUI Arena, Hanover
September 26: Hallenstadion, Zurich
September 29: Sportpalels, Antwerp
October 2: Mediolanum Forum, Milan
October 4: Stade Charles-Ehrmann, Nice
October 6: Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona

Censura- The Island Review

2012-04-16T16:08:00.000+01:00

Heavy metal meets Electronica. That is probably the best way to describe Censura’s latest EP release The Island. Normally I don’t like this particular type of mix, but somehow Censura have made it work. Featuring the bodywork of music from the djent and the hardcore scenes and having the subtle overtones of the Industrial and Dubstep scenes, this is one melding pot of genres.

Featuring Jay Berast from tech metal up and comers Aliases on their track the Island, this band is not against trying new things. In this case, the final result was definitely a good one with the songs still retaining the neck-crushing brutality of the metal scene and the liveliness of the Electronic scene. This means that whilst your headbanging along to these tracks you’ll unconsciously want to start dancing as well. It is an utter wall of sound being presented here.

Clocking in at just under 20 minutes, it is chock full of brilliant moments, from the piercing clean vocal sections off final track We Have to Hurry to the previously mentioned guest appearance of Jay in the track The Island. This is 20 minutes of blasting metal and electronic excellence.

Overall this is a really good EP, and I would definitely recommend it anyone who likes either metal or Electronic music. Can’t recommend it enough.

10/10

Belligerence- Now Here's Your Secret Review

2012-04-16T15:23:00.001+01:00

Portsmouth groove metallers have just released their new EP Now Here’s Your Secret, and I’m left wondering what exactly there secret is as this music is insanely good. Featuring a mix off standard groove metal, with a hint of the stoner and the heavy rock thrown in for good measure, this EP just wets my appetite for more of their music.

This EP is straight ahead fast n heavy which is exactly the way I like my rock n metal, so it invariably appealed to me. The guitar work is frantic but not so much to seem out of control, and with only one guitarist to hold the groove along with the bassist and drummer he does his work exceptionally well, as it never feels like something is missing, like I feel with a lot of other 1 guitar bands when the guitarist goes off into the highs of a solo.

With the gritty vocals which remind me of Godsmack over fast groovy riffs that remind me slightly of Black stone cherry’s harder songs, this is music not to be taken lightly. They even do ballad material style well, with the start of the final track on the EP “Now Here’ Your Secret” sounding beautifully moving and at such a contrast to their heavier stuff.

The only thing that put me off slightly was that during some of the songs, were the gang chants which after a while I grew bored off, but apart from that this is a brilliant slab off groove metal which should quench the thirst for new music for the time being.

8/10

UK tech metallers ALIASES release duel guitar playthrough video // Announce UK tour

2012-04-04T13:13:00.000+01:00

Tech metallers, ALIASES have released a finger-breaking, dual guitar playthrough video featuring the talent of guitarists, Graham 'Pin' Pinney and Leah Woodward. The track, Sirens, is the finale on their 2011 EP release 'Safer Than Reality' which is available from pioneering European label, Basick Records.

View the video on Metal Hammer here: http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/video-aliases-post-sirens-playthrough/

The guitarists recorded the video ahead of their custom builds from UK based guitar company, Invictus Guitars. Leah plays a custom Invictus Alder carvetop SSH model with thru-neck design whilst Pin plays his Blackmachine B2 fitted with Bareknuckle pickups.

The band are currently in the studio writing their debut full length album, due for release later this year. Comments guitarist Pin:

"The new material is coming along really well and we believe this stuff is going to be a lot stronger and harder than the EP. This time around we've been writing a lot more as a full band in the practice room rather than writing everything on computers and sending it to each other. This has really helped to tighten up and evolve our sound and the results are pretty exciting. The rest of the year is going to be spent on the album and looking towards taking our sound over to America."

Never a band to stand still for a moment, the band have recently played several festivals in the UK and Europe, writing on the road when they can and have just announced a short UK tour throughout England in May. Dates as follows:

25th May – The Hat Factory, Luton
26th May – Moho, Manchester
27th May – Sound, Leicester
28th May – Corporation, Sheffield
29th May – The Duchess, York
30th May – O2 Islington Academy, London

Safer Than Reality is out now - available digitally via Bandcamp and iTunes or physical CD format from Basick and all good retailers.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ALIASES

https://www.facebook.com/aliasesband

http://www.basickrecords.com/bands/aliases

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC413E4A61112D147

About Aliases:
April 2010 saw ALIASES rise from the melting pot minds of ex SikTh guitarist Pin, guitarist Leah Woodward, drummer Darren Pugh, bassist Joe Heaton and vocalist Jay Berast. Following in the spirit of Pin’s legendary legacy, ALIASES are redefining the genre’s boundaries, with a hunger for experimentation and no fear of extremes. Pin explains: “We are interested only in taking Metal on a new and limitless path, allowing the music and vocals to grow organically and exist outside the common constraints of a single genre.” Wasting no time, the band set to work on their debut six track EP, 'Safer Than Reality', which was released in August 2011 to critical acclaim worldwide as a fearless example of technical metal at its most creative. A video for 'What's Left for Us?' was released, charting on the Scuzz TV channel and kick starting a series of tours, festival dates and support slots across Europe for the band. 2012 will see the band focus on producing their first full length release, with a series of tutorial videos and several tours as the band ready themselves to break into America, taking their tech frenzy on the road.

Black Stone Cherry and Rival sons Live Review

2012-04-04T12:49:00.000+01:00

Black Stone Cherry and Rival Sons played the HMV forum on the 28^th of March at the end of their long tour around the UK and outside the venue, the excitement couldn’t have been greater.

Whilst queing up to get inside the venue, I was speaking to some fans of both bands, and one mentioned that “I’m, not sure what band I’m more stoked to see, I love them both” which just goes to prove how big Rival Sons have gotten recently.

Once inside the venue, I was expecting the standard opening band warm up act that generally comes, but no, Rival Sons (8) came straight on and played a pretty amazing set. I’ve seen Rival sons before when they played the earache records xmas party (review found here) and this was a totally different experience to then. This time, which was an added plus, Jay didn’t have broken ribs so he could actually talk to the audience for once, and the audience was a lot more receptive I found as this was a rock crowd, not a metal crowd.

Jay and Scott (guitar) had a lot of energy on stage although I would have liked to have seen more energy from Robin (Bass). For Rival Sons I only have one complaint really and that is that every time Jay was trying to speak to the crowd, Scott kept on playing licks over him. I cannot tell you how much this irritates me as I like listening to what bands have to say. This for me brought the entire show down a little as it showed a lack of professionalism there.

Now onto the main attraction and my god Black Stone Cherry (10) was absolutely amazing. They had energy, they had charisma, they could work the crowd into a fury and then bring them back down, they were everything I expect a band to be able to do and they did it amazingly well and with style.

When not ripping through their furious classics such as Blind Man or Blame it on the Boom Boom, they brought out armchairs and a stool and played some of their softer songs such as Stay and Things my Father Said. That was actually one of the highlights of the show for me, getting the entire crowd to sing all the lyrics to Things my Father Said, gave the song that much more emotion and made it so much better.

They missed out entire covers, like Rolling in the Deep by Adele that they did at Downlaod last year, but they through in a couple of choruses in there from other songs, such as Rehab by Amy Winehouse, which gave the show that little extra flair.

Chris has some amazing charisma for a frontman as well, making jokes and interacting with the crowd. This is definitely a band I want to see live again and will be buying my tickets well in advance as this tour sold out months in advance.

Echoes- With an Eye to the Shoreline and A Hand to the Sea- Review

2012-03-27T12:15:00.000+01:00

Echoes have just released a preview to their new album With an Eye to the Shoreline and a Hand to the sea for FREE!! So Metal Junkie has gone out of our way to review it.

At first listen I have to say that I am pretty impressed by it. Describing themselves as Ambient and Epic, the music itself has a purely cinematic feel, which you can feel working its way through you, relaxing you. However the vocals offer an extreme juxtaposition to this feeling with screamed lyrics over the top, but surprisingly it works well.

This is the sound of an act that is up and coming and offering something a little different to the norm. At only 15 minutes in length it offers up an enticing preview listen to their forthcoming album and gives fans something to be excited about.

This is a very exciting preview and I am definitely looking forward to hearing the full-length, the only thing I wish was that they offered up some clean singing over it, as the screamed vocals do get a little tiring after a while.

8/10

THOUSAND AUTUMNS RELEASE NEW TRACK FOR STREAM Monday 26th 7PM.

2012-03-25T22:24:00.000+01:00

'White Compass' the new track by Hertfordshire based hard rock outfit Thousand Autumns is due to go live for stream on Monday 26th via their Facebook, this track is the opening track of the new highly anticipated EP titled 'Chasing Boats' due to be released this summer.

White Compass fuses punchy riffs with melodic rock and hardcore elements to deliver the perfect opening to any EP.

http://www.facebook.com/Thousandautumns

https://twitter.com/thousandautumns

Australian metallers ELYSIAN stream entire debut album ‘Wires of Creation’ online

2012-03-23T17:21:00.001+00:00

Melbourne based melodic deathers ELYSIAN, have streamed their stunning debut album, ‘Wires of Creation’, for FREE today, via metal website No Clean Singing. The album storms its way through eleven tracks of hook laden, flowing dark melodies, technical solo interludes and snarlingly evil vocal work and is released worldwide on Monday, March 26th.

The band are keen to not be lumped in as just another melodic death metal band, as guitarist Gabe Hutchinson explains: “Our main goal was to create a dynamic experience from start to finish whilst maintaining heavy songs. Overall it's a really heavy melodic death album but at times soars into things like an instrumental Pink Floyd-esque song with an electronic feel or a intricate percussive section. As a band, we grew up listening to music that incorporated acoustic ballads with blazing shred songs all in the one album, and it wasn't called progressive; it was called a good album. Some bands aim to have their songs sound disjointed by dramatically switching between genres; that’s not what we have done, the whole album flows, it attacks and it releases, its aggressive but gives you time to breath and take it in.”

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM FOR FREE HERE: http://www.nocleansinging.com/2012/03/23/full-album-stream-elysians-wires-of-creation/

Wires of Creation track-listing:

1) Mans Design
2) Sigma
3) Climb from Fear
4) Eternal Breath
5) Sense Offender
6) The Gate
7) Play the Hand
8) Calming the Storm (instrumental)
9) Conquest
10) Machine
11) A Cry from Helplessness
I. Remorse
II. The choice
III. The Fall

The album will be available via iTunes and all good digital retailers, check out the bands Facebook page for full details. ELYSIAN are currently working on a video and will then hit the road in April with an Australian tour in support of their album. ELYSIAN will also support Arch Enemy in Melbourne on April 31.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ELYSIAN

https://www.facebook.com/ElysianMetal

Listen online - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gubxkRx3hnE

Collisions release their Scuzz charting debut video online as they hit the road in Europe with HED PE

2012-03-23T16:42:00.000+00:00

“Collisions are f*cking AWESOME!”

Beez, Scuzz TV

Recorded at Black Hangar Studios with Metal Wasp Media [Protest The Hero, Acoda] and Digby Milner [Harry Potter, Star Wars], "Believe in This" by DnB-metallers Collisions has been released online, following a highly successful run on Scuzz TV, reaching No 8 in the charts.

View the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-tlmvtJl8g

The band are currently on tour with HED PE in europe, check them out on one of the following dates:

18 Mar, The Hydrant, Brighton, UK
20 Mar, L´empreinte, Savigny le Temple, France
21 Mar, Tivoli De Helling, Utrecht, The Netherlands
22 Mar, Nieuwe Nor, Herleen, The Netherlands
23 Mar, Orange Peel, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
24 Mar, Headcrash, Hamburg, Germany
25 Mar, Cassiopeia, Berlin, Germany
26 Mar, Undeground, Cologne, Germany
28 Mar, Universum, Stuttgart, Germany
29 Mar, Abart Music AG, Zurich, Switzerland
30 Mar, Bloom, Milan, Italy

http://www.facebook.com/CollisionsUk

Hammerfest 4 review

2012-03-20T23:11:00.000+00:00

Having returned from a weekend of metal in the North of Wales (Prestatyn to be precise) it was incredibly difficult to get back in the swing of things after such an amazing weekend. However trying to review one festival by oneself is nearly impossible, so for the most part as I focus on a lot of underground bands than the main big ones. I mean everyone knows how good Anthrax and Chimaira are live, so focused on the smaller bands such as Achren and Slam Cartel.

So first up on the Thursday night for the pre-party Firebrand Super Rock I am guessing weren’t to happy about being put on as the first band off the bill as it was the time when check-in was officially meant to start, so later on in the evening they pulled their van round to the chalet’s to play their own very special show for us. For me this was one of the definite highlights off the weekend as it was one of the most unexpected moments off the weekend. It also turned me onto them, so their plan definitely worked.

Following on from them, I headed over the Stage 2 and watched Dirty DC (8). With their full dress up with the school boy outfit, they really looked the part. They sounded extremely good but they are a cover band, and to headline the first night off the festival, it feels like a slight rip-off.

Friday night is where the real fun begins, and the first band I get over to see is Arthemis (9) on the 2^nd stage. They were amazing and the vocals were absolutely spot on, which for power metal, is generally quite hard. These are definitely a band to watch.

Following on, and opening up the main stage were Diamond Plate (5) who for being only 18-19 and opening up the main stage it is quite a mean feat, and maybe the band weren’t ready for it, as they seemed a little lost on stage.

Slam Cartel (7) were on at the same time as Waylander and Chimaira, so they lost quite a lot of their crowd to these bands. Which is a shame as their energetic brand of southern rock was pretty good. Some parts were slightly off key and they have some pretty damn good songs.

Following on were Paradise Lost (8) who were really good, but they unfortunately lacked a lot of stage presence, but with their style of music, it wasn’t really needed. Played a lot of their classics mixed in with some of their newer works.

Anthrax were on after but I made the strategic decision to go see Achren (10) who for me were the highlight of the weekend. It was just unfortunate they lost a lot of their crowd to Anthrax as they were absolutely intense and brutal.

Following on were British thrash up and comers Evile (9) who are becoming quite a name on the live scene. My only disappointment for them was the fact that they played the exact same set as when I saw them last back in December.

Saturday kicked off with Cerebral Bore (7) who hadn’t slept since playing in Northen Ireland the previous night, so this wasn’t their best show and they cut the set short which was hugely disappointing.

Following on were Senser (3) who were absolutely horrendous, the only good thing about them were the riffs, but apart from that, I couldn’t stand them.

After taking a little break from the bands to go and get some food, I headed over to the 2^nd stage to go and see Mortad (8) who were on top form, but they lost their crowd to Dream Evil which was disappointing. It was an extremely intense show but ended up with Somi sounding like she was losing her voice.

After missing Dream Evil I went and saw Amon Amarth (7) who whilst putting on a good show, could have done with better sound.

Finishing off the night and the weekend were Skindred (10) who had the crowd acting like putty in their hands. Benji was on absolutely top form and they absolutely killed the whole festival.

When Sunday came around it was time to head off home and back to normality with a 4 hour train journey. This was definitely one of the best weekends I’ve ever had.

Ghost Music signees Silent Screams, Essex boys Our People Versus Yours and Aussie newcomers Villa Rise announce UK tour in May

2012-03-20T17:05:00.000+00:00

"The music on display is damn near flawless”

Pete Withers, Rock Sound

Silent Screams hit the road throughout the UK this May in support of their debut album “When It Rains”, out now on Ghost Music, and take Our People Versus Yours and Australian hardcore newcomers Villa Rise along for the ride.

The bands will play their emotive hardcore across the UK on 13 clubs dates and also appear at this year’s Ghostfest in June, alongside Emmure, All Shall Perish,Comeback Kid and many more.

Dates:

May 1 – Joiners, Southampton
May 2 – The Riverside, Selby
May 3 – The Crispin Club, Kettering
May 4 – Marr’s Bar, Worcester
May 5 – Pool World, Neath
May 6 – Black Bull, Dewsbury
May 7 – Retro Bar, Manchester
May 8 – Shades Nightclub, Bridlington
May 9 – Stairway, Glasgow
May 10 – Liberties, Middleborough
May 11 – Club Revolution, Peterborough
May 12 – The Underground, Stoke
May 13 – Intake, Mansfield

June 30 / July 1 – GHOSTFEST, Leeds University

Check out Silent Screams’ video to “Pacific Highway”, taken from their “When It Rains” album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-xmwBHj1jc

Check out Villa Rise’s track "Keeper" from their upcoming “Wastlands” EP, out 30 April via Monarch Records:

http://soundcloud.com/kingsagency/villa-rise-keeper

Violet sign to Small Town Records and release The Brightside EP on 16 April

2012-03-20T17:01:00.000+00:00

Front running UK rock label Small Town Records is very excited to announce signing 2012 Redbull Bedroom Jam hopefuls, Violet. The seven piece alt-rockers’ debut eight track EP, “The Brightside”, will be released on 16 April.

Having launched and developed rising UK stars While She Sleeps, Heights and 2011 RBBJ runners up The Hype Theory, Small Town has an impeccable track record of finding great bands, and Violet are no exception. Label manager Pete Weeks comments:

“We signed Violet because they are awesome musicians and awesome people, who as a band promote everything this label stands for”

“The Brightside” EP, made up of five main tracks with three bonus tracks, is a gripping introduction to this exciting new act. Each song is filled with layers of melodic guitars, euphoric synths and dual vocals that range from luscious close harmonies to hardcore abrasion creating a huge sound, that at times feel more like an alternative rock orchestra, than simply a band.

Violet’s early influences stem from likes of Emarosa, Dance Gavin Dance and Saosin, but as they grew, their love of a huge range of styles from movie soundtracks to RnB, have molded their sound into something all together quite unique.

Check out their video to “Perspectives” here:

http://www.redbullbedroomjam.com/band/violet/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0-fqkmRWZw

Track Listing:

1) The Bright Side
2) Youth, And Those Who Keep It
3) …But Have You Heard Of Me
4) Perspectives
5) Seven For A Secret
6) Everyone Will Listen (bonus track)
7) Just Like Summer (bonus track)
8) Away From Everything (bonus track)

Violet release “The Brightside” the week they play Hit The Deck Festival, alongside the likes of Kids in Glass Houses and Deaf Havana. The band then head out on the road around the UK; first off in Scotland with Lights out Dresden, and then the rest of the UK with Attention Thieves and Stars Of The Search Party.

http://www.facebook.com/smalltownuk
http://www.facebook.com/violetmusic
http://www.redbullbedroomjam.com/band/violet/

Slam Cartel Interview

2012-03-10T17:19:00.000+00:00

Just before heading up to Hammerfest in Wales, James caught up with Steve from Slam Cartel and asked him a few questions about the upcoming festival

1. Hey Guys How’s it going?

Groovy!! Wild and crunchin!

2. For those who don’t know, can you describe the Slam Cartel sound?

Hard rock punky metal… We currently have our new single ‘Wishing Eye’ ‘A’ listed on Planet Rock, our album ‘Handful of Dreams’ rocks and it’s available at www.slamcartel.com, go check it out!!

3. You’re just about to play Hammerfest in Wales, How does this feel?

An honour. I love Wales. The Welsh were the first people to settle in Britain, they came from Troy, and Britain itself is named after Brutus, their king. They were here even before the Kelts. Which puts immigration into context. I might retire there. Or Nepal.

4. You’re on at the same time as Waylander and Chimaira. How do you think you’ll compete?

Music is not a competition. We’re three different bands so people will watch what they want, or just stick around ‘cause they’re too lazy to move. I’m personally disappointed that I’m going to miss those bands, they’re both fantastic.

5. What bands are you most looking forward to seeing?

Looking forward to Lawnmower Death and hoping to catch Cerebral Bore.

I’ve also heard a rumour that three members of a certain Birmingham band have got pissed off with their singer’s missus and are playing a secret show here with William Shatner on vocals... Actually, I started that rumour but it’s not catching on.

6. How do you prepare before doing such a major show?

Rehearse, argue, check the equipment, argue, double check the equipment, have a big argument, give up trying to be prepared and hope for the best.

7. Are there any rituals performed for luck before hitting the stage?

Myself and Marc(Bass and Axe) like to bring a Buddha statue, but sometimes we forget and bring a pineapple instead. It’s called Bob. He’s becoming a mascot. He’s been onstage with Rage Against the Machine, and has his own facebook page.

8. Have you got any other shows lined up for this year?

Not yet, we’re working on it, being self funded makes it difficult but we are determined to get around the country.

9. Anything else you would like to add?

Be excellent to each other, think for yourself, question authority and check us right out!

10. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview and we will see you in the pit!

Your welcome, beam me up scotty!

Echoes to release pre-album EP for free!‏

2012-03-09T21:51:00.000+00:00

Echoes have revealed today that they will be releasing their debut EP ‘With An Eye On The Shoreline & A Hand In The Sea” for free download on Monday 26th March. The EP features 3 tracks from the quintets forthcoming album, which is due to be released later this year and includes breath taking single ‘Leaving None Behind’.

Vocalist Joshua Thurbin said “We feel these tracks show the vibe of the album and give people the opportunity to hear what we have been up to over the last year. We're proud of all of the tracks but we've kept our personal favourites for the album, which will be released later this year!”

Catch Echoes on the road in the UK on:

March 26th - Hydrant, Brighton
March 27th - The River Rooms, Stourbridge
March 28th - Pool World, Neath
March 29th - B2, Norwich
March 30th - Unplug (18+), Birmingham
March 31st - Marrs Bar, Worcester
April 1st - Edge Of The Wedge, Portsmouth

Watch the video for Echoes latest single 'Leaving None Behind' below or from their Facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/echoesuk

Modern Day Escape Under The Gun Review

2012-03-09T17:38:00.000+00:00

When I first read through the press release for the album, first thing I notice is that they have an ex-member of Black Veil Brides on drums, I was sceptical to say the least. Now don’t get me wrong, I do like BVB, but I’m also aware that they have a very commercialised sound, as I have to admit, I was expecting the same from Modern Day escape.

To be honest, my first impression wasn’t wrong, they have a very commercial rock sound, much like BVB, but they lack the bite to match up to their bark. Their music is good, don’t get me wrong, but it lacks the bite to keep the listener motivated.

There are some very good tracks such as the ballad “voiceless” and “playing the victim” with has a feel which is very reminiscent to Escape the Fate. Unfortunately the rest of the songs just don’t add up to the rest of the album, and these sparks of genius are few and far between.

Overall this is an OK album, not brilliant, but not bad either, just slightly bland. I was expecting a bit more from the band I have to admit. This is just a commercial bit of cock rock that would sound right at home on sunset Boulevard.

5/10

Ghostfest 2012 announces nine more killer bands!

2012-03-09T15:53:00.000+00:00

Ghostfest have added nine more killer bands to the bill for the two-dayer at Leeds University Students Union on 30 June / 1 July, including Golden God nominees TRC and Heights, as well as the relentlessly fierce Feed The Rhino and metalcore favourites Bury Tomorrow!

(Bury Tomorrow)

Brotherhood Of The Lake, Prowler, Broken Teeth, Brutality Will Prevail and All Teeth have also been added to the bill.

They join Emmure, All Shall Perish, Comeback Kid, Defeater,The Haarp Machine, Silent Screams, Departures, Polar and Continents.

Tickets cost £35 Weekend / £25 Single day, available at http://www.impericon.com/uk/ghostfest.html / seetickets.com / ticketline.co.uk / leedstickets.com / Crash Records / Jumbo Records..

http://www.facebook.com/pages/GHOSTFEST-OFFICIAL-FAN-PAGE/109916129036016

http://ghost-music.co.uk

http://www.impericon.com/uk/ghostfest.html

http://Impericon.com

http://monsterenergy.com

http://timewilltellclothing.tumblr.com/