Wednesday 27 November 2013

Napalm Death and Keith Harrison Live Stream.

NAPALM DEATH & KEITH HARRISON's live performance collaboration is taking place on Friday 29 November (Sold Out) at De La Warr Pavillion. The band is working with ceramicist Keith Harrison for this one off performance.

I was going to attempt to explain the performance in more detail but I can't do the concept justice, so here's what the press release says: 


"A groundbreaking project which sold out in less than 12 hours will see the band come together with ceramicist Keith Harrison, to depict and destroy a custom built installation during a one off live performance. The band will play a special live set through an experimental sculptural sound system constructed by Harrison. Clad with blue and yellow ceramic tiles, the structures will potentially disintegrate as the performance progresses."


If you want to watch the event live from your homes then you will need to following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqqC1nMhsCw



Keith Harrison, V&A Ceramics Resident: 
“My interest in Napalm Death started in the late eighties when as a teenager in Birmingham I would listen to John Peel’s evening radio show when they would appear out of nowhere in jaw dropping fashion, sometimes for no more than a few seconds. The raw, uncompromising energy of Napalm Death will be used to activate a set of three specially created ceramic sound systems based on the group of vivid blue and yellow tiled tower blocks on the Bustleholme Mill estate, West Bromwich where I was born."
 

Mark 'Barney' Greenway, vocalist of Napalm Death:
"Sound as a weapon - or a weapon of change - is a very interesting concept and I think that the whole process of our sound gradually degrading clay sculptures is captivating. The noise element of music should never be understated and this event ar De La Warr Pavilion will hopefully demonstrate that music can do interesting things beyond the realms of clipped production techniques. On a personal level, particularly of interest to me is the fact that the sculptor Keith grew up around the very same area as me in Great Barr, Birmingham, and basing his sculptures around the tower blocks in that area brings back a lot of quirky memories mixed with the impressions of shameful deprivation in some of those places. Bustleholme is a challenging and exciting proposition, a bringing together of artists operating at the outer limits of their respective genres to create a unique happening that pushes the boundaries of artistic expression.”
 


For more information on Keith Harrison and his previous works check out his page on the Albert and Victoria Museum website, and to learn about Napalm Death go to their webpage

Napalm Death are: 

Mark "Barney" Greenway - Vocals
Shane Embury - Bass
Mitch Harris - Guitar / Vocals
Danny Herrera - Drums 

Tuesday 26 November 2013

JETTBLACK'S PledgeMusic Campaign reaches 34%...

As you all know my favourite band is JETTBLACK and at the moment they have a PledgeMusic campaign on the go to help fund their third album. Details of the pledge complete with hilarious video, and a list of all the exclusives on offer can be found HERE. The campaign is currently at 34% with 187 fans pledging their allegiance and 127 days to go! Personally I went with the Exclusive Listening Party Ticket and CD version of the album as my reward for pledging, but there is all sorts up for grabs and something to match every budget.

JB Fans across the globe, listen up – we have some amazing new songs in the making and we are almost ready to lay them down in the studio but the thing is, we need all of you to get involved and help make it happen.
Through this PledgeMusic page we want to offer you guys all sorts of exclusive & (occasionally fairly unique!) products and experiences which will allow you to be hands on with our next album and allow us to connect with our much valued fan base.
Some of the products on offer include limited edition T-shirts, Lyric Sheets, JB Logo necklaces and much more! Not only that we have an acoustic Skype gig, a gig at your favourite venue or even in your house and the chance to come and hang out at the studio during the recording of album number 3.
We are also pleased to say that a percentage of the proceeds will go to War Child International to help them continue their amazing work helping children across the world living in war zones.
Whatever you pledge you will automatically receive a download of the album along with extra content along the way- we will be posting videos, mp3’s, blogs, pictures and anything else we can think of making sure that you all get the chance to be apart of this amazing project as much as possible and thanking you for all of your support over the years.
We will be working towards a minimum number of pre-orders to make it all possible and you can track our progress using the percentage bar above. No money will be debited from your account until we have reached 100% of our target.
We are incredibly excited about having you all involved and we can’t wait to unleash the next chapter of JB together with you guys!
See you soon.
Will, Jon, Matt, Tom
JETTBLACK

 If you didn't listen to the interview I did with Matt (drums) for Infernal Rock Radio when it was first aired then why not take a listen via my Mix Cloud Page and get to know the band a little bit better.


Monday 25 November 2013

QUEENSRŸCHE release Ad Lucem 'mini movie'

 QUEENSRŸCHE are:
 
 Todd La Torre (vocals)
Michael Wilton (guitars)
Parker Lundgren (guitars)
Eddie Jackson (bass)
Scott Rockenfield (drums)


They have just released a mini movie entitled Ad Lucem, which over the storyline include the tracks 'Spore' 'Midnight Lullaby' 'A World Without' and 'X2'
 
The film was created by Veva Entertainment Co. with director Daniel Andres Gomez Bagby and producer Marco De Molina and was filmed last month on location in Los Angeles at Central City Stages. Take a look at the finished product HERE.
 
Todd LaTorre, vocalist had this to say about the videos concept: 


"The overall theme of the song Spore is one that deals with personal demons, relationship struggles, career pressures, personal/professional morals and ethical dilemmas.  These are issues we all face on some level and the video touches upon them all.  Midnight Lullaby/A World Without deals with the loss of a mother during childbirth, leaving a father as a single parent and struggling to move forward through the turmoil. X2, though it opens up our album, provides for a nice outro to it all. The end result is a roller coaster of emotion in an effort to find a healthy resolve. Given our history, we feel that this multifaceted conceptual video, along with a great cast of actors to suit, will really resonate with our fans."

Wednesday 20 November 2013

STAR SCREAM NEED YOU!

Star Scream are currently one of the 15 finalists in the running to play at the eclectic music & arts festival that is BEARDED THEORY FESTIVAL next May! The winner gets to play the main stage with Peter Hook & The Light who is one of the bands heroes and favourite artists of all time!



In order for them to play the festival they need votes and this is where you come in. Go to the Bearded Theory Facebook page HERE and vote Star Scream. If you've never listened to the band before then why not check out their track When Crimson Lips Spell Murder from their album Sexplotation which was released earlier in the year. 



"STAR SCREAM is a collective of human beings from the South East of England who use guitars, drums, white noise, strings, feedback, shouting and pianos to conjure up melodies to mesmerise in the 21st century.
STAR SCREAM exists in an age of copyists and bandwagon-jumpers, Its sole purpose is to sound unlike anything else you’ve ever heard whilst sounding exactly like everything else you’d ever want to hear." 

 

The Lawrence Arms Release First Full Length Album in 8 Years.


Lawrence Arms Are:
 Chris McCaughan - guitar, vocals
Brendan Kelly - bass, vocals
Neil Hennessy - drums


Chicago based punk rock band, The Lawrence Arms will release Metropole, their first album in eight years, on January 27, 2014. 

The huge gap between albums has obviously had an effect on the sound of the band but they are certain that it's for the best as Kelly recently discussed in a press release after the news of a new album: 

“Because of the way we exist as a band, it was important for us to wait until we knew we had something to say that was sharp and pointed and dynamic and incisive,” says Kelly. “And if we didn’t have that, then we’d just rather not make a record, ‘cause f**k it.”


METROPOLE TRACKLIST:

01. Chilean District
02. You Are Here
03. Hickey Avenue
04. Seventeener (17th and 34th)
05. Beautiful Things
06. Acheron River
07. Metropole
08. Drunk Tweets
09. The YMCA Down the Street from the Clinic
10. Never Fade Away
11. Paradise Shitty
12. October Blood

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Heights/Black Dogs/Catharsis

Generally speaking the gigs I go to (with the exception of festivals) are hard rock/southern rock or punky in nature, but last night I branched out and experienced something different: hardcore. Obviously I have and do listen to the genre but I don't recall ever going to a purely core gig, so last night I went down to Joiners in Southampton to see Heights for the penultimate show of The Old Lies For Young Lives UK tour along with Black Dogs and The Catharsis.

As well as the main supports there was also a local support (Joiners is very good at supporting the local scene) in the form of Our Hollow, Our Home and I am very embarrassed to say I had not heard of them before. They are a melodic metalcore band from Southampton, made up of:

Connor Hallisey- Vocals
Tobias Young- Guitar/Vocals/Programming
Josh White- Guitar
Tim Hoolahan- Bass
James Tuckey- Drums

For a band that was only formed in October 2012 they are remarkably tight live, both vocals stayed strong throughout and they gave an energetic performance that isn't always seen from the band that has to start the warm up. 

Personally I think the show fell on an unfortunate day of the week, most people don't or can't choose Wednesday as the night to go out, have a few drinks and get horribly hot and sweaty (and in some cases bruised) to eardrum bursting metal. 

I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN SIGN TO EPITAPH
.

I was already a fan of Australian metalcore band, I Killed The Prom Queen so to hear that they have signed to Epitaph and are working on their next album due for release in 2014 was great news! 

Here's what guitarist and songwriter of the band, Jona Weinhofen (Briefly a member of Bring Me The Horizon) had to say about the news: 

We are absolutely ecstatic to join the Epitaph Records family. Having worked with the label previously with Bring Me The Horizon, I knew exactly what Epitaph was capable of and that it would be the perfect home for I Killed The Prom Queen. Epitaph is already the home to so many of our heroes such as Converge, Refused, Pennywise and Every Time I Die, and has helped launch our good friends Parkway Drive, The Ghost Inside, Day Of Contempt, Letlive. and more. To say that we are a part of this family is truly an honour.”
 


They have been working on and recording their album in Gothenburg, Sweden which seems like the ideal place as it has definitely seen it's fair share of metal bands over the years. In addition to that they have been working with Fredrik Nordström who has been a part of the production for other metalcore and hardcore bands like Bring Me The Horizon, At The Gates, In Flames, Dimmu Brogir and Architects. 

We are dying to get this album out and into the hands of old and new I Killed The Prom Queen fans everywhere. To me this record feels as though I Killed The Prom Queen never took a break and is a natural progression of the band. You will hear hints of our side projects and new influences, but make no mistake, this is an I Killed The Prom Queen record through and through. Its fast, melodic, heavy, catchy and we have added a couple of new elements which really bring it up there with the level of music being created these days.”
 


Wednesday 13 November 2013

Goth metal act Lovelorn Dolls release video for latest single 'After Dark'.


New press release from Alfa Matrix regarding Lovelorn Dolls:
 
"Out now is "After Dark" the newest video for the Belgian goth metal act Lovelorn Dolls. "After Dark" is also the name of the band's latest single (released as an 8-track EP) and is taken from the album "The House of Wonders" which was released earlier this year in March 2013 on the Belgina label Alfa Matrix.

The new video was animated and directed by Emily Weeks who created a beautiful microcosmos for Lovelorn Dolls' music. The concept and story was arranged by Lovelorn Dolls' Kristell Lowagie and graphical artist Emily Weeks while the track was mastered by Victor Love from Dope Stars Inc."
 
To see the video on you tube just click here.
 
Lovelorn Dolls are Ladyhell (lyrics, vocals, arrangements) and Corpus Christi (music, programming, guitars, production), for more information on the band visit the following pages:
 

Sunday 10 November 2013

Upcoming Southampton Shows

Some of the upcoming shows in the Southampton area. I don't often have anything good to say about the city I live in but we do have have a good number of small venues to choose from. I think I will make more of an effort to post what's going on in and around Hampshire in the future, so maybe someone discovers a band they never knew existed.

Special mention that the American Headcharge show has RSJ and Maplerun supporting, both amazing bands worth seeing.



12/11/2013 Joiners Southampton Heart of A Coward
15/11/2013 Joiners Southampton Natives
23/11/2013 Unit Southampton American Headcharge
25/11/2013 Mo Club Southampton Mallory Knox
26/11/2013 Joiners Southampton NME Tour
28/11/2013 The Cellar Southampton Akala
28/11/2013 The Hobbit Southampton Baby Godzilla
01/12/2013 Talking Heads Southampton UK Subs
01/12/2013 The Cellar Southampton The Word Alive
07/12/2013 Lennons Southampton Purson
11/12/2013 Joiners Southampton Dead Harts
14/12/2013 Lennons Southampton Years and Years
18/12/2013 Unit Southampton Attention Thieves
21/12/2013 Lennons Southampton Nothing But Thieves