My Son The Bum - Alternate Animated Christmas Video

I received an email on Christmas Day from Brian Kroll, who has created this somewhat creepy and cynical, albeait very funny animated video/short film all about Christmas with the family.

It's called Flight Deck, and I'd advise you to not let the kiddies watch it...not unless you don't want to make it to Christmas 2014!

Check the video out on FearNet.

INHERIT THE STARS Announce UK Tour

Sheffield's emerging alternative/metal-core outfit Inherit The Stars are excited to announce details of their debut tour in January 2014. Titled the Ground Zero tour, the band are set to bring their explosive sound to venues across the UK.

If you want to know more about the band then head on over to their facebook page or go listen to the track Ground Zero taken from their We Were Made To Walk The Skies album to give you a feel for the powerful riffs and anthemic choruses that they are becoming increasingly known for. 

 January's Ground Zero Tour Dates:

Sat 18th Jan - The Leadmill, Sheffield

Sun 19th Jan - Kraak Gallery, Manchester

Tues 21st Jan - Three Tuns, Gateshead

Thurs 23rd Jan - O'Reilly's, Hull

Fri 24th Jan - Lounge 41, Workington

Sat 25th Jan - Woolpack Live, Doncaster

Tues 28th Jan - BCB Radio (Live session), Bradford

Wed 29th Jan - Hennigans Bottombull, Bolton

Fri 31st Jan - Bank Top Tavern, Oldham

 

SIKTH REFORM!

It's a great day to be a fan of those progressive metal godfathers known as SikTh, because they are reforming to play at Download 2014 where they will be headlining the Red Bull Stage. All six original members will be taking to the stage on Saturday 14th June, and seeing as they have played Download twice before (2003,2006) it seems like the fitting place to burst back onto the scene.

"Some of our greatest memories were playing at Download, so it was the natural place for us to make our return. The truth is we've all been dying to play those songs again. Hopefully we can put on an awesome show for the fans." - Dan Weller (guitarist)

  "So excited with the prospect of singing SikTh songs onstage again! I have missed that wild intensity the music and fans create together. Download Festival is the perfect place to do a comeback show" -Mikee W. Goodman

SikTh released their debut album The Trees Are Dead And Dried Out, Wait For Something Wild back in 2003 and followed up with Death Of Death Day in 2006, before they parted ways to pursue other projects in 2008. They have since become widely acknowledged as forefathers of British progressive metal, cited as an influence by many of today's most respected metal bands. 

Turisas announce special guest.

Finnish Battle Metal heroes TURISAS are happy to announce their label mates STARKILL as special guest on the upcoming “We Ride Together European Tour 2014”. The young quartet hailing from Chicago has just finished a successful tour supporting Amorphis.

"Even if we spent much of fall 2013 on the road, we only managed to scratch the surface of Europe, and now it's time to give it a deeper blow - something of a flesh wound I would say. In many cities, and even some countries, these are going to be our very first full headlining shows and we are all super excited to hit the road with a set that really allows us to fully show what we go for and include all the variety of the band that isn't possible to squeeze in into shorter performances. Brothers and sisters of Europe: it's time to saddle up and join us. It's going to be a hell of a ride!" - Mathias Nygård (vocals)

"Europe, we're excited to announce we'll be returning for another full tour, this time supporting our brothers of the sword: TURISAS! We're honored to be touring with one of our favorite bands and influences, and can't wait to see you all again!" - Starkill
 

Nonks Interviews Orange Goblin - Portsmouth Pyramids 28/11/2013.

Orange Goblin really need no introduction or explanation, they've been producing killer metal and hard rock for almost 19 years now, which is almost as long as I've been alive! Most recently they released their 7th studio album, A Eulogy for the Damned and have been touring almost solidly around the world since!
I had the great privilege of chatting with them just before their first UK show supporting Airbourne at the Pyramids in Portsmouth and the outcome was pretty damn hilarious. They were down to earth and easy to talk to, I had a blast interviewing them and hopefully you will all enjoy what you are about to read. If you didn't manage to see them on this tour you can always catch them next year at Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium as they have just been confirmed along with Carcass, Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Paradise Lost and many many more!

This evening I have the great pleasure of talking with the lovely guys from Orange Goblin, how are you all?

Ben: Very well thanks.  

Joe: Good. 

Martyn: You say lovely… 

Chris: You spelt ugly wrong!

I can change my mind by the end of the interview! You’re here for the start of your UK tour and you’re supporting Airbourne, but that’s by no means the start of your tour overall is it?

B: Tonight is the 151^st show of the year, and we’re at the stage now where ‘just kill us’ please.

Where have you been so far, any countries you’ve not been too before?

B: We started the year with the UK tour, 16 shows I think in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, all over England. Then we went straight over to Australia for the very first time, did five dates of the Soundwave tour and 2 side shows there with Kyuss Lives! and Red Fang, which were amazing shows. From there we went straight across to the USA and did 7 weeks in North America with Clutch, came home had a little bit of respite, and then went out and did 3 months in Europe on and off which was plagued with problems to say the least.  We got through it… 

J: I didn’t.  

B: No Joe didn’t, Joe came home because he ruptured his achilles… 

J: My leg fell off. 

B: Then we had a short break before going back to the USA and doing another 8 week headline tour over there, trying to follow up on the Clutch tour sort of thing. Came home, had 48 hours in our own beds, then went out to Greece and did some shows over there, we’ve had a week off since that and now here we are. It has been a very hectic year.

And London is going to mark 160, how do you manage to do that many shows and not go insane? Or are you already?

C: Insane before we started.  

M: Insane by day 1.  

C: I think what does help is that we do know each other, VERY well so you know. 

B: You can make a halo out of his hair, he’s like Bill Murray.  

J: It also helps that I’m an angel. 

C: Because we’ve been doing it for 18, 19 years now so it’s not as though we’re doing anything new. We’ve been doing it so long that doing shows and touring is part of the norm.  We’ve only ever done, the longest gig before was 6 weeks but you know, we’re used to it.

B: It’s been a real step up because as Chris said, in the past I think the most shows we ever did in a year was like 70 or 80 back in 2002 after Coup de grace did a European tour, went straight over to America to do a tour and then that was it, died out a little bit but this year its just been nonstop. But, on the flip side of the coin we kind of expected this, it was what we wanted, made the decision to do this band as a profession at the start of the year, we knew it was gonna be hard work, involve a lot of shows, and luckily we’re nearly at the end of it and we’re all still vaguely friends. We’re all still in pretty good health, its been an eye opener this year, a real learning curve as to how rock and roll works when you do it for a living. It’s a lot different to how people think.

J: That sounds weird, because we have been doing it for 18 years but it actually has been.

B: There’s this fairy tale that it’s the greatest job in the world; getting drunk and doing drugs every night, staying in fancy hotels and touring the world, and getting to see all these amazing places but you don’t. You’re stuck in a van

C: I think this year’s probably the least we’ve done of any of that, doing the rock and roll lifestyle. We’ve done hardly any of it. Unless you’re in a hotel every night, with luxurious surroundings then you *could*.

M: We’ve been sleeping on floors…

C: Yeah, we’ve been crashing on people’s floors and that.

J: But I mean, saying that, when we were in Australia we were staying in flash hotels, we did have it good. It’s like a rollercoaster, you go up and down and then you end up sleeping on someone’s floor at 3 O’clock and there’s cockroaches crawling all over your face but then the next night you’re in a lovely hotel, so you take the good with the bad. I think that’s what’s kept us going.

B: Certainly keeps you grounded.

You’ve touched slightly on the fact you’ve had a lot of things go wrong, do you want to go into some more detail…

B: Wait, hang on, how long have you got? I mean we’ve been going 18 years, we’ve had shit going wrong since day 1.

J: I guess you have to remember that all bands have things going wrong, we know we’re not the only ones.

M: We had a lot go wrong in a short space of time.

B: Like we said, Joe snapped his Achilles and had to go home, luckily our guitar tech stepped in and was able to play a set.

C: It could have been a lot worse we could have been not able to do the tour, two blow outs on the autobahn.

M: Not just punctures, they were real blow outs. B: Airlines lost our merch, airlines lost our cymbals, shows getting cancelled, venues burning down.

C: Equipment failures, hotels not getting booked at 3am, it just went on and on and on.

M: All in two weeks is insane.

B: That was a very testing period for all of us…come on let’s just go home.

J: In the middle of a heat wave in Germany, hottest summer for 30 years.

C: Not only not having a guitarist but the van had blown up so many times that the driver gave up and went home and left us.  Having just a few days to find a van from somewhere, with a driver to get us around the rest of the European tour. We had like four days to do it, [B: We flew to Portugal to do a festival] we got a van from Czechoslovakia with a German driver who met us in Norway.

B:  It was a German driver who had got a van and some backline from Czech Republic, and met us in Norway while we’d been to Portugal, London and Oslo. The logistics were a nightmare.

M: He didn’t stop fucking eating.

When things go wrong like that, how do you manage to keep your momentum?

B: (Pointing at J) He makes us laugh.

J: I weren’t there, that’s why they were so miserable.

C: You’ve just got to get on with it, the thing is..[B: It’s your job] because it’s not a hobby.

B: Everybody has a bad day at the office, no matter what job you do.

C: If we don’t do shows, then we don’t get paid and then my kids don’t go to school so you’ve got to go on, you’ve got to carry on.

You’re supporting Airbourne, I’d like to know how that happened. I don’t necessarily associate you with them.

B: Our agent said we’d been offered the tour…did we want to do it? We’d just missed out on the Motorhead tour, so we said yeah alright. I don’t think there’s much difference between Airbourne’s crowd and our crowd, they are a great rock band and we like to think we’re a rock band.

M: Their tour manager used to be our tour manager and their sound man. J: and the fact that they’re a little bit AC/DC, I guess we’re more Motorheady, Black Sabbath. You never know, some of their fans might even like us.

B: It gives us the opportunity to play to a crowd that might have never seen us before.

C: That’s what it’s about, that’s what this year’s been all about, reaching out new countries.

B: We noticed that in North America on the Clutch tour, we were playing to 1500, 2000 people a night over there and the amount of people that we found who had never heard of Orange Goblin before, even though us and Clutch aren’t dissimilar. Despite the amount of time we’ve been going, we’re still reasonably underground. It’s been a year of just trying to put ourselves in front of as many faces as possible and hoping that someone don’t end up in tears at the end of the night.

C: Hopefully they do. If you’re a fan of Airbourne, you’re a fan of classic rock and our roots are firmly in classic rock. We’re in the same pile, and in the past Sabbath and Motorhead…it’s all the same thing.

Airbourne are much younger, so there are a lot of younger fans out there …hopefully you can teach them something.

J: Oh no chance, we won’t be able to teach them anything. It will be the other way around. They don’t need us teaching them anything, they are doing alright.

B: We can teach them how to play spoof.

M: It’s a new game.

If someone has never heard of you before, what tracks would you point them towards first?

B: Probably Black Sabbath. I guess it would be anything on the set list tonight, we’ve tried to condense 7 albums into a 40 minute set…a little bit of every album, encompasses our whole career. Red Tide Rising off the last album is obviously our most successful single to date, I think. We did a video for it and its had over 300,000 hits on YouTube.

C: If you listen to the latest album, that’s the culmination of where we’ve come so far and it kind of gives you an idea of where we’re at and what’s made us.

B: If you speak to hardened Orange Goblin fans across the board, you get a lot of different reactions to what’s our best album. A lot of people like Time Travelling Blues, a lot of people like The Big Black so it’s hard to pinpoint.

J: It does seem that when we do these types of shows it seems to be the title track, first tracks of the album that people know.

C: That’s because they don’t listen to the rest of the album.

[All naming tracks] Scorpionica, Time Travelling Blues…

B: Neither of those are first songs on the album.

Non Orange Gobliny, if we were to go into your tour van and press play what would you be listening to?

B: A little bit of everything really, we’ve all got open minds and eclectic tastes, ranging from [C: It goes from Jazz to Grindcore] yeah anything from Miles Davis right through to Pig Destroyer. [C: Dolly Parton] Norwegian black metal. We all grew up listening to different things; Chris came from a more Punk hardcore background, me and Martin we were into thrash and death metal, Joe was from a blues and 70s rock and we put it all into a mixing pot and the result is Orange Goblin. We’ve always said we’ve ripped off so many bands that we’ve created something quite unique.

Question courtesy of my 6 year old: If you had a super power, whether you used it for good or evil what would it be?

C: Be invisible

B: Mine would be being able to shit money.

M: Is that a super power? Or a condition?

B: Yes, coz I shit a lot! Yeah I’d like to be invisible.

J: It’s an obvious one, but flying would be the best one. B: I’d like to be Batman. [C: Batman doesn’t have superpowers] Batman doesn’t need super powers. [C: He wasn’t a superhero] He’s hard as nails, he’s a dark knight. [C: It’s a point but it’s true]. What about you Martin?

M: I couldn’t care less.

Slowly coming up to Christmas, [J: Very quickly coming up to Christmas] do you have any fantabulous plans, are you Christmassy people or are you in the humbug category?

B: I hate it, I’m in the humbug category, the only reason I bother with it is because I have a son and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t bother.

M: I don’t hate it, I just find it massively frustrating because everyone’s struggling for money you cannot get what you want for your loved ones because you haven’t got the money and it becomes like a really infuriating time of year for me.

[B referring to The Treatment’s sound check in the background: They’re playing rock and roll is my business.]

C: I don’t mind it, this year’s gonna be nice because I haven’t got to work over Christmas. It’s nice when you can get all that stuff done and sit down with the kids, open the presents…Christmas day is good, it’s the lead up to Christmas day that’s so stressful.

B: I like the eating and drinking bit.

J: Christmas Day and Boxing Day, that bit’s great, it’s just the pressure leading up to it. It’s like getting married. Too much pressure to get the right stuff. 

M: Christmas Eve is nice, because it’s too late then. Sorry, I didn’t get you anything! Christmas Eve is a nice time and then everything after that is just bollocks.

B: Mulled wine…

J: I had some mulled wine in John Lewis, it was really nice. [M: Ooo look at him!] I had cheese and chili popcorn, [B: The upper crust him] [M: He’s drinking mulled wine in John Lewis] [B: I had a vimto in T.K Maxx] they were giving them away, 8 or 9 samples.

 

Quick fire round next, don’t think about the answers too much just respond.

Snakes or Spiders?

[All] Snakes

Trains or Planes

J & C: Planes 

B: Trains 

M: Trains, anytime.

Tall or Short?

C & B: Tall 

J: SHORT!! 

M: …Medium.

Europe or USA?

All: Europe  

B: I mean I love the USA but we get treated a lot better in Europe. 

J: As a band you get treated a lot better, yeah. 

M: Europe’s not so far away.  

C: You’re not so far from home and the gigs are a lot closer together.  

B: I love the USA, we come from a generation who grew up watching Jonathan King, and entertainment USA and always thought I want to go there. I wanna go to New York, I wanna go to New Orleans, I wanna go to LA…done all that, rubbish. [J: It’s not by the way, sorry] Give me Leamington Spa any day.

Splitter or Tour Bus?

All: Tour Bus 

M: No brainer

Nigella Lawson or Miley Cyrus?

J & B: Nigella!  

C: Nigella, you have a good meal and get off your fucking tits!  

B: Is that icing on the top of that cake there, Nigella?  

J: Ah ha, ha ha ha.

Red or Blue?

B: Red 

M: Blue 

J: Are we talking about wine here?  

B: Red, definitely red.  

J: I’ll have to go for red.  

C: I’ll have red as well.  

J: Oh no, I’ll go blue for QPR. [B: He loves red and blue.] Purple!
Heathrow or Gatwick?

J: Heathrow 

B: Gatwick 

M: Gatwick village 

C: Stansted 

J: Heathrow’s closer.  

M: Stansted’s a shithole!  

J: Too many planes.
Scotch or bourbon?

B & C: Bourbon 

J: Neither 

B: I mean I like Scotch, you can’t beat a good aged scotch [J: I might go with scotch just to be different] but we have a bottle (points to Jim Bean) on our rider every night and we’re quite acquainted with bourbon. 

What other things do you have on your rider?

J: Kinder eggs.  

M: We’ve got a box of Jagermeister. 

B: Vodka, wine, lager, cider, Guinness  

M: We get a box a day 

C: We still have like socks and cigarettes on our rider.

Last one…if you had to lose one which would you chose? Big toe or little finger?

J & B: Little finger 
B: Can’t walk with a big toe missing. [C: Yeah you can] 
M: I don’t really use my little finger.  
J: Are we talking right hand or left hand? [B: I don’t think I’ve ever used my little finger for anything] I don’t even like my little finger.  
B: You can take them now. (Offers little fingers) They are useless. 
C: Fixie [sic] gets by without his big toe, I’m sure it’s fine. [J: Yeah but that’s because it’s him] 
M: Our friend shot his big toe off. With a gun. 
B: He was cleaning his shotgun and blew his big toe off. He still wears the same shoes. 
J: He wore those shoes for about 3 years.  
B: With a hole in.


That brings me to an end, thank you very much for answering all my questions. I’ll leave you to get ready in your tiny box of a dressing room. Have a good show.

B: Which involves us just sitting here drinking.
J: Getting ready, as opposed to getting drunk.
All: Thanks very much.

High On Fire's new video.

HIGH ON FIRE is: 
Matt Pike (vocals/guitars)
Jeff Matz (bass)
Des Kensel (drums)

Hailing from Oakland California, High On Fire are a metal band going from strength to strength. A few of their band highlights include releasing The Art Of Self-Defense, their momentous debut album back in 2000, being featured in Kerrang's top 50 albums of the 21st Century for their 2005 album Blessed Black Wings, and guitarist Matt being named as a 'New Guitar God' by Rolling Stone in 2007.

High On Fire recently released the official video for the brand new single Slave The Hive which marks the first new release/material since De Vermis Mysteriis last year. If you want to watch the new video then head over to YouTube to check it out.

The first official live recordings of the band's were released with the two volume set Spitting Fire Live, recorded in The Music Hall Of Williamsburg and The Bowery Ballroom in New York. The live recordings feature tracks from their critically acclaimed albums including De Vermis Mysteriis. 

 .

New Bleed From Within video.

After playing the UK leg of the Metal Hammer Defenders Of The Faith tour with Amon Amarth, Carcass and Hell as well as a European tour together with Heaven Shall Burn, Hypocrisy and Dying Fetus, BLEED FROM WITHIN are unvieling a new video for the song I Am Oblivion.
I Am Oblivion is taken from their current album Uprising and can be watched here.
  They unfortunately had to cancel the last two shows on the Heaven Shall Burn tour due to problems with their van. However, the next tour is already in place for Spring next year, when they will be on the road with DevilDriver and Sylosis.
  BLEED FROM WITHIN 31.03.2014 (DE) Munich - Backstage 01.04.2014 (FR) Paris - Le Trabendo 03.04.2014 (UK) Cardiff - Solus
04.04.2014 (UK) London - Electric Ballroom
05.04.2014 (UK) Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall
06.04.2014 (UK) Glasgow - Garage
08.04.2014 (IE) Dublin - The Academy
09.04.2014 (UK) Manchester - Academy 2
10.04.2014 (UK) Southampton - Mo'club 12.04.2014 (DE) Herford - X 13.04.2014 (DK) Aarhus - Voxhall 15.04.2014 (SE) Stockholm - Klubben 16.04.2014 (SE) Gothenburg - Sticky Fingers 17.04.2014 (DE) Hamburg - Gruenspan 18.04.2014 (BE) Antwerp - Trix
  Other shows: 29.03.2014 (UK) Liverpool - 02 Academy 30.03.2014 (UK) Newcastle Upon Tyne - O2 Academy

The Browning Announce Tour With Chelsea Grin

The Browning are: Jonny McBee - Vocals/Electronics, Collin Woroniak - Guitar, Drew Ellis - Bass and Cody Stewart - Drums.

****

The Browning are a metal/electronica outfit from Kansas City, MO with influences from all over the metal spectrum but mixed with dance and trance that you wouldn't expect from alternative bands.Their new album Hypernova which was recorded at Planet Red Studios, Virginia with Producer Andreas Magnusson (The Black Dahlia Murder, Impending Doom) is out at the moment and the video for the single Fifth Kind can be seen on YouTube here.

The band are currently on tour in Europe but will be coming back to the UK in March for a headline tour with Chelsea Grin, More Than A Thousand and Silent Screams. Tickets have gone on sale TODAY. You'll find me at the Southampton show on March 19th at Joiners, great small venue ideal for this type of music in my opinion. Pack it out people!

"Hi everyone, so excited to be heading out as direct support for our friends in Chelsea Grin.  We have toured with their singer and drummer in Hearts and Hands, and we can't wait to hit the road in Europe with them.  Come out to a show and hang out, it is sure to be a great time." - Collin Woroniak

Asking Alexandria return to UK for mammoth headline tour.

Asking Alexandria really don't need an introduction, they have just finished a UK tour with Bullet For My Valentine and no sooner have they stopped then they are announcing another tour. This will be their biggest domestic tour to date, and while their last headline tour sold out to around 15,000 people this tour will be to approximately double giving more fans the chance to get tickets. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 13th December.

Here's what Ben Bruce (guitarist) had to say about the announcement:

“We are coming home!!!! This October we will be doing our longest UK run of our careers. The BFMV tour was fucking awesome...BUT this October run is OUR run. A tour for us to share with our AA Family. A long set filled with songs from all three of our albums. Huge production, copious amounts of alcohol and rock n fucking roll every night! We can't wait to get back to the UK and see you all. Stay sexy Britain.”

Their latest album, From Death To Destiny came out earlier this year and has been doing exceptionally well. It debuted at number 5 in the US Billboard charts, made it into the top 20 in the UK charts and reached Number 1 in the UK Rock and Metal Charts.

  

Asking Alexandria 2014 Headline Tour

 

Wed 22 Oct            Norwich UEA            
Thu 23 Oct              Nottingham  Rock City   
Fri 24 Oct               Newcastle Academy 1    
Sun 26 Oct              Edinburgh Picture House
Mon 27 Oct            Glasgow Barrowland     
Tue 28 Oct              Belfast Ulster Hall          
Wed 29 Oct            Dublin Olympia            
Fri 31 Oct               Manchester  Academy 1 
Sat 01 Nov             Leeds Academy            
Sun 02 Nov            Cardiff Great Hall          
Tue 04 Nov            Bristol Academy 1       
Wed 05 Nov          Southampton Guildhall  
Thu 06 Nov           London Roundhouse      
Fri 07 Nov             Birmingham Academy 1

                                                Sun 09 Nov           Brighton Dome
        

Silent Jack Release 'Snakebite' EP.

I've spoken about Birmingham based hard rock band, Silent Jack in the past and interviewed the lovely Rich (vocalist) whilst partying hard in Ibiza and now I've received exciting news on their latest work.

"The release, entitled Snakebite, consists of the previously released singles plus some new cuts. Recorded by Alex Cooper of Arkham studios, and Richard Wood of The Old Smithy, it’s 7 tracks of simple, driving, hard."

The EP is due to be released on the 22nd December, still in time for Christmas and is available in all the usual places as well as in cd form directly from the band. As mentioned below the band run Hard Roxx events at Eddie's Rock Club in Birmingham every month, so if you're looking for a physical copy you can more than likely find them there! 

"The release will be celebrated with a launch party at Scruffy Murphy’s in Birmingham, as one of the
band’s Hard Roxx events, where the band will play the EP in full with support from Stone Cold Kill, Black Star Bullet, and Uncle Jim."

Silent Jack are:

Rich ‘Stitch’ Mason – Vocals/2nd
Described as having the swagger of Michael Hutchence, the vocals of a young Vince Neil, and the looks of Axl Rose, Rich ‘Stitch’ Mason gives all he can give to the vocal front, and adds a live performance with a level that many wish they could achieve.

Adam Carson – Lead Guitar
The epitome of understated, Adam Carson looks mild mannered in life, but on stage brings forth a barrage of hard rocking guitar sound, giving life to Silent Jack’s music.

Dickie Spider – Bass
The heart and soul of the band, Spider brings the thumping bass beat that underscores so many tracks, and is the heartbeat behind the rocking music.

Scott Carson – Drums/Backing Vocals
Time keeping a specialty, Scott provides the backbone for all Silent Jack’s music, and adds flair whenever appropriate. His vocals can be found in the background of many tracks, and his character shapes each song.

The Commander-In-Chief releases secretive performance!

Norwegian 7string guitarist/singer/songwriter The Commander-In-Chief has released the result of her secret cooperation with Norwegian classical guitar virtuoso, Thomas Valeur.

It is the first ever professional guitar recording of P. Sarasate's masterpiece for violin virtuosos, the entire Zigeunerweisen Op. 20 or "Gypsy Airs". It is also, as far as we know, the first guitar duel between a classical and a metal guitarist.

The music was recorded at Modern World Studios in Cotswolds, England. It was produced and mixed by James Mottershead, who has worked on numerous albums that has charted in the UK. It was mastered by Oscar and Grammy nominated Stephen Marsh (Life of Pi, Megadeth).

"Everything you hear on this recording is a performance. There are no studio tricks of any kind. They played it until we got the perfect takes". - James Mottershead

 

The video and single can be seen and heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40XQDVEAblA

 

Takedown 2014 announce first bands!

Personally I cannot contain my excitement for Takedown 2014 and it's a Southampton festival, making it easy for me to attend. It is taking place at Southampton University on March 15th...I know that place well, having spent many a day there with Metal Mumsy when she attended. [Probably wasn't supposed to be there, we will make this our little secret!]

More bands are to be announced on the 6th of December but for now here are the bands to date. Looks like I will be seeing one particular band for the 21st time! I'll await that restraining order...

"Welsh rockers Funeral for a Friend will headline our main stage. Other acts include Yashin, Heaven’s Basement, Glamour of the Kill, Feed The Rhino, Lost Alone, Jett Black, Skarlett Riot, Baby Godzilla, I Divide, The Dirty Youth, Dendera, Western Sand, Our Hollow Our Home and Dead."

I've seen a fair few of these bands now and in my opinion the highlights will be Our Hollow Our Home, Dendera, Skarlett Riot, Jettblack, Heaven's Basement and Western Sand. Hmm, nearly listed them all there! Better get my ticket quick! 

Super Early Bird Tickets go on sale priced at just £20 (£24 including UPRAWR aftershow party).

INTRONAUT - launch video for 'Harmonomicon' / European tour now!

INTRONAUT have just released a new video for the track 'Harmonomicon' taken from their critically acclaimed album 'Habitual Levitation' which you can find on that YouTube place. 

[Blogging on the go at the moment, I will edit in a link later! Sorry folks!]

INTRONAUT are currently on tour with Scale The Summit, in various cities around European. Think fast to see them in the UK. 

04.12.13 UK Bournemouth, The Anvil
05.12.13 UK Bristol, Exchange
06.12.13 Belgium, Hasselt Muziekodroom
07.12.13 Germany Berlin, Cassiopeia
08.12.13 Germany Hamburg, Hafenklang
09.12.13 Germany Frankfurt, Elfer
10.12.13 Germany Leipzig, UT Connewitz
11.12.13 Austria Wien, Escape
12.12.13 Switzerland Zürich, Ebrietas
13.12.13 Switzerland Bulle, Ebulition
14.12.13 Italy Milano, Lo-Fi
15.12.13 Italy Rome, Traffic Live
16.12.13 Italy Pisa, Borderline Club
17.12.13 France Montpellier, Secret Place
18.12.13 Spain Barcelona, Razzmatazz3
19.12.13 Spain Madrid, Copernico NEW VENUE!!!
20.12.13 France Clermont Ferrand, Le Raymond
21.12.13 France Besancon, PDZ
 

Upcoming Southampton Shows

As promised I am trying to remember to post upcoming Southampton gigs that might be of interest, instead of springing them on people last minute! I've also provided links to the venues for your convenience. 

Lennons - http://lennonsnightclub.com/
Avondale - http://www.screampubs.co.uk/theavondalesouthampton/whats-on/
Joiners - http://www.joinerslive.co.uk/
Unit (via Joiners) - https://www.facebook.com/unitclub.southampton

Dayshell - On Tour Now

Dayshell, a fusion of warm melodies, gnashing spacey guitars and heavy rhythms from the sunny Chino Hills in California are currently on tour in the UK for the first time ever and November 25th saw the trio release their debut self titled album. 

They are now playing a number of cities around the UK with The Word Alive and I See Stars. Check out the dates below to see if you can make it down and show them some love. 

Dayshell - UK Tour

Tuesday 3^rd – London O2 Academy Islington
Wednesday 4^th – Cardiff Uni CF10
Thursday 5^th – Newcastle O2 Academy 2
Friday 6^th – Glasgow Cathouse
Saturday 7^th – Leeds Cockpit
Sunday 8^th – Manchester Club Academy

Dayshell Are: Shayley Dayshell Bourget (Of Mice And Men), Raul Martinez & Jordan Wooley.

For more information: 

http://dayshellband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DayShellMusic

 

INTRODUCING: DOWN THE MACHINE

Down The Machine Are:

Steve Wilson (vocals)

Dan Milikin (Guitar)

David Preston (Drums)

Darren Johnson (Bass)

Today I want to introduce you to relatively new band Down The Machine, from Leeds. They have been pumping out alt/rock/metal since 2009 and are growing steadily in reputation and notoriety.

"Frequently compared to the likes of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and NIN, Down The Machine’s own blend of alternative hard rock with elements of industrial electronics continues to appeal to a wide audience of rock fans."

They had a brief hiatus in August 2013 where they brought a new drummer and bass player into the mix, but returned swiftly to support US act Reverence.
They are currently recording their second album which will be out in 2014, but if you haven't heard their first album including the single Everything I Am Not, you can download it for free from the band's site. 

New video interview w/The Commander-In-Chief, the mystery guitarist and the producer.

Great news! Some of the mystery behind The Commander-In-Chief's latest project which has been 5 months in the making has been revealed!

The Commander-In-Chief has released a video interview with herself, James Mottershead (producer) and the mystery guitarist she has been collaborating with, Thomas Valeur.

What's this collaboration though, you ask? Well apparently it will be the first professional guitar recording of an extremely challenging piece of classical music, which has never before performed in its entirety, or correctly for that matter, on guitar. In addition to this, it could well be the only recorded professional guitar duel between a metal guitarist and a classical guitar virtuoso, making it something not to be missed!

For more information, have a look at the video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJyfZH2rQ5I

The single and performance video will be released tomorrow, December 4th, at 6pm UK time. The single will be available on Itunes, Amazon, CD Baby, etc and a limited number of signed CDs are available from

The Commander-In-Chief's website, after the release.

Bad Religion Advent Calendar.

Did you forget to buy an advent calendar this year? Panic not! Bad Religion's got you covered. They have written a Christmas album, and from the tracks I've heard so far it's pretty nifty. In celebration of this they have produced an online advent calendar.

"To celebrate, we made this advent calendar where we’ll be giving away “presents” every day as we count down to Christmas. We're also donating 20% of all album proceeds to SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, so thank you to all who’ve purchased Christmas Songs and to everybody, Happy holidays!"

The first offering is this little video chestnut, starring The Mormon Tabernacle Choir: http://youtu.be/R-11QUYJEXQ

Go on, don't be a total Christmas grinch and give it a click.