TBFM Online - Internet Rock Radio Station

TBFM Announce MAD HATTER 2.0 As Special Guests At The 4th Birthday Bash!!

Mucka Jay — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:07:33 +0000

Just over 2 weeks to go and we have added a ninth band to the Saturday line-up of the TBFM 4th Birthday Bash!! We are very excited to announce that MAD HATTER 2.0 will be helping us to celebrate on Saturday 1st June 2013 - the second day of the 2 day event.

Below is an interview we did with the band at The Brunswick back in April, when they played the Deconstruct album live & in full! It was at this very meeting that we asked Marc, Dave, Hayden & Kurt if they would play at the Birthday Bash (yes, we've kept a secret for THAT long!), and happily they said YES!... The physical CD of Deconstruct is released on 1st June... so if you want your copy right away, get yourself over to the Birthday Bash at Queens Hall in Nuneaton.

When we first launched the TBFM Magazine, it was always our intention to get Mad Hatter 2.0 on the front cover! We sorted this out for the May issue of the mag to coincide with the release of their brand new album Deconstruct and had a chat with the guys about the journey towards making it happen...

You've been around since 2010 and have only really had 1 line-up change, bringing in Dave last year... How did the rest of you meet up and what made you decide to form the band? Marc: I met up with the Original Mad Hatter Bass Player and Drummer about 6 months before hand and we recorded a couple of tracks, etc. I hadn't sung for over 10 years, but soon caught the bug... The original guys didn't have the same passion, so I looked about for other musicians who were talented enough, focused enough etc. I found the 1st Guitarist, Paul, through friends, Kurt I found online, and Kurt knew H so he asked him. It all seemed to fall into place and within 9 weeks or so, we had a set and started gigging. Kurt: Well, I was on holiday from work for a week, I get this message creep up in my inbox.. I immediately think, "Holy shit.. Right Said Fred is sending me a message" (Marc had no hair at the time) Honestly.. If he had asked me at any other time, I would of said No! But, he caught me just right! Funny story, he wanted me to learn 3 songs for the first rehearsal... Noooo. Got 12 under my belt in 2 days. Because of that, and the luck of me remembering "some guy who played Bass" from my local music shop, we were able to gig within 2 months. Hayden: I actually got roped in by chance, really, I happened to be working in Kurt’s local music shop; he’d just joined the band, and was asked to think of bass players. He remembered me mentioning I played, called the shop, got my number, and the rest, to use a cliché, is history.

Is there any particular band or artist that you could say is your main influence and the reason you like groove metal? Kurt: My influences are a bit of everything really. When I was younger, I was really in to The Offspring, Nofx, Blink 182 etc.. Travis Barker played a huge part in my influence on drumming. Machine Head are to blame for my love of Metal. Proudly have them stamped on my body somewhere.. I'm not just a metal drummer though. I try and drag different styles into everything. You'll hear certain aspects and hooks on the album. Dave: Too many to list but my main influences include the obvious.. Dimebag! right through Chimaira Machine Head and in to really theatrical stuff like Nevermore Hayden: Well, Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ album is what got me into rock and metal in the first place, so I guess you’d say they are my biggest influence. I feel we try to draw from everything really, we have some off-beat rhythms, almost ska-like, some latin beats, it’s not just metal that we incorporate.

Who writes the songs? Marc: H took the lead on Deconstruct, with tracks from Dave, riffs from Kurt, arrangements from everyone. We work on the idea that when you're in rehearsals and someone has a riff, we build it. You know it's working when the song links and flows and is done in under an hour. I add lyrics and Melodies and job done.. Hayden: Well, this album was the first time I really got into the song writing side of it in a big way, and obviously Dave brought his new ideas in, so I think that explains the slight departure from our old stuff. Marc writes the vocal melodies and lyrics, some songs are me, some are Dave, some are all of us together, Kurt wrote the main riff to Stomp!!!

Where do you get inspiration from? Marc: Life ! Dave: We just draw on stuff that makes us feel (whatever the emotion may be) and then we all get together, someone will jam out a lick and we go from there and try to play stuff that excites us and reflects how we feel.

Do you make time to sit down and write songs or scribble them as they come into your head? Marc: I've always got my phone with the voice recorder on, shouting melodies and lyrics into it. Then when I get 5 mins, I scribble them down in my lyric book. Once the guys have a track, 9 times out of 10 I have lyrics that'll fit, work. Kurt: When certain riffs come to mind, they stick in my head. I've got a stupidly good memory. As for drum beats.. Well, I been told off for tapping at work before, to say the least.. Hayden: My style of writing is very frantic, if I get an idea I’ll hum it into my phone if there’s nothing else to hand. I can get very compulsive when it comes to writing, Deconstruct came to me at 6pm, I stayed up till 2 or 3 that morning writing it; I’m always prepared to drop what I’m doing and harness that flow when it comes along.

Congratulations on the new album Deconstruct - we loved it and gave it a 5 star review! You decided to go down the Pledge route for the album which was very successful. Were you surprised how quickly the target was reached? Kurt: Thank you! Its something I've always wanted to do. As for the pledgers.. Wow. Just wow. They've really proven to me/us how much our fans mean to us. It goes to show, that in this industry, a band really are nothing without their fan base. And for that, we are humble. Hayden: Yes, definitely! There were one or two points where it slowed down for a few days, and we started to get really worried, but thankfully our fans really came through for us; it’s an incredible feeling to know that there are people out there who believe in us to the extent that they’d Pledge on an album or - considering it was our first major release with Dave - a line up that they’d never heard before. Marc: We, I were Humbled... Our Friends, Family, and fans, are amazing! They believed in us, trusted us and allowed us to create without the stress of cash flow etc. Humbled... Dave: Genuinely fucking humbled that people believe in us enough to put their hands in their pockets and pledge their hard earned beer vouchers. I thank every last one of the beautiful bastards.

If the Pledge option had not been available, would you still have released a new album this year? Kurt: I would of made the money!! I had to work on this album. I would of begged, borrowed, sold myself on street corners.. Hell.. I would of worked 80 hours a week if it meant paying out for it. Dave: Oh hell yeah! We'd have found a way. We were talking about recording an album even before Pledge came in to the picture.

We had exclusive first airplay of the first single 'STOMP' from the new album (thank you very much for that!) and we got loads of positive feedback from our listeners. What can they expect from the rest of the album? Dave: More of the same with a few surprises along the way. We tried to make the album an album, and not just a bunch of songs on a disc you know. Hayden: It’s a really eclectic piece, to be honest, I don’t think it’s a ‘groove metal’ album really, it’s got bits of everything, there’s some softer (shock horror) parts, we’ve got some progressive bits thrown in, but then there’s some brutally simple stuff that just crushes. There’s a definite flow to the album, we wanted it to be a musical journey, I like to think that the songs are all loosely collected as being metal, but very different individually.

Are you going to do a video for the track, Stomp? Kurt: Oh yes!! You're damn right we are!! But shhh, it's a secret.. Hayden: We are, indeed! I’m not sure how much I can reveal right now, but we’re shooting VERY soon, and got some fantastic people working on it, we’re proper excited!

We know you have recorded a cover of 'Hurt' by Nine Inch Nails, is there a particular reason for this song? Kurt: Its a beautifully sick song!! Because of this sick, corroded world we live in, a lot of people can relate to it. Dave: This song was Marc's idea. He loves the song (we all do) I was excited when he said he wanted to do it cause it's a beauty and the vocal performance Marc gave was fucking awesome! Hayden: Marc suggested it a while back; we all love the song and have strong emotional connections with it, it just felt right, I’d say. We really did enjoy the chance to be a bit more melodic and stripped back, I like to think we’ve given an interesting interpretation of it. Marc: I love it, I've always wanted to record it, so we did. Listen to it, you'll know why!

You do a lot of touring, probably not far off 100 gigs in a year? Do you get on each others tits after a while? Marc: We get on better when we are touring. We are a unit. We back each other up and look after each other. It's when we are home and doing nothing we find we get shitty. I think it's frustration - we need to gig! Live is how we judge bands so we pride our selves on our live show. Keep music live. Support the scene! Dave: Like Marc said. We tear chunks out of each other OFF tour. We need the gigs to let our hair down and we work hard out of sheer passion for performing live.

Who would you like to get a support slot with if you got the chance? Dave: I'd love to have toured with Pantera back in the day but I hear Justin Bieber has an open slot so fingers crossed. Hayden: For me, it’s got to be Sabbath. I would actually get down on my knees and give them all a good working over just for the opportunity. Kurt: Well.. As Narcissistic as it may sound.. I'd actually like to support us, from another band's point of view. I'm curious as how we look on stage. Haydens dancing, my stupid, STUPID drum faces, Daves calendar poses and Marcs controlling of the crowd. That guy can get anything he wants from the crowd as and when he wants it!! Marc: JLS

Is there anything you've done in your career so far that you regret or wish you'd done better? (please don't say anything about Spellbound coz you'll upset Mucka Jay!) Marc: Ha SPELLBOUND is a good song, but it's just not us now. As for regrets!! Fuck No! I wouldn't change a thing Hayden: The original plan we had with Dave was for us to experiment with him coming in with Paul and making us a five piece, I’m a bit gutted that we never got to see what that would sound like. That said, Dave and I have fantastic writing chemistry, and we wouldn’t have got Deconstruct if everything hadn’t happened exactly the way it did, so I don’t know if I’d want to go back and change anything, to be honest.

For anyone wondering about SPELLBOUND:...

What is your next goal? Hayden: We’re just gonna see where this album takes us, really, none of us are dreaming of being rock stars; if something happens and it all gets big, then excellent, but we’re not going to lie awake at night and lose sleep over it. With the industry the way it is at the minute, you’ve got to suck up to every ‘name’ that comes your way, just to pay your way on to a label and bankrupt yourselves to say that you’re signed. How the hell does that work? We’ve upset a few people because we’re not prepared to play the little games and massage the egos of all the little cliques and power bases that exist on the circuit. It’s these people that are ruining local scenes, they put the same six bands on every week and then wonder why people stop turning up to shows. So, I guess you’d say our goal is to keep calm, carry on, and bollocks to anyone who doesn’t like us.

GIG REVIEW: The Mercy House + Support @ The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, 4th May 2013

Scotty — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:12:32 +0000

Rock Horn Events Launch Party in association with Tower Studios Pershore

Headline - The Mercy House Support from - Touch, Adamantium, Fortress

Rock Horn Events are a fairly new event company working in partnership TBFM Online and this was their first event in Worcester. Arrival during load in is always interesting, the usual scene of sound checks and bands setting up their equipment, all seemingly carried out with good humour and efficiency, it’s interesting to get a glimpse of this preparation as most fans only get to see the event once the stage is set. Cables and stage crew seemed to be all over the place but everyone seemed to know what they were doing, organised chaos to an outsider but the staff just took the whole thing in their stride. The evening opened with ‘Touch’, this is a local (Evesham) based band who have been on a sabbatical for the best part of a year and have only just started performing at live events again. They took to the stage with a swagger and launched into “Big Bad Wolf”, a track that has been a favourite on TBFM Online over the last few months, with style. This is a young band that shows great maturity and even the loss of Tom’s Bass for part of the set (due to a loose speaker lead) did nothing to dent their performance. Look out for them again in November for the Rock Horn Events/Tower Studios Halloween Ball. The second band Adamantium took to the stage with the crowd still buzzing from the previous bands set but this turned out to be the low point of the evening, it was a very lack lustre performance and the band looked very uncomfortable on the stage. I’m not sure if this was down to inexperience or a recent line up change but either way there were more people at the bar or outside smoking during this set than at any other point during the whole evening. There is certainly a good band in the making, the tracks themselves were good but they we just not executed well during the set. Third band of the evening Fortress were up next, these guys stepped into the breach when Fury had to pull out and they were the band most familiar to local crowd. Straight out of the box these guys got the crowd pumped up. Opening with “Doom” and “Judgement” before a brief halt to the proceedings due to another issue with the Bass head, which was resolved by the venue owner (Brian Marr) bringing his own kit down for the band to use, the band assaulted the now sweaty headbanging crowd with a polished performance. By far the heaviest band of the evening, Fortress charged from one track to the next with little time for anyone to draw breath. The bands penultimate number, a cover of Judas Priests “Breaking the Law” had everyone cheering for more and the band were only to happy to give it to them with their closing number (and fan favourite) “The Bunker”. And finally.... The Mercy House are not yet a household name but their fan base, and reputation are rapidly growing. I’ve heard they are “one of the best live bands on the UK circuit at the moment” and recent features in Classic Rock Magazine and Metal Hammer as well as a UK tour with Audrey Horn have exposed them to a much larger (and well deserved) audience. Surprisingly most of the evening’s audience were still in attendance. It is not unusual these days for the headline band to perform to more venue staff than paying audience and by all accounts the previous evenings launch party in Nuneaton was a bit of a letdown as far as numbers were concerned. The opening number was met with as much curiosity as genuine fan appreciation, with a few of the more boisterous members of the audience engaging in some light-hearted moshing at the front of the room but as the band went into their second track the room literally exploded, it didn’t matter that these were unfamiliar songs to the assembled crowd, this was a band that are not only comfortable with performing to an audience they excel at it. The rhythm section of W.R on Bass and Nick on drums keep a relentless surgically precise beat, even if, in the opinion of Chris (Tower Studios) an excellent drummer in his own right, “the drummer’s mad !!!!” Track after track these two traded beat for beat without faltering, both totally in the zone. The twin guitars of Danny and Dan again precise yet fluid add to the bands unique sound, hard, heavy, dirty but perfectly balanced, it is this sound that allows them to appeal to a very broad audience. Danny takes a relaxed half a step back to fill more of the rhythm guitarists role, with frequent visits to the front of the stage for lead breaks but don’t underestimate this position, in this band every members contribution is vital to their performance. Dan, the bands primary lead guitarist is a different animal all together, the intensity of his playing is something to witness, I’m not sure if he even knows there are other performers on the stage with him, total focus from start to finish on every track, he wrenches sounds from his well worn guitar that few guitarist I’ve seen could even dream of. There is blood, sweat and I’m sure tears too, his hands are shredded from the constant abrasive action of slamming chord after painful chord, literally beating the notes from his battered axe. Then there’s Drew, front man and lead vocalist with this dynamic band, his voice and the way he performs are pretty unique, his vocal range is immense and the way he grabbed the audience and held them in the palm of his hand throughout the set was beyond impressive. The effects of an 8 night run are there, you can see at times how deep he has had to dig to give tonight’s performance but this only serves to make it all the more astounding. From start to finish he is giving everything he had and more, by the second track in he has total control of those on the floor below him, or with him as he frequently jumps down from the stage to party with the now captivated crowd. It was painful to see the look on his face when the now baying crowd demanded an encore but there was no way he was going to let the audience down. By the end of the set, tired, battered and bruised the band are spent, this has been way more than a 100% performance even the venue owner Brian, who has seen more than a fair few outstanding bands perform on his stage, is grinning like a Cheshire cat, The Mercy House didn’t just give a performance, they gave part of their soul to Worcester and the crowd knew it. Even after the set the band, rather than retire to the comfort of the “green room” stayed down with their new fans for a round of autographs, pictures and good natured banter. They have already said that they want to return later in the year and I certainly hope they do. The fact that so many local musicians turned up to the event was amazing, I bumped into members of Fury, Prism, Evolution of Man, Rara & the Vine Project and even the “Godfather of Glam” himself Mr Rocky Shades all there to show their support. There were at least 4 other “free” gigs within walking distance of the venue and yet the crowd, while not at capacity, was still better than I’ve seen for some time. The Marrs Bar itself is a great venue, the atmosphere was vibrant and everyone appeared to be having a good time. The staff and the beer were top drawer, it’s not the cheapest in the city but by no means expensive either, having spoken to the band after their set they couldn’t have praised their host Brian any further, he extended them every hospitality and even took time to jam with them in the “green room” before their set. The quote of the evening has to go to one unknown member of the audience who was persuaded to stay in Worcester rather than go see a band over in Malvern “I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know who the headline band were, last month I had a pacemaker fitted and this was my first gig since the operation, I wasn’t even sure if I should be here. Tonight I’ve experienced pain, tears, panic and extreme joy, thanks to everyone who put this gig together; I will be back for the next one”

EVENT NEWS: TBFM SPONSOR ACES HIGH FESTIVAL IN NOTTINGHAM AUGUST 2013

Mucka Jay — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:55:13 +0000

Live Alliance Booking and Promotions and Forbidden Management Presents Aces High Festival 2013.

NOTTINGHAM, UK – Aces High Festival 2013, taking place at The Doghouse Venue, Carlton Hill, Nottingham, NG4 1FP on 24th and 25th August 2013, featuring headliners New Generation Superstars (Saturday) and Falling Red (Sunday).

ACES HIGH FESTIVAL - 24th and 25th August 2013 at The Doghouse in Nottingham, sees a new 2 day rock extravaganza aiming to showcase the best in UK rock talent! This is the first time this event has run and Nottingham has a good solid rock scene to build the festival’s roots.

As well as 16 bands in total there will be loads of other exciting stuff happening. The event will be hosted by TBFM Online's DJ's Stevie and Katie Roxx and is sponsored by TBFM Online Radio and Magazine.

Doors will be:

2pm till 2am Saturday 24th August 2pm to 2am Sunday 25th August

Bands will finish at 11.30 with DJ Stu O Neil (Wildside) providing tunes to see you through till 2am on Saturday and DJ Angel (Inferno) spinning tunes through the day and after bands on Sunday 25th August.

There will be a raffle on August 24th in Aid of Cancer Research UK..being named “The Raffle of Rock!”.

Links to other bands websites can be sent on request:

www.newgenrocks.com www.facebook.com/newgenrocks www.reverbnation.com/newgenrocks

www.fallingred.co.uk www.falling-red.com www.facebook.com/fallingredofficial

Line up is not yet in order of slot allocation:

Saturday 24th August

I.C.O.N The Brink Hell's Addiction Blue Origin Black List Saints Silverjet Exit State New Generation Superstars *Headliner* DJ Stu O Neil (Wildside) Hell on High Heelz Dance Routines

Sunday 25th August

Suicide Tuesday Dead Shed Jokers Horse in Transit Sinnergod Spiral Dive Ronin Blackwolf Falling Red *Headliner*

DJ Angel (Inferno/Intrepid Fox/ Electric Ballroom)

Tickets for the event in advance are £8 for a day pass (booking fee applies) and £13 for a weekend pass. Ticket prices will increase 2 weeks prior to the festival to £10 per day and £15 for the weekend. Purchase from http://Aceshigh2013.eventbrite.co.uk

The venue itself is approximately 1.8 miles from the city centre, and offers plenty of parking. It is on the main Lilac Bus route out of Nottingham city centre, buses running every 5-10 minutes and running up to 3am in the morning.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Aceshighfestival Website: under construction

Contact Information: Brett Fretwell liveallianceltd@gmail.com +44(0)7961695339

TRUCKER DIABLO Chat About Their New Album, “Songs Of Iron”

Mucka Jay — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:19:29 +0000

In 2012, Trucker Diablo played Hammerfest IV, supported Foo Fighters at Tennents Vital, supported Terrorvision on their UK tour, rocked crowds on the main stage at Hard Rock Hell VI festival and finished off the year playing alongside Thin Lizzy in Belfast. They start 2013 with the release of their highly anticipated second album "Songs Of Iron", which will be released officially in May by Ripple Music. Mucka Jay caught up with vocalist Tom recently to chat about the forthcoming album...

Trucker Diablo celebrated being 5 years old in December 2012 (with Birthday cake supplied by TBFM at Hard Rock Hell). In the 5 years together, what has been your greatest achievements and what have you learnt to take forward? Yes we did, time has flown by….. Supporting Foo Fighters and playing with Thin Lizzy were real highlights… Its hard to really take it in when you have in the back of your mind, “Right we gotta do a kick ass show”. Always after the show I can take it in and be really proud of what we have achieved…. Always be humble is a great lesson, never forget the people who got you there, taking that forward will always keep us grounded and make us more determined to succeed as a band….

You picked 'The Rebel' and 'Drive' as early single releases off the album. Is there any reason for these songs in particular? Honestly we loved both songs, and felt they would be strong singles. “Drive” is an older tune and really developed with age and “The Rebel” had been getting some good live responses, so was a no brainer for us. Big riffs and big choruses that’s what the Big Truck is all about….

The new album 'Songs of Iron' is out in May 2013, can you tell us a bit about the album and where the name came from? For us, we feel it’s a real step up from “The Devil Rhythm”. We took a lot more time with the songs and lyrics and we were really happy how it came out. There really is something for everyone on it, heavy tunes, a ballad, rock tunes and feel good tunes. Hopefully people like as much as we do. The album was originally gonna be called “Sons of Iron” but then developed after a discussion to “Songs of”. It has a double meaning, we feel hopefully the songs can stand the test of time (that’s the Iron part) and in Northern Ireland a lot of people call the country Norn Iron for short and as we are from here, it stuck… So there ya go lol

What has been your favourite song off the new album and why? For me it has to be “Maybe you’re the one”, it started so simple. It was a tune I wrote and wasn’t really sure if it was trucker and kinda personally done nothing with it until the boys heard it… It developed into a monster of a tune. So I love it because it wasn’t your typical Trucker tune but then it morphed into a great album track.

After a fantastic year in 2012 and trucker Diablo's 5th Birthday which was finished off in style by supporting Thin Lizzy, is there anything you feel you can do to top that in 2013? I think with the new album coming out we just need to get the name out there and build the profile more…You can do loads of great supports and not really do anything else, but we need to grow and get the music to as my people as we can…. I would love to do a great tour of the states, but that is in the lap of the rock gods at the moment…..

You tour the UK all the time when you are not recording or drinking, is there any plans yet to step into Europe or even to the States? We are actually going to France a few times this year, so it’s a first for us. There is a plan to tour the states, but realistically will be next year by the time we get a booker sorted and get the Songs of Iron promo done. But we are open to playing anywhere as long as we get booked to play…..

When we have seen you play live you do, like most bands, like to throw in a cover song but you have any plans to record a cover song? No plans to do that, we only really play “Proud Mary” but we have talked about doing a few others, definitely open to it down the line…..

After playing alongside Thin Lizzy, Ginger Wildheart, Foo Fighters and Terrorvision to name but a few. If there were any band you could all jam with, who would it be? Would love to jam with Metallica, we all grew up on them and jamming out riffs with James Hetfield, Jesus I would burst.

What are the next plans for Trucker Diablo? Obviously we have the album just around the corner and we doing a launch for that…. Then we will be over in France for a week doing promo, then back here for some shows, then back to France and have some festivals in the UK to do as well…So I’m sure we will see you on the road at some point ;).

Will you play TBFM's 5th Birthday Bash in 2014? Book us and we will come…….

Thanks for the chat with us Tom - congrats on a brilliant album! Our 5* review can be read HERE.

ALBUM REVIEW: Arthemis – We Fight

Helen Bradley Owers — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:15:19 +0000

The image we have of Italy is one of, food, wine, art, siesta, romance and yet it is also the home to some of the speediest metal bands that ever stalked the earth. Arthemis is one such band.

The opening track ‘Apocalyptic Nightmare’ is a statement of intent; solid, riffy, strong and then, wow, Arthemis sure as hell put the pedal to the metal. I’m not sure I’ve heard such fast double bass drums, it’s not so much a beat as a vibration.

And don’t think the guitars, bass or vocals are slouching either! ‘Empire’ carries on at the same furious pace. These are hammer drill riffs and likely to bring the walls down; I wouldn’t recommend this if you have structural problems in your house. Fabio’s vocal shows him to be a screamer of some considerable skill, the song finishes with out of breath panting and frankly I feel breathless too.

‘We Fight’, is such a mega sound. Andrea Martongelli absolutely rips it up in the solos, it epitomises what Italian metal bands do best. A hell for leather dash through as many notes as possible, played with fiery passion. Arthemis are in a similar mould to the UK’s Absolva and I feel you can hear this most in ‘Burning Star’.

The whole album is a wall of frenetic sound but it’s not messy. The riffs are sure and solid and the songs are individual and strong. The danger of speed metal is often the song writing gets lost in the need for speed, not so here. The pace slows for ‘Alone’ and frankly you’ll be glad to stop to catch your breath at this point. Metal bands don’t always manage ballads very well but this one has real feeling.

‘Reign of Terror’ and ‘Still Awake’ continue at breakneck pace. ‘The Man Who Killed the Sun’ is more epic. Finishing up with ‘Metal Hammer’, this has an Offspring vibe and may well be picked up by a certain metal magazine if they feel the need for a theme tune, it would be a perfect fit.

If you like your metal, fast, riffy and headbanging, then I highly recommend this album.

Track Listing: Apocalyptic Nightmare Empire We Fight Blood of Generations Burning Star Cry for Freedom Alone Reign of Terror Still Awake The Man Who Killed the Sun Metal Hammer [review]

GIG REVIEW: CrashDiet + Jettblack @ Islington Academy, 27th April 2013

Simonovitch — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:58:18 +0000

As it’s Saturday night in late night London we turned up at this gig fashionably late just after 7pm and missed the first 3 support acts but were in time for both of the double headliners on this package tour to celebrate the release of Crashdiet's fourth album The Savage Playground.

The Academy was already pretty packed when we got in and the crowd started chanting for Jettblack about 30 minutes before they came on and got louder the closer we got to them coming on, which of course meant they got a great reception. They came out and launched into Two Hot Girls a song that always get the bands fans going. It seemed like most of the audience knew the words to this and most of the bands set.

Less Torque More Thrust was next and saw a great solo from Jon Dow with a good bit of trading licks between him and Will Stapleton as ever the bands on-stage bonhomie and chemistry worked to get everyone going as it has since I first saw them a good few years ago now. In Between Lovers is one of the songs that always reminds me of other classic Brit rock bands like Gillan and Torme and for my ears Jettblack are one classic Brit rock band.

Tom Wright as ever does his best to get the crowd going between songs and they don’t need much encouragement to get going for Sunshine or Prison Of Love that follows it. But then the place goes properly mental and we get a decent sized pit for Get Ur Hands Dirty, a song that has really become one of their live classics complete with sing alongs and pretty much the whole crowd joining in.

Black Gold is almost a bit of a comedown after that but never mind they ramp it back up for Love is taking Control that breaks down for a full throttle verse and chorus of Paint It Black and back to the original song. They finish their set with two of their crowd pleasers; Slip It On which has everyone singing along and the pit seems to grow somewhat with a few crowd surfers and then they close the set with Raining Rock the song they wrote with Udo Dirkshneider playing a great version that leaves the crowd wanting more and chanting the band’s name again. As ever they were super tight, one hell of a tough act to follow.

Well I’ve now seen Crashdiet quite a few times and they have always been a bit hit and miss as well of course as being one of those bands who seem to have tragedy follow them around. Now that they have finally settled enough for Simon Cruz to become the first singer in the band to make it to a second album this tour had a tragic start when the bands manager Michael Sunden died; still the show must go on, and the tour has.

The crowd did chant a little bit for them before they came on but nowhere near as enthusiastically as they did for Jettblack.

They opened with Change The World, the opening song on the new album, although it was tough to hear any of the lyrics as the vocal sound was horrible and it took the soundman until half way through the second song, Circus, to get it anywhere near right.

After Jettblack they sounded murky and in places a bit thin but were giving it everything on So Alive and Simon Cruz looks great even if he doesn’t always sound it. I’m sure sleaze metal should sound better than this.

They then went back to the first album for Queen Obscene/69 Shots and while the vocals aren’t as good as the late Dave Lepards they actually finally sounded clear and Martin Sweet's guitar seemed to be less mired in murk as well.

They dedicated California to the memory of Michael Sunden and it had an emotional edge to it that seemed to be missing in much of the set. Peter London’s bass playing was the anchor to keep the song right on track. We then got a rather over long version of Garden of Babylon that featured a long Bass and Drums solo towards the end during which the other members of the band left the stage and by the time drummer Eric Young wrapped things up and left the crowd were underwhelmed and just about managed to clap enough to get an encore that seemed inevitable after such a short headline set.

Yes they came back on and launched into Riot in Everyone also from the Rest in Sleaze album; it got the biggest pit and sing along of the bands set. They then introduced special guest who I think was Marco from Thin Lizzy who co-wrote Liquid Jesus with them as a bonus track on the special edition of the new album. The addition of a second guitarist lifted the band’s sound and only really pointed to the thinness of the sound for much of the bands set.

They then gave us a good version of Generation Wild that went down a storm before they closed with Cocaine Cowboys. That was ok, and at the end when they expected everyone to be cheering for more while the band stayed on stage to lap up the cheers and take a bow, most of the audience was already heading for the exit more than half of them were gone before the band had all left the stage!

Yes, Jettblack were by far the better band on the night and I look forward to the band’s new album later in the year.[review]

ALBUM REVIEW: Fantasist – Fantasist

The Rock Fairy — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:30:55 +0000

Manchester based kooky rockers Fantasist are back with their second album, also called Fantasist. Whilst there are sprinklings of Smashing Pumpkins and Primus lurking in the depths of Fantasist’s music, they really have carved out their own unique sound which is rare these days.

Whilst there are no real weak tracks on this album, some definitely stand out more than others. “Grim Fandango” takes me back to my teenage years, sitting in my bedroom listening to music whilst staring at posters of rockstars that would never be mine/pining over some boy that broke my heart with its slightly melancholy chorus. The harmonies in the chorus are stunning and really do stab you in the heart.

Drugstore Cowboy is a southern rock tinged ode to… well I’m guessing a drugstore cowboy ha ha. I definitely hear a hint of The Fun Loving Criminals in the verses to this. Star of the show for me on this album has to be Thump. The bassline on this is a thing of wonder. The way the song moves from the delicate yet frantic fret tapping bass line to heavy distorted guitars without sounding like a disjointed mess is testament to the musical ability Fantasist possess in abundance.

Everything about this album is solid. If you like your rock groovy and full of wicked bass lines then Fantasist really are for you. You’ll be humming these tunes for months to come I guarantee it.[review]

ALBUM REVIEW: Civil War – The Killer Angels

Helen Bradley Owers — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:15:02 +0000

Civil War are a Swedish band rising from Daniel Myhr, Daniel Mullback, Oskar Montelius and Rikard Sundén, former members of Sabaton, their former backline tech, Stefan "Pizza" Eriksson (yes, dreams can come true) and Patrick Johnasson (Astral Doors and Lionshare)

‘King of the Sun’ opens with a quiet intro and bursts forth like an army coming over the hill, and once Patrik Johansson vox launch into the fray you realise you are in for something pretty damned special.

Double bass drums as rapid as Gatling gun fire opens ‘First to Fight’, a song that could probably slide into a Maiden set unnoticed. It’s lightning fast, surefooted and never misses a beat, with a voice that sounds like it’s grown hoarse yelling at the Viking Gods of war.

‘St Patrick’s Day’ for me is the best song on the album, but that’s probably my Irish DNA tugging, the Dropkick Murphy’s make me want to down Guinness and pick a fight too. This is an album that needs to be played loud, there is a lot going on in every song, the more you listen the more you hear. ‘St Patrick’s Day’ is a rebel call, there are choral backing vocals that fatten the sound without intruding, the guitar solos are surprisingly lacking in shred and to my mind are all the better for it, this song epitomises ‘less is more’.

‘Rome is Falling’ is rousing and strong, soaring and triumphant, an exercise in understated riffs and subtlety. Daniel Mullback killing his kit like volleys of arrows pounding the fortress gate opens up the frenetic ‘Sons of Avalon’ which, along with driving guitar riffs, has a rather tasty little keyboard solo in the middle.

If Napoleon Bonaparte was ever going to commission a song about himself then ‘I Rule the Universe’ would win the tender. The entire life of Napoleon in one rousing, epic, monumental, chorusing song, like many of the songs on this album it has an almost Wagnerian quality.

‘Lucifer’s Court’ is fast and furious and every note and beat placed with precision, this is one for the keyboard fans too. ‘Brother Judas’ could have been written by Ronnie Dio and the vocal is certainly RJD inspired, albeit without the Dragons and Rainbows. The guitars and keyboards are perfectly balanced to give a huge fat sound.

‘My Own Worst Enemy’ is as fast and furious as if the Hounds of Hell were nipping at their heels. Rikard and Oscar’s guitars drive the song along and there are some very nifty keys from Daniel Myhr.

For those interested in history you will probably have realised the album title has been stolen from ‘The Killer Angels’, the Pulitzer prize winning book about the battle of Gettysburg by Michael Shaara. ‘Gettysburg’ pays homage to that with another rousing call to arms, both historically and musically.

Final bonus track ‘March across the Belts’ is another in the Maiden vein and is a rather fine closer to be sure. If your bag is the likes of Rainbow, the Scorps, Maiden, Ronnie Dio, and/or the Dropkick Murphy’s there is something on this album for you. If you like history and heroic battle sagas of bravery and derring do then you’ll be very happy indeed. To me it made a refreshing change to the often ‘empty’ beer, women and lyrics of so many rock songs to have an album of intelligent, and it has to be said historically accurate, gems.

If I had to describe this album in one word? Epic? Yes, Epic would be the one.

www.facebook.com/Civilwarsweden

[review]

EP REVIEW: 44 Fires – (Untitled)

Steve J — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:42:03 +0000

44 Fires and the Sunday Service on TBFM Internet Radio have been closely linked since the show started, Brian sent me over a few tracks when we announced we were going live and both Corporate Lies & Propaganda Master were aired on our second ever show on Sunday 17th June 2012.

These two tracks as well as Wake have been aired regularly on my shows ever since and when Brian contacted me recently to tell me that the band were going into the studio to record some new tracks I cheekily asked if I could have a “sneak preview” of the new material once completed.

Last night the 3 tracks arrived in my inbox, “Army Beside Me”, “Idiot” & “Freedom”, my immediate reaction on hearing them was WOW (well I actually thought F****K) but thought I’d best be polite.

“Army Beside Me” kicks in with an infectious guitar groove by Jamie accompanied by Aaron on drums & Tony on Bass, Brians vocals more spoken word than song get straight to the point, urging the listener to question the system and the establishment, this track grabs you and holds you from start to finish. The subtle introduction of the marching feet sound effect towards the end of the track conjures up images from Pink Floyds “The Wall” but with a modern twist.

“Idiot” is a more “traditional” rock track, punchy rhythm and clipped guitar work brilliantly with the vocals, the chorus becomes a chant against the sheep like mentality of today’s society, powerful but with a sense of humour or perhaps irony in the delivery.

“Freedom” is a gem of a track, a simple acoustic introduction that gradually builds with the addition of the rhythm section, there is an ebb and flow to the track that grabs your attention and holds it. Brian growls passionately through the opening two verses before the chorus kicks you in the teeth, I can see this track generating a lot of passionate air punching and chanting of the chorus when the band start performing it live.

While the tracks that the band originally submitted to the show were good musically the production quality left a lot to be desired and any messages they conveyed were somewhat dampened down as a result. On hearing the 3 new tracks I was amazed at how big an improvement there has been to the overall production quality, Jamie and Phil at JBJ Studios have captured the bands style perfectly, I hope this relationship between band and studio continues with future material. From what Brian has told me the existing 6 tracks are to be re-mastered and added to these 3 new numbers for an upcoming album which will be available for digital download once complete.

44 Fires describe themselves as a “Hard and Heavy Political Band” this is true and they have never tried to disguise that but the listener should also bear in mind that these are songs of protest not incitement, they certainly urge you to question our current society but it would be wrong to view them as potential anthems for civil unrest.

44 Fires are: Brian Small - Vocals Jay Franklin - Guitar Tony Hampton - Bass Aaron Beard - Drums[review]

ALBUM REVIEW: The Melvins – Everybody Loves Sausages

The Reverend Eddi — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:57:43 +0000

This is one for the Melvins fanatics! Not sure what Buzz et all had for breakfast one morning, but this really is an eclectic mix of covers. Each is pretty much done in the trad Melvins manner and you really won't know what to expect right? Isn't this what we want from our Melvins albums, that element of what next? Songs are taken from a variety of genres / eras and will certainly take you through a journey of moods..[review]