Stencil Mag Issue 6 by Stencil Mag

Are you ready for summer? We sure are and we really canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to get there! To get us warmed up for the busiest time of the year (live music wise) we will be bringing you interviews from a stack of bands that will be touring over the next couple of months. This is your guide on talent, tours, and upcoming releases. Have a read and please make sure you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sit inside, as this year is only just getting started.

This issue is dedicated to our dear friend David Alan Griffiths R.I.P. dude.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

FEATURED

MIKE LEWIS LAB RECORDS JON LUTON Ri Rolands

â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the most hard working pop punk bands in Wales are here to talk about their upcoming album 'Vices' ! As well as this they will be telling us about their upcoming tour with the outstanding Fireworksâ&#x20AC;? So what have you guys been up to since we last spoke? Well towards the end of the year in 2010 we did some tours with Young Guns, The Rocket Summer and Jody Has A Hitlist. After we got back from the run out on the road we settled down and started writing harder than we ever have before for the new record. We wanted this record to be the best thing we've ever done and we feel that it is. We're so excited for people to hear it and to be able to play these songs live.

Can you give us some of your highlights of 2010? Slam Dunk in 2010 was crazy for us, we were put on a large stage both days and were really not sure what to expect. We said to ourselves in leeds that if 300-400 people turned up to watch us in the 1500 capacity room then we would be happy. The room was packed though and people couldn't even get in, which to us was incredible. The show was amazing and both the Slam Dunk shows from last year go down as two of the best we've ever done. As well as that the tour we did with Young Guns was pretty special as they are great friends and we get on great, the shows were brilliant and we all had a blast.

How stoked are you for your upcoming tour with Fireworks? Massively. They are a band we have been listening too for ages, and obviously we did a split together a few years back. We all love their music, they write great songs and they are awesome people. We've hung out a few times but are so excited to finally get the chance to do a proper tour together.

Why should Fireworks fans head out early to check you guys out? If you like straight up, no nonsense pop punk then come check us out. We put on an energetic live show and our songs hopefully all have something that people can relate too. This is something we pride ourselves on and we always try to write about things that have effected us, our friends or family.

Interview with Tom

Also, When you start this tour, you would have finished recording 'Vices' right? so will we be hearing a lot of new songs on this tour? Hopefully a few yeah! We don't want to get too carried away because the album wont be released yet but we are certaintly planning on road testing a few new jams and getting into the flow of playing them live!

What inspired the 'Vices' theme for this album? Just some of the things we've been through as people and together as a band. You meet a lot of people and go through a lot of wierd situations when you are in a band. It's sort of a self realisation that we all have our vices and so do other people, some worse than others but together you have to try and overcome them and not give up on what you want to achieve.

What is it you love so much about working with 'Romesh Dodangoda' ? He's a great friend of ours and has always helped us out massively since day one. He's very professional in the way he works and he understands the sound that we want to achieve. On the other side of that though we always have a great time and a massive laugh when we're working with him and Rob at Longwave so that's a huge part of it too.

How does your new material compare to your older material? It's slightly different and feels like we've progressed as song writers but like I said before it's the most excited we've been about anything we've ever written. It's still very much a pop punk record, maybe with a few different influences than we've had before but it sounds incredible and I can't wait for people to hear the songs.

What do you want 'Vices' to do for the 'Save Your Breath' status? We've always said as a band that we want to play our music to as many people as we possibly can. So we would love for Vices to be heard by as many people as possible and hope that everyone that hears it can relate to it in some way. Hopefully then they will want to come to a show and check us out.

“Fireworks toured the UK back in 2009 with Set Your Goals, since then they have rapidly built up a fan base of committed fans, Good news is they’re back, and you can catch them this month as they hit our shores again with Save Your Breath!”

So you guys did a tour with Set Your Goals over here, how was that? any cool stories from your first tour here? It was incredible. Those guys have really become some of our best friends so it's hard to have a bad time. Cool stories though? Kyle broke a guys nose dressed in a Santa Claus suit. He started attacking so Kyle went into a rare but amazing defensive mode.

How stoked are you to finally be doing your own UK headline tour, and what can attending fans expect? We've been talking about doing this forever. I think we may have the most fun playing shows in the UK, so finally being able to headline and see what it's going to be like is going to be interesting. People should expect Fireworks, not much else.

Interview with Chris Mojan You guys also played the awesome Slam Dunk Festival last year, how was that!? Didn't 'Tymm Rengers' get arrested? I'll be honest and say I didn't care for the first Slam Dunk very much, but the one in Leeds was amazing. A lot of kids couldn't get into the room to see us on day 1, and the same happened for us when trying to go watch friends bands. It kind of scared me for Leeds, but that ended up being one of the best times we've ever had. Tymm was kidnapped.

What can you tell us about your latest EP 'Bonfires' ? We want to release something every year, so we planned to do a short EP at the end of 2010 to not only hold people over, but hold ourselves over. We constantly want to write and record, so going 2 years at times can be really rough. We tried to make the EP have three totally different from each other songs. They don't really sound much like the new LP either, which is exciting.

How have you progressed as a band since the release of 'All I Have to Offer is My Own Confusion' ? I think the progression between Confusion and now has been the biggest in our bands time around. We really grew as people and musicians and I think it will really reflect on the new album.

In Reference to the last question, What was it like to have Chad Gilbert produce this record? People love asking this question. It was great, Chad remains one of our best friends and I'd do it again.

What can you tell us about your latest single 'Detroit' ? and what does this song mean to you? We actually just thought Detroit would be a cool first song to release, and it sort of became the single, which I think is actually pretty cool and worked out well. Lyrically I've always thought this song was written in a selfish form. Lots of references and metaphors relating to inside jokes/stories that most people wouldn't get, BUT everyone has seemed to be able to relate to it in some way which is amazing.

Back in 2008 you did a split release with Save Your Breath, how did this idea come about? We actually had never heard of them or heard their band, it was all sort of a "set up" thing. Who would know 2 years later we'd be sleeping in their studio and on hugging terms. Really glad it turned out the way it did, sort of formed a nice bond between us.

So are you guys working on your next album? if so how's that going!? We actually already finished the new record. It went quite well actually. We recorded it with Brian Mcternan at Salad Days and it will be out this May.

What else are you aiming to achieve in 2011? I'd like to move out of my parents house one day.

“I think the progression between ‘Confusion’ and now has been the biggest in our bands time around. We really grew as people and musicians and I think it will really reflect on the new album.”

RUFIO

How did you secure a place in Rufio at such a young age? I started with Rufio about 2 years ago. Before we started writing together, Clark and I worked at Guitar Center together and started hanging out. I auditioned for the Offspring and Clark mentioned that his band was signed to Dexter's label, Nitro Records. We would share 'road stories' and really hit it off. After the audition with The Offspring, I started touring with a band called, Drive A. In between tours, Clark and I would hang out and we talked about how rad it would be to play in a band together. I threw a New Years Eve 'Jam' Party one year and had a bunch of my musician friends come by. I cleared out all of the furniture from the living room and set up a bunch of gear. Clark and Scott came by and we jammed. Shortly after that, we started writing and playing together. It really doesn't even feel that I'm much younger than those guys. Good Times!

When did you decide drumming is what you wanted to do with your life? I knew that playing drums and music would play a prominent part in my life when I was real young. My uncle taught me to play drums and electric guitar when I was a kid. I remember he brought home a drum set that he bought from a dudes trunk at some punk rock show. I think it was a Guttermouth or Face to Face show. I started studying and playin in my own bands real young it it was always just a part of me. Definitely super blessed that I have music.

What does it take to be so committed to playing the drums, do you have to practice everyday? or can you just pick up the sticks and be okay? You just have to love playing and have that fire to get better. You have to constantly keep up with the up-andcoming musicians because there's always something cool to learn. You also have to play music for the right reasons. Don't play because you want to be rich and famous, because the real musicians can sense that from a mile away. I remember when I was at music school, you can definitely tell the real musicians from the fake one. Some honestly had the mentality that the music school was their ticket to fame and money, and that mentality would cause them to use their time and energy ineffectively. You just gotta be hungry to excel at your craft because having the right mentality is a gift. Just love life.

Interview with Terry Stirling Jr.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although their UK tour has been cancelled, we wanted to take this chance to remind everyone why Rufio are such a great poppunk band!â&#x20AC;?

What drummers have inspired you along the way and why? There's been a ton of drummers that have inspired me along the way. When I was a little kid, it was the punk rock and rock n' roll drummer like Bonham, Barker, Jordan Burns, Keith Moon. Then I started studying and playing jazz, funk and latin. Those drummers really did it for me; drummers like Tony Williams, David Garibaldi, Dennis Chambers, Horacio Hernandez, Vinnie Colaiuta, Billy Cobham, Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa. As I got older and started driving, I frequented the jazz clubs in Hollywood and was introduced to several great musicians. I remember I went to see Dennis Chambers and Victor Wooten and I approached Chambers for lessons. He says, "No kid, you don't want to study with me. You want to study with this cat right over here." He walks me over to Chris Coleman and introduces me. Shortly after, I started studying every-sooften with Coleman. Chris Coleman has been a huge mentor since. He would school me on the kit for sure; he'd teach me different grooves in odd-meter and as I got older and had to deal with contracts and shit, he schooled me on the business. I remember going over there one time, and we didn't even touch a pair of sticks for 1hr and 1/2. Another drummer that's been a great mentor was Matt Sorum. He produced a couple songs when I was in another band and we really hit it off. Sorum definitely helped me out when it came to the business side of things.

Can you explain a typical practice routine to us? Well there is no typical practice routine for Rufio. We'll practice like once before a tour and then we're off. I can't say that I'm particularly a big fan of that practice routine. When I was in high school, my practice schedule was pretty rigorous: marching band, jazz band, and my own bands and practice schedule. Then in music school, the practice schedule got way more intense. Not including commute, they were like 10-14 hr practice days. All different styles of music and several techniques. Us drummers are nerds, I love it though. Some would probably think that a schedule like that is ineffective or pointless. It's not pointless when you've built the muscle memory, and when you have 6 or 7 different instructors and each one is teaching you a completely different style of playing, you kinda have to have a pretty relentless practice schedule. On the road, I find it best to warm up 45 minutes to an hr before the show. By then I'm nice and loose and the blood's flowing.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The story that Scott told me, was that he 'borrowed' the name, Rufio, from a friends band. I know he plans on giving it back along with the $3.50 he also borrowed for lunchâ&#x20AC;?

How was 2010 for Rufio? 2010 was such an such an awsome year for us. Our EP, The Lonliest, was released in January of 2010. Then, we went into quad-ritary confinement to track the full lenth. Anybody Out There was released in July of 2010 so if you don't have it yet, you're more than welcome to get it. Get creative in your way of reaching and listening to it. Steal it, borrow it, buy it - whatever. Just understand that you would be contributing to our next meal if you buy it. (We also wouldn't mind if you just sent us a meal.Chicken or beef? Beef.) After record release, we did a whole bunch of touring. We hit the road with Strung Out for a 5 week tour of Canada and the East Coast. After Canada, followed a U.S. headline tour with a bunch of awsome bands like Veara, Close To Home and Before Their Eyes. We had such a great time. Then we got spoiled in Indonesia and Japan in November of 2010. Everyone out there made us feel sooo welcome.

Now we know your name came from the film 'Hook' but how did you go about picking this name? also was there any other contenders for a band name? The story of how Rufio got it's name is different every time we're asked, but of course Rufio started as a band long before I was in the picture; I was 11. (Yes, I'm all done going through puberty.) The story that Scott told me, was that he 'borrowed' the name, Rufio, from a friends band. I know he plans on giving it back along with the $3.50 he also borrowed for lunch.

How is the new Rufio band line up going? Taylor and I joined Rufio in 2009 and we've been a happy family since. We're gonna hold off on kids for a while to at least give us time to travel and be ourselves.

What can you tell us about your new album 'Anybody Out There' ? Anybody Out There is the outcome of a bunch of friends hanging out and writing songs Scott's garage in Rancho Cucamonga, California. We're all pretty confident that anyone who listens can grow 1 - 4 inches almost instantly. (Who wouldn't like to be taller?)

What does the rest of 2011 have in store for Rufio? 2011 has started off rad (aside from the U.K. tour being canceled) and will continue to be a blast! We're ready and stoked for the South America tour in March and way stoked for Groezrock Festival in April! Our homies from Face to Face and Mute played Groezrock last year and we've heard all about how rad of an experience it was. We've been talking about getting back in the studio to write a couple jams to hopefully release an E.P. We'll see www.terrystirlingjr.com www.twitter.com/Terry_Stirling www.myspace.com/terrystirlingjr. www.myspace.com/rufio

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Recent support slots with Funeral For A Friend, and their new album 'Where Else Is Safe But The Road' coming out soon, events can only get bigger for the guys in Cuba Cuba!â&#x20AC;?

How would you describe your sound to unfamiliar readers? We usually use 'Angular Pop' because it sounds interesting but all it means is it's a blend of pop and rock with a twist. It's better if we tell you what it's not. It's not Metal, Dub Step or R n B.

What can you tell us about your upcoming album 'Where Else Is Safe But The Road?' It's basically 11 tracks of unpredictable pop/rock. It was recorded towards the end of 2010 with a good friend Todd Campbell (Straight Lines, Tiger Please) then mixed and produced by Tristan Ivemy (Frank Turner, Tubelord, The Holloways). The whole thing was a great experience. We got to go to some incredible studios in London to work on it. Britney Spears had worked in one of the studios so we spent an afternoon sniffing all the sofa's...

What are the main subjects on this album? Our debut album tells tales of the wild unknown, adventure and regret. Some tales are personal to ourselves and the rest are portrayed through other peoples eyes. A common theme throughout the album is the Wild West because I love Western movies and what they portray. The Wild West is lawless and free so if you stray off the road who knows what could happen? It's a warming but slightly unsettling concept. The album is a really good escape from everyday life.

What does this record mean to you? We all take part in the writing so it means a lot to us all. The fact that I can escape into my little obsessions with the Wild West makes it extra special for me so I guess I should thank the boys for not going against it! haha. In all seriousness though, to release an album has always been a dream of ours so we can't wait to do it. This is the first collection of songs where we've really found our sound. It's exciting.

Interview with Morgan Isaac

What can you tell us about the single 'Home Is The Fire' ? Home Is The Fire was our debut single. It was the first album track we wrote really and It kinda started a theme for the album. It's adventure in it's simplest form. The single's gone down really well considering it was a new direction for us. You can get a physical copy from www.walnuttreerecords.co.uk

As a welsh band, what do you love so much about the music scene there? Well the band's avarage age is 20 and I think we're really lucky to have grown up on Lost Prophets, Funeral For A Friend, Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics etc. It was impossible not to be influenced by them. You'd see a lot of them in supermarkets and the cinema. It was surreal. It's such a tight knit music scene and that's what we love.

What was it like to record a radio 1 session? It was great fun. We did it with Romesh Dodangoda who produced our debut EP so it was a bit of a laugh. We covered a Ladyhawke song! Hopefully we'll get to do another soon!

As a band, what do you believe has been your biggest achievement so far? If you'd ask us in a few months we'd say releasing our debut album. That really will be the landmark for us. Apart from that, supporting FFAF in Cardiff in front of 1000 people, Recording a Radio 1 live session and just touring the UK no matter how empty some of the shows were! haha. All great experiences.

You've performed with a stack of great bands already, who would you love to share the stage with next? I think we'd all agree if I said Phoenix. They've been a massive influence on our music and their live shows are out of this world.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Noted by many as their primary influence 'The Get Up Kids' are one of the key bands in the alternative music scene today. With their new album "There Are Rules" already out, and a year crammed with touring, The Get Up Kids are taking over once more!â&#x20AC;? Does it feel good to be writing together again after the split in 2005? It feels very natural. When we broke up it wasn't because we were tired of each other on a creative level.

What's it been like being back on the road together after so long ? Not much has changed other than we have mellowed a little bit.

What can you tell us about your latest EP 'Simple Science' ? It was sort of the test run to see if we could actually do this whole rock n' roll thing again. I think it's a nice little EP. People should check it out.

As well as this you have a new album out 'There Are Rules' - what can you tell us about this album? It was recorded to tape, not pro-tools. It is very organic and raw. I think it's the best album we have ever made. We had a lot of fun making it.

How has the writing process been for your last two releases compared to your last release before your split 'Guilt Show' ? When we started the band the songs were formed from jamming at practice. Later it became Matt or myself bringing in a completed song. Then everyone was bringing in song ideas. Now it is back to jamming them out.

What songs do you enjoy playing live the most at the moment ? and why? "Pararelevant" from the new album. It sounds like Fugazi and I get to scream like I'm 16 again.

Interview with Jim Suptic “It was recorded to tape, not protools. It is very organic and raw. I think it's the best album we have ever made. We had a lot of fun making it”

You guys played Reading for the first time in eight years last year on the lock up stage, what was that like? Well it was our third time playing there. It was by far the best crowd response of the three. Festivals are fun but I always prefer playing our own shows.

How does it feel to be cited as a musical influence for loads of other famous bands and also one of the pioneers of a genre? It's better than being hated.

with the album 'On A Wire' the band said that they felt like no one had given it a chance, do you still feel that way today? What we hear now is people saying that they were young and didn't like it when it came out. Now that they are older it has become a lot of our fans’ favorite album. I think we are a band you can grow up listening to.

Will you be coming back to the UK soon ? Hopefully in May. I would really like to tour Europe at least twice for the new album.

Finally what does the future hold for the massive 'The Get Up Kids' ? Tour, record, tour. Honestly we are enjoying the moment and taking it all one day at a time.

“Currently the band are tearing up the USA with Asking Alexandria, shortly after this though they will be ready to share with us their 2nd musical output "World Record" ! Judging by their first output "Far Q" I think it's safe to say we can expect something mind-blowingly amazing!” What can you tell us about your upcoming album 'World Record' ? It’s coming out at the end of April and its gonna melt your face off!

What can you tell us about the single 'Beech Like The Tree' ? The song is a homage to our good friend Josh Beech, who has helped us out a hell of a lot over the last year or so.

How did you get to the title 'World Record' ? In its working title state it was originally going to be a kind of concept record, where every song title would have the name of a country we had been to and had memorable experiences in or just had some kind of relevance to us. But then we sacked off the concept idea and kept the name just ‘cause it sounded good!

As an upcoming band in the UK, how hard is it to make it in the music industry today? Not gonna lie, it’s not easy! It comes with hard graft and a good work ethic. We have all set aside everything else to do this and I feel like it might just be starting to pay off! But seriously, if you want to ‘make it‘ in the music industry you have to be dedicated to your trade. It’s not always fun and games but a little bit of partying can’t hurt right?.....

Interview with Dec

“We have all set aside everything else to do this and I feel like it might just be starting to pay off!”

What is it like being on Wolf At Your Door Records ? It’s cool, they’re good to us and have really helped us out a lot during the time we have been with them.

How fun was the Rock Sound Presents tour? any crazy memories? That tour was such a step up for us, we played bigger venues than we ever have before and it was definitely a laugh. Everyone got on really well. As for the crazy memories, I definitely drank too much! I got really nervous before the London show at Koko and pretty much chugged the best part of a bottle of vodka to calm the nerves!

As one of the first bands on the bill, how easy or hard was it to interact with the crowd? Before the tour when we found out we were going to be playing at doors some nights we were a little bummed out to tell the truth but every night all the kids came in straight to the front and even if they didn’t know who we were gave us the time of day and checked us out which was awesome!

How stoked are you to be touring the USA soon with Chiodos? as well as a stack of other cool bands! Stoked would definitely be the word! Just the concept of us taking our band to America blows my mind! If someone had approached me two years ago and told me this was going to happen I would have never believed them. Even if there is only 20 people at each show I wouldn’t even care, just going there is good enough for me.

What else does 2011 hold for 'Lower Than Atlantis' ?

World domination.

Interview with Ryan Key

“After seeing Yellowcard live on their UK tour with All Time Low and Young Guns, It really is safe to say that the band are back, the energy and love for what they do is clearly there. This massive comeback to form only excites us more for their upcoming album: When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes” Your new album is now done how excited are you to share it with the world ? The wait for our fans to hear "When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes" has been rough. It has been over 3 and a half years since we released our last record, "Paper Walls". Now that the new record is finished we are all pretty overwhelmed with anxiety and excitement while we wait for the release.

How did you come up with the title 'When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes' ? I've had the title since 2009. I was trying to get a young lady I liked to let me take her out. She told me she’d have to think about it. I replied "when you're through thinking, say yes". In the context of a record title it doesn't have anything to do with that story. It was just something that stuck with me and seemed to resonate with the rest of the band when I presented it to them. I think it is very telling as to where we are as a band at this point in our career.

So, How different was the writing process on 'When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes' than say 'Paper Walls' ? First of all we had so much time to work on it. Since the band had been on hiatus for the two years prior, we weren't out touring and then jumping right in the studio to write and record. We really got to take our time over the course of 2010 working through all of our ideas. Also we now live in Athens, Georgia ; Seattle, Washington; Tempe, Arizona; Los Angeles and San Diego, California respectively. So we had to do a lot of emailing and even traveling to work on the songs early on in the process. In the end I feel like we were able to create a record that only has the tracks we absolutely love on it. Having that time to sort out what we wanted and didn't want was really helpful.

In reference to the last question, What was it like recording together again after all these years? It was amazing. I think each of us was able to refocus our personal lives in the best possible way by taking a break for a while. It allowed us to come into the studio completely refreshed and excited to work together as a team.

How would you describe your new record to fans that are eagerly awaiting to purchase a copy? I hope that it is exactly what you have been waiting to hear. We really kept our fans in mind throughout this whole process. I think it is the best of all things Yellowcard. A true fan of our music, I hope, will be very happy with what we've come up with.

justinetrickett.com

How are 'Hopeless Records' treating you so far? They have been incredible. Everyone is focused on the same goals for the band, and I think we found the perfect place to start this new chapter of our career.

So you recently did a video for 'For You And Your Denial' how was that? and what was like shooting a video together again?

We had a lot of fun. We are really trying to enjoy every detail this time around. I really believe that attitude is coming through in everything we are doing whether it be recording the songs or shooting a video.

Upon release of 'For You And Your Denial' the song charted at number 9 in the UK alternative songs chart on Itunes! how did it feel to already have this impact on peopl when you have only been back together a couple of months?

It was surreal. Fans all over the world really made some noise when the song was released. It was so encouraging to know there are so many people out there that care about our band so much. It really made i all feel worth it.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The wait for our fans to hear "When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes" has been rough. It has been over 3 and a half years since we released our last record, "Paper Walls". Now that the new record is finished we are all pretty overwhelmed with anxiety and excitement while we wait for the releaseâ&#x20AC;?

What are your fondest memories of playing live in the UK ? Early on it was one of the first countries outside the US that we had the chance to play. I just remember being so amazed that we had reached an audience so far from our hometown in Florida where we grew up. Fans in the UK have always been behind us and we owe them big. In 2006 we had to cancel a trip due to problems I was having with my vocal cords. We never had a chance to make up the shows and we have always felt horrible about it. So I hope that our tour with All Time Low was the first step in getting fans excited about our band again.

So will you be looking to head back to the UK later on this year?

s it

As of right now I don't know what the rest of the year has in store. I know we would love to come back and headline if we could, or maybe even finally play Reading and Leeds which we've always wanted to do. We will have to wait and see.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for Yellowcard?

We plan on touring as long as we possibly can to support "When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes". So hopefully 2011 holds a lot of stamps in our passports.

Any last words? I just want to say thanks. Thanks to everyone in the UK for continuing to support us and be a part of what we do. We are so lucky to have this job, and our fans there are a part of the reason we have it.

live photos by justinetrickett.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;After touring the hell of the UK for a long time, it seems Architects are starting to get the recognition they deserve! 2011 has already seen them brace the cover of Metal Hammer, and 2011 will also see them take on a UK tour with Bring Me The Horizon! It sure will be a busy one..let's just say that!â&#x20AC;?

How excited are you for your upcoming tour with Bring Me The Horizon, and what can attending fans expect? I cant wait for the UK shows with BMTH, they are our best mates and we always have a great time with them. Fans at the shows can expect to see us play a few new songs in our set, lots of sing-a-longs and people jumping around!

What can you tell us about your new album "The Here And Now" and what are the main subjects behind this ? The main message behind the title and lyrical content for the record, is about living life to the fullest, living everyday like your last, being thankful for what you have and enjoying life.

In reference to the last question, what was the writing and recording process like for this album? did you get much sleep? We had a few late nights, but it went pretty smooth on the whole. it was great recording with Steve and living in LA for a month and a half. Writing the record is always a fun process for us, we love practicing together and demoing new material.

On your new album you have guest vocals from "Andrew Neufeld" and "Greg Puciato" how did these guest vocal ideas come about? Andrew is a great friend of ours and Sam contributed to the latest Comeback Kid record. We all think he's a great vocalist so he was an obvious choice for us. Greg is a good friend of Steve, and came to hang out at the studio one day. one thing led to another and he ended up singing on the record, which was a really exciting collaberation for us.

How has your bands sound progressed since the release of "Hollow Crown" ? I think musically we've matured, our influences have changed, and our criteria for what we would want to listen to and what makes a good song have changed. I'd say we are more melodic, catchier, still aggressive.

Interview with Tim HB â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main message behind the title and lyrical content for the record, is about living life to the fullest, living everyday like your last, being thankful for what you have and enjoying lifeâ&#x20AC;?

You guys have toured the UK countless times, do you believe that touring is the main key to a bands success? Definately. we are all firm believers in hard work paying off, and giving you more longevity and relevance as a band. It may Take longer to do it, but you'll stay around longer as a result. We all love touring so its works great for us to do it so much!

You guys have toured the USA as well, how does that compare to touring the UK? Honestly, its difficult in comparison. We have spent years getting established in the UK, so going back to square one in the states is tough, but i feel like we're making progress there.

What was it like touring Australia with Comeback Kid in 2010? It was amazing, CBK are one of our favourite bands to tour with. they're such a great band and great people. getting to tour australia playing awesome shows with them was a blast!

You recently appeared on the front cover of Metal Hammer, what was that like? and how cool is it to have magazines like that backing your band? Its great! We've spent a long time doing what we do with minimal backing from big magazines, so its a great feeling for them to take notice enough to give us the cover and support us.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for Architects? any festivals your looking at maybe? Touring, touring, and more touring, we cant wait. We're looking at doing a lot of festivals in the UK and europe, but you'll have to wait to find out which ones! Thanks.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;After losing two members and scrapping a whole album of material fans of Panic! became wary of the bands future.... Now they're back with their awesome new single 'The Ballad of Mona Lisa' which is already exciting fans for 'Pretty. Odd.' follow up 'Vices & Virtues' So, it looks like Panic! are back in full swing!â&#x20AC;?

What does the rest o Disco ? How has it been playing the old songs live without your old band mates? Playing our old and new songs has never been more fun. Our friends, Dallon and Ian, are exceptional musicians and make the live show very exciting to play.

I want this year to be full o We've spent a good amou wait to get back out on the different from each other, see us live

As a band who are influenced by blink 182, what was it like to tour with them in 2009? Touring with Blink 182 was a surreal experience. They're some of the most genuine people we've had the pleasure to meet and are extremely fun to watch live. We had the pleasure of watching (and listening to) them every night.

Interview with Brendon Urie For those who don't know, can you explain why you parted ways with Ryan and Jon? Spencer and I were on the same page in terms of what we wanted to accomplish musically, so it made sense for Ryan and Jon to pursue the music they felt they needed to.

You recently played a one off show in London, how was that? The show at Bush Hall was amazing for us. It had been a while since our last show there, so it was especially rewarding to play there again.

How excited are you for your upcoming UK shows, and what can attending fans expect!? I'm very excited for our upcoming UK shows. We always like to have something fun that allows us to create a special live experience and a chance to interact with our fans. Nothing can compare to a live show and that's part of the excitement.

So how has the writing and recording process been for your upcoming album compared to your previous releases? I mean a lot of your previous material was wrote by Ryan, so how did everything come together? did you have to step up your game? We all had a hand in writing our previous records, but this time around I took charge of the lyrical duties. And that was both a pleasure and a challenge. I'm proud to say that Spencer and I played every instrument except trumpets and strings on this record.

What are the main influences and themes behind 'Vices & Virtues' We had been through quite a bit in the last couple of years, so there was a lot to write about. "Vices & Virtues" came after the lyrics and music were written. And the title, we felt, really tied all of the different songs' themes together.

of 2011 hold for Panic! at the

of live shows and plenty of touring. unt of time in the studio and we can't e road. Live shows and recording are so but are equally as fun to do. So come

What do you want this record to do for the Panic! at the Disco status? We didn't set up any writing or recording "rules" this time, so part of the fun was in the endless possibilities to create something new for ourselves musically. That's something we strive for on every record and we wish to continue that.

Can you give us one or two of your fondest memories of playing live in the UK? Honestly, THE MOST memorable show is the time I was knocked out on stage at Reading Festival. I'm glad we were able to finish the set and not a single thing was thrown after it had happened. I love the UK.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Portugal. The Man are making the most of their time as a band, they've put an album out every year for the last five years, and this alone raises the bar for any competitors the band may have. So, In short Portugal. The Man...are here to stay!â&#x20AC;?

Interview with Zach Carothers So how is the new material coming along? The new album is coming along great. Obviously, I'm going to think it's the best stuff we've ever done. Ha. We've been doing tracking for a while, and now it's in the mixing process. Andy Wallace is doing the mix. He's so badass. He's done some of my favorite records of all time. We're very lucky to have him.

What has it been like working with producer John Hill? John Hill is awesome. We were big fans on his work, and it was very interesting to work with a producer of that caliber. It was a long and difficult recording process over the summer for a few reasons, but it was a great learning experience for us. We tracked in several different places. My favorite by far was Sonic Ranch, outside of El Paso, Texas. Such a beautiful studio on a giant pecan ranch right on the border of Mexico. We're going back there for sure.

you guys have released a new album at least once a year since 2006, what is it you love so much about being in the studio and recording music? Playing music is just what we do. It's our job, our hobby and our love. We feel very lucky to have this opportunity and we're going to work very hard for it. Wether it's touring, recording or practicing, we're not going to take our situation for granted.

In relation to the last question, how has the writing process progressed since 2006? We've learned a lot about ourselves and each other as musicians since then. We have learned how to focus our songs a lot better. Really trying to think out the structures and chord progressions rather than just putting a bunch of parts together like we did on our first couple albums. We're lucky to have a writer like john in the band. He does a great job at mapping out songs, drawing out the skeleton, and we've all learned how to work together to color them in.

How excited are you for your UK tour dates, and what can attending fans expect? We're pumped to get back over there! We always have a really good time and we get to play some new cities this time! If you're coming to any of the shows, i would expect to hear a lot of our new stuff. I imagine we'll be trying out a few songs live just for fun and give everyone an idea of what we've been up to. Hopefully see you soon!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Comeback Kid proved to the UK just how awesome they were last year at the now iconic Hevy Fest. For those who may have missed this event you have no need to worry, the gang are back in April to tear it up everywhere they can in the UK, get involved!â&#x20AC;?

Interview with Andrew Neufeld

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pop rock legends sugarcult will be heading to the UK in April to play a handful of shows to their committed fans, do not miss out!â&#x20AC;?

When and how did Sugarcult come to formation? 1999 in Santa Barbara, California is when we officially began. Before that, our singer (Tim) used to bring his guitar to college and use it as a tool to try and win the affection of girls on campus. He eventually hooked up with two class mates; bassist Airin and original drummer Ben Davis and started up a trio in the vein of late 70s/early 80's new wave/power-pop stuff like Elvis Costello, The Romantics & the Cars combined with modern influences like Nirvana & Green Day. I had a few prior years of experience in local bands and had recently been a touring bass player for several punk bands (Swingin Utters, The Ataris, etc.) Anyway, We quickly became good friends in our small local music scene and decided to join forces. The only problem was, the band already had a bassist; so Tim asked if I knew how to play lead guitar, I lied and said yes. We started practicing a lot and playing any show we could get. 2 years later we signed a record deal, toured relentlessly and here we are today in 2011 celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the release of our debut album "Start Static". It's all been such an interesting whirlwind rock n roll fantasy...

Interview with Marko DeSantis

t a h t g n i y a s t u o h t i w s e h t d “It goe e g n a h c s a h t e n r r e t t the inte e b r o f , y tel e l p m o c e e gam m o s n i e s r o w r o f r o / d an ways”

As a band that have been around for over ten years now, how does the Punk-Rock scene now compare to when you first started out? Well it goes without saying that the internet has changed the game completely, for better and/or for worse in some ways. Attention spans are shorter and there's sooo many new bands popping in and out of the picture. To be honest, I kinda miss the innocence and purity of the music scene from back when information wasn’t so readily available. Bands and fans had to rely more on their imaginations and not their search engines! But it’s all good. It's just hard not to get lost in the supermarket with so many bands, sub-genres, scenes, distractions. I am a firm believer that at the end of the day the basics win; Ramones, Bad Religion, Foo Fighters, Beatles, etc y'know durable bands without expiration dates! That’s what kind of band I hope Sugarcult is. When we started out, social networking meant getting out there in a smelly van and physically turning people on to the band. I'm glad we did it the old fashioned way first & can now use the internet to expand our reach.

What can fans expect from your upcoming UK shows? Expect 4 foul-mouthed American dudes who probably ate too much Nandos, pub food or Indian food before the show. I suggest you wear your raincoat, just in case we puke! We are so excited to be back in the UK after so many years. It will be fun to reconnect with our fans over there and catch up.

You supported Blink 182 on their UK arena tour way back in 2004, what was this whole experience like? That was actually in early 2006 if I remember correctly. Amazing shows in giant spaces! Blink had their own catering chefs at each show so we ate like kings; we shared a bus with this young band called the Kinison, so we partied like maniacs as well. It was actually a bittersweet experience as it was pretty obvious Blink was going through some inter-band drama; they had separate buses, dressing rooms, schedules, etc. It came as no surprise when they announced an indefinite hiatus right after that tour. But those guys were the nicest dudes ever; really genuine good people, intelligent and fucking hilarious! It was cool to secure bragging rights to be able to tell our grandkids that we played Wembley Arena!

So, In 2009 a hiatus was announced from you guys, what were the reasons behind this? It had been 10 years of nonstop band activity & we felt like it was the right time to focus on our personal lives and projects outside of Sugarcult. I had 2 kids (my boy is named London!), did a record called The Playing Favorites with some friends, got more into DJ’ing/remixing, started doing shows with my other band Bad Astronaut(with Joey Cape/Lagwagon), and also host a weekly internet radio show called Endless Party! Radio on www.moheak.com Airin and Tim both got into being producers and both of their first projects have become runaway success stories: Airin produced the debut by 12-member indie-rock darlings Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (on Rough Trade in UK). Their song “Home” has become a national sensation and they have gained a strong reputation for being an amazing live band. Tim produced the debut album from this awesome band Neon Trees whose song “Animal” has become a #1 hit single in the US and is starting to blow up in the UK from what I hear. Our drummer Kenny started a charity that raises money and awareness for healthy living calledwww.KennyDoIt.org to launch it, he rode a bicycle across America last summer all by himself! He also has a project called Good Man Down with a dude from Lit and some other friends.

So why is it that the first place you tour live again is the UK? We got invited to play the 20 year anniversary of Belgium’s Groezrock Festival April 23, so we thought, why not swing by the UK and play a couple shows to see if anyone remembers us! We really miss touring over there…

Is there new material coming together? if so, how is it coming along? John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” We didn’t plan on being away for this long, but all these other projects happened and have been successful so it’s exciting to forge new ground as individuals after so many years of being in close quarters. Sadly, for our fans, this means we’ve been distracted from our Sugarcult duties, so not much to report as of now. However, I remain optimistic that when the time is right we will return stronger as a result and deliver the best record of Sugarcult’s career!

What does the rest of 2011 hold for Sugarcult? Let’s see how these UK shows go and we’ll text you later…

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The King Blues are back with their eagerly awaited album "Punk & Poetry" ! Sure it's been a long wait, but let us tell you that it has easily been worth it!â&#x20AC;? You guys have been known to play 'Bonkers' live by Dizzee Rascal, where did this cover idea come from? We originally did it for the Radio 1 live lounge. Most of the band have been Dizzee Rascal fans for a few years, so when it came down to choosing something contemporary and that was in the charts at the time to cover, Bonkers was a no brainer. We don't really play it that often anymore, but when we do pull it out its so much fun to play!

How excited are you to be on the road with Sonic Boom Six and Random Hand? Very. I love both SB6 and RH very much, as friends and as bands. We've toured quite a bit with SB6 over the years, i remember the last time we shared the road with them we tried to kidnap their drummer Neil every night. I also accidentally duct taped Barney (Bass) upside down to a pole. He still hasn't forgiven me for that...Maybe this is the tour i get my comeuppance. This will be the first proper tour we've done with RH and i'm so excited to be able to see them every night for 2 weeks , they are such a brutal and entertaining live band!

Also, What can fans expect from your upcoming UK headline tour? Lotta new stuff from our upcoming album 'Punk And Poetry', one or two of the older songs we haven't played in a while, and me falling over a lot. I really feel like at one of our shows people can just themselves, there is no one 'cooler' than anyone else, no matter what social 'category' you find yourself in. We get Punk kids, Students, Reggae heads, Hardcore kids, hiphop heads and all manor of different people from different walks of life coming to our shows, and i am really proud of that. I hope its a chance for people who feel alone in their lives to come together in a crowd of people and really feel like they belong.

You've done so many great tours in the UK now including your tour with Enter Shikari in 2010, how was this tour? any crazy memories from the road? We've been privileged to some amazing shows and tours, and its been amazing! There have been some stories and mental times, but i always remember the stuff thats boring to read about! Few years back i was always getting myself into odd situations and varying degrees of trouble, but since becoming a Dad, i've knocked that on the head a bit.

Interview with Jamie Jazz

of those ll a r o f g n o â&#x20AC;&#x153;Its a s f living in a o h g u o n e who've had rofit comes before p world where here their lives are w oken r b people, and y ll a t o t d nd an tossed arou ne else can gainâ&#x20AC;? eo so that som You guys played a stack of Festivals last year, what ones stuck out the most and why? I'd be totally lying if i didn't say that playing main stage at Reading / Leeds festival wasn't a total dream come true for me. It was one of the best points in my life, so that stands out! But i really enjoy playing the smaller festivals, Kendal Calling, Leefest, Cockrock - i could go on listing for ages. I love them smaller festivals, they have a real sense of community and I love that about them.

What can you tell fans about your upcoming album 'Punk & Poetry' ? and what are the main subjects behind this album? When we first started writing for this album, Itch's lyrics dealt with a lot of personal stuff we'd been through, life and death, births, love, hate, betrayal - it was far more introspective i guess, but as times change, and ConDem came into power, and our mates started losing their jobs and homes, we got angrier and angrier and we decided to write a protest record. That personal element still runs through the whole album, but its a full on political record.

What can you tell us about your new song 'We Are Fucking Angry' ? It kinda speaks for itself i guess. As i said in the last question, we got angry, and so did a lot of other people, but not just the activists and protesters, but all types of people, students, workers, single parents. Its a song for all of those who've had enough of living in a world where profit comes before people, and where their lives are tossed around and totally broken so that someone else can gain.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for The King Blues? Hopefully touring around the world, there is a real attitude that things have got to change, and its not just in the UK, its around the World and we want to take our message to everyone that we can do.

Interview with Alex Copeland

â&#x20AC;&#x153;[spunge] can happily prove that the UK ska scene is far from dead, and with new songs currently being penned the future can only be bright for these guys!â&#x20AC;?

How did you guys get together, and how did you get to the name [spunge]? We all just kind of knew that the others were looking at starting a band, all got together to mess about doing it and after a couple of false starts with other bands we ended up as pretty much what you see now. I used to play bass and sing and stepped down from that, we had a couple of bass players and then (a very long time ago) Jarv (Chris) joined and has been there ever since. The name came about by just having a beer and throwing names about, nothing to it really other than we liked the way it sounded... and we had some t-shirts to shift but that stories on a DVD somewhere.

Interview with Alex Copeland How has the ska music scene progressed since you first started out? It has it's ups and downs as far as main stream but there has always been a healthy underground scene no matter what with the die hard lot.

Back in 2002 you got to support Green Day, how was this whole experience? Awesome. Great to be asked and great to do. A real eye opener when you see the scale of those shows and what goes on behind the scenes. Greenday themselves were great too, seriously down to earth people and with the fame they have it could be so easy to be arrogant but they aren't.

Also, what was it like touring with Dropkick Murphys? any crazy stories from the road? That was cool too, nice to be approached to do it and the fact we were on first takes a lot of pressure off you, you can really have fun with it (not that we don't anyway!). As far as stories you must have heard of the rule what goes on tour, stays on tour', right?

What can you tell us about your latest album 'Spunge' ? It was something we did off our own back, on our own label, and we like it.

Why did you choose to release Room For Abuse again in 2006? We were given the rights to the tunes so we used the chance to re-mix them and make them sound how we would have done it if we had the time and money back then...

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We always look forward to going out on the road, it's what we've always done and what we will do until we can't do it any more!â&#x20AC;?

So, how excited are you for your upcoming UK shows, and what can attending fans expect? We always look forward to going out on the road, it's what we've always done and what we will do until we can't do it any more! We will be playing a mix of new and old tunes so something for everyone, and we have two BRAND NEW songs that we will be putting in there too...

Are you guys currently writing new material? if so, how is that going? Yep, we have two of the tunes finished and a few more in the writing stages. Going well and hoping to get the first two recorded and available online real soon...

Any last words? See you at the shows in April, look out for the new tunes when they come out and thanks for still supporting us, it's been nearly 17 years since we played our first shows and here's to 17 more!

Interview with Shane Told

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Silverstein are a group that have worked extremely hard to get to where they are now, they prove that they are just as relevant now as they were when they first arrived on the scene, and that is something a lot of bands can't say they've done!â&#x20AC;?

What are your current goals as a band? Our main goal has always been to have fun. Regardless of what we're doing at any given moment whether it's writing, recording or touring, we do this to have a good time. That being said we've finished the writing and recording part for now, so we're focused on touring and improving our live show, getting even tighter and better sounding. We want to tour as many different countries and head to places we've never been before as well.

As a band that helped kick start the modern post-hardcore generation, how has your fan base developed since you first started? It's cool because when you've been a band as long as we have, you notice that the original fans continue to come back, but there's always the younger fans that have just discovered us. It's really awesome to know that our music is timeless in that sense and people are constantly getting into it and going back and buying our old albums as well.

What are the themes that run through your EP 'Transitions' ? Transitions is a fitting title because it deals with the idea of change and coping with change. Over the last year we've gone through a big transition with a new label, management, as well. There's the issue of fighting your inner youth, with the impending adult in yourself, and the constant struggle of maintaining relationships with friends and loved ones on the road.

You guys were housed with Victory Records for a long time, what caused a change of label? It was time to move on. We'd done 4 albums with Victory, finished our contract and we were looking for the label that best fit who we were ethically, ideologically and that we got along with the best. Hopeless have been friend of ours for awhile and they come from the same DIY punk rock background we do. It made a lot of sense but it also feels really right. It was a decision we made with not just our head but also what was in our gut.

How are 'Hopeless Records' treating you so far? It's been great. They say yes to everything and let us do all the little things we want. We wanted to do environmentally renewable packaging, a 7 inch release for record store day, and an EP. All of them were no problem.

What was it like featuring in the new A Day To Remember video for 'All I Want' and how did this idea come about? We've been friends with them forever. We took them out on their first real tour and I knew from the start they were going to be a big band. They asked us to film the cameo and send it to them so we did. It was a really cool idea and I think it's great now that they've flourished into a really big band they are supporting the scene and giving back and showing their fans there are other bands they should check out too.

What are the main themes and experiences behind your upcoming album 'Rescue'? Rescue deals with self improvement. Rescuing yourself on a constant basis and improving yourself in every way. Everyone has their demons, and everyone has their problems dealing with them. This record is about that, it's about having hope, and about being persistent in facing them and not letting them take over.

What do you want this upcoming record to do for the band? I just want it to be another release that our fans really enjoy and will enjoy for years to come. In turn, I want it to cement our place in that we have made 5 records now that have all been solid, said something, and made a difference. To me that is a really special thing. We aren't expecting to sell millions of copies and get nominated for a Grammy. We just want people to fall in love this record, talk about this record, and pass it on to their friends and make it's messages spread.

What can you remember from your tour here with Hawthorne Heights back in the day? I remember we had HH, Bayside and Spitalfield and we were all best friends. I think it was everyones first time overseas except for us and everyone kept asking us stuff like we were experts. The best was John Beatz (ex-Bayside drummer who passed in 2005). He was running around the streets of London, drunk and proclaiming the United States was taking over. Maybe you had to be there, but I'll never forget that moment and the reactions of people to his thick NY accent.

What can fans expect from your upcoming tour? We've put together an unbelievably great and diverse bill with bands that are really exciting. We're playing a special set filled with old and new songs and probably a few surprises as well. We're going to play some old songs we've never played overseas before, and I think they key is going to be the sheer amount of energy we're going to put in. We've got some tricks up our sleeve, it's going to be awesome.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just want it to be another release that our fans really enjoy and will enjoy for years to comeâ&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Days That Shape Our Lives' is a slice of pop punk class, if you haven't got it yet, we strongly advise you do! Anyway the boys are heading out on a headline tour in March! so make sure you don't miss it!â&#x20AC;?

What separates you from the rest of pop punk bands out there? I think you'd have to ask our fans that one to get a true answer. I'd like to think we have our own twist that we put on pop punk music that people pick up on and distinguish us by.

How stoked are you for your upcoming tour with 'Summerlin' and what can attending fans expect? We've been looking forward to doing a headline tour for so long now, we actually cannot wait!! To do the tour with a great English pop punk band like summerlin is a bonus as well!

In reference to the last question, what can you tell us about your support band 'Summerlin' ? Summerlin are a great straight up pop punk band from the north of England. I do know an interesting fact is that the bassist 'ben jackson' was the original bassist for son of dork!!

What are the main themes behind the album 'Days That Shape Our Lives' ? We love trying to write happy summer anthems, the majority of these are focused on us just hanging out and having a good time.

Interview with Sam Thompson Why should a pop-punker pick this album up? Because it gets you laid

So with the amount of great press you have received for 'Days That Shape Our Lives' do you feel the pressure is already on for writing a follow up? Pressure? We're a few old guys from Lancashire, we don't feel pressure, it took us a good 3 years to get the first album sorted. Trying to get a serious jamming session out of us is damn near impossible, however I can tell you we have already written a good chunk of the second album.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Selling out academy tours is still on our to do list. It's a huge dream for any up coming band!â&#x20AC;?

You guys got to play Sonisphere last year, how was that whole experience? Festivals are epic, you get to watch some awesome bands, whilst guzzling free beer, then you get paid to do what you love doing. Let's hope we have more of them to come

Over the last year you've been getting a taste of bigger stages, is selling out academy tours becoming less of a dream now? Selling out academy tours is still on our to do list. It's a huge dream for any up coming band!

What will the rest of 2011 bring for Me Vs. Hero? will you be heading out to any festivals? We have festivals being booked as we speak, were planning to do as many as possible. We've got more tours coming up, more videos, and who knows, if everything goes to plan we might even get back In the studio this year

AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD Interview with Jason Reece

Read on to discover a rather insightful interview from the guys in "And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead"

So how did you guys get to the unique band name? From a day of heavy drinking and shit jobs...we tried to burst through the third wall ...peel the orange and punch the car mirror off...It was out of giddy glee for the absurd that we uttered the namesake.

How excited are you for your upcoming UK tour with Rival Schools? Hell to the yes. These mates are stand up in every way. Real gentlemen . They could do no wrong.

What can you tell us about your upcoming album 'Tao of the Dead' ? It is a expressway to yr. skull... a quick one...a close to the edge...a real fake train...a damaged kid...a blunt object...a flower of romance...A journey to the center of your disturbed heart.

On this album you chose to stick with writing as a four piece band instead of a 6 piece as before, why was this? It makes practical sense to cut off the rotten parts and keep the negative elements out of the creative path. More people...more fucking opinions...

So the album is split into two Parts, how did this idea come about? A moment of clarity hit us as we hiked around the deserts of Utah to find the Spiral Jetty...We decided to make a movement in D and a movement in F...The tunings helped guide us to higher places...and I mean higher places.

What can you tell us about your first single of this album 'Summer of All Dead Souls' ? A zombie filled planet. One man. A double barreled shot gun. tons of ammo. A ruthless dictator...a taoist path to find peace.

You guys are also releasing a comic book to go with this album, how did this idea come about, and what can you tell us about it? The story of a powerful pendant and the influence that it has in the alternate reality of Cysis. A steam punk chronicle. A choose your own ending story.

So, How much have you guys progressed as a band since you first started? Well ...we know how to play our darn tooting guitars now and we now know kung fu ...It's always about the future with us. We are still looking for that Holy Grail.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for you guys? Playing the socks off our bodies and working it like a ditch digger.

“For the die hard Rival Schools fans it’s been a long wait for the follow up to "United By Fate" but there really is no need to fear as the wait has been worth it. Their new album "Pedals" is simply amazing!”

How did Rival Schools get together? I was looking to create a new band after Quicksand and so I reached out to some of my best friends and we started working on United By Fate.

Fast forwarding here a bit here but what can you tell us about your new album 'Pedals'? It's the story of how we were able to reform nearly ten years after our first album to record our second and (in my opinion) an even better album, it's been an adventure!

What can you tell us about the single 'Shot After Shot' ? The main riff came from a song we wrote shortly after United By Fate, we dusted it off and added a chorus. It used to be called Sophia Loren but legal shut us down on that.

Why did you guys decide to part ways in 2003? Ian, our guitar player wanted to do his own band. With just the three of us it didn't feel right and we were burned out from all the touring besides so we decided to leave it alone with the possibility of picking back up at a later date.

Interview with Walter Schreifels â&#x20AC;&#x153;It's the story of how we were able to reform nearly ten years after our first album to record our second and (in my opinion) an even better album, it's been an adventure!â&#x20AC;?

How did the writing process for 'Pedals' compare to the writing process for 'United By Fate' ? It was certainly spread across a longer period of time but all told it was a lot easier, we wrote nearly half the album in the few weeks proceeding going into the studio.

What has it been like touring the world again together after all these years? It's been tons of fun, we haven't gone out for any long tours and have been very careful to do the shows that we want to do. It's been much more fun than it used to be to be honest.

How excited are you for your UK tour? and what can attending fans expect? I'm super excited, I love playing in the UK and I think fans can expect to have their faces melted.

What does 2011 hold for Rival Schools? We'll be touring for most of the spring, summer and probably another run or two in the fall, going to see the world again, can't wait.

So how did The Undertones get together? Way back in 1975, my brothers John and Vincent decided to start a group with their school friends Billy Doherty and Mickey Bradley. A short while later, Feargal Sharkey , 2nd cousin of Billy’s ( apparently), became the singer. They practised Beatles and Rod Stewart and the Faces songs on bongos, mandolins and acoustic guitars until in early ’76 Vincent left the band and I was roped in to replace him, mainly because I already had a cheap electric guitar and amp. So you can say I officially electrified the group! We then got more serious and got a H.P loan of 3 or 4 hundred pounds and bought ourselves some decent gear. By then, we were playing a lot of R n B songs, early Rolling Stones, Them and contemporary bands like Dr. Feelgood and Eddie and the Hotrods. But then in the Summer of ’76 the Ramones first L.P came out and the rest is history.

How does the music world today compare to when you first started out? Well the music sounds even more blander and homogenised these days. There seems to be a million more groups around but they all blend into one another and sound the same (XFM anyone?)…wasn’t like that back in my day sonny Jim. Or was it? Of course there’s still great alternative music around but you have to really search for it. I do like the fact that you can make music in your bedroom now and make it available as a free download. The DIY approach. Very punk. I love YouTube also!

Interview with Damian O'Neill Interview with Damian O'Neill

“The Undertones are a band that helped define the UK music scene today, Teenage Kicks to this day is a classic song that you can probably find on a jukebox anywhere in the world! Join the undertones next month as they play their first album through in its entirety! Can't really go wrong there!” You guys will be playing 'The Undertones' in its entirety each night on tour! so what can you tell us about this album? and what are the main subjects behind it? The first record is very dear to us obviously. We spent about 2 years playing clubs in our home town of Derry writing and perfecting the songs. The actual recording in Eden Studios, London also brings back happy memories. Great songs, great hooks. Subjects range from love, male model wannabes, celebration of summer and family incest.

The song 'Teenage Kicks' has sold close to 8 million copies now, including every release its been on, how does it feel to have this many people into your music? 8 million copies sold is a bit of an exaggeration but it has been on many a compilation over the years which have sold well. We feel truly honoured that the song has taken on this iconic status. However, it does tend to overshadow our other singles but not that I’m complaining…..

What can you tell us about the "The Rocking Humdingers Club"? It was the official Undertones fan club set up in 1980 by our management team ‘Cracks ‘90’. Can’t remember how many members we had but if you joined you received up to date newsletters and the occasional insight stories from yours truly. On this forthcoming U.K tour, we’re offering free entry to the first 50 who contact us who used to be a member of the club (all 2 million of them).

How does it feel to have influenced countless amounts of bands and musicians with your music? Again, very honoured and proud. Last year we received a ‘Legends’ award in Belfast and it certainly tickled our rickety old bones.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for The Undertones? British tour in April. Possible West Coast USA tour in May. Festivals in the Summer and then hopefully recording a new record in the Autumn.

So how did you get together, and how did you get to the name 'Rugosa Nevada' ? We kind of all formed in college in Derby around about 3 years ago, except for Dan our singer, he was at sixth form and later joined after being friends with Dan our guitarist. I think after this interview, you'll get so confused with which dan I'm talking about so i'll try my best to point out their instrument! haha. I got the band name from my mums plant book, it was the time when Msn was at it's hype so we all used that to communicate with each other. I flicked through the plant book hoping to look for some really cool names as we all kind of decided we didn't want anything generic or unoriginal, 10 or so minutes later of browsing I came across Rugosa then Nevada. We all agreed on the name and here we are today!

How would you define your sound to an unfamiliar reader? I find this question really hard to answer because we all come from completely different musical backrounds. We all love different styles and genres of music so it's hard to put a name on anything. I think if i put Arcade Fire, U2, The Temper Trap & Jimmy Eat World into a glass, stir it up and mix it you'd be drinking Rugosa Nevada haha. Let's hope anyway!

What can you tell us about your latest ep 'Until Bleeding' ? Well we decided to put something out on all the digital platforms so theres some access to our music really, not everyone really wants to go on myspace or facebook to listen to bands and we wanted another access for people to have. It's a four track E.P called 'Until Bleeding', two songs of which were recorded with our friend in his house last summer and two songs which we recorded with producer Alan Smyth (Arctic Monkeys, 65 Days Of Static, Pulp) in his studio in Sheffield. I'm happy with the combination of songs on it and i think it shows people we're not just one trick pony!

Interview with John Bullock

â&#x20AC;&#x153;More new music, heading your way!â&#x20AC;?

What was it like doing a session for the BBC? It's always really fun doing anything for the BBC! We're grateful to have the backing of BBC East Midlands DJ 'Dean Jackson' behind us and he's put us on some amazing festivals as well as inviting Dan (Singer) to the recent BBC Introducing Masterclass in London. It's amazing that the BBC over the past few years have focused in on under the radar talent throughout the country, without all of this a lot of bands at our level wouldn't of eve reached out to as many people as we have with all the airplay/festival slots etc. We're hoping to do another session soon to coincide with touring and our hometown gig!

What does the future hold for 'Rugosa Nevada' ? More good times I hope, a lot of hard work and determination and hopefully a big outcome! OR front cover on Stencil Magazine! Fingers crossed for a bright 2011!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;2011 has started off rather busy for LAB Records. We have seen a killer new track from Not Advised, and 'Hellogoodbye' have also signed to the label! Onwards and upwards it is for label founder Mark Orr! â&#x20AC;&#x153;

So how did LAB Records start? I first became involved in the music industry promoting shows in my hometown, Blackpool, and the transition to releasing records just seemed like an obvious one and something I'd always wanted to do. After 12-18 months as a hobby, we were lucky enough to have a little success and things became more serious.

What does a typical day in your job role consist of? It can be vastly different depending on what week it is or what we have going on at that time. Usually it involves moving from the bedroom in our apartment to our office space around 9am, answering a ton of emails and phonecalls before a meeting and a trip to the post office in the afternoon. More often than not in the evening we will be at a show! That said, sometimes it gets moderately more wacky - last week I spent one day standing in the cold with Duncan, who heads up our design team, shooting for our new merch line - and then flew out to Copenhagen where one of our artists, Portia Conn, is writing her album.

How hard or easy is it to run your own Record Label? To use an extremely tired cliche (especially since I support Blackpool Football Club) it's a bit of a rollercoaster. It can give you some of the biggest highs in the world and also some pretty sleepless nights. A strong work ethic is the one thing anyone I see doing well in the music industry have in common - you really have to live this job.

What is it like working with bands like Not Advised and Pegasus Bridge? It's great. We signed both of those bands around the same time - right at the end of 2009, and I think both have had an amazing 12 months and look like kicking on this year. I see them as being incredibly different bands - it's just pure chance that they are going out on tour together in a few weeks.

So you recently signed the massive 'Hellogoodbye' to your record label, how did this come about? and also how stoked are you to have them on your label? Hellogoodbye was something we were working on for a long time. The band decided to release the record themselves in the States which put things a little behind schedule, but eventually we got there! It's always a bit special to work on a band's second record when you bought the first as a fan (of the band and Drive Thru) and I've been lucky enough to work on a couple of records like that lately. It's already taken LAB to a new set of fans, which is fantastic. Did I mention the record is also incredible? Please try and pick it up a copy, it is available on iTunes right now.

How important are Independent Record Labels to the UK at the moment? Incredibly important I hope! There's absolutely no way the major label system can pick up every talented artist in this country - and that's before you even think about artists who do not wish to sign to a major or the fact that the huge labels may not be great at developing an artist from grassroots. I still think there are a lot of fans who believe in supporting independent labels and artists and long may that continue.

A previous Lab Records band 'The Auteur' got slots at Download Festival as well as T In The Park, what is it like when a band like that on your own label achieves something so great? Those festivals were during the Summer of 2009, just as the label was becoming more serious - and it felt like a huge achievement. Bands get treated incredibly well at those sort of events and when we rolled up at T to find our dressing room between Lily Allen and The Saturdays, we knew it would be a great weekend. Not just that, the show was fantastic and kids took time out of their days (and missed huge bands on the main stage) to check out the guys. The Auteur will be much missed, I believe they could have been an incredibly successful band with a little more luck.

How do you go about choosing a band to sign to your label? It really differs each time but if we feel a band suits the LAB sound and direction (which I hope is becoming more broad by the month) then we will look to meet them and see them live and establish if we could strike up a working relationship.

In reference to the last question, how did you go about signing Arizona band 'The Summer Set' ? We've worked with the band's label, Razor & Tie, pretty closely for a while now and I also met their manager Mike Kaminsky when I was in the States last year. We had seen how well they were doing over there and of course they are associated with a number of band's that have done great in the UK - All Time Low, Hey Monday and the like. I think kids over here who don't already know them are going to love them - they're a really cool band.

Have you got your eyes on any bands at the moment? Yes! We have a few offers on the table right now and I feel good that 2 or 3 will go through soon. I think a couple of them may surprise people.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for LAB Records? I can't wait to launch our new merch line - we have a number of creative people here who are intent on ensuring LAB is very different to the old definition of a record label - and I think that will be a big step in the right direction! Music wise, we have new singles from Not Advised and Pegasus Bridge coming up very soon, and The Summer Set album looks likely to be mid-April. After that, it's new signings all the way. Please stay tuned.

Introduce yourself I'm Jon Luton, a music photographer from Norwich. I'm 29 and having been doing music photography on and off for the past 12 years. I sometimes write photography articles for magazines, guitar tech for bands, and talk far too much.

So when did you decide photography is what you wanted to do with your life? I never really properly decided photography was what I wanted to do, I just kinda fell into it. I always wanted to be a music journalist, but was always rubbish at that. I started interviewing bands back in 1998, and I liked taking photos so would always take my camera along with me (just to get a few snaps of the band). Interviewing Feeder back in 1999 their tour manager noticed I had a camera with me and asked if I wanted a photopass for the gig. I said yes, and it went from there. I enjoyed the buzz of taking gig photographs, trying to capture to energy of a band in a photograph. This was back in the days of film, so it was frustrating waiting a few days to develop the pictures, whilst now everything is in an instant. I gave up gig photography for a while, but then back in 2005 I had been really ill, off work, and started thinking about what I enjoyed in life, and music photography was one of those, so I bought a DSLR, got out my contact list, and started photographing bands again. It just started again from there, I love going to gigs but I find that if I'm not photographing I don't enjoy the show as much, and I'm always spotting possible shots. These days I'm starting to do more band portraits, which is something I never focused on years ago, but something I really enjoy.

How did you go about choosing the camera equipment you are using currently? I currently use a Canon 5D mark 2 with 24-70mm lenses. I upgraded a couple of years ago from a Canon 20D. I chose my current camera after trying out a friends 5D Mk2, I couldn't believe the quality compared to my 20D, and having HD Video capabilities was an extra bonus. It allows me to have a fast shutter speed in low light, and means the limitations are usually my own rather than the cameras. I don't think it really matters what camera you use, it the photographer that makes the shot, not the camera. However, the camera you use can make a big difference in certain gig conditions, in low light a higher quality camera performs much better (higher quality doesn't necessarily mean more expensive), which allows you to use a higher shutter speed/get less grain in the photo (this bit sounds boring). Sometimes you can be limited by your equipment rather than your ability, especially in low light. For portraits the camera makes much less difference, as you usually have more control over the amount of light and therefore can use a lower ISO. Digital cameras have improved so much over the last few years, even ÂŁ300 cameras today are way better quality than the cameras which used to cost ÂŁ2000+.

Do you have any other hobbies, or is photography your number 1 activity? Photography is my number one activity, but I'm really into anything else to do with music. I like playing drums, guitar and synth (I'm just not that good at them). I like recording music as well. Unfortunately, I'm ok at most instruments, rather than being really good at one. I guitar tech sometimes for bands, which I enjoy more that playing in a band (this fact still confuses me).

When it comes to promotional band shots, how do you go about getting the best shots out of a band? I think it's just a case of research, find out what kind of image the band are going for, what look suits their sound, and what photos they like, and then trying to guide them. Choice of location can make a big difference. A lot of the time it's trial and error, trying different locations/looks/poses etc and seeing what works best. Every band is different, so it's about getting a photo that looks right for them.

So how much fun was Hevy Festival? Also what did you learn over the weekend? Hevy Festival was great, so many great bands were playing. It was also good fun meeting other photographers, many of whom I regularly talk to now. There were so many photographers at Hevy, that sometimes on the smaller stages we only got one song to take photos (instead of the usual three) which made me have to speed up getting my camera settings right, which is a good thing to improve. I also learnt, that if Trash Talk are playing, stand well back, if you don't want to be hit by a mic (luckily I didn't get hit). Photographing Glassjaw was also a highlight.

Who would you really love to do a photo shoot with and why? This is a really hard question, I love so many bands, and I've been lucky enough to photograph most of my favourite bands live. The Get Up Kids are my favourite all time band, and I've photographed them live on many occasions, so would be great to do a portrait shoot with them. There's too many other bands I'd love to have a photoshoot with to mention.

What other photographers have inspired you along the way? It's hard to list photographers who have inspired me in the past, but at present I always follow the work of Dave Hill, Joey L, Marianne Harris, James Milne, Clint Davis and loads more. There are currently loads of very talented music photographers out there.

What does the future of photography hold for you? Just more gigs and band promos. Every so often I'll take a break from music photography and focus on other areas of photography (I spent 3 months in Australia in 2009 just doing landscapes), but after a while I always come back to music.

Introduce yourself

MIKE LEW PHOTOGR

Hi, I’m Mike and I’m a music photographer from the nicest town in Wales, Merthyr Tydfil. I love music, nandos and canon. I have also developed an unhealthy obsession with the TV series Dexter, I need a cure.

So how did you get into Photography? I’ve been interested in photography from a young age, I would always be found with a digital camera in my bag. In January last year a friend influenced me to purchase a DSLR to take my hobby to a new level… Thanks to having a few friends in bands I got the chance to shoot some gigs and generated interest with local newspapers who published my work and access to more shows.

How hard is it to be an upcoming photographer in this day and age? Photography is a hard industry to break into and it’s very little money involved when you’re freelance. If I was to give advice to an upcoming photographer it would to just be confident, if you’re going to a show, ask to talk to the bands manager or press agent and see if you can blag a photo pass. Even if you’re not in a photo pit you can get some great shots from out in the crowd. If you’re pleased with a photo that you’ve taken and think a magazine or newspaper maybe reviewing the show, email it to them and see if they want to use it.

What has been your photography highlight of 2010 and why? Photographing Gallows was an insane experience. I honestly don’t think any band of today can top their live performance. Frank Carter gives so many amazing photographic opportunities it’s really hard not to capture a good shot at a Gallows gig.

How fun was it to shoot 'Alexisonfire' ? Getting to shoot Alexisonfire was an incredible yet pretty stressful experience. I remember the venue was only using horrid red lighting and every time I went to take what I thought could be a good photo, the security would nudge me out the way due to the constant crowd surfers invading the photo pit.

When your shooting a rock band, how easy or hard is it to get a great shot? Rock bands are great to photograph and you can always capture a good facial expression in a shot. Personally I would shoot a rock band any day over a ‘band’ like Mcfly when you would just get similar shots to other photographers due to their predictable actions.

You've shot a stack of other great bands, who else have you enjoyed shooting and why? I’ve photographed The Blackout tons of times and they’re always incredible and unpredictable to photograph. Fozzy who are fronted by WWE wrestler Chris Jericho was a surreal experience due to being a big wrestling fan in my childhood.

What does the photography world hold next for you? Getting a permanent job in photography is the long term goal that would be incredible to achieve and having an opportunity to photograph a festival like reading or download would be a completely new experience to me.

WIS RAPHY

www.riannerowlands.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rianne has had a passion for art for a long time, and with a recent chance at designing the front cover for the new Funeral For A Friend CD, It looks like all of her hard work is starting to pay off!â&#x20AC;?

What artists have influenced you in your work and why? Growing up all the kids I hung out with used to trace and copy cartoons from tv or comic books and I never did that. I always thought it was cheating somehow, and I always tried to develop my own style and learn the old school way by drawing from life. Even now I avoid looking at other people’s artwork as much as I can incase it influences my own. That said, growing up I ADORED Tim Burton, and comic book artists like Roman Dirge, Jhonen Vasquez and Jamie Smart.. who I’m now lucky enough to be friends with, and worked with him on Fat Chunk volumes 1 and 2. I’m a big collector of comic books too.

In this day and age, How hard or easy is it to be a freelance illustrator? It’s really hard, purely because there are so many blaggers around. People get a copy of photoshop and start calling themselves ‘designers’ when they actually don’t have a clue. But they end up getting all the jobs! And you start seeing really bad work out there. I’m not an art snob by any means and I support anyone who wants to make it as an illustrator/designer or creative person in general. But I think people really need to develop the skills and experience before they start selling themselves. My advice to potential clients is do your research before you settle on an artist, see their portfolio first and try to meet one to one. Not enough is done face to face these days.

So, How did you end up working with Funeral For A Friend? Well I’m a big lover of tattoos, I’m covered! and my boyfriend, Chris Harrison is a tattooist in Bridgend Tattoo Studio. Him and Nipper (Who runs the studio) ink up some of the guys in the band, Gav and Boosh, they mentioned they needed some new artwork, the studio guys suggested me, and the rest is history! It all happened really fast. I met them and we discussed some ideas, and then it was all go! The guys where great from day one, really friendly and down to earth. I was really anxious about meeting them, but now we’re now firm friends.

Did Funeral For A Friend tell you what they wanted, or did they just let you get on with it? Well from the beginning Mr Matthew Davies Kreye and myself bonded with our love of photography and 50’s imagery, and he had a very clear idea of what he wanted.. that whole nuclear family, post apocolyptic imagery, but totally twisted and dark. Me and him worked quite closely as we seemed to be totally visually on the same page. The whole band and me had a lot of fun brainstorming ideas, and I was quite lucky that they gave me free reign with the illustrative side of things. We went through several versions of the album cover before we settled on the final one. We started with a realistic painting to mirror my previous ‘The young and defenseless’ Ep but we realized the cartoon image looked stronger. We developed a whole storyline involving this family, it runs through all the inlay imagery, of both the regular and special edition albums. But you’ll have to wait til it’s released to see those. It was hard work, I worked 14 hour days sometimes just sat in front of my computer but it was totally worth it!

How excited are you to go in a shop and actually pick up the record, and say hey, I did that!? I am so stoked about that!! It’s something I’ve always dreamed about and it’s finally happening, after years and years of hard work. I absolutely cannot wait and I just hope that this is the first of many!

What does the future hold for you? I’m always looking for new challenges. I’m a character designer by trade and am currently working on some children’s television projects. I really want to do more album artwork and merch designs for bands.. I love the punk and alternative music scene so being part of it visually is such a thrill for me. I also love designing t-shirts and hope to start my own clothing label. I’m also currently writing and illustrating my own graphic novel, so watch this space!

www.riannerowlands.com

Gaming News:

This month I am happy to announce StencilMag has teamed up with XBLgamerhub.com to bring you a top title for each issue. For more news and reviews check out the home page, if all that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough XBLgamerhub.com boasts one of the fastest growing X Box Live communities, offering competitions with incredible prizes: starting from the 2nd of April you have a chance to win a special edition Dead Space 2 as reviewed in this months Issue. For more details check out the site, hope you enjoy the review.

Developer: EA - Visceral Games Platform(s): 360, Ps3, Windows Version Tested Xbox 360 UK Release date: Out now RATED: 18

So I am here again reviewing another sequel, I know what to expect the first Dead Space came smashing onto the scene in 2008, and seemed to have come from no-where. It reinvigorated the survival horror genre, a sequel was inevitable but will it be any good? Dead Space 2 sees the return of Isaac Clarke, and his struggle against the hordes of Necromorphs. So what are we waiting for? There are limbs in need of shooting so lets get to it, but firstâ&#x20AC;Ś If you going to play a survival horror game you have to do it right, So I sit down in the dead of night, change of underwear at the ready, volume up high.

The story of Dead Space 2 is easily explained however not all that clear during the game. We begin our journey of survival in a straight jacket. Unarmed, and quickly set upon by Necromorphs the pace of the game is made apparent from the get go. There are lots of them, 1 of us and not a great deal of resources. We are vulnerable, to survive we need to fight smart. In the midst of surviving we gradually begin to unearth what is happening. It’s been 3 years since the events of the first game, we are on a space station known as The Sprawl. As the story progresses Clarke learns of the creation of a new Marker, we then must begin to unravel the conspiracy behind its creation and ultimately do something about it. My synopsis is of course spoiler free, to explain the story of Dead Space 2 would hugely detract from the experience. Thankfully for me, the true masterpiece of the game is not the narrative but in the character. That’s right the one and only Isaac Clarke has broken his stoic silence and gained a voice! And with it has gained a greater depth of emotion making him that much more complex, not only having to deal with the physical foes but battling his very mind. Tormented by visions of his dead girlfriend Nichole, he deteriorates as the game goes on. Isaac is steadily losing his mind and it makes for a very interesting character to be. With the addition of three allies (I use the term loosely) Stross, Daina and Ellie. The latter seems to take the role of directing you round the hellish space station, explaining objectives. Where as Stross just remains mad as ever. You make for a rather dysfunctional team. It then turns into what can only be described as a wild goose chase through a hostile fright filled space station full of puzzles what seems to be an endless amount of doors! The story is relatively straight-forward though motives are never clear. There is also opportunities to flesh out the story through the text logs and audio diaries which are dotted frequently throughout each chapter. As I mentioned earlier to survive Dead Space 2 you have to fight smart. Make no bones about it this game is hard (providing you don’t play it on easy, word of advise it is a survival horror game, knowing you will survive all attacks considerably detracts from the fear factor). Being prepared is key for example half way through Chapter 9 there is a room full of Stalkers that almost brought me to tears. Their incredible speed made Isaacs’s clunky movement very evident. It is times like these where you have to fend of frustration and just persevere. Surviving against the odds and being terrified every step of the way is what this game is all about. Full of gore and quite frankly disgusting foes, balancing fear with skill is a hard art to master. Taking advantage of all that is at your disposal is key. Get inventive with your combat use stasis, melee and the new improved kinesis as well as your guns to dispatch your foes, Get it right and you will soon find your self tearing through limbs.

There are as you would expect a few new guns, for me the Javelin gun was a great edition its slow yet incredibly powerful fire rate got me out of some scrapes, not to mention the ammo is the cheapest. Less accurate players may find the Pulse Rifle the easiest way to go, ‘spray and prey’ as I call it. Fully upgraded the weapon is insane. To keep the kills flowing, be sure to take full advantage of The Store system. It is a great way to stay stocked, allowing you to spend your acquired credits on supplies. As well as an opportunity to purchase new items such as suits and weapons proving you have found the schematic earlier in the game. Dead Space 2 sees the return of the upgrading system for your suits, kinesis and weapons adding that minor RPG element we have all come to expect in modern games. Like I said fight smart, Just remember stamp on your foes, stock up where ever possible and use all your abilities if you go through Dead Space 2 only shooting you will die… a lot. So what is that is killing me so much? Dead Space 2 has some new enemies to deal with as well as all the old favourites. The two that caused me the most grief were The pack: a large group of toddler sized beasties that are weak when alone but pose a great threat in numbers. However the true banes of my existence were as mentioned earlier the Stalkers: fast Velociraptor style foes that as the name suggest stalk you, they are smart agile and hit very hard ‘we’re being hunted’. Boss fights are few and far between, and in all honesty could hardly be called boss fights, just big enemies that are easier to kill than the average attack. Visually this game is jaw dropping, The Sprawl makes for a much more complex colourful environment than Ishimura though some how retains the same terrifyingly dark dank uncomfortable feel. Amazing interfaces that made Dead Space famous return, menus pop out of your suit flawlessly. It is truly a visual masterpiece. Graphic violence is of course from start to finish, that when combined with the most terrifying sound effects I have ever heard, bring a level of intensity I haven’t felt from any other title. The incredible atmosphere is very sound based, high pitched frequencies in areas give you that ‘I don’t want to be in here’ feeling that is very hard to achieve. There is something magical going on with the sound, that often has you creeping down a corridor stiff with fear as you hear a screech, we brace for the impending attack that never comes… the suspense is at times unbearable. I know a lot of gamers out there listen to music whilst they play, but seriously the joy of Deadspace 2 is in immersion. Sit back in the complete darkness and let it consume you.

Now thus far I have been singing the praises of this title, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point out some problems with it. Now if any of you out there have played Dead Space 2 and are about to say ‘that didn’t happen!’ I would like to point out I have a very meticulous play style which tends to un-earth niggling issues. Okay first off it is linear, now sure lots of games are linear. But this game is as linear as Streets of Rage, I mean literally one path all the way through the game. This is something I get very bored of, especially in a survival horror game in which resources are key. I would like to think I could go look about and get a few extra clips. The linear style of Dead Space 2 is made even more stupid with the addition of the ‘Objectice tracker’ I mean really!? The game is an 18… I don’t need my hand held every step of the way. In the final chapter there is a beautiful line where Isaac says he doesn’t know which way to go. I did! It was the only door that was open… In terms of combat there were a few hiccups along the way, firstly I found that some enemies have cut off points, they wont cross certain boundaries for example: Second encounter with stalkers you can just move toward the stairs and you’re safe. In a survival game I don’t want ‘SAFE’ to be a factor.

The Online mode in Dead Space 2 is nothing ground breaking, you either play a guard from The Sprawl, or one of 4 different types of Necromorph. The humans have objectives such as launching an escape pod and the Necromorphs have to kill them; simple stuff and nothing worth raving about. Its only re-playable factor is the ability to upgrade your characters. In all honesty I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t impressed multiplayer has essentially taken the weakest aspect of the game (the combat) and made it the focal point, its not a genre that lends itself well to multiplayer mobility issues such as the inability to jump, crouch and climb. It just feels slow and clunky without the atmosphere its just a bad shooter. Thankfully I believe no one is buying this game for multiplayer. Note to EA not all games need a multiplayer, especially when the single player is so good. Dead Space 2 builds upon what its predecessor started, without taking away anything that we loved about the first game. The sprawl makes for a great backdrop to the horror, the coming together of great design stunning visuals and incredible sound effects make this game an intense emotional roller coaster of immense proportions. At the core of backdrop we have Isaac who has know found a voice performed by Gunner Wright he is likable character that we want to keep safe, making the survival aspect even stronger. I mean if he was annoying we would probably want to explore all the death animations (to which the sick puppies at Visceral seem to have put far to much thought into), late in the game you we will really be tested on whether you want to hurt him. Your feelings at this point will show just how successful the game has been in creating that emotional attachment.

Okay to wrap this up. Its awesome, a true masterpiece of survival horror. Fine it has a few issues, its linear design is not to my taste. However I understand that not everyone will share my need for exploration. My advise would to rent it, it is a must play game. However after a weekend playing through the 10 hour single player, it does not need to be re-visited. Like a horror film after the first run through it loses its bite, thankfully that first bite is unforgettable.

stencil mag speak to Stuart Harris about his video game art prints

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been really into games from; NES, Gameboy, Playstation and so on upto the latest generation of consoles. It had never really struck me, the 7 years I’ve been in design to put two ‘n’ two together, and make something using both these interests. At first it was just a personal thing, but the feedback I’ve received, is enough for me to consider doing more on a commercial level. In all fairness, I must owe websites’ twitter (@vuworld) and tumblr (red-corner.tumblr.com), for it’s instant ability to allow me to share my work with the rest of the gaming community, the access it gives people is really amazing. In the future I’m aiming to build on this, by creating a website and setting up an account to sell items, whilst contiuing to produce artwork based on my other interests; movies, pop culture and music.

Yellowcard - When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes “When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes” was always going to be a big moment for Yellowcard. At last time of asking, “Paper Walls” failed to achieve the same sort of commercial success as “Lights and Sounds” or fan adoration as “Ocean Avenue”, and though the band hadn’t planned to make version two of the latter, it’s turned out that many who lost their way after that might just feel right at home with “When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes”. Releasing this time through an indie label, the band seem to have revelled in the freedom of their return from hiatus. The album’s full of positive energy, and Yellowcard’s trademark sound really doesn’t feel like it’s aged badly at all - though that may be because the pop-punk scene is healthier than it’s ever been. Songs like a “Soundtrack” and “For You, And Your Denial” are likely going to be right up there with any other pop-punk songs that’ll be released this year, and “With You Around” deserves a place in the top 5 or so Yellowcard songs ever - it’d be a tragedy if it’s not picked as a single from the album at some point. Overall, the band still do much, much better at their pacier moment, but it’s a great album from a band that seemed dead and buried not long ago. Tom Aylott 8/10

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND - ‘Welcome Home Armageddon’ Back with their fifth album and after a slight line-up change; in the form of new bassist Richard Boucher came in after Gavin Burrough moved to guitar responsibilities after Darren Smith departed, Funeral For A Friend sound as strong and as consistent as ever. Whereas previous more recent releases have wained between good and great,'Welcome Home Armageddon' is brilliant, as it delivers the ideal balance between heavy and melodic. 'Old Hymns' is a bold, pleasing opener with Matthew Davies-Kreye's vocals being as distinctive and as perfect as possible. Recent single 'Front Row Seats To The End Of The World' is "classic" Funeral, with Ryan Richards' heavy vocals dominating in the verse creating an ideal bridge into Davies's melodic chorus. All the while the bands thrash and storm their way through with driving guitars and pounding drums. 'Sixteen' keeps up the momentum, with its tight sound that doesn't dwell on technicalities but more on grabbing the listeners attention. Moments like this continue to appear throughout, 'Man Alive' and 'Spinning Over The Island' sound like something we've heard before but they sound great and you can't help enjoy them. 'Owls (Are Watching)' is one of the many stand out moments, with its brash chorus and foolproof guitar tone. On the whole, 'Welcome Home Armageddon' answers to any doubts you had about the band and exceeds expectations.Sean Reid 9/10

RISE AGAINST - ENDGAME Returning with their sixth album, Rise Against play it a little too safe with 'Endgame'. However fans of the bands recent efforts will eat this up. Opening tracks 'Architects' and 'Help Is On The Way' have all the usual Rise Against traits; punchy drums, driving guitars and Tim Mcllarth's distinctive vocals. The latter especially stands out with simple yet effective chorus, its no surprise its the albums lead single. ‘Make It Stop (September’s Children)‘ continues the bands affective use of neatly produced alt-rock, with a large chorus built around a children's choir going “woah-oh-oh”. Yes its simple and slightly off-putting but it works. The major issue with 'Endgame' is that there are moments where Rise Against just do what they normally do, tracks like 'Disparity By Design' and 'Satellite' come and go with little to no impact. 'Survivor Guilt' hints at being different, but in the end doesn't. Far too often the bands sound comes off as slightly predictable. However 'Broken Mirrors' does offer a more grittier side to Rise Against's melodic hardcore sound, as is 'A Gentlemen's Coup'; an explosive track with plenty of force and bite behind it. Whilst on the other end of the scale, 'Wait For Me' provides a slightly calmer moment but it still has that distinctive Rise Against sound. Overall 'Endgame' won't see Rise Against breakthrough; though the bands slightly hooky moments hint at the potential to do so. Throughout the bands signature sound dominates and it seems there is a lack of enthusiasm to challenge this. Whereas the earlier moments gain your interest, by the end you can't help but think Rise Agaisnt have a formula and aren't going to change it any time soon. Sean Reid 6/10

Panic! at the Disco - Vices & Virtues Exclamation mark or not, Panic! at the Disco are one of the most well known names in (loosely) pop-punk: debut “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” is associated so closely with Fall Out Boy’s glory days and Decaydance’s rise, and the band at one point seemed to be threaten eclipsing label and mentor alike. But, as many are, the second album was a tricky one. "Pretty, Odd." saw the band go "a bit Beatles”, and put out something quite far removed from their dance punk debut. It's become a little maligned by fans, and now with only two founders remaining it's little surprise that the band have rethought the approach. "Vice & Virtues" is synth laden and dance driven but carrying much of the melodic themes from their sophomore love in, though that's not to say it's a "happy medium" between the two as it largely leans heavier on the debut. It all comes off like an attempt to please everyone in places, but the songwriting caliber is enough to avoid it feeling too cynical. There’s plenty of big stompy moments in the midst of some rehashed ideas, and it's got everything fans of the band are after. Tom Aylott 7/10