SONIC SHOCKS Issue 32 - January 2015

Happy 2015!

Issue 32 - January 2015

Ricky

iew v r Warw Inte ick

plus Primordial, Bernie Marsden, Truckfighters, Visigoth, Suicide Girls, Astrakhan and more

Brock Lindow:

TIME, TRAUMA AND HOW MUSIC GOT ME THROUGH IT

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

P 3: 36 CRAZYFISTS

Page 2

P. 28: HAPPY NEW YEAR

Interview & Brock photos by Cristina Massei

by C. Massei, M. Dawson & N. Loriaux

P. 8: BERNIE MARSDEN

P. 32: LIVE: NEW FOUND GLORY

P. 10: ASTRAKHAN

P. 33: LIVE: GINGER 50TH B-DAY

P. 12: BLACK STAR RIDERS

P. 34: LIVE: JAGER TOUR

P. 16: PRIMORDIAL

Interview by Matt Dawson

P. 35: LIVE: RICHIE RAMONE/RAGING SPEEDHORN

P. 18: TRUCKFIGHTERS

P. 38: LIVE: AT THE GATES

by Matt Higgs

Interview and photos by Mark Fletcher

By Cristina Massei

Interview by Matt Dawson

by Cristina Massei

Interview and live pictures by Cristina Massei

by Sophia Disgrace and Matt Dawson

Interview & photos by Mark Fletcher

P. 20: VISIGOTH

Review by Cat Finch - Photos C. Massei

Interview by Matt Dawson

P. 25: THE GOLDEN AGE OF BURLESQUE

by Sophia Disgrace

Cover Photo Credit: CRISTINA MASSEI

CONTACT US EDITOR IN CHIEF & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Cristina Massei thewickedwitch@sonicshocks.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Matt Dawson - cygnus@sonicshocks.com Nelly Loriaux - nelly@sonicshocks.com US CORRESPONDENT: Denise Britt - denise@sonicshocks.com

Contributors on this issue WRITERS:

General enquiries, review requests and unsolicited material: info@sonicshocks.com

Mark Fletcher, Sophia Disgrace, Cristina Massei, Matt Dawson, Nelly Loriaux, Matthew Higgs, Cat Finch

Advertising enquiries and info:

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

PLEASE NOTE: We listen to everything but - often in your own interest - we don’t always review it...

Cristina Massei, Mark Fletcher, Matt Higgs

advertising@sonicshocks.com

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

2015 marks the beginning of a new cycle for 36 Crazyfists. Their history with Roadrunner and their love affair with metalcore are both left behind, as a new deal with Spinefarm sees them going back to their original sound with renewed inspiration. Sadly, speaking of inspiration, it hasn’t been all roses for Brock Lindow, who lost his beloved mother to cancer 3 years ago. After a long pause, however, Brock found solace again in music, putting his pain into words and making his tragic experience the heart and soul of Time and Trauma…

Time And Trauma is your first album on Spinefarm from Roadrunner – how did that change happen?

We took a long break after the last record – Roadrunner was gone in Europe and then Ferret in the USA went away as well so we were free agents really. We entertained a couple of deals, Spinefarm had people that I had worked with before at Roadrunner that I liked very much – their presentation and their passion for the band was appealing to us so we decided that it would be a good place to continue and try to prove ourselves while they’re trying to prove themselves in the USA. A long time ago I worked with Jonas who is the president so there was a relationship already and that’s how it all came about.

Why was there the four year gap between records?

In 2010 – the end of 2010 – my mom was diagnosed with cancer so we got off the road in early 2011, I just wanted to spend time with her and I hadn’t really spent any time with family in general in many years because we were touring all the time. I hung out with her for a year and she passed away on Thanksgiving Day the next year…

I’m sorry to hear that.

Page 3

Thank you. Now it’s been three years – it took about a year after that to let the dust settle and process the entire time with my family – that’s why it took so much time for me, the music was actually done two or three years ago – not recorded but written – my bass player had lost his mother as well so just a lot of life that happened. Music was more on the backburner for the first time in a long time for us so when we got all that done personally I figured I needed music in my life, that’s what it’s always been about for me – emotions – so I really needed it again.

Things started writing themselves and I was really grateful to have music to have some sort of therapy through it.

Losing a parent is a life changing experience – especially when you see them suffer at the end.

It was lame [and] really bad at the end so when she passed on Thanksgiving day – and I was thankful for my mom – she was suffering pretty bad and I found peace that she wasn’t suffering anymore.

Did any of this influence the new album?

The entire record lyrically is about her and the process, there’s also topics about how my family kind of rallied around each other which was nice because we had been spread out for a while, it’s kind of lame that tragedies are what brings people together but at least it did. The record is about that entire year mostly and there’s a song about the night she passed away – the acknowledgement that unfortunately we all have to go through that in our lives at some point and just coming to terms with it.

Aside from lyrically, do you find that what happened influenced your sound as well?

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

I don’t really, I don’t write the music – only the lyrics – my guitar player writes the music and I think he was probably one of the reasons the band is still together because he was just waiting for me to come back around and I’m grateful for that so he had these songs written and once I started putting the demos together not a lot changed so I’m not really sure if the sound was – I think he was going through withdrawals of the band too maybe.

The cool thing about the music I think is that people will find – and I’ve seen it already with the single we let out – it sounds like the earlier stuff, a little bit more of that dark, moody rock as opposed to metalcore which is totally cool with me. The last album we did – Collisions and Castaways – was a straight up metalcore record, I don’t dislike it but it’s an album I wouldn’t show you if you’d never heard our band before because I think that’s not what makes our band unique, we could have been any band in that.

If you had to pick one album – aside from the new record – that people should listen to from your back catalogue which one would it be?

A Snow Capped Romance which we did in 2004. I always wished – and this is probably difficult for British fans to hear - that was our first album because I really feel like Bitterness The Star was at the height of the nu-metal thing and got us compared to Glassjaw which I never understood. I’m a fan of Glassjaw but there was so much comparisons to other bands, and when Snow Capped came out people were like ‘This is what this band’s about!’ I’ve always been proud of that record, I just wish it was the first one.

The band began in 1994, we had a tape out by the end of that year – the first tape was VERY rap rock, there was

Page 4

really only one song that was kind of rapping or a certain side of rhythmic vocals but the band has continued to evolve and not get too crazy from the original sound; I think on the last album it really showed that the band was losing steam with each other, the entire industry.

We toured a lot over the year, but if you don’t get higher and higher on the scales of success and you just stay in one spot for too long it gets complacent and you get a little bit bitter about it.

We just felt stagnant so we decided to write a heavy record and it was fun, but looking back on it I don’t think we were challenged enough. On this record the lyrics were difficult at times, the songs were much more intricate than in the past and it’s really good to be challenged.

You mentioned music as a therapy – if you didn’t have music what would be your therapy?

When I was writing the album my two sisters were like “You’re so lucky you have music for this” and I never thought about that before – I realised I was very lucky to have music. Everyone mourns differently I think – I like to be outside in nature so I’d probably done a lot of hiking which I did a lot of anyway: getting out of the city, get into your own head and fix the sadness I guess.

What are the plans in regards to touring/festivals?

We start the album cycle in February so we’ll be here first from February 4th for two weeks then go onto Europe and the USA – we’re not up for any festivals in June yet but I want to be!

Just waiting for the call!

It’s all being mapped out now so we’ll find out soon, if we don’t the plan is to try and come to the UK two or three times over the next year.

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 5

“Things started writing themselves and I was really grateful to have music to have some sort of therapy through it.�

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Have you been following the announcements?

Yeah, not seen us on it! [laughs] We’ll be going to Australia and to South Africa for the first time in September but I think we’ll be coming over enough times that I think everyone’ll be happy.

Do you feel touring is going to feel the same as before, or do you feel you’re going to need more time with the family?

I think that’s what was part of my problem before, where I was just really unhappy with touring because it wasn’t as fun as it used to be; but I think that the group as a whole was feeling that and now we’ve had the time off we’re super excited! I’m sure it’ll come to the time where we’ll feel over it again, I know now more than ever how lucky I am to be doing this, at my age – I’ll be 40 next year – I’m not as young as I used to be so I don’t think I’ll be finding myself bitching about touring any time soon.

We just did a small west coast run of USA and it was so fun, we then toured the UK last November just to come back and that was a morale booster, playing in this country period has been a morale booster for us – I’ll tour here for the whole year and I’ll be just fine! [laughs] I believe last time you were here you played the title track off the new album…

We played a few songs and had just finished the demos then I started recording in February of this year.

Was the reception good?

I think so, it’s a tough thing to do playing brand new songs to people that haven’t heard them but speaking to people and reading comments it seemed good!

You also did a listening party back in July…

We hadn’t signed to Spinefarm yet and I was really in the mindset of ‘we’re in charge of this’ because we did the record, a video and photo shoot all on our own so when we came to Spinefarm we already had the record ready to turn in; we wanted to be very self-sufficient because we weren’t sure if we were going to sign to a label, I’m glad we did because now all these people are working to help the band succeed where that would have been just me and the boys. We came over and it was so fun for the band because we hadn’t been here in so long we had forgotten we mean something to people here.

Anything else planned or that you’re hoping for in 2015?

Not really. In the early days I used to hope for things to blow up, now I’m just going to take it all in. Obviously I want us to get to the next level – our band has a slow, steady climb and if we could get bigger that would be great, if not we’ll just keep on trying.

What do you see as the next level?

Mostly I see it in the USA where all these bands are doing radio festivals. In the early days I couldn’t have cared less about radio, but I’ve seen what it’s done for certain bands and I’ve always thought we’ve had certain songs that should have been; to get invited to one of those

Page 6

would be great.

Do you think there’s been a revival in the US with the radio deal?

Yeah, the industry’s had to change style. Those rock fests have been going but they didn’t have bands like Killswitch Engage on them, more active rock radio bands like Papa Roach or Buckcherry; now I see heavier bands getting on the radio more, maybe Slipknot helped I’m not sure. The video’s obsolete as a format – MTV’s certainly not playing them at least in our country, the budgets are way smaller but we have a video coming out the same day as the record for ‘Swing The Noose’ and I’m really excited because we’re not in it which I love!

I didn’t want to be in it because how many times are they going to put us in an abandoned warehouse where we’re playing and it keeps cutting to some storyline that really doesn’t obtain to the song? We’ve filtered a bunch of people out that sent treatments and there’s one guy called Kevin Custer and I just loved his ideas about how the lyrics made him feel, he was pretty spot on.

Ten years after Snow Capped Romance and twenty years together – are those events going to affect the set list on the tour?

We did a ten year for Bitterness two years prior and I didn’t realise about Snow Capped which is unfortunate as we were caught up in finishing this album this year – Snow Capped has always been heavily in our set, I think it will always be fairly represented.

What would you say during those 20 years was the turning point in the band’s career?

The reason I have a career is because I met Skinlab in the late 90s, we had just moved to Portland and their singer befriended us, invited us down to San Francisco to record a demo and had the idea to shop it around to all these people. We didn’t know anybody in the business or bands that we were signed, we just wanted to move out of Alaska so we could tour and he basically called Roadrunner for us, Monte Connor came and saw us – signed us that evening, that was 1998 so we had already done two EPs on cassette and one full length so the turning point would be that signing.

Was there any particular moment when you thought to call it quits?

Definitely – the end of the cycle for Collisions and Castaways then finding out my mom was diagnosed with cancer, I was pretty over it but I didn’t know to what extent, whether I could quit completely but I wasn’t interested in being gone. I have a daughter as well so I was not seeing her which was very tough – that time period was thinking about getting out of things. I’m glad I took that time off and wrote this record, we came back with a fresh vision whereas before was business orientated and run its course.

Any message for the UK fans?

Thank you to everyone that’s supported our band for all these years.

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 7

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Joanne Shaw Taylor had a very special guest for her London date at Shepherds Bush Empire: Whitesnake’s legendary rock blues guitarist Bernie Marsden, the man who co-wrote with David Coverdale ‘Here I Go Again’. Do I need say more? Mark Fletcher didn’t miss the chance to have a chat of course…

You have quite an amazing CV. One thing that always comes to my mind when talking to people who are accomplished in their field is, what do you aspire to?

I still have goals like anybody does, and dreams do come true. In March this year I played on stage with the Allman Brothers at The Beacon in NYC, and I played with Jack Bruce for his final album sessions, I look forward to the next thing, what is done is done.

Page 8

What made you pick up a guitar? What age were you, and can you remember buying your first guitar?

It was The Beatles that made me want to play the guitar, seeing the girls on TV screaming, I thought that looks like a good job! My first electric guitar came from the legendary Selmer store in London, I was 14.

How did you begin writing songs and music, what came first - lyrics or music - and how did you develop the process?

I realized quite early that writing was the main thing; just imagine, how could we all be Jimi or Eric? Although we all dreamed, these days I try to get the lyric ready first, but I still have a lot of backing tracks in the can without words!

You have written and co-written some legendary iconic songs; when you and David Coverdale wrote ‘Here I go Again’, who started the process and what steps did you go through till it’s readiness for recording?

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 9

song in the Billboard chart, so there you go, the highs and lows of Whitesnake.

All in all everything is a high, with peaks every now and again; meeting and playing with Cozy Powell, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Jack Bruce, Warren Haynes, Alvin Lee, Tony Iommi, Derek Trucks, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa, I have been very blessed.

The gig at Shepherds Bush was brilliant (thank you Here I Go Again actually brought a tear to my eye!), and Joanne clearly has a lot of respect for you. Who do you see as being the leaders of the next generation of Blues guitarists?

I’m not sure I am the person to ask that question, for sure Joanne is up there with anybody else out there right now, male or female. Beth Hart is very good, Devon Allman, great rock blues player, Davy Knowles should break sooner than later, hugely talented player. The future is OK, they just need to get rid of us old guys!

Is it true you turned down an offer from Paul McCartney to join Wings?

I turned down the chance to play with Paul yes. I was called by his office via sax player Howie Casey, we worked together on the PAL project. Jimmy McCulloch was friend of mine, he had left Wings, Paul dreaded guitar auditions and Howie recommended me. I called the office, a few weeks went by and nothing materialized, Paul was taking a break in the US. I bumped into David Coverdale at a gig at the Rainbow theatre, he thought I had joined Wings! I explained that was not the case, a few days later Whitesnake had started and I had to call Paul McCartney's office to say thanks but would they now unconsider me for the Wings gig. There was a little surprise at the other end of the line, but I have never regretted it.

‘Shine’ is a great album and has some significant others contributing. It displays that ‘Bernie Marsden’ still has I remember starting HIGA at my first house in the winter plenty in the bag. So, what’s next for ‘Bernie Marsden’ of 1981, I have a cassette of it still! We were in the studio album wise and touring? and David immediately got into the tune, as soon as I Thank you, we had fun making it, Abbey Road played the E minor and said “Here I Go Again”; he was was a constant inspiration and Rob Cass did a fine gone to his room and came back with the lyric, the song production. I have a lot of gigs planned for 2015, Europe came together quite fast. Jon Lord was very active, he and UK, Japan and maybe the US, I plan to make a follow liked the intro, which when transposed to the Hammond up in January and February, before the February Blues organ became instantly iconic. Micky Moody didn’t play Cruise with Joe on the original, he was busy, so it was Jon, Ian Neil and B o n a m a s s a myself with the Rolling Stones mobile! and significant You have played/jammed with some of the greats. Who others in the would you still like to play or jam with that you haven’t USA. done before?

If there was a The great thing about a jam is in the word, it is not ar- film titled ‘The ranged! My first jam with Joe Bonamassa was in France life and Times Bernie and was amazing, jamming at Abbey Road last year with of Jack Bruce was mind blowing, Jack toyed with me, play- Marsden’, who ing the intro to “Badge and Sunshine” and then stopping would you like and laughing, great memories. Having Jeff Beck as a lead to see playing singer at a private party, singing sixties classics, now that ‘Bernie’? was something.

There ain’t a What have been the most significant highlight and low film company ever gonna point of your career so far? make that That is hard. The low has to be the end of Whitesnake at movie, but the time, it seemed such a waste, but things happen for a reason.The high is being told you have a number one Johnny Depp of course!

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

One of Matt’s bands to watch in 2015 – we chat with Rob and Dustan from the progressive/metal Canadian outfit about how the band formed, how punk and 90’s metal (briefly) played a part and why 2016 also might be a big year for them.

How did the band get together?

Rob: We were already kind of playing together at a variety of shows and venues, when my band fell apart I know that Dustan and Adam’s band was already on either the brinks of falling apart or had already broken up and I wanted to get to them quickly, snatch them up before anybody else did and start a project with them.

At the time I was playing more punk metal and I wanted to do something different – that was the birth of Astrakhan and at that point we had a good focused idea on what we wanted to do, it was just a matter of finding our stride, the right sort of balance and refined sound.

There’s definitely a progressive sound in your work – elements of The Sword in there for example – which bands would you say influence Astrakhan?

Rob: For myself it’s pretty much everything I’ve listened to since I was a young boy, I started with punk first then got really into thrash metal – Metallica, Megadeth then Iron Maiden – [which] from a musical perspective - learning the guitar and learning how to play music that’s my basis then I started listening to more blues, psychedelic – Pink Floyd – and more recently bands like Kylesa, High On Fire, Yob, Neurosis which I’ve listening to quite a bit more in the last year and is definitely a source of inspiration – I try to listen to everything really.

Dustan: I think that we all have similar plus some different which makes us all interesting characters because one of us might bring a riff and in my opinion or someone else’s it might be farfetched for the sound we’re going for but then we refine it and bring it into the realm that we’re trying to be in and I think that for me has been one of the exciting parts of the band that to me feels fresh.

What was the music that you grew up on?

Page 10

Dustan: I w a s brought up in a religious household, when I was pretty young I started to get interested in some bad 90’s metal because it seemed taboo, pretty shortly after I realised how bad that sound is! I then broke out by sneaking CD’s from my friends and listening to them with headphones on – I started to get into more punk and classic metal, everything I could get my hands on.

With the EP – who made the decision to put on the two songs from The Pillarist EP along with the new tracks?

Rob: That was our producer Jesse’s idea, we were originally going to do a 7 inch for just the two new songs but he was like “You never really released the last two!” and because those two new songs are so long it was going to be really cramped and we’d have to trim it a little bit and

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

it wouldn’t sound as good so the 12 inch format made more sense to put the two songs on our last EP for people to listen to – they actually fit really well with the new tracks. It was just a logical choice and the next step is to record the full length which we’re going to start recording in July.

I take it the new album is still in pre-production stage then?

Rob: Yes. We’ve written a good chunk of it, around 75%, it’s moving along quite quickly and we’re letting a lot of creative juices flow so it feels really organic. The songs that we’re writing are personally I think a level above what this is so it’s a nice stepping stone for us to find more of ourselves and write something that’s like one long piece of music.

So is a concept album in the wings?

Rob: Musically there’s a concept, there is a theme and connection there but our goal is to make it flow – when I say one piece I mean it flows from start to end and on a conceptual level there’s like a similar theme explored throughout them.

Dustan: When Rob and I write lyrics it’s a good way for us to get out some of the questions we have about life, things in the world, things that we see and we ask each other how we each feel about writing a song based on that emotion or the understanding that we have.

Rob: I think that’s important not only to achieve it lyri-

Page 11

cally but not just from a technical musical standpoint but also the type of feeling that you have musically.

When it comes to touring – what are the plans?

Rob: Right now I’m actually in school so touring’s a little bit difficult other than Western Canada , we have a few island shows on the coast in the new year and maybe festivals in the summer but as far as major touring plans they’re going to have to be done once the full length is out and to get that off the ground – mastered, mixed and out – will take us to the end of 2015 but hopefully in a year and a half we’ll be looking into touring Europe.

May I ask what it is you’re studying?

Rob: Media and web development, I’ve always done that part of the band – graphics and website stuff, made a lot of show posters for the music scene here, it’s something you can do freelance so it’s perfect for when I’m doing the music thing full time to have that in the back of your pocket. Obviously we’re not doing it for the money which is why we make the music that we are.

What are your main goals for 2015 in particular?

Rob: To do as much as we can to maximise the potential that we have right now as musicians, to take all the momentum that we have and apply it more than anything creatively and from that point on to be able to properly publicise that, have people hear it and plan some options touring would definitely be awesome!

© Amy Ray Photography

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

It’s always a pleasure speaking to Ricky Warwick. This time the opportunity comes from the upcoming release of the second Black Star Riders album, The Killer Instinct, a final seal of authenticity on the band born on Thin Lizzy’s revered ashes. And it doesn’t end there for our hyperactive Ricky, with plenty more on the agenda for 2015…

Going back to the birth of Black Star Riders and the release of All Hell Breaks Loose how do you feel the band has matured? Do you find your own identity has stuck with fans now?

Yeah I think it has. Eighteen months later here we are talking about the second record; people’s reaction has been wonderful and the support we’ve had from everybody has been truly magnificent, we’ve been blown away with people coming to the shows and buying the record – it’s helped us make the second record which is wonderful.

The Killer Instinct is out in March 2015 – explain the title.

The title comes from the song ‘The Killer Instinct’ which is the lead track off the album – I just felt it was a really strong title [and] it followed on nicely from All Hell Breaks Loose, the rest of the guys really liked it as an album title. The song was inspired by watching a Muhammed Ali documentary and how he overcame adversity to be the heavyweight champion of the world – I took that and put it into much broader terms of just getting out there in the world struggling to survive and finding content and happiness.

Do you feel you have a killer instinct?

Yes I do in a positive way, it’s a positive song about overcoming adversity, madness and the people who try to

Page 12

put you down and hold you back, it’s about being positive and trying to succeed.

Nick Raskulinecz played a big part in this album as well…

He’s been an inspiration obviously, he’s made some fantastic records with Alice In Chains, Rush, Mastodon and Foo Fighters. He’s a great guy, great music lover, really inspirational and really enjoyed working with him. We recorded at his studio in Nashville and he became like the sixth member of the band: came up with some great ideas, pushed us a musicians and had a big part in how this record sounds.

We talked about the title track, is there any other song that you feel is quite personal to you on this album?

They’re all personal to me, I always try to write about something that has touched or connected with me: friends, family, situations that I’ve got a personal involvement in. Hopefully when people read the words they can put themselves or connect to something that I’ve written about. Every song is personal.

Are there any that you feel will be particularly good live?

All of them feel pretty good right now that’s the problem!

Obviously we can’t play them all but I feel Soldierstown, Killer Instinct – those will work well live because there’s big guitar riffs and choruses – it’s going to be interesting to pick the set list for next year…

On the tour with Europe what can we expect from the set list – a mixture of the two albums mostly?

Obviously now we have two albums to choose from so three or four off the first one, four to six off the new one and we’ll still be playing some of the Thin Lizzy classics because we love playing them and will always want to play them so it’ll be a real mixed bag.

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

“there’s a hill there called Scarabo; on top of that hill the view’s spectacular – you can see as far across to Scotland and you can see the city of Belfast sitting down in the valley there, it’s mind blowing”

Page 13

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

How did the co-headliner with Europe come up?

We have the same management, they’re friends of ours and it was suggested it would be a good co-headline tour with value for money and we all felt it was a great idea.

You’re a busy man with some projects going on Pledge Music – a double album and a movie…

One’s acoustic and one’s electric – the acoustic album was produced by Joe Elliot in Dublin earlier this year, the electric album was recorded in LA – some killer special guests on there: Ginger from The Wildhearts, Andy Cairns from Therapy, Jake Burns from Stiff Little Fingers, Nathan Connolly from Little Matador/ Snow Patrol. It’s the first solo record I’ve put out in five years so I’m looking forward to getting them out there.

What led to you deciding to release a new solo record while also working on the new Black Star Riders – where do you find the energy? [laughs] Good question! I’ve been working on the solo records for a while but we were busy with Thin Lizzy so obviously I just didn’t have the time and this year I found the time to do that – I’ve written and recorded three albums this year so some people must think I’m crazy and maybe I am but it’s been a lot of fun!

Where do you find your creative inspiration and do you find it to be more difficult these days?

I actually find it easier as I get older to be honest with you – I can see more clearly in what I want to write about, any ideas are coming very fast; it won’t last forev-

Page 14

er but right now it’s a good time, I find it very easy to be productive.

I want to work and write as much as I can.

Is there any difference to where the inspiration comes from compared to the early years?

No, not really! It’s all just from life, living and what I see around me, just my opinion/take of it, that’s not really changed over the years.

Back to Pledge, I was having a look at all the packages you were offering: there’s a tour of Belfast and LA, so I was wondering if I was going to Belfast for the first time and you could choose one spot to show me, what would it be?

I wouldn’t take you to Belfast, I’d take you just outside of it to where I grew up – a little town called Newtownards which is eight miles outside of east Belfast and there’s a hill there called Scarabo; on top of that hill the view’s spectacular – you can see as far across to Scotland and you can see the city of Belfast sitting down in the valley there, it’s mind blowing and every time I take people over that’s the first place I’d take them to.

You’re spending most of your time in LA now – do you miss

home?

I do yeah! I get to go back a lot so it’s not too bad, I miss my friends, family and stuff like that but I get the best of both worlds so I can’t complain.

Where would you take me in LA? There’s so many options:we could go to the ocean, the desert, the mountains, and we could always do the rock and roll thing: Sunset Strip, Rainbow and all those cool places… but I’d probably take you to my local bar then down to Santa Monica and the desert to the Joshua Tree.

Is that what you find fascinating in LA? Yeah, it’s very diverse, very multicultural – it’s just a nice place to live.

You’re also promoting a movie…

Yeah I’ve been asked to be in a move called The Bridge, Bobby Field has written it/directed it and is using crowdfunding to help make that movie. He’s asked me to play a character called Nathan who’s a gangster drug dealer, Joe Elliot’s in it and some other great rock and rollers are in the movie, which I’m looking forward to shooting next year.

So you’re going to be busy NEXT year too!

I’m busy all the time!

The Almighty reissues coming out on Spinefarm as well.

Yeah, we’ve got them in early February, we’re very excited about those. We’re properly reissued on iTunes, also putting them out on vinyl, all those will be accessible for

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 15

the first time in many years which is great.

Is there any particular version that fans should be aware of?

All the tracks have been re-mastered, lots of bonus tracks, we’re pretty much releasing everything the band has ever recorded – demos, outtakes. There are a lot of options out there.

Any solo shows just in case you get bored?

[Laughs] I’ve got a couple next week but that’s about it. The solo albums won’t be available until the end of 2015 due to my commitment with BSR so if you haven’t pledged you won’t get them until November 2015 and I hope to do some shows to promote that near the end of next year.

Plans for Christmas?

Quiet time with the family at home, doing nothing!

Make a wish for 2015…

Everybody be happy, healthy, wise and peace on Earth.

Favourite album of 2014?

I really loved the Arctic Monkeys album – listened to that a lot.

Aside from the Europe tour can we count on you for summer festivals?

Absolutely, we’re working on festivals right now and I like to think we’ll be doing a few festivals next year. Thanks for the support, we couldn’t do it without you guys, please look out for the new album and see us play live if you want to see a killer rock and roll show!

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

With a February tour on the horizon Alan Averill talks about William Blake, production styles along with his own personal view on the state of not just metal but even the film industry…

To begin with I’d like to ask that given there’s a dedication to William Blake on the new album where did your fascination with his work begin?

Probably in school, I remember reading his work in English class, it kind of died a little bit in my twenties then I went to an exhibition in Edinburgh about three or four years ago – drawings, paintings, a general overview of his work and it just reignited my interest. I’ve also merged this with a fascination of alchemy.

You decided to have Gomez produce the album instead of Chris Fielding – were there any major differences in their production style?

Chris is a proper English gentleman while Jamie (Gomez) is a cheeky south American scally y’know? What it is like that old bands many get into a routine, they keep going back to the same place. I think the rest of the lads might have gone back to Wales but I deliberately pushed it – it’s good to try and step out of your comfort zone espe-

Page 16

cially when you’re on album eight 2015 marks 10 years of being with Metal Blade – how has it been working with them?

Good, we had a lot of shit from other places before, obviously they’d like us to do a lot more touring – if we were fifteen years younger the band could be a bit bigger, we’re all aware of that really – the heading out in the back of a van three times a year across America doesn’t work but they’ve never put any pressure on us to compromise anything. There are a lot of other bigger metal labels but it’s better for us to be a middling sized fish in a big pond and at the end of the day sales are not the first thing.

What would be the one aspect of the industry you wish would change then?

Obviously if it was fifteen, twenty years ago none of us would be in shitty jobs and also playing in a band, we would just be actually playing in a band. I think that sometimes people like to claim ownership of bands – I remember one person in an Iron Maiden t-shirt saying we were less real because we weren’t a professional band, I’m like mate you’re wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt.

Personally for me my problem is that heavy metal’s a microcosm of something that’s happening on a wider scale of society, I think we’re living in an artistic ice age where at least in the mainstream we’re witnessing the victory of pop music and popular culture whether it’s literature, music or television – the selling of entertainment aimed at children to adults which I have a particular hatred . The point is if you’re standing in a field watching Evil Scarecrow you’ve therefore invalidated your right to have an opinion.

Stuff like Babymetal then?

Of course. I think there’s a more disturbing side that taps into – this ancient Western tradition paedophilic viewing of the Far East in those terms so if you go to see it just fuck you! ‘It’s just fun Alan lighten up!’

You mention the idea of an artistic ice age…

I’m slightly exaggerating of course.

Yeah.

Think of a band like Type O Negative – great band, dark, challenging – there’s something behind that band – that would never be popular now, people don’t have the attention span, they want to jump around being pirates or wear stupid whatever and that’s such a shame it wouldn’t work now.

There’s not many people like that these days…

It’s why people still get pissed off at Dave Mustaine because we have very few characters left in the modern generation, he was saying the same things thirty years ago, he just wasn’t saying it on fucking Twitter!

You also mentioned when talking about the title track of Where Greater Men Have Fallen about how we’re entering a chaotic age…

The thing is I get it, I get why some people switch off and

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

don’t engage because when they switch on the news they find like today some forty odd people have been taken hostage in Sydney by some radicalised Iranian refugee who’s flying an ISIS flag out of the window, when you go into the cafeteria do you want to talk about that or X Factor? I guarantee most will want to talk about X Factor and that’s the world we live in where people don’t want to talk about it.

Is that why you obtained a journalist’s degree a few years ago – to try and make people realise another side to it all?

I’ve been an opinionated bollocks as a teenager – of course I’ve always done it with black humour, tongue in cheek – I’ve toured with Finntroll - they’re great lads and I do have a sense of humour. I was walking past a cinema the other day and five films were cartoons, this is a cinema that’s not in a geographical location where there are many children and families – there’s fucking adults going to see cartoons and if it isn’t that it’s superheroes. Think back to 1974: Mean Streets, there’s got be some Pacino and De Niro movie, Chinatown – the glory age of Hollywood and now adults are going to see Cloudy With a Chance Of Meatballs or Frozen, same with literature.

It has been announced that the supports for the February tour are Winterfylleth, Mathusian and Portrait (London only) – why should people check them out?

Malthusian are a really great new Irish band on Invictus – very dark, interesting stuff. Winterfylleth shouldn’t need an introduction but it’s what I would call proper pagan metal – not furry boots metal – some form of cultural heritage to be English without all the negative connotations that people that don’t know much about it throw at them. Portrait’s only in London - they were playing around the corner from us the same night and I thought that’s fucking stupid, they’re friends of mine and a great band. Anybody that likes Mercyful Fate should get onto them.

We spoke to them not that long ago and they were happy to be playing dates in Germany with Primordial – Germany also seems to be a worthwhile place for the band as well given the chart positions…

The chart positioning kind of fucked because we sold more than we did last time but we happened to release our album in the same month as Christmas – full of German schlager music, One Direction, Ed Sheeran – if we released it in May it would have gone in higher.

Which bands should we look for in 2015?

The new Marduk album because I’ve

Page 17

heard they’re returning to the war theme and violence, there’s an album coming by a band called Evil Spirits in Germany. There’s a TON of great music being made in the underground – heavy metal’s just being driven into this underground place by commerce.

Which albums were your best of 2014?

Well my two favourites weren’t really metal: Wovenhand – Refractory Obdurate and nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away, you’ve got Grand Magus, Dead Congregation, Bolzer, Slough Feg, the last Behemoth.

The Satanist was the album that really helped them cross over I think.

It’s the best thing they’ve ever done, as somebody who wrote with Adam [Nergal] back in 1992.

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Speaking with guitarist Niklas Källgren and drummer Axel Larsson backstage before their gig at the O2 Islington, it’s so hot in the basement you would think we were somewhere more exotic. These guys are coming toward the end of quite a big European tour with this particular gig about 25th on the list, let’s find out how they’ve been getting on...

What has been the most memorable moment for you on the tour so far?

Axel: Maybe we should stick with England! I actually enjoyed the day in Glasgow a lot there are some great memories from there and I actually loved the city. We had a lot of time off at that point and we were there pretty early and it was a great gig too.

Nikklas: It’s hard to pick one thing because there is so much going on, in so many places.

And what’s happening album wise?

Nikklas: We released ‘Universe’ in February which is the current album but at some point we will start work on a new album but right now we’re focusing on ‘Universe’ because that is selling better than our previous albums.

How do you feel about free music availability (legally) and the effect on music sales?

Page 18

Axel: I actually feel positive in a way because it is forcing the live music culture to return because back in the sixties and seventies people went out to watch bands play and then album and CD production became the biggest earner for bands but when we play live, there are now more people wanting to experience live music.

Is live performance the main passion for Truckfighters?

Nikklas: I also like to record of course but live music is a special energy. We are actually recording and filming tonight’s show to see if we can get any bonus live material and maybe some video’s too because we haven’t done much filming in the past.

What’s the process of recording, and what influenced ‘Universe’?

Nikklas: The influence came from the five years since the previous album along with all of the problems we had along the way. We changed drummers a few times over that period so the biggest influence was ourselves but musically we tried to stay away from things that other bands do, we tried to find our own way but we all listen to bands so we will probably be influenced by them but it’s not a conscious thing. We want to produce something that is the Truckfighters and not something that sounds like this band or that band.

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Do you study the influences of the bands you listen to?

Nikklas: I don’t.

Axel: I do. I read a lot about bands etc. and if someone like Dave Grohl says he liked something or found a technique from another drummer, I will be sure to check it out.

What’s the basis of your lyrics?

Nikklas: Well neither of us wrote any of the lyrics but I know Oskar is influenced by everything in life like a special event but nowadays he tries to write deep things from a whole life perspective.

What’s the plans for the next year or so?

Nikklas: We’re going to tour. We’re off to Australia this winter, and then we’re going to do a European tour next spring and then onto the festival scene across Europe and then we might be heading off to Canada or the U.S. if we have time.

If you could have any artist as part of the Truckfighters, who would it be?

Nikklas” Well I’m a big fan of Nirvana so I would say Kurt Cobain.

Axel: Maybe I would stay along the same line and say I would love to play double drums with Dave Grohl! And he’s still alive and so it may still be possible so Dave Grohl, if you’re reading this article; please give me a call! – I’m on Facebook too!

If you were stuck in an elevator for ten minutes, who would like to share the time with?

Alex: That’s a tough one!

Nikklas: My girlfriend!

Page 19

Alex: Maybe I should pick someone cool like Gandhi.

That would be cool spending ten minutes with him talking about life. Maybe he’s boring?

What do you do to relax after a gig?

Nikklas: Nothing special. We just chill out, we don’t have a ritual, we take a shower, maybe drink a beer or a glass of wine. Sometimes maybe watch a movie.

Alex: I’m usually so pumped up after a gig it takes me while to come down because there is so much energy.

Can you tell our readers something about Truckfighters that no one else knows?

Nikklas: Hmm… What could that be?

Alex: Maybe I should answer this being the newcomer.

Maybe not the best subject but most Truckfighter fans think we take a lot of drugs, and the fact is, we don’t.

Actually I am the only one that really drinks more than the occasional glass of wine. It was a shock for me when I started touring with them back in January, I remember thinking, these guys are a straight up sober good band who are hard workers.

Nikklas: We really take our shows seriously and drugs just wouldn’t work if you were hung over or feeling tired or whatever. The music becomes more important and the things that surround it less so I think.

Finally, a message for our readers, fans, and potential fans?

Nikklas: Potential fans check us out god dammit!!

Alex: For fuck sake dude, what are you waiting for?

We’re awesome!!

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

As the traditional metallers get ready to show the world what they’re about in 2015, Jake Rogers (vocals) describes defining moments, Dungeons and Dragons and even gives us his top TWENTY FIVE albums from 2014!

What would you say was your most defining moment of 2014 as the new year approaches?

That is a very difficult toss-up between playing at the Ragnarokk Metal Apocalypse festival in Chicago in April or opening for King Diamond here in Salt Lake City in November. Both of these were huge moments for us.

In Chicago we played to an audience of absolute underground die-hard warriors and had the immense honour of sharing the stage with some of our favourite bands such as Riot, Grim Reaper, Picture, Argus, Black Death, Eternal Champion, Night Demon, and a ton of other incredible acts. Both our drummer Mikey and myself were so sick that we could barely see straight; we had fevers, strep throat, the full deal. It was rough, but we pushed through and had a great time. Opening for King Diamond garnered us the largest crowd we’ve ever played to, and getting to meet some of King’s band afterward was a huge bonus! I even managed to get my King Diamond LPs signed by Andy LaRocque, which was beyond cool. The show was a big success and the crowd reaction to our set was great! And, of course, King was truly something to behold and a memory we will always cherish.

To those that haven’t heard of Visigoth yet what can they expect?

Heavy metal, no more, no less!

The track ‘Dungeon Master’ indicates a love for the fantasy game genre such as Dungeons and Dragons – what is your favourite tabletop game or fantasy based game?

I’m sure each member of the band would have different games they would offer up here, but I’ve really been enjoying Pathfinder. It was created by most of the team who worked on Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, so it essentially plays like 3.5 did, only more intuitive and smooth.

Makes for some great gaming sessions! Dungeon World is another killer tabletop RPG that focuses on very simplified character sheets and rules sets in order to allow more focus on storytelling and gameplay as opposed to rules-lawyering, so it’s a great way to conduct unplanned or last-minute gaming sessions on the fly.

How is it to sign with Metal Blade?

It has been interesting working with such a big label. We never planned on having this level of visibility so it adds a completely new aspect to the whole thing for us. Now that traditional heavy metal styles seem to be on the

Page 20

upswing, bands like us are getting signed to somewhat larger labels with increasing frequency, so only time will tell how that ends up affecting the scene as a whole.

Metal Blade themselves have been cool - the guys in the office seem to honestly dig our music (and they have a good amount of patience for our disorganized musician schedules!).

Which song would you say is your favourite off the album?

For me, that would be the title track, The Revenant King, without contest. It has all the elements I personally enjoy the most when writing and performing this type of metal - driving, galloping riffs, storytelling lyrics, and a general atmosphere that conveys darker, more heroic/ epic themes.

Which band/song got you into music or made you want to become a musician?

I’ve always been interested in music thanks to my father.

He was constantly playing rock’n’roll when I was a kid.

Bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Led Zeppelin, Boston, Blue Oyster Cult, Buffalo Springfield, Grand Funk Railroad, and even some early metal like Black Sabbath and Metallica were always blaring from the stereo in our home, in the car, on road trips, anywhere he could have music playing. But I think the moment when wanting to do it myself clicked was when I was in fourth grade (so I would have been 9 or 10 years old). My parents gave me the ultimatum of either playing sports or taking up an instrument in the school orchestral band. The latter sounded better in every single way since I had never enjoyed or been interested in sports, so I chose to play the flute. A few weeks later, my dad took me to a Jethro Tull concert because he wanted to show me how cool the flute could be, and it absolutely blew my mind. The melding of classical music and rock’n’roll played loud and proud in a live setting was a real eye-opener to my little fourth-grader brain. Ian Anderson really is a great performer and it was mesmerizing watching him jump around with wild energy, sing, play these absolutely ripping flute solos, and just own the stage the way he did. My dad gave me my own copy of Aqualung on CD when we got home and I played it full-blast on repeat for the rest of the summer.

That’s when I really started paying attention to the way things sounded in music, compositionally and sonically.

What are your thoughts on services such as Bandcamp?

To each their own - I will always prefer physical formats first and foremost, particularly vinyl because I like having the large artwork and general tactile experience it provides. It seems that my generation (I’m in my 20s) was

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

really the last to extensively purchase physical music. I’m amazed by how many teenage kids I talk to these days who admit that they have never even purchased a CD at any point. If I had to choose one, though, Bandcamp is probably my favourite of all the digital music distribution services. I like that it offers multiple different high quality download formats, gives the artist full control over their store, and offers one of the largest artist cuts in the business. They’re pretty transparent and music listeners can usually rest assured that, after Bandcamp takes their cut, their money is directly supporting the band or label they’re purchasing music from. Possibly the smartest thing they did, however, was allow people to create user profiles that show off their digital “record collections” (that is, albums they have purchased on bandcamp).

This encourages music listeners who use Bandcamp to actually purchase albums through the service because there is a full visual representation of where they’ve spent their money. This directly benefits bands because it drives sales up and also provides a platform for fans to share their favourite albums with other users. Brilliant move on Bandcamp’s part! As for strictly streaming services like Spotify? Burn ‘em all!

Favourite albums/songs of 2014?

I’ve given myself a 25 album limit and restricted it to metal only in order to keep it from rambling/getting too long, since there were so many great releases this year!

I’m not a professional reviewer at all but I’ll do my best to expand a bit on what I liked about each record. Anyway, in no particular order, here are 25 metal albums I’ve really enjoyed this year: METAL INQUISITOR - ULTIMO RATIO REGIS. This band can do no wrong in my eyes, and their new album is yet another testament to that fact! Metal Inquisitor is one

Page 21

of my favourite currently active bands, and this album is right on par with the rest of their unstoppably excellent discography. Killer riffs, perfect vocals, true heavy metal done right!

SOLITARY SABRED - REDEMPTION THROUGH FORCE. This album is, for me, an instant classic. Everything about Redemption Through Force absolutely rules. The vocals are a particular highlight, with singer Petros Leptos tearing through numerous styles with incredible aptitude.

Whether delivering traditional heavy metal vocals, a sinister snarl (yes this album manages to work harsh vocals into traditional heavy metal without sounding ridiculous - something bands rarely pull off), or his absolutely insane falsetto, Mr. Leptos succeeds with flying colours. I really cannot get enough of this one.

GRAND MAGUS - TRIUMPH AND POWER. I absolutely love these guys, and they’ve been on a huge winning streak since Wolf’s Return, and Triumph and Power sees them return with a bent toward epic and heroic themes.

Grand Magus are masters of truly get the most out of simplicity, which is something that I really appreciate about their songwriting style. There is an effortless feeling to the way their songs flow, like their songs just naturally fell into place because these guys absolutely live and breathe heavy metal rock’n’roll. Triumph and Power stands a bit in contrast to 2012’s stripped-down rocker The Hunt, firmly planting one foot in traditional metal and the other in a more epic territory - there are some truly mighty tracks on this one. Triumph and Power is one of those albums that makes you feel like you can conquer anything while you’re listening to it. Massive, heavy, and catchy as hell.

HYBORIAN STEEL - BARBARIC MYSTICISM. These enigmatic purveyors of true underground metal have re-

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

turned with a truly, invoking their killer brand of Ironsword/Brocas Helm/Omen/early Manowar/Manilla Road/Heavy Load true metal worship. Honestly I feel that this is an essential band in the style and something that no fan of the old sound should miss.

OBSESSÖR - ASSASSINS OF THE PENTAGRAM. Awesome black/thrash from Germany. Not only is this one of my

Page 22

favourite albums of the year, but it also has one of the coolest album covers of the year!

Face-ripping hell sorcery without giving you a moment to catch your breath. If you dig the genre, there is absolutely nothing about this you won’t love.

Go forth and bow before the altar of old evil speed!

SKELATOR - KING OF FEAR. One of the United States’ best-kept secrets returns with yet another slab of molten steel that defies all trends and keeps the energy high! Vocalist Jason CondeHouston is a true treat to listen to, wielding a voice that is both classically familiar yet identifiably unique. This is gauntlet-clad sword-wielding castle-storming heavy metal played the way it was meant to be played.

NOCTURNAL - STORMING EVIL. For the uninitiated, Nocturnal is a ripping evil thrash band from Germany. Arrival of the Carnivore is a black/thrash favourite of mine so I was excited to see they had a new full-length on its way - and it did not let me down! This is 100% spikes, denim, leather, and bullets to the core! No white flip-billed hats or pizza anthems here, this is the real deal. Storming Evil sees the quartet outfitted with a production that provides a lot more clarity than they’ve ever had in the past, but done in a way that doesn’t take away from the music. The frenetic energy of their blistering sonic assault is still fully in tact and the songs take no prisoners! Storming Evil rips your soul to shreds - headbang ‘til your neck breaks!

TRENCHROT - NECRONOMIC WARFARE. This thing crushes you like a steamroller made of shrapnel-fused corpses piloted by a feral necromancer driven mad by the horrors of war. The guitar tone is mean as hell, the vocals are vile, the production is big and heavy and boasts both grit and clarity, and the songwriting itself is superb. This thing oozes sincerity and a true love for the genre beyond the bounds of time or fashion. Absolutely top-notch death metal, not an album to miss.

BATTLEROAR - BLOOD OF LEGENDS. Battleroar is one of my favourite Hellenic heavy metal acts, and I was really bummed about the announcement of Marco Con-

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

coreggi’s departure from the lineup. I was a huge fan of his voice and his performance on Battleroar’s previous material has long been something I’ve looked to for inspiration. Stepping up to the mic in his place is Gerrit Mutz of German metallers Sacred Steel. I love Mutz’s voice, so this was a very anticipated album for me due to both my long standing fandom of the band and my curiosity as to how Mutz would fit into the fold. This is still a Battleroar record - mighty, heroic, empassioned heavy metal through-and-through with that signature Hellenic flavour. The vibe is a bit different from their past work; Blood of Legends is less, well, chaotic than Age of Chaos and more stripped-down than To Death and Beyond. And, while his style is very different from Concoreggi’s, Mutz’s vocals are an excellent fit for the music, and I think he really did a great job adding his own flair to Battleroar’s established sound. As expected, Battleroar has once again knocked it out of the park with another killer album under their belts.

AMBUSH - FIRESTORM. This album defies the gimmicky term ‘throwback’ and shoots straight for ‘instantly essential’. Firestorm stands with unquestionable conviction and an incredible sense of professionalism, especially sseeing as this is Ambush’s first full-length. This thing is confident, tight, and polished in a way that takes many bands years to achieve. Everything sounds great the guitars have a thick tube body with plenty of bite in the attack, the bass is audible and muscular, the drums sound big and natural, and the vocals absolutely soar and rage above everything with seasoned tone and excellent harmonic arrangement. Firestorm is one of this year’s must-purchase traditional heavy metal records.

GATEKRASHÖR - GATEKRASHÖR. You can pretty much tell right out of the gate (pun absolutely intended) that this band is from Canada. Rugged, rough, and rockin’ Venomesque heavy/speed metal that takes no prisoners. The proud all-caps proclamation of *NO TRIGGERS OR SOUND REPLACEMENT USED ON THIS ALBUM* announces Gatekrashör’s anti-modern hunger for pure, unadultered metal mayhem, and they deliver on this promise with a palpable, thundering energy. Feel the force!

AMULET - THE FIRST. The aptly-titled first full-length from this English quintet exudes the raw energy that fuelled the fires of the NWOBHM, and the production leaves nothing to be desired with its stripped-down rock’n’roll warmth; roomy drums, low-gain tube amps, and audible bass come together to truly let the human element shine through. The First is a love letter to classic British heavy metal. An absolute blast to listen to.

SAVAGE MASTER - Mask of the Devil. It’s kind of impossible to mention Savage Master without mentioning Cirith Ungol. Vocalist Stacey Savage invokes Tim Baker in a big way, and it absolutely rules. Not only that, but the riffwork absolutely rips! Killer die-hard heavy metal ride from start to finish. This is definitely a band to watch.

OCTOBER 31 - BURY THE HATCHET. Great straightforward metal with zero frills or gimmicks, just metal passion, energy to spare, and a touch of that ephemeral Halloween flavour! Anybody who has heard frontman King Fowley’s other band, the mighty and inimitable Deceased (one of my all-time favourite bands), knows that his vocal delivery is always a highlight, and this one is no exception.

Play it loud and rock on!

HORRENDOUS - ECDYSIS. This is making a lot of lists

Page 23

this year, and for good reason. Their 2012 album The Chills was a killer death metal record, but Ecdysis sees the band carve their own niche into the genre. With a surprisingly tasteful use of melody (without edging into ‘melodic death metal’ territory), truly inventive songwriting, and a general difficult-to-define but clearly present sense of unique identity, this album really manages to take the listener on a journey.

SONS OF CROM - RIDDLE OF STEEL. This album is pretty much all about mid-period and late-period Bathory. If you’re like me and you’re a sucker for bands that kneel before the altar of Quorthon’s Viking-era material, there’s plenty for you to enjoy here. Sons of Crom do spice things up with their own flair as well, making this an all-around solid first full-length. For obvious reasons, comparisons can also be drawn to Sweden’s Ereb Altor, albeit with less of a doom bent and more of a straightforward heavy metal vein running through it.

ERED WETHRIN - TIDES OF WAR. Ered Wethrin is a black metal project based right here in Salt Lake City. I am not, however, including it on any basis of geographical favouritism - Tides of War really is a great album. Ered Wethrin showcases a very cool tradeoff of rollicking upbeat riffs and brooding orchestral meditations spread across lengthy, meandering arrangements. This one has atmosphere and epic romanticism in spades, taking the listener on a journey through sorrow, pride, triumph, and defeat. This is a great debut album from a band that fans of underground fantasy black metal will definitely want to keep an eye on.

ACCEPT - BLIND RAGE. It’s Accept, not much needs to be said! Accept shows no signs of losing steam. If you’ve enjoyed the rest of their Mark Tornillo-era material, you’ll love this one. You know the drill: huge hooks, fist-pumping choruses, harder-than-steel riffs, the works. Another great album from the legendary German stalwarts!

PRIMORDIAL - WHERE GREATER MEN HAVE FALLEN. Primordial are back with, in my opinion, their best album since 2005’s The Gathering Wilderness. Alan’s vocals are in rare form here, drenched in the trademark heartwrenching desperation that sets them apart. Shrouded in shades of classic doom metal, heavy metal, and Bathory, while delivering that unique Primordial feel, Where Greater Men Have Fallen is nothing short of huge.

DAWNBRINGER - NIGHT OF THE HAMMER. Professor Black has been busy lately! Another Night, the 2011 offering from High Spirits, was one of my favourite releases that year, Pharaoh’s 2012 entry Bury the Light ruled, and this year’s High Spirits cut You Are Here is also a lot of fun.

Dawnbringer, however, sees Mr. Black and crew working in a darker medium. This one has a more reserved vibe to it than Into the Lair of the Sun God, Dawnbringer’s previous offering, with the vocals (which are the highlight of the record for me) taking a stronger presence in the mix.

This is one of those albums that lets its influences shine while retaining a very unique identity, which is one of the things that makes this such a strong album to me.

Whether galloping through heavy metal riffs or blotting out the sun with traditional doom darkness, Night of the Hammer always has its own voice.

PORTRAIT - CROSSROADS. Some people write this band off as a Mercyful Fate ripoff, but I would posit that a lot of those people have a difficult time distinguishing ‘ripoff’ from ‘homage’, the latter of which this clearly is.

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

And it is really, really good! I quite enjoyed their previous album Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae (say that five times fast), but Crossroads takes the elements that made that album good and develops on them expertly.

This is a very well-written album with interesting compositions, heaps of atmosphere, and really killer vocals.

And while Mercyful Fate is clearly the primary inspiration here, Portrait work with that framework and inject their own flavour into the mix. They’ve really come into their own on this one.

VADER - TIBI ET IGNI. More killer material from Vader.

This one has a relatively clean production (I would venture to say a almost little too clean, but it’s nothing dealbreaking). Musically, this is another album full of everything you love about Vader. They’ve really never released anything that wasn’t good, and between 2011’sWelcome to the Morbid Reich and this year’s Tibi et Igni, the Polish titans are on a winning streak.

Thrashing, punishing, rifftoting death metal cooked just right, with an occasional epic flare that puts a touch of unique spin on their classic sound.

BLOODBATH - GRAND MORBID FUNERAL. Before you roll your eyes at this being included on my list, hear me out. A lot of death metal fans ignored this album upon its release because of the hype surrounding the band and the fact that their last album was relatively unspectacular; if you were one of these people, I really do recommend setting that feeling aside and giving this one an honest spin, even if you weren’t a fan of the band’s previous albums.

This is by far their best, and in my opinion it particularly trumps the hell out of 2008’s lacklustre The Fathomless Mastery in every conceivable way. As far as current stuff goes, Grand Morbid Funeral ��������������������������� is������������������������ a great death metal record by just about any form of measure, and without question the best Bloodbath offering to date. Nick's vocals on this thing are perhaps the biggest surprise here - they are brimming with character, eerie, old, and vile, and are definitely one of the highlight elements of the album. The other staples requirements are present as well - the guitar tone is gut-wrenching, the riffs absolutely rip, the arrangements are memorable, the production is filthy and heavy, and the band keeps the conviction of their delivery at full bore throughout the duration. Co-

Page 24

lour me pleasantly surprised.

IFING - AGAINST THIS WEALD. This one really took me off guard. Thanks to a lot of online descriptions of this EP, I was expecting some pretentious “post-rock black metal” with boring neofolk elements, a style that I have absolutely zero interest in. To my pleasant surprise, it turns out that those descriptions were way off mark because there is no post-rock crap or neofolk plodding to be found here. Ifing has crafted an excellent EP that strikes me as a sort of crossroads between Verisäkeet-era Moonsorrow and a less obtuse Below the Lights-era Enslaved, which I realize actually sounds a bit silly on paper but thanks to the sincerity of Ifing’s approach and their knack for huge, sweeping arrangements, the end result is majestic and powerful. In an age of repetitive plastic folk metal and insufferably selfimportant coffee-shop black metal, Against This Weald is a very refreshing listen indeed.

VARATHRON - UNTRODDEN CORRIDORS OF HADES. I am glad I got past my gut reaction to cut my exploration of Varathron short at the end of their legendary 90s era and ventured into Varathron’s more recent works. While they certainly lack the unique ancient mystique of the classic albums, they still offer some killer outings in the form of 2009’s stormingly vicious but deceptively melodic Stygian Forces of Storm and this, 2014’s Untrodden Corridors of Hades (and honestly, though it seems to Varathron’s least celebrated fulllength effort and I am likely in the minority here, I think 2006’s Crowsreign is a great album too). A multifaceted adventure through an ever-changing sonic soundscape, Untrodden Corridors of Hades keeps you on your toes throughout its almost-hour of Hellenic extreme metal mastery. It is less straightforward than their previous album, with Varathron instead allowing the music to simmer and brood a bit more. I love the melodic single-string leads that peek their way through the occult veil every so often, adding a glint of beauty and majesty against the backdrop of evil.

Ambitions for 2015 – name three goals for the upcoming year.

1. To rock.

2. To roll.

3. To survive the road.

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 25

Burlesque!

Welcome to your one stop drop for all the news on the best burlesque nights, in the capital and beyond! I’m Sophia Disgrace and I’ve performed at numerous events in the UK and abroad, from festivals to the most exclusive clubs. I perform in a neoburlesque style and often incorporate other elements such as angle grinding into my routines. I like to shake the audience up a bit!

Burlesque - or 'the art of tease' as its also known - first rose to prominence in the 1950s; in recent years it has enjoyed something of a revival, with stars such as Dita Von Teese helping to popularise the scene once again.

London as ever is at the fore front of this movement, which is both alluring and inspiring for men and women alike...

Here are my pick of all things burlesque this month - enjoy!

STOP PRESS! This edition of Burlesque is a rather special one, because -DRUMROLL PLEASE - The Suicide Girls will shortly be performing in our very own London town!

Their 'Blackheart Burlesque' revue has been wowing audiences across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and now finally ol’ blighty.

I caught up with Suicide Girl head honcho Missy, for an illicit insight into the collective’s forthcoming British assault…

BLACKHEART BURLESQUE WHERE? The Electric Ballroom, Camden, London WHEN? Saturday 10th January 2015 Hi Missy... could you tell me a little bit about the show please?

Well, we are very excited to be coming over to London! It’s been ages - almost a decade I think - since we were last here. The show itself is great fun – it’s sexy, it’s silly, it’s a bit of everything! The whole production is highly choreographed and features various pop culture references.

Sounds amazing! The girls have toured the show across America, Canada, Australia... how do you think us Brits will react to it?

Burlesque is such a big part of London counter culture, so I think you guys will get it straight away. You have such a long history of it I think you will really feel the show on a deeper level. In the States, for example, sometimes it felt as if we were introducing the audience to it, they weren’t overly familiar with burlesque as a concept.

Can you tell us a little bit about the girls involved in the show ?

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 26

We have some of our favourite UK models and performers dancing in the show. Girls like fire performers Kat Suicide and Arabella, we love these girls! We are so happy to be working with them –I’m very proud of the show!

What makes ‘Blackheart Burlesque’ unique, compared to other burly shows?

The show itself is set to a modern soundtrack and has a variety of complex routines, all choreographed by Manwe Sauls-Addison. Manwe has previously worked with artists such as Lady GaGa and Beyonce. We came up with some ideas for the acts and music and the girls have just been working really, really hard on it.

Do you have a favourite section of the show?

Absolutely, yes - I love our ‘Planet of the Apes’ themed act – it’s just really fun, super hot!

So after conquering the London performance circuit what are your plans for the Suicide Girls next venture?

I would love to do a Suicide Girls TV show - I think that would be the dream next step. It would be amazing exposure for us and would help get our message that every woman is beautiful out there!

FIN!

Get your tickets to the most bad ass show in town here www.blackheartburlesque.com

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

January 2015

CABARET OF CURIOSITIES BURLESQUE SPECIAL @ The Brook Theatre, Chatham Friday 30th January 2015 from 8pm Now, this sounds curious.... what better way to invigorate oneself, during the post Xmas slump, than with an evening of bizarre/insanely erotic entertainment? Satiate your carnal urges at this unique show in deepest, darkest Kent. Circus and theatre company Dizzy O’Dare are hosting the show; expect burlesque beauties and much, much more!

The event is strictly for ADULTS ONLY - you have been warned! *Nudge,nudge,wink,wink!* Tickets are £12.50, please call 01634 338 338 for further details

IN MEMORIAM R.I.P. Yes, ‘tis true - Soho’s notorious den of iniquity is alas no more. The powers that be - aka Westminster Council have revoked the clubs licence once and for all.

Soho Estates own JoJo’s and have been plotting for over a year, to use the site for a lavish renovation project. Local residents see this as the final death knell for the deliciously sleazy Soho, so beloved by many. I myself have performed at Madame Jo-Jo’s on a number of occasions - it seems utterly criminal that such a landmark is going to be destroyed in the name of commerce.

So after more than 5 decades of residency, Madame JoJo’s has bowed out and closed her doors the last time – it’s the end of an era.

You can show your support for the cause here - viva la resistance! https://www.change.org/p/cllr-tim-mitchell-save-madame-jojo-s

Page 27

HAPPY NEW YEAR The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of 2014

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 28

and a sneak peek into what's coming next from our Editorial Team

By Cristina Massei

It was quite an enjoyable year for rock’n’roll – shame for Boris destroying more historical London venues, the party pooper.

Event of the year was probably the much anticipated Libertines reunion: no one was too shocked when a massive paycheck took them to the Hyde Park stage, but most were surprised to see it last and develop into a European tour culminating in a 3 nights residency at Alexandra Palace. The year for the Barat-Doherty brotherhood ended with an epic signing, all inked in Thailand where Peter is detoxing; Carl joined and the song writing is in full bloom for their unexpected third album in 2015.

Talking of reunions and unforeseen new records, Culture Club are also back on the scene. Their return was announced with an intimate, packed 1 hour show at Heaven; some enticing new tracks were executed next to the dear old classics by a Boy George in great form.

Sadly the arena tour due to follow was postponed due some issues with George’s vocal chords. Fingers crossed for next year.

On the Festival scene, Glastonbury raised eyebrows enrolling an unusual headliner in Metallica, while Sonisphere came back to take care of Iron Maiden.

Download answered with Aerosmith. Reading kept the balance with a QOTSA-Arctic Monkeys-Blink 182. Jake Bugg’s high placement on the bill went to the lame kid’s head, as he gave NME his views on The Libertines and Oasis.

But the talking point of summer, talking of Festival and bullshitting people, was the failure of crowd-funded newcomer Alt-Fest, which left many punters and traders out of pocket. Doubts were finally raised on the misuse of Pledge, Kickstarter and the likes, with the jury still out on the real intention of the Alt-Fest team.

All we can say here at Sonic Shocks is that the liquidator wrote to say that our final advertising bill, like all AF unsecured debts, will remain unpaid. We never heard anything back from them despite our full support at the time of the fall.

On a more positive note, our team had a chance to meet a whole bunch of old legends, current stars and future hopes over the past year, and we would like to thank everyone who helped make it happen. It’s hard – and unpaid – work, but there are days where we count ourselves lucky. From the likes of NYD Walter Lure or Richie Ramone sharing memories with us, to the unique feeling of realizing we might be in the presence of the next big thing, some privileges are priceless and we all are truly grateful.

To another year full of music and emotions… hoping to still be here this time in 2015! Here are some of my personal favourites, followed by a pick of the ‘heavy stuff’ by Matt Dawson and a pick from the dance floor by our Nelly Loriaux…

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 29

MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2014 Nine Black Alps ‘Candy For The Clowns’ – This really deserved a lot more attention, check it out if you haven’t yet.

The Computers ‘Love Triangles Hate Squares’ – We all knew there was something really good in there: ‘Love Triangles’ brought it to its full potential.

Deadcuts ‘Dark Is The Night’ – The emotions these guys can unleash live are hard to replicate on record, but they got disturbingly close… Looking forward to the second!

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes ‘Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!’ – I don’t care they’re all covers, it takes some bloody talent to get something good out of that Titanic crap. And laughing is good for your health.

Rev Horton Heat ‘Rev’ – Would be a sad year without a true rock’n’roll record: this covers it.

TOP GIGS The Libertines @ Hyde Park – Hard to pick between this and the Alexandra Palace shows, each was special, but you can’t beat an open space in summer and the emotion of seeing something you don’t think you’d see and you’re not sure you will see again…

Culture Club @ Heaven – I wanted to call my mum at Karma Chameleon but had no reception. That was the only thing with that gig that wasn’t perfect. Legend- wait for it…

Caro Emerald @ O2 – Totally worth the wait, this lady needs to be seen to be believed. Even the sterile O2 Arena came alive despite the security robots.

Frizzi 2 Fulci @ Barbican – Music can talk – and scare – louder than words. A breathtaking journey into Fulci’s vintage horror from the Italian Maestro, upgrading his Halloween show to the Barbican after last year’s sold out at Union Chapel. Bravo!

The Wildhearts @ Download Festival – See number one re open spaces in summer and add a dirty, riff-laden nostalgia trip with some timeless classics from one of the most gifted songwriters of our days…

BANDS TO WATCH Trampolene – They stole our cover before even putting an album out. Check out their YouTube, read our interview with Jack Jones and catch a live show to understand why.

Erica – Not only the music is good, but we loved their gig on the back of a truck at Nightmare Fest in Camden. So SXSW. Here’s someone who really WANTS to be heard.

Sisteray – The fact this 4 piece from London is still unsigned shows this industry has its finger totally off the pulse. Catch them live before someone wakes up and grabs them.

The Dash – Energetic, entertaining, straightforward rock’n’roll will never go out of fashion; many do it but these guys do it better.

The Whereabouts – These talented bluesy rock’n’rollers just supported Daughtry: if there’s any justice and good taste in this world, that bill will be inverted in no time.

The BossHoss – Even security at Download was subjugated and they outshined both Motorhead and The Damned with their latest opening slot at Wembley.

They’re not new generally speaking, but it’s time the UK trust Germany on this.

IN MY DIARY The Libertines – Whenever, wherever, just give us the bloody dates already…

Social Distortion 5th May @ Shepherds Bush Empire – Do I really need to add anything?

Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin ‘Profondo Rosso’ @ Barbican 21st Feb – Dario Argento ‘Deep Red’ with live soundtrack, how can you miss that?

Download Festival aka the Tardis – bringing you Kiss and Motley Crue in one place in 2015 The Soho Hobo @ 12 Bar 6th January – If we can’t stop the greedy bastards, let’s at least say goodbye to a landmark in true Soho style. R.I.P. 12 Bar.

TOOL OF THE YEAR Those naïve Alt-Fest folks – for not investing in a decent accountant.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR ‘The Libertines only have two decent songs’ – Jake Bugg – another one who sucks at maths.

TIME TO GO Motorhead – Pack it in lads. Or at least mime, sometimes it’s a necessary evil…

2015 ALBUMS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO The Libertines, Madonna, Wednesday 13, Faith No More, Culture Club

January 2015

THE HEAVY STUFF

by Matt Dawson Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 30

Albums of the year 2014

1. Behemoth – The Satanist (Nuclear Blast) An album that is based on survival and rebirth more than anything else following Nergal’s battle with leukaemia –with tracks like Messe Noire and O Father! O Satan O Sun! the power of Nergal really holds true and showcases how strong metal can be.

2. SunnO))) and Scott Walker – Soused (4AD) THIS came as the biggest surprise of 2014 this delivered on the true use of tension and release via Sunn channelling it with Scott’s own unrepeatable style.

3. Sleaford Mods – Divide And Exit (Harbinger Sound) In a time of gentrification and general elections, Sleaford Mods actually strive out to change the apathy with their venom against the elite with so much precision that quoting one lyric would be a disservice to them – this is how you strike back.

4. Triptykon - Melana Chasmata (Century Media) Thomas Gabriel Fischer might disagree a bit with all the praise this album has received from various circles but when you consistently put out material as crushing as he does it’s to be expected and rightly so.

5. (Joint) Foreseen – Helsinki Savagery/Hang The Bastard – Sex In The Seventh Circle (20 Buck Spin/Century Media) Both these albums have something in common – knowing how to take retro influences but twisting it to sound like they had created their own take on a genre – Foreseen with their love for the year 1985 (and an album that much of the metal critics on Twitter took to their hearts very quickly!) while Hang The Bastard switched from hardcore to a love of Black Sabbath and doom to make an album that got them rightfully noticed supporting Sabbath at Hyde Park!

With a common theme of pure energy among them all this year saw the worlds of punk and extreme metal collide and again shows whether it’d be a festival or elsewhere the spirit of music in a live setting is alive and well.

1. Letlive @ Download Festival 2014 2. Trash Talk @ Stoke Sugarmill 3. Raging Speedhorn @ Stoke Sugarmill 4. Anaal Nathrakh @ Damnation Festival 2014 5. God Damn @ Stoke Sugarmill (The only band to have 2 shows in the same year at the same venue in the list!)

Artists/albums to watch in 2015 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Turbowolf God Damn Periphery Astrakhan Melechesh

Tool of the year/Please retire

Al Jourgensen the metal equivalent of wrestler Ric Flair at this point – touring despite statements after Mike Scaccia’s death and no doubt is thinking of another ‘comeback’ Ministry album vastly inferior to Psalm 69.

© Matt Higgs Photography

Top 5 gigs

ON THEby DANCEFLOOR Nelly Loriaux

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Dancefloor fillers have certainly evolved throughout the years. Electronic artists have grown into far more mature performers, realising the potential of not only remixing popular hits in innovative ways but also producing their own masterpieces. Dancefloor anthems have invaded our lives, from clubs to festivals all over the world, the choice as limitless as the galaxy and the sound far more hybrid than a liger crossbreed: in a nutshell, get ready for a genre blending roller-coaster of Pop, Electronic, Rave, Hip-Hop, Ambient and even Waltz to shake your booty to or ponder on the meaning of life anywhere that takes your fancy.

Page 31

Click artwork for sounds!

ADAMSKI Better known for his involvement with the acid house phenomena and mega-hits ‘NRG’ and ‘Killers’, Adam Sky never really left the scene. He returns with a bang, or should I say an Oom Pa Pa, Oom Pa Pa, bringing back the indecent foreign dance, the Waltz, with a modern twist: Welcome to the 3 steps revolution.

In the words of the maestro, it’s time to ‘party like it’s 1799’ and ‘twirl like a Viennese whirling dervish spiked with acid’.

MIDNITEMEN The brand new project from Akira The Don and Wade Crescent, the boys have been busy remixing anyone from Prodigy’s ‘Out Of Space’ to Adamski’s ‘Killer’. After decade of doing and listening primarily to Rap, the sunny clime of LA and 3 months DJing with Wade have opened a whole new world of opportunity for the beloved don.

‘It was a huge education, it was like I›d been in jail for a decade and I›d got out and the world had completely changed.› KIDS ON BRIDGES With their debut album ‘Kidology’ reaching No 27 in the iTunes Alternative chart featuring performances from Dr John, Zigaboo Modeliste, Jim Howick and Steve Dub AS WELL AS the track ‘Walls’ which doubled as legendary Wall Of Sound 20th Anniversary theme tune, the 3 Liverpudlians are well on their way to captivate the masses with their electronic-pop Extravaganza. ‘Sport For King’ features yet another collaboration but this occasion it’s a not an all-star name “My brother’s daughter Jasmine aged just 13 had recorded a piano piece on her mobile phone and when she played it to me it just sounded like pure innocence and I thought it would be a great way to include at the end the song to give it a moment of realism and reflection”. (Christian Bragg, lead singer) SHELTER POINT Liam Arnold and Robin Hearn’s ambient offering may seem a peculiar choice for my dancefloor filler but their haunting melody intertwined with eerie synth, heavy bass and a touch of R’n’B rhythm makes ‘Fossil’ (the first track from forthcoming EP ‘Weird Dreamers’, due February 2nd) the perfect atmospheric track to get lost into whilst sipping Kir Royal under the Ibicenco stars at KM5 lounge.

WHITE ARROWS As enigmatic and mysterious as they can be (not a lot of info about them can be found on the www), the Psych-Pop men from LA are making an impression and raising a few eyebrows over the pond with their ever-evolving music and artistic videos. With their sophomore ‘In Bardo’, their confidence in composing, performing and seducing their audience has seemingly grown by ten-fold

January 2015

E V I L

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Page 32

With Candy Heart, State Champs and The Story So Far 15th November @ Birmingham Institute Review and photos by Matt Higgs Birmingham may be the home of metal, but with the Institute’s main room close to selling out, it’s clear that the city also has a soft spot for pop punk. New Found Glory have been a band now for 17 years, just let that sink in, 17 years! And excluding Blink 182, arguably have enjoyed the greatest success in the genre. With a back catalogue of belters primed and ready, the time between the show’s early doors and the band’s arrival on stage was filled with some of the new blood bringing the genre back into fashion.

Candy Heart’s are likable enough, the band’s first UK performance being met with appreciation. But while the young group’s stage presence is undeniably strong, in truth vocals fell a little flat. I’d mark it off as a nervous blip.

Really kick-starting the evening are State Champs. Signed to Pure Noise their full length ‘The Finer Things’ has obviously found its way into more than a few homes in the Midlands, given the numerous mosh pits and shouted vocals of the crowd. It’s an energy filled performance that would be remembered as a superb support slot, if not only slightly overshadowed by such a strong following act…

I’ve been missing out. The Story So Far are another band signed to Pure Noise, and with two albums under their belts, I should really have given them a proper listen by now. The Californians kick ass. As lead singer Parker Cannon bounds about the stage he soon has the crowd in the palm of his hand. Crowd Surfers begin piling over the barrier, as security begin to earn their money. It’s the kind of performance guaranteed to win fans, chocked full of passion. They certainly won me over with their blend of pop punk and melodic hardcore. If you’re a fan of groups like Neck Deep, Real Friends and The Wonder Years you need to check these guys out!

After several solid support acts it’s time for the headliners to take to the stage of the Pop Punk’s Not Dead Tour. And while it’s been well and truly proven the genre is as live and kicking as ever, in the shape of New Found Glory it’s undeniably looking a little older. Thankfully with age comes experience, and as always, shows to remember are what this band does best!

New track ‘Selfless’ opens a career spanning set list of 23 hits, and while it’s no great deviation from the older material, it proves that NFG never lost any of their talent for writing catchy hooks. ‘Understatement’ is followed up by ‘Better Off Dead’ as the band give the fans plenty to dance to, new and old alike. ‘Oxygen’ and ‘Resurrection’ sees them seemingly enjoying performing tracks as much as the crowd are hearing them. As a noticeably slimmer and still half naked Ian Gruhka bounces about the stage, his beard hides a smile of enthusiasm that matches any of the night’s younger performers. ‘Hit Or Miss’ is a set highlight before vocalist Jordan Pundik asks the Brummie crowd if they have seen the video for ‘Ready And Waiting’ yet. Apparently the young actors pretending to be the band in it have confused a lot of people. In fact some of the video’s new fans have even complained when discovering how old the band really are. That’s the thing about pop punk though, age is irrelevant, it’s fun music for good times, something definitely being had by all tonight. ‘This Disaster’ sees the crowd in fine voice before the band perform their brilliant cover of Sixpence None The Richer’s ‘Kiss Me’. It’s easy to forget just how many classic tracks NFG have, but with ‘Hold My Hand’ and set closer, the brilliant ‘My Friends Over You’ it becomes clear just how many great nights they have soundtracked for this audience, and on hindsight myself as well.

Returning to the stage for ‘Sonny’, ‘Forget My Name’ and ‘All Downhill From Here’ the band cap off yet another amazing performance and evening.

They may no longer be the young musicians they once were, but New Found Glory are still showing the world how to have a good time. Pop Punk’s Not Dead, it’s not even close to it.

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

January 2015

'Oh f**k I'm 50' Birthday Bash 17th December 2014

No support and a 3 pages set/ guest list for the rock party to dwarf all rock parties: Ginger turns 50 and the celebrations can only take place on a stage.

Everyone sings anything, in an inebriated yet inspired artistic chaos.

Ginger’s fans can recognise most performers tonight from the man’s previous eclectic collaborations, together with the usual suspects and a few more on top – Rich Jones, Tom Spencer, Chris Catalyst, Warner Hodges, Jo ‘Dog’ Almeida, Robin Guy, Dom Lawson, Antiproduct’s Toshi…

What a colourful talents’ hotpot the man managed to get together.

As the show reaches a climax, the dearest Wildhearts’ classics come to life, resuscitated by legends old and new; the final segment sees Sami Yaffa joined on stage by Nathan Connolly, a pairing that defies time and genre, just like the unforgettable songs the emotional audience is joyously singing along: ‘Everlone’, Suckerpunch’, ’29 Times The Pain’.

It ends with ‘I Wanna Go’, Chris McCormack also on stage. As he reaches the half century against all odds, Ginger once again looks back to the past while holding the present firmly by the hand.

Around him, on and off stage, a number of friends every man should count himself lucky to have, many as a result of his artistic openness over the past few years. Even for the Ginger one, age brings wisdom. Far from the difficult tormented boy of the early days, this is a man who has everything to celebrate. And the over 2,000 invited to the party tonight seem to agree.

LIV E

Page 33

January 2015

E V I L

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

Brixton Academy - 21st December

Page 34

For many Londoners the last gig before the festive break, this year’s Jaeger tour sounds like a promising final party before the turkey – or last turkey before the party? Let’s wait and see…

Capdown have reunited for the occasion, and salute fans with an energetic show rather on the heavy side – no disappointment so far at Brixton Academy. The Skints follow with their more laid back mesh of punk, ska and reggae. Despite the slower pace, the energy on stage and below is only growing, preparing for the fun-filled climax with headliners Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

The Californian supergroup deliver their trademark catalogue of pop-punk covers with enthusiasm to an excited audience. Sure the singalong comes easier with some old classics, but this audience’s reception is measured by the jumping and boogieing frenzy taking the auditorium by storm. I never once thought I could enjoy THAT Celine Dion song or THAT Whitney Houston torment, actually never thought I could put up with them both in the same night without slitting my wrists, let alone enjoying them. But there, they took the weepy drama out of Titanic.

The old gems like Over The Rainbow or the Rocky Horror Picture Show are still undisputed set list staples, but this year’s album is just as well received with its version of Culture Club classic Karma Chameleon and Gloria Gaynor’s anthem I Will Survive, the latter a perfect choice for tonight’s encore. Rocket Man ends the campest knees-up in town Elton John’s style.

Turkey? You’ll have to wait for Christmas. This party was everything it promised to be with all the right trimmings on top.

January 2015

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

The Barfly, Camden 13th December 2014 Review by Sophia Disgrace

LIV E

Page 35

Who doesn’t like The Ramones? Exactly!

They are utterly iconic, punk rock n’ rollers for the jilted generation and every one in between!

Richie Ramone joined the band in the early 1980’s as drummer and imminent song writer. He has played hundreds of gigs with Joey and the gang, touring far and wide across the globe. He also penned fan favourite Something in my Drink (As well as classics such as ‘I’m not Jesus’ amongst others) hence the title of his 2014 world tour.

I arrived at the Barfly just as the support finished up. The place was absolutely chocca-full of fans-some old, some new. Expectation was high and I myself felt pretty darn excited to be at a Ramones (Well sort of!) gig. Richie and his band of merry misfits began the night in beautifully abrasive style-much to the crowd’s delight. Richie took turns on the drums and on vocals, sometimes combining the two. The band were tight as a collective, and seemed to really relish performing in front of a London audience. Richie interacted intermittently between tracks and proved himself to be an engaging front man.

The set list comprised of Richie’s solo material and of course, some inevitable fan favourites (a very welcome rendition of Hey! Ho! Let’s go! being a case en point). I wasn’t overly familiar with Richie’s solo work prior to the show, but I really enjoyed it. He clearly has a knack for penning good ‘ol fashioned rock n’ roll! As a certain Joey Ramone infamously once said ‘“I encouraged Richie to write songs . . . we never let anybody else write our songs.” Hey, if it was good enough for Joey right!

See whats new in Richie Ramone’s world here www.richieramone.com Stoke Sugarmill – 4th December 2014 With Bleak Zero and Sworn To Oath Review by Matt Dawson With two local bands and a member of the main band containing someone from the town, Stoke on this night gears itself up for one of the heaviest shows of 2014 and Bleak Zero kick it off with a set that fans of the darkened side of the genre with a twist of doom love – the fact that one of the members shows love towards Amenra is an extra lovely touch to it all.

Sworn To Oath carry on a year that has seen them on the rise – supporting Crowbar earlier in 2014, signing a deal and releasing their first album, now culminating in a tour with one of the strongest bands of the last decade – it is fair to say that 2014 was successful for them and their slice of groove metal goes down well with the hometown crowd – 2015 should lead to them getting stronger.

Following a playlist of funk classics – including James Brown of course – Raging Speedhorn take to the stage and it has to be said that seeing both Frank Regan and John Loughlin back on stage is a treat to see – the power of songs like ‘Thumper, ‘The Hate Song’ and ‘The Gush’ still feeling as fucking powerful as ever and as a bonus the night has a brand new song called Half Way To Hell which shows the same venomous bite and a very good indication of what the rest of their new material (planned for 2015) shall be.

As the night ends as it began with an extended doomesque ending – among the sore necks from headbanging and the wearing off of adrenaline yes there is that sense of nostalgia in the air but when the music you’ve witnessed is that grand you’re happy to know that Raging Speedhorn are well and truly back.

Sonic Shocks - Issue 32

January 2015

E V LI

Page 36

+

With Morbus Chron and Code Orange 7th December 2014 @ The Oobleck, Birmingham

Review by Cat Finch, photos Cristina Massei In what could be the best line up for an extreme metal tour of the UK in years, Birmingham tonight bears witness to brutality of both Triptykon and At The Gates on the same stage. Rumours from the tour so far suggest there is a rift between the headliners, At The Gates, and their counterparts which is leading to a frosty atmosphere all round.

To start proceedings we have Code Orange, described on their facebook page as a hardcore act from Pittsburg. It is suggested they are the bastard son of One Minute Silence and Kill II This. Not fitting to this tour at all and not to my taste.

Following on we have Morbus Chron who bring the bill back to the extreme. A death metal act from Sweden, who mix the sounds of 80’s Metallica and classic Venom with the stylings of very early Slayer. An incredibly tight knit in their performance, the stunning riffs have you eating out of their front mans hand from the start. They end the set with a melodic yet brutal instrumental that left me wanting more.

Triptykon have been around for long enough now, 6 years and two studio albums, that any references to Celtic Frost should be long gone. However, lets face it, that is why we are all here; We were fans of Celtic Frost, featuring Tom G Warrior and the legendary axe-man’s involvement in this project is why a lot of us have come tonight.

They open their set with the 11 minute epic Goetia from their debut album followed by Altar of Deceit from this years Melana Chasmata album. Reports from earlier in the week of Tom’s dissatisfaction with the tour are not unfounded and whilst the performance is spot on he takes the opportunity to bemoan the quality of tonight’s venue. Two Celtic Frost covers are up next; Circle of The Tyrants and The Usurper much to the pleasure of the majority in the room. The bands evening finishes with the monolithic 19-minute juggernaut that is The Prolonging; a 45 minute show wrapped up in 5 songs and excellent from start to finish.

To finish off this evening is death metal legends At The Gates, touring on the back of their first new material in 19 years with the release of At War With Reality. They begin with Death and the Labyrinth, the opening track from the aforementioned album and for the first time tonight the crowd become a little frenzied.

So as not to disappoint, they are soon tearing through the classics Slaughter of the Soul and Cold, as the pits start to form and the atmosphere in the somewhat underwhelming venue peaks for the evening. The band are obviously thriving on this reunion, Tomas Lindberg's form on vocals is better than I have witnessed in any of his other bands and the Björler brothers are as close to perfection as you can get.

A 1 hour 45 minute set is rounded off with an encore of classics Blinded by Fear, Kingdom Gone and a new song The Night Eternal. If nothing else this tour has proven there is a lot of life left in At The Gates yet and long may this reunion continue.