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Children of Bodom I’m sure a lot of you Children of Bodom fans think you know everything there is about this band, which is why I’m here to share with you the interesting and strange life of Children of Bodom. First off, the band have released more material than some of you might realise, 6 studio albums, 2 live albums, 2 Eps and a DVD to date, the latest of which ‘Skeletons In The Closet’ was released on September 22nd 2009. Do you know the line up, well, the band consist of Alexi Laiho (guitar and vocals), Roope Latvala (guitar), Henkka Seppälä (bass and live backing vocals), Janne Wirman (keyboards) and Jaska Raatikainen (drums). Originally they weren’t even called Children of Bodom. They started out in 1993 under the name of Inearthed, founded by Alexi and Jaska, influenced by death metal acts such as Entombed, Obituary and Carcass LINK TO THE CARCAS REVIEW). During the 3 years under this original name they released 3 demo’s and underwent a couple of line up changes, replacing ex keyboardist Jani Pirisjoki with Janne Wirman. They then released ‘Something Wild’ in 1997 under the name Children of Bodom, which they got they idea from a murder at Lake Bodom in Finland. ‘Something Wild’ was recorded between July and August of 1997 and was released November that year. The sound of the album is altogether a lot darker and more black metal sounding than any of their recent albums, Alexi Laiho claims that the band at the time were inspired by ‘a lot of black and death metal bands’ such as Dissection and Hypocrisy as well as classic rock/metal bands like the Scorpions, and that many other new bands in the scene were ‘trying to sound like Dimmu Borgir‘, leading to them wanting to do something ‘different.’ I have also included a sample of the original album art for this album, which has their original logo that was later changed. The second album ‘Hatebreeder’ was recorded between December 1998 and January 1999 and released on 26th April 1999. This album features a more classical metal sound similar to that of Gamma Ray and Stratovarious with the black metal element still clear. Alexi’s vocal style also changed to that of the Scandinavian black metal sound such as Emperor and Mayhem. Alexi had joked in an interview that Hatebreeder was ‘too black metal for heavy metal fans, and too heavy metal for black metal fans’ (not confusing at all!!) The keyboards are also more present on this album, with elaborate solos, and a lot of songs starting with keyboard intros (such as Bed of Razors and Downfall.) This was also the first album to feature their new logo, which they still use to this date. In between the release of this album and their follow up, they released a live album called ‘Tokyo Warhearts’ which was also released the same year. It sounded great as well, check this out – The third album, ‘Follow The Reaper’ was recorded between August and September 2000 and released 30th October 2000. The emphasis on the sound style-wise on this album is more focused towards the power metal genre than the previous album, although much of the black metal elements are still present in the keyboards. Here’ the band with their title track – Album 4; ‘Hate Crew Deathroll’ recorded between August and September of 2002 and came out on the 7th January 2003. In this album the guitars are more dominant and the keyboards are toned down, the sound of this album is more straight forward power metal with the black metal influences seemingly disappeared. Some say its one of their more main-stream sounding albums due to Universal buying out Spinefarm Records in 2002, giving them access to better production equipment. This was also the last album to feature original guitarist Alexander Kuoppala. Here’s the title track for this album – ‘Are You Dead Yet?’ is Children of Bodom’s fifth album, it was recorded between April and May in 2005 and released 19th September the same year. It was the first full length album to feature ex Stone and Watain guitarist Roope Latvala. Alexi has stated in an interview that he actually grew up listening to Stone and idolised Roope as a guitarist, and now he is actually playing along side him in his own band. They covered the song No Commands by Stone around the time of writing ‘Hatebreeder’ and released it on the reissue of the same album. The power metal influences are more reduced in this album, leaving a more stripped down, simplistic sound. The keyboards were also lower in the mix in this album, but not as much as they were in Hate Crew Deathroll, their previous album. Even a music video now to – The name came from a drunken injury Alexi had obtained, he stated in an interview: - "I came up with the new album title last winter (2004) when we were back home and I went out for a night of drinking. I got hold of some of the cheapest vodka and just drank and drank and drank, and one thing led to another, so we were outside having fun, and I climbed on top of a car, and slipped and fell off, and next thing I know I was in hospital. I had three broken bones in my wrist and lots of stitches, got kept in over night. So when I woke up the next morning I obviously wasn’t feeling too good. I looked in the mirror and said to myself, ‘Have you had enough? Are you dead yet?’" Between ‘Are You Dead Yet?’ and ‘Blooddrunk’ they released a live CD and DVD called ‘Stockholm Knockout Live - Chaos Ridden Years,’ filmed at Arenan, Stockholm, Sweden, and contains a documentary, making of, deleted scenes, photo gallery and 7 official videos. In the documentary various members talk about the bands influences ranging from death metal acts like Carcass and Dissection, to thrash bands Slayer and Sepultura to 80’s bands like W.A.S.P and The Scorpions. These highly varied influences are very clear in the music. Their sixth studio album ‘Blooddrunk’ was recorded between October and December 2007 and officially released on April 7 in 2008. They recorded a cover of ‘War Inside My Head’ during the recording sessions, but they didn’t release it on this album instead releasing it on their covers album ‘Skeletons In The Closet’. This album is considered more thrash metal than their previous efforts. Alexi stated in an interview that he felt more aggressive and as a result the songs on this album were a lot more thrash than those on ‘Are You Dead Yet?’ he also said that certain aspects would be more progressive, as heard on LoBodomy. In 2009 the band released ‘Skeletons In The Closet’, a covers album consisting of songs the have recorded between 1997 and 2009, featuring songs from Anthrax, Slayer, Sepultura and also songs by artists you wouldn’t expect to hear, such as Britney Spears, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Pat Benatar. The album only contains four unreleased covers for the songs ‘Hell Is for Children‘ by Pat Benatar, ‘Antisocial‘ by Anthrax (originally written by Trust), ‘War Inside My Head‘ by Suicidal Tendencies, and ‘Waiting‘ by King Diamond, but the previously released songs are remixed. As I write this, the band are working on a new studio album, which will be entitled ‘Relentless Reckless Forever’ and have announced ‘The Ugly World Tour’ during March - May 2011. The confirmed opening acts are pagan folk metal band Ensiferum, heavy metal band Machinae Supremacy and Viking death metal act Amon Amarth, who are playing the UK dates only. Their genre is a very hot topic amongst fans and critics alike, as the band could be part of several genres such as Power Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Black Metal and Neo-Classical Metal, from the early black metal style to their more recent material which is edged more towards thrash metal. Alexi Laiho states that the band are just an extreme metal band, as the other labels are to restrictive. So, let’s just say it’s good metal and get over all this sub genre rubbish. Alexi Laiho is lead guitarist and vocalist for the band, in an interview with Modern Guitar Magazine he speaks about his influences and musical taste: ‘I was a fan of the band Stone. In fact, Roope Latvala, who also plays guitar for Children of Bodom, came from that band . I was a big fan of a lot of stuff you wouldn’t even think of. A lot of older bands from the '80s, glam rock and metal, like Poison, Motley Crew, Twisted Sister, W.A.S.P., Skid Row, Guns ’n’ Roses. And I’m still into that kind of thing. And I got into more of the harder stuff, too, like Thrash, Anthrax, and Slayer. Then I got more into what they call death metal, you know, bands like Hypocrisy. Obituary is one of my favorites. And I got into a lot of black metal, too, a lot of Norwegian bands. I dig them all, you know. That’s the way it is. As far as guitar players, I have to mention Steve Vai, definitely. He’s one of my main influences.’ He also stated that around the time of recording ‘Something Wild’ he was really into Yngwie Malmsteen, which is possibly why the album is considered one of their most technical albums to date. Something a lot of fans may or may not know is that in 2002 he married ex Dimmu Borgir keyboardist Kimberly Goss, but due to touring conflictions they separated in 2004.. Just a bit of useless information for you there! He has also appeared on covers of guitar magazines Young Guitar magazine and Guitar World alongside two of his influences, Zakk Wylde and Steve Vai. He has been a special guest on several albums including the song ‘Downright Dominate’ from the ‘Metal’ album by Annihilator and also in his side project band Sinergy. He has a signature guitar available with ESP guitars and signature guitar strings with DR strings that are widely available in guitar shops and on the web. When Alexander Kuoppala left the band in 2003 shortly after releasing ‘Hate Crew Deathroll’, they were forced to find a replacement, the only guitarist deemed worthy enough was ex Stone and Waltari guitarist Roope Latvala. He formed Stone a thrash metal band influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, in the mid 80’s and they have gone on to influence many Finnish metal bands including Norther and Children of Bodom, as Alexi states him as a major influence on his playing. He also uses ESP guitars and has a signature model with them, although he is known to sometimes use his old Jackson RR series guitars live every now and then. Bass player Henkka Seppälä (birth name Henri Samuli Seppälä but also known as Henkka T. Blacksmith, the ‘T‘ stands for his nickname, ‘Torso‘) has been in the band since 1996, replacing Samuli Miettinen. He grew up listening to bands ranging from Poison and Guns n Roses, to Sepultura and Pantera, to more extreme music like Dissection and Cannibal Corpse. On the Children of Bodom official website, Henkka lists his influences as: Tom Araya from Slayer, Billy Gould from Faith No More, Steve Brunner from Suicidal Tendencies, Paulo Jr from Sepultura, David Ellefson, original bassist for Megadeth (who has recently rejoined Megadeth) and someone who I didn’t expect, Joe Principe from Rise Against who plays along to tracks by Anthrax to keep up stamina. Hennka is the only member not to have any side projects and is also the 3rd member to have a signature model with ESP guitars. Janne Wirman replaced Jani Pirisjoki before recording for ‘Something Wild’ started and has been a member ever since. He was originally supposed to play a few shows with the band but they grew to like him more. On the documentary for ‘Chaos Ridden Years’ Alexi Laiho says: "But it was the first time I saw the guy drunk, and that's when I knew he was the f***ing man." His main influence is Jens Johansson from the band Stratovarious, who is famed for being the pioneer of ‘shred keyboard.’ He is also influenced by virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai. Jens crafted a lead sound for Janne, a Korg Polysix emulation patch. Janne has had very bad experiences in the past with sponsor deals, Roland Scandinavia and Korg promised him equipment that he was told he would receive but never did. Janne says of the equipment he uses on the official Children of Bodom website: ‘A lot of various stuff from various brands. None of the manufacturers are sponsoring or endorsing me so Im not going to advertise any of them for free anymore.’ Last but not least is drummer Jaska Raatikainen, he is the co founder of the band alongside Alexi Laiho. His musical influences are Paul Bostaph currently with Testament, Gene Hoglan ex Death, Strapping Young Lad and current drummer for Fear Factory and Kai Hahto ex drummer for Rotten Sound and currently with Wintersun. He has a side project called Gashouse Garden that he founded in 2003 with Norther guitarist Kristian ‘Kride’ Ranta. In 2000 he replaced Sinergy drummer Tommi Lillman after he injured his leg. He had 3 days to learn 10 fairly complex Sinergy songs, which he managed very well. The ‘Suicide By My Side’ booklet has a dedication to Jaska for ‘saving our tour.’ Keeping with the playing with different bands theme, he also played a couple of cover songs by Death - in tribute to mastermind Chuck Schuldiner, with the Finnish melodic death metal band Norther. Jaska is currently endorsed by Pearl drums, Meinl cymbals and Pro Mark sticks. Where did this sound come from? Let’s have a look at the more extreme sound of their influences and talk about the Swedish death metal band Entombed, who date back to 1987 when they had the name Nihilist. Nihilist/Entombed pioneered the Scandinavian death metal sound, which differed to the sound of American death metal by drawing on hardcore punk and crust punk rhythms and vocals. Entombed’s have been influenced by bands such as Autopsy, Slayer, KISS, The Misfits, Motörhead and Discharge. Children of Bodom’s more melodic influences range from various artists such as Alice Cooper, W.A.S.P and The Scorpions; more hard rock and 80’s rock bands. Im going to talk about The Scorpions, of whom Children of Bodom covered the song ’Don’t Stop At The Top’. The Scorpions are probably best known for their song ’Rock You Like A Hurricane’ They formed in 1965, but didn’t release their first album ’Lonesome Crow’ til 1972, and since then they have released 18 studio albums, 4 live albums and 12 DVD/VHS. They reached commercial success in 1979 with the album ’Lovedrive’ which some critics consider the pinnacle of their career. In 2010 they announced that ’Sting In The Tail’ would be their last album before they retired, the tour is scheduled to finish in 2012/13. The scorpions were influenced by rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, but listening to their early stuff, there are easily some Jimi Hendrix and Leslie West influences in Uli Roth and Rudolph Schenker, as its quite bluesy and psychedelic in their first few albums. As a huge fan of Children of Bodom myself, I’m quite biased when I say I think that they are possibly one of the best bands in metal at the moment. The way the combine aggression and the melodic passages of certain songs is subtle but well used, not many bands can pull it off as well as they do. Also as a guitarist myself, Alexi Laiho has always been a great influence on me, particularly his ‘Hatebreeder’ era playing: lots of sweep picking, combination of fast paced and slower paced playing showcased in the song ‘Bed of Razors’ Here’s a little snapshot to see what you think –
Voodoo Johnson, support Queensbury & The Mercy House @ PURPLE TURTLE - 4th Nov 2010 Watching the band The Mercy House at the Purple Turtle in London,I can t help but thinking they have really found themselves with the new line up.The band is tight,energetic,long hair flying in the air,this is THE band. Drew the singer is in a very good shape,his voice piercing the space of the venue,guitarists Danny and Dan teaming up for powerful and catchy riffs,W.R bassist is tenacious,and drummer Nick is astounding. I highly recommend to listen to their EP including the songs Inversions,Lead The Way and Greed.Greed has won a feature in Guitar Hero “Warriors of Rock”,so you will soon put your riffs talents against this band! “Leed the way” has been introduced as a song about showing the middle finger to people who had the audacity to tell them what to do to get bigger,but nonsense for this band,they do what they love,the way they do it entirely up to them.Respect to this! Main support band Queensburry is next,this Welsh alternative rock band sounds good,this is proper old fashion heavy rock,the audience is responding very well.They have previously taken the stages of Leeds and Glastonburry so it feels very intimate to see them in the Purple Purtle venue.Their new singles Breath and Here We Stand are done with precision,you easily become hooked to them.Lyrics are great,musically talking it is a success of memorable riffs.I am sure we will hear more about them! Headliners Voodoo Johnson are on now,and it is a shock!First time ever I see or hear about them,this 5 piece classic rock band from Birmingham is highly addictive!Vocalist Kev has all for him,presence on stage,incredible voice,what a frontman!Karl and Paul throw their aggressive rock riffs in your face,bassist Rich and drummer Dave throw all they have and as a group this is close to classic rock at his best.Their debut cd 10,000 Horses received 5stars reviews by Classic Rock mag, Kerrang,Metal Hammer.They will be touring with Europe next February and you will miss the opportunity to a great music evening if you don t show up! Reviewer: Sabrina Dersel Altercarnated Photography

Band: Melissa Auf der Maur Support: Japanese Voyeurs & 2:54 Venue: Scala Unfortunately, we saw neither hide nor hair of 2:54 as there was issues with entering the Scala tonight as guest list had been re-edited by an unknown party. Once getting in and getting a quick brew, we caught the second half of the Japanese Voyeurs set, which was full of power and energy. They’re a strange unit these lot, I still can’t quite work out the vocals and where they fit but they’re an interesting prospect and I would recommend checking them out – I will be at least! On to tonight’s main event: Melissa Auf der Maur. She has been away from London far too long and hasn’t done a proper tour since the debut album run, way back in April 2004, to which I was blessed to have attended. Tonight she makes such apologies and promises to not leave it so long next time. Entering from stage right to the first track playback of new album opener “The Hunt”, the band look more assured and sturdier than the group of musicians that made up her band six years prior. The air is filled with anticipation and eagerness to hear the sultry sounds of Auf der Maur. Isis Speaks followed by classic single Real a Lie get the crowd bouncing along. The place is fairly packed, maybe not to the rafters but there is a strong number crowd here. The lighting is also very good, nothing that you won’t see anywhere else but good use of it. Melissa commented on how intimate it is, with the crowd being within kicking distance from the stage. It’s all very cosy, like at the Mean Fiddler many moons ago. The songs tonight sound superb, an absolute ten-fold improvement since the last time I saw them play. The tour tonight is in support of new album and short film Out Of Our Minds or OOOM. The set is weighted fairly between the two albums and also features a Sludge/Doom heavy rendition of Paranoid in tribute to the late Pete Steele, and as a special tribute to London, Good News which is possibly one of my favourite B-sides. She channels Glen Danzig for the rendition of Fathers Grave which is as eerie as it is hauntingly beautiful. Also communing with Alien’s for a piano sound that gave the signal for Stoner/Zeppelin song I Need, I Want, I Will. And telling us that tonight is for us, you get the sense that when she’s on that stage, there is not only her but some primal or spiritual essence that is also communicating through her. The show finishes with When the Music’s Over by The Doors which caps off a thoroughly entertaining night. 5/5 Set list The Hunt (Intro Tape) Isis Speaks Real a Lie Lead Horse My Foggy Notion Head Unbound Follow the Map Out of Our Minds Father's Grave Meet me on the Dark side I Need I Want I Will 22 Below Paranoid (Peter Steele Tribute) Followed the Waves Good News When The Music’s Over - The Doors Reviewer: Sabrina Dersel Photos: Altercarnated Photography

Cutting Edge – Beholder/Zocalo/Silas/Sizen/Avenge Thee + Naime Camden Underworld - Monday 20th September 2010-10-28 There was a great vibe going on in Camden tonight & the venue got packed early with everyone anticipating tonight’s bands. In retrospect Avenge Thee And Name (3.0) seem like a strange choice to open for the night ahead, who have a wall of sound approach to their music rather than a riff and hook style that's the main flavour of the rest of the night, and when combined with the sound quality that always plagues first acts, makes for hard listening for the duration of the set. Having said that its obvious these guys love what they do and slowly they win over a lack lustre crowd one by one. Vocalist Adam Westgate is full of confidence and communicates with the crowd constantly and even incites a cheer for his mum at one point (bless), but you cant help but feel it goes too far at times and pulls back the momentum he's built up, slowing the transistion between tracks and maybe not keeping the audience as interested as he'd like until we're treated to their final track 'Song 2', which shows a much more mature level of composition lacked by some of the previous material. From the word go Sizen (4.5) are a different animal altogether, a rolling rhythm sweeps out from the stage that can only be done justice by the late great Tommy Vance pointing in all our faces and saying the word "ROCK". Its undeniably clear that they're a band with a real grasp of musicianship and song writing with great melodies and catchy riffs. Guitarist Dudley manages to fill the sound out effortlessly and in a way a lot of bands struggle to do with two guitarists, vocalist Max Andrews is on top form with a real power to his voice that he makes seem so easy without a strain in sight. Pretty much everything you could ask for in a good tune is here, awesome guitar solos, technically proficient but played with true emotion instead of just show boating, and all backed up by bassist Dan and drummer Loz, who provide a fantasic rhythm section to an overall huge sound. Its tight as hell and the whole way through people were swaying with the sound whether they knew it or not. You just cant help getting into music this good played this well. The hooks keep coming and the momentum feels unstoppable. The only thing I can ever see hindering this band would be that they are too good at writing SONGS that would fall on ears too used to the generic clone music scene of today, and thats a problem any musician would gladly welcome. Like Sizen before them its more than obvious that Silas (4.6) are a tight unit, I'll admit to being slightly apprehensive as someone had referenced a certain group of hell-raising cowboys when describing them to me previously, but soon my doubts are blown entirely out of the water. Unlike many bands that came before them and will undoubtedly come after them, Silas arent trying to imitate or down right rip off the sound so many know and love, rather its purely an influence within their own music. Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, and even a touch of late Throwdown style sounds meet my ears with a respectful tip of the hat giving off the urge to drink up and enjoy the metal. Frontman Dave Runham certainly knows how to command a crowd and is doing so without breaking a sweat, the venue lapping up every word and giving its full attention throughout. Theres some real gems played and the final two tracks are awesome examples of what Silas are capable of. Closing track 'Stuck in the grind' includes a solo proving that axe man Tom Ross more than knows his way round six strings and would no doubt be appreciated by a dyed red beard. This band have more groove than a sumo wrestlers rear end and if i ever need music for a party, these guys would be booked for the whole damn night. Zocalo (4.0) take the stage and their sound instantly compliments the previous two bands, but for whatever reason it just doesnt seem to have the same amount of punch or impact, whether thats due to the band themselves or just how high the benchmark was set for them (as im sure a lot of bands would struggle to follow Sizen and Silas alike). Everyone in the band is pretty proficient in what theyre doing and overall its a tight set. Front woman Sarah certainly has a voice on her but it feels too smooth when paired with the dirt laden music behind it. This kind of thing comes down to personal taste and everything is sung/played well, but when combined just seems to clash in style too much. Good set, good musicians, but maybe their night would have benefited by being billed before the previous two great live bands. Some bands look good on stage, play well, doing everything right and perform their hearts out. And then some bands add something else, they have that little something extra that you can never quite put ur finger on. Beholder (5.0) are one of those bands, from the get go you get a feeling coming from the stage that they are the next level, incredible song writing in spades and vocals that grab you with every line. Vocalist Simon Hall has so much personality and presence, commanding the crowd and stage alike, this guy is memorable as hell, his voice soaring over the appreciative audience. The music rings out with a great blend of heaviness and groove, somewhat reminiscent of Nevermore musically but more accessable and out right enjoyable. Track 'March of the Damned' is a true live winner, combining so many captivating riffs and varied sections without losing track of where the song is going, its impossible not to get sucked into the mood and chant along. This band deserve to be headliners, and if a nation of metal heads misses out on such a great act it would be a tragedy. Doing their performance justice on paper is nigh on impossible, theres something in there for any fan of heavy music. Visit their myspace, buy the CD, go to their gigs. The British metal torch is burning bright!

Atreyu : Bring Me The Horizon : Bullet For My Valentine After a long tube journey I finally landed at Wembley Park, and after meeting up with my photographer, we headed straight to the Arena. Once inside, I realised how long it had been since I was in Wembley Arena for a gig, way back in 2004 for the Offspring’s Splinter Tour. Sadly, that gig and the one’s I’d been to before have been plagued by bad sound. So I was apprehensive not of the bands commitment tonight, but more of the sound being dreadful. Suffice to say, it was rather good sound wise. First up were Atreyu, a band I’d had only a little interest in before. They were pretty good and they had a very energetic live show, amusingly enough, it’s not hard to find energy in a crowd were the average age was fifteen! Suffice to say, I felt a bit different from everyone else. Saying that though, they did themselves proud, more exciting than I’d expected and some well written pieces of music that they pulled out their arsenal. Bring me the Horizon is a band that I have absolutely and categorically hate. This hate is built up from the fact that everyone hates them. I decided to be impartial, as it’s not fair to hate a band when you haven’t heard a single song by them. Maybe it’s more of the image (The Fringe Mob was out in force tonight, all wearing different coloured chess board hoodies). Sadly, Oliver Sykes and his band of merry men failed to entice me with their sonic assault. Maybe my taste in music is getting old and I don’t understand it but I would have like to have remembered one memorable hook or song but sadly I couldn’t. One day this may change, who knows. It got to a point during this barrage of sound that it had felt like a long time had passed. I wasn’t the only one, the crowd were barely moving and during the first minute of the second of the “last two songs”, the house lights came up and then promptly the soundman pulled the plug. A rather hilarious end for a band that had played like they had a chip on their shoulder all night. Bullet for my Valentine is a band I had previously enjoyed, their first album and EP were excellent and I couldn’t wait to hear more. The years came and went, a strong but indifferent second album came and I honestly lost interest. I’d started to resent the band they had become, but then I read a rather interesting interview in another publication. The interview looked at the prospect of what bands will take over the mantle of headlining bands when the Metallica’s, Iron Maiden’s and AC/DC’s finally throw in the towel (Hopefully not just yet!) and I realised that we have great bands, but there are only but a handful that I feel would be capable of taking over from the previous three I mentioned. Out of all genres and countries, I think Bullet could be one of those contenders. They begin with the opening track from their new album Fever, which has really grown on me as well produced and well written album, albeit, what you would call Emo and soft/not metal enough. They play through the song flawlessly, showing really good prowess and stage presence, and some amazing pyro that knocked it up another notch. Playing a fifteen song set including encore, they had it all. Lights, pyrotechnics, video screens and more importantly, songs that didn’t feel out of place in an arena of this size. Ripping through classics like Room 409, Cries in Vain and Four Words, as well as mixing it up from the Scream, Aim, Fire and Fever. It all seems to weave together so well and the crowd loved it. Their crowd interaction has improved, these guys aren’t four Welsh boys, they’re men and they want to take on the world still. With a rousing encore of Hand of Blood, Tears Don’t Fall and Begging for Mercy, the night is capped with the final pyrotechnics and the goodbyes; it was a thoroughly enjoyable show. The point I was making earlier is that I do think these guys can take on that mantle in a few years and a few albums time. They’re nearer to the finished article of headlining band than most. Atreyu 4/5 Bring me the Horizon 2/5 Bullet for my Valentine 5/5

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Tons of Snot In this months US articles I’m gonna do something a little different here. Normally I focus on new or relatively unheard of US bands and technically thats still what I’m doing this month but by way of a tribute and history lesson at the same time. Now let me, if I may, take you back to California 1995. The California Punk scene is thriving, Hardcore Punk is still a small scene and Nu-metalers are still wearing their jeans at a sensible height. But in Santa Barbara something new was happening, a cross breed was born. People still argue what genre this band actually fit into and many still haven’t heard of them as they only released one album but for many of us this band had a fantastic start but a truly bitter end. Who else could it be but Snot. The band was originally formed by vocalist Lynn Strait and guitarist Mike Doling. Sonny Mayo, John Fahnestock and Jamie Miller then joined to complete the band. In 1997 Snot released their first and only album, ‘Get Some’. Despite the critical success, it never hit it off with the general public. This did not stop the band and in 1998 they took part in the Ozzfest tour. A few months after the tour finished they began work on their second album. This was never to be completed however, as on December 11th, Strait was killed in a car accident. This was the final chapter for the band who then split. As Lynn never recorded vocals for the second album, the band took this as an opportunity to use it as a fitting tribute to their departed friend. As such, the vocal tracks where then completed by friends of the singer, including vocalists from Korn, (hed) p.e., Slipknot, Sevendust and many more. ‘Strait Up’ was released on November 7th 2000. A live album then followed and in 2007 the former band members performed a live set with vocals from Invitro singer, Jeff Weber. Things then went quiet on the Snot front for a year or so. In 2008 the band once again reformed but this time with the addition of Tommy ‘Vext’ Cummings of Divine Heresy taking up the vocal duties. This line up never made it into the studio and within a year Tommy and original guitarist Sonny Mayo parted ways with the band. Then in 2009 Tons was born. Tons has kept the original line up of Mike Doling on guitar, John Fahnestock on bass and Jamie Miller on drums but has since added Brandon Espinoza into the mix. This has been a much more successful line up and the band has so far released three new tracks, ‘Ability & Control’, ‘1000 Ways of Pain’ and ‘Fan The Flames’. Tons have done well so far to keep the same musical style that set them apart in their earlier guise of Snot. So much so that many within the music industry still cannot put a finger on precisely what sort of music they are. They blend aspects of punk, metal and funk into a coherent mix of aggression and fun in equal measure. Many see them as an early Nu-metal band whilst others see them as a Hardcore Punk band. There punk roots are completely undeniable in the attitude Lynn and the band showed in their music and their behaviour both on and off stage. But the funk is definitely with them and always evident in the musical composition of the band. It was never the musical style of the band that would be called in to question however. With so many of the original band members writing the music, it was obvious that Tons would fill the mould they created over a decade earlier. The only problem they ever faced was finding someone to step up to the plate as singer. With Lynn achieving cult status it was always going to be a difficult task but Brandon has done it brilliantly. He is exactly the kind of person you would expect to pick up the mic in a band like Tons and I think even Lynn himself would approve of the effort Brandon is putting in to take the band in the right direction. So here we have it, some old news that’s new to some. Some new news that’s old to others. But whther you have heard ‘em or not, do ya self a favour and blast some Snot or Tons as load as you can this December and have a truly metal Christmas! R.I.P. Lynn Strait – your legacy lives on and your memory never forgotten! Keep it metal and have an awesome festive season to everyone at the IV and all you reading this!

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Interview STONEMAN by PromoFabrik Hey guys, thanks for your time to talk about your new album „Human Hater“ shortly before your tour. Guess it is appropriate if you will introduce yourselves to the people out there. Iron Cris: I am Iron Cris and I play the bass, cheers... J You name yourselves „Nr.1 DarkMetal band from switzerland“. Don’t you think this is very egomanic? Iron Cris: Do you know a more famous or more professional Swiss Dark Metal Band? Tell me about them... What’s about the Swiss scene? Is there any at all? Iron Cris: Of course it does exist. It happens in the underground, as everywhere else, too. In the dark of the night they gather in old basements of tunnels. 2004 – The year of your foundation. How did it all start? How did you find together? Iron Cris: That was before my time. I joined the band 2007 as their backliner. „Sex.Drugs.Murder“ has been released as the debut album in 2006, followed by the second album „How To Spell Heroin“. Now there is „Human Hater“. Do the names connect to each other in any kind? Is there some kind of progression? Iron Cris: The album titles stand for the band’s influences. As in the old days Stoneman surfed on this pretty famous rock star thing (alcohol, girls, etc.) today we focus on the really important stuff and try to write and sing about things we see as important. Talking about „progress“... How do you feel about your development from the first to the third records? Iron Cris: Do you mean technically? As every other musician we were able to improve ourselves on our instruments. The band made mistakes at the beginning; in songwriting, management, in the band as such. A quite human thing. You have to learn from these mistakes and try not to make them again. I think we suceeded very well in this matter. You have made a creative break of three years. What have been the reasons for it? Iron Cris: It was a difficult birth! On Human Hater the band tried not to remake the mistakes of the past (see previous questions!). On the new album there were no kompromises, only the best was good enough. We dared to throw the weak songs away, wich is very hard sometimes but necessary! Quality goes first was the highest commandment! What does the album title stand for „Human Hater“ or who do you want to address with it? Iron Cris: This goes to almost everybody! Not a specific group or person, but mankind as such! People often mistakes us as rassists. But that is not true! We are not against black people or judes in general, but against everybody that brings damages to anyone on purpose. No matter who or what that damager is. You have released the single „No sweet November“ as prelude to the album. Why did you choose that untypical song? Iron Cris: No other song would be played on a radio station! And did it come to the feature of VAN VELVET? Iron Cris: Stoneman has worked together with Steve since Sex.Drugs.Murder. We are good friends and hope to do another thing with him on the next album if we find something that fits perfectly together. Let’s dive deeper into the details of the album. The song „Hope You Die All Soon“ is quite scary. What do you want to tell with it? Iron Cris: To the damager (see previous question). On „Zombie Zoo“ you have worked with Wednesday 13. How did you manage to do that cooperation? Iron Cris: Two years ago we were on tour with him and were able to play ten shows as his opening act. Since then, the contact never broke up. In contrary to your single release of „No Sweet November“ the album is very loud and hard. How did the fans react on it? Iron Cris: The fans loved the song but were happy that the album is heavy in general. Nobody rejects it. Because of this song we could gain some additional fans. Although these people normally don’t listen to this heavy metal stuff. Will you produce more songs of that soft style in the future? Iron Cris: If the song is good, why not. But Stoneman will always be a heavy metal band. You are in the advent of a extensive tour with Tiamat. What are you looking forward most about it? Iron Cris: Of course, that is a highlight in every musician’s life. A first gig you have played in the first week of November in your home country. How did you like it? Iron Cris: It was a great evening. It was awesome to play finally again after such a long time off stage. Maybe we were a bit rusty, but therefor we play 20 shows in 23 days now haha... To play at home is always enormous. To play for his friends gives you an additional motivation. Most of the gigs you will play with Tiamat. How did you get in touch with them for the tour? Iron Cris: Two years ago we were the opening act for Tiamat and 69 Eyes in the Z7 club (Pratteln, CH). Since then the contact exists. Do you preceive yourselves to be more a studio or a live band? What do you like more? Iron Cris: Well, compare these two situations: you are in a dark, stinking, small room without any windows and play one small part again and again until Mr. Producers is pleased with it on one hand and be on the road, meet and greet fans and play a whole song together with your band on the other... I go for the touring J Many thanks for answering our questions and we wish you a lot of success with the album „Human Hater“. Before leaving for the tour, I bet you have a message to the fans out there? Iron Cris: Make yourself a present for X-mas and buy Human Hater! Ok, thanks and see you on tour! Stoneman Facebook Stoneman MySpace by PromoFabrik – November 2010

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3 years in the studio working in the studio, honing and developing their songwriting and production techniques and Inertia are back with the brand new album, their 11th album, “Deworlded”, this album brings together a unique mix of Electronic sequences, harsh rhythms, crunching guitars and dark song structures, offering the bands’ best work to date. Imagine, if you can, a journey through your darker periods in life, when one can only find happiness by “Deworlding”, this is where you take a step outside of your world to really see what needs to change. The subject matter of this album is more than just the average electronic act, taking in, Love, Life, Thoughts, Darkness, Happiness and Spirituality. Musically, the new level Inertia have reached with Deworlding is probably due to their new line up and what a line up, of course, there’s Reza Udhin and Alexys B, but Reza has obviously picked up a few interesting ideas after a stint in the legendary band, Killing Joke and Alexys has some fresh ideas after hooking up with Electro Falco, then add to the mix Kneill X, ex Killing Joke, and Andrew Lowlife adding some of his influence from Swarf. Something else that I’m sure helps the sound reach new heights, this year, (2010), the band celebrate their 18th anniversary, making Inertia’s heritage one of the finest this scene has to offer. Check out this video, see what you think, then read what they had to say for themselves, we had a little chinwag them as well. Rex -Greetings to you all, after having known you for many years, it’s a pleasure to grab a moment to have a chat with you for our ezine, I think the last time we did anything together was in Gloucester at a charity event, in fact there’s a couple of pics I grabbed of you above. So, first to Reza and Alexys, how has life been treating you since then? Alexys: Life has been good…busy and productive. Reza: Yes, been an extraordinarily creative last few years.. Good times. Rex – It took you three years since your last album, what took you so long? Alexys: A number of reasons. Both of us have been working on several different music projects but my biggest excuse was following my passion in special effects make-up. I was under a film contract for 2 years. I contributed what I could in music but only since this March have I been able to commit more time to Inertia. Reza: Yep, for me it’s mainly been giving my time to several different music projects, plus it was important to spend as much time on this album as possible to make it the best it could ever be.. We wrote over 25 tracks for this album in this time, of which we chose the best 11 for the final cut. We also recorded an Inertia covers album “Kloned” in this time too, which came out at the beginning of this year.. Rex – to Reza and Alexys, you’ve both been the main stay of the band from day one, what inspired you to start Inertia? Also, does the name have any meaning? Reza: I started the band mainly for my love of electronic and industrial music. In the late 80’s and beginning of the 90’s, I was frequenting quite a lot of underground Industrial clubs and the stuff coming out at that time was extremely inspiring.. I’d been making music with synths since about 1982, but the whole time in this scene really changed what I was doing drastically and put me into tune to what I really wanted to do.. As for the name, no real meaning, just thought it sounded good! Alexys: I’ve only been a member since 1997, 5 years after the band was established. Rex – I always thought you were there from the start Alexys, I guess we all learn something new everyday. So, any good stories form those early day? Were things hit or miss for a while, or was it just over night success? Reza: In the early days, we just played loads of clubs and pubs in the UK.. It wasn’t until we got signed to the German label Celtic Circle Productions in 1995 that things really took off.. We did several festivals and European tours over 1995 / 1996 which established us in mainland Europe.. It also created a buzz in the US, where we did our first tour together with Das Ich in 1997. Our first East German tour was crazy.. It was still something new for them and the audiences were absolutely spectacular.. Really enthusiastic and truly into only one thing.. The Music! Rex – Are there any bands that inspired you to start back in those early days? Reza: Yes, lots… Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, DAF, Kraftwerk, Early Human League, John Foxx, Cabaret Voltaire.. Rex – Some great bands there, how about other bands, what music are you listening to right now? Apart from your own. Alexys: I personally never listen to our own music. It’s funny sometimes you hear your own track in a club and it doesn’t click until about halfway through the track, then I feel embarrassed not to recognise it….. Some of the bands that I’m listening to more than normal are Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Caro Emerald and Imelda May along with the endless amount of 80’s new romantic. Reza: To tell you the truth, the only bands I find interesting these days is new material by the older aforementioned kind of bands.. there is very rarely something within the current “Industrial/EBM” scene which interests me.. Unfortunately, it all sounds the same these days.. no innovation like it was in the early days.. No identity, and you can’t tell one band from another.. So, me too, I find my current inspiration outside of “the scene”.. Muse, Caro Emerald, Imelda may, Brian Setzer are some of my current faves.. Rex – Another list of fine bands Reza. Over to Andrew Lowlife now, where does the name Lowlife come from? Andrew: It’s a DJ name really. My club night ‘Lowlife’ started off in a seedy basement venue in Brighton. I wanted the name of the club to reflect the locale and it also had connotations with various alternative bands; Altered States, Public Image Ltd. New Order, Lowlife (the band) all of which was the sort of music we played. I’d never got round to choosing a proper DJ name so when I played at different clubs I was always billed as Andrew (Lowlife) so eventually I just thought oh well that’s my DJ name then. Rex – What about your influences then Andrew? Anything you’d like to give a nod of appreciation to? Andrew: Way too many to list but off the top of my head; Joy Division, Bauhaus, the Chameleons, John Foxx, Roxy Music, Nitzer Ebb, Frontline Assembly, Future Sound of London, Wumpscutt, IamX... Rex – A question for Andrew, Inertia or Swarf? Or is that just a tough question? Andrew-Inertia at this precise moment in time, though that doesn’t mean Swarf will not have my full attention in the near future. Rex – Let’s have some confessions from you all, what would be the most embarrassing single or album you own? Let’s have one confession from each of you! After Djing with Andrew, I get the feeling his could be the most interesting! Andrew: I have a signed copy of the Mel and Kim album! Picked it up in HMV many years ago as I thought it might one day be worth something. Needless to say it’s still knocking around somewhere. Alexys: Andrew that’s awesome!!! Most of what I own most people would call embarrassing, so I can safely say, my whole music collection. Nothing really stands out. Reza: I actually have that Mel & Kim album too.. not signed though.. I also have tons of embarrassing stuff too.. I think I own a Jason Donovan album.. but try to put it out of my head..;-) Rex – Andrew, last time I saw you we were Djing together in North London, are you still spinning at any clubs? Maybe we can do a club focus in this ezine on one of them. Andrew: Last thing I did was a Shoegaze night with fellow Swarf bandmate Chris. We may continue this in an occasional fashion. Have some other plans for the new year so I’ll keep you posted! Rex – Reza, can I move back to you, how was your experience with Killing Joke, it must have been a pleasure and a challenge working with such legends? Reza: Yes, it’s been pretty great so far.. I joined the band 6 years ago and been involved with three studio albums and two live albums.. we have just finished the European leg of our tour, which ended in an amazing show at the Hammersmith Apollo.. we are about to head over to the US next week for our States tour.. Working with the Joke, really is inspiring for me.. I love all the members and they have become some of my closest friends over the years.. There is a certain magic and presence in Killing Joke when we are performing live which is unlike anything else.. Rex – What was the line up when you toured with Killing Joke? Reza: I have been through several line up changes.. when I first started it was Jaz, Geordie, Raven and a drummer called Ben Calvert.. Since the sad passing of Raven a few years ago, we reformed with the original line up, who have not been together since 1982 which consists of Jaz, Geordie, Youth and Big Paul .. and me..;-) It is a pure pleasure working with this line up.. Rex – To any or all of you, what can you tell me about the instruments used as Inertia? (i.e., are you subject to brand loyalty or will you play with whatever's available? What made you choose the instruments you have now? Andrew: I’ve minimised my kit to a few virtual instruments running on a netbook triggered by a usb keyboard. Very portable! Alexys: Since becoming involved with some of the bigger names in the drumming circuit, I’ve opted for a 7 piece sit down electronic kit with my trusty old TD6. Reza: In the studio, I am now completely working with Logic Pro on an Apple mac.. I have sold most of my old studio gear and old synths, as I don’t really need it much anymore.. I find it a lot easier working in this simple fashion.. I can be a lot more creative and not have to worry about hooking up gear, which can so often get in the way of creativity.. Rex – To any or all of you - What’s been your favourite show, is there a venue that you always love to play? Andrew: The Purple Turtle was good fun when we played there recently, as was Club Antichrist. Alexys: Those *were* two really amazing shows! One still stands out in my mind. We were supporting a well known Scandinavian band with our former keyboard players at the LA2 some years ago. We had an amazing reception when we walked onto the stage, then half the audience left when the headliner came on. I normally don’t gloat, but they had slagged us off on their tour itinerary, so I felt redeemed. Reza: One of my favourites was a show we did in Washington DC in 2001, it was just a really fun show and the audience were great. Rex – Ooh, I do love DC, a great crowd there. From fav shows onto gig horror stories, are there any you can tell us? Alexys: Far too many, usually to do with unreliable band members who were too off their nuts on all sorts and not pulling their weight. It created a lot of problems with relations with promoters and of course, made the aftermath of a gig a nightmare for Reza and I. Rex – When you’re out there live, which songs do you perform most frequently? Alexys: For years, we always played ‘Retaliate’ but currently, we’re only playing tracks from our last 2 albums. Rex – Ahh, I remember that one, tell me, who writes your songs? Reza: I write most of the stuff myself, Alexys contributes to a few songs on each album as well. Rex - Could you briefly describe that music-making process? Reza: It’s different for each song.. sometimes, I start working with drums and bass and try to get a good groove going.. then slowly build on that.. Other times, I may hear a melody or a bassline in my head, then rush to the studio to get it down and build the rest around that.. Rex - How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs? Reza: Our website has samples from the new album “Deworlded” which was released this week, while the myspace and facebook, have a few more older tracks on them. You can also buy and download songs directly from our website too: www.inertia.gs. Rex - Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for giving you support over the years? Alexys: First and foremost, we would like to acknowledge the fans for sticking with us over so many years. If it wasn’t for them, we still wouldn’t be moving forward. Rex – Always got to love the fans. From the whole history of music, what would be your dream line up for a band? Reza: I have it already.:-) Rex – Good answer Reza!! Ok, some silly questions - What is the one, single food that you would never give up? Andrew: Chicken. Alexys: Spicy chicken! Reza: Curry Rex - What do you dream about? Alexys: Having babies….. Rex – Who, in the whole history of the world, would you like to get caught on a dessert island with? Alexys: Reza Rex - What scares you the most and why? Alexys: The zombie holocaust because I currently live in a country where you can’t freely buy a firearm. Rex - What makes you bored? Alexys: Lady Gaga Rex – thank you for taking the time to Chat with us! :) Andrew: Always a pleasure! Alexys: Much obliged! Reza: Any time my friend! click back to the index for a free track by this great band
Abgott – Lustmord – Music Video Viewing @ Passage Of Terror, Piccadilly Circus Trocadero, London - November 1st 2010 I felt really privileged to have received an invite to this event, which was guestlist only opened to those in the British music and Horror Industry. After long efforts and endless work among the Abgott members aswell as Zombies, Tombs, blood and sacrilegious rituals, it was finally finished and ready to be screened in the private cinema of the ‘Passage Of Terror’ venue. We were also told this would include a full visit of the attraction followed by drink refreshment at the venues bar, I immediately thought Vodka! On arrival at 8pm there was already a busy crowd outside Trocodero including the Abgott band members, the cast and crew from the music video and guests from Gorezone Magazine, Terrorizer, Metal-Rules.com, Soundshock, the band endorsers Jackson Guitars & many more! We were soon taken inside of the attraction which looked amazing & taken to a small cinema room where we all sat in anticipation. The Music Video was Directed by the very talented Nathan Theys www.filmcreatives.co.uk (Paradise Lost / Faith Divides Us Death Unites Us, In this moment / Call Me) General Manager Aron Byrne-Carter Pasaje del Terror - Terror Factory Ltd Production by Noel Wesley and Alex Cazzetta With Make Up and Special Effects by Amelia Galiana I have to say the Music Video Lustmord was done extremely well and edited in an old fashioned cinematic way which gave the video a dark an eerie effect which included the staff from the ‘Passage Of Terror’ attraction itself, aswell as including new actors such as ‘James Ford’ who made a very convincing Zombie Christ being hung on a crucifix being exorcised by one of the Abgott members! This is definitely a new music video to watch. After the viewing we were taken into the attraction which was truly awesome. With dark scary corridors, things jumping out at you and even a bed that raises off the floor with a screaming possessed women screaming at you, this was perfect for the Halloween Season, I was soon looking forward to my free drink at the bar! A very successful event for the Abgott members. The Music Video will be available on DVD in the New Year but you can view it now by visiting: www.abgott.co.uk www.myspace.com/abgott

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Smack, Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream all need italics. Melvin Burgess’ Smack Wasn’t quite sure about Melvin Burgess’ Smack when I first picked it up. Just seemed like another book about another set of junkies. What I wasn’t prepared for was the raw honesty of the story, combined with the ease in which I got caught up in the narrative. Meant for young adults, the story concerns two runaways, Tar and Gemma, living on the streets of London and embrace the squatter lifestyle. This spins out of control as their drug use progresses from pot to eventually heroin which in turn leads to petty shoplifting, some of the old ultra-violence and prostitution. Burgess pulls off a technique that few other writers can, easily switching from the main character’s point of view to many of the others without missing a beat. That accomplishment itself was enough to make me glad I didn’t pass this one by. If you, like me, don’t flinch during Trainspotting or turn off Requiem for a Dream midway through, you’ll like this one.	Cradle of Filth - ‘God Speed On The Devil’s Thunder’ - Roadrunner Records - 2008 The album is subtitled The Life And Crimes of Gilles de Rais. I chose to do Cradle of Filth this month due to the fact that the majority of their albums are concepts andn this one is no different. The cover seems to be in league with de Rais’ debauchery and general madness. I found information from an interview with Dani in 2009 about Gilles de Rais and his story manifests on Godspeed And The Devil’s Thunder. “ After Joan of Arc’s death, he slid into a life of debauchery, which ended up with him trying to reclaim his fortune through alchemy and witchcraft. This led him to murder and kidnapping. He was eventually arrested by the Catholic Church and tried. It’s a great gothic sort of fairytale story, because he’s a very pious man at the beginning, turns extremely evil… The story runs concurrently throughout the album, its not just vague ideas orbiting a main satellite. It’s a story, and the narrative is actually taking from trial transcripts that were taken down in secular court at the time of his judgment. ” The cover showing his face in several positions shows that he is in motion, moving his head from side to side, probably in a rapid motion due to the possibility that he may have guards on his tail, though each face has a different expression on it, from panic to anger. The devil’s head on the right hand side refers to the album’s title, and possibly that de Rais was in league with him. As for the children in the bottom right corner, this may refer to the kidnappings. Also to be noted is the female with the halo and the burning figure tied to a stake. The figure in the bottom left corner is likely to be de Rais’ soul (The Picture of Dorian Gray comes to mind!) Cradle of Filth - ‘Darkly. Darkly, Venus Aversa’ - Peaceville/Nuclear Blast - 2010 Darkly Darkly, Venus Aversa is a another concept album which was done in the same vein as predecessor Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder, the feminine companion to Godspeed, a very masculine album. This album centres around the demon Lilith, depicted on the cover artwork dressed in red sat on a gothic throne with a glass of what looks like it could possibly be either red wine or blood (most likely the latter being that she is a demonic being). I decided to check out some earlier artwork as comparison, this artwork is darker than Dusk And Her Embrace, but not quite so in league with Cruelty And The Beast, which feature a femme in a bathtub of blood, though the difference between these two being the concept, the colours used are very similar, though Cruelty is more sepia and Darkly, Darkly is more grey/black in colour which makes the red of Lilith’s dress and beverage stand out. I also like her head piece, which I believe to be roses, also note black roses climbing up her dress and the snake slithering under her arm, this all adds to her demonic character. At closer inspection, I notice that she is not sat on the throne at all, but rather standing on its steps, the arm rests of the throne appear to be roaring lions, and Liliths facial expression tells me she is on the look out for something or just plain vacant! Although I find the butterflies to be a little out of place they are still pretty and add to the effect of light and dark. I would buy this album for the artwork alone, regardless of what the music sounds like, I find the image sort of compelling.		The new remix CD ‘Larva Pupa Tank Coffin’ has been released by Sydney distorted-industrial-punk band Angelspit. It contains 11 tracks including four new Angelspit tracks, four remixes from leading electro/industrial artists and three remixes from Angelspit. It is sure to deliver blunt-force trauma to your eardrums. To have a peek, head here. Melbourne electronic band Angel Theory have recently released their ‘Death of Angels’ album and successfully toured with Assemblage 23 in the US. Charles Fenech’s side project Solar released a free download EP last week with the new album coming out in January. Hard-edged electro-rock band MM9 formed in Sydney and have established themselves as a leading touring act. With the success of their self-titled EP, and the follow-up “Prosthetic Boulevard” the band released their highly anticipated full-length album ‘The Air in March’ earlier this year. The new Shiv-r EP "Incision" is in the process of being pressed. Pre-orders are available from Deathwatch Asia, and it'll also come in a European flavour that will be limited to 500 copies, all hand-numbered. Shiv-R will be playing support for Combichrist on their Australian tour in December. Click here to see the official film clip for ‘The End’. Last month saw the launch of the new single ‘I still believe’ by Sydney goth-rock band Familia. Familia has been performing fantastic live shows for the last year and are influenced by bands such as the Cult, Sisters of Mercy, The Damned and Siousxie and the Banshees. Vocalist Ash Rothschild (Caligula) I known for giving a high energy and charming performance. Brisbane bubblegum cyber band Bitch Brigade is a delightful mix of power noise, industrial and electro-pop. Following the interest in their album ‘Dendrite’ they will be the supporting act for Combichrist in Brisbane in December. Lunar Module has just released their new EP on itunes. They have recently returned to Sydney to play at the Under The Blue Moon festival after touring Melbourne. Lunar Module’s sound is firmly rooted in the electronic pop era of music (1978-1988), borrowing the sound of then, and using todays technology to create their sound. Lunar Module began with Ant Banister in 2003 (worked behind the scenes with The Mark of Cain, Boxcar and Severed Heads). Over the years he was joined by Alberto Martinez (main talent behind Neuropa), Peter Davies (Dazy Chains, Techromance), Mel Grogan (DJ on 2RRR) and Grant Muir (has worked with The KLF and KMFDM). Lunar Module is going to be touring Australia in 2011, and are in talks about visiting Europe soon. Industrial-metal outfit New Project are playing their first gig back in Australia since 2005 at the Excelsior Hotel in Sydney, on December 17th. Originating from the Northern beaches of Sydney in 2000, New Project became well known in the Australian alternative music scene. In 2005 the band moved to London to raise their international profile, and it’s only recently that the whole band is back in Australia. Check out the track Coma. For something a little more chilled, check out Perth swamp-rock band The Bible Bashers. With a sound similar to The Stooges, Nick cave and AC/DC, the Bible Bashers have become a regular on the local music scene. In mid-2010 they released an EP of seven songs.
Steve Hughes, free thinking, metal Comedian!! This month I’ve hijacked Jacques space to write about a genius called Steve Hughes, comedian and definitely a free thinker, also, oddly, one time drummer for Australian Death Metal band Slaughter Lord. Steve Hughes reminds me a lot of an Aus version of Bill Hicks, very funny and very much making a point, to make my point easier, I’ve included a few vids for you all to watch, he seems to have a highly twisted view on society with a logic not seen frequently enough. Even that posh newspaper the Times, in little old England described him and “hard edge social commentary at it’s best” Check this clip out - Steve Hughes is essentially there to make a point as much as to make you laugh and he does both very well. There’s a lot of clever jumps from satire, to lecture, to pure basic level joke, interlaced with many observations on how rubbish our attitudes are these days. It seems he feels strongly about a lot of issues, from the homeless, to narrow minded attitudes towards the gay community, to how stupid people can be when it comes to their general gullibility to accept what society has fed them. I love his theory on gay people being extra macho because the shag men and not soft girlies, then there’s his theory about the homeless and why we should give them money, even if they will just spend it on drink and drugs, cause that’s what he was gonna spend it on. If you’re the kind of person who believes soap operas are real, who believes the news as gospel, who takes health and safety too seriously, then I recommend you take notes of this man, but, if like me, you’re disillusioned with the world, then you’ll find yourself nodding in agreement and laughing out loud many many times, probably even quoting lines to your friends and finding some of Steve Hughes comments entering into your every day conversation. If you wanna check his website out Finishing off with a little clip of his old band, Slaughter Lord -

Houseparty of the Dead VI Film Premiere @ The Purple Turtle 16/11/2010 Presented by Paranoid Android Films Website Starring: Paula Gilbert, Mark Edel-Hunt, Christie Emby, David Chrysanthou, Tom Carter, Brad Moore, Andromeda Godfrey, Sophie Wilkins, Lauren Wilkins, Rob Lacey, Rick Beenham, Belinda Peters Screenplay & Directed by: Andy Edwards Produced by: Rob Leese Jones, Houseparty of the Dead VI is about a group of young hopefuls who are trying to defend themselves from the Zombie Apocalypse, only to find that there are worse things in this world than Zombies...! I was really looking forward to the screening of this and was happy I was asked to bring my camera along to do photos. Seeing as this was a zombie event I felt the need to dress-up, it doesn’t take much to convince me! I soon realised that sitting on a London tube covered in blood and wearing red contacts may have not been the greatest idea but being London everyone had seen it all before and was too polite to stare…for too long anyway! On arrival the place was already packed and I could see zombies walking around everywhere, so I finally felt at home. The Purple Turtle is a lovely venue, small enough for the cosy atmosphere but large enough to host bands, performers and DJ’s. Upstairs of the venue was delegated to the zombie make up artists, where my friends immediately rushed to, to get zombified! The make up was amazing, featuring the same make-up artists on the film sets and all make up was free to everyone. The bar was open, the drinks were flowing and the atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was looking forward to the film being shown & the performers and bands to begin. The show opened with the two sexy girls ‘The Flirtinis’ opening with their seductive burlesque act, unfortunately due to traffic I missed this show hense no photos! But next on was the band ‘Skeletons’ who describe themselves as a Hargore, Horror Alternative ‘whatthefuck’ Punk Band from Birmingham. They were great to open up with & despite being unsigned they had a great energy & managed to get the party started! I wish they had zombified themselves up as they did seem abit out of place with their jeans and cardigans, but the audience took to them well. After a short break Andy Edwards got on stage and personally welcomed everyone to the event, thanking everyone involved and the film was shown. I really did enjoy it! I won’t say too much about it until its official release but I will say if you like low budget zombie movies shot right here in London and you have a thirst for blood and guts then you won’t be disappointed! Soon after the DJs took over and the sexy Sophia Disgrace took to the pole, enticing everyone with her dancing and climbing skills! The dance floor was soon filled with zombie dancers, zombie puppets, the actors and film crew and of course the guests all having a boogie. With DJ’s ‘Chrissy B’ and Jon ‘La Horde’ Ford (Shoplifters) building up the atmosphere [pre-film] with a mix of dubstep, witch-house and other twisted sounds, whilst [post-film] Zombie Sunta (Xfm) and Liam "Facehugger" Young (NME) provided the tunes to get the Dead on the Dancefloor & dancing! After a good boogie tt was soon time for another band to take the stage, which was the band ‘The Incredible Bi-Girl’. A great Electro band with an amazing stage presence and energy. Having split up over 10 years ago now, this was a one-off comeback gig just for the show. The vocalist was co-producer on Houseparty of the Dead 6, and the keyboardist composed all the music for the film under the name ‘Twilight Laboratory’. One of the guitarists now plays in a band called ‘Voodoo Six’, so it was great seeing them together again which was greatly received by the audience as the dancefloor was proving! Soon after the Dj’s took over again which kept the energy going and kept the time flying. Coming to an abrupt halt, the stage suddenly went all quiet and dark. With confused looks on our faces, a dark scary clocked figure appeared and took to the stage. This was performer Ruby Demure (one half of the The Flirtinis) A fantastic entrance to her performance she slowly dropped her cloak to revel her wearing a mask and a long white dress which he removed by cutting with a knife! Slowing undressing to perform a dark burlesque performance with large black fans and nipple tassels, which the audience loved. Soon after it was back to the Dj’s for the final time, who slowly brought the night to an end. I was disappointed to see the night over but being covered in blood and having one too many at the bar, I was happy to be getting a cab home! This was a fantastic night from the cast and crew and im happy to announce lots of film projects coming up in 2011 from the very talented Andy Edwards, with the next step for Houseparty of the Dead being a feature film!		LES PACTE DES LOUPS (2001) DIRECTED BY: CHRISTOPHE GANS WRITTEN BY: STEPHANE CABEL STARRING: SAMUEL LE BIHAN, VINCENT CASSEL, MARK DACASCOS, MONICA BELLUCI, EMILIE DEQUENNE Before I even begin this review, I must pre warn you all that this is, without a shadow of doubt, my most favourite film in the whole world. With that now nestled firmly within the woody nest of your mind, I shall endeavour to remain unbias in this particular review. The film is awesome, sell your children, go out and buy it. Unfortunately I am informed that as reviews go, this is a little too short to fill my particular section, thus allow me if you will, to flesh out my argument that this is an absolute masterpiece of creativity that should not be ignored. How to describe Les Pacte Des Loups? Well, as you may have divined from the title of this movie, it is a French made film brought to you by the director Christophe Gans. If the name rings any bells then it may be because this is the same man that brought you movies such as Silent Hill and the live action version of Crying Freeman, two celluloid strips of underrated visual beauty. It is an understatement to say that Christophe Gans knows cinematography. It's like saying that Zakk Wylde is an average guitarist or Hitler would have been substandard as a team building excercise co-ordinator. It's like Mr Gans sees through one coloured lense at any time, then liberally sprinkles said shade across the entire landscape through the art of coincidental foliage, accidental tailoring and unplanned mainsonary. For example, he'll film an entire scene using reds and browns wherein red coated huntsmen ride brown stallions through red and brown leafed trees. Sure, there are other shades and colours dancing around, the humble green of grass and the pale pinks of skin, but there always seems to be some preferred colour being splattered before your eyes. In addition, he knows how to play the stark contrasts, dashing crimson on white or gold against black. It's like he couldn't stand to be a painter as he'd only be able to create one frame at a time and he has a whole world ready for his brushstrokes. So, that's my visual praise of the director over and done with. Lets get on with what this movie is all about. Les Pacte Des Loups, or as it is known in the UK, The Brotherhood Of The Wolf, is..hm...how best to describe this? A romantic-horror-thriller-period-drama-martial-arts movie. Yes, I know you've seen many of these before, so why is this particular romantic-horror-thriller-period-drama-martial-arts movie any different to all those others? Well bear with me and I'll explain. The film is set in the 18th century in middle France, where an unknown beast is slaughtering the peasants. The King of Paris is somewhat concerned by the continuing reports he is receiving, so dispatches Chevalier de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan), a royal botanist among many other things, to look into this. Along with his native American pal, Mani (Mark Dacascos) he travels to the small town of Gevaudan to investigate the rumours without so much as a sandwich munching talking dog to aid them. It is perhaps important to note that France is a place that borders upon revolution, where nobility spit upon the poor from great heights, where schooling is only for those who can afford the exhorbitant bills, where the fear of God is rife and the world about them is a place of as yet undiscovered mystery. De Fonsac is a man of the world, a scientifically thinking member of the new breed of rational men picking apart the superstitions of the country. Mani, on the other hand, is a tribal shaman, a spirit guided hunter and a combat specialist. It is a more perfect combination than Riggs and Murtaugh ever were. The citizens of Gevaudan are a snobbish lot, with a pious priest, a playwrite of questionable skills, lords and ladies with their noses turned firmly upwards and a host of old world fearing peasants. Lodged within the stories breast are the siblings, Jean-Francois (Vincent Cassel), a one armed hunter returned from safari, and the beautiful Marianne (Emilie Dequenne), the innocent woman raised with the temprament of the uppity. It is very easy to spot that Marianne is our romantic interest within this movie, although her brother would certainly have it otherwise. To add to matters, we also have De Fonsac's seeming infatuation with the intellectually enigmatic whore, Sylvia (Monica Belucci). So our story travels on, the dynamic duo with their perfect rapport (truly, the script and acting displays brillaint chemisty) continue to investigate the varying strange sightings, embarking on hunts with the local fur clad nutjobs that wander the countryside spoiling for fights like todays Chavs, assaulting superstition or embracing it with open arms. There are subtle nuances lurking in every corner, plays on visuals, assaults on thinking and continuing battles between the old world and the new. Sometimes, it is easy to forget that at the heart of this movie lies a horror story, based loosely on actual events or not. It is a movie of pure visual joy, witty exchange and luxurious stretches of mental pampering. It delivers something that Hollywood fails at so often and that is delivering the viewer action that makes us feel more intelligent for having seen it. That's not to say you'll reach new heights of thought by watching this movie, but it is to say you will feel like you just enjoyed a live classical composition at the Albert Hall before returning home to your Ace Of Base loving housemates in Peckham. There is perhaps only one downside, and that is the weighty length of the movie itself. You feel that you've watched an entire film at one point and then it continues on with more. It isn't an awful thing in all honesty as the story telling unfolds meticulously rather than at a crammed pace, but as I watch this movie for the gazzilionth time, it becomes more noticable and I do wonder if my latest victim forced to sit beside and partake in this rich delicacy is in fact growing edgily bored. Despite this reservation, I can not recommend this movie more. It is entertainment wrapped silk, horror served with garnish and romance boxed with grit. It is both beauty and the beast in one, with a cast of the French speaking debonair pouring their expert renditions into a melting pot that delivers the cerebral goods. It's keep your brain on martial arts, the type that is hard to quantify with mere words. Seriously, I challenge anyone to watch this film and find a genre that can acurately describe it in full. Thankyou for allowing me to share one of my most precious gems with you. Now go sell your children. Sylvia: Do you know how Florentine women ensure their husbands come home? Every morning they slip him a slow poison and every evening the antidote. That way, when the husband spends the night away, he has a very bad night.

SEGA Megadrive Ok, so since my Xbox went and died on me, I got thinking. So many of todays consoles, the supposed pinnacle of technology and gaming, have so many faults, whereas the consoles of yesterday had very few. So I decided for this months Silicon voice, I’d set them toe to toe. A video gaming battle of the heavy weights. Now to introduce the contenders. In the red corner, originally from Japan, all the way from 1988. With a recommended retail price of $190, the Segaaa MEGADRIVE!! And the opponent. Hailing from the U.S.A. born in 2005, with a suggested retail price of $299, it’s the Xbox 360!!! Now the tale of the tape. Megadrive Xbox 360 Processor 7.67 mhz 3 symetrical cores operating at 3.6ghz Display 512 colours 48 billion shade operations per second Audio 4 channel psg Over 250 channels Memory 64kb ram 512 mb ram Game storage none Varies from 64mb to 250gb Online capable Yes Yes Worldwide sales 40 million 44.6 million (as of September 2010) Ok, so looking at the statistics, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is all over this. Round one goes to Microsoft. At 22 years old, you sadly can’t pick up a new, fresh out the box mega drive, unless you happen to live in Brazil, but more on that later. I recently bought a megadrive with everything it’s sold with new for a tidy little sum of £4. That is one console, power cable, rf lead and 2 joypads, for under a fiver. The game cartridges are the only real expense, ranging from 99p up to a whopping £250 (Of course, only those crazy collectors would spend that) So total set up cost for a mega drive, and 2 games = between £6 and £8 Even though it’s now nearly 6 years old, a fossil in terms of technology, a new Xbox will set you back a painful £199.99, dependent on which model you want. Second hand 360’s, again, dependent on what model, will range upwards from £60(bear in mind, this will more than likely be the core model, with no inbuilt memory, which then begs the need to spend another £20 on a hard drive) It get’s worse, if you wish to play with your friends, be it at yours, or online, get your wallet ready again. The Xbox 360 comes with only one control pad. A second hand pad retails for about £10. If you wish to play online, you’ll need a subscription, which is another £44 per year. With the game’s retailing at £40 new or £5 upwards second hand the Xbox works out to be quite an expensive piece of kit. But those start up cost’s aren’t the only hit that Microsoft will slap on you. If you’re one of the unlucky lot whose Xbox happens to be struck down with the dreaded red ring of death, then you’ll more than likely have to shell out for a whole new system, assuming it’s not under it’s years warranty. Most stockists offer an extended warranty, but that will set you back another £30. Xbox 360 total set up cost with an extra pad and 2 games = anywhere between £100 and £350. So financially the mega drive comes out on top. Round 2 to sega. But what the range of games? The Xbox currently has a catalogue of a breath taking 780 titles, including the downloadable arcade classics. And that list is always expanding. However, the 360 has one major flaw, backwards compatibility allowing you to play the original xbox titles is very limited, Microsoft claim to be working on this consistently, but the page on their website detailing which games are playable on the 360 has been removed, which suggests they got bored with the idea. The Sega Mega drive was fully back ward’s compatible with sega’s previous console, the master system, assuming you bought the converter add on. It was also technically forwards compatible. Ok so you had to buy another add on but when Sega released the mega c.d , you could still use your shiny mega drive console to play the newer games. This gave the Sega mega drive a games catalogue of a huge 1333 titles. So round 3 goes to Sega. Now earlier I mentioned Brazil and new mega drive consoles. Believe it or not, the mega drive is still going strong, and Sega licensee TecToy are still producing new megadrive consoles, (the newer models having the games built in) and games. The latest release being Mega drive guitar idol. Now, I loved my Xbox, I really did, but I somehow can’t see Microsoft owner Bill Gates allow a small company to continue producing his console 20 years from now. So thanks to TecToy for keeping the sega dream alive, round 4 goes to sega. Now, the Xbox really is a console for everyone, it always has been. It distances itself from the ‘l33t’ gamer scene of Sony’s Playstation 3, while at the same time keeping well away from the Family scene of Nintendo’s Wii. Now please, don’t get me wrong, just because it isn’t grouped in with these guys doesn’t mean that it isn’t for families, or for hardcore gamers. Far from it, with titles such as Viva piñata and the karaoke classic Lips there’s plenty of bank holiday fun to be had. And with games like Left for Dead, Call of Duty and Gears of War, the Xbox is a big hit for those hardcore types aswell. The Mega drive again was a console for everyone, with game’s such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Disney’s Aladdin for the younger crowd, whereas titles like Castlevania, Streets of Rage and Shinobi really appealed to those elite gamers of yesterday. Round five is a draw then, with both consoles arguing there case solidly. Now, the winner. It certainly looks as though the Mega drive take’s the crown. It’s cost effective, an instant classic and has a much broader range of games. But it just doesn’t feel right naming one of these giants better than the other. Without the Sega’s input it’s highly likely the Xbox wouldn’t be here today, and I’m sure that we’ll be saying the same thing about the Xbox 30 years from now. So apparently i’ve wasted time writing this, because I’ve just realised something I knew from the start, both of these consoles are winners. Whether you’re my 3 year old daughter blazing through Sonic the hedgehog, a 23 year old elite busting up some Covenant scum in Halo, or a 40 something who just wants to get away from the stress of work, both consoles are there for you, and each of them have a way of making you want to come back for more.

UNSIGNED STAGE Here you will find our reviews of the best Unsigned Talent! Scroll down to read through all articles or select one of the links below to jump to another section
Lifestyle	Arts	Music	Chinwags	Features	Album Reviews	Club Focus


Vanity Draws Blood www.facebook.com/vanitydrawsblood With the hardcore block, and its many side streets, looking increasingly busy these days, new kids Vanity Draws Blood are the most recent act to take up residence there. Granted though the dual assault of vocalists Kerrie Alexander and Rob Saubole gives the band a slightly different edge, with Rob’s higher pitched tone grappling against Kerrie’s deeper screams in the kind of tactic which is slightly reminiscent of that employed by Sikth. For a band making their stage debut, one thing Vanity Draws Blood certainly don’t lack is confidence, with more enthusiastic leaping about from Kerrie and Rob than a trampoline class listening to Van Halen’s ‘Jump’. Naturally minus the jumpsuits. At one point the pair disappears off into the audience to growl down some unsuspecting ears at close proximity. The opening drum beat to ‘Lies’ chugs like a hovering helicopter’s blades, before switching into sonic attack mode. Complete with extra riffs. At times though it’s difficult to make out just what is being said, or should I say screamed – Vanity Draws Blood do not deal in speaking volumes. ‘Latest Fashion’ and ‘The Boatman’ demonstrate Vanity Draws Blood penchant for raucous offerings, with the slower marching tattoo of ‘The Boatman’s’ breakdown a particularly nice touch. Throw in a spoofy metal cover of ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ and it’s over. Sure it’s not perfect, and at times there is a slightly repetitive feel, but it seems that there might just be space in this crowded neighbour for Vanity Draws Blood. Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs	Devilish Presley Interview www.myspace.com/devilishpresleynovembertenthrecords If you got all Frankenstein with the late Elvis Presley and Marc Bolan and a good dash of old-school horror to hold it together, you couldn’t get much better than Devilish Presley. Since first being hit by that bolt of lightning in 2002 by Jacqui Vixen and Johnny Navro, Devilish Presley have been making a name for themselves with their gothic glam rock n horror sound. Currently the band have four albums to their name, all self-released on their own label – November Tenth Records. As 2010 draws to a close, a year that saw bassist Pete Vincent join the line-up, Devilish Presley talk albums, tours and horror... So Devilish Presley, I’m guessing it’s safe to assume you’re big fans of the King? Jacqui: We are indeed. I love most early rock & roll and one of the greatest moments of my life was getting to be a roadie for Jerry Lee Lewis at the 100 Club in December 2008 – I even got to polish the great mans piano and no that isn’t a euphemism - but yeah we all like Elvis in the band, however Johnny would argue that Marc Bolan was the King. Johnny: I wouldn’t argue, it is a statement of fact. Elvis never wrote a song, Bolan wrote all of his, a hit single every 3 months for 4 years, try it some time. They did die two weeks apart though in ‘77. This year has been quite eventful for the band in terms of line-up changes, particularly with Jacqui’s diagnosis of RSI, so how has this affected the band? Jacqui: I soldiered on for far too long with the bass after I had a bad fall and the RSI developed because of that - it was really hard for me to give up playing… I honestly think we underestimated just how much of a change it was going to be because it has affected everything we do. I was never the main vocalist in the band even though I did always sing a couple of songs in the set. When Johnny suggested that I should become the lead singer the first thing I did was to work with a vocal coach and I found a great teacher Stevie Vann who has taught people like Def Leppard & Robbie Williams. Once we decided to get Pete in on bass it all kind of fell into place again - and so far the gigs have been great. Having been a two-piece for so long, how has it been adjusting to a permanent third member? Johnny: Well we did have a drummer for one tour in 2007 which was awful and we had a drummer again at the start of 2010 which was equally awful but that is just me and drummers. However having a third member as such isn’t the problem because Pete has fitted in very well with the band, he is quite a character and is always causing chaos and confusion on the road but he makes us laugh as well. Jacqui: I think we are all still getting used to each other and it must be hard for Pete because Johnny and I have been used to doing everything by ourselves for so long. Horror themes feature quite heavily in your music – do you have a favourite fictional monster or horror character? Jacqui: Coffin Joe Johnny: The Needle Men from a book I am writing. I understand that you’re releasing your fifth album next year, what can you tell me about that? Johnny: It will be out in May 2011 and is called “The Dark Triad” which is a description of three personality traits and possibly the three band members. The songs are all really catchy as usual and I am really happy with the way we have recorded this album. It is the strongest thing we have ever done and has a really great sound because we were working with producer Kevin Poree at Berry St Studio again for the first time since the 2006 “Memphisto” album. Have things progressed a lot with this album? Is there anything really different you’d like to try and incorporate in the future? Johnny: I think the songs and arrangements are very strong and of course Jacqui’s singing is amazing on it. One thing we have done differently this time is to play a lot of the new songs live prior to the release. This album is also the first we have done without an acoustic track – and I am currently working on a solo acoustic album “The Murder Parade” but I don’t know when it will be finished. You’re currently about to start shooting a new video, is this for one of the tracks off the new album? Can you reveal any of what will be going on in it? Jacqui: Yes it’s from the new album a song called “The Beast Must Die” which is a huge glam rock style stomp about an exorcist. There will be shots of us playing live and other parts where I will be tied to a bed in stockings and a straight jacket – we are hoping to go for an old black & white grainy horror movie look with only splashes of colour and I have managed to borrow a jacket that used to belong to one of The Glitter band which was worn on Top Of The Pops in 1974 for the live parts. Johnny: To go one better, I am trying to borrow the famous Star shaped guitar the Glitter band used to use. You’ve just finished playing two very successful shows in Europe, do you get an extra buzz getting that kind of reaction from audiences outside of the UK? Jacqui: I enjoy any shows where the crowd get into it, when that happens it really doesn’t matter where you are. Johnny: Yeah I agree with that, we just love to play anywhere. People always expect a lot of rock n roll antics on tour so are there any good tour stories you’d like to share? Johnny: When I was drinking a lot more than was good for me I was always getting into scrapes, I once bet the band I could walk along some scaffolding poles in Germany and slipped onto my most sensitive area, I came home on the plane with ice packs on my balls but thank god Pete has kind of taken over that drunken crazy role now. We have had our tour van covered in sewage after a lorry nearly hit us on the motorway, we used to have a butler on tour with us called Sheridan who was addicted to drinking absinthe and it was his job to clean the van – he quit after that. We lived in a tower in Germany for two weeks that was full of Rottweiler’s – we were on the Slovakian national news for being devil worshipers (and that is on Youtube if you don’t believe me). More recently Pete was nearly arrested on the way to Whitby for pissing up a police station and in Poland Jacqui had a guy who is a dwarf keep leaping on her and trying to pull her nose off and we ended up having lots of photos taken in bed with him - fully clothed I hasten to add….just the usual stuff really. As a band you’ve shared the stage with a lot of big name acts such as The Damned, The Misfits and The Peacocks, but is there anyone you’d really love to play with? Johnny: All the people I like the most are either dead or not feeling very well….so no not that I can think of. Jacqui: I’d love to tour with The Damned & The Peacocks again ‘cos I love the Damned and I have a thing for the singer in The Peacocks, I would love to play with The Deep Eynde from the USA though ‘cos I love their music. Are you looking forward to your UK tour early next year? Will you be visiting any new places? Johnny: I always look forward to playing live, I’m not sure if we will be playing anywhere new this time ‘cos we have played so many places already. Jacqui: I would love to play in America and in Japan, not sure if that will happen anytime soon though. Finally, what can we expect from Devilish Presley in the future? No plans to close the lid on the crypt anytime soon I hope? Jacqui: Next year we want to play live as much as we can, we were off the road for most of 2010 and we are really itching to get out and play. Johnny: Close the lid, never! Like it says in one of the new songs “I Created A Monster” IT ROCKS IT NEVER STOPS!! Download The Devilish Presley Track "Trucks" as well as more music downloads here

ALBUM REVIEWS Past and Present Albums under the Spotlight! Scroll down to read through all articles or select one of the links below to jump to another section
Lifestyle	Unsigned Stage	Music	Chinwags	Features	Arts	Club Focus

Cradle Of Filth – Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
	In some ways it is always hard to review CoF albums. This is often due to their ever changing line-ups and the different influences each member brings to the band. However, one thing that never changes is the imagery Cradle create with each album. Love them or hate them, you can never dispute the true feeling of the macabre captured in each album they release and Darkly Darkly is no exception. Straight from the off is the standard Cradle operatic and instrumental opening, quickly replaced by shredding guitars and Dani’s gut wrenching vocals that have become the true signature of this band. Throughout the album the bands penchant for the dramatic and dark narrative never fail to impress and neither do their formidable musicianship. A true tour de force of what Cradle can achieve when they put their minds to it and a great step beyond some of their more mainstream sounding releases of late.
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Disturbed – Asylum
	Another solid metal affair from one of the genres most consistent performers. Saying that, in my honest opinion that is all it is, solid and consistent. To me nothing really seperates this album from many other offerings within the Disturbed back catalogue. This however, is not necessarily a bad thing if you are a disturbed fan. Once again David’s vocals are in fine form and Dan Donegan’s guitars provide a thunderous assault as you would expect from their previous offerings. The main issue I have found from this album is that in some respects it seems to have lost a little of the aggression that made many of Disturbed’s songs true classics. That does not mean the album is without its charms, with ‘Warrior’ delivering a very crowd friendly chorus that no doubt would get a lot going when heard live. All in all this is an album that is definitely suited to the true disciples of Disturbed. However if you are looking for what the band are truly about, their debut album is still the best testament to what this band have to offer.
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Parkway Drive – Deep Blue
	The newest Parkway Drive album is truly an album showing the progression and maturation of an already fine band. Parkway have always been capable of delivery some incredibly catchy guitar hooks, thunderous breakdowns and truly immense vocal displays and this album is no exception to the rule. Full of energy and exuberance but delivered with complete control and clarity, it is easy to see why this album was one of the most hotly tipped releases of the year. From their earliest release in 2004 to their last release in 2007, Parkway Drive have taken their hardcore roots and built upon them to create an almost complete listening experience that has the ability to charm even the biggest doubters of the genre into having a quick listen or even a longer one. Throughout the album the relentless pace is never dropped for long. Certain tracks, such as the stunning ‘Alone’, may start with a beautifully construct clean guitar intro but soon give way to more brutal riff work and true headbanging anthems. This is most definitely an album for every one. Listeners can easily sit back and enjoy the excellent musicianship and well crafted songs or party like an idiot with this on in the background. To sum up, face melting and beautiful all at the same time. Perfect.
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For this months album that shaped today, I wanted to take something much more extreme and a lot heavier than previous reviews, so I plumped for Heartwork by Carcass. An album that was first released through Earache Records in 1993.

After returning from a self-imposed hiatus following the 1991 album Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious. Heartwork literally exploded onto the worlds stage, the album is universally recognised as being the impetus for “melodic death metal" a sound that dominated the extreme metal underground for many years, also, the style has been referred to by some as “Grindcore” and others as “Antimusic”

:album-heartwork.jpg

What I love, is this bands ability to successfully graft melodic sounds in to the existing muscle of Carcass’ punishing sound. Check out the title track and see what you think –

Put the album on and the first track, “Buried Dreams” will hit you with one of the finest and most blistering intros in metal, listen below and try to deny this bands influence on acts like Machine Head and Children of Bodom and many other metal acts.

Next up, "Carnal Forge" is unyielding from start to finish, but keep your ear out for the melodic bits, they are intricate, with overlapping riffs that are uncompromising as they move forward

No Love Lost drops the tempo a little, almost a Goth kinda edge going on, see what you think –

Next up is the title track with it’s decelerating moments of mid-tempo guitar lead, only to shift gears into a meaty verse that suggests this band owned the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

From then on, the album rolls through a collection of genius, track listing from there on is - Embodiment, This Mortal Coil, Arbeit Macht Fleisch, Blind Bleeding the Blind, Doctrinal Expletives, Death Certificate, This Is Your Life, I’ve given you links to check out the last few tracks and I’m sure you can find a bargain copy of the album somewhere, if you like what you heard above, go pick a copy up, it’s only fair to respect this sheer genius!!

Some purists might decry its melodic breaks for soloing or nods toward conventional structure, but Heartwork is that rare album that so carefully dissects and reconstructs its original form that its additional body parts seem like they were there all along. Jeff Walker's vocals are consistent in their throat-ripping brutality throughout the record, especially on "This Is Your Life," which messes with mixing to make the track truly striking if listened to with headphones.

"Carnal Forge" and "Arbeit Macht Fleisch" are compacted, and yet there's still a sense of arrangement and melody, buried somewhere amid the carnage.

So much worth checking out!!

Although Heartwork is Carcass’s fourth album and an argument could be made to say the previous albums are more of a contender for inclusion here, but Heartwork was the album that caught the world’s attention, the moment they were discovered by the masses, so it was more the album that shaped today, it even bought to peoples’ attention some the bands previous work, never a bad thing, but also Heartwork made some changes to the bands previous work, to me, this is where they perfected their sound.

The sculpture depicted in the cover art, "Life Support 1993", was designed by H.R. Giger, (we should nudge or art writer to talk about this) and is in fact an update of a sculpture he created in the late 1960s. The video for the song "Heartwork" features a real-life interpretation of the sculpture, including a human welded as a part of it.

How much of an influence has it been on today? Well, if anyone is a fan of Evile, their frontman Matt Drake described Heartwork as "just one of the best albums ever”, in an October 2007 interview.

Are you a fan of Arch Enemy? If you are, I’m sure you knew that Michael Amott, came from Carcass.

Sum 41?? Well, Dave Baksh has Heartwork listed as one of his all time favourite albums.

Bevis and Butthead had comment –

Beavis: Whoa, check it out, it's Cousin Itt!
Butt-head: Yeah

So, this incredible line up of;-
Jeff Walker - Bass guitar, vocals
Michael Amott - Lead guitar
Bill Steer - Lead guitar, rhythm guitar
Ken Owen - Drums

Names to remember and look out for, we all owe them for changing music. In fact, still changing it, here’s a couple of examples – The Brainchild of Michael Amott

Even check out a blues based power trio called Firebird, features Bill Steer on guitar and sounds nothing like Carcass! Here’s their My Space!!

Bill Steer’s even a Dj on Total Rock Radio or chech out his direct page here

CLUB FOCUS All the latest from the UK and USA Alternative Club Scene! Scroll down to read through all articles or select one of the links below to jump to another section
Lifestyle	Unsigned Stage	Music	Chinwags	Features	Album Reviews	Arts

TURBULENT SOUNDSCAPE, PHOENIX, & SCHISM NEWS

Turbulent Soundscape (DJ Rex)

More crazy times at TS Towers!! :)

Our new tattoo store Eccentric Ink now has 2 tattooists and 2 designers, one piercer and her apprentice, plus we make damn fine coffee, would love to see you all! :) pics and good comments all over Facebook! :s

Fright Nite, the only remaining Turbulent Soundscape, all the other clubs are under the Phoenix Music Promotions flag now, the website for that is - www.phoenixmusicpromotions.co.uk the site features, a calander, videos, club news, gig info, a forum and SO much entertaining stuff!!

Fright Nite is fast approaching it’s 20th birthday!!! Some fun things as we creep our way to the Dec the 8th birthday party.

Of course, Turbulent Soundscape might have your picture in our archive section, head to www.turbulentsoundscape.com

On to our Sister company, Phoenix Music Promotions.

Phoenix Music

"and these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are
immune to your consultations they're quite aware of what they're going through”
Renegade Nation will be back, with a new and improved line up, watch the web site!!!

Opening the doors at 9.30 and running til as late as you can cope, the nite is kicking off live!!

Check out the awesome playlist link as well, the two rooms of music will now collide in a soundklash of opposing genres!!

Our other latest offering is Oblivion, firmly back in Guildford the original 3rd Tuesday each month slot went off well in October, we’re looking forward to this nite goig from strength to strength.

Our other latest offering is gaining it’s own steam, "Heresy”, a Dj free for all, the last Friday each Month in Egham, held at the Working Mens Club next to the Fire Station, CHEAP drinks and a huge space to dance, park, smoke and drink!! £2 entry and bargain bar, come along and try to take on the competition, win prizes, sets at other clubs and a place in our hall of fame!!

Other nites ahead, just keep checking the Events link on www.phoenixmusicpromotions.co.uk

And nowwww, Schism (Tom Wavre)

Depending on when you're reading this we've either just had or about to have the epic Halloween Schism on Fri 5th Nov with brand new second room, prize for best dressed, prize for best pole dancer and so much more. Either turn up Friday or check the pics out on facebook!
No matter when you're reading this you can get your New Years Eve tickets for our Schism NYE Masquerade Ball from www.clubschism.com NOW, buy 4 and get a 5th free. Tickets are also cheaper in advance than on the day.
December Schism will be 80s themed so get your hair metal outfits or neon wardrobe at the ready and rock out like it's 1982, so many more details to be revealed on facebook and the website. Join the new Schism group or the long established fan page (or both as they both give you different things)

Club Focus UK

South of Heaven – Halloween Special 29th Oct 2010

Every year the Fox and Firkin have a Halloween party, often referred to as the party of the year by its regulars. Stron horror themed with fancy dress with prizes to be won; it’s a great event to attend.

This year they have decided to celebrate the night along side the regular Metal night "South of Heaven" featuring four Metal Bands and Four dance acts. As usual with the Halloween the Fox decked out on decorations accordingly and this year is no let down.

Celestia Knight

On top of their recent Art Deco style renovation, the Fox has been completely covered in Cobwebs which although may seem a touch cliché; to this extent is just haunted obsession in its own favour. What really made me happy though were the classic Horror Movies played on the projector.

Starting with House of a Thousand Corpses, to Brain Dead, the Peter Jackson B-movie I haven't seen since before it was banned over fifteen years ago.

Well it’s not even nine o'clock and the place is already rammed!

With Metal DJs already raising heart rates, the first Act is about to go on.

Mordecai

Mordecai are a very bluesy band and I am not sure if I want to put them in the stoner genre but it feels a bit like they should be, they are definitely heavy enough but without the dark overtones from traditional metal. Two guitarists ( one who sings and fronts) who tastefully compliment each other, rather than following each other and making a thick mess I hear melodic lines following from the others rhythm. A bit of trash rock in places but slow enough and with the right groove to be blues metal. A very soulful voice, there's too many bands who throw in growls and grunts these days, I prefer good music to be complimented by good vocals. A good nice relaxed way to start the events off, bring on more.

Mordecai

Mekanizm
I have really been looking forward to seeing these guys as I have heard nothing but praise so I hope they don't disappoint. They were on the bus with us following Brutai and Silas for the Essex Bloodstock gig. Seeing them on stage I now know why as Brutai's Bass player Michael Crouchmen is playing bass for Mekanizm. All dressed in Mexican ponchos and sombreros with fake moustaches it makes me wonder what to expect especially from a band I have thought associated with Black Metal.

Mekanizm

This band are full of confidence and it is Halloween after all and everyone is dressed up and having fun. Definitely and immediately heavier and faster paced than the previous band.

A sea of moshers appear, sweeping in anyone around not dancing and encouraging them to bounce with them.

Mekanizm have really turned things up a notch and pushed the right buttons. Frontman Faust's hard staccato vocals, with long drawn growls covering over the fast guitar solos and heavy riffs. The crowd are really going for it, 3 songs in and the mosh pit is only getting bigger. I am now aware of what I have missed in the past and would very much look forward to seeing this band again. Towards the end of their set they played a cover of Machine Head's Davidian with Brutai's Felix on guest Vocals which ended this set with the feel of a party well enjoyed.

Two of Four bands in and its time for the Dance acts.

After the expend of energy from the amazing performances of Mordecai and Mekanizm, a sit back and enjoy is needed to replenish.

Bride of Bloodshed is first up, a familiar face that I have enjoyed watching here at this venue previously. Tonight the Bride is dressed as a Gothic zombie cheerleader Rah-Rahing to the Wednesday-13 track "Bad things". Dancing in and off stage interacting with the crowd and in finale, no Bride of Bloodshed act would be complete without a healthy or "Un-Healthy" dose of fake blood, covering herself and the majority of the front row watching her.

Bride of Bloodshed

To quote the Bride "If you can't find me, just look for the girl covered in the most blood".

A fantastic act which the audience loved!

Amy Morgan & Zoe G Powell kick off with a few nonsensical vocals from Amy while Zoe dances in time to an industrial soundtrack. Adorned in ripped bridal dresses showing off their feminine curves the whole act is very alluring.

Their style is almost zombie like and toward the end they are joined by a mysterious robed man in black (Shawn). Unfortunately the Dances have been a little brief but it is hardly surprising with so much on tonight.

I would like to point out at this juncture and perhaps being split between the four dance acts is quite apt. The word burlesque is modernly associated with striptease though the word burlesque is synonymous with humour.

All four of the Dance acts can be classed as burlesque but it is up to yourselves and the artists themselves whether they want to be put into that genre.

Having said that, the next act is more the American/Parisian style of burlesque, yes, meaning striptease.

Celestia Knight

Dressed in a black corset adorned with a large bow, bright red hair with tassels around her waist to match makes it fairly obvious what sort of performance we about to witness which brings a curious crowd forward, drooling with anticipation.

Celestia Knight

A tasteful gothabilly soundtrack sets a slow pace for the sensual movements and the removal of a few lower garments to reveal a stunning figure. With some tasteful fire swallowing, some teasing with undoing her corset before completely removing it to reveal heart shaped nipple tassels, it was no surprise the audience were captivated.

Her act was almost finished when the fire alarm goes off from a remaining fire stick, fortunately it didn't ruin anything or cut it short and the applause was great!

Last of the dance acts were Lucy longlegs.

Lucy Longlegs

Coming out on stage in a cut out chauffeur driven car to the backing track of ‘God Save The Queen. The car then crashes and the music changes to ‘Candle in the Wind’.

The reference here is quite clear and there are a few grunts of distaste from the audience, but most of the audience were laughing at the humour & the over the top acting.

Lucy Longlegs

Lucy is dressed in more of a white Marilyn Monroe outfit, which of course is who the song was originally written for. With cuts and bruises on her body and completed by a tiara, the music changes again and she proceeds to pull out her own Guts!

Removing her dress she then sadistically whips the still twitching chauffeur laying on the floor and finally removing her bra to show her tassel covered curves while emptying the remains of her innards from her hand bag.

Im not sure the audience knew what to make of this performance with some laughing & some clearly in shock.

Sons of Merrick were the next band on.

I have know this band for a while, although unfortunately I have not seen them play for longer than I care to admit. But just as tight as I remember, this fast paced blues metal/ stoner band impress.

Sons of Merrick

High fuelled with great catchy hooks, there is no doubt that a bigger band has a bigger sound when done tastefully, yet there is also nothing like stripping a band down to its essentials.

As a four piece band, Sons of Merrick show us just that with each member doing their own job to its fullest.

It's been a long night and although Sons of Merrick have a large a crowd the energy seems to be dwindling.Their groove driven riffs manage to keep heads bobbing and bodies swaying, let's hope everyone has enough to give for the final act.

Having spoken with quite a few people here tonight it is very apparent that Snakebite have brought a large following with them. Following suit from Mekanizm, Snakebite have also dressed up. A skeleton, a devil and fronted by a gingerbread man with phantom of the opera on drums. It is easy to see why so many people have come to watch Snakebite as they are extremely tight and offer the kind of heavy music we were once graced with by bands such as Pantera, the kind of technical music that isn't too over indulgent and that so few bands are willing to attempt. The crowd must have been saving themselves for this one as it has gotten even larger and the energy for dancing has fully returned!

Snakebite

The energy was great and the crowd were happy.

Towards the end of the night having the last band packed up people still wanted more and we happily still drinking. Fortunately the DJs are still pumping out classic Metal to fill the dance floor once again. I have heard no complaints about tonight and I believe everyone is leaving satisfied and the Fox's reputation for a kick-ass Halloween party is left in tact.

Snakebite

Until next year, I know there will be plenty more of South of Heaven nights, Burlesque and countless other entertaining events to keep us all going and we shall be there!

PHOTOS BY ALTERCARNATED PHOTOGRAPHY