THIS is pretty much a site for hard rock and metal, but as it is my site I'm taking you on a wee bit of a tangent tonight.
On 15th April, 1989 96 Liverpool fans died at Hillsborough Stadium: Justice has never been delivered for the families of the 96, and the Tory Government of the day and The Sun appeared to have conspired to maintain a tissue of lies.
Throughout the Liverpool fans at today's Carling Cup final banners were held asking all football fans, and all lovers of decency not to buy The Sun. Even Murdoch knows the ban is working. Despite the rest of the nation who have not heard about the Hillsborough story and the media lovies all welcoming his new The Sun: Sunday there were only 14,000 delivered to Merseyside.
Still the fight for Justice can go on.
Music can help the fight for Justice for the 96. On March 31st the Justice Tour comes to Belfast, Featuring Mick Jones, of The Clash, Pete Wylie of Wah and The Farm, plus guest musicians it is a set all self-respecting football fans who believe in Justice for the ordinary supporter should not miss.
For music lovers the fact that Mick Jones will be playing tracks from The Clash like Should I Stay Or Should I Go’, ‘Clampdown’, ‘Bankrobber’, ‘Armagideon Time’, and ‘London Calling’ should be enough to coinvince you.
The tour is in aid of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.
For Mick Jones this will be the first time he has toured performing Clash songs since 1982 and says:
“I’m totally honored to be part of something so meaningful and I hope that we can do some good.
"Every gig should have a reason and these shows are about getting Justice for the families, survivors and supporters of the 96 people who died at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough football ground on 15th April 1989."
The Hillsborough Justice Campaign continues to fight for justice for the victims of the disaster and for the truth to be established. Everyone volunteers their time and skills for free. As well as challenging the official version of events, the group also helps survivors of the disaster, many of whom have suffered long term psychological damage.
The HJC has operated in the face of great adversity for years and has had to utilise new technology to promote the campaign in the face of a hostile media. It is the view of the HJC that the Hillsborough Disaster and subsequent cover up is a miscarriage of justice. Human and civil rights were denied in the aftermath of the disaster. It is for this reason that the HJC is pleased to support the concerts which aim to promote the broader issue of justice in a society where rights are increasingly being eroded.
Don’t miss this very special show on Saturday 31st March at The Spring & Airbrake. Tickets £20 on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie Katy Dalys Bar & www.limelightbelfast.com
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
An EP that packs a Double-Wide punch
BACK in the land that time forgot there were wee things called LPs. These were long playing records; vinyl records, 12 inches in diameter that played on a mystical 'deck' with a needle calling forth the sweet sounds of metal. Bands also released 7 inch singles. Occassionally when they wanted to pack more in they releaseed an EP - standing for 'extended play'.
There were also rarer beasts called 'mini-albums' with more tracks than an EP and less than a full album.
When Double-Wide's latest offering landed with a heavy thud on the doormat, the postman staggering away having shed himself of the heaviness, your editor here was expecting maybe four tracks; a sampling of where the groove merchants after their 18-Wheels Of Misery offering.
Well slap my face with a wet kipper and consign my soul to the torment of heaven, but the Heavy Oil EP crams in five full tracks and a two-minute instrumental - almost 30 minutes of monstrous sounds.
With the kick of a diseased mule to the balls the trio lay down a mighty sound. Southern metal influences like Pantera are there, but this Northern Ireland act have carved out a sound, marking them out as well worth some ear-battering.
Opener Roll On sets the riff-heavy tone, before Not Broken rips up the playbook, heads go down and hair goes a-flying - yep traditional headbanging approach needed for listening to this. And lyrically it asks a few pointed questions...
Title track sticks to the Double-Wide no nonsense approach; riff-tastic!
But this mini-album is not wthout its subtelty. Seven Roads to Hell claims the prize for a slow-burning potential live classic, while the acoustic version of Dead River tears up pre-conceptions with a deft touch and a tale worth telling.
Overall this mini-album, sprry EP, lays down a template for success. It is not without its flaws, not least a mix that puts the high end, especially the cymbals too bright at the expense of the vocals. Leave that aside, crank it like your ears deserve a treat and rock along like a smackhead with two speeballs and hyperactive metal glands. Heavy Oil? Best enjoyed loud, best enjoyed with Jack Action and several beer chasers!
For this EP we took a vote here at Metal Towers, and the result of the vote...one big HELL YEAH for Double-Wide
There were also rarer beasts called 'mini-albums' with more tracks than an EP and less than a full album.
When Double-Wide's latest offering landed with a heavy thud on the doormat, the postman staggering away having shed himself of the heaviness, your editor here was expecting maybe four tracks; a sampling of where the groove merchants after their 18-Wheels Of Misery offering.
Well slap my face with a wet kipper and consign my soul to the torment of heaven, but the Heavy Oil EP crams in five full tracks and a two-minute instrumental - almost 30 minutes of monstrous sounds.
With the kick of a diseased mule to the balls the trio lay down a mighty sound. Southern metal influences like Pantera are there, but this Northern Ireland act have carved out a sound, marking them out as well worth some ear-battering.
Opener Roll On sets the riff-heavy tone, before Not Broken rips up the playbook, heads go down and hair goes a-flying - yep traditional headbanging approach needed for listening to this. And lyrically it asks a few pointed questions...
Title track sticks to the Double-Wide no nonsense approach; riff-tastic!
But this mini-album is not wthout its subtelty. Seven Roads to Hell claims the prize for a slow-burning potential live classic, while the acoustic version of Dead River tears up pre-conceptions with a deft touch and a tale worth telling.
Overall this mini-album, sprry EP, lays down a template for success. It is not without its flaws, not least a mix that puts the high end, especially the cymbals too bright at the expense of the vocals. Leave that aside, crank it like your ears deserve a treat and rock along like a smackhead with two speeballs and hyperactive metal glands. Heavy Oil? Best enjoyed loud, best enjoyed with Jack Action and several beer chasers!
For this EP we took a vote here at Metal Towers, and the result of the vote...one big HELL YEAH for Double-Wide
Saturday, February 25, 2012
I'm back and I'm angry...
I'VE been away from blogging for a wee while - loads a sh*t to do and loads that needs doing. But right now I'm one pissed off wee metal bunny.
With the good grace of Odin, more luck than Loki and the thump of Thor's fist bringing joy with each rythmicd pound I know that when my time comes to cross the Rainbow Bridge to reach Valhalla and eternal feasting, ale and metal my offspring (children that is, not the Californian surf punks) will still have the faith in Liverpool FC, American Football, hard rock and heavy metal.
Both are blessed with the ear for volume, the love of the riff and the toe tapping, head nodding, mosh loving beauty that is rock and metal.
Yet, my youngest cannot see many of the acts on stages across Norn Iron.
At 15, well he looks 15 and no amount of facial hair or fake ID will grant him access to the over 18 venues. I do not blame the promoters and licensees. I blame the ridiculous licensing laws that assume that parents will allow their sprogs to wander incoherent and unknowing through a crowd to be trampled upon and puke up.
That may be a risk associated with night clubs and mind-numbing dance shit, but when it comes to hard rock and metal...just doesn't happen.
And you may alse recall how many young people were at Maiden, Metallica et al, it. This shows they want access to metal. So why can they not also see local acts too, and international acts at smaller, more intimate venues? Why could he not see Manowar, Alestorm, Turisas, amongst a host of others.
Generally most rock and metal; loving parents are delighted that their children take an interest in their music, so why of recent are so many venues slamming their doors on a potential ticket sale bonanza.
All hail those who in the past have welcomed under 18s through their doors, from all ages shows in The Limelight to the armbands for those who want a drink at Dragonforce in the Spring and Airbrake and Mandella Hall. Indeed the Mandella has had several gigs where the ability to have under 18s present has been a success. And a salute to the likes of the Diamond with its common sense policy.
So here's a challenge. Let's see if the venues can work out a sensible approach, that allows under 18s access to the finest live rock and metal and their parents to have a sup or two.
In the meantime, at least he can see W.A.S.P. in the Ulster Hall...taking 15-year-old to see W.A.S.P. where I saw Blackie and crew twice on their 30th Anniversay tour really makes me feel angry!
With the good grace of Odin, more luck than Loki and the thump of Thor's fist bringing joy with each rythmicd pound I know that when my time comes to cross the Rainbow Bridge to reach Valhalla and eternal feasting, ale and metal my offspring (children that is, not the Californian surf punks) will still have the faith in Liverpool FC, American Football, hard rock and heavy metal.
Both are blessed with the ear for volume, the love of the riff and the toe tapping, head nodding, mosh loving beauty that is rock and metal.
Yet, my youngest cannot see many of the acts on stages across Norn Iron.
At 15, well he looks 15 and no amount of facial hair or fake ID will grant him access to the over 18 venues. I do not blame the promoters and licensees. I blame the ridiculous licensing laws that assume that parents will allow their sprogs to wander incoherent and unknowing through a crowd to be trampled upon and puke up.
That may be a risk associated with night clubs and mind-numbing dance shit, but when it comes to hard rock and metal...just doesn't happen.
And you may alse recall how many young people were at Maiden, Metallica et al, it. This shows they want access to metal. So why can they not also see local acts too, and international acts at smaller, more intimate venues? Why could he not see Manowar, Alestorm, Turisas, amongst a host of others.
Generally most rock and metal; loving parents are delighted that their children take an interest in their music, so why of recent are so many venues slamming their doors on a potential ticket sale bonanza.
All hail those who in the past have welcomed under 18s through their doors, from all ages shows in The Limelight to the armbands for those who want a drink at Dragonforce in the Spring and Airbrake and Mandella Hall. Indeed the Mandella has had several gigs where the ability to have under 18s present has been a success. And a salute to the likes of the Diamond with its common sense policy.
So here's a challenge. Let's see if the venues can work out a sensible approach, that allows under 18s access to the finest live rock and metal and their parents to have a sup or two.
In the meantime, at least he can see W.A.S.P. in the Ulster Hall...taking 15-year-old to see W.A.S.P. where I saw Blackie and crew twice on their 30th Anniversay tour really makes me feel angry!
Sunday, January 01, 2012
So that was 2011...
SO 2011 has passed in all but a blur...and the good folks at Rock Radio NI have been calling for a 2011 Review of the Year..
All of which may cause you constant reader to wonder why my posts disappeared for a few weeks. Truth is I was concentrating on a lot of things, including finally getting my short stories published as e-books (should you care to read them head over here where you can read samples on yer PC, Kindle, IPad etc etc).
But with 2012 here and Guinness in hand here's a very personal review of 2011.
It was a year that rocked!
Oh you want more, okay it really, really rocked!
More? Okay, you asked for it!
In no particular order: Stiff Little Fingers. They slayed the Ulster Hall on March 12th. In my review I applauded the guys, but bemoaned the fact that SLF regularly sold out venues, yet were ignored by the 'mainstream' in the Norn Iron media. Then, whatcha know but SLF were accorded 'Legend' status at the Northern Ireland Music Awards in November.
At the awards I couldn't help despair at the below average shallow shoe gazing wannabes being promoted. SLF gave a 22 minute set that blew the hell off these young pretenders, while Duff McKagan was warming up the Spring and Airbrake with proof that you can't buy greatness no matter how many times you're plugged on radio.
Of course, throughout the year I ranted away on various issues associated with rock and metal...you kept on emailing for me to rant more, but even I get fed up with giving off about the vacuous state of the wankers who populate the reality TV schtick circus; however, seeing the MTV awards come to Belfast and Rhianna manufacturing controversy I just gave up...but I do still believe that if you watch X-Factor and have an IQ above 75 you should hang your head in shame!
Of course 2011 was a year when true greatness graced the Odyssey: Iron Maiden proved that there is no finer spectacle than heavy metal at its mightiest.
Even the band that once declaimed the shoddiness of 'False Metal' eventually got back to Belfast after two decades when Manowar produced an almost immaculate set in the Mandella Hall.
With so much metal, it was also a real delight to see Bristolian old guard thrashers Onslaught not only produce a peerless set, but turn out to be such knowledgeable guys and really nice bunch when I interviewed them.
That interview opp came my way by way of Rock Radio NI, and it deserves much kudos for its continuing growth and success.
It was also a year that saw many greats leave us: perhaps the one that resonated beyond rock's cliques to the mainstream was the passing of Gary Moore. In mourning his death, perhaps it should have been time to acknowledge the truly magnificent output from this island in terms rock and metal.
2011 saw many awesome releasesm, with Machine Head, etc etc all churning out great metal records, but there was not one to match the surprise and return to form of Anthrax. Worship Music? Indeed we do!
As a wee side track here, and given Anthrax's songs about zombies, search out "Aye, Dead On" on youtube or here on this blog for a wee giggle about Norn Iron metallers meeting the living dead...
It was also a year that saw some releases that surprised even jaded old me. Having become discenchanted by the UK and Ireland's grindcore and black metal output I was surprised by the releases of Zombifed, Neuroma amongst others. Not for the faint hearted, or those seeking uplifting tunes, still I got it.
And in an output one step removed from that, with a dark vision, Honey for Christ released "Cruelty of Great Expectations" a rather fine dark vision of the inner soul.
And what vision was it that saw Norn Iron produce such great hard rock in 2011. We saw The Answer return with a stonkingly wonderful new platter, and so many, many others issue great CDS, demos and gigs.
There are quite literally too many to mention, but kudos and congrats go to Last Known Addiction. While they're line up has been changed slightly (Hi Matt!) the album was a solid start, and Fight one of the best acoustic tracks released in the noughties.
2011 also saw the continuing rise of Trucker Diablo! As I sit here waffling at 01.45 on the first day of 2012 I glance towards the Guinness and think..."Drink Beer, Destroy"
Happy New Year to all my readers, friends, collaborators in rock and mates in metal. Keep 'er lit, keep 'er loud!
All of which may cause you constant reader to wonder why my posts disappeared for a few weeks. Truth is I was concentrating on a lot of things, including finally getting my short stories published as e-books (should you care to read them head over here where you can read samples on yer PC, Kindle, IPad etc etc).
But with 2012 here and Guinness in hand here's a very personal review of 2011.
It was a year that rocked!
Oh you want more, okay it really, really rocked!
More? Okay, you asked for it!
In no particular order: Stiff Little Fingers. They slayed the Ulster Hall on March 12th. In my review I applauded the guys, but bemoaned the fact that SLF regularly sold out venues, yet were ignored by the 'mainstream' in the Norn Iron media. Then, whatcha know but SLF were accorded 'Legend' status at the Northern Ireland Music Awards in November.
At the awards I couldn't help despair at the below average shallow shoe gazing wannabes being promoted. SLF gave a 22 minute set that blew the hell off these young pretenders, while Duff McKagan was warming up the Spring and Airbrake with proof that you can't buy greatness no matter how many times you're plugged on radio.
Of course, throughout the year I ranted away on various issues associated with rock and metal...you kept on emailing for me to rant more, but even I get fed up with giving off about the vacuous state of the wankers who populate the reality TV schtick circus; however, seeing the MTV awards come to Belfast and Rhianna manufacturing controversy I just gave up...but I do still believe that if you watch X-Factor and have an IQ above 75 you should hang your head in shame!
Of course 2011 was a year when true greatness graced the Odyssey: Iron Maiden proved that there is no finer spectacle than heavy metal at its mightiest.
Even the band that once declaimed the shoddiness of 'False Metal' eventually got back to Belfast after two decades when Manowar produced an almost immaculate set in the Mandella Hall.
With so much metal, it was also a real delight to see Bristolian old guard thrashers Onslaught not only produce a peerless set, but turn out to be such knowledgeable guys and really nice bunch when I interviewed them.
That interview opp came my way by way of Rock Radio NI, and it deserves much kudos for its continuing growth and success.
It was also a year that saw many greats leave us: perhaps the one that resonated beyond rock's cliques to the mainstream was the passing of Gary Moore. In mourning his death, perhaps it should have been time to acknowledge the truly magnificent output from this island in terms rock and metal.
2011 saw many awesome releasesm, with Machine Head, etc etc all churning out great metal records, but there was not one to match the surprise and return to form of Anthrax. Worship Music? Indeed we do!
As a wee side track here, and given Anthrax's songs about zombies, search out "Aye, Dead On" on youtube or here on this blog for a wee giggle about Norn Iron metallers meeting the living dead...
It was also a year that saw some releases that surprised even jaded old me. Having become discenchanted by the UK and Ireland's grindcore and black metal output I was surprised by the releases of Zombifed, Neuroma amongst others. Not for the faint hearted, or those seeking uplifting tunes, still I got it.
And in an output one step removed from that, with a dark vision, Honey for Christ released "Cruelty of Great Expectations" a rather fine dark vision of the inner soul.
And what vision was it that saw Norn Iron produce such great hard rock in 2011. We saw The Answer return with a stonkingly wonderful new platter, and so many, many others issue great CDS, demos and gigs.
There are quite literally too many to mention, but kudos and congrats go to Last Known Addiction. While they're line up has been changed slightly (Hi Matt!) the album was a solid start, and Fight one of the best acoustic tracks released in the noughties.
2011 also saw the continuing rise of Trucker Diablo! As I sit here waffling at 01.45 on the first day of 2012 I glance towards the Guinness and think..."Drink Beer, Destroy"
Happy New Year to all my readers, friends, collaborators in rock and mates in metal. Keep 'er lit, keep 'er loud!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Dimmu Borgir competition winners
CONGRATULATIONS to Coleen and Stephen who each won a pair of tickets to "An Evening With Dimmu Borgir" at the Spring and Airbrake on November 28th, courtesy of those kind folks at CDC Leisure.
Thanks to everyone who entered: as always surprised how many devoted lovers of diverse heavy music there are out there...but there's no excuse for the rest of ya to shell out to see the dark evening with Dimmu!
Thanks to everyone who entered: as always surprised how many devoted lovers of diverse heavy music there are out there...but there's no excuse for the rest of ya to shell out to see the dark evening with Dimmu!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
So who are Dimmu Borgir
AFTER posting a little about Dimmu Borgir's upcoming show, and the ticket competition, some of the less dark hearted readers contacted me to learn a little about Borgir.
One could have wittered on endlessly on where Borgir fit into the labyrinthine panoply of black metal, how their symphonic metal has grown in complexity and dexterity, but instead it is easier to copy the blurb about the band...
While you read this, just a reminder that the competition for tickets is still running for their November 28th Spring and Airbrake show. All you need to do to one of two sets of double tickets is answer this question: Name the Borgir concept album about a bishop's apprentice who ends up coming to the dark side? Email your answer here (clue read the blurb if you're not sure).
For those of more hard rock rather than black metal leanings check out the side project Chrome Division...
And here's the blurb:
Founded in 1993 by Shagrath, Silenoz, and Tjodalv and named after unusually shaped lava fields and rock formations east of Lake Mývatn in Iceland, Norway’s DIMMU BORGIR made their debut into the underground metal scene via unofficial rehearsal cassette tapes in 1993. Inspired by incarnations of black metal from the ‘80s and ‘90s and inspired by the works of classical composers such as Wagner and Dvořák, the band’s music was resplendent in its raw & melodic vocals, somber guitar work, destructive drums, and haunting keyboard melodies. Less than a year later, the band recorded their full-length debut, For All Tid, to wild acclaim. While the band’s reputation gained momentum throughout Scandinavia and the rest of the tape-trading underground world, DIMMU BORGIR focused their energies on recording what would become one of the most essential albums in black metal history, Stormblåst. While sung completely in Norwegian, it catapulted them out of Europe and into international waters. Displaying a marked escalation in their time signatures, DIMMU BORGIR made significant headway in developing a classically influenced sound that would become their intrinsic, defining blueprint.
Following Stormblåst, DIMMU BORGIR recorded their first material featuring English lyrics for the 1996 mini-CD entitled Devil’s Path, which later got them signed to the independent record label Nuclear Blast. Their third full-length album (now considered an all-time classic), Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, was recorded with living legend Peter Tägtgren at the helm in Abyss Studios. After its release, it marked the band’s significant international breakthrough with over 150,000 copies sold and chart entries all over the world. This breakthrough year also included performances at some of the most esteemed European summer gatherings such as Holland’s Dynamo, Germany’s With Full Force and Wacken Open Air festivals, among others.
After their world tour for Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, DIMMU BORGIR went straight back into the Abyss Studios and recorded the Godless Savage Garden mini-CD, which earned them their first Spellemannprisen award nomination (the Norwegian equivalent to the American Grammy award). Fans around the world curiously waited to see what direction the next full-length, Spiritual Black Dimensions, would take. Once again recorded at Abyss Studios with Peter Tägtgren, the album stormed into music stores around the world in 1999 and single-handedly transformed the market for black metal. Those who ever doubted DIMMU BORGIR’s allegiance to extreme music were forced to face reality when the album proved to be their most complex and severe offering.
Sun Tzu said:
“He who occupies the field of battle first and awaits his enemy is at ease;
he who comes later to the scene and rushes into the fight is weary.”
After Tjodalv resigned from the drum throne in the early stages of their 1999 tour, DIMMU ‘s line-up shifted. The sextet entered Sweden’s Fredman Studio in the fall of 2000 with Fredrik Nordström to record eleven tracks of audible malevolence and exceptional atmospherics which was baptized Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Released in 2001, Puritanical expanded DIMMU’s audience even more, earning them their first Spellemanprisen award and setting the stage for 2003’s mammoth Death Cult Armageddon, which debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, #10 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and at #170 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. Death Cult Armageddon – which earned the band another Spellemanprisen award in 2003 – went on to sell over 130,000 records in North America alone. Parts of the orchestral versions of the songs “Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse” and “Eradication Instincts Defined” were selected for use in the movie trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy. Later, parts from the same tracks could also be heard in the trailer for the movie Stardust starring Robert De Niro. In 2004, DIMMU landed a coveted spot on Ozzfest’s Main Stage with Slayer, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath in addition to later being showcased in the MTV reality series “Battle For Ozzfest.”
After re-recording Stormblåst in 2005 with Peter Tägtgren and session drummer Hellhammer, the latter stayed on to record 2007’s In Sorte Diaboli, DIMMU’s first concept album about a bishop’s apprentice searching his true self who – instead of finding the meaning of life through the religion – abandons his religious life in favor of darkness and its endless realm. Recorded with Fredrik Nordström and Patrik J. Sten at Sweden’s (in)famous Studio Fredman, In Sorte Diaboli debuted at #1 on the Norwegian album chart and clinched DIMMU BORGIR their first #1 album and their first Gold Record in Norway. The album sold over 75,000 copies in the U.S. and debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart and at #43 on the Top 200 Albums chart. Yet again, the band took home another Spellemannprisen award, this time in the video category. DIMMU hit the road hard in support of In Sorte and performed at Nuclear Blast’s 20th Anniversary Party in Stuttgart, at Germany’s Rock Am Ring & Rock Im Park festivals, filmed their headlining Wacken Open Air performance, toured Europe with Amon Amarth, toured North America with Devildriver, Behemoth & Keep Of Kalessin, and even appeared at the New England Hardcore & Metal Festival. In 2008, DIMMU’s three-disc The Invaluable Darkness DVD (which included 2007’s live footage at Wacken) entered Norway’s Music DVD chart at #1 and debuted at #5 in the U.S. on the Top Music Videos chart while the band was on tour in North America with Danzig on the “Blackest Of The Black” tour. They also appeared on the television show “The Daily Habit” on Fuel TV – the American extreme sports lifestyle network with over 50 million worldwide viewers. In 2009, DIMMU played Nova Rock – Austria’s largest music festival, Terminal Press debuted the fantasy horror comic book “DIMMU BORGIR: Dark Fortress” at ComiCon in San Diego, and “Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse” was selected for inclusion in the action-adventure video game soundtrack, Brütal Legend.
Sun Tzu said: “Therefore, when I have won a victory, I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways.”
In June of this year, DIMMU BORGIR proudly announced that over 101 musicians contributed their talents to the making of the new album, including Norwegian composer and Berklee College of Music summa cum laude alumnus Gaute Storaas, the 51 members of KORK (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and the 38-member Schola Cantorum Choir. Eleven months in the making, the band broke their three-word title tradition for the second time since 1996 to name their ninth studio album ABRAHADABRA, which roughly translates into “I will create as I speak.” The word first entered the human lexicon in 1904 via Chapter III of Liber AL vel Legis (commonly referred to as The Book of the Law) written by English occultist and mystic Aleister Crowley during his time in Cairo, Egypt.
Set in the post-apocalyptic landscapes of German artist / painter / graphic designer Joachim Luetke, the album cover’s face with tentacles harkens back to H.P. Lovecraft’s nameless elder gods and “personifies dominion of powers far beyond mankind,” according to the artist. “These nameless gods witnessed the birth of our universe and they’ll watch it implode. To them, the age of mankind is but a blink of an eye.”
A return to the famed raw ferocity of 1997′s Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, ABRAHADABRA is, according to North America’s Decibel Magazine, “Norway’s answer to The Omen.” Metallian Magazine from France predicts: “It will become a milestone of the genre. It is impossible not to be amazed.” Inferno Magazine decrees: “Majestic, evil, and pompous, ABRAHADABRA is everything that makes DIMMU BORGIR the elite of the pack.”
An inundation of power, a showcase of incessant skill, and above all, an intelligent manifesto of a highly intact creative force, ABRAHADABRA demonstrates every reason why Norway’s DIMMU BORGIR is – and unquestionably remains – the most prominent symphonic black metal act in the world.
One could have wittered on endlessly on where Borgir fit into the labyrinthine panoply of black metal, how their symphonic metal has grown in complexity and dexterity, but instead it is easier to copy the blurb about the band...
While you read this, just a reminder that the competition for tickets is still running for their November 28th Spring and Airbrake show. All you need to do to one of two sets of double tickets is answer this question: Name the Borgir concept album about a bishop's apprentice who ends up coming to the dark side? Email your answer here (clue read the blurb if you're not sure).
For those of more hard rock rather than black metal leanings check out the side project Chrome Division...
And here's the blurb:
Founded in 1993 by Shagrath, Silenoz, and Tjodalv and named after unusually shaped lava fields and rock formations east of Lake Mývatn in Iceland, Norway’s DIMMU BORGIR made their debut into the underground metal scene via unofficial rehearsal cassette tapes in 1993. Inspired by incarnations of black metal from the ‘80s and ‘90s and inspired by the works of classical composers such as Wagner and Dvořák, the band’s music was resplendent in its raw & melodic vocals, somber guitar work, destructive drums, and haunting keyboard melodies. Less than a year later, the band recorded their full-length debut, For All Tid, to wild acclaim. While the band’s reputation gained momentum throughout Scandinavia and the rest of the tape-trading underground world, DIMMU BORGIR focused their energies on recording what would become one of the most essential albums in black metal history, Stormblåst. While sung completely in Norwegian, it catapulted them out of Europe and into international waters. Displaying a marked escalation in their time signatures, DIMMU BORGIR made significant headway in developing a classically influenced sound that would become their intrinsic, defining blueprint.
Following Stormblåst, DIMMU BORGIR recorded their first material featuring English lyrics for the 1996 mini-CD entitled Devil’s Path, which later got them signed to the independent record label Nuclear Blast. Their third full-length album (now considered an all-time classic), Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, was recorded with living legend Peter Tägtgren at the helm in Abyss Studios. After its release, it marked the band’s significant international breakthrough with over 150,000 copies sold and chart entries all over the world. This breakthrough year also included performances at some of the most esteemed European summer gatherings such as Holland’s Dynamo, Germany’s With Full Force and Wacken Open Air festivals, among others.
After their world tour for Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, DIMMU BORGIR went straight back into the Abyss Studios and recorded the Godless Savage Garden mini-CD, which earned them their first Spellemannprisen award nomination (the Norwegian equivalent to the American Grammy award). Fans around the world curiously waited to see what direction the next full-length, Spiritual Black Dimensions, would take. Once again recorded at Abyss Studios with Peter Tägtgren, the album stormed into music stores around the world in 1999 and single-handedly transformed the market for black metal. Those who ever doubted DIMMU BORGIR’s allegiance to extreme music were forced to face reality when the album proved to be their most complex and severe offering.
Sun Tzu said:
“He who occupies the field of battle first and awaits his enemy is at ease;
he who comes later to the scene and rushes into the fight is weary.”
After Tjodalv resigned from the drum throne in the early stages of their 1999 tour, DIMMU ‘s line-up shifted. The sextet entered Sweden’s Fredman Studio in the fall of 2000 with Fredrik Nordström to record eleven tracks of audible malevolence and exceptional atmospherics which was baptized Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Released in 2001, Puritanical expanded DIMMU’s audience even more, earning them their first Spellemanprisen award and setting the stage for 2003’s mammoth Death Cult Armageddon, which debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, #10 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and at #170 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. Death Cult Armageddon – which earned the band another Spellemanprisen award in 2003 – went on to sell over 130,000 records in North America alone. Parts of the orchestral versions of the songs “Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse” and “Eradication Instincts Defined” were selected for use in the movie trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy. Later, parts from the same tracks could also be heard in the trailer for the movie Stardust starring Robert De Niro. In 2004, DIMMU landed a coveted spot on Ozzfest’s Main Stage with Slayer, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath in addition to later being showcased in the MTV reality series “Battle For Ozzfest.”
After re-recording Stormblåst in 2005 with Peter Tägtgren and session drummer Hellhammer, the latter stayed on to record 2007’s In Sorte Diaboli, DIMMU’s first concept album about a bishop’s apprentice searching his true self who – instead of finding the meaning of life through the religion – abandons his religious life in favor of darkness and its endless realm. Recorded with Fredrik Nordström and Patrik J. Sten at Sweden’s (in)famous Studio Fredman, In Sorte Diaboli debuted at #1 on the Norwegian album chart and clinched DIMMU BORGIR their first #1 album and their first Gold Record in Norway. The album sold over 75,000 copies in the U.S. and debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart and at #43 on the Top 200 Albums chart. Yet again, the band took home another Spellemannprisen award, this time in the video category. DIMMU hit the road hard in support of In Sorte and performed at Nuclear Blast’s 20th Anniversary Party in Stuttgart, at Germany’s Rock Am Ring & Rock Im Park festivals, filmed their headlining Wacken Open Air performance, toured Europe with Amon Amarth, toured North America with Devildriver, Behemoth & Keep Of Kalessin, and even appeared at the New England Hardcore & Metal Festival. In 2008, DIMMU’s three-disc The Invaluable Darkness DVD (which included 2007’s live footage at Wacken) entered Norway’s Music DVD chart at #1 and debuted at #5 in the U.S. on the Top Music Videos chart while the band was on tour in North America with Danzig on the “Blackest Of The Black” tour. They also appeared on the television show “The Daily Habit” on Fuel TV – the American extreme sports lifestyle network with over 50 million worldwide viewers. In 2009, DIMMU played Nova Rock – Austria’s largest music festival, Terminal Press debuted the fantasy horror comic book “DIMMU BORGIR: Dark Fortress” at ComiCon in San Diego, and “Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse” was selected for inclusion in the action-adventure video game soundtrack, Brütal Legend.
Sun Tzu said: “Therefore, when I have won a victory, I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways.”
In June of this year, DIMMU BORGIR proudly announced that over 101 musicians contributed their talents to the making of the new album, including Norwegian composer and Berklee College of Music summa cum laude alumnus Gaute Storaas, the 51 members of KORK (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and the 38-member Schola Cantorum Choir. Eleven months in the making, the band broke their three-word title tradition for the second time since 1996 to name their ninth studio album ABRAHADABRA, which roughly translates into “I will create as I speak.” The word first entered the human lexicon in 1904 via Chapter III of Liber AL vel Legis (commonly referred to as The Book of the Law) written by English occultist and mystic Aleister Crowley during his time in Cairo, Egypt.
Set in the post-apocalyptic landscapes of German artist / painter / graphic designer Joachim Luetke, the album cover’s face with tentacles harkens back to H.P. Lovecraft’s nameless elder gods and “personifies dominion of powers far beyond mankind,” according to the artist. “These nameless gods witnessed the birth of our universe and they’ll watch it implode. To them, the age of mankind is but a blink of an eye.”
A return to the famed raw ferocity of 1997′s Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, ABRAHADABRA is, according to North America’s Decibel Magazine, “Norway’s answer to The Omen.” Metallian Magazine from France predicts: “It will become a milestone of the genre. It is impossible not to be amazed.” Inferno Magazine decrees: “Majestic, evil, and pompous, ABRAHADABRA is everything that makes DIMMU BORGIR the elite of the pack.”
An inundation of power, a showcase of incessant skill, and above all, an intelligent manifesto of a highly intact creative force, ABRAHADABRA demonstrates every reason why Norway’s DIMMU BORGIR is – and unquestionably remains – the most prominent symphonic black metal act in the world.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Born to live forevermore...
THERE can be no doubting that when the sneering, shoe gazing numpties who scorn heavy metal conjure up a clichéd image, that of Manowar must spring to their minds; partially clad, long hair, indulgent soloing and lyrical nonsense about fighting and mythical battles.
But those self-same numpties would have had their skulls shaken by the volume when Manowar played the Mandeall Hall last week, and their brains fried by a level of musicianship few can attain. What is more, despite the sheer aural assault, the clear mix would have left them gaping in awe.
Sure even the most staunch metal fan can have reservations about Manowar, seeing as they disappeared into the Teutonic wilderness with much ranting about Norse legends. But on this tour Manowar are back to what they do best - delivering metal with a hammer blow.
Appropriately the anniversary of their début album saw almost the entirety of that platter delivered with aplomb. The first run through of the titula Manowar seemed a little strained in places, perhaps a band wearied on the last night of their tour. But thereafter they hit their stride, with Fast Taker, Shell Shock and Dark Avenger showing that Manowar are not one dimensional.
Sure the solos were a bit over the top (an eight string bass with a whammy bar!) and Eric Adams kept nipping off the stage (for oxygen, water, beer or to entertain a Scandanavian wench?) but overall it is hard to fault the overall performance.
Cocksure they may be, but Manowar don't deal with the fluff and flattery; the nasty whiff of misogyny may pervade some of Joey De Maio's gestures to female fans, but Manowar were unrepentant in their singular quest to play heavy metal "loud as it can be".
After the Battle Hymn outing the set veered throughout their later outings, with Hail and Kill notable. It was on the Fighting the World tour that Joey and company last played Belfast.
After awarding a metal ambassador from....Donaghadee, Manowar ended with a full on blitz and Black Wind, Fire and Steel ending in a cacopohny of feedback and blasts as De Maio ripped strings off his bass and Adams proving his pipes would blast Bieber off his feet and into a coma.
Manowar are to some an anachronism, but a loud and proud anachronism. It is worth, for a moment putting them in their place in metal history. When they kicked off their lengthy career they were unapologetic opponents of a hair metal scene that had mediocrity amidst a few shining stars. They were seen as retrograde classic metallers as thrash injected speed and fury into the music. But they have never faltered from their belief that they are the best at what they do, and few can argue with that. They have out lived many of their contemporaries, and one hopes that they keep their promise to return, this time hopefully with a more stirring number of tickets shifted.
Born to live forevermore? Just ask one new devotee I stumbled across as his jaw gaped...damn right Manowar are!
But those self-same numpties would have had their skulls shaken by the volume when Manowar played the Mandeall Hall last week, and their brains fried by a level of musicianship few can attain. What is more, despite the sheer aural assault, the clear mix would have left them gaping in awe.
Sure even the most staunch metal fan can have reservations about Manowar, seeing as they disappeared into the Teutonic wilderness with much ranting about Norse legends. But on this tour Manowar are back to what they do best - delivering metal with a hammer blow.
Appropriately the anniversary of their début album saw almost the entirety of that platter delivered with aplomb. The first run through of the titula Manowar seemed a little strained in places, perhaps a band wearied on the last night of their tour. But thereafter they hit their stride, with Fast Taker, Shell Shock and Dark Avenger showing that Manowar are not one dimensional.
Sure the solos were a bit over the top (an eight string bass with a whammy bar!) and Eric Adams kept nipping off the stage (for oxygen, water, beer or to entertain a Scandanavian wench?) but overall it is hard to fault the overall performance.
Cocksure they may be, but Manowar don't deal with the fluff and flattery; the nasty whiff of misogyny may pervade some of Joey De Maio's gestures to female fans, but Manowar were unrepentant in their singular quest to play heavy metal "loud as it can be".
After the Battle Hymn outing the set veered throughout their later outings, with Hail and Kill notable. It was on the Fighting the World tour that Joey and company last played Belfast.
After awarding a metal ambassador from....Donaghadee, Manowar ended with a full on blitz and Black Wind, Fire and Steel ending in a cacopohny of feedback and blasts as De Maio ripped strings off his bass and Adams proving his pipes would blast Bieber off his feet and into a coma.
Manowar are to some an anachronism, but a loud and proud anachronism. It is worth, for a moment putting them in their place in metal history. When they kicked off their lengthy career they were unapologetic opponents of a hair metal scene that had mediocrity amidst a few shining stars. They were seen as retrograde classic metallers as thrash injected speed and fury into the music. But they have never faltered from their belief that they are the best at what they do, and few can argue with that. They have out lived many of their contemporaries, and one hopes that they keep their promise to return, this time hopefully with a more stirring number of tickets shifted.
Born to live forevermore? Just ask one new devotee I stumbled across as his jaw gaped...damn right Manowar are!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Belfast Rocks...well we know it does!
BEFORE the balls that was the MTV EMA mime-fest Belfast Music Week laid on a Friday evening event in the Ulster Hall entitled Belfast Rocks.
Well readers of this page sort of knew that anyway...But it is also worth pointing out that Belfast does indeed rock to the sound and fury of hard rock and heavy metal every week. However, that would be just crass to mention that. Ooops just did!
And, credit where credit is due, Belfast City Council put their money behind the Belfast Music Week, and not just the MTV shenanigans. And for Belfast Rocks night they brought together a line up that showed the diverse offerings that Norn Iron can offer.
Opening were La Faro with ther rumbunctious punk sounding metal, warming up for the main attractions.
Therapy?'s set was greeted with enthusiasm, more than matched by the verve, dark humour and spiky authoritian domination of the stage by the County Antrim trio. If Therapy? sometimes deliver a soundscape for the apocalypse then only in this country will we be laughing all the way to annihilation.
As the show was being recorded for the BBC Mr Andy Cairns decided not to use sweary words on stage...better to get the audience to shout out the sweary words.
The Answer gave a tight set, airing equally what are by now old standards with new material from Revivial: even going so far as to play Piece by Piece from the bonus disc, but as it was on various cover mounts they get a by-ball in that one.
So what did we learn from the Belfast Rocks night? La Faro are a prospect for the future once they hone their sound and identity; Therapy? are still the nasty thorn in the side of smiley types with laughs amid the darkness; and The Answer are the standard bearers for a wave of Norn Iron hard rockers...well that's satisfying enough!
Now Belfast City Council, congrats for your work on Belfast Music Week, and let's see a lot more rock and metal next year!
Well readers of this page sort of knew that anyway...But it is also worth pointing out that Belfast does indeed rock to the sound and fury of hard rock and heavy metal every week. However, that would be just crass to mention that. Ooops just did!
And, credit where credit is due, Belfast City Council put their money behind the Belfast Music Week, and not just the MTV shenanigans. And for Belfast Rocks night they brought together a line up that showed the diverse offerings that Norn Iron can offer.
Opening were La Faro with ther rumbunctious punk sounding metal, warming up for the main attractions.
Therapy?'s set was greeted with enthusiasm, more than matched by the verve, dark humour and spiky authoritian domination of the stage by the County Antrim trio. If Therapy? sometimes deliver a soundscape for the apocalypse then only in this country will we be laughing all the way to annihilation.
The Answer gave a tight set, airing equally what are by now old standards with new material from Revivial: even going so far as to play Piece by Piece from the bonus disc, but as it was on various cover mounts they get a by-ball in that one.
So what did we learn from the Belfast Rocks night? La Faro are a prospect for the future once they hone their sound and identity; Therapy? are still the nasty thorn in the side of smiley types with laughs amid the darkness; and The Answer are the standard bearers for a wave of Norn Iron hard rockers...well that's satisfying enough!
Dimmu Borgir ticket competition
THIS one is for those with the blackest of hearts....yep your chance, thanks to the good folks at CDC Leisure to win tickets to see the kings of symphonic black metal Dimmu Borgir at the Spring and Airbrake on November 28th.
"An evening with Dimmu Borgir" will see Borgir play their classic album Enthrone Darkness Triumphant in its entirity after a fan vote, followed by a selection from their back catalogue.
All you need to do to one of two sets of double tickets is answer this question: Name the Borgir concept album about a bishop's apprentice who ends up coming to the dark side? Email your answer here and sit back and wait.
Competition closes on midnight the 20th November.
"An evening with Dimmu Borgir" will see Borgir play their classic album Enthrone Darkness Triumphant in its entirity after a fan vote, followed by a selection from their back catalogue.Competition closes on midnight the 20th November.
Friday, November 04, 2011
Is it just me...
STIFF Little Fingers received the Northern Ireland Music Awards (NIMA) ‘Legends’ award at the biggest event yet on Wednesday 2nd November, and proceeded to show the young whippersnappers just how a proper band delivers a live performance.
Attending the Northern Ireland Music Awards was a mixed blessing – the chance to see SLF again being uppermost. But while one must accord congratulations to AU, Oh Yeah and Belfast City Council for organising the event, I was left feeling very much confused for what the mainstream passes off for music. Is it just me? Am I getting too old? But all bar And So I Watched You From Afar left me cold, and for large parts bored.
General Fiasco are an obvious favourite amongst the many teenagers and twentysomethings in the crowd, but even my son was bored by what was a performance that seemed to me to lack depth. Wearing ties and looking like they had just come out of a prep school party.
As for Cashier No. 9...well it was difficult to tell whether they were Byrds wannabes, or some sort of take on reviving the eclecticism of the 60s and 80s. Dogged by technical problems (errr guys even if everything goes down sing something! Or rehearse properly with your gear!) they left in a huff after two songs.
Salvation was at hand however. Having no real live experience of And So I Watch You From Afar it was a delight to have an edgy, over the top instrumental wall of guitars, bass and drums: the bastard child of alt rock and Mastodon, there was something electric on stage. And for a change it was no faux angst. Tony announced he was leaving ASIWYFA before diving into the crowd. Due adulation, ecstatic scenes among the appreciative and the thrown down guitar... One cannot tell what the future is for ASIWYFA and Tony, but well worth tracking it down.
Radio Ulster’s Rigsy and Emma Fitzpatrick of Citybeat did an admirable job as hosting the event, but special mention must go to Stuart Bailie for organising it, and for Belfast City Council for being so open to Northern Ireland music for being among the backers (can’t figure out the Invest Northern Ireland link, but hey perhaps local bands should be applying for a special rock grant!).
BBC Northern Ireland’s Mike Edgar gave a glowing accolade to SLF, complete with a video charting their history (and some fashion mistakes). But what can you really say. Off stage they could be a group of middle aged men gathered round for a natter and wee bit of craic. But onstage there is a fire and an intensity that few can match even when they are only there for a 20-minute blast through.
Suspect Device, Strummerville, Wasted Life - all delivered like the fury of the late 70s and early 80s was still burning in Jake Burns heart. And with a new – long-awaited album follow-up to Guitar and Drum promised one can only see the Stiffs go from strength to strength.
This is beginning to read like a GCSE attempt at a review rather than a serious journalistic analysis, but what the hell:
With the final chords of Alternative Ulster echoing it was a quick dash to the Spring and Airbrake, thanks to the kind folks at CDC Leisure, to catch the last half of Duff McKagan’s Loaded. Laconic, every bit the Californian superstar punk, heavy rock icon, Duff’s set was almost like he was the resident act for the venue. Chatting to the front row as if with old friends.
But make no mistake about it; this is not a man on nostalgia trip. Yes the Gunner’s It’s So Easy was punched out to the crowd’s delight, while Attitude summed up a lot about the man. The acoustic version of Wasted Heart, however, showed that this is a man and a band prepared to see what comes next rather than resting on past glories.
So, why in the world did it take so long for SLF to be accorded Legends status? Why was the Spring and Airbrake not rammed to the rafters for Duff? And why was local hard rock and metal talent not received accolades and awards in the Ulster Hall? Trucker Diablo, Last Known Addiction, Million Dollar Reload, Worldsend etc etc etc may have small flaws each, but those flaws are tiny, minuscule compared to the flawed fashionable ones.
I posit two reasons: first, fashions fickle fingers swaying from the arms of the playlists of BBC, (un)Cool FM and Citybeat and the pages of AU. The second one is related, but all the more serious: airplay.
The rock and metal scene exists despite being blacklisted from the radio stations and print media. With the right airplay on mainstream stations I have no doubt that hard rock venues and album sales would enjoy a resurgence. Mime-along acts enjoy their allotted scandal rag half hour of fame and sell-out the Odyssey for their pre-pubescent fantasist girls and their mums, but the conversion of the 12,000+ that went to Iron Maiden and Metallica in the Odyssey from weekend rockers to regular attendees for local acts is but an airplay step away. One can but dream that next year’s Northern Ireland Music Awards will offer due recognition to hard rock and metal acts, and SLF get another Legends award, to paraphrase a certain cosmetic advertisement: Because They’re Worth It!
Later that same evening I had the privilege, together with my son, to see another legend in the shape of ex-Guns ‘n’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan deliver another solid, stonking set at the Spring and Airbrake with his current touring outfit Loaded. These two legends are worthy of the status in a world where hyperbole is the norm and every numptie who can play two or three chords is given a wow factor.
Attending the Northern Ireland Music Awards was a mixed blessing – the chance to see SLF again being uppermost. But while one must accord congratulations to AU, Oh Yeah and Belfast City Council for organising the event, I was left feeling very much confused for what the mainstream passes off for music. Is it just me? Am I getting too old? But all bar And So I Watched You From Afar left me cold, and for large parts bored.
General Fiasco are an obvious favourite amongst the many teenagers and twentysomethings in the crowd, but even my son was bored by what was a performance that seemed to me to lack depth. Wearing ties and looking like they had just come out of a prep school party.
As for Cashier No. 9...well it was difficult to tell whether they were Byrds wannabes, or some sort of take on reviving the eclecticism of the 60s and 80s. Dogged by technical problems (errr guys even if everything goes down sing something! Or rehearse properly with your gear!) they left in a huff after two songs.
Returning after some much needed refreshment we came across what seemed to be a distorted guitar riff...only to find it was a sample – The Japanese Popstars where on stage. Ohh dear me, Satan must be reserving a very special place in hell for people who ‘perform’ with a couple of samplers and their Apple Mac laptops open. Sure they can mix other people’s music and add yet more samples of other people’s music and other people’s music (getting the theme here) what’s the point. Go programme computer games soundtracks or play Call of Duty, but don’t pass it off as a performance. If you can’t write music...
Is it just me? Am I getting too old?
Radio Ulster’s Rigsy and Emma Fitzpatrick of Citybeat did an admirable job as hosting the event, but special mention must go to Stuart Bailie for organising it, and for Belfast City Council for being so open to Northern Ireland music for being among the backers (can’t figure out the Invest Northern Ireland link, but hey perhaps local bands should be applying for a special rock grant!).
BBC Northern Ireland’s Mike Edgar gave a glowing accolade to SLF, complete with a video charting their history (and some fashion mistakes). But what can you really say. Off stage they could be a group of middle aged men gathered round for a natter and wee bit of craic. But onstage there is a fire and an intensity that few can match even when they are only there for a 20-minute blast through.Suspect Device, Strummerville, Wasted Life - all delivered like the fury of the late 70s and early 80s was still burning in Jake Burns heart. And with a new – long-awaited album follow-up to Guitar and Drum promised one can only see the Stiffs go from strength to strength.
This is beginning to read like a GCSE attempt at a review rather than a serious journalistic analysis, but what the hell:
But make no mistake about it; this is not a man on nostalgia trip. Yes the Gunner’s It’s So Easy was punched out to the crowd’s delight, while Attitude summed up a lot about the man. The acoustic version of Wasted Heart, however, showed that this is a man and a band prepared to see what comes next rather than resting on past glories.
So, why in the world did it take so long for SLF to be accorded Legends status? Why was the Spring and Airbrake not rammed to the rafters for Duff? And why was local hard rock and metal talent not received accolades and awards in the Ulster Hall? Trucker Diablo, Last Known Addiction, Million Dollar Reload, Worldsend etc etc etc may have small flaws each, but those flaws are tiny, minuscule compared to the flawed fashionable ones.
I posit two reasons: first, fashions fickle fingers swaying from the arms of the playlists of BBC, (un)Cool FM and Citybeat and the pages of AU. The second one is related, but all the more serious: airplay.
The rock and metal scene exists despite being blacklisted from the radio stations and print media. With the right airplay on mainstream stations I have no doubt that hard rock venues and album sales would enjoy a resurgence. Mime-along acts enjoy their allotted scandal rag half hour of fame and sell-out the Odyssey for their pre-pubescent fantasist girls and their mums, but the conversion of the 12,000+ that went to Iron Maiden and Metallica in the Odyssey from weekend rockers to regular attendees for local acts is but an airplay step away. One can but dream that next year’s Northern Ireland Music Awards will offer due recognition to hard rock and metal acts, and SLF get another Legends award, to paraphrase a certain cosmetic advertisement: Because They’re Worth It!
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Can I audition to be an asshole please?
OH Satan must be delighted. We, the people of Norn Iron, have sucked on his nether regions and are now hosting an event so divorced from reality that we carry headlines about people "auditioning" to be in the audience!
Yes, you read that right, if you or your brain dead, semi-literate, and certainly not self-aware friends wanted to be in the audience for the MTV European Music Awards on Sunday then those who were not Belfast City councillors (oh how ridiculous is that? Belfast City Council invests in music so old aged has-been political non-entities get free tickets) had to audition to get one of the "extra" 120 tickets.
No doubt it was a carefully planned PR coup (when I'm not writing I work on an in-house PR team...so shoot me!) to have several hundred people who do ot care that the "audience member" criteria was to behave as a dick for the media in a desparate (well no-one offered a kidney or their first born child, so not that desparate then!) bid to be close to the 'stars' or be on TV.
First thing to get clear: fuck off you brain dead numpties! Just fuck the way off! That you would even audition to be in the audience is stupid enough! To be photographed and quoted in the news admitting to the world that you have no sense of proportion...just what were you thinking.
Can you imagine auditions for hard rock and metal gigs:
Q1 - Can you drink beer?
Q2 - Do you own at least two tour t-shirts
Q3 - Have you ever, under the influence of Jagermeister or Jack Daniels sang out of tune
Q4 - Do you understand that Justin Beiber's life should be forfeit in any civilised society?
Yes - big news in Belfast! Justin Beiber is to play at the MTV EMA event in the Odyssey Arena! Grab yer shotguns friends, we get to hunt a 17-year-old that is as manly as a Bangkok ladyboy. Ohhh, he's had several squilion losertube views, so he must be the NEXT BIG THING! No talent? Check! Pretty boy cheekbones? Check! Soccer mum and teeny audience demographic market secured? Check!
NI Music Week is actually a great initiative Belfast City Council has undertaken. Even if hard rock and metal is sidelined as usual, at least it is promoting Norn Iron acts. MTV EMA might get one set of foreign journos to hear something that doesn't have a drum machine or choreographed miming...well I am a dreamer!
Let me, as All Hallow's Eve fades into All Saint's Day (stolen from ancient Celtcic traditions by the church because ancient Celts were rocking out and having too much fun!) explain what is coming up in this week and coming weeks.
On Tuesday the NI Music Awards will see Stiff Little Fingers be accorded the title 'Legends', a title all punk, rock and metal fans should already know they have already attained. On the same night, the nice guy of Guns 'n' Roses, Duff McKagan, will bring his Loaded back to the Spring and Airbrake.
On Friday The Answer, Therapy?, and La Faro will be at the Ulster Hall, rocking it to its foundations.
If you want to chill out a little on Sunday Stormzone are having a listening party at the Diamond Rock Club, Ahoghil for their latest SPV releae Zero to Rage.
On Monday 7th Turisas and the Devon Townsend Project will be destroying the Ormeau Road.
Then on the 10th Manowar will be fighting then world once more, bringing the Black Wind, Fire and Steel to the Mandella Hall.
And that's not to metion Dimmu Borgir, Cynic, Black Stone Cherry and Fish.
Not that the "Bureaucratic Capitalist Whore Cowards", to quote Bill Hicks, would ever consider something as risky as having an actual proper live rockin' act on stage; Therapy? got away with it, but then Metallica played "So What" (and I shouldn't have to tell you about those lyrics!) and frightened the advertisers.
So with TV approved "audiences" and global entertainment "reporters" coming from across the globe thank you for reading my rants; get to gigs when you can; buy the CDs, back local talent and never, ever, stop rockin'!
Yes, you read that right, if you or your brain dead, semi-literate, and certainly not self-aware friends wanted to be in the audience for the MTV European Music Awards on Sunday then those who were not Belfast City councillors (oh how ridiculous is that? Belfast City Council invests in music so old aged has-been political non-entities get free tickets) had to audition to get one of the "extra" 120 tickets.
No doubt it was a carefully planned PR coup (when I'm not writing I work on an in-house PR team...so shoot me!) to have several hundred people who do ot care that the "audience member" criteria was to behave as a dick for the media in a desparate (well no-one offered a kidney or their first born child, so not that desparate then!) bid to be close to the 'stars' or be on TV.
First thing to get clear: fuck off you brain dead numpties! Just fuck the way off! That you would even audition to be in the audience is stupid enough! To be photographed and quoted in the news admitting to the world that you have no sense of proportion...just what were you thinking.
Can you imagine auditions for hard rock and metal gigs:
Q1 - Can you drink beer?
Q2 - Do you own at least two tour t-shirts
Q3 - Have you ever, under the influence of Jagermeister or Jack Daniels sang out of tune
Q4 - Do you understand that Justin Beiber's life should be forfeit in any civilised society?
Yes - big news in Belfast! Justin Beiber is to play at the MTV EMA event in the Odyssey Arena! Grab yer shotguns friends, we get to hunt a 17-year-old that is as manly as a Bangkok ladyboy. Ohhh, he's had several squilion losertube views, so he must be the NEXT BIG THING! No talent? Check! Pretty boy cheekbones? Check! Soccer mum and teeny audience demographic market secured? Check!
NI Music Week is actually a great initiative Belfast City Council has undertaken. Even if hard rock and metal is sidelined as usual, at least it is promoting Norn Iron acts. MTV EMA might get one set of foreign journos to hear something that doesn't have a drum machine or choreographed miming...well I am a dreamer!
Let me, as All Hallow's Eve fades into All Saint's Day (stolen from ancient Celtcic traditions by the church because ancient Celts were rocking out and having too much fun!) explain what is coming up in this week and coming weeks.
On Tuesday the NI Music Awards will see Stiff Little Fingers be accorded the title 'Legends', a title all punk, rock and metal fans should already know they have already attained. On the same night, the nice guy of Guns 'n' Roses, Duff McKagan, will bring his Loaded back to the Spring and Airbrake.
On Friday The Answer, Therapy?, and La Faro will be at the Ulster Hall, rocking it to its foundations.
If you want to chill out a little on Sunday Stormzone are having a listening party at the Diamond Rock Club, Ahoghil for their latest SPV releae Zero to Rage.
On Monday 7th Turisas and the Devon Townsend Project will be destroying the Ormeau Road.
Then on the 10th Manowar will be fighting then world once more, bringing the Black Wind, Fire and Steel to the Mandella Hall.
And that's not to metion Dimmu Borgir, Cynic, Black Stone Cherry and Fish.
Not that the "Bureaucratic Capitalist Whore Cowards", to quote Bill Hicks, would ever consider something as risky as having an actual proper live rockin' act on stage; Therapy? got away with it, but then Metallica played "So What" (and I shouldn't have to tell you about those lyrics!) and frightened the advertisers.
So with TV approved "audiences" and global entertainment "reporters" coming from across the globe thank you for reading my rants; get to gigs when you can; buy the CDs, back local talent and never, ever, stop rockin'!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
What citrus fruit likes oral sex?
WHAT citrus fruit likes oral sex? That would be Orange Goblin! Geddit? No! Ahh c’mon, surely you did! An Orange Gobbling; Orange Goblin!
Argghh! The joke is pathetic, I do hereby confess that, but instead of shaking your head, head off to your local ticket outlet and shell out the cash to see Big Ben and his compatriots in Orange Goblin play Belfast on April 21st with By Any Means and Wizards of Firetop Mountain in support.
Go on, you know you want to: and I promise no more crap jokes if you do!
Venue: Spring and Airbrake and Tickets at the unfeasibly reasonable price of £16.
Argghh! The joke is pathetic, I do hereby confess that, but instead of shaking your head, head off to your local ticket outlet and shell out the cash to see Big Ben and his compatriots in Orange Goblin play Belfast on April 21st with By Any Means and Wizards of Firetop Mountain in support.
Go on, you know you want to: and I promise no more crap jokes if you do!
Venue: Spring and Airbrake and Tickets at the unfeasibly reasonable price of £16.
If you have an IQ over 75 and watch X-Factor shoot yoursellf
SERIOUSLY - if you have an IQ over 75 and watch X-Factor shoot yourself! Or at the very least shoot your computer and give your 'Smartphone' an acid bath.
Here's a fact for you numpties: the advertisers, those sons of Satan grubbing their way into your souls, judge the success of TV on the basis of how many people tweet or update. Media agencies cancel shows when not enough people are tweeting about them.
I mean go and f*ck away off! X-Factor is an off-cut from the mechanically recovered meat of TV entertainment while the real talent, real musicians, artists, scientists are left hanging on the butcher's hook, unwanted; their intellectual muscle forever untasted...
Next week I will have the joy of watching a series of actual, real life, talented musicians. Stiff Little Finges, Loaded, The Answer and Therapy?
I will not be approaching my televisual remote control to watch the 'reality' shows, unless it is to switch over to a music channel or something that might stimulate me to THINK. Go on try it! You think about it for a minute: formulaic fodder for the masses, with cynical executives rubbing their hands as they grub around for another pound of your hard earned cash. Advertising is paid for by you! When you buy their tasteless tat, or have banks sucking cash from you that's you paying for the ads as the bastards hope to get more of the money you earn so it can pay the salaries of those that use every trick in the book to avoid paying tax: yeah they won't pay tax, but when they've a heart attack at their over-priced gym it is your tax money that pays for the paramedic, the emergency department's nurses, doctors and staff, because you pay tax. Every pay packet, every bottle of buorbon, every 10-deck of ciggies, every CD, you're paying tax: they're not.
How has this world, this island come to the state where hard rock and heavy metal is sneered at by prats who idolise the pro-tooled vacuous pretty boys and girls with their sampled drum lines, backing dancers and destruction of the nations brains. They stand accused of murdering songs penned by people who knew what a tune was, how to write and how to perform. Their guilt is apparent to all who watch...
So, what prompted this outburst. Moving languidly to the kitchen to retrieve a stray beer, lest it got lost and failed to make it to my hand, I switched on ye olde transistor radio; BBC Radio 5 Live to be precise. A popular radio presenter from these parts moved from a serious story about standards of care for older people to a report on the X-Factor - in the language these so-called people will understand I thought...WTF!
There then followed a debate that included a snippet of some brain-dead person destroying The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go. No intonation, no concept of the song's central themes. Nothing. The debate included one bampot saying that Gary Barlow had been brought to the X-Factor as, and I quote the no-dick nonentity here, "an incredibly authoritative figure". WHAT! He sang in a boy band that was managed within an inch of its life: over-dubbed, studio toned, mimed live and definitely not authoritative. Christopher Hitchens, Richard Attenborough, to name but two, are authoritative. Gary feckin Barlow is a product for pre-teen girls and their middle aged mothers to give air to maternal instincts while hoping he actually has a dick and not some genitalia recepticle for more money.
C'mon people of the UK and Ireland: let's hunt down the executives and producers of this twaddle and ship them off to Rockall, a tiny almost inaccessible island off the north coast. Dump them there and they can live in bird shit and seaweed til they confess the error of their ways.
Right, sorry this is a music blog. But this penchat for people with even a smidgeon of intelligence to watch this dipshit show while Cowell (or to give him his full title as revealed by Jake Burns of SLF, that c**t Cowell) counts his millions and prays for a Christmas Number One because he really, really doesn't have enough money.
Do you think he'd ever, ever think about listening, let alone backing one of the many, unsigned but immensely talented hard rock and heavy metal acts pounding the boards in Norn Iron. Would he feck! Would he back any actual musician? Not unless its the session musos earning peanuts to back talentless musicians.
But you know what's even worse? Pseudo intellectuals trying to rationalise X-Factor, Strictly Wankers Dancing, or Britain's Got Talent (which on the evidence to date it does not have talent on prime time TV shows). These self-same so-called smart people then have their giggle, their tweets and move on to praise some shoe-gazing sweetie eating arsehole. If they have a conscience they'd be calling a care line to have the contestants counselled and referred to a psychiatrist.
I've been listening today in the car and on ye olde computer to Anthrax, Trucker Diablo, Machine Head, Mastodon, Last Known Addiction, Stone Sour, Trivium, Dogs D'Amour, Nightwish and Manowar (random shuffle on iPod!). Now these X-Factor watching numpties will snigger at the growling vocals, the wall-of-noise and worse will guffaw at Manowar. They know nothing, they're worth nothing. Manowar, for all the over-blown theatrics, obsession with deafening a generation and over-the-top attitude are head and shoulders above these non-entities clogging the airwaves and causing previously intelligent people to tweet about this drivel.
A few weeks ago I raised a beer in memory of Cliff Burton, who died just over 25 years ago. I had the honour of seeing Mr Burton perform twice (Donington in the Ulster Hall). This was a bassist who knew his way aroung Bach, Lyrnyrd Skynyrd, The Misfits and Rush. This was a man whose time signatures confused atomic clocks and Danish drummers. Do you think Mr Burton or Johann Sebastian Bach would be enamoured by X-Factor? No, they'd be grabbing the nearest semi-automatic weapon and sending Cowell and his 'friends' back to Satan with the message 'Do Not Return'.
Here's another useless wee fact for you: scientists have begun to work out how quantum physics is at work when the transistors in your radio and older televisions receive power. Do you think Cowell and co would ever think of broadcasting something about how physics, chemistry or another science actually matters? Do you think they'd ever do a show on how modern medicine and pharmacological advances use cutting edge biological understanding and micro-electronics has changed the way we perceive disease? Next time you're in hospital whether seeing and ultra-sound of your unborn child, or watching a sick relative receive an fMRI scan the diagnosis from which may help save their life, spare a thought for X-Factor. They scanned the brains of contestants and the resulting CT scan showed no cerebral activity. They scanned the brain of Rob Flynn of Machine Head to understand how the lyrics of The Darkness Within came about, but the radiographer's mind was too frazzled by Strictly and X-Factor that their head melted.
I'm not even drunk yet and that one snippet of a radio show has got me so enraged! Hell, I checked my Twitter feed and couldn't find a single thing of real importance such as football (side jokes welcome) for all the people going on about X-Factor. Yes, BBC presenter who does shows on a Sunday you know who you are! And, yes one massive supporter of local hard rock talent, you know who you are.
Right here, right now, pledge to boycott X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Strictly..or whatever twaddle the ratings hounds want you to empty your brain to. You have brains, use them.
That is all....apart from this...
I and those about me do not advocate suicide in any way. This post has a satirical note and if you take it seriously then you really have problems. And as to shooting yourself, you may have difficulty procuring a gun: as we have a current issue in Norn Iron with 'dissident' terrorists/gangsters, they may willingly shoot you thereby removing your stupid tweets once and for all as well as keeping the terrorists/gangsters from hurting anyone else (satire, people, satire: see: Bill Hicks, Lenny Bruce, Folks on the Hill etc for further information)
Here's a fact for you numpties: the advertisers, those sons of Satan grubbing their way into your souls, judge the success of TV on the basis of how many people tweet or update. Media agencies cancel shows when not enough people are tweeting about them.
I mean go and f*ck away off! X-Factor is an off-cut from the mechanically recovered meat of TV entertainment while the real talent, real musicians, artists, scientists are left hanging on the butcher's hook, unwanted; their intellectual muscle forever untasted...
Next week I will have the joy of watching a series of actual, real life, talented musicians. Stiff Little Finges, Loaded, The Answer and Therapy?
I will not be approaching my televisual remote control to watch the 'reality' shows, unless it is to switch over to a music channel or something that might stimulate me to THINK. Go on try it! You think about it for a minute: formulaic fodder for the masses, with cynical executives rubbing their hands as they grub around for another pound of your hard earned cash. Advertising is paid for by you! When you buy their tasteless tat, or have banks sucking cash from you that's you paying for the ads as the bastards hope to get more of the money you earn so it can pay the salaries of those that use every trick in the book to avoid paying tax: yeah they won't pay tax, but when they've a heart attack at their over-priced gym it is your tax money that pays for the paramedic, the emergency department's nurses, doctors and staff, because you pay tax. Every pay packet, every bottle of buorbon, every 10-deck of ciggies, every CD, you're paying tax: they're not.
How has this world, this island come to the state where hard rock and heavy metal is sneered at by prats who idolise the pro-tooled vacuous pretty boys and girls with their sampled drum lines, backing dancers and destruction of the nations brains. They stand accused of murdering songs penned by people who knew what a tune was, how to write and how to perform. Their guilt is apparent to all who watch...
So, what prompted this outburst. Moving languidly to the kitchen to retrieve a stray beer, lest it got lost and failed to make it to my hand, I switched on ye olde transistor radio; BBC Radio 5 Live to be precise. A popular radio presenter from these parts moved from a serious story about standards of care for older people to a report on the X-Factor - in the language these so-called people will understand I thought...WTF!
There then followed a debate that included a snippet of some brain-dead person destroying The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go. No intonation, no concept of the song's central themes. Nothing. The debate included one bampot saying that Gary Barlow had been brought to the X-Factor as, and I quote the no-dick nonentity here, "an incredibly authoritative figure". WHAT! He sang in a boy band that was managed within an inch of its life: over-dubbed, studio toned, mimed live and definitely not authoritative. Christopher Hitchens, Richard Attenborough, to name but two, are authoritative. Gary feckin Barlow is a product for pre-teen girls and their middle aged mothers to give air to maternal instincts while hoping he actually has a dick and not some genitalia recepticle for more money.
C'mon people of the UK and Ireland: let's hunt down the executives and producers of this twaddle and ship them off to Rockall, a tiny almost inaccessible island off the north coast. Dump them there and they can live in bird shit and seaweed til they confess the error of their ways.
Right, sorry this is a music blog. But this penchat for people with even a smidgeon of intelligence to watch this dipshit show while Cowell (or to give him his full title as revealed by Jake Burns of SLF, that c**t Cowell) counts his millions and prays for a Christmas Number One because he really, really doesn't have enough money.
Do you think he'd ever, ever think about listening, let alone backing one of the many, unsigned but immensely talented hard rock and heavy metal acts pounding the boards in Norn Iron. Would he feck! Would he back any actual musician? Not unless its the session musos earning peanuts to back talentless musicians.
But you know what's even worse? Pseudo intellectuals trying to rationalise X-Factor, Strictly Wankers Dancing, or Britain's Got Talent (which on the evidence to date it does not have talent on prime time TV shows). These self-same so-called smart people then have their giggle, their tweets and move on to praise some shoe-gazing sweetie eating arsehole. If they have a conscience they'd be calling a care line to have the contestants counselled and referred to a psychiatrist.
I've been listening today in the car and on ye olde computer to Anthrax, Trucker Diablo, Machine Head, Mastodon, Last Known Addiction, Stone Sour, Trivium, Dogs D'Amour, Nightwish and Manowar (random shuffle on iPod!). Now these X-Factor watching numpties will snigger at the growling vocals, the wall-of-noise and worse will guffaw at Manowar. They know nothing, they're worth nothing. Manowar, for all the over-blown theatrics, obsession with deafening a generation and over-the-top attitude are head and shoulders above these non-entities clogging the airwaves and causing previously intelligent people to tweet about this drivel.
A few weeks ago I raised a beer in memory of Cliff Burton, who died just over 25 years ago. I had the honour of seeing Mr Burton perform twice (Donington in the Ulster Hall). This was a bassist who knew his way aroung Bach, Lyrnyrd Skynyrd, The Misfits and Rush. This was a man whose time signatures confused atomic clocks and Danish drummers. Do you think Mr Burton or Johann Sebastian Bach would be enamoured by X-Factor? No, they'd be grabbing the nearest semi-automatic weapon and sending Cowell and his 'friends' back to Satan with the message 'Do Not Return'.
Here's another useless wee fact for you: scientists have begun to work out how quantum physics is at work when the transistors in your radio and older televisions receive power. Do you think Cowell and co would ever think of broadcasting something about how physics, chemistry or another science actually matters? Do you think they'd ever do a show on how modern medicine and pharmacological advances use cutting edge biological understanding and micro-electronics has changed the way we perceive disease? Next time you're in hospital whether seeing and ultra-sound of your unborn child, or watching a sick relative receive an fMRI scan the diagnosis from which may help save their life, spare a thought for X-Factor. They scanned the brains of contestants and the resulting CT scan showed no cerebral activity. They scanned the brain of Rob Flynn of Machine Head to understand how the lyrics of The Darkness Within came about, but the radiographer's mind was too frazzled by Strictly and X-Factor that their head melted.
I'm not even drunk yet and that one snippet of a radio show has got me so enraged! Hell, I checked my Twitter feed and couldn't find a single thing of real importance such as football (side jokes welcome) for all the people going on about X-Factor. Yes, BBC presenter who does shows on a Sunday you know who you are! And, yes one massive supporter of local hard rock talent, you know who you are.
Right here, right now, pledge to boycott X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Strictly..or whatever twaddle the ratings hounds want you to empty your brain to. You have brains, use them.
That is all....apart from this...
I and those about me do not advocate suicide in any way. This post has a satirical note and if you take it seriously then you really have problems. And as to shooting yourself, you may have difficulty procuring a gun: as we have a current issue in Norn Iron with 'dissident' terrorists/gangsters, they may willingly shoot you thereby removing your stupid tweets once and for all as well as keeping the terrorists/gangsters from hurting anyone else (satire, people, satire: see: Bill Hicks, Lenny Bruce, Folks on the Hill etc for further information)
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Duff, Devin and Turisas
THE winners of our competitions for tickets to see Duff McKagan's Loaded and Turisas/Devin Townsend have been drawn. Cngratulations to them all.
If you haven't received an email by this morning, then we're sorry that you haven't won out this time. Which means you can now get yer asses into gear and buy tickets!
Thanks again to CDC Leisure for their ongoing support and look out for more competition news soon!
If you haven't received an email by this morning, then we're sorry that you haven't won out this time. Which means you can now get yer asses into gear and buy tickets!
Thanks again to CDC Leisure for their ongoing support and look out for more competition news soon!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sad news of a split
SAD news comes our way that the mighty Interrogate has split-up.
Following on from rumours on social media I confirmed with former member Stephen Brown that the band is no more.
Now's not the time or place to go into the whys and wherefores, and no word as yet of future plans for the members.
From myself and on behalf of the readers here who were fans of the band, thanks for some great music. Tonight I shall wear my Interrogate 'Tear the Place Down' t-shirt and tip a beer down my neck to toast the great music the band has produced for more than half a dozen years and stick Silence the Fallen on ye olde iPod
Following on from rumours on social media I confirmed with former member Stephen Brown that the band is no more.
Now's not the time or place to go into the whys and wherefores, and no word as yet of future plans for the members.
From myself and on behalf of the readers here who were fans of the band, thanks for some great music. Tonight I shall wear my Interrogate 'Tear the Place Down' t-shirt and tip a beer down my neck to toast the great music the band has produced for more than half a dozen years and stick Silence the Fallen on ye olde iPod
Enthrone Darkenss wins out
DIMMU Borgir have announced the album they'll be playing in full on their forthcoming visit to Belfast on 28th November - it's to be Enthrone Darkness Triumphant.
Borgir had run a fan competition to decide which of their output would be aired live in the first part of their show.
Tickets are still available for Triumphant Darkness coming to be enthroned at the Spring and Airbrake.
Borgir had run a fan competition to decide which of their output would be aired live in the first part of their show.
Tickets are still available for Triumphant Darkness coming to be enthroned at the Spring and Airbrake.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Viking Roar
THE mighty Viking roar of Amon Amarth is coming back to rock Belfast as the Distortion Project presents Amon Amarth at the Mandella Hall!
Holy Thor! This is going to the Twilight of the Thunder God at Queens, with Grand Magus blasting out as support to Amon and one further act to be confirmed.
The date when Odin's hordes storm back to Belfast? March 14th, 2012.
Tickets are already on sale here at the measly price of £27
Holy Thor! This is going to the Twilight of the Thunder God at Queens, with Grand Magus blasting out as support to Amon and one further act to be confirmed.
The date when Odin's hordes storm back to Belfast? March 14th, 2012.
Tickets are already on sale here at the measly price of £27
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Napalm Christmas Death!
DECEMBER is such a good time for parties...all those office functions with dry turkey and hard-boiled brussel sprouts, not to mention bad dances and inappropriate mistletoe advances...
Alternatively you could just go see Napalm Death at the Spring and Airbrake on December 6th! Much more festive, we're sure you'll agree!
More details to follow.
Alternatively you could just go see Napalm Death at the Spring and Airbrake on December 6th! Much more festive, we're sure you'll agree!
More details to follow.
Ticket competition update
JUST a quick note on the competitions to win pairs of tickets to Duff McKagan's Loaded and the Turisas/Devin Townsend Project.
Thanks for all the entries so far: now to answer a few points from your emails [which saves me writing to each and every one of you]
Hope that helps, and if you haven't heard from us by 26th October run out and buy your tickets for these two super shows!
Now a reminder of the questions:
To win a pair of tickets to see Duff McKagan's Loaded on 2nd November:
"Name one of the bands Duff McKagan played in before Loaded?"
To win a pair of tickets to see Turisas and the Devin Townsend Project on 7th November:
"Name of a Turisas album and a Devin Townsend Project album".
Email your answers before midnight on 24th October.
Thanks for all the entries so far: now to answer a few points from your emails [which saves me writing to each and every one of you]
- Closing date is midnight, 24th October
- There is no restriction on the number of entries
- Each entry is allocated a random number
- Numbers are them drawn
- Winners will be contacted directly by email to inform them they have won
- Winners will simply then need to turn up at the venue on the night
- Winner's first names will be published on this blog [unless you expressly have not won]
Hope that helps, and if you haven't heard from us by 26th October run out and buy your tickets for these two super shows!
Now a reminder of the questions:
To win a pair of tickets to see Duff McKagan's Loaded on 2nd November:
"Name one of the bands Duff McKagan played in before Loaded?"
Email your answers before midnight on 24th October.
You me at 6...
NOT to the taste of most readers, but some of the younger readers I know like them - You Me at Six - play the Ulster Hall on 14th March.
Pop punk, scene sluts, whatever, their third album Sinners Never Sleep, has been critically acclaimed beyond the pages of Kerrang! and other even less worthy publications.
[Editor's note: Junior Editor a.k.a. son, wishes to disassociate himself from being one of the younger readers who like YMA6: "I just bought Five Finger Death Punch and Dream Theatre albums...go figure why I would want YMA6 when I got those and Machine Head to listen to!"]
Leaving aside his comments, here's the official blurb:
"There aren’t many bands who reach their third album while still only aged between 21 and 22. Fewer still have headlined Brixton Academy, staged two sold out nights at Hammersmith Apollo, or have played to a total of 65,000 people on just two of their many UK tours. That YOU ME AT SIX are also the 2011 Kerrang! Award winners for Best British Band is yet another accomplishment.
"Since the release of YOU ME AT SIX’s 2008 debut album ‘Take Off Your Colours’, they have been at the forefront of British rock music. From that album’s riotous pop-punk, via the explosive thrills of their 2010 Top 5 album ‘Hold Me Down’, the Surrey-based band have dealt in party anthems, relationship dramas as they’ve sound-tracked the summer with their buoyant melodies and crackling riffs.
"But the release of YOU ME AT SIX’s third album, ‘SINNERS NEVER SLEEP’, marks a shift. Older, wiser, and with more to say, this is a band who have enjoyed their youth but who are moving into new pastures.
"This is an ambitious band who, with their third album, are looking ahead. Older, wiser and brimming with confidence, ‘SINNERS NEVER SLEEP’ is the first step towards the rest of their lives and, as the maturity, intensity and quality of the record prove, there is much to be excited about."
Tickets £22.50
Pop punk, scene sluts, whatever, their third album Sinners Never Sleep, has been critically acclaimed beyond the pages of Kerrang! and other even less worthy publications.
[Editor's note: Junior Editor a.k.a. son, wishes to disassociate himself from being one of the younger readers who like YMA6: "I just bought Five Finger Death Punch and Dream Theatre albums...go figure why I would want YMA6 when I got those and Machine Head to listen to!"]
Leaving aside his comments, here's the official blurb:
"There aren’t many bands who reach their third album while still only aged between 21 and 22. Fewer still have headlined Brixton Academy, staged two sold out nights at Hammersmith Apollo, or have played to a total of 65,000 people on just two of their many UK tours. That YOU ME AT SIX are also the 2011 Kerrang! Award winners for Best British Band is yet another accomplishment.
"Since the release of YOU ME AT SIX’s 2008 debut album ‘Take Off Your Colours’, they have been at the forefront of British rock music. From that album’s riotous pop-punk, via the explosive thrills of their 2010 Top 5 album ‘Hold Me Down’, the Surrey-based band have dealt in party anthems, relationship dramas as they’ve sound-tracked the summer with their buoyant melodies and crackling riffs.
"But the release of YOU ME AT SIX’s third album, ‘SINNERS NEVER SLEEP’, marks a shift. Older, wiser, and with more to say, this is a band who have enjoyed their youth but who are moving into new pastures.
"This is an ambitious band who, with their third album, are looking ahead. Older, wiser and brimming with confidence, ‘SINNERS NEVER SLEEP’ is the first step towards the rest of their lives and, as the maturity, intensity and quality of the record prove, there is much to be excited about."
Tickets £22.50
Manowar set list
IF there is anyone doubting that the Manowar show at the Mandella Hall on November 10th will be worth the price here's a wee glimpse at the set list:
Manowar
Death Tone
Metal Daze
Fast Taker
Shell Shock
Dark Avenger
Battle Hymn
Sun Of Death
Brothers Of Metal
Kill With Power
Fighting The World
Sons Of Odin
William's Tale
The Gods Made Heavy Metal
Call To Arms
Hail And Kill
Let The Gods Decide
Hand Of Doom
The Power
Warriors Of The World United
Kings Of Metal
Encore:
Black Wind, Fire And Steel
The Crown And The Ring
Putting aside the joy of hearing the first album in full Fighting the World, Hail and Kill, and Black Wind, Fire and Steel should surely make it a night to remember [although I might be forced to nip out for a ciggie and extra pint during Sons of Odin :)]
Manowar
Death Tone
Metal Daze
Fast Taker
Shell Shock
Dark Avenger
Battle Hymn
Sun Of Death
Brothers Of Metal
Kill With Power
Fighting The World
Sons Of Odin
William's Tale
The Gods Made Heavy Metal
Call To Arms
Hail And Kill
Let The Gods Decide
Hand Of Doom
The Power
Warriors Of The World United
Kings Of Metal
Encore:
Black Wind, Fire And Steel
The Crown And The Ring
Putting aside the joy of hearing the first album in full Fighting the World, Hail and Kill, and Black Wind, Fire and Steel should surely make it a night to remember [although I might be forced to nip out for a ciggie and extra pint during Sons of Odin :)]
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