ON Friday, February 23rd Thundermother release their third album, with an all-new line-up (review here) on Despotz Records.
Ahead of the release we caught up with founder and guitarist Filippa Nassil to hear how the band have returned resurgent and ready to rock Europe - and maybe even some UK dates that could include our wee corner of he world.
Listen to the chat below...
Showing posts with label Thundermother. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thundermother. Show all posts
Monday, February 19, 2018
Thursday, February 01, 2018
INTERVIEW: Thundermother's Guernica chats ahead of the band's third album
THUNDERMOTHER have been through a lot recently, but they have emerged stronger and ready to take on the world with their third album (review here) we caught up with singer Guernica Mancini.
In a wide ranging chat she discussed recording the album and that they are already thinking ahead to their next release.
And, as well as the personal story she spoke about sexism in rock - and about one particular drum tech...
For those fans you'll have to listen to hear about a tour.
Enjoy:
In a wide ranging chat she discussed recording the album and that they are already thinking ahead to their next release.
And, as well as the personal story she spoke about sexism in rock - and about one particular drum tech...
For those fans you'll have to listen to hear about a tour.
Enjoy:
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
ALBUM REVIEW: Thundermother shake the earth on album number three
IT has been all change on the Thundermother front as three quarters of the band were replaced, with only Filippa Nassil remaining. Has that diminished in any way from the band? Not at fucking at all.
If there was any doubt about the new re-purposed rockers this self-titled third album kicks that into touch.
The 13 track are straightforward no nonsense rock - all instant classics. Recording them in a remarkable 10-day period live gives it an organic urgency, such as on the frenetic 'Racing on Main Street'.
There are no weak tracks here, from the moody opener 'Revival' to closer 'Won't Back Down'. Indeed that seems to be the musical and lyrical message - Thundermother are back to stay.
It's not however all finger in the air rocking out. 'Fire In the Rain' is a brooding ballad that builds to a chorus that is sublime.
Guernica Mancini does have similarities to her predecessor, but there is no imitation here, putting her own stamp on TM. The extremely catchy 'Hanging At My Door' is a perfect example of this, merged with a meaty riff.
New drummer Emlee Johannson and bassist Sara Pettersson have a relaxed but purposeful groove throughout, highlighted on 'The Original Sin'. Throughout drum sound in particular is impeccable.
There appears to be an under-current on 'Thundermother', about proving themselves, about re-birth and the usual "fuck you" attitude.
Sure, some tracks do pay homage to their influences (the bell and opening of 'We Fight For Rock N Roll' sounds like a sequel to DC's Rock N Roll Ain't Noise Pollution) but the four-piece are much more than another hard rock band playing out clichés.
Instead they put their own stamp on hard rock. Take a pinch of Aussie rock, add 70s sounds, a dash of European classic rock and this Stockholm band have nailed it.
Even after repeated listens it still sounds fresh and vibrant.
Review by Jonathan Traynor
If there was any doubt about the new re-purposed rockers this self-titled third album kicks that into touch.
The 13 track are straightforward no nonsense rock - all instant classics. Recording them in a remarkable 10-day period live gives it an organic urgency, such as on the frenetic 'Racing on Main Street'.
There are no weak tracks here, from the moody opener 'Revival' to closer 'Won't Back Down'. Indeed that seems to be the musical and lyrical message - Thundermother are back to stay.
It's not however all finger in the air rocking out. 'Fire In the Rain' is a brooding ballad that builds to a chorus that is sublime.
Guernica Mancini does have similarities to her predecessor, but there is no imitation here, putting her own stamp on TM. The extremely catchy 'Hanging At My Door' is a perfect example of this, merged with a meaty riff.
New drummer Emlee Johannson and bassist Sara Pettersson have a relaxed but purposeful groove throughout, highlighted on 'The Original Sin'. Throughout drum sound in particular is impeccable.
There appears to be an under-current on 'Thundermother', about proving themselves, about re-birth and the usual "fuck you" attitude.
Sure, some tracks do pay homage to their influences (the bell and opening of 'We Fight For Rock N Roll' sounds like a sequel to DC's Rock N Roll Ain't Noise Pollution) but the four-piece are much more than another hard rock band playing out clichés.
Instead they put their own stamp on hard rock. Take a pinch of Aussie rock, add 70s sounds, a dash of European classic rock and this Stockholm band have nailed it.
Even after repeated listens it still sounds fresh and vibrant.
Review by Jonathan Traynor
Friday, October 23, 2015
INTERVIEW: Catching up with Thundermother...
ONE if the most hard rockin' bands out there on the planet right now are ThunderMother, a five piece machine, featuring three Swedish ladiies, an Italian and an Irish singer.
Right now they're out doing the promo for their fantastic 'Road Fever' album and caught up with lead guitarist and founder Filippa to quiz her on material, the recording process and much more.
Listen and enjoy:
Right now they're out doing the promo for their fantastic 'Road Fever' album and caught up with lead guitarist and founder Filippa to quiz her on material, the recording process and much more.
Listen and enjoy:
Tuesday, September 08, 2015
ALBUM REVIEW: Thundermother remind us all that rock'n'roll is meant to be fun on Road Fever
No pretensions, no bull shit - just riffs, hooks, melodies to singalong to, solos and fists punching the air. Thundermother deliver that type of fun on their second release 'Road Fever'.
This five-piece rock sisterhood serve up all the ingredients that make hard rock such a fun genre, all the while acknowledging their predecessors. This release draws on the halcyon days of AC/DC, Motorhead as Claire Cunningham delivers a vocal that has Joan Jett and Lita Ford forced to re-assess their place in the female vocalist pantheon.
The fact that they are all ladies in this band is beside the point, as is best epitomised on the album opener 'It's Just A Tease' on which lead guitarist Filippa Nässil lets rip throughout. But the line that sums up the attitude of Thundermother is on the track. It says: "just because I'm wearing a skirt doesn't mean I want more than a flirt".Yes, the band know that the majority of their audience is male, and appreciate that the less-evolved of the gender will ogle rather than listen. Those that listen, really listen will be well-rewarded by this unity of purpose; as the album closer 'Rock 'n' Roll Sisterhood' epitomises.
This is a release chock full of hard rockin' tracks that will simply leave you grinning from ear-to-ear.
Giorgia Carteria's rhythm guitar rolls along in a riff tornado of tempos such as on the ode to tattooing 'Thunder Machine'.
Anchoring the entire album are Linda Ström (bass) and Tilda Stenqvist (drums), as on display on the mid-paced 'Vagabond'.
Throughout 'Road Fever' Thundermother lay down the rock gospel with style and substance that would shame many of their contemporaries.
'FFWF', 'Deal With The Devil', 'Roadkill' etcetera, etcetera, the tunes keep coming and the grin keeps getting wider with every listen.
This is a party recorded for your listening delight - an album that will have you cracking open a beer and singing along - no matter what your gender.
Review by Jonny
Friday, July 24, 2015
NEWS: Evil Scarecrow road appeal; Thundermother get Road Fever and Gus G's Revolution
Evil Scarecrow van appeal
BANDS are always on seeking fans to pledge to release albums...but Evil Scarecrow want fans to pledge so they can get a new van! Maybe it's the sense of guilt they feel for pulling their Belfast date earlier this year when their previous van broke down...Anyway they're promising pledgers who contribute will get some goodies. Here's what the band said
"A New Pledge campaign to keep us on the road! A chance to get our old out-of-print back catalogue. That’s right, we’re repressing all of our old CDs!", the band said speaking collectively with one spooky voice..
"We need a new van to keep the Evil Scarecrow live show rolling, help us stay on the road! The Evil Scarecrow live show is the best representation of the band. We want to keep touring and getting our live show to fans old and new around the UK and beyond!
"Touring and equipment are expensive, more expensive than most bands let on, and over the years it has bled our bank accounts dry leaving us with a bit of a conundrum, we need a new van before ours completely falls to pieces and we would like to buy one that will last us for a long time and house us for longer journeys so that we can reach our fans far and wide. With your support we can raise enough cash through Pledge sales to buy a decent van and keep this show on the road!
T"o achieve this we’re releasing some exclusive goodies: our acoustic shows and reprinting our out-of-stock back catalogue. So, get pledging at the link below and help us make sure we can keep touring.
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/evilscarecrowvan
Thundermother second album release date revealed
THE few who managed to see the ferociously joyous rock of Thundermother's Belfast performance in Belfast know that this five-piece deliver straightforward hard rockin'.
The band are now set to release their second abum 'Road Fever' on September 4th.
For those of you not in the loop so far Thundermother was born in 2010 when guitarist and southern Swede Filippa Nässil wanted to play rock 'n' roll and moved to Stockholm to pursue her dream.
She found her first partner in crime, guitarist Giorgia Carteri in Stockholm who also followed her own dreams of playing music, coming all the way from Italy.
After numerous ordeals with other musicians they have finally found the right group of people with right motives and Rock'N'Roll in their heart. Tilda Stenqvist on drums, Linda Ström at the bass and the singer Clare Cunningham born and raised in Ireland.
They're having fun and it's noticeable on-stage. Pure enjoyment and Rock'N'Roll deep from their bones. Hardrock-girls from around the world now united to do one sole thing, to play together and travel on the roads.
Gus G album released
The sophomore solo album by Ozzy Osbourne / Firewind guitarist GUS G. entitled “Brand New Revolution” is out today via Century Media Records in Europe, Australia and South America, Dismanic / eOne in North America and King Records in Japan.
“Brand New Revolution” is available Digipak CD or as 180gr. LP version (On either black or limited coloured vinyl in light-blue (300 copies) or silver (200 copies).
The album’s first promotional video-clip for the record’s title track, “Brand New Revolution”, shot by longtime visual design partner and director Patric Ullaeus (In Flames, Arch Enemy, Within Temptation, etc.), is also out today. The track features vocals by Jacob Bunton (Adler, Lynam) check it out here:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/QBM4ghcjlEY
http://smarturl.it/bnrvideo
The album’s opening track and only instrumental, “The Quest”, was also made available for streaming here: https://soundcloud.com/centurymedia/gus-g-the-quest-album-track/
And the song “Burn”, which also features vocals by Jacob Bunton (Adler, Lynam), was launched online via a lyric-video here: https://youtu.be/bDf8UwihJlY
“Brand New Revolution” was recorded with Jay Ruston (Stone Sour, Anthrax, Steel Panther, etc.) and mixed by Mike Fraser (Metallica, AC/DC, Van Halen, Aerosmith, etc.). Just as on “I Am The Fire”, the core of GUS G.’s recording group consisted of drummer Jo Nunez (Firewind) and Lita Ford bassist Marty O' Brien.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
LIVE REVIEW(S): 21 bands in 16 days - who says there's no rock and metal out there?
THERE'S something of a feeling amongst a certain vocal minority who sometimes claim there's nothing to do in Northern Ireland if you're a hard rock or metal fan - you know the type, the one's who flock to Sabbath, Slayer, Maiden, Metallica or any of the 'big name' bands.
Yet, over two weeks we and our colleagues saw 21 bands - and had we the chance we would have been able to add several more; and there were many more acts playing across Northern Ireland.
Acts we caught were from around the world and around the corner: Los Angeles, Stockholm, London, Melbourne, Dundalk - plus all the Northern Ireland acts.
We saw packed venues and venues with 20 paying punters. What was common throughout the shows was an energy bleeding off the stage from the biggest bands to the smallest.
Rather than try to review each and every show we are going to review the 16 days of hard rock and metal that blitzed across this small country of barely 1.8m people on the extreme north western edge of Europe.
Here's the list of the bands we're going to attempt to summarise through words and pictures.
Opening the festivities on Halloween night was the double header of St Vitus and Orange Goblin. The usual parade of people decked out in ridiculous outfits was on display....and outside Limelight2 were the stupid people who spent a fortune on fancy dress outfits to try and outdo their normal sad lives.
And, St Vitus could have come as relics from a bygone era with Dave Chandler sporting a headscarf atop his long locks. But there was no doubting that while they were celebrating 35 years as a band the music sounded fresh and vital; a mix of doom, sludge and even punk anthems.
Chandler was vocal introducing songs and delivering repartee, while Wino Weinrich concentrated on roaring through the set. Billed as playing 'Born Too Late' in its entirety that is too narrow a description of the show.
First of all - liquid refreshment seemed to have been imbibed in titanic quantities by all the band. It did not affect the performance of the band at all. Mark Adams' bass and Henry Vasquez's drums were a pure metal rod linking the overall sound.
Chandler played outstandingly throughout and Wino's voice has more than held out...although he may have been a little surprised to find that the bottle of Jack Daniels he passed round the crowd returned empty. Perhaps he should have been warned we like a gargle too.
'White Stallions' 'The War Starter' and 'Born Too Late' itself were stand-out tracks that served to remind us all how influential St Vitus has been on the sludge and doom evolution.
Familiar to all Belfast's idiosyncrasies regards drinking and raucousness Orange Goblin are greeted like old comrades at arms. Their heavy stoner groove metal is an accomplished force of elemental metal, led by the man colossus that is Ben Ward.
New songs from 'Back From The Abyss' sit comfortably with back catalogue numbers as testament that Joe Hoare, Martyn Millard and Chris Turner with Ward flay the venue.
New tracks 'Sabbath Hex', and 'The Devil's Whip' were highlights along with 'Into The Arms of Morpheus' and 'Quincy The Pigboy'.
Ward's easy banter with the crowd, the immense riffs and the overall primal sound of Orange Goblin are the perfect balance to the banality afflicting the music scene.
With ears echoing to the might that was 'Red Tide Rising' we meandered our way to Queen's University Student Union's Sub Bar. We missed out on the first two acts (gig planners....) but were there as Scimitar took to the stage to launch their ep 'Plague In The Vatican'.
Replete with appropriate/inappropriate costumes they were energised and on Halloween fire as they played to a barely quarter full venue. The attendance no doubt affected by the earlier gig and the Headbanger's Ball event in a neighbouring venue.
Zombified were next up - delivering their usual terrifying onslaught of death metal and circle headbanging. Pure fucking excellence.
As for Gama Bomb - well it does what it says on the tin - a bomb of speed/thrash and humour.
Philly is his usual self as the manic parade leader, while Domo and John shred away to their hearts content.
A new song - whatever next...this seemed to be a show to shake off the cobwebs as GB head towards pre-production of their new release.
Barely a pause for breath and we assembled at Limelight2 the next day (Saturday 1st November) to celebrate the release of Cursed Sun's launch of their ep 'The Fall and Rise' but first up who should we find on stage by Scimitar again...Same as before the 'Plague In The Vatican' ep was featured heavily, with the title track once again sounding immense.
Katabolisis brought their brand of death metal/deathcore from Portadown to the stage and thankfully were able to push aside any concerns there were over the 'core' in that description with a muscular set with some nice lead guitar work
Cursed Sun left no-one in any doubt of their intent with a full-on metal performance as Jonesy laid a furious full-on assault, barking and scream anthems of discontent, while Jonny kept the lead work solid.
This was a nailed on set that showed Cursed Sun are at the top of their game tapping into the extreme metal vibe.
We then paused for a while. By pause we mean that we boarded the train for a journey to Ballymena and a short taxi ride to Ahoghill Rock City and the Diamon Rock Club, for the venue's Halloween bash (well the ancient festival of Samhain was across 31/10 and 01/11).
Dubious costumes aside Conjuring Fate were in grand form, as Tommy railed us all with tales of 'Backwoods Witch' and that 'House on the Haunted Hill'.
NASA Assassin need no such fancy attire to fit into the Halloween setting. Their soundtrack to the apocalypse brings its own menace and mirth to proceedings as The Watcher weaves tales of dark times, crime waves and super colliders. Original, witty and wonderful.
With a lift back to sanity from Mark and Adele, it was time for the Belfastmetalheadsreunited review and photo crew to take a break.
A very short break as we were back at the coalface on Thursday 6th November to witness the Planet Mosh promoted Belfast leg of Black Sherriff/Maverick mini-tour.
Openers Dead Addiction performed a tasty wee treat of a set, especially given the fact that this was their first ever live performance.
Great guitar work, great vocals and a tight rhythm section...sure you could ask no more.
Belfast noisenicks Altus have re-shuffled their line-up over recent months. What that has done to these loud metal monsters is they have more depth to their sound, no longer seeming to be just one tone at times. Instead they now sound much more dynamic, with more sense of purpose coming from the stage.
Black Sherriff are three parts German and one part Northern Ireland... In a set that divided opinion they featured tracks from their 'Night Terrors' album, delivering the show with aplomb and buckets of energy.
'Give it All', 'Kill The Wolves' and 'AC/DC Sunday' were among the stand-out tracks.
Maverick are currently building momentum ahead of the launch of 'Quid Pro Quo' and between wide grins, powerful vocals and a tight, tight show that proved - if it ever needed to be proved - that this 10-legged monster is getting ready to dominate.
'Paint By Numbers' is already a classic....
Next night we journeyed once again to the Diamond Rock Club, where Ajenda were opening for Aussie rockers Electric Mary.
With Jenny's blues imbued voice and Gav's silky slick guitar work they once again proved themselves one of the most under-rated rock bands playing at the minute. Again 'Hatred and Greed' was a stand-out.
Electric Mary travelled all the way from Melbourne to kick off their UK tour. They had a few rehearsals at the Ahoghill venue to knock the kinks out. Sounding every ounce the hard rockers featured were songs from the recently released 'The Last Great Hope' ep, with 'Sweet Mary C' set to become a future live favourite for many years to come.
Following the journey back, and a mis-adventure with a denim jacket (yes, it is possible to put one on upside down) it was time to re-group for another blast from The Distortion Project.
The promised gig was beset by problems, leading James Loveday to declare it the "most cursed in Europe". Headliners Weapon UK had to withdraw after the drummer broke his hand. Then Midnight Transmission had to pull-out with the singer suffering from throat problems.
And, new headliners Rabid Bitch Of The North had equipment problems meaning they had no sound check...
But, as the cliché goes, the show must go on....
Donum Dei ripped into their set, and it was immediately apparent that the short break from gigging has energised the band. Thomas continues to grow as a frontman, and his interchanges with lead axe man Stuart McLoughlin are becoming smoother with each show, while additional flourishes from Stuart show his emerging further as a shredder. How Dean Kane maintains the rhythm with Alastair Marshall on drums is an as yet unsolved mystery as Dean roams the set, slings his bass into all sorts of contortions and headbangs at the slightest provocation. 'Gravelands', No Escape' and 'Justice Fails' were stand-out songs.
For the second time on this metal odyssey we were entertained by the compelling metal excellence of Conjuring Fate. They are a band that has become ever more engaging live.
Tommy's range seems to have grown over recent months, while Phil and Karl's interplay and trade off solos work in all the ways needed. Steve and Bogy are ever more powerful keeping the sound nailed to the floor. Once again 'Backwoods Witch', 'Apocalypse' and 'House On The Haunted Hill' kept everyone enraptured.
Rabid Bitch Of The North have developed over the past 18 months, with the Bloodstock slot amongst the triumphs. Despite the pre-gig problems Joe and crew ripped into their ferocious brand of metal. Joe's voice hit highs that threatened to smash windows miles away.
The trio sound as if they are double that number - as Chris and Gerry with Joe grind you into submission. While we have a few reservations about the pink guitar (nothing wrong with pink, but maybe it's not metal enough. We'll lend a can of emulsion paint...)
'Defending Two Castles' and 'Us Against Them' - anthems of disintegration in a dystopian world.
While some headed off to other gigs we needed a wee break before rounding off the metal 16 day odyssey.
Sunday evening at the Pavilion saw us gathered with other acolytes at the altar of ThunderMother.
Before we enjoyed the Swedish/Irish rocker we were brought into the bosom of Between Horizons from Dundalk. Lauren, Steve, Shane and James were an unknown quantity to all gathered, but were a treat to the ears.
Mixing hard rock, alt grooves and metal intonations they are a band who should get more dates in Northern Ireland.
But with these 21 shows it could arguably said that the best was last. Thundermother.
Quite simply a par excellence performance of hard rock. These five ladies deliver a knock-out punch on stage, from opener 'Man With Blues' to closer 'You Make My Day' this was hard rock as it's meant to be.
Clare Cunningham, the Irish singer with this troupe of troubadours, is a chanter with real power delivering power and passion, but still with enough melody to engage and lend subtlety to the rock attack.
It was lead guitarist Filippa Nassil's passion for AC/DC that led to the creation of Thundermother, and with her Gibson SG and powerful licks that Filippa pays homage to her heroes and adds her own distinctive style to the solos.
Tilda Stenqvist on drums and Linda Strom on bass are as solid a hard rock rhythm section that you'll come across, while the Italian - now adopted by the band as a fellow Swede - Giorgia Carteri keeps a handle on all the proceedings with solidity in her rhythm playing.
It would be unjust to try and pick a highlight track. Whether it be 'Rock 'n' Roll Disaster; 'Thunderous' or 'Dangerous Kind' they were all played with true flair.
Using every inch of the stage, striking the right poses as opposed to posing, engaging with the crowd, this was hard rock as it should be.
When the acclaim from the small audience died down it is to the credit of each and every band member that they took the time to chat with, have their photograph taken with and sign everything that was asked.
Put simply - Thundermother rocked, and should they find their way back to Northern Ireland the place will be packed.
So emerging into the dark after 16 solid days of rock and metal there were some reflections.
At this stage it is fair to say that we move from reviewing to a diatribe.
Bands like St Vitus, Electric Mary, and Thundermother travelled a long way to play Belfast, as part of UK tours.
While credit must be given to the promoters - James Loveday, Derwin McFarland, Mark Ashby, Carolyn McGimpsey and Ciaran Campbell for taking the risk, one must reflect on the fact that live music acts can deliver and there are shows out there, it will only stay alive if punters get out there and back the music.
Below is a visual reflection of just some of the shows from Metalplanet Belfast...
Yet, over two weeks we and our colleagues saw 21 bands - and had we the chance we would have been able to add several more; and there were many more acts playing across Northern Ireland.
Acts we caught were from around the world and around the corner: Los Angeles, Stockholm, London, Melbourne, Dundalk - plus all the Northern Ireland acts.
We saw packed venues and venues with 20 paying punters. What was common throughout the shows was an energy bleeding off the stage from the biggest bands to the smallest.
Rather than try to review each and every show we are going to review the 16 days of hard rock and metal that blitzed across this small country of barely 1.8m people on the extreme north western edge of Europe.
Here's the list of the bands we're going to attempt to summarise through words and pictures.
- St Vitus
- Orange Goblin
- Scimitar
- Zombified
- Gama Bomb
- Katabolosis
- Scimitar
- Cursed Sun
- Conjuring Fate
- NASA Assassin
- Dead Addiction
- Altus
- Black Sherriff
- Maverick
- Ajenda
- Electric Mary
- Donum Dei
- Conjuring Fate
- Rabid Bitch of the North
- Between Horizons
- Thundermother
Opening the festivities on Halloween night was the double header of St Vitus and Orange Goblin. The usual parade of people decked out in ridiculous outfits was on display....and outside Limelight2 were the stupid people who spent a fortune on fancy dress outfits to try and outdo their normal sad lives.And, St Vitus could have come as relics from a bygone era with Dave Chandler sporting a headscarf atop his long locks. But there was no doubting that while they were celebrating 35 years as a band the music sounded fresh and vital; a mix of doom, sludge and even punk anthems.
Chandler was vocal introducing songs and delivering repartee, while Wino Weinrich concentrated on roaring through the set. Billed as playing 'Born Too Late' in its entirety that is too narrow a description of the show.
First of all - liquid refreshment seemed to have been imbibed in titanic quantities by all the band. It did not affect the performance of the band at all. Mark Adams' bass and Henry Vasquez's drums were a pure metal rod linking the overall sound.
Chandler played outstandingly throughout and Wino's voice has more than held out...although he may have been a little surprised to find that the bottle of Jack Daniels he passed round the crowd returned empty. Perhaps he should have been warned we like a gargle too.'White Stallions' 'The War Starter' and 'Born Too Late' itself were stand-out tracks that served to remind us all how influential St Vitus has been on the sludge and doom evolution.
Familiar to all Belfast's idiosyncrasies regards drinking and raucousness Orange Goblin are greeted like old comrades at arms. Their heavy stoner groove metal is an accomplished force of elemental metal, led by the man colossus that is Ben Ward.
New songs from 'Back From The Abyss' sit comfortably with back catalogue numbers as testament that Joe Hoare, Martyn Millard and Chris Turner with Ward flay the venue.
New tracks 'Sabbath Hex', and 'The Devil's Whip' were highlights along with 'Into The Arms of Morpheus' and 'Quincy The Pigboy'.
Ward's easy banter with the crowd, the immense riffs and the overall primal sound of Orange Goblin are the perfect balance to the banality afflicting the music scene.
With ears echoing to the might that was 'Red Tide Rising' we meandered our way to Queen's University Student Union's Sub Bar. We missed out on the first two acts (gig planners....) but were there as Scimitar took to the stage to launch their ep 'Plague In The Vatican'.
Replete with appropriate/inappropriate costumes they were energised and on Halloween fire as they played to a barely quarter full venue. The attendance no doubt affected by the earlier gig and the Headbanger's Ball event in a neighbouring venue.
Zombified were next up - delivering their usual terrifying onslaught of death metal and circle headbanging. Pure fucking excellence.
As for Gama Bomb - well it does what it says on the tin - a bomb of speed/thrash and humour. Philly is his usual self as the manic parade leader, while Domo and John shred away to their hearts content.
A new song - whatever next...this seemed to be a show to shake off the cobwebs as GB head towards pre-production of their new release.
Barely a pause for breath and we assembled at Limelight2 the next day (Saturday 1st November) to celebrate the release of Cursed Sun's launch of their ep 'The Fall and Rise' but first up who should we find on stage by Scimitar again...Same as before the 'Plague In The Vatican' ep was featured heavily, with the title track once again sounding immense.
Katabolisis brought their brand of death metal/deathcore from Portadown to the stage and thankfully were able to push aside any concerns there were over the 'core' in that description with a muscular set with some nice lead guitar work
Cursed Sun left no-one in any doubt of their intent with a full-on metal performance as Jonesy laid a furious full-on assault, barking and scream anthems of discontent, while Jonny kept the lead work solid.
This was a nailed on set that showed Cursed Sun are at the top of their game tapping into the extreme metal vibe.
We then paused for a while. By pause we mean that we boarded the train for a journey to Ballymena and a short taxi ride to Ahoghill Rock City and the Diamon Rock Club, for the venue's Halloween bash (well the ancient festival of Samhain was across 31/10 and 01/11).
Dubious costumes aside Conjuring Fate were in grand form, as Tommy railed us all with tales of 'Backwoods Witch' and that 'House on the Haunted Hill'.
NASA Assassin need no such fancy attire to fit into the Halloween setting. Their soundtrack to the apocalypse brings its own menace and mirth to proceedings as The Watcher weaves tales of dark times, crime waves and super colliders. Original, witty and wonderful.
With a lift back to sanity from Mark and Adele, it was time for the Belfastmetalheadsreunited review and photo crew to take a break.A very short break as we were back at the coalface on Thursday 6th November to witness the Planet Mosh promoted Belfast leg of Black Sherriff/Maverick mini-tour.
Openers Dead Addiction performed a tasty wee treat of a set, especially given the fact that this was their first ever live performance.
Great guitar work, great vocals and a tight rhythm section...sure you could ask no more.
Belfast noisenicks Altus have re-shuffled their line-up over recent months. What that has done to these loud metal monsters is they have more depth to their sound, no longer seeming to be just one tone at times. Instead they now sound much more dynamic, with more sense of purpose coming from the stage.Black Sherriff are three parts German and one part Northern Ireland... In a set that divided opinion they featured tracks from their 'Night Terrors' album, delivering the show with aplomb and buckets of energy.
'Give it All', 'Kill The Wolves' and 'AC/DC Sunday' were among the stand-out tracks.
Maverick are currently building momentum ahead of the launch of 'Quid Pro Quo' and between wide grins, powerful vocals and a tight, tight show that proved - if it ever needed to be proved - that this 10-legged monster is getting ready to dominate.
'Paint By Numbers' is already a classic....
Next night we journeyed once again to the Diamond Rock Club, where Ajenda were opening for Aussie rockers Electric Mary.
With Jenny's blues imbued voice and Gav's silky slick guitar work they once again proved themselves one of the most under-rated rock bands playing at the minute. Again 'Hatred and Greed' was a stand-out.
Electric Mary travelled all the way from Melbourne to kick off their UK tour. They had a few rehearsals at the Ahoghill venue to knock the kinks out. Sounding every ounce the hard rockers featured were songs from the recently released 'The Last Great Hope' ep, with 'Sweet Mary C' set to become a future live favourite for many years to come.
Following the journey back, and a mis-adventure with a denim jacket (yes, it is possible to put one on upside down) it was time to re-group for another blast from The Distortion Project.
The promised gig was beset by problems, leading James Loveday to declare it the "most cursed in Europe". Headliners Weapon UK had to withdraw after the drummer broke his hand. Then Midnight Transmission had to pull-out with the singer suffering from throat problems.
And, new headliners Rabid Bitch Of The North had equipment problems meaning they had no sound check...
But, as the cliché goes, the show must go on....
For the second time on this metal odyssey we were entertained by the compelling metal excellence of Conjuring Fate. They are a band that has become ever more engaging live.
Tommy's range seems to have grown over recent months, while Phil and Karl's interplay and trade off solos work in all the ways needed. Steve and Bogy are ever more powerful keeping the sound nailed to the floor. Once again 'Backwoods Witch', 'Apocalypse' and 'House On The Haunted Hill' kept everyone enraptured.Rabid Bitch Of The North have developed over the past 18 months, with the Bloodstock slot amongst the triumphs. Despite the pre-gig problems Joe and crew ripped into their ferocious brand of metal. Joe's voice hit highs that threatened to smash windows miles away.
The trio sound as if they are double that number - as Chris and Gerry with Joe grind you into submission. While we have a few reservations about the pink guitar (nothing wrong with pink, but maybe it's not metal enough. We'll lend a can of emulsion paint...)
While some headed off to other gigs we needed a wee break before rounding off the metal 16 day odyssey.
Sunday evening at the Pavilion saw us gathered with other acolytes at the altar of ThunderMother.
Before we enjoyed the Swedish/Irish rocker we were brought into the bosom of Between Horizons from Dundalk. Lauren, Steve, Shane and James were an unknown quantity to all gathered, but were a treat to the ears.
Mixing hard rock, alt grooves and metal intonations they are a band who should get more dates in Northern Ireland.But with these 21 shows it could arguably said that the best was last. Thundermother.
Quite simply a par excellence performance of hard rock. These five ladies deliver a knock-out punch on stage, from opener 'Man With Blues' to closer 'You Make My Day' this was hard rock as it's meant to be.
Clare Cunningham, the Irish singer with this troupe of troubadours, is a chanter with real power delivering power and passion, but still with enough melody to engage and lend subtlety to the rock attack.
It was lead guitarist Filippa Nassil's passion for AC/DC that led to the creation of Thundermother, and with her Gibson SG and powerful licks that Filippa pays homage to her heroes and adds her own distinctive style to the solos.Tilda Stenqvist on drums and Linda Strom on bass are as solid a hard rock rhythm section that you'll come across, while the Italian - now adopted by the band as a fellow Swede - Giorgia Carteri keeps a handle on all the proceedings with solidity in her rhythm playing.
It would be unjust to try and pick a highlight track. Whether it be 'Rock 'n' Roll Disaster; 'Thunderous' or 'Dangerous Kind' they were all played with true flair.
When the acclaim from the small audience died down it is to the credit of each and every band member that they took the time to chat with, have their photograph taken with and sign everything that was asked.
Put simply - Thundermother rocked, and should they find their way back to Northern Ireland the place will be packed.
So emerging into the dark after 16 solid days of rock and metal there were some reflections.
At this stage it is fair to say that we move from reviewing to a diatribe.
Bands like St Vitus, Electric Mary, and Thundermother travelled a long way to play Belfast, as part of UK tours.
While credit must be given to the promoters - James Loveday, Derwin McFarland, Mark Ashby, Carolyn McGimpsey and Ciaran Campbell for taking the risk, one must reflect on the fact that live music acts can deliver and there are shows out there, it will only stay alive if punters get out there and back the music.
Review by Jonny
Pictures by Metalplanet Belfast
All material copyrighted
Reproduction by written consent only
Below is a visual reflection of just some of the shows from Metalplanet Belfast...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
