NEWS: Prong set for summer return to Belfast

POWER trio Prong are coming back to Belfast as part of a summer tour across Europe, with a Voodoo show on 19th July with Belgian thrash outfit Spoil Engine.

Tickets, priced £16.50 (+bking fee) are on sale now for the show, which if it is even half as bad as the last time they played is one not to miss!

The Distortion Project show is part of the a tour to back the release of their new album 'Zero Days' which is set for release ahead of the tour.

Tommy Victor said: “Europe is a special place for PRONG and 2017 is shaping up to be another touring year for the history books. Many great festivals and great clubs are on the agenda and we will be bringing some new music along as well! We are extremely excited!”

LIVE REVIEW: Mining the past - Kadavar, Stray Train and Erosion

IT'S often said in fashion circles that “everything old is new again”, that the act of recycling past ideas means that the 'latest thing', while being based on history, is also fresh and exciting.

The same could be said for music, with the rock and heavy metal genres being particularly fond of paying homage to past heroes.

Thus is was that three bands who are fairly newly created, invited their audience into the past in Belfast's Voodoo bar on Thursday night.

Local rockers Erosion kicked off proceedings with their deep, bold 'groove x thrash metal' sound. Blasting from the starting blocks in fiery fashion with 'Giving All One's Got', they prove to be in fighting form tonight, particularly vocalist and drummer Mark Stewart, who tackles his duel role brilliantly.

After an unfortunate incident with an extremely drunk and enthusiastic fan they wrap up rather Sabbath-y final number 'The Eclipsed', complete with 'Witches of Eastwick' intro, with aplomb.

Moving slightly further afield, it was then time for Slovenia's Stray Train, whose focus on rock and roll's blues roots results in a set filled with ass-shaking grooves and huge, beaming hooks. Rather like a swingier and way less po-faced Wolfmother, their faithful adherence to the bluesier side of rock goes down an absolute treat with the growing crowd.

New single 'Green Card Paradise' gets an airing tonight, sounding interestingly like GnR's 'Locomotive', while 'Plastic Princess' and a Rival Sons cover demonstrate a delightful diversity to their music. More of this, please!

A swirl of dry ice and sudden stillness herald the arrival of tonight's headliners, the mysterious and very, very tall trio that is Berlin's Kadavar. Following a trippy as all get-out intro they blast into action with a fervour that's almost startling, as they fire out 'Come Back Life' and 'Pale Blue Eyes' back to back. “Hello Belfast! You guys ready for some rock and roll tonight?” singer/guitarist Lupus Lindemann enquires, before they launch into a raucous 'The Last Dinosaur' which all but drowns out the enthusiastic affirmative from the crowd.

Their music is gloriously, thunderously groovy; it's music stripped back to its raw elements yet sounds so full, so complete – and so, so loud. Full of down and dirty riffs, tribal drumming and occasional dramatic flairs, it's Seventies stoner rock a la Black Sabbath brought bang up to date in the 21st century. Like a coiled spring, when they explode it's simply jaw dropping stuff.

With barely a pause between songs, the rare moments of stillness serve as exclamation points to what has just come before, and precursors to what will follow.

They plough relentlessly through song after song – 'Broken Wings', 'Goddess' – and set heads banging joyfully throughout the room.

Wrapping up with a buoyant version of 'Helter Skelter', and with no encore, they exit the stage, leaving behind a crowd that's spent, sweaty and euphoric. A magnificent set.

With such a rich vein of musical history to mine, it's not surprising that so many rock and metal bands choose to look back in order to move forward. And when it's done like it was tonight, we see absolutely no reason why they shouldn't continue to do so. Done right, it creates music that so many artists yearn for: timeless. Classic. Aspirational.

Review by Melanie Brehaut
Photos by Liam Kielt
Reproduction by written permission only

NEWS: Diamond Head release new video ahead of tomorrow's Belfast date

NWOBM icons Diamond Head have released a video for All The Reasons You Live, taken from their self-titled album, which was released in March as the follow-up to 2007's What's in Your Head?

"Out of all the tracks on the album this one is my favourite," said guitarist Brian Tatler. "We spent some time searching for the right location and found The Hush House at Bentwaters Parks. It was perfect — it was a military base and just echoed the songs feel."

The album is the first to feature vocalist Rasmus Born Anderson, who joined the band in 2014 to perform in live shows. "I had no interest in doing another record," said Tatler, "but after working with Ras on the 2014 European tour that suddenly changed. I wanted to make a record with him.

“He’s a confident singer and he’s not trying to fill anyone’s shoes."

Diamond Head play Belfast on Friday, September 23^rd in Voodoo, with support from Terminus.

And, having seen DH several times over the past 18 months you'd be a fool to miss this one...

LIVE REVIEW: Voodoo shaken to foundations by Raging Speedhorn, ably assisted by Dead Label and By Any Means

BELFAST'S Voodoo on a Sunday. The Lord's Day. The Day of Rest. A day for quiet reflection. On Sunday, 18th September there was no quiet time as the Fountain Street venue was shaken to the foundations by Raging Speedhorn.

The six-piece metal force were rounding up a brief Irish tour, as part of this leg of the Lost Ritual Tour, after dates in Cork and Dublin with compatriots Dead Label and By Any Means, who reported themselves as "broken" after the dates.

Dublin three-piece Dead Label have developed a meaty sound over the past two years and have been no strangers to Belfast.

With their latest album forming the core of their set they appear confident and strident in their music and message. We look forward to many more appearances north of the border.

Despite the vagaries of recent touring that left some members 'fragile' By Any Means arrive on stage like a force of whatever nature is left in Belfast. Micky Higgins prowls around the audience for the first couple of tunes.

As he bellows out 'Built On Respect' the respect the hometown crowd gives the respect the band deserves. Their hardcore with a metallic edge translates so well with the passion the four members play each track.

The messages of the songs are powerful, and the performance matches that intensity. A superb version of 'The Hammer' is just one of the many highlights of BAM's set.

Raging Speedhorn were making their first appearance in Belfast since 2007 and they receive a welcome as if they were conquering heroes.

Since reforming after a few years hiatus Speedhorn have recorded a new album and even more keenly honed their already fearsome live show to a leathul edge.

Mixing old favourites with a healthy representation from 'Lost Ritual' from start to finish the entire band ooze sweat from every pore and invoke a similar passion from the crowd.

John and Frank dominate the audience as 'Hate Song' kicks off the hour-long show. and, the pace never slows. Sod the genre shit, this is just metal pure and not so simple.

There were no fillers here as new songs like 'Motorhead', 'Dogshit Blues' merged effortlessly with the likes of the band's first ever single 'Thumper' - all the way back in 2000.

However, this was not a band rolling back the years. This was a band still as relevant in 2016 as they were when they were starting off their musical career back in Corby. They even drew Paul BAM into the pit at one point.

What was evident as the crowd emerged into the late Sunday night air were the smiles and the chatter over each other's favourites. And, ringing ears...

Full-on music power and prowess - it may not have been an evening of quiet reflection, but this show will be reflected upon fondly for quite some time.

Review by Jonny
Pictures by Darren McVeigh

Reproduction by written permission only

LIVE REVIEW: Voodoom brings sludge, stoner and doom six-pack to Belfast

WHEN there was a promise of six bands bringing a storm of noise to Belfast's Voodoo it was a prospect that both filled attendees with excitement and a certain amount of trepidation...After all, cramming that many bands into a short time-slot had the potential for technical disasters.

With just a 10-minute turnaround between bands there turned out to remarkable clarity of sound and great separation across the elements showcased what a good soundman can do.

But, could the bands live up to the great set-up? Given the diversity of styles they managed to pull off a night of entertainment a range of sludge, stoner and doom that varied in dynamics and tone.

Opening up was a considerable challenge for two-piece Maw, but they managed to produce a well-balanced set. There were a couple of moments of tiny faltering, but overall they managed to maintain composure.

Their sound was well filled out for just drums and guitar, but in future they could consider adding a bass to reduce pressure on the rhythm elements that give their songs so much drive.

After just a few gigs under their belts Goatschlager seemed to have achieved a presence that belies the age of the band, if not the collective experience.

Their stoner sound works well and Darren works well s a front man, and the band understand tonality. There were, however,  a few moments that require more polish that will add to the overall excellence.

Moving from stoner to the sludge doomy sounds Korvid retained the audience and it was obvious they have a devoted following.

Their sound has all the elements of traditional doom, but have enough variety of pacing and power to keep it interesting.

Jonny's range of vocals is impressive in range and tone, backed by a band that pulls no punches.

The fuzzed out sludge of Elder Druid could have merged into the previous band's sound, but had enough of their own distinctiveness to set themselves apart. Gregg's initial struggles with mic stand didn't hinder his delivery.

Not for the first time echoes of Sabbath reverberated around the room with a sure footed stomp. There is a clear seanse that Elder Druid can reach further in the live setting.

The live setting is somewhere Molarbear now seem increasingly comfortable, with a booming sound and overall heftiness.

The three guitars don't overwhelm each other, but rather complement the intent and intensity. What could be overpowering is instead weirdly enjoyable.

They have poise and power in equal measures and a range of songs that are never dull.

With their now trademark synth on a stool Nomadic Rituals doom and sludge has at times elements of prog rock within their wall of sound.

What could be boring in less capable hands is a sense of arrangements and soundscape that invites listeners in, and has sufficient depth to retain interest.

Craig, Peter and Mark have clearly considered how to promote their unique take on doom. There is enough variety in the tunes to sustain the attention.

Voodoom more than lived up to expectations, despite the challenge of putting on six bands. And it proved that despite the clichés that surround the tags of doom, sludge or stoner there is still enough variety in Northern Ireland to confound the critics.

Review and pictures by Jonny -  Reproduction only by explicit written consent.