Expanding the horizons - Belfast Metal show on Belfast Underground TV/Radio

WE'RE always up for new things - as some of you may know our head hitter (a.k.a editor) Jonny contributes to other sites (including RockradioNI and Devils Gate Media) as well as writing other 'stuff'


As if he hasn't enough to do, he's now signed up to Belfast Underground TV/Radio to present a regular two-hour slot playing rock and metal to the unwashed around the world.


Broadcast from a specially built studio within Belfast Underground Records (which has an impressive array of metal vinyl so far!) there are cameras dotted around the studio so you have the dubious pleasure of seeing our editor act the proverbial eejit (which will come as no surprise to most of you!).


On Saturday last there was a 15-minute for the launch; coming after a soft jazz deejay we're not sure what listeners made of WASP, Sinocence and The Black Dhalia Murder...


This coming Saturday there will be a two-hour Belfast Metal set, starting at noon. Tune in and be prepared for an eclectic mix of local, national and international rock and metal madness.


Local bands who specifically want to have tracks aired can hit Jonny up on with PMs to his Facebook page, or DMs on his Twitter feed.


There are further plans in development, and he assures us his commitment to this site, RockradioNI, Devils Gate Media remain undiminished even if his colleagues who contribute to this site have warned him that the 28-hour day and eight day week exist in his mind not in reality...


After all this week sees Gunzo, WASP, and Danko Jones with support from The Amorettes too...

Killing all in their path NYC style with Defyed, Altus and By Any Means give a Belfast welcome for Ikillya

SETTING out for The Distortion Project Saturday show two of our editorial team were intent on some pints plus some hardcore and metal. Having reviewed two of the bands recently reviewing was not on the agenda. But after a stunning show from all there was no way we weren't going to review it.

Headlining at The Limelight were New York City metallers Ikillya, a band who were returning to Northern Ireland to promote their second release Vae Victus; it looked like a night to sit back and enjoy...

Nope - from Defyed's introduction to the final chords from Ikillya this was a neck-snapping, pint swallowing, headbanging, hardcore, metal feast that saw some of the finest aural performances from
the heaviest in Northern Ireland and a delightful heavy surprised from the US.

Defyed are a relatively new act, with their first ever performance in 2013, but they have grown up on stage and have developed into a hardcore, extreme metal act that epitomises the voice of the dispossessed, the angry and the fury of the disenfranchised. Man, they were furious on Saturday.

With Satan's personal singer in the shape of Matt it is impossible to ignore Altus, they dominate through controlled noise. The transition stage of their careers now long behind them, the subtleties of their playing, and their control of the metal has now developed to a point where all the elements are balanced and ready to show off doom, prog metal and controlled anger.

By Any Means have been for five years keeping the hardcore flag flying high in Belfast with energetic, hair standing on the back of your neck, flaying noise. Off-stage antics, interaction with the audience at a primal level, consistent riffing, tight rhythm and sheer force By Any Means deliver just the way they always do.

With three bands like Defyed, Altus and By Any Means it could be that audience and reviewers have a feeling that familiarity breeds contempt; that the bands are performing just another gig. This is neither true, nor do the audience seem in any way bored by the acts. All three consistently deliver, and always raise their own personal bar and personal levels of performance. More people deserve to be inculcated with the sheer talent and dedication they display.

On the subject of talent and dedication Ikillya have both in bucketloads - bringing the hammer of metal striking into hearts with musical excellence and lyrical challenges.

Strip off the west coast elements of Devildriver, throw in progressive metal, add in onstage presence, and a dash of sheer power and you'd be close to the Ikillya experience.

Seemingly genuinely to be enjoying themselves on stage, the earlier banter and bizarre nerf gun attacks were cast aside by a band that have the talent to thoughtfully terrify through their music.

Jason Lekberg is the focal point, controlled yet free-flowing singing ensuring that the aggression is matched with a pure sense of delivery.

Eric Jackson's guitar work is stunning, roaming over a tight rhythm section, riffs and solos perfectly capturing elements of Ikillya's varied attack.

Showcasing Vae Victus and Recon tracks Ikillya are a potentially greater act than their current exposure might suggest. They encapsulate what metal should be - aggressive, yet thoughtful, talented without showing off,. friendly off stage, furious on stage.

We look forward to their return.

Again James Loveday's Distortion Project delivered a Saturday evening of sheer enjoyment that should have attracted more of the Northern Ireland fans of heavy music. A five-star gig.

Just how many kidneys do you need?

Just how many kidneys do you really need? How much will your granny (alive or deceased) sell for on eBay? Can you cut down on alcohol consumption from 100 units per week to the government recommended maximum of 20-odd units?

Okay, scrub that last one - there some things self-respecting metalheads and rockers should not be expected to give up.

The point is that already 2010 is proving to be a bumper year for all things noisy, but with all the ear-ringing delight comes the monetary cost (doubly so when you take your kid to Machine Head: we have all the MH back catalogue, but now he wants all the Hatebreed and Bleeding Through back catalogue too!).

So we thought it opportune to list what's in store to leave piggy banks broken and empty and the journey to the ATM a soul-destoying trek to see what you can't afford. Here goes:

Ozzmium/Murdock/Circadian/Last Known Addiction - March 11th, Auntie Annies (Ozzmium video launch)
(HED) P.E./Threat Signal/Attila - March 12th, Spring & Airbrake
Honey for Christ/Darkest Era/Death Warrant - March 13th, The Limelight
Tinn Lizzy - March 17th, St Patrick's Day at the Spring & Airbrake
Devil Makes Three/Sirocco/Hybris - March 20th, The Limelight
A Little Bitter/Inch High/Black Freeway - March 20th, Diamond Rock Bar
Skindred - March 21st, Spring & Airbrake
Winger/Stormzone/World's End - March 27th, Spring & Airbrake
Eyehategod/Black Cobra - April 4th, The Limelight
Ricky Warwick - April 5th, Diamond Rock Club, Ahoghill
Ashanti/Pay*ola - April 10th, Spring & Airbrake
Airbourne/Black Spiders - April 13th, Mandella Hall
Glamour of the Kill/Yashin/Escape Fails - April 24th, Auntie Annies (GOTK UK tour closer)
GMT - April 24th, Diamond Rock Club, Ahoghill
Cathedral/Church of Misery/Gates of Slumber - April 28th, The Limelight (Cathedral currently streaming new song 'Edwige's Eyes' at www.myspace.com/cathedral from the album 'The Guessing Game', due out on March 26)
Negura Bunget/Fen/The Way ofPurity - April 29th, The Limelight
Bolt Thrower/Rotting Page/Overoth - May 3rd, The Limelight
Kiss - May 7th, O2 Dublin
Decade of Aggression - Distortion Project 20th Birthday (Primordial,Orange Goblin +19 other bands, stalls and all solrts of good shit) - all over Ormeau Avenue!
Metallica - 11th & 12th May Odyssey [HELL YEAH!]
Tygers of Pan Tang - 15th May, Diamond Rock Club, Ahoghill
Megadeth - 14th June, Live at the Marquee, Cork
Pearl Jam - 23rd June Odyssey
Deep Purple - 28th June Custom House Square

I'm sure I've missed some, and some details may need corrected: and if there are gigs beyond Belfast let me know too! If so, y'all know what to do.
Deicide - 28th June, Spring & Airbrake

Helluva lot of gigs!

2009 looks set to be a helluva busy year on the hard rock and metal front...below are the confirmed gig dates. More to be added soon (oh yes a lot more!) once they are confirmed. Meantime, if you know more dates let me know.

Kerrang! Tour - Mandella Hall - 13/01/09
Staind - Mandela Hall - 18/01/2009
Pearl Jem - Spring & Airbrake - 30/01/2009
Soulfly - Spring & Airbrake - 05/02/2009
The Datsuns - Spring & Airbrake - 06/02/2009
Status Quo - Waterfront Hall - 04/02/09
Lamb Of God / Five Finger Death Punch/ Mass Extinction - Mandela Hall - 08/02/2009
Judas Priest/Megadeth/Testament - Odyssey Arena - 11/02/09
Hot Leg - The Limelight - 26/02/2009
Triggerman/Stand-up Guy/TTOW/Bad Boat - Auntie Annies - 05/03/09
Stiff Little Fingers/The Beat/Blood and Whiskey - Ulster Hall - 16/03/09
Eagles Of Death Metal - Spring & Airbrake - 01/04/2009
Blaze Bayley - The Rosetta - 09/04/09
AC/DC / The Answer - The O2 Point, Dublin - 18/4/09
Supersuckers / Nashville Pussy - The Limelight - 20/04/2009
In Flames / Cancer Bats - Mandela Hall - 23/04/2009
Full Metal Racket (Paradise Lost/Rotting Christ + more) -Mandella Hall -25/04/09
NOFX - Spring & Airbrake - 26/04/2009
Saxon / Sweet Savage - Mandela Hall - 26/04/2009
AC/DC - Punchestown - 28/04/09

Ormeau Park and Metallica

Seems that the rumour mill over Metallica playing Belfast's Ormeau Park has been spiralling all over the place. While any sensible metalhead would back this to the hilt there are a few facts that we have been trying to piece together. Here they are:

• Metallica have told their buddies that they want to play Belfast;
• There is an application for an entertainment event at Ormeau Park;
• A security firm has been requested to provide a crew for a possible June/July/August outdoor event in Belfast
• There are slots in Metallica's current confirmed tour diary in June and July and nothing has been announced beyond the 5th Copenhagen show.
• Belfast hasn't an indoor venue large enough to cope with the in-the-round set, but it has ben adapted for both indoor and outdoor use

So far all sounds good...but here are the contra points:

• At least one local promoter has no idea if this is real or not
• A close contact with the band has intimated that while they'd love to play Belfast again nothing has been discussed in detail yet
• The last big outdoor gig (Botanic Gardens) in Belfast ended in a row between the promoter and PSNI over bills
• The traffic management around Ormeau Park may cause objections to a large gig

All this didn't stop website that sells "legitimate pre-sale tickets" offering to secure two tickets for me for a, ahem, a reasonable booking charge. When I called them it was strange there was no answer...passed details on to the authorities and lo and behold within 30 minutes that date on the 'Tallica tour was taken down....

In other words we have to take the balance of these arguments. As those of you who may remember school/uni philosophy it all comes down to the burden of proof. As it stands the burden of proof does not rest either way....

But...the final word from an ill-informed/well-informed (you choose :) after the summer) source was that if you're serious about Metallica don't even think of booking your summer holidays til we know the exact date!

On this occassion I'll leave impartiality well outside the door and say to the promoters..."Make this happen!"

Stand back: rant-a-coming

Stand back those of a nervous disposition, there’s a rant-a-coming.

To cut to the chase a 19-year-old know-nothing has just emailed me complaining this blog doesn’t have enough ‘true metal’. Apparently posting blogs on Extreme and Feeder damage my ‘metal’ credentials.

Fear not faithful readers, I bit back the invective and did not set the raging dogs that guard metal’s hallowed gates of hell upon his pimply ass (though I do reserve that as an option!)

Instead it got me to thinking – why oh why are we still doing this genre thing again.

Currently on the Belfast Metalheadsreunited Decks of Doom are: Slipknot (once dismissed as nu-metal), Dragonforce (Euro Power Metal) Black Stone Cherry (non-drinking Southern rockers), Gojira (French Prog doom) and Pink Floyd.

As this wasn’t enough he’ll shit his pee-stained pants when he sees a post about the mighty Deft Leppard! (playing The Empire on 13th September)

But on with the rant….being an old wrinkled rocker I, and many of the readers of this blog, where about back in “the day” when a tattered motorbike jacket was de rigeur, complete with a cut-off denim adorned with patches of metal and hard rock gods (from Def Leppard to Motorhead; AC/DC to ZZ Topp, from Dan Reed Network to Dio). And we went to see Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Anthrax and Metallica amongst many others not least Ozzy, Whitesnake, MSG, Slayer etc.

Then came the 90s…

So-called music journalists conveniently forgot that grunge was inspired by Sabbath and that Kurt Cobain was trying to do what Nikki Sixx did, but couldn’t handle the shit.

To set the record straight...

Metal is not cookie monster vocals. Metal is not sub-Maiden/Metallica riffage. Metal is not glammed out partying. Metal is not Death Metal corpse paint. Metal is not stadia rock.

Metal is all of these things and more. Sometimes the mainstream tries to claim metal. Most times it ignores us. We've never needed the mainstream, the pop charts, the play-listers or the poseurs.

We are stronger when we acknowledge that this wonderful, life-affirming music style accommodates so many styles, so many talented bands, and so many good people unfortunately a few wankers who spend time dissing bands they don’t like.

If you don’t like it don’t listen to it.

When Manowar played Belfast (how many of you pimply assholes remember that!) a dear departed friend asked them what the fuck was false metal. Joey De Maio assured him that he would get his answer from the stage that night.

The bass player of Mano-baby-oiled-a-war announced from a Mandella Hall stage that “false metal was any band that didn’t have the balls to play in Belfast”.

Ok, Man-o-man-they’re-very-short-a-war, may not have been back since, but to all those who indulge in this silly, silly I’m more metal that you or we’re harder funk/rock/metal/classic/trad/prog fans than anyone else; give it a rest.

Flame wars and abusive emails are for Americans and Spides. Here in Belfast, respect the music, respect the views – until then see you at Deft Leppard, Mastodon, Loaded, Dragonforce, Airbourne, Biffy Clyro and many other hard rockin’ metal events!

Been away - but we're back

Been a long time since we all rock 'n' rolled with y'all - but we're back!

Short story, long story, in mini-version - sponsors were almost secured for the site; they asked us to hold posting for a few weeks to help get details sorted, examine proposal...two weeks went by, three weeks went by...finally after an exchange of emails...

"We're sorry, but after consideration, while the reach of your site is impressive your core demographic does not match our target audience."

Well, I'll not name them, but what did they expect with a site called Belfast Metalheads Reunited!!!!

Anyhows, anyway we're back! Plenty of posts and gig information to come up...keep reading...short info burst now:

• Airbourne's Wednesday night's gig is sold-out - but fear not the Aussie party train will be back in Belfast for a Mandella Hall appearance on 11th November - review on Thursday
• Residual Effect are back in gear with new sticksman - feature to follow
• Fucked Up play in August - feature on why the Canadian mentalists have a confrontational name and an anarchist background to come
• Don't forget Dragonforce and Turisas's October gig - new 'Force album out on August 25th - at last!

Stay tuned and keep it metal \m/