Ambitious and awesome - No Gods, No Masters

IF you set out your stall to release a trilogy of EPs under the one named package you are either very arrogant, or supremely self-confident that your songs and song-writing can stand up to scrutiny. Or, could it be that the trilogy concept suits the music output you have ready to unleash.

Thankfully for the Sinocence team this first part of No Gods, No Masters stands up to scrutiny and unleashes five intense songs, riff heavy, metal as the proverbial fuck without descending into clichés; and where melodies sung or played help paint a musical lanscape few would dare to tread.

The palette that Sinocence draw their brushstrokes from is no where clearer than the opener Coda to Self Slaughter, almost seven minutes of time changes and slightly unsettling lyrics - surely a sign that metal, at its best is both a catharsis and a chance to air the distrubing side of human nature.

West of Eden follows suit - this is not easy listening, but its listening that is essential in the pantheon of metal - or to put it another way, it stands head and shoulders above - as does almost all NI output - the twaddle and mediocrity emerging from the UK and US.

This is no unsubstantiated claim - check out the soloing in Occam's Razor, and the song contruction. Complex, yet appropriate; and with the lyrical theme that nails down the only basic fact in life - the truth is complex, but it is the truth. The refrain: "If God is love, love is war, I can't love you any more..." is haunting when it kicks in around seven minutes into the eight minutes of metal perfection.

Let's make no bones about - before the cookie monster invaded metal (and which we also have regard for here!) there was evidence in abundance that vocals did not need to be indistinguishable grunts. Sinocence do not need to indulge in vocal high jinks - clean and down to the point - no fucking around. Long Way down is an example where the tapestry of guitars, rhythm section and chorus punch you in the face.

The 7:37 conclusion - Cruelty In Silence, references previous Sinonce outings, with its pacey mid-sections and low down guitar growls amidst the melody of pain and anguish. A worthy listen!

Sinocence have been through personal tragedy and personal challenges. There is no silence hidden in this track. This is standing up, with the worthy messsage that there are things to fight for, and that it is worth saying what needs to be said, no matter whether there is an audience or not: there will be for this, but nevertheless the important truths need to be spoken.

It is hellish amibitious to release a five-track ep that has a running time as long as many artists mini or full length albums, clocking in at around 32 minutes.

It is also a tempting tease towards vols 2 and 3. We here at metal mansions are drooling in anticipation: Sinocence claim there will be "No Limitations" moving forward...now that is a bold claim, but it is one that should have metal fans ready and primed for the next releases once they have the time and energy to digest Vol 1.

Ambitious so far? Yes. In a word: awesome! ToSinocence, we doff our caps!

You will comply or get a bunch of sixes

COMPLY or Die are a band that has honing their sound of late, getting that crucial mixture of hardcore, punk and metal just right.

And with the release of double single Sixes and Three Suns the mixing bowl has churned out two might tracks.

Like Cancer Bats on speed, attitude flailing with angry purpose, both tracks deliver a firm smack in the face.

Sixes persistent riffery and and tortured delivery hides a subtlety in the arrangement, as it plunges towards a breathless climax.

The same formula batters you senseless on Three Suns, with an anguished cry of 'where can I go' punctuated with straightforwaard, no nonsense pummelling, before a breakdown gives listener and band a brief bass led breather as a tortured all too brief solo leads its way to a solid wall of riffs.

All at Sixes? We think not for Comply or Die! Shining bright in the light of those Three Suns

Went to a party and a gig broke out….

THE last time Dragonforce played the Mandella Hall, they were shambolic: the ZP era about to end and the tensions meant that Turisas stole the show. Could the Marc Hudson era resurrect their fortunes, or would the Scottish pirate metallers, Alestorm steal the show…

First up were The Defiled. Post-glam, metal, thrash, groove, industrial metal, it was difficult to put a finger on what they were, but as far as the line-up on the 27th September was concerned they were ill-matched with the following acts. Genuine no doubt, but perhaps better seen on a different billing. Potential, yes, but the bar called; after all we had to prepare for Alestorm…

Comedy? Yes. Musicianship? Yes. Stagecraft? Yes. Fun? Most definitely so!

Alestorm, on the surface, are a joke. A bunch of Scots, with one token Northern Ireland member, singing hyper speed sea shanties, two keytars and not exactly verging on the safe side of sobriety.

But the joke on record elevates itself to the very finest vaudevillian levels. The crowd are in on the joke. This is a band who are poised on the precipice of disaster, pulling the crowd with them perilously close to the rocks.

Captain Morgan didn’t have this much fun before he endorsed rum. But above all Alestorm showed that they can balance a set. After ripping through the opening few songs the speed was cranked further with Buckfast Power Smash. And then the crowd was taken to Nancy’s Tavern for some, errr, comfort. Whores and Mead were definitely available…ironic given the number of under-18s. Still, pirates did start young in the 17^th century.

Keelhauled, Captain Morgan’s Revenge, and take a bow Alestorm; because as a far as support slots go this was as good as it gets.

Were Dragonforce to disappoint? Much mutterings in the smoking area and bar before about whether they could top Alestorm.

A thinking rocker, would have taken the time to consider the similarities between the bands. Ridiculous posturing, marginally insane lyrics and superb musicianship.

This time Dragonforce hit the stage with a point to prove. No beer bottles littering the place; no stumbling and fumbling. They brought the force.

Hudson has relaxed comfortably into the role, roving the stage, engaging with the crowd and delivering a vocal performance par excellence: although some of the higher notes on Heart of a Dragon were beyond his range.

Sam Tottman was contained, using his riffing and harmony solos to counterpoint Herman Li’s exuberant shredding. Predictably they did the 'who is better than who' routine...

Opening with Holding On, they shifted Hero of Our Time impressively, before second track of their most recent album Power Within, the subtle song Seasons.

Mini-pits were breaking out all over the middle of the hall, before they dug deep into the back catalogue for Heart of the Dragon. Through the Fire and the Flame was reborn with Hudson’s delivery, while Cry Thunder was an immense closer.

With encore Valley of the Damned Dragonforce laid any doubts redundant and proved, perhaps to themselves most of all, that they are a potent force.

Hudson took the time to say that Belfast was special to his memories as the support slot with Maiden at the Odyssey had been his first ‘proper’ set with the band. Here’s hoping they’ll be back soon.

Overall, gigs can have their own dynamic, when the package is mixed right. The Defiled seem good enough in their own right, but the party roared into top gear with Alestorm, before Dragonforce laid waste. Bowling for Soup once opined that rock is funny when it tries to be serious. Alestorm and Dragonforce proved that the show, the party, the beer and the damn good music means that heavy metal has alternatives to the earnest bands, with prominent power, laughs and a good time.

Footnote: as this was an over-14s gig admission to the bar was for those with wrist bands only. Which meant that the under18s had no access to refreshments. If they did not have a parent or family friend with them there was no way that they could access water. QUB SU needs to closely examine the implications of this. Given the energy some of the young people expended the was a risk of dehydration for some of the young people. Hopefully QUB SU can resolve this, as many of the young people will be future students and gig goers at the Mandella and the SU should protect their future and the young people’s health.

Aleforce party hard...

WELL when it comes to heavy metal parties, the line-up this Thursday is hard to beat – some might even say it’s an Ultra Beatdown to release the Power Within but that would be a horrible play on the album titles of Dragonforce, destined to end up with us all in the Valley of the Damned, undergoing an Inhuman Rampage brought on by a Sonic Firestorm…. Ooops did it again!

Right – down to business: Thursday night, Mandella Hall – Dragonforce and Alestorm. Hard drinking power metallers and hard drinking Scottish pirate metallers. There is of course other bands on the bill (we’re looking forward to The Defiled, but we’re not really sure why) but let’s face it, we’ll be going along to see how shit-faced one needs to be to (a) really enjoy the sets and (b) the bands can be and still perform.

The last time Dragonforce played the Mandella Hall it would be fair to say that it was a bit of a shabby set, cliché ridden and blown off by Turisas.

But, when they played at the Odyssey, supporting Iron Maiden, there was more potency, with new singer Marc Hudson seemingly injecting new vigour into the set.

This show is the second date of their UK and Ireland tour, part of a world tour that takes in 40 countries. The assessment will be whether they can maintain the head of steam, and will the teaser as openers for Maiden live up to an appetising full-set main course. With second single from The Power Within out now, a healthy dose of that album is expected: and the chance to see how Hudson has adapted the old favourites to his own vocal style.

Oh and the usual diet of widdly guitar solos please…

As for Alestorm…well behind the fácade of silly lyrics, onstage antics and copious amounts of rum there is some nice, tight musicianship. Listen closely to Alestorm’s output and the arrangements and delivery are surprisingly good. Whether sobriety will be close enough for us to appreciate it…well who can tell.

And believe it or not there be some of ye olde party tickets are stll for sale on the door on Thursday should you not have laid your scurvy ravaged, rum-addled bodily parts on your pass to the party...

See ya all there – and remember, party hard, be good and be careful and remember to plan your Friday morning hangover cure project…

New riff on old clichés - foo reflections

SO the Fo Fighters came to town - we drank beer, we got soaked and we sang-a-long to Everlong...so fucking what?

Well, there's a lot more than that...

First off - too loud? How many eejits can be crammed into one radio phone-in whining and whingeing about a rock concert being too loud? Officialy the Foo Fighters reached 104db at one point before reining it in....boy the residents who moaned would have really hated it if Manowar were playing with their full rig.

But first and foremost the Tennents Vital show with the Foo Fighters was a great, beer soaked, rain-drenched experience [More of that later].

And Trucker Diablo were opening the show - how fucking good could it get? Unfortunately otherwise faultless organisation of the day was marred by having Trucker kick off at 3:40, just 10 minutes after the gates opened; leaving the thousands (and I mean thousands) standing around, shuffling. Apparently an issue about checking IDs led to the confusion...still what we did see (three songs) were excellent as usual from the Diablo crew, with Drink Beer, Destroy, Big Truck and new song When the Rain Comes; which of course had been coming down in torrents with accompanying thunder

The pre-Foo line-up was not to my taste, nor anyone else's in my company, still the over-priced beer was flowing and the craic was good.

Speaking of beer (which we occassionally do) the whole concept of Tennents Vital is an interesting one. It is huge a brand opportunity for Tennents, not to mention the many pints sold at £4 a pop: captive audience and all that the queues for a pint were extraordinary. Partnered with MCD this type of gig involves all sorts of arrangements that require a law degree, a business masters degree and a wealth of experience.

With 32,000 there the ticket revenue would have been more than £1.2m, but put that beside the cost of bringing the Foo Fighters (and those other bands...) you probably have the guts of £750,000 down the pan including stage set-up and sound system. Then staff costs, legal costs (you need lawyers for contracts and to get your entertainment licence through the council's committee system), the costs of the hire of the playing fields and restoration of the pitches afterwards, added into a marketing budget and it is plain that the margin when selling those tickets is tight.

Which means that MCD and Tennents are taking a risk booking Vital. Should a calculation and estimate go wrong, then there are serious losses on the cards, which can be mitigated to a certain extent, but still it is a risk that has already seen one promoter badly stung (albeit through booking a very strange line-up) and the cancellation of Sonisphere in England. Large and small, we should all take the time to all gig promoters for taking the risk everytime they book a band.

So, just over a week on, one must doff a cap to MCD and Tennents - hefty ticket prices and dear beer aside - nevertheless they offered us the chance to see an international grammy award winning rock legend in the person of Mr Grohl.

In a lengthy set Mr Grohl covered all that would be expected, with a smattering of tracks from the new album through to the greatest hit selection. For those who watched the Foos Reading slot on BBC3 you'll know that much of the stage routine and banter is pre-planned and scheduled - that's not being predictable, that's why practice makes perfect delivery. Hard rock can be a cliché at times but the Foo Fighters brought a new riff to the old formula.

It is then a challenge for the front man to hold the crowd, something which Mr Grohl manages to do rather well.

But, here comes the confusion: the choice of the Pink Floyd cover, which they played a snatch of (if you don't know what it was then you need more rock education! It's from The Wall and is a key moment in Pink's life).

The track is at the point when the rock 'n' roll dream lies in tatters and Pink's persona takes a turn towards messianic megalomania. "Pink isn't well/he stayed back at the hotel/they sent us along as a surrogate band/tofind out where you fans really stand"

What message is that sending out. Is it simply that Dave likes the riff. Is he ripping a line to the fading memory of Nirvana, or is it an ironic take on where superstardom has taken the Foo journey to.

If Dave would care to comment, we'd be most grateful.

In the meantime - thanks to Tennents, MCD, Trucker Diablo and all the Foo Fighters. Next time make sure it's even louder - we rockers like to share!

Big Truck keeps on rollin'

FOO Fighters? Yeah, they rock and Dave Grohl has the whitest teeth in the history of rock, and they're playing in Belfast at Tennents Vital: and they should be honoured - indeed I am assured they are - to be sharing the stage with Trucker Diablo!

Of course, we are a little biased, but seriously, between the Foo Fighters and Trucker Diablo it's really the only excuse to be in or near the Boucher Road in Belfast on Tuesday coming. [We have patrols out on that day and any hard rock fans found in a DIY shop or car showroom will receive a severe reprimand!]

Tennents Vital in previous yeasrs has had little to catch the eye of hard rock and metal fans - The Darkness at Botanic was the closest one we can recall in our alcohol addled state - but the combination of the Foo Fighters (and yes Mr Grohl is metal - we say so because of the Probot album!) and Trucker Diablo is simply irresistable.

There will be no other opportunity to see Trucke open the proceedings before wandering around sneering at the scenesters and the bad fringes while supping a pint or two or three or four before joining in to all those rocktastic and poptastic songs like Monkey Wrench and Learning to Fly.

For Trucker it is another step along the Big Truck's inexorable march to global domination - on Saturday they play Stendhal Festival in Limavady after an English tour in July, numerous club dates and after Vital another tour (when I have full details I'll update).

As for the Foos? Only date in Ireland, this year, or next year and in all likelihood none the following year until their gig at the Diamond rock Bar is confirmed... Enough said.

See y'all on Tuesday.

Sepultura competition

Congratulations to Alex who has won a pair of tickets to see this lot of Brazilian metal maestros

And hear new Triggerman material off this tasty wee platter:

Remember that tickets are still available for tomorrow night's (Sunday 12th August)  Limelight gig from these two metal titans - where the River Foyle meets the Amazon!

So thanks for everyone who entered lucky winner and unlucky entrants will have been sent their emails by now.

Quick! Sepultura Ticket competition!

RIGHT you lot! Very quick Sepultura ticket competition. The kind folks at CDC/Shine have offered up a pair of tickets to see the awesome pairing of Brazil's finest and Derry/Londonerry's most rauscous, Triggerman when they rip a new roof on the Limelight this coming Sunday (August 12th)

On Sunday Sepultura are in the closing stages of the world tour to back 2011 release Kairos, while Triggerman offer their latest preacher metal offering, Hail to the River Gods [Review here] to further unwitting souls.

Sepultura have been described as many things, and there has certainly been much speculation about whether 'classic' Sepultura or the Derrick Green era is the 'better' version.

All any fan of metal should really care about is the fact that they rock like bastards and are more metal than yer ma!

Kairos is an album thhat cements the Green-era, defining the band's vision, and kicks you in the nuts painfully, even when you think you know it is coming.

This is also the first tour with 20-year-old Eloy Casagrande behind the drums - and from tour reports he kicks like a mule on steroids, providing the back beat to the barely kept in check chaos unfolding in front of his drum riser.

Okay - you want us to cut to the chase...how can you win a pair of tickets?

Simply tell us what is the title of Sepultura's latest album (clue: read the feckin' paragraphs above!). Email your answer here by midday on Saturday.

And if you haven't got an email by 5pm on Saturday, pack up yer mosh boots and head along to the Limelight on Sunday.

Doors open at 8pm and there are some tickets left on the door - and if you're not there we're sending Derrick and Bap to find ya!

Saintly sinners on the Million dollar march

NORTHERN Ireland hard rock and heavy metal is riding high on the crest of the proverbial wave at the present, with bands slotted in for top support slots at Tenents Vital and at last count three finalists in the Total Biker FM talent contests, soon to be joined by at least another act.

And on Thursday one of the leading acts takes to the stage at Belfast's Empire on Thursday, 9th August, (for the Belfast launch of their album, A Sinner's Saint. [Review here.] [SEE BOTTOM FOR GIG LINE-UP UPDATE!]

A Million$Reload have been working their way steadily and surely to become real contenders, chock full of attitude and with just the right blend of Northern Ireland snarl and melod.

We caught up with  vocalist Phil Conlane as they prepared for their headline slot in this SO:NI backed event as he reflected on what seems the inexorable march of the Northern Ireland rock scene.

"I don't know what the reason is," he said, "but long may it continue. There are so many great bands from Northern Ireland it's only a matter of time before we take over the world!"

And for Million$Reload it's been a year with many highlights, not least the release of A Sinner's Saint, and good reviews in the national media (Metal Hammer accorded them a credible 'seven').

Amongst those highlights for Phil: "Finally getting the album out because it took so long to get a good deal done with the label, and it was a highlight to play Dowload."

With that in mind the band are in high spirits going into Thursday's launch.

"We're looking forward to the Belfast gug," said Phil. "The SO:NI gigs are always good and it's been a while since we've played in Belfast. And we're all looking forward to playing the new songs [from A Sinner's Saint] to the city's audience.

And, after that, Phil says the band's plans can be encompassed in three words: "Touring, Touring, Touring!"

Joining Million$Reload on stage will be the début set from Matt Fitzsimon fronted Rival Saints. Sweet Taste's new line-up complete the warm up before Million$Reload and in the midnight slot are Fermanagh's Filthy Angels: A night of Sins, Saints, Angels and damn fine hard rock. Doors are 8:30pm and pay yer dues of a measly £5 to gain entry!

A Sinner's Saint from Million$Reload is out now on Frontiers, and it's available in all good record stores - here's evidence of a few still available on HMV if you want to stock up in advance!

[And don't forget people to vote for Northern Ireland acts By Any Means and Warcrux in the latest Total Biker FM talent contests with Double Wide, Sinocence and Swanee River already through to the finals!]

GIG LINE-UP UPDATE:

Rival Saints will not now be appearing and their slot will be taken by The Screaming Eagles

Lucky 13 for massively impressive Magnum

LET'S face it, we've always had a soft spot for Magnum: great guys, great music and something uniquely of these island in terms of their sound.

But as they now have the title - like it or not - as elder statesment of British melodic rock, can they still deliver. In 2011 Visitation hinted that they could still pound out to the template of earnest vocals from Bob Catley, backed by the guitar tapestries of Tony Clarkin and the sweep and swoop of Mark Stanaway's keyboard. So well received was it that Visitation charted in the UK album charts at 55 and topped the UK rock chart.

New release On The 13th Day hits the racks in September and fans are in for a treat.

Our assocation with Magnum goes back to their performance in QUB's Speakeasy during the On A Storyteller's Night tour, backed by Dublin's Winter's Reign. Bob Catley - total all round top bloke - took the time to come across and spend time with fans in the QUB History Department's Common Room.

When they returned a year later on the Vigilante tour to Belfast's Ulster Hall they still proved to be all round nice guys as well as dynamic and bombastic perforners.

That was in the late 80s. This is 2012. With the new release can they maintain the momentum of Visitation, and capture that sound that enthralled Belfast audiences and was a constant presence on Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show?

The answer is a loud hell yeah!

From opener All the Dreamers to closer From Within this is a tour de force of how progressive melodic rock should be delivered.

Catley's vocal performance has matured and has also added a dark menace as on the track Dance of the Black Tattoo to complement his usual soaring consistency.

Clarkin's guitar work is measured and rolling and swaying on Shadow Town, with Stanway tight and light,  the duo adding a lush landscape as the song develops towards a lovely chorus with a message.

Title track - On the 13th Day - is Magnum at their best: riffs integral to the song structure, not dominating; solo journeys tight as hell; and, Catley raising his game as the pre-chorus suddenly develops into sincere lyrical rhetoric for the state of this world faced with austerity and misery for millions.

Magnum prove they are not only relevant, but keep the promise that hard rock has a place in the heads and hearts of a sizeable chunk of the population. This album carries itself, not with the swagger of rockers content just to churn out what they made their name from: no, Magnum play here as if they were young début artists who demand your attention and that demand is easily answered.

And as an extra wee lift for long time fans the cover is by long time associate Rodney Matthews.

On The 13th Day is released on Steamhammer/SPV on September 24th

Ballsy Bakken burst forth with power début

REGULAR readers know we here at Belfastmetalheadsreunited have no time for labels. Yeah, sometimes you need to add a wee classification, but if it's good metal, hard rock or punk then that's all needs to be said.

Bakken could, potentially have several labels attached to them, but they deserve more than to be labelled as thrash/classic metal/NWOBHM/power metal crossovers. The sum of the parts is more - much more
Having burst forth from seemingly nowhere they have produced a life-affirming album, Death Of A Hero, which is to be released in September. Hold on to your hats people, because Bakken have produced a spectacular début platter.

For a band who have had their fair share of turmoil and tragedy is remarkable that they have emerged with fists pumping, guitars roaring and a pounding defiance that whaever fate has thrown their way they can emerge stronger.

Album opener Darkest Day is eight minutes plus of snarl, riffs, rumbling with a Maiden-esque rhythm and a contemporary structure. Niall McGrotty's drums and Brian O'Kane's bass the power-house upon which the song is built.

With Simon Pickett's vocals dripping with attitude the flesh of the track is on Pickett's and Mark-Anthony McGinnis's twin guitar attack the template is set for the rest of the album.

Up next Mystic Mogul and Cursed are now available from the band to listen to for free. Mogul has more than a slice of NWOBHM at its heart, with Pickett's vocals taking a slightly higher tone, emphasising the roots of the song. Cursed [sampler below] has more of a contemporary feel; steady paced and chopped chords breaking up the riffs; married with a chant of the title makes a perfect setting for the middle eighths and breakdowns.

However, debts any twin guitar act have to their predecessors must be paid: self-proclaimed Lizzy fan Pickett pays that debt in full in Sasquatch, with a Celtic feelign series of harmony guitars layering together nicely.

The album closer Voyage of Aodh is perhaps where the depth of the band can be found. After a heavy opening, subtleties of structure, slower sections and emotive lyrics build up over almost eight minutes; there is a feeling in the complexities of prog metal, a dash of black metal and a cap nicely doffed to the likes of In Flames, pace varies, tempos change before a headlong rush of melodic guitar lines, underpinned with impressive drum lines and rampant bass.

In pulling together this album - other tracks are the equally impressive Back to the Future, Get Back to Your Feet, and Fortress of Evil - Bakken have laid down a marker of future intent. All in all a welcome addition to the local output that surprises with its depth and delights with its structures in this ballsy début release

I've got a band, got some tunes...what next?

IT's a difficult time out there, economically, with austerity the word of the political day. And, with an ever-growing number of bands cutting tracks, what can you do to make sure your hellraising, hard rockin', ass-kickin' outfit of rock 'n' rollin', headbanging, axe-wielding mean mothers stand out from the crowd.

On more than one occassion Belfastmetalheadsreunited have been asked for some PR or marketing advice. Some know, as principal writer for the site I cut my teeth with six plus years full-time journalism, before 15 years in PR; some even know I have been part of an award-winning PR team.

But, sometimes advice given to a band for free, isn't always valued the way paid advice. Nevertheless, I cringe at some the basic errors that bands make as they try to make sure their work receives the right audience at the right time. Of course a large part of that is if you manage to get signed by a major label and they help out with the hard business of distribution.

So, below are some hints and tips to help out as undergo the metal odyssey of a crowded media marketplace, all the more complicated by that 'tinterweb beast.

Put it bluntly, following these tips won't get you a major deal and a million-selling, but they might help you.

One sheet

Right, if you don't known what a one sheet is, now is the time to learn. You will not get anywhere quickly without a one-sheet. As the name says it is information about your band that can fit on to one sheet of paper, even if it is in electronic version.

At the top the basic details: list who you are, what the album is called, catalogue number, etc and possibly where you are from. Nice to put a picture of yer ugly mugs beside it, or the cover of your latest album or ep release.

Then simply describe yourselves in three or four concise paragraphs, and details of the release. Put web links and contact information at the bottom. Using a text box list the band members (and what they play), the track list of your release and any relevant discography.

Photographs

You want the groupies to know who you are don't ya? Okay, that suonds very 1980s and your missus might kill ya if you're caught, so be careful out there; still it is important for the hordes of autograph hunters out there to recognise you.

If you can't afford a professional photoshoot then get hold of a decent SLR and have someone who knows how to use at least the autofocus. And remember of you're a death metal band don't go all smiley. Equally, no matter what genre of punk, hard rock or metal you are in, do not, under any circumstances scowl. It makes you look like a neandrathral with a headache.

Wear your stage clothes for the pics! Sounds simple, but that's how people recognise you (and if you don't have clothes that you regard as stage clothes then....get some now and set them aside as your live gear).

Pick a good backdrop for the shoot. In Northern Ireland there are dozens if great locations if you don't have access to a studio. Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Csstle, Giant's Ring, Loch Erne, Loch Neagh, bridges across rivers (Foyle Bridge?), industrial sites...take your pick for the pic.

Writing

Everyone thinks of themselves as a great writer. You're not. Lyrics, yes, blurb no. Even after writing every day since I left the hallowed institution of advanced drinking, called university, I learn something new about writing every time my little fingers grace a keyboard. Get a mate to look over what you do, have band colleagues check it out, and use all the writer's tools: metaphors, alliteration, etc etc but no adverbs!

Hype kills. Every music journalist despises bands who claim they are the best thrash/rock/death/black/industrial/old school act to pick up an axe. You are not. Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Amon Amarth, The Answer, Behemoth are all rightly at the top of their genre. Do NOT under any circumstances claim to be the best ever/the definitive/greatest exponent. You're at the start of your journey to stardom - you're not superstars yet!

It helps if you can reference acts that you are similar to. If you look at the reviews section of many of the major magazines, quite often they'll tail the review with a simple line: For fans of...


Journalists

They're all scum, right? Wrong. Unlike the tabloid press, most music journalists are generally interested in the music. And if they work on Metal Hammer or Terroriser they're not likely to be into Kylie Minogue. That also means they are very discerning. While blogs tend to be more effusive or more vicious, again most are fans first, bloggers or magazine reviewers next. First off, if you get a bad review, get over it, suck it up and use it to motivate yourself for your next show.

Next, develop relationships with music journos - no not that type of relationship! Make sure you know they're Twitter names, like them on Facebook, find out they're email address to send tracks to, or even if you have a hard copy of your latest release ask if you can get their address to send it to them, they appreciate it. Don't get downhearted if they don't review it, but a polite request for feedback can produce wonders. Remember - polite.

While the main music magazine writers get paid, most blog sites get a pittance, or nothing at all for their efforts bar the music to review or a +1 into a gig.


Social Media

This is the area where so many bands screw up  - thankfully very few in Northern Ireland make the mistakes other bands to. The community nature of much of the music here means that there is a mutual support.

Do NOT beg for people to check you out, listen to this, listen to that. If you have content to share, just say it. Think, what sounds better: "Check out or fantastic new music video!" Or: "We've just released new video - what do you think of it?"

The latter line invites people to watch it and give you feedback. And then you can re-tweet that or give it a like on Facebook.

Find out who is following you and liking you. Follow them back, apprecite it and send them a thank you.

Other bands are in the same position, roughly, as yourselves. Follow them, like their content and make sure you mention when they are gigging - that usually means they'll return the favour.

People follow/like other people who share good content - therefore make sure you are regarded as a good source for other 'stuff' and it pays off.

Do NOT ever, ever post/tweet anything involving nudity, anythingm sexist, rascist, sectarian or otherwise stupid. It will cost you, it could lead to being unfollowed, and people mouthing off about you. Such posts are not big, and they're not clever.

And do NOT pester anyone. It sounds desperate.

It's business

Yeah - it's called show business, and while you're delivering the show, the business side can slide. Set aside some time to make sure that you are taking care of business. Simple things help you a lot. Does your band have a bank account? It helps organise your finances - and means you can out aside the money for buying merch, for example, or petrol money for going to play gigs. It really is simple. If travelling to a gig costs £20 in petrol, withdraw that, and deposit the fee you receive (if any) together with merch or CD sales.

Yes, I know you want to practice every spare moment, but a fortnightly band meeting to agree the finances really helps everything stay on an even keel. Agree who and when you're posting items on social media, which journalists you're contacting and sending stuff to.

Management? Do you need it? Can you afford it, or are you better doing it yourself? And, should you decide that you need management, some basic rules. Never pay an up front fee; check out their track record; ask for references from other bands; get everything in writing; and, make sure you have someone professional, or experienced to check over any contract before you sign it.

Equally, be very, very careful should a label approach you. Membership of the Musians Union is a valuable investment. You can benefit enormously.

Equally, think carefully before you agree to any marketing or distribution deals.


And, finally...

Your music should stand up large enough for you to gain some form of acknowledgement, the rest is common sense.

Be polite, be courteous ["Thanks for that review", "Hey, thanks for following us.Here's a link to our latest single", "Cheers man, that was nice of you"].

And then, rock as hard as you can, to quote Metallica, "bang that head that doesn't bang" and enjoy yourselves! You know your music is good, you know that you are always learning, and when you tip that first post-gig beer back you will know that not only have you delivered a 'cracking' set, but that all that time on Twittter, Facebook, contacting journos and sharing other bands' material will mean that you are amongst friends


If you have other tips you want to share with other bands, or friends, post them in the comment box, or if you want to contact me directly, my email addy is here.

Forged in fire, tempered by tragedy

"GOOD music is something to fall back on in tough times." The words of Bakken's Simon Pickett, when we caught up with the lead singer and guitarist of Northern Ireland outfit Bakken as they prepare to launch their début album 'Death of a a Hero' in just over a month's time.

And Bakken are a band that knows how much it means to have music pull you through. Simon contracted a serious illness and another band member lost a close relative in tragic circumstances. But as a result of this Bakken have pulled through, are a tighter unit and make what statements they need through their music.

Simon spoke to us about the process of recording the album enabled them to move on, grow and develop - reflecting as many readers of this blog know, metal isn't always about darkness.

"It's fair to say that some of the band has had a horrible last few years," he said. "But as I'm sure most metal fans do, I always feel that good music is something to fall back on in tough times.

"When we started the band I was still quite sick and was obviously quite depressed, but I found that airing some of the negative emotions and frustrations I felt through music was a really cathartic process and helped me through it.

And that catharis has produced an inner strength; "For me, heavy metal (or at least the bands I like) always have a positive vibe or an element of strength and hope in the music and this was the same for me when I was writing the songs.

"I like to think that this really stands out in our music too and that other people listening to it can find the positive messages in there and be inspired themselves.."

That musical inspiration can be something apparent as musicians step on to the stage, when a mixture of nerves, angst and excitement bubble into the best of sets. Getting ready for the studio is a different matter.

Simon explained that Bakken were prepared for the challenge: "We actually had the songs very well mapped out as demos and practiced them hard before we gigged them, so that made things a lot easier in the studio.

"Having said that, the pro level studio experience was new adventure for all of us and it took us a bit longer than originally planned to record the whole album, mostly due to the complex nature of some of the songs."

They also had - like many taking to a professional studio for the first time - the challenge of making sure that the live vibe was not lost in the studio.

"Capturing the live feel was quite difficult but was important for us," said Simon. "Specifically we wanted to avoid using a constant unchangeable click track beat wherever possible as this can make some sections sound dull and monotonous.

"We also stayed true to the equipment we use live and tried to resist the temptation of layering the instruments too much. Most of the time there are only two rhythm guitars playing which retains the percusive raw edge to the sound; the vocals also have a raw live feel about them too."

So what can the listener expect from Bakken? The one-sheet explains that they are a mix of classic metal, NWOBHM and thrash. It's a heady mix on Death of a Hero [Review to come later] with early Bruce era-Maiden, Diamond Head, and Thin Lizzy caught up in structures and styles fans of the likes of In Flames, and the better Trivium songs will recognise. They are all clear influences, but they are not slavishly followed.

"The influences are quite obvious to those versed in classic metal," explained Simon. "As the main song writer my main influences come from my love of 70s and 80s rock and metal, Thin Lizzy, Queen, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Helloween, etc.            

"Niall is a hard hitting drummer who is a fan of very heavy contemporary bands and is very skilled at fast “double kick” drums, something we used a lot in the album; also Mark-Anthony (the second guitarist) is also a huge thrash metal fan (as I am too), so combined with these harder influences I like to think we have created a fairly unique sound that doesn't compromise on either melody or heaviness."

But it's not just metal that Simon draws his influences from - he has a musical reference point in common with the late Cliff Burton.

"In terms of finding unique inspiration, I often listen to classical music (composers like Mozart and Bach) [Burton was a skilled classical musician who cited Bach frequently] which has definitely opened up my mind to incorporating innovative approaches to composition.

"For instance, a lot of the time, the two guitars and the bass are playing different things, which when added together give a full, more complex sound. You mentioned contemporary influences like Trivium; some people often comment that we sound a bit like them, although I wouldn't say this would be a result of a direct influence but more probably from a shared set of classic metal influences. That's not to say there aren't any modern bands that influence our style; personally I am a huge fan of melodic death metal bands like Children Of Bodom and In Flames, these influences often creep in to our music too, so its a real mixing pot I think."

Death of a Hero is the soundtrack of a band that has emerged from dark times, who have feen forged in fires of misfortune, but used tragedy to temper their attitude into an honest reflection of how metal can birth hope, and, as epitomised by the words of Simon brings hope and strength.

Review to come later... 

Thrash it to death...after a bit of flaying of course

WE suspect that the good people of Somerset have been boosting the strength of the scrumpy and cider - how else could one possibly explain the sheer ferocity of Flayed Disciple, whose latest release - Death Hammer - landed with a suitable thud on the metal mansion doormat courtesy, of the good people at Grindscene Records.

Flayed Disciple are not the sort of cuddly band to introduce your ma to, even if she still hankers aftedr being a milf rock chick.

These natives of Taunton have released mixture of thrash and death metal that pins yer ears back at the audacity of some of the arrangements. As regular readers know I care not the names many sub-genres of metal are labelled with; if its good, then it needs no label and Death Hammer is a damn good album. Not for the faint-hearted, but good nevertheless.

Riffage from the golden era of thrash in the 80s is forced via guitars weeping in pain into a contemporary feel, with Tim Whyte's vocals at times threatening to become so guttural that passing whales can be thrown off course at the ulstra low frequencies.

Lyrically they are not afraid to tackle themes familar to those of us with one juaundiced eye on the news, the vile Westboro baptists - the church that threatened to protest at Dio's funeral - merit themselves the Flayed Disciple treatment on 'The Westboro Massacre'.

As the album builds the guitars of Thurston Howe and Jon Whitfield grow into a mixture of tight groove and at times searing, soaring heights. To be fair, it is probably the second or third listen before you can 'get' the complexities of this pairing. The clever, but not overdone, use of a few samples - vocal mainly - serves to accentuate their work.

By the time you get to 'Interceptor' you can fully appreciate the rhythm work - it is no mean task for any rhythm section to hold down the precarious balance between thrash and the more modern death interpretations of timings. Paul Williams (bass) and Phil Tolfree (drums) seem to freely interchange who exactly is taking the lead to ensure that tracks such as 'Exodus' and 'Bleaching in the Sun' maintain a dyamism.

The album stands out - to these ears anyway - largely with closing trio, which have titles not for sensitive Bon Jovi fans. 'Torsofucked', 'Ejaculate While Killing' and 'Pig' are blistering. All three are noteworthy with different takes on the Flayed Disciple template, but it is album closer 'Pig' that lays down eight plus minutes of sheer, unadulterated dark joy: how the hell anyone is meant to stay in the pit for that long is another question in and of itself, given the pace and dexterity of this aggression.

Death Hammer is the first time we at the metal mansion have come across Flayed Disciple - and hears to the next time. Once again Grindscene have caught the right band at the right time, with the right extreme edge in the metal spectrum.

A million sins and dollar saints

JOHN Cougar Mellancamp once said that rock music had begun to bore him, because it was the same three or four chords just changed around a bit. Mr Mellancamp's boredom could be cured quite easily here in Northern Ireland where whiskey-soaked and beer drenched good times show the true path of hard rock.

And, he could do worse than check out the sinners, the saints and the party underway as Million$Reload unleash their new album shortly.

But, what is more this is a band that is aware of just what it is, just what it does and understands that clichés are all part of the magic of rock - after all a chliché by its very definition comes into common use because of the fact that it has rather tautalogically become a truism.

Rather than try to ignore the path of goodf honest hard rockin' Million$Reload's latest offering's penultimate track - Pretty People - acknowledges that in the bar rooms and the clubs rock - and its bastard spawn are cluttering up the world with the very worst chat up lines...and from that clutter A Sinner's Saint emerges head a shoulders above the many pretenders.

It's an album that is best enjoyed either speeding down the motorway with the top down, or in a packed house, beer flowing and a crowd of raucous mates. Live Million$Reload deliver and to a large extend A Sinner's Saint captures that energy.

Opening with the statement of intent Fight the System it is followed by a brace of tracks - Bullets In The Sky and Blow Me Away - that have more hooks than a shark fisherman; singalong, raise your fist songs.

But anthems and catchy choruses are not the only things that Million$Reload can deliver. Boy bands and R&B artists will be sucking the barrels of 9mms at the thought that bands from Northern Ireland can produce tracks like Broken. Rather than trying to re-invent the wheel on Broken Million$Reload just make it run smoother than melting cream off any body part you choose. And what is more Broken is life-affirming...

Amidst the party rockin' there is a lyrical depth, with Broken, Pretty People and album closer It Ain't Over all showing that just because some people think hard rock is dumb ass music doesn't mean it is.

Singer, Phil Conlon delivers the lines with aplomb and a cock suredness that only frontmen intent on getting their lungs a solid workout really can. And he is sure about what A Sinner's Saint stands for.

“Rock ‘n’ roll is escapism…you can forget about your everyday troubles and woes, rock out, sing and scream along, have a beer and a smoke!” he said “It’s nothing new, this kind of balls-out rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s been buried away these last few years because too many people in the industry wrote it off as old fashioned and out of touch, but people are beginning to realise what proper rock ‘n’ roll really is!”

With the twin guitar attack of Andy Mackle and Brian Mallon backed by the ryhthm section of Kie Murray (bass) and Sean McKernan (drums) behind Phil it is easy to believe that it is time for the industry to take off the blinkers and get behind Million$ Reload - they are in the vanguard of a music scene in Northern Ireland that, if the world is a just and proper place, should be given the chance to explode worldwide.

A Sinner's Saint? Lead me to the path of righteous rock oh Sinning Saint...

Across Europe A Sinner's Saint is available on Frontiers Records from 29th June and in North America from July 3rd.

Blasting from the past comes one Ms Ford

ON Monday (18th June) Lita Ford came blasting back from her past with a snarling defiant single finger to the doubters, to the people who may have hurt her, and to the ones who have dismissed this once Runaway.

For younger readers Lita Ford was amongst the first real all-female rock group, The Runaways, with a punk snarl, overt sexuality and a penchant for being ripped by management: hell they even made a movie of their journey from top to bottom.

While her partners in Runaways crime went on to different careers, including one Ms Joan Jett, Lita Ford took what she learned and paved her own metal furrow with tunes like Kiss Me Deadly and a duet with Ozzy ("If I Close My Eyes Forever").

After a spell in semi reclusion, Lita Ford is back; punk sensibilities and rock tonality all mixed in with her sense of what makes a good tune, what riff mixes best, and most of all a defiance that swats away any doubts that this once teenage sex symbol can still cut it.

Then new release, Like a Runaway, is full to the brim of tracks that stay embedded in the soul, like Asylum, Relentless and Love 2 Hate U.

But while this is a statement of intent, an album where Ford allows full expression to inner and outer demons, her personal issues are dealt with sensitivity and with clarity, especially on the title track and Mother.

Her determination not to become a footnote in rock history is laid out on Relentless - and with lyricist Michael Dan Ehmig, she has captured about herself and the intent of recording this collection.

"There have been days in my life when I ran away, when I was unhappy and had to get out of my previous life," Lita confesses. "It's like walking through fire and being able to come through the other side unscathed.

She continues: "I wanted to write an album which gives people couragle, inspires them and gives them new power, in other words the power of music."

The power of music and fans was emphasised when Rob Flynn of Machine Head introduced Darkness Within recently in Belfast, and although coming from different points of view, it's that power that can heal and raise hope.

"...I want this music to help people to get through tough times, while remembering their happy times as well," said Lita. "It's happened to me plenty of times: fans come up to me and tell me how my songs have helped them in difficult situations, in a way its almost like a soundtrack to their lives"

This is a life-affirming album, with perhaps the only downer being the Nikki Sixx penned track, A Song to Slit Your Wrist By; which has at its heart a great tune, but is the only track which lacks the space to let the passion flow easily.

There are some who would write off the likes of Ms Ford as older rockers for older rockers, which misses the point. Good hard rock keeps on giving and Ms Ford has gave us a platter of par excellence hard rock and roll, with a metal twist and a punk punch.

Living Like a Runaway is now out in SPV/Steamhammer.

Preach the rock, pull the trigger

THE first time we at Belfastmetalheadsreunited had the privelege to witness Triggerman we dipped our heads in the time-honoured sense and nodded our bonces in time to their beer-soaked, whiskey-drenched fervour. We had witnessed the dawn of Preacher Metal.

Since then the Derry outfit has grown stronger and tighter with each outing.

Now we have in 2012 their latest platter of delight on our decks and once again the Riff Holds Sway. Hail to the River Gods is an evolution where gradual change has merged the nighty back catalogue of Triggerman's releases into a coherent set of new raucous riff-tastic sounds.

This is a band ready to stomp on the stoner vibe, bash the clichés of biker rock with size ten boots and where singer/guitarist Bap once more is in the pulpit and his dark sermons take us on journeys of mysticism, wakes and geography lessons...

Geography lessons? Right kiddies, if you're asked about precipitation in geography class, or if older listeners want to show off, one wondrous lyric explains rain and the cycle of water life. The title track explains: "The mount feeds the river, the river feeds the sea, the sea feeds the sky..." A nice summary of why if feckin' empties out the heavens here; surrounded by seas and oceans, ringed by mountains and wet. And this is why you must never (at pain of a good kicking) never confuse what Triggerman do as 'Stoner Rock'.

Stoner rock emerged out of the dry desert, with weed and contemplation, with a glazed look and a gently nodding head. Triggerman rip that head off and shit riffs down its neck. The ...River Gods are from the Oak Leaf County and the shillelagh carved from oak is weilded at mediocrity as surely as the guitar and bass of Triggerman are knitted hand in glove withy a stomping drumbeat.

Sure, on 'Wake The Dead' a cap is doffed to Queens of the Stone Age as the sing opens, but then pretty boy Josh Homme has his face seared off by an ode to the tradition of toasting the departed with a good ol' binge.

Opener 'Rage of the Goddess' taps into the power of the 'weemen' in ancient Irish history, but this no shrinking violet goddess, nah, this is a goddess with sharp teeth and nails honed to a point if you mess with her.

By the time you've captured the rage and riff of '...Goddess', 'Rise of the Woodsmen' and '...River Gods' your thirst will have risen and you will only be able to slake it with 'Thon Strange Brew'. A glorius tone poem to the restorative powers of what fundamentalist preachers call 'The Devil's Buttermilk' but we just know as booze.

'Thon Strange Bews' might leave youn hungover and headachey the next day, but as your hands shake you know it was worth every gulped paracetemol and fry up because you had one helluva night, and even though you're not sure how you got home, it was never a beer too many.

'Flower of Life' rips along at a steady, pummelling pace before the album closes with a peak at the place we can only see with satellites, 'The Blind Side of the Moon'. Here Bap opens with a faux American twang, the tempter gently offering us all that we need, all that we want and all the power...sounds like a politician. But as the power rips apart the soft promises the lyric is a rejection of the fake, the frauds and a welcome to freedom.

And it is the freedom of expression that is the hallmark of '...River Gods'.

Pop along to their web site, order yourself a copy and check out the next time you can see Triggerman live. You won't regret either buying the album or seeing the riffs slay in reality. You'll hear Preacher Metal, where the sermon is on theme of the water of life, sometimes known as whiskey, and where you'll just need a beer chaser or eight to make sure you've got 'Thon Strange Brew' of booze and rock.

When did Norn Iron become a metal mecca?

YOU just got to wonder when Norn Iron became a rock and metal mecca - was it something that someone said; did Rob Flynn's praise go on to some secret booking agent's hotline; did Lemmy say "Belfast? Nice town"; did someone notice that UFO keep coming back again and again; or is it just the fact that we produce so many shit hot bands that acts want to check us out.

Of course the cynical amongst you may argue that bands will look for a few extra quid either side of festival dates or UK tours, but to hell with you! We should just glory in the fact that so many bands are coming here.

Announced this week is a visit by Sepultura on August 12th just after their Bloodstock appearance. And don't forget this Tuesday, Lamb of God will be recovering from a soggy Download in the dry and sweaty environs of the Mandella Hall.

Unfortunately owing to circumstances beyond my control I can't be at Download but daughter is helping make up the Belfast metal numbers.

But if Lamb of God is a wee bit on the heavy side for ya, then Tuesday also sees Stormzone at the Limelight with a personage who goes by the name of Sebastian Bach, you may have heard of him in some wee act called Skid Row...

Ahh the summer, where blossoms bloom, where cold glasses of wine [Editor's Note: surely not wine? Beer or nothing!] sit awaiting imbibing and where Iced Earth will, somewhat ironically raise the temperature in August.

Oh I ncould witter on for years about this stuff, but with several albums and singles to review, is it enough to mention that Anthrax are playing hetre, so are Dragonforce, Alestorm, Y&T, Bowling for Soup and there are dozens of local gigs coming up too! Check out RockRadioni's gig guide for a pretty comprehensive listing!

Feel it in your heart, your head, your soul; and may you embrace the metal

FROM the outside there is something faintly ridiculous about heavy metal – bunch of long haired types, cramming into a sweaty venue, fuelled by drink and rage at our dystopian society, shaking their heads as if trying to kill all remaining brain cells and slamming into each other with a ferocity verging on synchronised self-harm.

From the inside there is a pure, honest glory; the glory of release; halfway between catharsis and sheer abandon; dervishes driven by power chords; minds set ablaze by lyricism and borderline lycanthropy. Inside the Ulster Hall on May 28^th the glory, the power and the unbridled joy that is heavy metal landed like a tow ton hammer determined to smash the venerable old building’s foundations into submission.

Machine Head – better known as Machine Fucking Head to those in the know – are ironing out any kinks in their set after the Eighth Plaque tour of the US and the festival circuit across Europe. As declared from the stage Machine Head have a special affinity with the island of Ireland and Belfast in particular.

That they keep coming back is a tribute to promoters and the band’s sheer bloody mindedness.

Kicking off the show were Dublin hopefuls Dead Label, who warmed up the slowly filling hall with their full on approach. Definitely a band with prospects, they however, were at times one dimensional, and the precussion while precise relied too much on crash and ride cymbals rather than using these as punctuation. This experience will help hone their skills, but we have to ask why a Dublin band was given this slot when so many Northern Ireland bands that gig constantly, produce solid releases and, we would contend, are more experienced are not given these opening slots?

Evile were the filling in the sandwich between openers and the main attraction. With Evile you know what you get. Straight forward (well as far as thrash can be straightforward technically speaking!) thrash that lays it down as if grunge and hair metal never happened.

In a quick, frenetic blast through old and new releases Evile brought a simmering Ulster Hall close to boiling point, with new song ‘Cult’ being notable together with ‘…Pit’ in provoking the first half serious moshing.

They may not be everyone’s cup of thrash tea – and some damn them unfairly for apparently not being born when thrash was at its height – but Evile have developed a skill level and dexterity that trounces the naysayers. And announcing a headline slot at The Limelight on October 20^th was one sure way to endear themselves to the crowd even if a good percentage of their fans won’t be old enough to get in let alone take a refreshing sherbert.

But when it comes to a band that crosses generational boundaries its Machine Head; not because they’ve been around for almost 20 years and not because they deliver crushing riffs, hummable solos and choruses right out of the 80s metal playbook. No, it is because they touch at the sheer unadulterated delight of metal; the delight that sees strangers roar in each others’ faces, not in anger, but in primal howls of pleasure.

New(ish) album Unto the Locust was given most airplay, but after all that’s only fair. And they were equally fair to diehard fans with older songs and an impressive stage show.

Full-on crowd participation was the order of the night, and there was little need for the call to arms from the stage, although the banter about trying to be louder than Dublin is a little old for even Machine Head.

Flynn commended Belfast for its intensity, but this is a reciprocal arrangement. The more intense the performance, the more intense of the crowd response, which feeds off the band’s intensity and so on, creating a virtuous heavy metal feedback loop.

With faultless performances of Sonata and Be Still and Know pushing already boiling temperatures that bit higher by the time Imperium was pounding out febrile fans down the front were rabidly calling out the songs.

Literacy is a hurdle that many bands fall over as they attempt to construct songs and the lyric. Clichés too often abound. But Machine Head – and Rob Flynn in particular know that the two are wed. As he outlined onstage Locust is an allegory for a certain type of doomed relationship, but Darkness Within is on another level.

It is an ode to the power of heavy metal. In what felt like a genuinely heartfelt tribute to Belfast, Flynn recalled the band’s 94 support tour with Slayer, saying that Belfast was the second date on a tour that saw four young Californians first trip outside the States, to be greeted by armed police and soldiers and fans with an intense love of heavy metal. He spoke of how metal touches at the hearts, reaches its dark fist into your soul to bring light and how background mainstream and dance ‘music’ can never, ever match the peerless ferocity of metal.

Encores saw Halo delivered with its usual guitar-laden aplomb and then ‘Freedom Rang with a shotgun blast’ as Davidian ended the night.

There will always be naysayers who readily knock any band, but they are a tiny minority when it comes to Machine Head. They’ve earned every ounce of their success; they deserve every plaudit. Once they were asked live whether they were thrash metal, black metal etc etc. Rob Flynn and Phil Demmell looked blankly at the camera and said: “We’re just a heavy metal band!” All hail that sentiment.

HEAVY FECKIN’ BELFAST

LET’S face it, with all this unseasonal sunshine and the thermometer sitting at stupid hot degrees centigrade, we rock and metal fans are left to glower at the showers of summer frocks and pink-skinned spides stalking Northern Ireland’s streets.

Well, you know what? They can piss away off because the only fashion sense you need is a black t-shirt and jeans of cammos. And if it really is too warm, get the scissors out. Instant cropped top tour shirt and trim those trous to shorts.

Because when you step inside the hallowed halls of metal, the temperature already is at boiling point and the bands just crank it that wee bit further, because when it comes down to it metal is stoked from the fieriest pits of hell.

Tonight, things get even hotter that any of Danté’s imagined circles of hell when Machine Fucking Head descend on to unsuspecting mortals in their pre-Download attempt to rip the Ulster Hall a new arsehole.

Hard to imagine it, but Rob Flynn and his merry band of metal monsters have been crushing like the proverbial two ton hammer for almost 20 years, but over the last three albums they have become a real force – like the plague of locusts that

And the allegory of locusts now stands as not only the band’s new(ish) album title track, but also like the fans who are becoming more ready to devour any output from the band.

And as far as Roby Flynn goes, playing metal, for as long as he has done now, ripping it up for fans is the only course he knows. He told one interviews:

“I’ve been playing in bands since I was 15 years old. I’ve been on tour since I was 18. I don’t really know anything else, so I’ve never had a Plan B — this kind of had to work.

“I think when you try and tackle something with that much tenacity you make it work. A lot of people told me how I should get a Plan B, but I don’t want a Plan B, this is what I want to do.”

If you want to see why Mr Flynn and his Machine Head compatriots do not need a Plan B then get down tonight to the Ulster Hall to see Machine Fucking Head, with retro-thrashers Evile and and Dead Label…

And  if that isn’t enough, think on fellow madmen and madwomen of the metal flock. Post-Download we have the mighty Lamb of God to come…Heavy Feckin’ Belfast indeed!

Machine Fuckin' Head...no excuses now

RIGHT arseholes,  no excuses now. The two winners of the Machine Head ticket competition have been drawn. If you haven't received your email by now then deepest regrets, but you've no excuses left, get your fingers out of your rear end and buy your own tickets for the May 28th, Ulster Hall show.

Why? Well Machine Head are one of the most important bands leading the charge to make sure metal is remembered amidst a world of mediocrity; where the mainstream has waved goodbye to credibility; they're a band who have been through more ups and downs than a roller coaster in an earthquake zone, and have emerged stronger, harder and tighter than a shark's sphincter.

When they hit Belfast it will be a warm-up for an hour-long second headline slot at Download: acclaim from the metal world that Machine Head are climbing yet further towards the upper echelons, and are near the very top.

They are touring the new album 'Unto the Locust', an album which shows a band confident in ability and songwriting. From the ascent back that began with 'Ashes...' to the battle cry of 'Blackened' Machine Head are now in a place where they can release black paeons to the power of music in the 'Darkness Within' to threat of the title track - right through a worthy addition to the Machine Head catalogue.

More later on Machine Fucking Head, but right now remember to head along to your usual outlet or Ticketmaster and make sure you're there!

If Iggy had been a woman and from Dublin...

IF Iggy Pop has been a woman and from Dublin then there is a certain chance he would have been a Panther Queen...

Yep Vengeance and the Panther Queen, with the release of the début ep have encapsulated the insanity of prime time Iggy before he started selling car insurance.

And let's face it when the title of the ep is "We Who Feel Our Lobes of Penitence Groped By Things With Petrol Claws" you know that sanity has been left lonely on the doorstep while the party rages on indoors.

As regular readers will know this blog does not believe in classifying the multitude of genres that print mags inpose on music. Where they would start in classifying Vengeance and the Panther Queen is another matter. The PR blurb describes them as "Irish Punk-Mental-Party Rock Metallists" which is sort of right, but not close to the chaotic joy; joy with a snarl and attitude dripping off every screamed note and soaring solo.

We confidently predict that 70% of the readers of this column will not give Vengeance and the Panther Queen a second listen. Their loss. Another 15% will give it a firm Whiskey Foxtrot Tango before walking off wondering what the world is coming to. The remaining 15% will get the brews in, and have their ears assaulted in the Panther Queen's weird world.

This four-tracker is a cocked single finger to convention, a spit in the face of the Cowel culture of manufactured shit.

It kicks off with 'This Is Not A Dignified Way to Make A Living' which stomps: background choral vocals a strange but fitting counterpoint to Tara McCormack's banshee shrieks. Layered beneath it all are metal grooves that develop like lost power chords in the maelstrom, with solos appearing both with the simplicity of punk riffing and also metal shredding from Mik Pyro and Darrock, who appears to have lost either a surname or a given name...

Benjamin Loose on bass and Andres Antunes on drums seem the only anchors as this ship of mania tumbles around the strange seas of whatever psychiatric, but wonderful delusion, weaves its way away from the shores of convention.

'My Ebola' is that fuck you towards the scenesters and their blind following of what is right according to the media darlings and the pretentios pseuds. This is punk as it was meant to be, with speed and riffs as an added bonus. And the short solo that ends this...well it could fit on many a metal geetarists 'best of; list.

With no time to waste, Tara beckons us to the worst house party for pacifists as she declares her intention on 'Party Fight'. In a world faced with austerity for the poor and working classes while rich bankers swan around in their Bentleys this Party Fight is where the balance may be redressed. Politicians? We vote, they don't care, we then party.

Concluding with a cover of a Million Dead Cops 'I Hate Work' this is a more straightforward track, and while equally enjoyable doesn't quite have the edge of Vengeance and the Panther Queen own tracks.

On one level this ep is so far off the avant garde scale that it makes Metallica and Lou Reed's Lulu shite seem acceptable pop rock. On another it has the punk edge that challenges, spits and pogos as if there was a sea of mods to dance upon.

Yeah, so quite a few won't get the Vengeance and the Panther Queen vibe, but if Iggy Pop ever gives up appearing on ads for car insurance then he can book himself to support Vengeance and rediscover why the Stooges captured a generation of misfits. Vengeance and the Panther Queen have their Petrol Claws embedded in our flesh and that pain feels soooo good.

Win tickets to Machine F**ckin' Head!

WE'RE too generous, we know it, and the good folks at Shine/CDC are way too generous. We have two pair of tickets up for grabs to see the awesome, the wonderful, the heavy as a ten-ton hammer Machine Fucking Head in Belfast.

Let's face it Machine Head have practically defined heavy metal in the 21st Century with lead breaks to die for, guitar harmonies to sear your face, intelligent and challenging lyrics and most of all they love Belfast. Why else would they keep coming back.

Machine Head, with Evile play the venerable Ulster Hall on May 28th. If you haven't got your tickets yet, then why not?

If you have already got your tickets then enter this competition and help a friend discover Machine Head's heavy glory. Better still buy your tickets right now, and enter this competition to share in the heaviness with a couple of friends.

So what do you have to do to win one of these heavy as fuck tickets?

The question: name Machine Head's latest album. Email us here with your answer and full name.

Winning answer will be drawn on 19th May.

Spare a thought for Paramore...

OKAY let's get this straight from the off. We're not Paramore fans and we're unlikely to ever to be converted: there are some boundaries we refuse to cross, and we have crossed many in the past.

However, we must concede it is a bit of coup for Belsonic to secure the emo-popstars with the outrageous Hayley Williams and her fanbase of screaming girls, and androgynous males.

Paramore appear at Belsonic on August 19th, the night after Thin Lizzy, The Answer, FM and Sweet Savage.

Now much as we have a distaste for Paramore, here's a wee thought. Paramore are basically a guitar orientated band. Their fans, who may have seen them at their King's Hall headliner, are now a couple of years older, and hopefully wiser. They'll no doubt want to re-visit the band that now have a total of three albums under their belt.

However, we hope that with emerging maturity, and a sense that true music (i.e. the music we write our shite about!) is more than a scenester thing. We sincerely wish, down to the bottom of our satan-embroidered socks (he did that as a wee favour) that Paramore fans will seriously consider the world of hard rock, 'eavy fuggin' metal and punk. Better still they might even support a local band or three.

So, Paramore fans - enjoy August 19th. The tickets go on sale on May 18th. Now may we humbly suggest that you all calm down, sit in a darkened room and listen to Trucker Diablo, The Answer, SLF, Stormzone, Sinocence, Honey for Christ, Baleful Creed, Double Wide, Sweet Savage and find out how local bands rock out.

Enjoy it; we'll be rockin' on the 18th August to The Answer, FM, Sweet Savage and Lizzy and we'll have to pass on Paramore - collective metal hangovers shall be our excuse!

Tyketto Dig in Deep and produce a gem

THE first time I came across the fine pipes of Mr Danny Vaughn was when he was lending his talents to the wonderfully shambolic Mr Pete Way's side project Waysted. Waysted were supporting Status Quo at a now closed Belfast Leisure Centre. In front of a packed audience Mr Vaughn won a lot of admirers, not least with performances of Heaven Tonight and How The West Won.

Since the 1986 release of Save Your Prayers with Waysted the versatile vocalist has appeared on 15 albums, the latest of which 'Dig In Deep' is currently on release, and yet again it proves that Danny appears happiest in a band setting.

Dig In Deep offers no real surprises in terms of what you'd expect from Tyketto, AOR with panache, but with a subtle understanding of the components that make up a truly great hard rock album.

Faithless, as an opener sets the tone for what is to come, a dynamic track punctuated with guitars set at the right level of riffage and solos; while Danny displays a range that many an upcoming singer would envy.

And there is a maturity about Dig In Deep, that suggests, lyrically, a reflective tone, exemplified by 'The Fight Left In Me' and the title track, which unfortuately for a great track, dips in the chorus's play-out despite a fantastic pre-chorus build-up

Minor quibbles, however, can be identified: 'Battle Lines' sounds a little predictable and a touch schamltzy. But that is to nit-pick.

'Here's Hoping It Hurts' is a tour de force fuck you to relationship killers and 'This Is How We Say Goodbye' is an album closer that comes from the hearty; a folksy coda. The narrative of love could also be read in the lyric "...family is what matters most of all" as an emphasis of how a band setting - and Tyketto in particular - is where the members, and the trio of original members Brooke St James, Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Clayton especially, can be at ease to produce damn fine tunes.

One can only hope that is not how Tyketto wants to say goodbye.

There is too much talent in this band, and too much talent in the pipes of Mr Vaughn for Tyketto to have this as a swansong. Dig in Deep is currently on release worldwide - fans of hard rock, only two words...Buy It!

Cú Chulainn’s rockin’ the house - and we're right in the middle of the Stormzone

THERE’S a lot of stories about the fighting, fucking, all round bad ass Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle. The Hound of Ulster can rightly be described as one mean so and so of a bezerker…

But like all myths, the story Cú Chuliann was probably just some bloke who enjoyed a pint of ale, partying, and when it came down to it could fight a wee bit – the hype sort of got out of control…

And hype is what too often afflicts rock and metal bands. The ones that reach the mainstream media usually have teams of A&R people, PR specialists and pluggers. Even the metal bands at the upper echelons have to strive hard to meet all their obligations and end up doing the work partly themselves.

But here in Norn Iron we have a profusion of talent in rock, punk and metal…and on Saturday night at the Spring and Airbrake three true exponents of great rock and metal came to the fore. Cú Chuliann would have been right at home, pint in hand and head-a-banging.

The night was to celebrate the launch of Stormzone’s latest album, Zero to Rage – a platter destined to go down as one of the finest local releases in 2012, and maybe of releases further afield.

Kicking out the jams as party openers were Triggerman – masters of the riff and lords of groove. At least two seasoned reporters and reviewers were down the front, hair flying and generally getting down, because as we all should know, the Riff Holds Sway…and the crowd didn’t catch the lurgy. (check the Triggerman site to see what these references are, if you don’t know already!)

The intensity was cranked another notch with the technical exponents of metal, Sinocence blazing a trail of solos and songs designed to pummel and also challenge. Toes-a-tapping, bonces nodding and mouths gapping at their prowess is the usual reaction to Sinocence…and it was difficult not to appreciate the precision of the performance as they were met with the same appreciative reaction.

But Cú Chuliann was there to party with Stormzone…

Zero to Rage is a fine platter that acknowledges the history of local rock and metal as eloquently demonstrated by album opener and surefire live testimony to the band’s roots. Where We Belong is a statement of intent...a eulogy to Northern Ireland and metal.

It would be fair to say that one or two members of Stormzone have been round the metal block a few times – some might see that as a criticism, but on Saturday it was clear that experience counts for more than just having a good set of great songs.

Any set of songs have to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and thrown to the crowd as sacrificial offerings. Being a singer doesn’t just mean you chant out the tunes – you have to be a frontman prepared to pound and cajole the audience into adoration. Being an axeman means you deliver the licks and show the audience that you have wrestled the stringed beast to meet your will and the will of the audience. Being the drummer or the bassist you have to lay it down with beats and tone that have breastbones vibrating.

Did Stormzone meet all these criteria? Damn right they did! Harv used all his experience at the front, and Davey, Graham, Andy and Steve stepped up to the plate as a unified a force for metal.

Title track Zero to Rage was the stand-out song, there’s no need to hype this – on the album it’s great, live it moves on to another dimension.

With tracks new and old given an airing this was a band comfortable in themselves and excelling.

In Northern Ireland the ancient differences are not in evidence when rock and metal rule the house. Cú Chuliann’s myth has been misappropriated by both nationalist and loyalist groups. But when Stormzone sang Cú Chuliann’s Story, the Hound of Ulster was reclaimed from political clutches and honoured as one who epitomises the flawed hero – a hero we can respect, and a hero whose tale resonates in metal.

And where Stormzone heroes of metal on Saturday night? They were. Now if there is justice for all in this world they should be among the pack of acts rampaging from these shores to tell the world that this wee country on the outer edges of Europe rocks like a bastard.