Archive for March, 2018

DevilDriver to release outlaw country covers album

Posted in Misc., News, Studio Report with tags , , , on 31st March 2018 by izaforestspirit

The American groove metal band DevilDriver have decided to stir things up in the metal scene by releasing an album of outlaw country cover songs. So if you want to hear Dez Farara’s take on Johnny Cash or Stan Jones’ classic ‘Ghost Riders in The Sky’ you’re in for treat.

The covers album will be called ‘Outlaws ‘Til the End’ and it is scheduled to hit the shops worldwide on 6th July 2018 via Napalm Records. You can see the cover art and the track-listing below:

1. Country Heroes (Hank Williams III cover)    
2. Whiskey River (Willie Nelson cover)    
3. Outlaw Man (Eagles cover)    
4. Ghost Riders in the Sky (Stan Jones cover)    
5. I’m the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised) (Johnny Paycheck cover)    
6. If Drinking Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will) (George Jones cover)    
7. The Man Comes Around (Johnny Cash cover)    
8. A Thousand Miles from Nowhere (Dwight Yoakam cover)    
9. Copperhead Road (Steve Earle cover)    
10. Dad’s Gonna Kill Me (Richard Thompson cover)    
11. A Country Boy Can Survive (Hank Williams Jr. cover)    
12. The Ride (David Allan Coe cover)

DevilDriver - Outlaws 'Til the End

For further details go to:

https://www.facebook.com/devildriver/

http://www.devildriver.com/

 

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Vader, Annihilator and Testament live in Tampere

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , on 22nd March 2018 by izaforestspirit

Vader, Annihilator, Testament

Pakkahuone, Tampere, Finland

21st March 2018

It’s very rare that I go to a concert where I’m actually more interested in the opening act than the actual headliner. American thrashers Testament were the headlining act but for me it was all about Vader. I’ve been a fan of their music since my early teens and the last time I saw them live was at Hellfest in France back in 2009.

Vader were on first and they put on a hell of a show. They are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut ‘The Ultimate Incantation’ so their set included some songs from that album along with some new stuff such as ‘Send Me Back to Hell’ from the latest record. The venue wasn’t quite full yet at this point since they were the opening act but there was more than enough people to get a mosh-pit going. I really enjoyed it. Sadly their show was rather short, only half an hour. I would have loved to hear more. 5/5

I’ve never seen Annihilator live before but I recognized a few of their hit tracks including ‘Welcome to Your Death’, ‘Alison Hell’ and ‘Phantasmagoria’. This time the audience was much larger as was the mosh-pit. It was a highly entertaining show. Annihilator play exactly the kind of thrash metal that I like and I’m now tempted to check out some of their music. 4/5

Then the main headliners Testament took to the stage. Their music can be best summed up as optimized thrash metal, big riffs, complex harmonies and good vocals. I am just not too familiar with their music and didn’t recognize any of the songs so I didn’t really enjoy the show as much as the others. That guitar solo midway through their set was impressive though. Good stuff. 4/5

In summary, it was a really good night of thrash metal. Well mostly thrash metal that is, I tend to class Vader as more of a death metal/death thrash metal act these days. I loved Vader, they were the number one show for me, Annihilator were really good. As for Testament, they have a massive following and they put on a good show but I’m not that much into their music. 4/5

Iza Raittila

 

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Doyle announces UK tour dates for March and April with WARD XVI

Posted in Misc., News, Uncategorized with tags , , on 20th March 2018 by izaforestspirit

The American horror punk guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein (of Misfits fame) will be returning to British shores this spring with his own band Doyle. They will be joined by DEAD XIII and avantgarde-rockers WARD XVI. 

Here’s the full schedule:

Image may contain: text

For more information go to:

https://www.facebook.com/OFFICIALDOYLE/

http://officialdoyle.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WardXVI/

https://www.facebook.com/TheDeadXIII/

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Ministry – AmeriKKKant

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , on 14th March 2018 by izaforestspirit

Ministry
AmeriKKKant
Released 9th March 2018
Industrial Metal
Released via Nuclear Blast Records

Ministry doesn’t need much of an introduction. They have been a part of the industrial metal scene since the early ‘80s and they have gone through several changes over the years. They even split up a few times only to re-unite again a few years later. Now Uncle Al and his motley crew are back with another politically themed album – ‘AmeriKKKant’.

The first track I Know Words is essentially just ambient noise with some distorted samples from speeches by Donald Trump. It sets the scene well enough but other than that it doesn’t really offer much. I was actually tempted to skip it after the first few seconds. Luckily the one that follows it, Twilight Zone is a much better song, possibly the closest Ministry has come to recreating their old “classic” sound from the ‘The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste’ and ‘Psalm 69’ -eras. The harmonica works a treat as do the gritty, eerie-sounding rhythmic guitars. This is the Ministry that I was hoping to hear!

As usual with Ministry, they like to make a statement and this album is no exception. In here the themes include: US politics, gun violence, ANTIFA and the Ku Klux Klan. Victims of A Clown caught my attention due to the use of turntables in addition to the other instruments. Apparently their current line-up also includes a DJ. Luckily the turntable noise is mostly in the background and it seems to suit the overall tone of the music. The angry, thrash metal-esque We’re Tired of It is one of the highlights, despite being the shortest song on here. It gives the record a much needed boost, an extra shot of adrenaline to keep going…

In summary, ‘AmeriKKKant’ is a creepy album which leaves the listener with a sense of dread, some confusion and anger. I guess that must be how a lot of Americans feel at the moment… Sadly with only a handful of memorable songs, it’s hardly a Ministry masterpiece. It’s not bad but they can do so much better.

3/5

Iza Raittila

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The Godiva return, wrapping up this year’s Laurus Nobilis Music

Posted in News with tags , , , , , on 11th March 2018 by Pieni

The two missing names in the Laurus Nobilis Music 2018 bill have been revealed: Atreides and The Godiva. The former hails from Northern Spain and the latter from Famalicão, hometown of the festival itself.

The Godiva were quite popular in the Portuguese underground back in the early 2000s, until they decided to step away for an unknown-period-of-time. The hiatus is now over and they will close this year’s edition of Laurus Nobilis Music Famalicão. Here’s the full schedule:

lnmf2018schedule

Metal DJs will entertain the crowd every night for about an hour, after the last band leaves the stage.

https://www.facebook.com/laurusnobilismusic/

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Stone Free Festival announce headliners

Posted in Festival, Misc., News with tags , , , , on 10th March 2018 by izaforestspirit

London’s prime classic rock event Stone Free Festival is now in its third year. This time it will take place on Saturday 16th June – Sunday 17th June 2018 at The O2 in London, The UK.

This year the headliners will include Scorpions, Megadeth (exclusive UK shows) along with YES and former Supertramp frontman Roger Hodgson. 

In addition to the main performances the festival will also have a range of other unique attractions such as the Speak Easy Lounge, an acoustic beer garden and a vinyl record fair.

Here’s the official poster:

For more information visit:
http://stonefreefestival.com/

https://www.facebook.com/StoneFreeFestival/

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Therion w/ support – Porto, Portugal

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , , on 2nd March 2018 by Pieni

Therion, Imperial Age, Null Positiv, Midnight Eternal
Hard Club, Porto (PT)
21st February 2018
Promoted by Notredame Productions

therionhc1

In Portugal, scheduling an event for 7 p.m. in the middle of the week isn’t going to work out very well for the opening acts; but with four bands on the bill and an almost two-hour-slot for the headliners, there’s not much the promoter can do. Speaking of, a big thank you to Carlos Freitas and the whole Notredame Productions team for bringing such show to us and for letting Valkyrian Music cover it.

DSC_0077.jpgMidnight Eternal was the first band on stage. Frankly, I’d never heard of them before, but then again, symphonic power metal with a female lyric voice – and occasional male growls – isn’t exactly my cup of tea… Among the few people at the venue by that hour, there were a handful responding enthusiastically to their music – either they knew them already or the band caused quite the first impression on fans of the genre. Yep, they’re good.

Introducing their self-titled debut album, released in 2016, the band from New Jersey – as said by Raine Hilai; you shouldn’t trust everything you read on Facebook, where their page locates them in Manhattan/New York – charmed the small but “loud” (using Raine’s own words) crowd with songs such as the “first song they’ve ever written” “Masquerade Of Lies”, “Signs Of Fire” and the almost-9-minute long “First Time Thrill”.

www.facebook.com/MidnightEternal/

NULLPOSITIV

Female singer as well, but completely different posture, Null Positiv followed suit. That so-German alternative, post-industrial sound which “recognizes the signs of the times”, to quote their own motto. Even if Elli Berlin joined Therion on stage to sing “Din” later on, this was the most “displaced” band on the bill, but given their feisty performance, “diversity is the spice of life” earned a new meaning. “Hass”, “Labyrinth”, “Friss Dich Auf” or “Koma” were just some of the songs that left the crowd – considerably bigger now – pretty hyped, Null Positiv’s impact being the exact opposite to their name.

www.facebook.com/nullpositiv/

IMPERIAL AGE

If the Germans were the furthest from Therion in genre, Russian Imperial Age were the closest, with their symphonic/opera metal. The release of their third album earlier this month outlined their setlist, but they couldn’t go without performing “Anthem Of Valour” or “Aryavarta”. The combination of Aor’s tenor voice with Kiara’s soprano and Corn’s mezzo soprano, spiced up here and there by some growls of Vredes and Belf, filled the venue with a supreme vibrancy, overlaying striking melodies welcomed by everyone.

www.facebook.com/imperialageofficial/

therionhc2

With such foreplay, it took only the first chords of “Theme Of Antichrist” to drive the crowd to a climax which would last throughout the almost-2-hour long performance of therionhc3Therion. Some highlights of their latest opera – including “Temple Of New Jerusalem”, which Thomas Vikström introduced by asking us to imagine ourselves inside a church, adding right away “boring, I know” – mingled with highlights of their whole career and we’ve witnessed a hell of a show (pun intended regarding “Beloved Antichrist”). Vikström was pretty talkative, as his usual, but the final words had to come out of founding member Christofer Johnsson. He remembered the last time they’d played in Porto, 20 years before – yes, 20! – and asked if any of us had been there. A few had – me included – and so he thanked us for the “old school support”. And he asked us to scream the title of the song that, like then – and almost always – finishes their shows, the imperative “To Mega Therion”.

www.facebook.com/therion/

Text & photos by Renata “Pieni” Lino

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At The Gates reveal new album details

Posted in Misc., News, Studio Report on 1st March 2018 by izaforestspirit

Swedish melodic death metal band At The Gates have recently announced that their new album, the follow up to ‘At War With Reality’, will be called ‘To Drink from the Night Itself’.

The cover was designed by the Romanian artist and musician Costin Alexandru Chioreanu. Here’s an extract from the official statement by the band’s front-man Tomas Lindberg about the artwork and the theme:

“The inspiration for the actual front cover piece is taken from the Pergamon Altar, on display at the Pergamon museum in Berlin. It is of course linked closely to the concept that the whole record is based upon, but more on that later. But I will throw a name out there, for the interested ones; Peter Weiss.
I can’t wait to get the whole record in my hands now, as this is just one of the many great artwork pieces that Costin has created for us on “To Drink From The Night Itself“…”

You can see it here along with the track-listing:

At the Gates - To Drink from the Night Itself

1. Der Widerstand
2. To Drink From The Night Itself
3. A Stare Bound In Stone
4. Palace Of Lepers
5. Daggers Of Black Haze
6. The Chasm
7. In Nameless Sleep
8. The Colours Of The Beast
9. A Labyrinth Of Tombs
10. Seas Of Starvation
11. In Death They Shall Burn
12. The Mirror Black

The album will be out on 18th May 2018 via Century Media Records. There will also be a new single and a video coming soon.

For further details go to:

https://www.facebook.com/AtTheGatesOfficial/

http://atthegates.se/

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