Hull | Valkyrian Music

Archive for Hull

EARTHBREAKER – Voice of the Voiceless

Posted in Uncategorized with tags City of Culture, Earthbreaker, EP, Hardcore, Hull, Jamie Eggleton, Melodic Metal, Voice of the Voiceless on 11th January 2017 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

EARTH BREAKER
Voice of the Voiceless
Hardcore/Metal/’Ullcore
Self-Released: November 2016

a2784817356_16

Hull – Otherwise known as the City of Culture – has a lot going on for it, especially in the music scene, which is where a promising young band known as Earthbreaker are currently making makes and lots of noise. Having only been around for just over a year, this melodic metal quintet have already made their presence felt – and heard – in North England.

Voice of the Voiceless opens straight up with the powerful and memorable track The Vipers Nest, which features an energetic and tenacious breakdown and some bestial vocal work. Family follows up almost seductively, with its overwhelming assault of guitars and differing and unique vocal sounds.

Misanthropy is a melodic track which is as catchy as the common cold but that doesn’t stop it from being heavier than an elephant’s arse. The guitars are heavy-duty, paving a path of broken bones whilst the rhythm sections lay down the gritty foundations. Whereas Deathwish brings a more emotive but just as unyielding sound to Voice of the Voiceless.

The EP finishes on Psychosis, with its enchanting dance between the guitars, bass and drums, making it a good track to finish on.

Voice of the Voiceless demonstrates Earthbreaker‘s well-founded sound in a way that leaves the listener wanting more and shows that this young quintet can go toe-to-toe in the pit with some of the heavy hitters on the scene.

4.5/5

Nico Solheim-Davidson

Leave a comment »

Njord Metal Fest announces first two bands

Posted in News with tags Alestorm, City of Culture, Embers of Eden, Hull, Iron Seawolf, Metal, Njord Metal Fest, Pirate Metal on 8th January 2016 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Njord Metal Fest – a new metal festival in the City of Culture 2017, Hull – has announced its first two bands on the line-up.

The headliners are Embers of Eden – a melodic metal outfit from southern England, who have played the prestigious Sonisphere Festival in 2014 and there will be a special guest appearance from Cumbrian metal pirates Iron Seawolf.

Further details can be found at this location and tickets, which are priced at £5, can be bought here. The event will take place at O’Rileys in Hull on 16th July this year.

Leave a comment »

Crooked Lizard – Ink

Posted in Uncategorized with tags Blues, Bluesy Rock, City of Culture, Crooked Lizard, Hull, Ink, Kate Nash, Lily Allen, Linkin Park, Rock, Vincent D'Onofrio on 29th June 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Crooked Lizard
Ink
Released 11th July 2014
Blues/Rock
Self-Released

Hull, voted to be the City of Culture 2017, is home an interesting amount of talented bands and solo acts but one band is slowly rising from the depths of Hull’s murky musical talents. Describing themselves as a rock ‘n’ roll band, come the bluesy rock trio Crooked Lizard, who are set to bring about something fresh, new and exciting to not only Hull but the rest of the UK as well.

The album is opened by the track Devils Lullaby, a song laden with hypnotic vocal melodies and riffs more infectious than the common cold. The bass workings of Mike Sheriff parades through the song like a leprachaun on a rainbow. Motormouth follows closely in a fashionable manner, focusing on the vocals on Tom Hennings‘ vocals in the beginning before displaying his slick style of guitar playing later on in the track.

Chasing Gold comes across as a more laid back song, weaving the distinct talents of all three members as well as combining their voices for the occasional awe-inspiring chorus where as Cheeky Fly paints a sound that would be described in the vein of Kate Nash and Lily Allen. The vocals of the band’s drummer Roberta Lawson can heard in parts of the song, adding a new dimension to the sound. I Wish I Knew makes a staunch use of memorable lyrics performed in a manner that will leave you singing it for weeks to come. The combination of guitar, bass and drums helps add to the catchy and poignant elements of the song, defining the track as one of the best tracks of the album.

Oh Jonny belts out in a good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll fashion, keeping a steady pace with glossed up guitar melodies and smooth rhythm sections. The artful sounds of Whispered Mistakes carry a solemn yet calming atmosphere through the embroidered musicianship and vocals. The album closes with the touchingly passionate song Monster, which is built up from moving basslines, poignant guitar passages and rhythmic drum sections.

Ink might be the debut album of the young Crooked Lizard but it rings out like the greatest hits of a band that has been around longer than what this talented trio has. Each track has its own distinct sound, allowing for a new listening experience throughout the album. Crooked Lizard’s live sound has translated well into a studio sound, providing that the band can sound just as good in the studio as they do live.

4.5/5

Nico Solheim-Davidson

Valkyrian Festival announces two more bands

Leave a comment »

Hull date of Gone Til Winter’s UK tour changes

Posted in News with tags East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Gone Til Winter, Hiding From The Sun, Hull, Kingston upon Hull, Macclesfield, Sheffield, Valk-Fest, Valk-Fest 2013, Valkyrian Festival on 15th October 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Manchester-based dark power metallers Gone Til Winter will be embarking on their Hiding From The Sun UK tour next month. The first date of the tour which will take place at O’Rileys in Hull has changed date from Friday 1st November to Saturday 2nd November.

Full tour dates are as follow:

Nov 2nd Hull – O’Riley’s
Nov 8th Preston – Roper Hall
Nov 9th Blackpool – The Blue Room
Nov 14th Nottingham – The Old Angel
Nov 15th Sheffield – The Dove & Rainbow
Nov 16th Macclesfield – The Swan With Two Necks
Nov 30th Bridlington – VALKYRIAN FESTIVAL

Gone Til Winter online:

http://facebook.com/gonetilwintermusic

1 Comment »

XIII – Deeds of the Saints: Chapters I-V

Posted in Review with tags Acta Sanctorum, Deeds of the Saints, Deeds of the Saints: Chapters I-V, Hull, Kingston upon Hull, Nothing Is True... Everything Is Permitted, XIII on 3rd October 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

XIII
Deeds of the Saints: Chapters I – V
15th November 2013
Metal
Self Released

Just over a year ago since XIII released their debut album, North of Nowhere (Review of which can be found here). The Hull 3 piece metallers are back, this time with their new 5 track EP, Deeds of the saints: Chapters I – V, which is the first part of a 2 EP set, which combined will complete the Deeds of the Saints package.

Opening things up with the 7+ minute We Are Everywhere. It’s clear from the first few minutes that this is not just an extension of their debut but more of a complete transformation as far as song writing, skill and production go. The song itself is a barrage of riffs, booming bass, blast beats and aggression, the only thing that stays in tact from the earlier release is the vocals of Dan Murray, this could lead to a marmite type situation as I can imagine people will either love it or not care for it much as he doesn’t sing, growl or scream… He shouts aggressively and in a way, this is what separates XIII from a lot of bands and you can instantly tell who you are listening to from the first lines of the song. It’s also worth mentioning that if the infectious riff halfway through the song doesn’t get your head nodding then you’re clearly not a metal fan.

As mentioned earlier, the production on the EP compared to North of Nowhere has drastically changed, whereas North of Nowhere had more of a defined, almost clean production to it, this has a very raw, almost live sound to it and if anyone has ever seen XIII live then you’ll know this is not a bad thing whatsoever and this really suits the new sound of the band. Whether this kind of production suits everyone’s taste may be a different matter but I am pretty sure this is exactly the sound that the band went for.

Narcotics another 7 minute epic is the second track up and out of all the songs on the EP, this is the only one which possibly could have possibly been featured on their debut. The song has a more old school thrash vibe and riffs to it and it’s also a reminder that XIII haven’t totally dismissed their thrash roots as this reminds me a little of Master of Puppets with its fast riffs, slow centre parts back into the thrash assault. Dan Murray‘s guitar solos on this EP, especially compared to some off of their debut seem a lot more focused and fit in a lot better and a played to a higher standard.

Acta Sanctorum is the third and if you thought XIII were just a band based on fast songs then think again. This is a stoner and doom metal song of the highest order but without losing the XIII sound and despite it being the slowest, it’s by far the angriest song on the album both musically and lyrically. The song starts with a bluesy type riff before breaking out into a dirty beast of a riff. The chorus is possibly the catchiest guitar riff I have heard in while, think of it as if Down were jamming with ZZ Top, then you should get the idea.

The thing I am noticing about the EP is that none of the songs are sounding too similar to each other or like anything they have recorded before but they all fit together nicely as Deliverance carries on that tradition. It’s a pretty mid paced song, that in parts features some rather subtle but nice piano parts mixed with bassist James Oxtoby‘s vocals on the pre-chorus’, that is until you get to the mid section and it explodes into a thunderous mix of riffs and double bass madness from sticksman Alex O’Dwyer. Its clear that all of the band have upped their game on this, having said that, there are a couple of parts that the vocals seem a little strained and worn but having gone with the live, raw production they pretty much get away with it.

We have all heard that saying ‘save the best til last’, well that’s exactly what XIII have done here. Not only is this the best written song on the EP, its possibly the best written song XIII have ever come up with and unlike anything else the band have recorded. Nothing Is True… Everything Is Permitted is the perfect way to end this quite frankly awesome and relentless EP. The song is not particularly a fast song, nor does it have the riffs which match that of Narcotics or Acta Sanctorum but what it does have is many sections, clean and dirty which all blend all together to perfection. The guitars, especially on the cleaner parts and layered upon one and other which creates a really nice atmosphere for the song. How this works live only being a 3 piece I have no idea but I am sure they’ll come up with something. The ending of the song as was Forever off their debut ends in a classy fashion with the piano parts and makes you want to listen to the whole 35 minute EP again and again.

Deeds of the Saints: Chapters I – V‘ is a prime example of a band who have stepped up their game tenfold and the stigma of XIII been thrown simply been into the Thrash category can be tossed right out of the window. This is not a thrash record, this is just a fantastic collection of Heavy Metal songs from a band who don’t pretend to be something they’re not.

5/5

Nico Davidson

XIII online:

http://musicbyxiii.com
http://facebook.com/musicbyxiii

XIII unveil artwork for Deeds Of The Saints: Chapters I – V (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

XIII unveil artwork for Deeds Of The Saints: Chapters I – V

Posted in News with tags Deeds of the Saints, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Final Fantasy XIII, Hull, Kingston upon Hull, musicbyxiii, Roman, Saints, xiiirocks, Yorkshire Metal on 1st September 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Today Hull thrashers XIII (That’s 13 for those not familiar with Roman numerals) have unveiled the artwork (see above) for their upcoming EP Deeds Of The Saints: Chapters I – V. The EP was recorded at Fruit Trade Studios in Hull and is scheduled for potential release in November. Deeds Of The Saints: Cpaters I – V track list is follows:

1 – We Are Everywhere
2 – Narcotics
3 – Acta Sanctorum
4 – Deliverance
5 – Nothing Is True, Everything Is Permitted

XIII online:

http://facebook.com/xiiirocks

Common Gods reveal artwork for new EP; Helveien to be released 4th August (valkyrianmusic.com)
Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington reveal EP title and artwork (valkyrianmusic.com)

1 Comment »

Teras – Infection: Terror Metal

Posted in Review with tags Death Metal, Hull, Infection: Terror Metal, Teras, Yorkshire on 17th July 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Teras
Infection: Terror Metal
Released: July 2013
Death Metal/Thrash Metal/Yorkshire Metal
Self-Released

Teras are a relatively new band to the scene but have already being tearing the scene a new one. Following a few line-up changes and a change of name, Teras have began making a name for themselves on the Yorkshire. With support slots confirmed for acts such as Gone Til Winter and Finnish death metal band Re-Armed, the band recently released their debut EP.

The crushing, forceful riffs that make up Sovernguarde open up the EP. The sound of bass cuts its way through the track like a knife through butter, supporting the cumbersome weight of the guitars and dancing alongside the drums. The vocals though bestial and tinged with aggression they don’t sail in the right direction over the waves of domineering guitars. The introduction to Outlaw is memorable enough but it doesn’t sound like a lot until the full driving force of the track comes into full effect. The drums and bass hammer down throughout the song laying a solid foundation for the guitars and wolfish vocals to tear the listener’s ears a new one.

Scythe Of War continues down a similar vein to the previous track. Though not quite as domineering, it still is a song that will get the blood boiling and fists pumping. The vocals shine the most throughout this track, keeping that vicious bite in the mouth of the music. Triggerman finishes the EP with precision and a sound that means business. The beast-like vocals are flanked by a weighty assault of guitars, which in turn are reinforced by the acute use of bass and drums, allowing for destructive finish to Infection: Terror Metal.

For a debut release, Infection: Terror Metal displays the potential and talent that Teras have. Whilst they may have only been on the live circuit for a few months, the EP makes it sound as if they’ve been on the scene for a decade. The EP paints a bloody and grisly image of the band’s sound with the colours of heavy, brutal and violently metal elements.

4/5

Nico Davidson

Teras online:

http://www.facebook.com/TerasOffical
https://www.youtube.com/user/TerasOfficial

REVIEW: NYA – “Driving The Nails” (metaldivas.wordpress.com)
Red Rum – With Gods By Our Side (valkyrianmusic.com)
REVIEW: CADAVERIA – “The Shadows’ Madame” (metaldivas.wordpress.com)

2 Comments »

Continents w/Support – Hull, UK

Posted in Gig, Live with tags Beneath The Darkness, Continents (Band), Down To A Deathmatch, Hull, Kingston upon Hull, Luke Blackburn, Mike Baker, Suicide Silence, When We Were Wolves on 18th April 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Contients, When We Were Wolves, Beneath The Darkness, Sea of Giants, Down To A Deathmatch
The Ringside, Hull
12^th April 2013

South Wales hardcore quintet Continents haven’t played at Hull’s Ringside since November 27^th of last year but when they did they left a huge impact with their performance and this gig had a lot of expectation to live up to. A last minute show, due only to another promoter pulling out, there was a genuine concern that the turn out would be poor despite the rather impressive line up. However by the time the first band was on, a fair amount of people were throwing fists in the small room above the Ringside pub.

Describing themselves as “Hull’s Thug-Core Crew” Down To A Deathmatch have built themselves a reputation as an aggressive and no-nonsense live band with few delusions when it comes to such mundane things as solos. With relentless passion these five young men throw themselves onto the stage and have a knack of provoking the crowd into response. This was certainly true of tonight as pits were consistent and vocalist Chris Marshall’s call for a wall of death was greeted with enthusiasm. With little hooks in their songs worth mentioning for example lead guitarist Michael Hill’s inclusion of a portion of the “Super Mario” theme music as a trigger to begin a pit and his shouting of rhythm guitarist “Luke Blackburn’s a virgin” have their merits to put a smile onto my face after an already solid and enjoyable performance from the band. An excellent choice for an opening band. [4/5]

Bridlington’s Sea of Giants have spent their time perfecting a blend of hardcore and deathcore and didn’t disappoint with a solid performance musically. Having established themselves as a popular band down the road from their home there was an appreciative crowd viewing them and though the reaction wasn’t frenetic in the way of movement there were few people who didn’t enjoy their performance. A consistent but slightly uninspiring second act but this didn’t set any tone for the rest of the night as a whole. [3/5]

Hull’s four piece post hardcore outfit Beneath The Darkness had recent line-up changes and have since remained true to the same set list with new original songs being added delivered fully in screams by their new acquisition Miles Barber. With his highs and lows sounding reminiscent of Suicide Silence and Whitechapel, he fronted the youngest band on this bill with infectious fervour. Clearly there were fans of the band in the audience as during their most well known song Manic, the audience sang back with glee. An excellent performance from an ever-evolving young band with guitarist Kieran Reilly and bassist Mike Baker enjoying use of their wireless kits and running throughout the audience to good natured laughter. [4/5]

South Wales post hardcore quintet and main support for this gig, When We Were Wolves delivered a performance that rarely comes around on the live circuit and is comparable to no one else on this bill (Excellent as this gig was) which was filled to saturation point with passion, aggression and fire. Vocalist Mitch Bock is a front man that has only three peers in all the local performances I have seen and they would be Sam Rudderforth (The Colour Line), Ash Gollings (Black Dogs) and Phil Cross (Continents) and he was treated with love according to this fact. With out of control pits and head-banging galore their set was musically extremely tight and advanced despite their only playing since July 2011 and an excellent mix of clean vocals and screams gave this band a stand out among all others on the bill, but ever humble they pulled up most of the audience onto the stage and embraced them, truly a moment and a ban to remember for the future. [5/5]

Following an excellent array of support acts that had a diversity of genres, Continents took to the stage and showed just why they were described by Kerrang as “Energy-fuelled epic-core with lots of aggression, a healthy blend of raw shouts and low end growls and foot stomping hooks.” And also justifying how they managed to pull in a 50+ audience with only a week of promotion. An intense stage presence that was captivating, the lads from South Wales set about tearing Hull apart with vocalist Phil Cross looking reminiscent of a serial killer at some points with the stony glares the crowd was receiving, surely this is a band that delivers a unique kind of aggression, definitely something more cold and calculating, but the music followed the vein of some of the best hardcore I’ve heard in a long time, with individuality and passion, this music encouraged two-stepping and pits and the crowd delivered with gleeful enthusiasm. Phil Cross’s determination to spend more time off the stage without a microphone pitting with the crowd and embracing his audience was memorable and he was rewarded by being lifted and carried around during the conclusion of what was an excellent set. It’s hard not to see the potential these men carry by their efforts, they left it all on the stage and put their heart into their audience, who returned the favour with passion and an unspoken promise that their attendance would be assured at any other date Continents have in Hull and for my part, I do hope it is soon. [4/5]

Sonny Rust

1 Comment »

Filth Wizard announced for Metieval Winterfest 2013

Posted in News with tags East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Hull, Kingston upon Hull on 19th March 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Infamous sleaze metallers Filth Wizard are the first band to be confirmed for this year’s Metieval Winterfest. The band, who are known for their songs such as Accidental Anal and Potty Mouth, returned to the live stage on 22nd December, last year and Metieval Winterfest will be one of their biggest shows since returning.

Metieval Winterfest will take place on 7th December at The Piper Club in Hull. Further announcements are still to follow, including ticket info. Further details can be found at this location.

Interview with Glyn Beasley [Ravenage] (valkyrianmusic.com)
XIII, Spekulus, Innersylum and more confirmed for Valk-Fest 2013 (valkyrianmusic.com)
We Are Carnivores release acoustic version of Missing Resonance (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

NWOBHM legends Salem to guest at Metieval Winterfest

Posted in News with tags Alice In Thunderland, Bloodstock, Hull, Kingston upon Hull, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Power Metal on 27th August 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Hull-based NWOBHM Salem have been confirmed to play as special guests at the revived Metieval festival, now known as Metieval Winterfest, on 16th December in Hull. Salem will be joining the likes of Alice In Thunderland, Innersylum, Pastel Jack and Infernal Creation, who later this month played Bloodstock.

Headlining the festival are none other the UK’s own power metal titans Power Quest.

The Metieval Winterfest will take place at The Piper in Hull. Tickets will be available on the door for a mere £10 pounds with doors opening at 12pm. Full line-up to be announced.

Brid Rocks 2012: Day One (valkyrianmusic.com)
Run From Robots ready for Hull again (valkyrianmusic.com)
Winterfest Boat Parade Wins 2 Gold Medals (browardnetonline.com)
Grave Digger – Home At Last [EP] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Brid Rocks 2012 confirmed (valkyrianmusic.com)
New Sirocco album ‘Lambay’ out soon (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

Power Quest confirmed to headline revived Metieval festival

Posted in News with tags East Riding of Yorkshire, Hecate Enthroned, Hull, Kingston upon Hull, PowerQuest, Skyclad on 27th August 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

April last year, Hull saw the last Metieval festival, which boasted acts such as Skyclad and Hecate Enthroned, along with more local acts such as XIII, The Occupier and Pastel Jack. Though a new revived Metieval was meant to happen October of last year, it never came about.

Recently, the festival’s organisers Glyn Beasely and Stig Styles set out to bring Metieval back to life on the metal scene of Hull. Just today, Power Quest have been announced to headline the newly revived Metieval festival. The event will take place on Sunday 16^th December at the Piper Club in Hull.

Further details, including ticket prices, full line-up and age limits, to be announced.

Other band son the bill include Infernal Creation, Alice In Thunderland and Battalions.

Run From Robots ready for Hull again (valkyrianmusic.com)
XIII – North Of Nowhere (valkyrianmusic.com)
DreamCatcher – Never Look Back (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

Run From Robots ready for Hull again

Posted in News with tags Hull, Kingston upon Hull, Kingston upon Hull North (UK Parliament constituency), Ringside on 17th July 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Following what was described as a storming show at The Ringside in Hull, pop punk outfit Run From Robots will return to The Ringside in Hull on 1^st August for what could be one of the most anticipated shows of recent years.

Support comes from Hold Your Own, Hate Mondays, A Dirty Downfall and Valys.

Tickets are available, for £5 each, from the Arcade Promotions website, as well as from local bands.

For further details, click here.

Arcite w/Support @ Hollywood & Vine, Hull (valkyrianmusic.com)
XIII – North Of Nowhere (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

Valkyrian Festival Updates

Posted in News with tags Bloodstock, EDGUY, Hull, Lamp, Metal Blade Records, Napalm Records, Ringside, Valkyrian Festival on 21st April 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Following the success of last year’s Valkyrian Festival at the Ringside in Hull, festival organiser and owner of Valkyrian Music Nick Taylor, commonly known by his pen name Nico Davidson, is proud to announce that Valkyrian Festival is set to go ahead again this year to raise money for Autism Plus. The event is set to take place at the Lamp in Hull on November 24th.

Headlining the festival will be Birmingham based power metal quintet Dakesis, who earlier this year supported the legendary Edguy. Joining them will be the likes of Sanguine, who are confirmed for both Download Festival and Ibiza’s Hard Rock Hell, along with Hull’s premier black metal act Infernal Creation, who later this year will be hitting up Bloodstock. Other confirmed acts include Incassum, Sea Of Giants, Nitronein, Ziyos and Aonia.

Sanguine guitarist, Nick Magee, commented "Sanguine are psyched to be playing Valkyrian 2012, make yourselves pretty, dust off your stomping boots and get ready for an invasion."

Incassum guitarist Chris Taylor had the following to say as well: "Incassum are stoked to play this year’s Valkyrian Festival at The Lamp, Hull. It’s going to be great sharing the stage with other bands representing a myriad of heavy music styles, not least Infernal Creation with whom we had the pleasure of headbanging with during our first date in Hull last winter. The event is raising money for Autism Plus which is a really worthy cause, and another reason to get your asses down to The Lamp on the 24th of November. See you there!"

Like last year’s event, this year’s show will feature a raffle to help raise extra funds. Prizes will include goodies from the likes of Metal Blade Records, Napalm Records and Earache, as well merch donated by the bands and members of the Valkyrian Music team.

Wayne Dorman, frontman for Dakesis also commented: “It’s a real honour to be headlining Valkyrian Festival! We’ve a great relationship with the guys at Valkyrian Music – they were the very first publication to review our latest album “Trial by Fire” and they gave us top marks to boot, as well as being voted their band of the month in February – we can’t wait! Dakesis always have a great time when we play in Hull and the surrounding areas, so bring on the party, it’s going to be an amazing night!”

Tickets will be available on the door for a mere £3 and doors will open early in the day. For more info and updates, head over to the official Valkyrian Festival Facebook page here.

^{Line-up is subject to change.}

Interview: Tom Keeley [Feb 2012] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Týr w/Support @ Fibbers, York (valkyrianmusic.com)
Dakesis to support EDGUY at HMV Institute, Birmingham (valkyrianmusic.com)
Fleshgod Apocalypse w/Support @ The Lamp, Hull (valkyrianmusic.com)
Amon Amarth, Grand Magus, In Solitude – Vicar Street, Dublin, ROI 15/4/12 (valkyrianmusic.com)
Band of the Month [March 2012]: Incassum (valkyrianmusic.com)
Interview: Endre Moe [2012] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Band Of The Month [February, 2012]: Dakesis (valkyrianmusic.com)
Noctiferia Confirmed For Festivals (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

Fleshgod Apocalypse w/Support @ The Lamp, Hull

Posted in Gig, Live with tags Black Dahlia Murder, Downfall, Facebook, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hull, Infernal Creation, Kingston upon Hull on 14th March 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Bands: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Dyscarnate, Bloodshot Dawn, Infernal Creation, Battallions, Downside
Location: The Lamp, Hull
Date: 12^th March

This was the second time this year that Italian death metal kings Fleshgod Apocalypse had toured the UK, this time they were headlining (last time, they were the support for The Black Dahlia Murder). There was a small buzz of excitement in The Lamp that matched the small crowd. Opening up the show was Downfall, a band that has proved near enough impossible to find details about. Whilst they put on a good show, they sounded quite bland despite their brutalising use of fierce riffs and cataclysmic vocals.

Shortly after Downfall’s set, came Hull-based sludge metal outfit Battallions. I’d heard a lot of good things about these over the past few weeks, so I had high expectations of them. One thing that truly impressed me about their set was the heaviness of the bass, it just seemed to ring out with more power and volume compared to the guitars, fortunately, the guitars were still audible though. The vocals were nothing short of vicious and blood thirsty, oddly blending with the almost doom metalesqe tempo of the music. I think it’s safe to say that they passed my expectations.

Aside from Fleshgod, one of the bands I was impatiently awaiting was none other that Yorkshire’s premier black metal quartet Infernal Creation. They opened up their set with an overwhelming performance of War Is Worship. Despite frontman Neiph’s ailing health on the night, he still executed his vocal duties like a well-placed axe during in a decapitation. Infernal Creation’s performance was extremely charismatic, allowing for their music to sound more menacing and wild. And as they had announced on their Facebook page, they were debuting a new song, entitled The Mother Of Fire, which for me was the pinnacle of their performance. The intro reminded of Megadeth’s Washington In Next whilst the vocals seemed to possess a My Dying Bride flavour to the sound. The song, itself, is unique in the way that it blends a certain mystifying atmosphere with a force of unrelenting brutality.

When Bloodshot Dawn took the stage, I had already missed some of their set due to having to nip to the takeaway. What I heard of their set was impressive, from the snarling and powerful vocals to the flawlessly performed riffs. The band had to cut their set short which was disappointing but thy at least played Godless, one of my favourite tracks from their new album, before finishing up was becoming an enchanting performance of sheer metal domination. The main support of the night came in the form of the metal trio Dyscarnate. Their shredding riffs and overall monstrous sound brought them a very positive crowd response. Their set was certainly one of the most lively ones of the night. Cain and Abel was my favourite part of the set.

And finally, the highlight of the night and the reason that a lot of the crowd were gathered at The Lamp: Fleshgod Apocalypse. As they opened up their set, the strong classical sound that dominates their music echoed throughout the venue. On thing I noticed straight away was the weakness of the sound, the fault lied with the sound engineer that was touring with them. Despite the weaker-than-usual sound, Fleshgod still performed well and created the hypnotic atmosphere that comes hand-in-hand with their music. The clean vocals were stop on as were the growls. The guitars just seemed to roar through the speakers, the riffs perfectly executed, as were the keyboard and rhythm sections. The Violation certainly went down with the crowd, creating the biggest response of the night though the performance of that song paled in comparison to the performance of The Imposition.

Overall, the show felt a little rushed, especially with Bloodshot having to cut their set short and the job the sound guy did for Fleshgod was disappointing but it was an enjoyable show, to say the least. The supporting acts (mainly Infernal, Battallions and Bloodshot) were just as impressive as Fleshgod. I’m hoping that Fleshgod Apocalypse make another UK appearance later in the year and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the aforementioned support acts again.

Nico Davidson

^{Photography by David Ferret Taylor.}

The Black Dahlia Murder w/Support @ Corporation, Sheffield (valkyrianmusic.com)
Ravenage w/Support @ Hollywood & Vine, Hull [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)

2 Comments »

Band of the Month [March 2012]: Incassum

Posted in Band Of The Month with tags Arch Enemy, Hull, Incassum, Kingston upon Hull, Lamp, Manchester, Ringside on 2nd March 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

This month’s Band of the Month come in the form of Manchester-based melodic metallers Incassum. The band blend a vicious combination of melodic vocals, snarling growls and screams with a hint of face tearing riffs. I was lucky enough to have seen Incassum back in November when they were touring with Spires.

Incassum are certainly one of the few bands that bring their all to both the studio and the stage.

The band will also be playing at Valkyrian Festival, in aid of Autism Plus later this year at The Lamp in Hull.

In the mean time, here’s a video of Incassum performing at The Ringside in Hull.

Spires + Incassum + Support @ The Ringside, Hull [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Incassum – In Vain [2008] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Band Of The Month [February, 2012]: Dakesis (valkyrianmusic.com)
Band Of The Month [January, 2012]: Wolfthorn (valkyrianmusic.com)
Bulletproof w/Fable @ Hollywood and Vine, Hull (valkyrianmusic.com)
Band Of The Month [December, 2011]: Collisions (valkyrianmusic.com)
Interview: The Colour Line [Feb 2012] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Interview: Endre Moe [2012] (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

Interview: The Colour Line [Feb 2012]

Posted in Interview with tags Dillinger Escape Plan, Extended play, Hull, Hull bands, Kingston upon Hull, SikTh, The Colour Line on 14th February 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

2011 saw the birth and sudden rise of Hull’s east coast party tech quintet The Colour Line, who have gone to support bands like Shadows Chasing Ghosts and Massacre on Broadway. Their live shows have being described as pure chaos and legitimately dangerous. Recently they replaced Chris Acaster on vocals, leading to upset from several fans. Since their first show in August of 2011, The Colour Line have reached heights that most unsigned bands take months to reach. Nico sits down for a bit of friendly Q&A with the band.

Nico: The first and generally most obvious question, what are The Colour Line’s plans for the year?

The Colour Line: Recording and touring as an absolute priority. We haven’t really had the time or money to do either for the last few months as we’ve been pretty much constantly playing shows since we first started, so we sat down and figured out some tour dates for March (which you can find on our Facebook page). As for recording we are hitting the studio mid-March and will have an EP available for free download, hopefully by early to mid-February.

N: What is the biggest influence on the band’s music?

TCL: Considering we’re a metal band, it’s very rare that we actually listen to any metal, and we’re proud of the fact that a lot of our outside and individual influences can be heard in our music. They range from gypsy jazz to dance music, and even though we don’t incorporate dance music or dubstep into our songs, the styles are still a huge influence on our music. It also wouldn’t be too far off the mark to say that our biggest influence is ourselves as the whole point of creating this band was to force ourselves and each other past our comfort zones and push us to play faster and tighter than we have done before, which is why each song we write is crazier and harder to play than the last. It definitely works; we’re all better musicians now than we were six months ago.

N: How would describe the band’s music to potential new listeners?

TCL: We’re fast, frenetic and fun, a healthy dose of everyone’s favourite bands in one bitesize chunk. For fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Chariot and SikTh.

N: Since forming, the band have gone onto support some of the rising stars in the underground scene. Which band has ben your favourite, so far, to share the stage with?

TCL: Definitely Dead Harts and Veils. They are two of the most unique bands in the UK at the minute, both of them really are doing something different with their music and we are incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to support them. We have also played with Red XIII from Blackpool, another incredible band who get tighter and tighter every time we see them play or share the stage up to the point where it’s almost like listening to a CD through a sound system when they play live. A few weeks ago we headlined above an American hip-hop artist called Raine Wilder who absolutely blew us away, if any readers are fans of Professor Green or Eminem he is well worth checking out.

N: You recently replaced Chris on vocals, is there any specific reasoning for this?

TCL: We haven’t been happy for a long time with the sound and style of his vocals, we all felt they weren’t progressing as fast as the rest of us were on our respective instruments and eventually push just came to shove and we had to do something about it. We had confronted him about it several times and he just didn’t seem willing to change as the rest of us were so we parted ways. We want this band to be the best it can possibly be and if the only way we could improve the vocals was to replace them, then that was what we had to do.

N: Following the announcement, of replacing Chris, you received several negative comments and messages, do you have anything to say to the naysayers?

TCL: If people only came to our shows to support Chris, it’s fairly obvious that they weren’t fans of the band to begin with so there’s absolutely no reason for us to lose sleep over negative comments from people who weren’t into the band in the first place. In any case we’d rather have five fans that enjoy our music and come to check us out as a band than a room full of kids who only turn up for the frontman! We never have been and never will be a band that is about one person, a band is (by definition) a group of musicians, not just a vocalist, or a guitarist, or any single member and a lot of people can’t seem to grasp that. As far as we’re concerned we made the right choice and we’re more than happy with Sam’s sound and we can’t wait to show people our new material with him. One last thing we will say is that Chris is now concentrating on his tattooing career, so if people still want to support him (as we hope they do) then they should do so by booking in with him at Twisted Image Custom Tattoos in Hull.

N: How does the song writing process, for you guys, progress?

TCL: One of us will come up with an idea for a riff or will start humming a melody, and once a foundation pattern or order is set we slowly add a basic drum rhythm, more guitars and bass, and then try and fit it together with some other ideas that may be floating around. Once the basics are down we will experiment with lead parts and offbeat drum patterns until we’re completely happy with every part, and then we’ll add the vocals and set out lyric placement to each section. Vocals are always last to add as there is a lot of arguing involved in our writing process, and more often than not someone will come up with a better idea at the last minute which completely changes half of the song, which is probably why it takes us so long to write!

N: When can we expect an EP or album release?

TCL: As we said earlier, we are hoping to have an EP ready for early March, until then there will be regular updates on our YouTube channel with various riffs and new material we’re writing for it, so keep your eyes peeled for those videos.

N: Are there any bands you’d suggest our readers check out?

TCL: Everyone should check out all the bands we have mentioned up to now, as well as Gratitude, who are an incredibly tight band from our hometown of Hull. There are too many to mention but we occasionally tag bands we think are great so keep an eye out on our page for those posts on our Facebook page.

Primal Rock Rebellion – Awoken Broken (valkyrianmusic.com)
Spires + Incassum + Support @ The Ringside, Hull [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Interview: Lost Effect [2012] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Interview: Will Brookes [2011] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Band Of The Month [December, 2011]: Collisions (valkyrianmusic.com)
Lost Effect – Salvation Of One (valkyrianmusic.com)
Interview: Neiph [2011] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Gaia Em Peso fest @ Molin old factory [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Sanguine- Live Consume Drive EP (2009) (valkyrianmusic.com)
Interview: The Colour Line [Feb 2012] (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

Soulflame – Heaven and Hell

Posted in Review with tags Classic Rock, Heaven and Hell, Hull, Metal, Soulflame, Traditional heavy metal on 1st February 2012 by underthenorthernstar

Band: Soulflame
Album: Heaven and Hell
Release Date: 2009
Genre: Blues Rock/Metal
Label: Unsigned

Soulflame are a hull-based Rock/Metal band formed in 2003. They have released Debut album, “Heaven and Hell,” and established for themselves a loyal fan base and developed a staggering live reputation.

The band’s old school fusion of Blues and Metal with a Rock and Roll mentality is incredibly infectious; immediately, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy leap to mind. This is largely due to the band’s impeccable reproduction of the Old-school sound – through production as well as music. That said, there are moments, such as the riff on “Falling Hard” that are most definitely metallic in origin, Thrashy almost, and sometimes, it is more Mötley Crüe that infiltrate their sound, seen best on the title track. Musically, the band is more than sound, they are completely brilliant – despite being very clearly influenced by 70s/80s rock and metal, they maintain a significant high standard of originality. They’ve bypassed the bargain bin of second or third-hand riffs, and wear the guise of a band of a vintage far beyond their years.

Not a thing more could have been asked for with regards to guitar work – solos here are positively golden, especially on “Get a Grip.” The drumming is restrained but invigorating, and the vocals are earnest and classic. Lyrically, there’s not a whole lot that’s new… but let’s face it, nobody cares about that, they’re still brilliant. Their songs are clearly designed for the live show, a group of definite crowd-pleasers from start to finish, even the ballad “Sands of Time,” But the energy of that environment is captured excellently on record. It’s a testament to the band’s supreme talent.

Heaven and Hell is an amazing album, brought to the fore by a band with the sound of the legends of yesteryear and the energy of a hyperactive toddler. Just as loud too. With a truly disappointing lack of nationwide (Read “world”) success, I say get it sorted, Britain!

4.7/5

Alasdair Dunn of Norderobring

4 Comments »

Band Of The Month [February, 2012]: Dakesis

Posted in Band Of The Month with tags Birmingham, Dakesis, EDGUY, Hull, Kingston upon Hull, Power Metal, Trial By Fire, Valkyrian Festival on 1st February 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

And Dakesis are this month’s Band of the Month! Dakesis are a five piece prog-power metal outfit from the birthplace of metal… Birmingham. 2011 saw the release of their debut album Trial By Fire, which has been praised by critics and fans alike. This year is clearly the year for Dakesis as they will be supporting German power metal legends Edguy this coming Friday and headlining Valkyrian Festival on 24th November at the Lamp in Hull.

Dakesis are definitely one of the finest power metal bands on the scene and there are clearly big things in store of these guys and gals.

Dakesis to support EDGUY at HMV Institute, Birmingham (valkyrianmusic.com)
Dakesis – Trial By Fire [2011] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Bulletproof w/Fable @ Hollywood and Vine, Hull (valkyrianmusic.com)
Interview: Neiph [2011] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Ravenage w/Support @ Hollywood & Vine, Hull [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)

Leave a comment »

Bulletproof w/Fable @ Hollywood and Vine, Hull

Posted in Gig, Live with tags Black Sabbath, Hollywood & Vine, Hull, Kingston upon Hull, Queens of the Stone Age on 29th January 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Bands: Bulletproof, Fable
Location: Hollywood and Vine, Hull
Date: 27^th January 2012

The show originally had four bands on the bill: Clown Corpse (whom I was really looking forward to see), Promethium, Bulletproof and Fable. Unfortunately, Clown Corpse had dropped off the bill [something about a member being ill] and Promethium had been delayed by an accident on the M62 and so had arrived and played after I’d left the venue to head for home.

Fable started up the night, beginning with a cover of Queens Of The Stone Age’s “Go With The Flow”. I’ve never been a fan of QOTSA, so I found this cover to be more entertaining than that of the original. They continued the set with an average rendition of “I Feel Like A Monster” by Three Days Grace [I think]. The rest of their set was built up by covers – though I’m not so sure about the fourth song they played. The vocals through out the entire set seemed to go from strong sounding to more weak throughout several of the songs, which is a shame since the frontman has potential. The only other thing that irked me about Fable’s set was the lack of energy and charisma, though it was their first gig so the nerves might have affected the overall performance.

After a long hour or so, Bulletproof made their way to the stage at long last though we were all left waiting a bit longer as some photographer was preventing the band from playing by getting in their faces with his camera, though the frontman didn’t seem that bothered by it. When they finally began playing, they took us all by surprise with a great use of riffs and strong clean vocals – except for the shouting-like vocals. The drummer displayed a lot of talent, keeping his sections tight. The highlight of their performance was that of a song called “Bacon Strips”. Bulletproof finished off with an almost perfect rendition of Motorhead’s “Rock Out” and a brutalising version of “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath.

As I stated above, I had left before Promethium had arrived at the venue, so I missed their set which is disappointing since I’ve heard their recorded material and quite enjoyed it. Bulletproof are definitely a band I’d recommend people to go see, as are Fable.

Nico Davidson

Ravenage w/Support @ Hollywood & Vine, Hull [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Lost Effect – Salvation Of One (valkyrianmusic.com)
The Welly Warmer @ The Ringside [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Sarah Jezebel Deva W/Support @ Ringside, Hull [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)
Spires + Incassum + Support @ The Ringside, Hull [Live Review] (valkyrianmusic.com)

1 Comment »

Spires + Incassum + Support @ The Ringside, Hull [Live Review]

Posted in Gig, Live with tags Hull, Incassum, Infernal Creation, Manchester, Metal, Spires, Terrorizer on 27th November 2011 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Bands: Spires, Incassum, Infernal Creation
Location: The Ringside, Hull
Date: 26th November

As part of their Terrorizer-sponsored tour, the Manchester-based Spires and Incassum arrived in the grim city of Hull. The original line-up for the night consisted of Mister Sister Fister, Infernal Creation, Incassum and Spires. Unfortunately, Mister Sister Fister had to pull out last minute due to their drummer already being booked for at work for the night. After reviewing Incassum and Spires earlier this week for the site – and Infernal Creation for my “rivals” over at Denim and Leather, I already had an idea of what the night would consist.

Though I was tending the doors for the promoter, I had a perfect view of the stage as Hull’s very own misanthropic beast of a metal band, Infernal Creation, graced the room with their presence of stage. They’re definitely a band who need no introductions, however when the voice of misanthropy, Neiph, did introduce the band, he took the opportunity to announce their next song as well, by stating in a grim, almost-messianic way: “We are Infernal Creation… And we speak of the Insidious Gospel”. As I stated earlier, I already had an idea of what to expect for tonight but I didn’t expect Infernal Creation’s sound to be so aggressive and heavy live. The snarling screams and roaring of guitars, topped off with thunderous drums just made their performance so much better. The band played a few songs such as “War Is Worship” and “The Angel Of Endless Hunger” from the new album, The Serpent Seed Doctrine, and in all honestly, they sounded as good as the studio versions.

The female-fronted force of violent melodic metal that is Incassum wasted no time getting to the stage – Something that did impress since some bands do like to pansy foot around in the interval. In fact, they were all set to play when I was half way through smoking a roll-up. Fortunately I could hear them clearly outside while I was smoking. With female-fronted bands, there seems to be a stereotype that they all have operatic vocalists but the good thing about Incassum is that they don’t cater themselves to such stereotypes. Their In Vain EP is an example of this and their live performance certainly showed that they’re better than most female-fronted bands. The violent sounds of the guitars echoed well throughout the venue and the band’s set showed some clear influences of melodic and technical death metal. The thing that really did impress me the most about Incassum’s set – aside from the music – was the way that the frontwoman, Sharleen, so easily transited between roaring vocals mightier than thunder and a softer, more angelic vocal style almost as if it was as natural as breathing. Incassum made Arch Enemy sound like pop rock, a potentially blasphemous comment no doubt but if you’ve seen them live, you’ll agree. Their song “Cut Loose” certainly seemed to go down well with the crowd.

The headliner of the night were the extreme-prog. metal quartet that are Spires. I had already been assured by the guys in Infernal Creation that these guys are great live as Infernal had done a gig with them roughly a year and a half ago. They performed a truly tight set that displayed a masterful combination of progressive elements, more brutal sounds and a strong use of vocals. The solos were easy of the ears as well. Spires performed a new song as well – I think they said it was called “The Fevered Spirit”, either way, it was a masterful combination of aggression, progressive metal and strong vocal work. These guys are definitely a band I’d recommend everyone go see live. Though the opening act had dropped out last minute, the night’s entertainment was still provided by three great bands. Any of them would have gone down well as the headlining act as well and the people certainly got their £3’s worth.

Nico Davidson