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Gorilla Riot – Peach

Posted in Review, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , on 14th February 2020 by Mickelrath

Gorilla Riot

Peach

Southern Rock, Groove Rock

Released 31st January 2020

via Off Yer Rocka Recordings

I have been following this band for a while now. If you are from Manchester then you should know who these guys are. Gorilla Riot are the premier southern rock band of the northwest. They have been tearing up the underground rock scene in the UK for a while playing some of the biggest festivals and headlining venues around the country. I have been interested in their music for a while and was intrigued to get this album. Peach is the first full-length album from the band. I have to say I am pretty pleased with the outcome and if you have never heard of these guys before, then this is the time to get into their music.

The album is filled with all sorts of riff-rock goodness including tight grooves and a real old-school feel. They have the groovy rhythms of the ’70s infused with the style, flair and production of modern hard rock. If you’re into the likes of Sturgill Simpson or Steve Earle then this is something right up your alley. There’s that real down ‘n’ dirty hard rock with burning passion and soul.  The production just feels massive with a lot of depth to the music. You can really feel the impact of the three guitars in the band with sharp and concise riffs, blistering solos and co-ordinated harmonies. The bass adds this massive bottom to the songs and the drum work packs a punch as it forms the framework of each song.

Saying all of that, I could definitely understand how this kind of music is not everyone’s cup of tea. The twangy blues rhythm is really slow-paced and when listening to the album all the way through. It never really feels like it picks up with every song hitting the same groove, or at least it feels like it. It could have done with an acoustic country-style ballad or a high octane super-charged track. Just something to break up the album and give it some more flavour. It’s not that any of the songs are bad, I just think it needed some other style of rock to give the band some more character and to show they can be more versatile.

I quite liked this album. I think it does more than enough to entertain. It’s not going to be to everyone’s liking and that’s fine. I think the band knows their audience and they’re not out to please everybody. They’ll keep right on trucking and I think that’s fair. They’re a really fun band to watch live and their music pretty much speaks for itself. It’s a solid album and definitely worth a listen.

7/10

Mick Birchall

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Sick N’ Beautiful + Supports @ Manchester Aatma

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , , , on 4th June 2018 by Mickelrath

Sick N’ Beautiful w/ Bad Pollyanna & Novacrow

Venue: Manchester Aatma Date: 02 June 2018

This was an interesting show, to say the least. First of all, I struggled to find the venue. I like to think that I know Manchester pretty well but I had to lap the building a few times to even find it. So that wasn’t the best start. Also since this was one of the last dates of the tour and this date was a last minute addition to the tour, there wasn’t much of a crowd in the venue. Still the bands really brought the energy and intensity, resulting in a fun time regardless. I have recently reviewed the new album from Sick N’ Beautiful and I really liked it. It had so much personality to it, so naturally, I had to check out what a show from them would be like. Also for an added bonus the support came from Liverpool’s mad rockers, Novacrow. Also, one of my favourite bands, Bad Pollyanna. With all that in play I knew I was going to have a good time.

Novacrow


Straight from the get-go these guys brought so much fire. They just went absolutely crazy on the stage. The guitars roared and the bass pulsated as they brought their tunes to life. Unfortunately their drummer was absent but nothing that a cardboard cutout of Danny DeVito and a drum machine couldn’t fix and to be fair it was mixed pretty well into the set. They wouldn’t stand still for one moment and I liked that. Lead vocalist, Kitty was a mad woman, roaming around the venue and screaming with such passion. They were a lot of fun and I was really into it. Every moment they were playing the audience were captivated by their antics. I haven’t seen them in a long time and I have to say they haven’t missed a step for a single moment.

They’re just as fun and enjoyable as ever and they’re clearly having a good time when they play. The only real problem I had with the set is that the balance was out at times. There would just be moments where the distortion was just a little too much and you couldn’t hear the actual music more just noise. However they made up for that with their personalities. They were beaming with big grins as they played great tunes like “Fight The Horde” and ending the set on the ever popular “Fat Frog”. Where the band went into full on crazy mode. Definitely an enjoyable opener and it made me realise that I need to see them more often. They put on a great live I hope more and more people catch on to them.

Bad Pollyanna


I’ve already kinda gave this away but yeah Bad Pollyanna are one of my favourite bands. I could go to see them again and again and never really get bored. They have the really nice balance of rock and electronica. Once again they didn’t disappoint. They blasted full force on the stage and I think a lot of the audience knew who they were as well which added to the show immensely. I loved the set list, each song followed into the next, it all felt like it really flowed well. Songs like “Pull the Trigger” and “Bionic Heart” got the people moving and I was really enjoying myself. The electronic sections really add layers to their live set. It was mixed really well with the live instruments and the vocal performance was sublime. Frontwoman, Olivia Hyde and bassist Nikki Kontinen had some really great moments of vocal harmony as well. The whole set just felt so fluid. “Define Me” was really well received as well, as one of their biggest hits. They just injected so much charisma and energy into their set. Their performance was engrossing. Maybe a little more restrained that Novacrow’s set, but still really fun to watch. It was really hard to take your eyes off of them.

There wasn’t too much in the way of negatives in this set. To be perfectly honest I was enjoying myself too much to really notice. The mark a really good set in my opinion. The only thing I wish is that there was some new material for them to play. As much as I love the two albums they have I wish there was some new music just to spice up the set list a little more. To be fair though that’s not a bad criticism to give, I want more music.  Bad Pollyanna continue to be one of my favourite bands to watch live. Everything they do while on stage is really enjoyable and their songs are very entertaining.

Sick N’ Beautiful


Okay…This was actually really good. Very much worth the wait to see. Sick N’ Beautiful really know how to put on one hell of a show, even the smallest and cramped of spaces. Seriously talk about making the most of the space given to you. They really brought their set list to life in the best of ways. Their music was excellent as they played some of my favourite tunes from the album. Their performance was out of this world with strobe lighting and a very interesting presentation. The sound was pretty damn good as well. The songs were well played.

Unfortunately the crowd had thinned out even more than before so there wasn’t quite as much energy as there was for the openers. I would love to see them play to a much bigger and more energetic crowd because I think a show like that would be quality. They clearly put a lot of time into their stage personas. I really loved them for the short time they were on stage. The setlist was great I really liked “Megalomaniacal” and “All Wanna Go To Heaven”. They just performed really well. I loved that they put their all into the set, I can really respect that. They clearly have a passion for performing and it shone through here. I wish there was more of an atmosphere to the show, but beggars can’t be choosers and I had a great time listening to them.

Mick Birchall

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Interview with Janne Wirman (Children of Bodom)

Posted in Gig, Interview, Live with tags , , , , , on 19th March 2017 by Mickelrath

Before their set in Manchester, our writer, Mick Birchall sits with Janne Wirman from Children of Bodom to talk about 20 years of the band and how they kept up in the music industry. Also, touring and the music scene in general.

This year marks 20 years of Children of Bodom. How does it feel to be able to say that you have actually been going that long?

Yes, it’s crazy it really is.  We weren’t really expecting that when we started. Back then we were just kids and we played heavy metal metal. Yeah it’s great it really is. Just the though that we’ve made it this far.

You guys have played all around the world.  Would you say there a difference in audience, depending on where you go?

You be surprised on how little the differences are really. Metal heads are metal heads no matter where you go.  If there are differences then they’d be small things. Such as in Japan, the crowd will probably go completely silent between the songs, it feels a little awkward. However, it is a show of respect. So it’s things like that but when the music is on, it’s on!

Going for 20 years now and with 9 albums.  How do you feel you keep your music sounding new without wearing out the same sound, but also without compromising the core of the band?

That’s becoming a challenge after releasing so many albums and we definitely don’t want to be stuck to a formula or get stuck the mindset of “this worked well, let’s just do that again”. As a band you have to keep creating something new and you have to take a risk with something eventually. I mean there’s only so many bands that can release the same album over and over.

Over the years what is the one song you wish you had written as a band?

I would say Redneck by Lamb of God.

What would be the best band that you have opened for and what’s the best band that’s opened for you?

I’d say the best we’ve opened for is Slayer. We did a couple tour with them and it was just great.  Their level of production and how well the opening bands were treated it was just amazing.

On the other hand we’ve had the pleasure of having so many killer band open the show for us. We had this band recently play with us.  Havok they were really great, we’ve heard them play and every audience they’ve played for people have just loved them.  Also we have Oni with us on this tour. They’re really cool, with a xylophone player. If you’re into the weird stuff then Oni is for you.

What’s your impression of the more gimmicky bands out there.  The ones who will dress up and get into character for a show?

I mean, there’s nothing wrong with it. Just don’t paste it over your image, if your band sound sounds fine without gimmicks then don’t paste it over the top of it.  Only do it if it’s natural to the kind of music that you’re trying to create. Also, if you’re going to do it, make it your own thing.  Don’t take another band idea and slap it over your band, try to be original with a concept.

So to end on. What was the hardest thing you had to overcome and how did you overcome it?

We’ve had some obstacles in band. Obviously letting Roope (Latvala) go was a tough decision. We were struggling without him for sometime. When you’ve been in the industry for this long you’ve had up and and downs. At the end of the day, everyone in the band has to believe in the same thing, then between all of you you get through rough times. As long as you have you bandmates there’s very little that they’ll let you do wrong.

 

Interview and words by Mick Birchall

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Spires announce crowd-funding campaign for upcoming album

Posted in News with tags , , , , , on 5th September 2014 by Pieni

photo spires_zpsdcd1d038.jpg

Manchester progressive metallers Spires have launched a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for their forthcoming full length album, “The Whisperer”. After the critically acclaimed “Spiral of Ascension” (2010), and the equally praised acoustic mini-album “Lucid Abstractions” (2012), “The Whisperer” is planned to be released in early November, with the Kickstarter campaign ending on 4th October. If you wish to take part of this, please click the following link: ttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1250333601/spires-second-album-the-whisperer-t-shirt-campaign

The album will initially be a limited edition run of 500 copies, on 6 panel digipak, featuring extensive artwork by Daniella Morrison, and a full lyric booklet. The 7 track release will feature over an hour of progressive metal, and expands upon the foundations laid on the band’s previous releases.

“This album is going to be even more expansive and wide reaching,” vocalist/guitarist Paul Sadler explains, “with more varied instrumentation including cello, violin, piano and female vocals, as well as a guest spot on guitar from Tymon Kruidenier from Exivious / ex-Cynic The overall dynamics are pushed to further extremes in both directions. We’re all extremely excited about how it’s sounding. We decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign to give us that helping hand to produce a physical product that’s really worth having. In this day and age we feel this is necessary to convince people its worth parting with their hard earned cash for something you have created.”

The band is also producing a limited run of T-shirts to coincide with the release, featuring artwork from the album, also available through Kickstarter. A small UK tour is also in the pipeline for the end of the year, of which we’ll inform you as soon as the dates are confirmed. They play a one off show alongside Falloch and Jordan Reyne on 17th September at The Flapper in Birmingham .

Spires online:
http://www.facebook.com/spiresofficial
http://www.spiresband.co.uk

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Greenfire confirmed as latest addition to Valk-Fest 2014

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , on 13th June 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

VFPoster

Already boasting a monumental line-up featuring the likes of Scotch black metal royals Cnoc An Tursa, Azylya from Belgium and Dutch progressive powerhouse Ex Libris, Valkyrian Festival is proud to announce the addition of Manchester-based posh rockers Greenfire to this year’s bill.

The festival, which is now sponsored by Neue Regal Radio as well as Wolf Band Management, The Crypt of Curiosities and Black Phoenix Rising Metal Forum, is in aid of Rape Crisis. Weekend and day tickets are available from this location. The event is set to take place at Basement (Formerly Shades Nightclub) in Bridlington from Friday 21st November to Sunday 23rd November. The event is an all-ages event.

The full line-up for Valkyrian Festival 2014 is as follows:

Fri. 21st November
CNOC AN TURSA (Headliner) – Bharghest (Main Support) – Drekavac – Exile The Traitor – Crooked Lizard (Opener)

Sat. 22nd November
AZYLYA (Headliner) – Sakara (Main Support) – Sorronia – Northern Oak – Badge – Chemikill – Mørktår – Divided We Fall – Clunge Hammer

Sun. 23rd November
EX LIBRIS (Headliner) – Reign of Fury (Main Support) – Wretched Soul – Ethereal – Aonia – Alice In Thunderland – Enkelination – Tears of Martyr – Greenfire – Synchronix – Avalon

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Interview with Martijn Westerholt [Delain]

Posted in Interview with tags , , , , , , , , , on 25th April 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Valkyrian Music editor Nico Davidson catches up with Delain’s founding member and main man Martijn Westerholt in Manchester before the band’s first UK show of 2014 with Within Temptation.

Special thanks to April Mccaffrey for filming the interview.

Delain online:

http://delain.nl
http://facebook.com/delainmusic

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Leaves Eyes w/Support – Manchester, UK

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , , , , on 29th January 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Leaves’ Eyes, Pyhtia and Atrocity
Sound Control, Manchester
Friday 17th January 2014

It’s been almost two since Leaves’ Eyes graced the shores of Britain and even longer since Atrocity brought death metal-styled annihilation to the UK. For the UK leg of the tour, London metal band Pythia were added to the line-up as main support, which was an interesting decision but certainly didn’t affect the turn out in Manchester.

LeavesEyes-Manchester-2014 048

Atrocity opened up the show with their heavy-than-a-ton-of-bricks song Pandaemonium before the set transited into the snarling riffs of Haunted By Demons. Frontman Alexander Krull worked the crowd as if he was some gigantic puppeteer, influencing the movements and reactions of the crowd with each fierce vocal line and every bang of his head and whip of his hair. The howling guitars and thunderous rhythm sections answered the calls of each other throughout Atrocity’s set, leaving no questions unanswered. For the performance of Satan’s Braut, Alex invited two members of the crowd up onto the stage to dance throughout the song, much to the approval of both the crowd and the band. Death By Metal was the pinnacle of Atrocity’s set however, melding in with the blazing lightshow perfectly.

[4.5/5]

LeavesEyes-Manchester-2014 077Pythia were the next band on the bill, taking their place as main support. As they appeared on stage, each one looked like a warrior or a hero or something from a fantasy RPG or film. Vocalist Emily, despite technical issues during in the first song, showed her vocal dominance with a barrage of high notes and soprano vocals. The use of programmed keyboards didn’t add to the mystical atmosphere of Pyhtia’s songs but the sweeping riffs, domineering percussion and impressive stage show more than made up for that. The band’s performance of Betray My Heart appeared to go down a treat with those in attendance, both new and old Pythia fans alike. And speaking of fans, the band certainly made some new ones in Manchester.

[4/5]

LeavesEyes-Manchester-2014 224

With an enchanting stage presence, Liv Kristine rose onto the stage like a valkyrie, after her band mates had first appeared. Starting up with the catchy tune of Galswintha the band pursued Take The Devil In Me. One thing that was noticeable throughout the performance was the lack of a bassist, though the use of guitars and programming filled that void, working well with Liv’s angelic vocals and Alex’s harsher, bestial styling. The guitars cut through the atmosphere of the show, being heard perfectly from every part of the venue, summoning up their heavy, driving and somewhat hypnotic riffs. Farewell Proud Men made an appearance throughout Leaves’ Eyes’ set, as did Velvet Heart and Frøya’s Theme. Their Hell To The Heavens sounded darker and heavier live than what it does on the album, showing that Leaves’ Eyes new sound is adaptable for situations including for the live show.

[5/5]

Manchester has seen a lot of shows but nothing quite like Leaves’ Eyes, Pythia and Atrocity all under one roof. Epic? No, that’s not quite the word but it will have to do for now.

Nico Davidson

 

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Interview with Alexander Krull [Atrocity]

Posted in Interview with tags , , , , , , , , on 29th January 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

LeavesEyes-Manchester-2014 026

Nico got settled down in Manchester earlier this month for a chat with Alexander Krull, the voice of Germany’s death metal powerhouse Atrocity.

Nico: Nice to meet you Alex, how are you doing?

Alex: Nice to meet you. I’m fine. Fantastic tour in the UK. We’re happy to be back.

Nico: It’s been a while since Atrocity last played the UK. Has the Atrocity fanbase changed since you last were here or is it pretty much still the same?

Alex: The people we met before appeared at the show, so they are pretty much the same. I think they all liked the new album, the Okkult album. We got some really good feedbacks so we are happy that we were able to do this tour. On the other side we have been touring through many countries with both bands, Atrocity and Leaves’ Eyes, like 40 countries or more. It’s a little bit of a pity if you have a circle consisting of studio, album, touring. But maybe one tour is not happening and you go on tour with the next album, so there can be a long time in between.

Nico: If you were booked to play a festival and you get to play only one Atrocity album, which one would it be and why?

Alex: At the moment, the Okkult album. Obviously because it’s the brand new album and the songs are doing very well, so that would be the choice of the moment.

Nico: Speaking of festivals, does Atrocity have any festival plans for this year?

Alex: Yeah, it’s still in the making, but bring us back to the UK if possible!

Nico: I’m sure something can be arranged, maybe Bloodstock?

Alex: Yeah that would be awesome! We’ve played there with Leaves’ Eyes, it was amazing, it was really good. Yes maybe somebody wants to bring us back with Leaves’ Eyes or Atrocity, I don’t care!

Nico: Let’s hope so.

Alex: I mean, there are festivals coming up but I can’t tell which ones. Two new ones are coming up soon on Facebook or the page, you will see.

Nico: Okkult was released last year like you said, and it’s the first part of a trilogy. Have you started on the second part of the trilogy?

Alex: Yes, actually we recorded one song before we left for the UK. But it will take a while. I mean, we will play after this tour in North America and Puerto Rico for four weeks. That’s the situation we are in now : we are touring and playing festivals. After North America we are going back to Europe so there will be time to write and record songs. But it’s also cool to grab the energy from the shows, the experiences that we have, to write new songs.

Nico: I imagine it’s still a bit early to be talking about the second part of the trilogy, but what can fans expect from the second part?

Alex: I think you ask this question is because we have had a lot of changes within the bands history and diversity in music. But the Okkult concept is based on this epic backstory let’s say, like we have on the first album. I think we are going to keep that style which is already quite diverse. I’ve heard from some press people that they were a little bit afraid that people would not understand everything on the album. They were a little bit like ‘what?’. It’s up to the fans and I think it’s good to have a diverse album. So we are going to follow in the footsteps of the first one and develop the style. There will probably be some changes, we don’t want to be a boring band. We’re always looking for new challenges.

Nico: Are there any releases by other bands that you are looking forward to this year?

Alex: Let me think..there are a few but the thing is, I’m not sure if they are going to release next year or this year. Who’s releasing something?

Nico: There are a few bands, it’s hard to keep track of it all to be honest.

Alex: You know, who announced they were going on tour with a new record.. Was it Live or whoever? Not a metal band but I would love to see a new album of them too.

Nico: From previous interviews with Liv, I understand that you are a Game of Thrones fan. If you could be any character from the Game of Thrones universe, who would it be and why?

Alex: Wow. Okay, I think the character is dead already! Ned Stark.

Nico: Good choice! Apart from the fact he’s dead…

Alex: I didn’t read the books but yeah, that was not like in other movies… [makes chopping movement with hand] over-out!

Nico: That was one of the most impressive moments for me in the Game of Thrones universe, apart from the Red Wedding.

Alex: Yeah, the Red Wedding, I saw some reactions to that on the internet.., It was quite heavy.

Nico: It was brilliant how they did it on TV especially if you read the books as well. Because I knew it was coming so I was like “no no, not this season, not this episode! Do it another time! Please for the love of God!”

Alex: [laughs] Yeah it was quite interesting to see some reactions when they cursed the directors: “ how can they do that, the characters die!”. It’s written in the books, so..

Nico: Some fans take it a bit overboard so..,

Alex: Yeah I’m looking forward to watch the new season. I think it starts in april? Yesi *two thumbs up*

Nico: Thanks for you time Alex, I hope you have a good show tonight.

Alex: Thank you!

Nico: You’re welcome.

Alex: See you guys!

Atrocity online:

http://facebook.com/AtrocityOfficial
http://twitter.com/atrocitypage

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Whorion announce UK tour dates

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , , on 19th January 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Finnish symphonic death metallers Whorion have announce a string of UK dates in support of their debut EP Fall Of Atlas. Support for the varying UK dates comes from Old Corpse Road, Necrogrinder and Hades Lab.

Tour dates are as follow:

17 May – The Basement, Bridlington (with Old Corpse Road)
18 May – South Sea Live, Sheffield (with Necrogrinder and Old Corpse Road)
19 May – The Snooty Fox, Wakefield (with Necrogrinder and Old Corpse Road)
21 May – The Roadhouse, Birmingham (with Necrogrinder)
22 May – Satan’s Hallow, Manchester (with Necrogrinder)
23 May – The Zombie Hut, Corby (with Necrogrinder)
24 May – Club 85, Hitchin (with Hades Lab)
25 May – New Cross Inn, London (with Hades Lab)

Whorion online:

http://www.whorion.com

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Lonely The Brave announce UK Tour Support and TBS Show Support

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , , on 13th January 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

After what was a huge 2013 for them, Lonely The Brave have announced Scottish newcomers Fatherson as the support act for their first ever headlining UK tour, which will include a hometown show at Cambridge. Having sold out their previous London gig at The Lexington, the band is booked to play Cargo on 30th January and last month announced 9 additional nights to that original show making up the bands first headline tour.

Lonely The Brave have also been confirmed as the only support act to Long Island rockers Taking Back Sunday at their already sold out show in London at Camden’s Koko on 26th February.

Tour dates and links to tickets are as follow:

January

26th      Glasgow, King Tuts
27th      Manchester, Deaf Institute
28th      Leicester, Academy 2
30th      London, Cargo
31st      Aldershot, West End Centre

February

1st        Nottingham, Rock City Basement
4th        Southampton, Joiners
5th        Leeds, Cockpit
7th        Norwich, Open
8th        Cambridge, Junction 2 / SOLD OUT

http://lonelythebrave.com
http://facebook.com/lonelythebrave
http://twitter.com/lonelythebrave

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The Vintage Caravan stream Voyage online

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , on 10th January 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Young psych rockers The Vintage Caravan have begun streaming their new album Voyage at this location. The album will be released this coming Monday (13th January 2014) via Nuclear Blast.

The Vintage Caravan will also be hitting the UK with Grand Magus in March. Tour dates are as follow:

March 12th – Manchester, Sound Control
March 13th – Dublin, Voodoo Lounge
March 15th – Wolverhampton, Slade Rooms
March 16th – London, Camden Underworld

The Vintage Caravan online:

http://facebook.com/vintagecaravan

 

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Absolva announce UK dates with Babylon Fire

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , , on 16th December 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

British metal unit Absolva have announced their first string of UK dates for 2014 and they will be joined by special guests and label mates Babylon Fire for said dates. The UK tour schedule confirmed so far is as follow:

May 1st: London, The Garage,
2nd: Birmingham, Asylum 2,
3rd: Burnley, Sanctuary,
10th: Carlisle, Brickyard,
11th: Wakefield, Snooty Fox,
16th: Great Yarmouth, The Oakwood,
17th: Brighton, Green Door Store,
23rd Grimsby, Yardbirds,
24th: Selby, Riverside,
31st: Manchester, Sound Control.

Absolva online:

http://absolva.com

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The Vintage Caravan confirm UK dates

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , on 10th December 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Iceland’s answer to the likes of Black Sabbath and Led Zeplin, The Vintage Caravan, are finally making their way across the oceans to introduce the UK to their own brand of riffs. And bunny-licking. The three Icelandic youngsters, who are aged 19, 19 and 20, will be touring as support to Grand Magus, in March next year. Their debut album Voyage will be released via Nuclear Blast in January 2014. Bassist Alex comments:

We are so incredibly excited to finally be touring the UK with a great band like Grand Magus, meeting British people, drinking British ales. This is going to be one hell of a trip!

There has been a huge resurgence of ‘retro rock’ over the last few years, but these boys have explored a path that no one else has found yet. Youth is on their side, they have drawn musical influences from the greats of our generation and added to them their acid laced, trippy lyrics, relatable to the silly side that’s hopefully still in all of us. If not, these guys will certainly help you find it!

Tour dates are as follow:

March 12th – Manchester, Sound Control – www.seetickets.com
March 13th – Dublin, Voodoo Lounge – www.ticketmaster.ie
March 15th – Wolverhampton, Slade Rooms – www.tickets.com
March 16th – London, The Underworld – www.seetickets.com

The Vintage Caravan online:

http://www.facebook.com/vintagecaravan

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Soilwork announce UK 2014 tour

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 27th November 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

After their sold-out show at The Camden Underworld in London, which was their first UK date in four years, Swedish metal tyrants Soilwork have announced a four-date UK tour for March in 2014.

The band’s current studio album, which is also their first double set, The Living Infinite was the first Soilwork release to chart in the UK national album charts. Gathering excellent reviews, it was praised by Metro as “a slab of heroic, chest-beating Scandi-metal“. Metal Hammer championed their output, “The Swedes have somehow risen to their own mighty-challenge and produced a consistent, cohesive and remarkably dynamic banquet of blistering modern metal that amounts to a wholesale broadening and sharpening of their sound“. They were also granted a much sought after KKKK Kerrang! review that stated “sixteen years in and it’s clear Soilwork still have fertile imaginations“. UK dates are as follow:

March 11th – Bristol, The Fleece
March 12th – Manchester, Sound Control
March 13th – London, Islington Academy (special guests to Overkill)
March 15th – Birmingham, Library

Their support for these dates will be Darkane and System Divide.

Soilwork have also been confirmed for Hammerfest 2014 with the likes of Grand Magus, Overkill and Kreator.

Soilwork online:

http://soilwork.org
http://facebook.com/soilwork

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Deathstars announce 2014 UK tour

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , , , on 6th November 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Sweden’s very own glam-death outfit Deathstars have recently announced a string of UK tour dates in March next year. The tour will be in support of their upcoming, highly anticipated album which is set to be released in February of next year via Nuclear Blast. This will be Deathstars’s first album since their the band’s 2009 release Night Electric Night. The recordings will take place in Studio Bohus with Roberto Laghi who will co-produce the album together with Nightmare Industries. Lead vocalist Whiplasher Bernadotte comments on the forthcoming full-length album:

Deathstars is an adventure for us. It’s as if it is a phenomenon of it’s own, and our forum for destruction, glitter and darkness. We are very excited about the new material and every time we hit the studio we never know what the outcome will be, i mean we have a general idea but we’re never a 100% sure how the final result will be until we’re done and can sit back and listen to it.

Tour dates as follows (Ticket links included):

Tuesday 25th March- London – The Garage

Wednesday 26 March – Manchester – Academy 3

Thursday 27 March – Wolverhampton – Slade Rooms

Deathstars online:

http://facebook.com/deathstars
http://twitter.com/deathstars

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Venue change for Cardiff date of American Head Charge UK tour

Posted in News with tags , , , , , on 4th November 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

With the sudden and very unfortunate closure of Bogiez in Cardiff, the Cardiff date of American Head Charge‘s UK tour has been moved to The Globe. The date and time will remain the same and all tickets will be valid for entry. Full UK tour dates are as follow:

13th Nov – The Haunt – Brighton, UK
14th Nov – The Garage, London, UK
15th Nov – Legends – Newcastle, UK
16th Nov –  Audio – Glasgow, UK
17th Nov – Sound Control – Manchester UK
18th Nov – ScholarBar / Academy 2 – Leicester, UK
19th Nov – The Fleece – Bristol, UK
20th Nov –  The Globe – Cardiff, UK – Venue Change
21st Nov –  White Rabbit – Plymouth, UK
22nd Nov – Crauford Arms – Milton Keynes, UK
23rd Nov –  Roxx, Southampton – UK
24th Nov – The Met – Peterborough, UK

American Head Charge online:

http://www.facebook.com/AmericanHeadCharge

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Avenged Sevenfold fighting for UK #1 spot

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 30th August 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Californian rock titans Avenged Sevenfold are fighting tooth and nail to land their first UK number one spot with their new album Hail To The King, which was released earlier this week. As the announcement of this week’s album charts reaches its conclusion, the band are currently just over 3000 copies ahead of their nearest challenger, Naughty Boy – What kind of name is that anyway?

Avenged Sevenfold will follow the album release with their first UK and Ireland tour since 2011. The dates, listed below, include their largest London show to date at Wembley Arena:

November

30th – Manchester, Arena

December 

1st – London, Wembley Arena
3rd – Dublin, The O2
5th – Birmingham, LG Arena

Avenged Sevenfold online:

http://avengedsevenfold.com
http://facebook.com/avengedsevenfold

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The Black Dahlia Murder announce new Manchester venue on upcoming UK tour

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 7th August 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Due to a recent fire that took out part of Manchester, including renowned music venue NQ Live (Formerly known as Moho Live), The Black Dahlia Murder have changed venues for their upcoming show in Manchester on their UK tour next month. The band will now play Band On The Wall on the same night (21st September) that they were scheduled to play NQ Live. All tickets bought for the show at NQ live will remain valid and limited tickets are available for the new venue. However, due to Band On The Wall’s capacity being smaller than that of NQ Live, it is advised you purchase your tickets now.

Into The Everblack Tour Dates are as follow:

18/09/13 DE – Bochum – Matrix
19/09/13 FR – Savigny Le Temple  – L´Empreinte
20/09/13 UK – London – Islington Academy
21/09/13 UK – Manchester – Band On The Wall
22/09/13 UK – Glasgow – Cathouse
24/09/13 BE – Brussels – Magasin 4
25/09/13 NL – Enschede – Atak
27/09/13 SE – Stockholm – Klubben
28/09/13 SE – Gothenburg – Sticky Fingers
29/09/13 NO – Oslo – John Dee
30/09/13 DK – Copenhagen – Lille Vega
01/10/13 DE – Berlin – Magnet
02/10/13 DE – Hamburg – Logo
04/10/13 DE – München – Hansa 39
05/10/13 DE – Leipzig – Conne Island
06/10/13 AT – Wien – Szene
07/10/13 IT – Milan – Tunnel
08/10/13 CH – Solothurn – Kofmehl
09/10/13 DE – Stuttgart – Universum
10/10/13 DE – Frankfurt – Batschkapp

The Black Dahlia Murder online:

http://www.facebook.com/theblackdahliamurderofficial
http://www.youtube.com/blackdahliamurdertv
http://twitter.com/bdmmetal

 

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Incassum confirmed for Bloodstock and announce winter 2013 dates

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 29th July 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Manchester’s top melodic metal act Incassum have been confirmed for this year’s Bloodstock where they’ll play the Jagermeister Acoustic Stage at 6:40pm on Saturday 10th August. Incassum have also announced their first dates for the winter of 2013 including a special Hallowe’en show in their hometown of Manchester with Evil Scarecrow.

As well as Bloodstock and the Winter shows, the band also has a small number of other summer festival appearances. The schedule so far is as follows, with plenty more dates to be added….

August

3rd : Rotherham, Khaos Festival
10th : Derby, Bloodstock Open Air
23rd : Bromsgrove, Beermageddon

October

5th : Great Yarmouth, The Oakwood (w/Babylon Fire)
18th : Birmingham, Asylum 2 (w/Triaxis)
30th : Manchester, Grand Central (w/Evil Scarecrow and Bloodyard)

November

3rd : Lancaster, Yorkshire House (w/Bloodyard)

Incassum online:

http://www.incassum.com
http://www.facebook.com/Incassum

 

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Savage Messiah confirm plans to enter studio next month

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 20th June 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Savage Messiah have confirmed plans to enter the studio on 1st July to begin recording their as-yet untitled new studio album. The band will be working on the follow-up to 2012’s Plague Of Conscience with producer Scott Atkins (Sylosis, Behemoth) at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, having already worked with him on the band’s last two albums. Savage Messiah frontman Dave Silver comments:

We’re beyond excited to be fast approaching the day when we’ll head off back into Grindstone Studios, to work once more with Scott Atkins on what we can promise will be the most metal Savage Messiah CD yet!  We’ve approached the writing process in a totally old school manner; just four guys in a rehearsal space getting a vibe going, playing heavy metal!  Which has really allowed us to express the chemistry within the band and build on the musical foundation we laid with ‘Plague of Conscience’.

We’re pleased to be working with Scott Atkins for the third time, as he understands the band and has always delivered above and beyond for us and we’ve no doubt that he’ll get the best out of us once again.  We’ll be releasing titles, track listings, artwork etc. in due course.  In the meantime, look out for plenty of studio video updates which we’ll be posting over at our official YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/savagemessiahmetal).  So stay tuned!

See Savage Messiah live on tour at the following shows:

Savage Messiah w/ Witnersun & Bloodshot Dawn

Jul. 16 – London, UK – The Garage
Jul. 17 – Manchester, UK – Club Academy
Jul. 18 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
Jul. 19 – Newcastle, UK – O2 Academy 2
Jul. 22 – Bristol, UK – O2 Academy 2

Savage Messiah w/ RSJ

Oct. 29 – Manchester, UK – Sound Control
Oct. 30 – York, UK – Fibbers
Oct. 31 – Birmingham, UK – The Temple
Nov. 01 – London, UK – Borderline

Savage Messiah online:

http://www.facebook.com/SavageMessiahMetal
http://twitter.com/savagemessiah

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