TARJA TURUNEN AND MARKO HIETALA PERFORM NIGHTWISH CLASSICS "PLANET HELL" AND "WISH I HAD AN ANGEL" IN PRATTELN; FAN-FILMED VIDEO

On September 25th, former Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen performed at the Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland. During the set she and former Nightwish bandmate Marko Hietala (bass, vocals) the band's classic tracks "Planet Hell" and "Wish I Had An Angel". Check out the fan-filmed video below.

Both songs are taken from the 2004 Nightwish album, Once.

DEATH METAL Tomas Skogsberg: Modern Metal

Tomas Skogsberg: Modern Metal
Creating The Sunlight SoundMixing / Production
RecordingBy Joe Matera


The author (left) and Tomas Skogsberg in the control room at Sunlight Studios, Sweden.

Deep in the Swedish forest, we track down a producer whose work has defined the sound of modern metal.

Located about an hour's drive north-east of Stockholm, and a few minutes out of the nearest town Gräddö, the birthplace of Swedish death metal sits quietly in the woods. For the past three decades, this converted barn-cum-studio has been churning out its signature 'Sunlight Studio Sound', and the man responsible is producer, engineer and studio owner Tomas Skogsberg.

Skogsberg learned his trade working at conventional studios in Stockholm, but found the environment restrictive, and wanted to pursue a more original approach to capturing sounds. "I was working in some studios with people who were like thinking in a box," he recalls of his early years. "I would just tell them to not look at the VU meters, but instead listen to the speakers, but it was hard to get them to do this. So I decided I had to start my own studio — but it was a long way to get there."

Eventually, he made the decision to go it alone, and in 1982, he set up the first Sunlight Studios in Stockholm. "I started first with a two-track tape recorder," he says. "Then I moved onto eight tracks, and then moved onto 16 tracks. And it took a couple of years before I began to do some commercial stuff so I could earn enough money for me to be able to do that."
Country Retreat

After many years working in Stockholm, Skogsberg relocated Sunlight Studios to the countryside in 2002.In 2002, Skogsberg relocated the studio to its current country location. "I worked in Stockholm for about 15 years and it was a little bit more stressful because of the big city and everything else that came with it. I prefer to do it in a much softer and more relaxed place. Maybe it does not influence the sound directly, but definitely the recording approach and softness to the work, since you are in a country place where it is more of a relaxed atmosphere."

Moving to the country also allows artists to stay in the small cottage next door. With most modern luxuries forgone, it provides the perfect atmosphere for creating and focusing on nothing but music.

As far as the studio itself goes, though, Skogsberg's principles are unchanged. "In the beginning and even now, I had cheap equipment; and even before that, I had very cheap microphones and stuff like that. I really like the sound in the cheap gear rather than the expensive stuff, because you get the sound for free and it's totally unique."
When Death Comes To Call

Skogsberg's quest to capture original sounds paid off when in December 1989 a group of teenagers from Stockholm entered Sunlight Studios. Two of the group's members, drummer Nicke Andersson and guitarist Alex Hellid, had previously played together under the moniker of Nihilist. Adding guitarist Uffe Cederlund and vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov to their ranks, they renamed themselves Entombed and set to work recording their debut album, with Skogsberg engineering and producing.

Tomas Skogsberg favours cheap equipment, saying that it often has a unique sound that works to his advantage.When the album Left Hand Path was released the following year, it quickly came to define the genre known as Swedish death metal. "I had worked with some bands prior to Entombed who had the same kind of music," says Skogsberg, "but I didn't find that real sound until I worked with Entombed. We were like a team. Uffe Cederlund, the guitarist in Entombed, was a very good guitarist so it was very easy to work with him. We could try different things together, we would try this and we would try that. And in a couple of hours, we had stumbled upon the sound. But it was not like, 'Oh wow, what have we created here?' It was more like, 'This is the sound!"

As word spread, other bands came knocking at Sunlight's door in the expectation that Skogsberg could do the same for them. "Some of the bands said to me that, though they wanted a similar sound, they didn't want to sound like Entombed," he recalls." I told them that it was not an Entombed sound. It's a sound that came from here [Sunlight Studios] and that's the sound I liked. And sometimes they would say, we want this sound but not Entombed's sound. Yet it was the same sound, they just didn't want to call it the Entombed sound because they didn't want to copy another band. But it was OK to just do the sound, as it was a very similar sound all of the time.

"The important thing though is you have to play in the right mood to get the sound. Some of the guys couldn't handle the sound exactly as Uffe and many of the other guitarists did. I remember many of my engineer friends were all like, 'This is very much like American death metal-sounding.' I disagreed, as that American sound was more like 'in a can' with a strong emphasis on the bass sound. I didn't like it. I wanted more of a mid-range sound."
Tomas Skogsberg: "Because I work with death metal and a whole lot of similar-sounding stuff, 90 percent of the time, that Boss HM‑2 pedal is the sound I work with primarily.
Doctoring The Mid-range

That mid-range emphasis is one of the key elements that differentiates Skogsberg's productions from others, so much so that it's given him his nickname. "I like mid-range, so they call me Doctor Mid-range!" he affirms.

Key to the Sunlight Studios guitar sound is the Boss HM‑2 pedal — with all the knobs cranked to the maximum.It's a sound that comes mainly from the Boss HM‑2 pedal — the H and M stand for Heavy Metal — with the knobs turned all the way to maximum. Together with guitars tuned down to C# or even C, the resulting saturation produces the trademark 'buzzsaw' guitar tone. "For extreme metal guitar sounds, I prefer the Boss HM‑2 pedal with much of the mid-range in place. I also like the Marshall amp sound too; with another type of rock & roll, like punk rock, I have to think in a different way, so the Marshall sound is something I will consider. But because I work with death metal and a whole lot of similar-sounding stuff, 90 percent of the time, that Boss HM‑2 pedal is the sound I work with primarily."

To capture the buzzsaw tone, Skogsberg relies mainly on cheap dynamic mics. "I have an AKG SolidTube, but I only use it for acoustic guitars and vocals," he explains. "I don't use that mic for recording electric guitars. For electric guitars I use an Audio-Technica AT41 and sometimes a Shure SM57. I will only use one microphone, and I will always be close-miking the speaker. The AKG I also will use for example on a bluesy-sounding guitar part where you want to keep some reverb or something happening. That is a very good mic to use, but not for heavy metal. I will use a different mic for that, but mainly my go-to mic is the Audio-Technica."

While distorted guitar is Sunlight Studios' bread and butter, Skogsberg also has an ear for good acoustic guitar tones. It is something he first encountered as a teenager listening to David Bowie's 1971 Hunky Dory album, and he singles out the track 'Queen Bitch' as his Holy Grail acoustic guitar sound. "It is a guitar sound with a lot more brilliance and an EQ that features much more of the bass frequencies," he affirms. "It sounds like, 'zing zing'. I personally think the English way of recording acoustic guitar sounds is the greatest."
Old School

Although Tomas Skogsberg usually records to Logic, he remains an old-school producer/engineer who favours analogue equipment.While most studios today are largely digital, using modern DAWs and plug-ins, Sunlight remains primarily an analogue affair." I still have and use one of the first Logic software programs that came out in 1995," says Tomas Skogsberg. "I come from the analogue world, so I try to make the computer sound like analogue. And sometimes I have to use pedals and things going into the computer because I don't like the digital sound at all. But these days you have to work within the digital world, as there are no engineers who can fix the tape recorders. I have a very simple setup in order to decide on the sound for a recording.

"I once worked with a band around the time of getting the Logic program, and they had recorded the vocals in another place. So the band came in with a computer and asked if I could fix the vocals that were recorded on the computer. I spent a week working on it and though I eventually understood how it worked, I was angry by the end of it. Yet people kept saying, 'You should try Pro Tools!' but I would answer, 'No, this is the thing [Logic] I am going to use now.' So I learned it and that is it. I have used it ever since."

Skogsberg has no intention of updating his studio any time soon too, or bringing in new gear. "Sometimes, I will see some new stuff advertised in a magazine that will make me interested in trying it out," he says. "But in the end, I can see and hear that it is not the big thing it says it is in the magazine, where it says 'This is the new thing.' Many years ago I read an article about some new piece of gear which said that the piece of equipment would change your life forever. Not so. Sometimes I will have a bass guitarist or guitarist say to me, 'If you get this piece of equipment it will make your sound.' But it is never like that. I am too old to think in that way now."

Seeing Both Sides

When it comes to production, Tomas Skogsberg believes that it's important to have an open mind. "It is a very important thing for me to listen to different kinds of music and try to not have a closed mind to anything else. I want to listen with my ears, and feel good when I listen to the music. One of my favourite producers is Rick Rubin. He worked with different kinds of music and musicians and he did it very well. His approach, like with Johnny Cash's albums, is very analogue and very acoustic in the sound. I think that is the point with music: to keep that dirtiness inside the frame and not to clean up too much, so you can feel the room. Sometimes if the guitar is a little bit shouting, like feeding back, save it for the moment. Don't clean it up."

Thus, although death metal is Skogsberg's stock in trade, he is open to working with other bands, especially those that are more punk and rock-oriented. His work with Backyard Babies on their albums Total 13 (1998) and Making Enemies Is Good (2001) even earned him a couple of gold records. Though his approach to recording non-metal acts differs, his mindset remains the same. "It's not the same approach, yet it is the same thinking, because for me, I don't like the mainstream music which is all down the middle," he says. "I like it on the left side and right side but nothing in the middle. So I try to do some things in the sound to make it different. For example, with the Backyard Babies we did the album Total 13 originally with much more of a punky sound, but the record company didn't like it. So we had to redo the album a lot more softer. I remember skipping over some songs and they [the record label] called me really angrily and said, 'How could you skip that song?' I knew we had to make 'hit songs' but I wasn't thinking that way. I was thinking more in a punk way. Those original tracks later appeared on a Backyard Babies EP, Knockouts, where you can hear the difference between the original punkier version compared to the more polished version."

Asked which of his productions he's most proud of, though, and he returns to the metal band with which he'll always be associated. "There are many," he says, "but I have to say Wolverine Blues [1993] by Entombed, because that is very close to my favourite kind of music. It is death & roll: a mix of death metal and rock & roll. It is like the Motorhead stuff. That is a record I am very happy with."

Custom Console



At the centre of Sunlight Studios sits Tomas Skogsberg's pride and joy: a custom mixer. "It's an old '80s desk, and the EQ buttons on there help me very much. And because of this, I don't want to change equipment.

"In the beginning, I had an 18:8:2 combination and now it is a 36:16:2. I have a friend who helps me with some of the electronic things, and there was this one time where he helped me run a little bit more electricity into the desk. I told him, 'It will sound like how I want it to sound.' But he checked it and said, 'Oh no, there's too much electricity going into the desk now, so I have to change it.' And he did. But I thought, 'No, it's not the same desk any more,' so I made him change it back. He told me that because there was too much electricity going into it, he could not promise that one day it would not explode! So I treat it like an old car, I just don't touch it. Maybe it's magic or hocus pocus, but I do feel it is something that is good for sound.

"I am not a sound engineer, I am a producer, but this is my tool. I don't know much about the exact frequency or the number of it. I'm not much into the technical terms or approaches. I am more about tweaking the knobs and listening to the sound. I don't care about whether it's like this or like that. For me the important thing is that it sounds good. Many times when I work with engineers it is very cool for me because I can then only think about the sound and what's happening with the musicians and things like that. And I will let the engineer handle all that tech stuff."

INTRODUCING: Contention

FEATURESHARDCOREINTRODUCINGMETALCORE



“We only really aspired to be a local band in the beginning.” How many times have you heard that one before? A group of mates get together, put out three or four songs, play a few shows and move on with their lives. Often that’s exactly how it goes, but sometimes the scene has other ideas – sometimes a band is too good to slip through the cracks and before you or even they know it they’ve got multiple releases to their name and perhaps even made it to a debut full-length. This is where we find CONTENTION and their vocalist Cosmo Vidussi, their debut LP Artillery From Heaven about a month old at the time of our conversation and having firmly cemented the Tampa, Florida outfit’s reputation as one of the best straight edge metalcore bands of that scene’s current renaissance.





“Obviously it’s ARKANGEL worship in some ways,” offers Cosmo on the album’s classic sound. “But in all genres you have the benefit of looking at the last 30 years of a genre and picking what you liked from it. At the time, EARTH CRISIS didn’t have that. They were picking from stuff that was in E standard and they were pulling from metal because there wasn’t exactly that sort of sound yet and they were creating it. Now we can look back and be like ‘yo, we don’t need this’ or ‘we don’t want to do this part’.”

Admittedly, that part of the process is led by Cosmo’s bandmates – guitarists Bayly Branson and Josh Howell, drummer


“I grew up listening to bands like FOUNDATION and EARTH CRISIS and shit where there’s awesome parts of those songs but the lyrics are really what sell me on that music,” elaborates Cosmo. “I’m always trying to make lyrics that resonate with people and stand out because there’s so many bands that are awesome – especially like death metal that I really fuck with, I love some of that music – but you can’t pick out a single set of lyrics… I like sing-alongs. I like pile-on parts and that’s what I strive for, because I grew up at the bottom of the fucking dog pile getting ten sweaty fat dudes on top of me trying to grab the mic. That’s what I’m there for so I want to recreate that experience for everyone.”


“I’ve always really been interested in the worst part of warfare, like nuclear warfare and the end of days type shit,” he continues on the inspiration behind what the band have described as an ‘apocalyptic straight edge album’. “I grew up watching movies like that, but also video games like

BEWITCHER - SPELL SHOCK

While instantly recognizable as Bewitcher, three years on from the stellar Cursed Be Thy Name, the vitriolic voice of guitarist M. Von Bewitcher is more up front in the mix, with cleaner enunciation (i.e., one can make out the lyrics, first time through the album). Yes, the band has always had a strong sense of melody that belies the over-the-top approach, but Spell Shock sees some reduction in speed and a greater emphasis on groove. Most of these nine proper songs significantly alter the tempo, at some point therein: fast-to-slow, or vice versa.

Pre-release single/video "Starfire Maelstrom" kicks things off, perhaps the most aggressive number overall, borrowing the Midnight blueprint, but at the halfway point, there's a (temporary) bit of calm, shattered by an M. Von solo and return to the frenetic pace. Speaking of which, follow-up "Lavish Desecration" is destined to stir the mosh pit to action. The title cut offers another back end jam, surrounded by frenzied, hillbilly punk ‘n’ roll. Easy to sing along, mid-tempo, "Out Against The Law" (video features cameos by tourmates, from other bands, shouting the titular chorus) peppers in a few obscenities. At 3:06, it's the shortest number thus far (and second, overall, to the jangly 109 seconds tambourine "Pagan Shadows" intro, that precedes the madcap, disc closing "Ride Of The Iron Fox").

Quite the mouthful, the title "Dystopic Demonolatry", is a full bore, old school Bewitcher number, start to finish. "Season Of Foul Harvest" lets the musicianship shine through the otherwise gritty delivery, complete with backing/gang vocals, come the chorus. Initially, "We Die In Dust" lives in a mid-paced groove, with reverberating/echo vocals, but adds urgency in the final third, before ending as it began. Wind and the clinking of chains greets hopped up "The Harem Conspiracy", another nod to the back catalog.

WINTERSUN - THE TIME PACKAGE

WINTERSUN - THE TIME PACKAGE





Well Jari, you finally did it. Time – what an appropriate name considering fans have been waiting 12 years for Time II to be unleashed upon the world. Of course, it couldn’t be a simple CD/vinyl/digital release – our man Jari concocted an idea to launch an Indiegogo campaign featuring Time II (plus instrumentals, isolated tracks, singles, and dynamic) as well as a host of other music including old demos, Jari’s Fantasy Metal Project (the best part of the package), Time I 2.0 (remixed/remastered, plus instrumentals, isolated tracks, dynamic, and single versions), The Forest Seasons: Loud And Modern (plus instrumentals), and “special secret items.”

It was enough to convince it was worth the investment and the short answer is yes, it was worth it. This however, isn’t something simple to review when taking into consideration Jari’s shenanigans behind-the-scenes and the length of time it took to release 48 minutes of music. Alas, let’s take some...time and dive into The Time Package.

Time II

LEGIONS OF DOOM - THE SKULL 3

This is a bit confusing, but what we have here are songs co-written by doom legend Eric Wagner before he died in 2021 for what would have been the third record by The Skull, who ruled.

Blind-era COC vocalist Karl Agell and ex-Saint Vitus frontman Scott Reagers here take over the mic duties, backed up by drummer Henry Vasquez (Pentagram, Saint Vitus), guitarists Lothar Keller (The Skull) and Scott Little (Leadfoot), and bassist Ron Holzner (Trouble, The Skull). So, new band, Legions Of Doom, but first order of business is paying tribute to Wagner with this material, and even one song (“Heaven”) with Wagner himself singing.

Confused yet? This review is almost over and I'm still wrapping my head around it all, and also coming to terms with this: Wagner's voice was one of a kind, and going in to this with the man on my mind then... not hearing him is disappointing, but these songs are great, “Hallow By All Means” truly a hypnotic and epic closer, and opener “Beyond The Shadow Of Doubt” is heavy, soulful, doomy, southern, memorable... man, it would have soared with Wagner.

AEON GODS FEAT. FORMER AETERNITAS MEMBERS DEBUT "AEON GODS" VISUALIZER VIDEO

AEON GODS FEAT. FORMER AETERNITAS MEMBERS DEBUT "AEON GODS" VISUALIZER VIDEO

September 23, 2024, an hour ago

news heavy metal aeon gods aeternitas



Aeon Gods have released a visualizer video for "Aeon Gods", first single taken from the debut album, King Of Gods, to be released on November 22 via Scarlet Records.

In this epic metal anthem, the Babylonian god Marduk leads his valiant warriors into a fierce battle against the dark mother goddess Tiamat. With thunderous battle chants and heavy guitar riffs, the song proclaims the glory of the Aeon Gods – making it a true outstanding heavy metal hymn. Watch the visualizer below.

After the long-standing symphonic metal unit Aeternitas dissolved, their masterminds Anja and Alex Hunzinger immediately conjured up a new concept and found a different musical home built around a cinematic sound flavoured by elements of power and symphonic metal: Aeon Gods emerged as the modern messengers of the ancient mythological gods, infusing new blood into the epic metal scen

TODAY IN METAL HISTORY 🤘 SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2024🤘 BRUCE DICKINSON, NIGHT RANGER, PINK FLOYD, KISS, SAVATAGE, MEGADETH

TODAY IN METAL HISTORY 🤘 SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2024🤘 BRUCE DICKINSON, NIGHT RANGER, PINK FLOYD, KISS, SAVATAGE, MEGADETH

September 15, 2024, 8 hours ago

news heavy metal deep purple kiss savatage bruce dickinson megadeth



TALENT WE LOST

R.I.P. John "Johnny Ramone" William Cummings (RAMONES): October 8th, 1948 - September 15th, 2004 (aged 55)



R.I.P. Richard William "Rick" Wright (PINK FLOYD): July 28th, 1943 - September 15th, 2008 (aged 65)





GENE SIMMONS Apologizes To DAVID LEE ROTH - "I Am So Sorry And Ashamed"; Video




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Married… With Children / Sons Of Anarchy Star KATEY SAGAL Reveals On-And-Off Relationship With GENE SIMMONS - “He Was Cute And Had A Lot Of Confidence”





If you own a mouse, you have to play this game.CombatSiege













HEAVY BIRTHDAYS

Happy 72nd
Kelly Keagy (NIGHT RANGER) - September 15th, 1952



Happy 57th
Jerry Dixon (WARRANT) - September 15th, 1967

HEAVY RELEASES

Happy 52nd
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's Phoenix - September 15th, 1972

Happy 40th
MOTÖRHEAD's No Remorse - September 15th, 1984



Happy 37th
KISS' Crazy Nights - September 15th, 1987



Happy 27th
SAVATAGE's The Wake Of Magellan - September 15th, 1997


Happy 26th
BRUCE DICKINSON’s The Chemical Wedding – September 15th, 1998



Happy 18th
NAPALM DEATH's Smear Campaign - September 15th, 2006
BUCKETHEAD's Crime Slunk Scene - September 15th, 2006

Happy 15th
LIVING COLOUR's The Chair In The Doorway - September 15th, 2009
MEGADETH's Endgame - September 15th, 2009

MELIAH RAGE's Masquerade - September 15th, 2009
ACE FREHLEY’S Anomaly - September 15, 2009
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's Deflorate - September 15th, 2009
DREAM THEATER's Wither EP - September 15th, 2009
DYING FETUS' Descend Into Depravity - September 15th, 2009
EVERY TIME I DIE's New Junk Aesthetic - September 15th, 2009
IT DIES TODAY's Lividity - September 15th, 2009
KITTE's In The Black - September 15th, 2009
MINISTRY's The Last Dubber - September 15th, 2009
PROTEST THE HERO's Gallop Meets The Earth (Live CD/DVD) - September 15th, 2009
SALT THE WOUND's Ares - September 15th, 2009
SHADOWS FALL's Retribution - September 15th, 2009
SKINLAB's The Scars Between Us - September 15th, 2009

Happy 10th
XERATH’s III – September 15th, 2014

Happy 7th
ENSIFERUM’s Two Paths – September 15th, 2017
MYRKUR’s Mareidt – September 15th, 2017
BELPHEGOR’s Totenritual – September 15th, 2017
CALIGULA’S HORSE’s In Contact – September 15th, 2017
THE CONTORTIONIST’s Clairvoyant – September 15th, 2017
CRIPPER’s Follow Me: Kill! – September 15th, 2017
FLESHKILLER’s Awaken – September 15th, 2017
A HILL TO DIE UPON’s Via Artis Via Mortis – September 15th, 2017
NOTHING MORE’s The Stories We Tell Ourselves – September 15th, 2017
PROPHETS OF RAGE’s Prophets Of Rage – September 15th, 2017
SOIL’s Scream: The Essentials – September 15th, 2017
VATTNET’s Vattnet – September 15th, 2017



Happy 1st
Baroness - Stone - September 15th, 2023
Brujeria - Esto Es Brujeria - September 15th, 2023
Corey Taylor - CMF2 - September 15th, 2023
Electric Boys - Grand Explosivos - September 15th, 2023
Gridlink - Coronet Juniper - September 15th, 2023
Mayhem - Daemonic Rites - September 15th, 2023
Molybaron - Something Ominous - September 15th, 2023
Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night: Part 1 - September 15th, 2023
Otep - The God Slayer - September 15th, 2023
Ronnie Romero - Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters - September 15th, 2023
Shade Empire - Sunholy - September 15th, 2023
Shining - Shining - September 15th, 2023
Tesseract - War Of Being - September 15th, 2023
War Of Ages - Dominion - September 15th, 2023

HEAVY METAL HISTORY: Leviathan – Mastodon

METALLICA had Master Of Puppets in 1986, ENTOMBED had Left Hand Path in 1990 and BRITNEY SPEARS had In the Zone in 2003. Many artists have had their breakthrough from an iconic album and, In 2004, for MASTODON, Leviathan did much the same for their trajectory.



The early-mid 2000’s surged with heavy metal releases. Nu-metal dominated the era, and 2004 saw a particular rise in metalcore. It was a time for angsty, moshing, I-hate-everyone anthems, as LAMB OF GOD dropped Ashes Of The Wake in 2004, and metal favourites SLIPKNOT broke the mainstream with Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses the same year. MASTODON didn’t fit within this “New Wave of American Heavy Metal” in which they were placed; Trading the easy-on-the-ear melodies and emo underpinnings of bands like SHADOWS FALL and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE for a grittier, more progressive offering.

2002’s Remission was an ambitious debut. Rough around the edges, but packed with fiery passion. The band didn’t hold back on unleashing their unique sound in a time where no metal sounded like theirs. While Remission was by all means a potent start, it missed the spark that ignited in Leviathan and burned throughout later albums. Released on the 31st August 2004 on Relapse Records, Leviathan took off instantly and would elevate MASTODON from an underground metal treasure to one of the biggest names in the scene. From playing clubs and bars the album saw them join the bill on the 2004 Unholy Alliance European tour with SLIPKNOT and SLAYER, plus a place on the second stage at 2005’s Ozzfest. Picking up ‘Album of the Year’ awards from Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer, Leviathan‘s impact would last for years to come.

It’s not difficult to understand why Leviathan had the impact it did. The record is a powerful amalgamation of sludge, prog and heavy metal, loosely based on Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick. The second album in their four-part elemental theming (Remission (2002): fire; Leviathan (2004): water; Blood Mountain (2006): earth; Crack The Skye (2009): Air), the concept was conjured up by drummer Brann Dailor after reading the novel in 2003. Despite concerns that this could have gone down like a lead balloon, the rest of the band excitedly adopted the novel’s aesthetics. Their lives touring in vans, seeking out their musical obsession, became an analogy to Captain Ahab in search of the white whale – ‘the sea-salt Mastodon’ as it is referred to in the book.


While not a total narration of the novel, its influence and theming is immediately evident from the now-legendary cover of the ferocious white whale destroying a ship. Deliberately placed upon the head of the white whale sits a crown of cobras. In doing this, artist Paul Romano likens the whale to Vishnu, who in Hinduism, “is essentially the creator: He dreams us, and we dream him”. This mystical imagery is continued through the album’s lyrics, and enhanced by the vibrant creativity of the instrumentals. Capturing the intensity of the great voyage, the motion of the rolling waves, the mental state of Captain Ahab, and the mystery of the creatures that lurk in the deep.

If any band wonders how to open an album, they should be directed to Blood And Thunder. Creating the most face melting riff with three chords, Leviathan erupts without warning. From Troy Sanders’ first screech of “I think someone is trying to kill me!” We are teleported into the mind of Captain Ahab and his monomaniac obsession with hunting the white whale, his holy grail. The madness of interwoven riff work, bellowed repetitions and ferocious drumming echo his paranoia and loss of control. Not only did the track move mountains, or oceans in this case, it demonstrated the band’s evolution from 2002’s Remission.

I Am Ahab showcases the band’s mastery of complexity. The track falls nowhere short of the album’s beast of an opener, but it’s more technical, more emotive. I Am Ahab takes a different stance to the intense perspective of Blood And Thunder, detailing the sailors’ attraction to the sea and their decision to hunt the mighty whale:

“There’s magic in the water that attracts all men. Across hills and down streams… Built to slay and conquer. All with teeth of beasts”

In contrast, Seabeast delves into the deeper, heavier side of MASTODON. Initially melodic and slow, it gives you serious whiplash by the monstrous heaviness towards the end. The musical weight of the song is underpinned by an emotional heft, with the lyrics providing an introspective take on life at sea. While the direct references to Moby Dick disappear in the subsequent songs, Iron Tusk and Megalodon, the ocean theme is maintained. Iron Tusk takes a look at the dangerous use of harpoons, while Megalodon lives up to its name as a beast of a track. The latter opens with a swirling melody reflecting the deceptive calmness of the sea. An unexpected country-esque jingle marks a turn in the tide, launching the track into thunderous thrashing riffs with key changes that hit your ears perfectly.

Hearts Alive concludes the story of Moby Dick and, arguably, the album. At almost 14 minutes long, it’s the longest in MASTODON history, and weaves through their full array of sounds. Some fans have criticised the song for being too long or not captivating enough. And while, yes, music is subjective, that opinion is incorrect. Intentionally reminiscent of METALLICA‘s Call Of Ktulu, its opening sets the dark atmosphere for the final struggle against the whale. The shifting pace of the track echoes Ahab’s final moments with his nemesis, which culminates in the masterful repetition of a truly heartfelt riff. It’s hard to see this as anything other than MASTODON‘s masterpiece.

Leviathan is still hailed as one of the best metal albums of the 21st century, and there are few albums which have catapulted a band’s career like this. The influence of this record is not only heard throughout the MASTODON back catalogue, but has worked its way throughout the world of modern metal. Even listening to it now, 20 years on, it hits with a pummelling force which will no doubt sustain its legacy.



Leviathan was originally released on August 31st, 2004 via Relapse Records.

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Orange Goblin: Commence Transmission

ORANGE GOBLIN are stalwarts of the British heavy metal scene. Having started out as a stoner rock band with their debut Frequencies From Planet 10, over the next three decades their sound has evolved to incorporate elements of traditional heavy metal, punk, thrash and blues. Their tenth album, Science, Not Fiction, is set for release in July on Peaceville Records nearly 30 years into the band’s career.





“Next year will be our 30 year anniversary,” says Ben Ward, the band’s giant of a frontman. “It’s over half of my life. Sometimes it feels like a prison sentence but it’s been a fun, enjoyable ride. When we started out we were bored teenagers that just wanted to make music and we had no preconceptions of where it was gonna go. We’d have been chuffed with doing a three track demo and some shows in the local pubs. But it kind of snowballed from there.”

When the band formed in the late 90s it was in the midst of a stoner rock explosion in the UK. Alongside ORANGE GOBLIN, there was a thriving scene developing with bands such as ELECTRIC WIZARD, CATHEDRAL and ACRIMONY, while American bands like KYUSS, FU MANCHU, and MONSTER MAGNET, were making trips over the pond. “We were the go-to support to play those shows, which really helped escalate our profile,” reflects Ben. “Then signing to Lee Dorian’s [CATHEDRAL, ex-NAPALM DEATH] label in 1995 and releasing our first album cemented our position within that scene. It’s been an amazing journey since then.”

Ben and his bandmates cut their teeth in an age before social media, where building your following was all about going out, playing shows, sleeping on the equipment in the back of a clapped out van, recording demos and trading tapes, and getting their name out via fanzines. They’ve stuck to this DIY ethos throughout their career, which Ben believes is firmly rooted in the heavy metal lifestyle, and it’s clear from their lyrics and live shows that ORANGE GOBLIN are lifers.

“Heavy metal isn’t something you just dip your toe into. It’s a lifestyle,” says Ben. “As a kid I went through different phases at school where I was into stuff like THE BEATLES and THE KINKS because my dad was into that and my mum was into Motown and soul and I still love all that stuff but it was only when I discovered hard rock and heavy metal that I found my calling. As you get involved in it you notice that camaraderie within the scene. We’re all deemed as freaks and weirdos by what people would call normal society and I loved that and bought into that whole thing. For anyone who plays our style of music it’s what fuels us and drives our ambition.”


Booze has always been a big part of Ben’s life, having grown up in a pub. During his career as musician he admits to using heavy metal as an excuse to indulge and in doing so developed a reputation of one of the scene’s most hedonistic wildmen. But, as he says, it got to a point where he had to make a change. “I was going through bouts of depression and my weight ballooned and I wasn’t a nice person to be around. I made the call to change once and for all. I didn’t go to any counselling or anything I just had the willpower and decided enough was enough. I’ve got a son, a wife and my bandmates and my behaviour was detrimental to all of that. My only regret is not doing it sooner. I used to think that I needed a drink to go on stage but I realised there’s a natural adrenaline that I get now which is far better than any drink or drug.”




It’s certainly a change for the better. There is a newfound clarity in Ben’s performance, not just in his forceful, preacher-like delivery which he says is inspired in part by CLUTCH’s Neil Fallon, but also in the lyrics. It’s a much more personal album than previous offerings.

“This album is more personal to me because of those lifestyle changes that I’ve gone through and it’s opened my eyes to what’s going on in the world around me. In the past I used to bury myself in the idea of fantasy, which is something I love about heavy metal and is one of the things that drew me to it in the first place, DIO singing about wizards and dragons but I wanted to do something a bit different for ORANGE GOBLIN. There’s commentary on social events that have gone on in the last few years. That’s where the album’s title Science Not Fiction comes from.”

Perhaps the most explicit example of social commentary on the album is on the track False Hope Diet, in which he deals with issues such as the COVID pandemic, vaccines and even chemtrails. These are potentially contentious issues but Ben isn’t worried about facing backlash because of them. “No because I think those issues need facing. What I’ve come to realise is that I’m not the best singer in the world, I’m not Bruce Dickinson, but what I am good at is not giving a fuck about what people think of me or what they say about me. These things are just my observations, they don’t necessarily mean that they’re the thoughts of the whole band, it’s just me pouring my thoughts onto a song. False Hope Diet is me saying we’re fucking sick of the lies that we’re getting fed on a daily basis by the television, the newspapers, the government. It’s bullshit and there’s only so much we can take.”

Fittingly, with it being the band’s tenth album, the alien world depicted on the cover is a subtle nod to their debut, Frequencies From Planet 10. They bring thing’s full circle with the barnstorming closer, which serves as a reflection of the band’s career to date and hints that this could be the end for ORANGE GOBLIN. “The last song on the album is called End Of Transmission because that first album was our first signal to the world and the end of this one could possibly be our last thing we ever do. Whether it is or not is to be seen. I certainly hope it’s not.”



Science, Not Fiction is out now via Peaceville Records.

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Powerwolf: Heretic Hunting Thunderpriests

The past decade has seen POWERWOLF’s fortunes improve at a gradual but unstoppable pace. The lupine-obsessed German five-piece have risen the ranks and are now one of the biggest names in power metal. Across Europe, they’re an arena-filling, festival-headlining monolith and they’re making significant progress in the UK as well.





Success hasn’t come without a cost though and their keyboardist, Falk Maria Schlegel has been kept very busy during the constant grind of life in a professional metal band. When Distorted Sound speaks with him, he’s roughly halfway through a six-hour interview marathon and already spent a sizeable chunk of his day answering questions about Wake Up The Wicked, the latest POWERWOLF album. As the link between the band and their management, record label and booking agency, he’s got loads of bureaucracy to manage, so it would be entirely understandable if he wasn’t in the best of moods.

Instead, he’s got more energy than we do. He answers every question with enthusiasm and charm, makes several jokes and laughs easily throughout our conversation. He’s conclusive proof that despite the stereotype, German people do have a sense of humour and he’s clearly excited about the new record.

Wake Up The Wicked is the band’s ninth full-length (tenth, if you count last year’s odds ‘n’ sods collection Interludium) and it’s another highly enjoyable collection of anthems. The songs are slightly shorter this time, but they’re full of big choruses, bombastic riffs and catchy melodies. They didn’t set out to write snappier songs, but it’s given Wake Up The Wicked a particular vibe.

“We didn’t recognise at first that the songs are not as long as usual, but I think that’s why this album has a certain dynamic,” he tells us. “It feels like one people will finish and then immediately listen to again. It wasn’t until we rehearsed them that we realised they were turning out shorter.”

As a result, Wake Up The Wicked feels like POWERWOLF at their most streamlined. It’s a fast, punchy album where every song comes across like a mini epic. They are loud, grandiose singalongs designed to get thousands of fists punching skywards and it’s a glorious, melodramatic party, even when they tackle dark subjects.



“Art can entertain even with serious topics,” says Falk. “You don’t have to insist on saying ‘oh my God, how was bad was this?’ When people come to our shows, it’s the Heavy Metal Mass. It’s a party, I’m not thinking about suffering, I’m having a good time.”

This is arguably POWERWOLF’s biggest strength, they always find ways to be entertaining. Their live shows are enormous celebrations with Falk and his bandmates clearly having an incredible time and there’s very little introspection or brooding to be had. POWERWOLF aren’t afraid of the dark, but don’t expect to wallow in misery with them, even if they do wear corpse paint.


There’s also a surprising amount of depth to their music and on this record, that’s most immediately apparent on 1589. On the surface, it’s a classic POWERWOLF song with a memorable hook and lots of theatricality, but there’s far more to it than a straightforward playlist-friendly single. It tells the story of Peter Stumpp, the so-called Werewolf Of Bedburg, a famous figure from a grim part of German history. Born at some point in the 1530s, Stumpp grew up to become a farmer and would have likely been forgotten if it wasn’t for how he met his end. After several shocking murders in the local community, Stumpp was arrested and confessed to killing two pregnant women and fourteen children, including his own son. Shortly after, he was placed on a torture wheel and subjected to a horrific death that involved red hot pincers and a beheading.



This may sound like a rather formulaic “serial killer inspires metal song” story, but there’s more to it. During his trial, Stumpp was accused of being a werewolf who committed his crimes due to an insatiable bloodlust. That alone makes him perfect fodder for a POWERWOLF song, but that’s not all. Stumpp was a Protestant in a largely Catholic region and the tensions between two conflicting strands of Christianity form a water-muddying backdrop to his story. Plus, his confession was made under torture and that’s not exactly the most reliable way to ensure factual accuracy.


“It was fascinating to do research into that story, we looked at flyers and documents from Denmark and the UK about this trial and they talked about this guy as if he was a werewolf! But he was also an outsider, and it took place during these dark times, and we had the context of him being a werewolf and a dark person, but we also had the theme of his suffering,” Falk explains. “The torture back then was really gruesome, the Middle Ages were not the best time to live!”

So, while it’s easy to dismiss POWERWOLF and indeed, the wider power metal genre as rather frivolous, there’s a lot more to them than simple entertainment. In this one song, there’s a combination of murder, torture, religious persecution, evil, and an ever-present spectre of whether he genuinely was guilty or just a scapegoat.

“I don’t know if he was really guilty. Perhaps he was a murderer, but this was a time of war and there were no objective people in this case, but our focus was on telling a story. We are entertainers and we’re fascinated by things like this.”

If you’ve spent much time delving into their back catalogue though, you’ll already know that POWERWOLF aren’t exclusively interested in the dark. They’ve got a proud tradition of writing more light-hearted tracks that are laced with filthy innuendos and come across like a Gothic version of a CARRY-ON movie. One of their more popular numbers is titled Resurrection By Erection and revolves around the rejuvenating powers of oral sex. Wake Up The Wicked continues this cheeky ritual with Kyrie Klitorem, which at first glance seems innocent enough, but don’t use your work computer to translate it.



“I like when people just wind up discussing the song title, even if they don’t hear the song!” Laughs Falk. “We released the titles and people are already talking about Kyrie Klitorem, just because of the name. There’s a thin line between stupid silly stuff and more nudge and wink stuff, we like to hit this line in a comic way.”

Kyrie Klitorem might have a naughty subject matter, but it’s also a great song. You could strip the lyrics out and replace them with something more straight-faced and it would still be a great song, but that’s one reason why POWERWOLF’s sense of humour works. The jokes are a bonus, rather than the main selling point. They can sit alongside serious-minded cuts about the Inquisition and Swedish werewolf mythology without seeming out of place, all of them forming a part of the band’s wider ‘metal mass’.

This approach has already led POWERWOLF to conquer mainland Europe and they’re making in-roads into the English-speaking metal world too. In the past, power metal has struggled to break into the British market, but alongside contemporaries like SABATON, POWERWOLF are doing much to change that. The Swedish war-enthusiasts have already made history by headlining Wembley Arena twice, and it’s a relatively safe bet that POWERWOLF will be next.

Which might explain why Falk spends the first part of our interview discussing British slang.

“I heard the phase ‘that’s proper sound.’ That means ‘cool,’ right?”

It certainly does.



“Cheers mate.”

Wake Up The Wicked is out now via Napalm Records.

Like POWERWOLF on Facebook.

PHENOCRYST - CREMATION PYRE

Portugal death metal monsters Phenocryst have the heaving sounds of death/doom down solid, as showcased immediately on killer opener “Pinnacle Of Death” here.

Hard to believe this is a debut as this band—who, astoundingly, sing strictly about volcanoes—sound so assured and steady-footed that you'd think this is four or five Immo- and Incan-loving albums in, but here we are, “Astonishing Devastation” the soundtrack to my morning coffee and also the total destruction of the world (via lava), blastbeats making an appearance but the whole thing still just being a slog through the sewer... uh, I mean volcanoes.

Album centrepiece “Embers Of An Ancient Fire” is 6:31 of pure atmospheric death/doom majesty, “Volcanic Winter” offers a wink and a nod to debut-era Entombed, and “Burial Swamps” ends things off smartly and maturely. I mean, the lyrical conceit may seem a bit absurd, but, what, does DM usually have something better to talk about?

FINLAND'S PESTILENT SCARS TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM IN JANUARY 2025; "IN SEARCH OF REASON" SINGLE STREAMING September 5, 2024, 4 hours ago news pestilent scars black death

FINLAND'S PESTILENT SCARS TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM IN JANUARY 2025; "IN SEARCH OF REASON" SINGLE STREAMING

September 5, 2024, 4 hours ago

news pestilent scars black death



Pestilent Scars is a five-piece melodic death metal band from Oulu, Finland. All members are between 18 and 19 years old, and he band's central themes focus on melodic songwriting, pure emotion, tight gigs and overall the old school way of getting around.

The band will release their debut album, Meadows Of Misfortune, on January 17th, 2025 via Inverse Records. The first single, "In Search Of Reason" is released today and it's available on all essential streaming services here.

Guitarist Elias Vierimaa: "Mostly my writing comes straight from the heart. When I write music it has to come naturally. Melodies are very important to me and that's why we have lot of melodic riffs in our songs. It tells you a story, it's not basic death metal. I feel like I can show much more about myself with melodies. It's something that I do. I don't think a lot about which bands have inspired me, but I have to say that Gothenburg's melodic death metal scene from '90's has inspired me a lot. But our music still has that Finnish melancholy. Both Finnish and Swedish melodic death metal is very important to me."

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORYTHRASH METAL

The popular narrative goes that by 1994, with grunge having been the main form of alternative music for the start of the decade, that metal was dead and buried while certain elements remained underground. This was not true in any way, shape or form with the likes of PANTERA, SEPULTURA, PRONG, BIOHAZARD and many more selling loads of records and packing out live shows while the more extreme likes of TESTAMENT, OBITUARY, NAPALM DEATH and CANNIBAL CORPSE all released acclaimed albums in that year.





There was one band though who seemingly came out of nowhere, and were one that brought a fresh and truly explosive new style of metal into the mainstream. That band was MACHINE HEAD. Bursting out of the Bay Area with the same force as the shotgun blast they call for on Davidian, the opening salvo to debut full-length record Burn My Eyes. Released on August 9th, 1994 through Roadrunner Records, the record would grow to become the label’s biggest selling record, a title held until the arrival of SLIPKNOT five years later.

Fresh from leaving thrashers VIO-LENCE, vocalist and guitarist Robb Flynn strived to create something even heavier and more powerful. Hooking up with bassist Adam Duce, guitarist Logan Mader and drummer Chris Kontos, the lineup for Burn My Eyes was cemented and today, is regarded as the quintessential MACHINE HEAD lineup. Although this makeup would only release Burn My Eyes, they will forever go down in history with this debut record.

Mixing thrash metal, hardcore punk, industrial and hip hop with a swaggering and intimidating groove, Machine Head talked the talked and walked the walk. Injecting an even grittier and streetwise feel about their music to modern metal, this was the sound and attitude of SLAYER, METALLICA, PUBLIC ENEMY, CYPRESS HILL, DISCHARGE, and more all coming together in a ball of furious anger and energy.

From Davidian‘s explosive opening salvo onwards, this is the sound of a band making a statement and doing it with a palatable fury with songs like Old and A Thousand Lies becoming much played, instant metal anthems. But on reflection, the whole of Burn My Eyes is classic track after classic track with the likes of Death Church, The Rage To Overcome, Blood For Blood and Block as well sounding as good today as they did 30 years ago. Ungodly brutality, urban reality was a statement that memorably adorned MACHINE EHAD T-shirts when Burn My Eyes was released and brilliantly sums up the tales of inner city rage that made the album as incendiary as it was, and there was no faking it at all.


Burn My Eyes is littered with acute social commentary too, that sadly is still as relevant now as it was thirty years ago with the intro to Old telling of “corruption, racism, hate” being the most telling, and opened the door for even more metal bands to talk about social issues rather than more fantasy related subjects.




The impact that Burn My Eyes made was huge immediately with MACHINE HEAD being undoubtedly the hottest band in metal in 1994 and the band went from opening for SLAYER in the UK and Europe that November to headlining those same stages just six months later, an incredible achievement. With a memorable and special show on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball dedicated to the band on the road during the Burn My Eyes headline tour in 1995 was an essential documen of that time to capture the hot new band live in action and slogging away on the road.

Prior to that, the band’s first UK headline shows at Rock City in Nottingham and the famous London Astoria in December 1994, also went down in the history books. Festival circuits would see the band grace the stages at Dynamo in the Netherlands alongside BIOHAZARD, TYPE O NEGATIVE and NAILBOMB, before joining METALLICA at their request in Donington, cementing the band as a genuine force in the live arena.

Thirty years on, MACHINE HEAD have had quite the turbulent career, but despite lineup changes (Robb Flynn being the sole remaining member from the Burn My Eyes era) and a few label woes along the way, the band have always prevailed and the fact that they are going stronger than even today is testament to Robb Flynn‘s passion for his music. Given the fact that the band are landing headline slots at next year’s prestigious metal festivals Wacken and Bloodstock already, is testament to their legacy that began with their debut record.

It all started with Burn My Eyes and the fact that this debut album still has the same fire and excitement when you listen to it after all these years, means that it definitely deserves its status as one of the most important and brilliant metal albums of all time.





Burn My Eyes was originally released on August 9th, 1994 via Roadrunner Records.



Like MACHINE HEAD on Facebook.

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bear Stone Festival 2024

Located in the depths of the Croatian countryside, alongside the banks of the Mrežnica River between the towns of Slunj and Ogulin is the site of Bear Stone Festival, Croatia’s premier stoner rock and heavy psych festival. The picturesque site is shared with the psytrance festival Mo:Dem, but for this hot weekend in July it was the home of the riff. Alongside the big name acts, the festival is committed to having a third of its lineup being Croatian bands, so it has quickly become a pivotal festival for Croatian bands to but themselves in front of an international audience. Even though it is a young festival, it has an old head on young shoulders with CEO Marin Lalić gradually expanding the festival as the years go by. For this festival 2024 was certainly a turning point, with a stacked bill of high quality local and international acts and an old school, chilled out vibe there was a lot to love about this year’s Bear Stone Festival.





Thursday – July 4th

A GRAM TRIP – Mill Stage

The honour of opening the festival this year fell to the young Croatian band, A GRAM TRIP, with sludgy, heavy and psychedelic riffs being the band’s modus operandi, the Zagreb quartet kicked off this year’s Bear Stone Festival with a spectacular showcase of riffs. Packing out the newly opened Mill Stage – consisting of a small wooden structure that had views over one of the many small waterfalls of the Mrežnica River – the band delivered riff after crushing riff and threw in a few surprises, including their psychedelic track Cosmic Fortress. The festival started of strong and this was only a taste of things to come but A GRAM TRIP certainly put themselves on the radar of a truly international audience.

Rating: 8/10

ENTROPIST – Mill Stage

Hailing from Rijeka, instrumental heavy progressive psych trio ENTROPIST switched up the tempo and took the Bear Stone Festival audience to another planet with their expansive and spacious, psychedelic jams. With the picturesque scenery surrounding the festival the Croatian trio unfurled their magical carpet of progressive riffs, cosmic melodies and deep baselines to offer up a truly meditative experience. While the performance was a little rigid, lacking the dynamism of some of the other bands, it was a technically good performance with the band showcasing their cohesive musicianship and masterful heavy psych songwriting.



Rating: 7/10

SLOWTORCH – Mill Stage

Thursday’s headliners on the Mill Stage were the frenetic and chaotic Italian stoner heavyweights SLOWTORCH. Bringing crazy energy in abundance, the quarter put on a euphoric show of stoner riffs and driving rhythms. Bedecked in colourful t-shirts and Bruno Bassi’s Flying V guitar having a Guinness sticker on it, you knew this wasn’t going to be your standard performance. With that in mind, it is safe to say that the Bolzano quartet more than delivered. The stage became a dance floor, with frontman Matteo Meloni pulling out all the moves and hyping up the crowd, at one point being joined by a man in a bear onesie towards the end of their set. With a set consisting of songs from their last two albums, the band kept the tempo and energy high throughout. By then the beers had been flowing freely just like the Mrežnica River and the party was only just beginning, so SLOWTORCH was the perfect band to kickstart it with some dance worth tunes and some absolute madness to boot. So far the festival’s new stage was proving an excellent investment and was christened with some excellent riffs.

Rating: 9/10

Thursday – July 5th

TIGHT GRIPS – Mill Stage

The first day of the festival proper kicked off by the up and coming band TIGHT GRIPS. Coming from the fairly local town of Karlovac, the psychedelic trip brought a mixture of heavy psychedelia and heavy BLACK SABBATH-esque riffs alongside vocals reminiscent of Danish band BERSÆRK. The trio brought the energy and quickly cleared the beer soaked haze left over from the night before. The Mill Stage was once again packed out and shaking with driving bass lines, thunderous rhythms and crunchy riffs, Friday was off to an emphatic start with TIGHT GRIPS



Rating: 8/10

QUIET CONFUSION – Mill Stage

As the heat began to beat down ferociously, the Mill Stage was graced by the fun and funky the Verona natives in QUIET CONFUSION. The Italian rockers got the whole audience moving with their endless stream of blues infused stoner rock bangers. With a bassist Roberto Panarotto looking like Jesus – sandals and all – to the rich tones of Antonio Cortina’s box guitar, QUIET CONFUSION’s performance had it all. From the funky, dynamic bass lines to the old school blues licks, all four were in fine fettle as they delivered an energetic and exciting performance which was widely applauded by the Bear Stone crowds.

Rating: 10/10

BARON CRÂNE – Mill Stage

Instrumental progressive heavy psych Parisians BARON CRÂNE closed out the Mill Stage on Friday night with a plethora of dynamic, avant grade jams. Bringing a mixture of progressive grooves, intricate guitar melodies, mind boggling bass lines and spacious atmospheres, the band’s eclectic style and awe inspiring songwriting was something to be admired. The trio transfixed the Bear Stone Festival crowd as they gazed on in amazement and the band’s energetic performance and technical brilliance. BARON CRÂNE were one of the surprises of the festival so far as there was a danger that they were too proggy for the audience but the Bear Stone Festival attendees welcomed them with open arms.



Rating: 8/10

### – Stone Stage

The honour of opening the Stone Stage – the festival’s main stage – this year fell to Croatian instrumental quartet ### (pronounced as three knocks on any random object in your vicinity), and they did so with a barrage of noise fuelled riffs and pummelling bass lines. Having built a reputation for creating music which feels like a sledgehammer to the skull, ### delivered their set in the merciless Croatian heat which made their set even more bludgeoning. Notorious in the Balkan underground for their noisy DIY approach, the band let their music do the talking and unleashed a barrage of riffs and feedback that wasn’t for the feint of heart.

Rating: 8/10

GNOME – Stone StageGnome live @ Bear Stone Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Sanja Matic

There was a strange phenomena occurring on the Friday of the festival, as people in red pointed hats began to pop up all over the place. They were here to see Belgium’s red pointed hat aficionados GNOME, who brought their groove filled riffs and a whole lot of silly fun to the Stone Stage. After a call of “who wants some more stupid shit?” the trio launched into a set list that spanned their back catalogue and introduced some new songs with a frantic and humorous energy. In a set that was part stand up routine and part riff fest the party had definitely arrived when the Antwerp trio got going.



Rating: 9/10

MUSCLE TRIBE OF DANGER AND EXCELLENCE – Stone Stage


Following on from GNOME was going to be a tough ask for the local Croatian stoner rock band MUSCLE TRIBE OF DANGER AND EXCELLENCE. With that in mind and rather unfortunately they couldn’t rise to the challenge. The performance’s energy was lacking and felt flat, with each song being a similar tempo the band lost momentum fast. What let the performance down further was that Domagoj Šimek’s vocals seemed to be slurred and unclear, which was a shame as the band have a passionate Croatian following. Unfortunately the MUSCLE TRIBE OF DANGER AND EXCELLENCE wasn’t on form on the Friday evening.

Rating: 6/10

PIGS, PIGS, PIGS, PIGS, PIGS, PIGS, PIGS – Stone stagePigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs live @ Bear Stone Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Milan Sabic

When Geordie quintet PIGS, PIGS, PIGS, PIGS, PIGS, PIGS, PIGS rolled into Slunj, they delivered one of the heaviest sets of the day. In what can only be described as destructive, organised chaos it’s amazing that the Bear Stone Festival main stage was still standing once they had finished performing. Despite a few technical difficulties with Adam Sykes’s guitar, it didn’t hinder the band’s spectacular performance of bludgeoning riffs and classic Geordie humour delivered by vocalist Matthew Baty who certainly knows how to work the crowd. It was one of the stand out performances at the festival and one that certainly left its mark, winning the band a plethora of new fans who left chanting their name.



Rating: 10/10

HIGH ON FIRE – Stone StageHigh On Fire live @ Bear Stone Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Milan Sabic

The ground physically trembled when American stoner metal veterans Matt Pike, Jeff Matz and Coady Willis – aka HIGH ON FIRE – hit the stage. Possibly one of the biggest draws of the festival this year, and well known for their unrelenting intensity, the main arena was brimming with excited and anticipating fans. What followed was nothing short of sonic warfare. Bones, eardrums and skulls were shattered into smithereens with the onslaught of riffs delivered at an unrelenting pace accompanied by a loudness that would shake the foundations of the Mrežnica canyon. They laid waste to Bear Stone Festival, drawing on a back catalogue of destructive and brutal tracks, including from new record Cometh The Storm, they have the capability to beat you black and blue from any angle they choose. One of the more peculiar things to see was Matz’s double headed guitar/bass guitar, not only did Matz deliver on the low end he played secondary guitar parts too. The ferocity of Willis’s drumming is what drove this set, to be able to drum that hard and at that pace for over an hour was truly remarkable. Either way, the trio delivered a tight and brilliantly executed performance worthy of their headline slot.



Rating: 9/10

MOTHER VULTURE – Stone stageHigh On Fire live @ Bear Stone Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Milan Sabic

Despite hitting the stage well past midnight, and after HIGH ON FIRE handed Bear Stone Festival its arse on a plate, Bristol’s MOTHER VULTURE came to see and conquer. Having driven all the way from the West Country on a mammoth road trip across Europe, they didn’t cower at their position on the bill. In an action packed set with an abundance of energy, the Bristol quartet didn’t fail to get the crowd moving and singing along with every song. Bringing their trademark ferocity with them, the main stage closers dominated the space with a supreme and infectious confidence. An excellent set to cap of a brilliant day.

Rating: 9/10

Saturday – July 6th

RIFFTREE – Mill Stage

Considering that there are two me members of this band the riffs sounded big enough to be from a band twice their size. The young Zagreb duo certainly had their Weetabix for breakfast as they delivered a set if pure riff and fuzz worship. Blending a plethora of fuzz inspired influences to form a crushing bass and drum assault. While the performance was cohesive it was fairly one dimensional, because of the nature of the songs there wasn’t many dynamic shifts and it stayed at the same level throughout. Despite this the duo have talent and they’re young so make sure you don’t sleep on them.

Rating: 7/10

ACIDSITTER – Mill Stage

With their bassist – who had broke his collarbone three weeks prior so performed sat on a stage box – wearing a cap that said “Make Acid Great Again”, the Polish quartet ACIDSITTER brought gave a trippy, lucid and fun performance. With a unique blend of kaleidoscopic sounds and crunching riffs, this was an excellent display of mystical and magical heavy psych that took you on a trip to the outer cosmos before bringing you back down to earth so you didn’t drift away into a black hole of crazy acidic trips. After unrelenting barrages of stoner riffs, having something a but more laid back was refreshing.

Rating: 8/10

NEMEČEK – Stone StageNemeček live @ Bear Stone Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Sanja Matic

One of the surprises of Bear Stone Festival were the hypnotic, folk inspired Croatian trio NEMEČEK. They opened Saturday’s Stone Stage with glorious Croatian folk inspired melodies and epic synth soundscapes that matched the picturesque landscape and gave you a strong sense of place – given that the lyrics are in Old Croatian. Utilising the electro-acoustic tambura – a traditional folk instrument – run through a pedal board alongside pounding drums and sweeping, droning synth passages the band took you on a journey through an older Croatia. Their set was mesmerising and hypnotic a band definitely worth checking out if you want something different.

Rating: 8/10

1000MODS – Stone Stage

Greek stoner rock heavyweights 1000MODS kicked off the party on the Stone Stage on Saturday night with a setlist packed full of bombastic, groove laced riffs delivered with power and precision. Even though guitarist Giannis S. had some technical difficulties that held up the performance for a few minutes, it didn’t kill the band’s momentum. They got the whole of the main arena head-banging and boogieing along. This was solid stoner rock perfumed exceptionally and the energy around the main arena was palpable and infectious. The Bear Stone Festival audience really got behind 1000MODS and in return they gave us an excellent show.

Rating: 8/10

COLOUR HAZE – Stone StageColour Haze live @ Bear Stone Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Sanja Matic

Veteran German heavy psych maters COLOUR HAZE took the Bear Stone Festival audience on one ethereal and celestial cosmic trip on Saturday night. Showcasing their master musicianship and nuanced songwriting with precision and flair. Effortlessly flowing from one song into another, they kept the audience entranced throughout their entire set. As one of two German bands to play that night, they offered up a slice of tranquillity as the warm Croatian night drifted towards midnight. True masters of their craft, their set was stunning and was something you just had to experience in the moment.

Rating: 10/10

KADAVAR – Stone StageKadavar live @ Bear Stone Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Sanja Matic

There was a tangible excitement brewing in the main arena before Saturday’s headliners took to the stage. Berlin’s KADAVAR stepped straight out of the 1970s and onto the Stone Stage and brought the thunder with a dual guitar attack and powerful rhythm section with them. The band’s rise has been phenomenal and on Saturday night they showed us why they’ve rocketed up the rock pyramid with comparative ease. With a frenetic energy and a dominating presence, their set was explosive and had the whole main stage audience. dancing and singing along. With a setlist that spanned their discography a stand out moment was when the band played Doomsday Machine from their first album, which sent the audience into a frenzy. Few bands can unleash a dual guitar attack with power and precision but KADAVAR made it look like a walk in the park. Every band member showed their dance moves but none more so than towering bassist Simon ‘Dragon’ Bouteloup who strutted and moonwalked all over the stage. The German rocket delivered an emphatic and captivating performance and closed the main stage with the band it deserved, bringing this year’s edition of Bear Stone to a triumphant end.

Rating: 10/10

Sunday – July 7th

VUKOJARAC – Sunday, Mill Stage

As the mist rolled in over the river, Dalmatian doom band VUKOKARAC kicked off a more chilled Sunday with a heavy set of low and slow doom tracks. With the sky being overcast for the first time in three days, the pathetic fallacy was exemplary as the hulking and oppressive tracks echoed through the Mrežnica River canyon. VUKOJARAC’s music manifests a trifecta of riffs, despair and destruction, exploring the depths of the human psyche and the darkness within. With SABBATH-esque riffs with distortion dialled up to 11 the Mill Stage was once again shaking with the sheer weight of doom-y riffs. While the performance was pretty standard the atmosphere of the day helped elevate the bands set.

Rating: 7/10

ZOLLE – Mill Stage

Closing the festival on Sunday night was excitable Italian and unconventional rock duo ZOLLE. With dazzling, pink and grey sparkly outfits and a stage decked out in pink balloons and love hearts it was a wonderful way to end the festival. This was easily one of the most unorthodox performances of the weekend, this is a band that just love having fun and it showed in their performance. With boogie inducing, punchy riffs, ZOLLE had the crowd dancing, smiling and sharing the love and beer between one another. In a truly chaotic but love filled way, ZOLLE‘s brand of upbeat, joyful garage rock was the perfect way to close the festival as the mist rolled over the river and the sun set over the hills.

Rating: 8/10

And that wraps up our coverage of this year’s Bear Stone Festival! We had the best time experiencing Croatia’s premier stoner and heavy psych event, we’re already counting down to 2025’s festival!

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Radar Festival 2024

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FESTIVAL REVIEW: Radar Festival 2024

August 21, 2024James Weaver


Having made a successful migration from Guildford to Manchester last year, Radar Festival is growing from strength to strength. Forward-thinking and progressive, the three day event is a safe haven for bands that challenge the status quo, pushing heavy music to exciting new places. 2024’s edition of the festival is no different with a staggeringly good lineup that covers the breadth of heavy music. We were on the ground for this year’s festival, here’s what went down.





Friday – July 26th

GIANT WALKER – Sneak Energy StageGiant Walker live @ Radar Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Ruben Navarro

Newcastle’s GIANT WALKER have been bubbling under the surface in UK heavy music for some time now, and tasked as the first band to unveil Radar Festival 2024, there’s a lot riding on the Geordie quarter to keep momentum on their side. Fortunately, the band possess a wicked amount of talent within their ranks and dispatch a confident and assured performance to kick Radar Festival off with a bang. Groove-heavy but intricate riffs keep the crowd nodding along in synchronisation whilst vocalist Steff Fish impresses with a captivating stage presence, and alluringly excellent vocals to boot. With a new album in the form of Silhouettes on the horizon, the band’s upwards trajectory looks set to continue.



Rating: 8/10

THE INTERSPHERE – Neural DSP: Archtype Stage

German progressive outfit THE INTERSPHERE have a certain buzz within the Radar Festival community and their opening slot on the Neural DSP: Archtype Stage is largely populated awaiting their arrival. Blending intricate and highly complex passages with squeaky clean and gorgeous cinematic pop works an absolute treat in a hugely captivating performance. Material from last year’s Wanderer sounds exquisite in the live arena and the gorgeous harmonised vocals wash over the crowd effortless. Their music might be highly complex, but the way in which the band navigate their soundscape to ensure it’s accessible is phenomenal to experience live. The bar has been set very high indeed.

Rating: 9/10

CESTRA – Sneak Energy StageCestra live @ Radar Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Oli Duncanson

With the weekend fully in the swing of things, CESTRA brings the first sense of theatrics to the day. There’s plenty of atmosphere, and the industrial setting of the second stage really adds to the ambiance. Initially starting her set behind the neon glow of her mic stand, you can barely see CESTRA, before transitioning quickly to more theatrical whimsy. From a turntable to bringing out her chorus of incredible singers, CESTRA gives a performance of beautiful intrigue, that not only pulls everyone’s interests but adds more excitement for their contribution to TESSERACT‘s set later in the weekend.



Rating: 7/10

EARTHSIDE – Neural DSP: Archtype StageEarthside live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Ruben Navarro

The sheer array of technology readily available at our fingertips allows for bands to create an immersive experience on stage by utilising props such as screens, visuals and backing tracks to take their shows to the next level. Unfortunately on this occasion the complexity of EARTHSIDE‘s offering partially derailed their intended set due to the accompanying vocal tracks not cooperating despite playing in their monitors. Adapting on the fly, the band opted to play some instrumental pieces from their catalogue to navigate the issue. Whilst it would have been fitting to hear the contributions TESSERACT‘s Dan Tompkins made to the title track of 2023’s Let The Truth Speak release, the quartet handled the situation admirably as the combined energy of drummer Ben Shanbrom and keyboardist Frank Sacramone won the crowd over.



Rating: 8/10

UNPEOPLE – Sneak Energy Stage

With proceedings off to a flying start, overnight sensation UNPEOPLE display exactly why they have achieved hefty acclaim in such a short space of time. Energetic presence, masterful synchronised vocal passages, insatiable hooks, what more could you ask for? Every track from their debut EP is a certified banger, sounding even more impressive in a live setting. The packed out crowd at the Sneak Energy Stage embraced them with open arms as they meticulously blended intense heaviness with addictive pop elements. What made their performance that little more exciting was seeing them on a smaller stage knowing that if they continue on their current trajectory they won’t be staying at this level for very long. A true shining star breathing fresh air into the world of modern rock/metal.

Rating: 9/10

ICHIKA NITO – Neural DSP: Archtype StageIchika Nito live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Ruben Navarro

His first performance in Manchester, let alone at a UK festival, ICHIKA NITO is the first solo guitarist to perform this weekend at Radar Festival. To any lesson musician, this might feel like a scary moment, especially given the struggles of English being second language and having no bandmates to bounce off of. However, NITO is such a professional that his prowess as an axeman – or samurai, as he notes – keeps him looking cool or he’s genuinely unabashed. While he’s known virally for shredding short bursts, his compositions at length are super clean, from Late Night Walk To Moonfall. The balance between his softer approach and his swift tapping melodies is spot on. While there’s not too much jumping around, that’s not really the vibe. His sweet and calm manner on stage is very endearing, and this honestly feel like something between a performance and a little masterclass in itself to see his impeccable skill close up.



Rating: 8/10

VOWER – Sneak Energy StageVower live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Charlie Bluck

Having erupted onto the scene just weeks prior to their appearance at Radar Festival with debut EP Apricity, there’s intrigue and excitement surrounding VOWER. Comprised of ex-members of BLACK PEAKS, PALM READER and TOSKA, the pedigree of the band’s personnel carries weight and as such, the band’s energetic performance on the festival’s Sneak Energy Stage doesn’t come as a surprise but that should not be seen as a blight on the band. Spear-headed by Josh Mckeown, the band power their way through a seamless set that demonstrates their quality. The future is very, very exciting for this band.



Rating: 8/10

VOLA – Neural DSP: Archtype StageVOLA live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Naomi Paulmin Likeanao

VOLA are a band that just keeps going from strength to strength. Their live performances are constantly top tier and at Radar Festival this is no exception. From slightly softer intricate songs like 24 Light-Years, to powerhouse hits like Straight Lines, the crowd are enamoured. Playing from Inmazes all the way to new singles for upcoming Friend Of A Phantom, Asger Mygard commands the stage with his voice on tracks like Ghosts, while so much dirty and groove comes in the bass from Nicolai Mogensen. Martin Werner effortlessly moves from synth soundscapes to carrying huge riffs and melodies in new tracks Paper Wolf and Break My Lying Tongue, all on the constantly mesmerising Adam Jandi on drums. It’s been a set that’s satisfying fans and definitely turned new listeners on to one of the most consistently interesting bands in prog.



Rating: 10/10

THROWN – Sneak Energy Stage

Whilst Radar Festival attracts connoisseurs of the more progressive genres in rock and metal, sometimes you just need your ears smashed in by crushing riffs. THROWN provide exactly that. Intertwining nu-metal and hardcore amongst various other combustible elements to create an explosive cocktail perfectly suited to the festival landscape, the Swedish quartet took little time transforming the Sneak Energy Stage into a whirlwind of sheer chaos courtesy of tracks from their upcoming album EXCESSIVE GUILT. With flailing limbs and pits aplenty their performance was so incendiary that even the Sneak Energy mascot couldn’t resist getting themselves some of the action! Keep your eye on this talented outfit as they are on the cusp of evolving into a true force of nature.

Rating: 9/10

THE MIDNIGHT – Neural DSP: Archtype StageThe Midnight live @ Radar Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Friday at Radar Festival has been a super successful kick off to the weekend, and the cherry on the top is THE MIDNIGHT. Coming straight out the gate with Neon Medusa, they play all the hits from Jason to Vampires. There’s so much energy on this stage that the crowd – a good portion of whom are decked out in their 80s gear – are absolutely enthralled from the off. When Justin Klunk speeds across the stage in literal seconds of darkness, his emergence in the light is always met with huge cheers as he rips into another insane sax moment. That said, there’s a sense of blissful hysteria when each member has a little of the limelight.

Royce Whittaker’s gorgeous shredding is almost expected to be exceptional at this stage, and yet always blows the roof off, and Kwesi Robinson keeps a phenomenal hold and groove on the beat and is the true unsung hero of this set. Lelia Broussard seemingly could be a one-woman band on her own, effortlessly turning her hand to bass, vocals and guitar, she’s superb. All of this couldn’t happen without the orchestration of Tyler Lyle, who captures big moments like Days Of Thunder and balances them with real stage command with an audience sing out of Gloria. The room is electric with the buzz of this performance, and clear by home time, the today belongs to THE MIDNIGHT.

Rating: 10/10

Saturday – July 27th

KYROS – Neural DSP: Archtype StageEarthside live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Naomi Paulmin Likeanao

The start of the second day can often be a hard place to be on a lineup, with people staggering their arrivals and perhaps feels a little tired. KYROS pull off a super entertaining set in their shiny 80s suits and majestic cheese. The set decorations are of course direct nods to their latest release, Mannequin, and they lead mostly with newer material from that. For those who haven’t had KYROS on their radar, they certainly made a good impression with their whit and banter, meme references and the supreme use of every synth sound you can imagine. A terrific effort all round, there was a good amount of grooving and smiles from the crowd by the time the band settled into their set. It has to be said that while KYROS aren’t super well known yet, they’ve clearly got the chops to put on an impressive show.

Rating: 7/10

SEETHING AKIRA – Sneak Energy Stage

With their bold brand of hardcore, SEETHING AKIRA bring a blend of upbeat fun and aggression while maintaining. Fans and newcomers alike were bouncing to their energized performance, with tracks like Something In The Water and Metaphors. It’s a fun set, with plenty of high tempo tuned to keep the room moving. There’s of course sentiment within SEETHING AKIRA’s music, which definitely an important element to their message and it lands on being both a fun time and poignant. The bands sizzling stage performance goes down super well and leaves the crowd hungry for more.

Rating: 7/10

ITHACA – Neural DSP: Archtype Stage

Despite being a firm favourite in the UK scene, live outings from ITHACA are rather sparse, which makes their appearance at this year’s Radar Festival all the more special. And from the moment they erupt into set opener In The Way, the crowd lose their collective shit. Later, the likes of They Fear Us, Impulse Crush and Camera Eats First all demonstrate the band’s sublime appetite for aural destruction, and an impassioned speech by guitarist Sam Chetan-Welsh on living through mental and physical trauma and coming out the other side, and championing equality in heavy music, is one of the most empowering moments of the entire festival. But, technical difficulties earlier in the set casts a slight blemish on ITHACA‘s impact at Radar Festival. Whilst for lesser bands, it could have spelled absolute disaster, for ITHACA and their tenacious approach to recovering from the setback, it’s just a bad day at the office.

Rating: 8/10

HAIL THE SUN – Sneak Energy Stage

LA math rockers HAIL THE SUN don’t frequent the UK very often (with their last visit being all the way back in 2017) so it was little surprise to see a flock of eager fans gathering at the Sneak Energy Stage in anticipation of their arrival. With a set containing mostly tracks from their most recent effort Divine Inner Tension, Donovan Melero and company had the crowd in their palm of their hands from beginning to end. Their commanding stage presence and high octane showcase of instrumental acrobatics was an absolute joy to experience. Also, how many opportunities are you going to get to witness a frontman pull double duty and perform some songs behind the drum kit whilst still managing to nail his vocals?

Rating: 9/10

HEART OF A COWARD – Neural DSP: Archtype Stage

Following ITHACA‘s technical gremlins on the main stage, there is slight concern as to whether this will be a recurring problem on the festival’s main stage but there are no such problems for HEART OF A COWARD who proceed to give arguably their tightest and most impressive performance of their career to date. The band, and particularly frontman Kaan Tasan, are synonymous with the Radar Festival community with Tasan being a member of the festival crew. And they reward the Radar community with a powerful and highly impressive performance. The thumping riffs of Collapse ignite bedlam in the pit, Deadweight remains an absolute staple of their set, Hollow swings and pulses in ferocious fashion, and material from last year’s This Place Only Brings Death sounds huge in the live arena. Utterly triumphant.

Rating: 9/10

GRAPHIC NATURE – Sneak Energy Stage

The mere stage presence of GRAPHIC NATURE is enough to make most people feel intimidated by their dark, foreboding figures lurking around like predators waiting to strike. Compile that with frantic lighting and their penchant for crushing intensity and you’ve got all the required components for an explosive performance. The crowd respond to the unravelling chaos in the only way they know how, by leaving every ounce of their energy in the pit. A balanced mixture of tracks from both a mind waiting to die and Who Are You When No One Is Watching? have the O2 Victoria Warehouse shaking to its foundations. It is highly unlikely you will get many more opportunities to see the nu-metalcore outfit playing smaller stages such as this so it added an extra spice to the festivities.

Rating: 8/10

CAR BOMB – Neural DSP: Archtype StageCar Bomb live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Claire Alaxandra

It’s so hard to describe the utter brutality of CAR BOMB in a live setting. There was many an attempt at a pit, but when you’re chasing a new time signature every few bars, it’s incredibly hard to maintain the flow. Most are more than content with solid headbanging and basking in the might of these mad lads. In some short moments of respite, there’s actually a lot of silly banter from the New Yorkers which is quire refreshing from all the crushing insanity of the music. Every colour of djenting guitar sound from Greg Kubacki pair deliciously with Jon Modell’s brutal bass. Michael Dafferner’s guttural vocals are something to witness live, they’re absolutely breathtaking, and with a battering of blisteringly complex beats from Elliot Hoffman, CAR BOMB absolutely annihilates the stag. With songs ranging across with back catalogue from Dissect Yourself to From The Dust Of This Planet they demonstrating a monstrous sound and huge, tight production that fits perfectly on the main stage.

Rating: 9/10

THE FALL OF TROY – Sneak Energy Stage

It is arguable that if it wasn’t for THE FALL OF TROY that a lot of the bands on the Radar Festival lineup would not exist. They are one of the original torchbearers for the math rock movement who still sound just as potent and genre defining as they did back in the early 2000s. Frontman Thomas Erak is so undeniably charismatic that he captivates the crowd with ease as the trio masterfully rifle through their stacked arsenal. No one in the crowd would want to admit it but they’re secretly wishing the set away just so they can revisit their childhood memories of playing Guitar Hero (and watching the walls melt as soon as you looked away from the TV) in the form of the viral hit F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X. The track is already a certified crowd pleaser but when you throw HAIL THE SUN‘s Donovan Melero into the mix on vocal duties it’s a recipe to send everyone into a frenzy.

Rating: 9/10

DIRTY LOOPS – Neural DSP: Archtype StageDirty Loops live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Ruben Navarro

Second headline on Saturday is DIRTY LOOPS, which past Radar Festival goes will remember from their time in Guilford. An infectiously good time, these funky boys are maybe one of the lighter bands on this weekend. That doesn’t mean that they’re soft players, however, with a powerhouse trio at the top of their game. Aron Mellergård is the least flashy part of the crew, which is saying something as his drumming is buttery smooth and constantly slick throughout the set. Henrik Linder is a bass superstar in his own right, carrying groove in his fingers and swagger in his step all through the performance. With pipes to rival the greats of many generations, Jonah Nilsson effortlessly keeps the energy of the set high, with song after song of joyous entertainment. From newer tracks Follow The Light To Work Shit Out and Rock You, the room is having a glorious time to the R&B infused prog. The band seem to be having a great time too, their casual laughter between themselves adding so much to the feeling of playfulness. Ending with what Jonah himself admits was a strange song, Sexy Girls is a pure mad choice for this crowd but it serves as a hilarious tonic to brutally on offer elsewhere at this festival.

Rating: 9/10

CONJURER – Sneak Energy StageConjurer live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Rubix Photography

There’s a recurring theme throughout Radar Festival‘s offerings this year; sublime homegrown heavy music. Just as ITHACA and HEART OF A COWARD demonstrated earlier in the day, heavy hitters CONJURER arrive to a densely packed crowd at the festival’s Sneak Energy Stage and immediately threaten to demolish the venue’s foundations. Their music, a ferocious cocktail of sludge, doom, black and death metal, sounds crushing on record, but live, it’s utterly jaw-dropping to experience. Brady Deeprose and Dan Nightingale both dispatch guttural blasts and larynx shredding shrieks with malice and how Conor Marshall is not in a neck brace we do not know. Material from 2022’s Páthos and 2018’s breakout record Mire, still sound apocalyptic and with a promise of new music on the horizon, expect CONJURER‘s conquest of heavy music to continue.

TESSERACT – Neural DSP: Archtype StageTesseracT live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Ruben Navarro

As a flagbearer of UK progressive and tech metal, TESSERACT headlining Radar Festival feels like common sense. And although this logical decision could fear an average performance, those who have experienced TESSERACT in recent times will attest otherwise. Not resting on their laurels, TESSERACT don’t just deliver a masterclass of progressive metal, they leave jaws firmly planted on the floor with their most extravagant and gripping live performance to date.


A gorgeous and mesmerising light and laser show dances above a sea of heads that adds plenty of visual flare to the show and the addition of CHOIR NOIR, who provide gorgeous, ethereal and spine-tingling backing vocals that helps elevate TESSERACT to the upper echelons of phenomenal. Tourniquet is testament to this. Lasers twinkle and dance as the harmonised vocals from CHOIR NOIR and frontman Daniel Tompkins combine in sheer aural perfection and to experience it live in the flesh is truly a blessing. In a set that flashes by in an instant, the band do not pull their punches as the likes of King, Legion or Of Mind – Nocturne demonstrate a band that are ascending to unfathomable heights. A performance that will have people saying “I was there” in the years to come.

Rating: 10/10

Sunday – July 28th

ATHEANA – Sneak Energy Stage

ATHEANA brings a great balance between pop and hardcore sensibilities, with a bright start to Sunday on the Sneak Energy Stage at Radar Festival. Keeping things pensive, aggressive and energetic throughout the trio give a solid performance. Though many will be new to ATHEANA, the band proves to be commanding and engaging. Being local to Manchester, it’s clear that these up-and-coming musicians have a lot of fire with their songs Ghost Of You and Tension. Highly motivated, ATHEANA gives the final day weekend the bursting start it needs to get going with a bang.

Rating: 7/10

ASHEN – Neural DSP: Archtype StageAshen live @ Radar Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Not to be confused with the excellent Aussie death metal band of the same name, French newcomers ASHEN take to the Neural DSP: Archtype Stage on Radar Festival‘s final day and provide a performance that showcases a whole heap of promise for this talented troupe. With a sound that feels akin to Norway’s FIXATION or HOLDING ABSENCE, who take to the stage later in the day, the band’s anthemic and accessible modern metal sounds great in the live arena with Sacrifice being a strong highlight in the set. A cover of NIRVANA‘s Smells Like Teen Spirit might feel like a cheap cop-out to earn a sing-along but the band’s approach keeps the energy high and has row after row of spectators singing along to the iconic chorus. Considering the band only formed three years ago, this is a confident outing and one that demonstrates enormous potential. One to watch.

Rating: 8/10

ADHARMA – Sneak Energy StageADHARMA live @ Radar Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

The enigmatic Charlie Draper and her talented troupe have the tough task of following on from the surging ball of energy known as ASHEN but ADHARMA hold their own and bring forth an enticing, emotive performance packed with theatricality. Showcasing a mixture of tracks from their impressive debut release Mirror Mirror amongst a bunch of newer singles, the alluring pop hooks blended with heavier instrumentation and personal lyrical passages really hit home in a live environment, particularly when you know the subject matter is based around Charlie‘s real life struggles and tribulations. It is evident she wears her heart on her sleeve and her majestic vocal performance proved to be one of the highlights of the weekend.

Rating: 8/10

THE OMNIFIC – Neural DSP: Archtype StageThe Omnific live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Claire Alaxandra

It’s not often that you’ll come across dual bass-lead bands, much less in a festival setting. Radar Festival is of course the perfect place to bring the very unique styling of THE OMNIFIC to unknowing ears. It’s clear it takes the crowd some getting used to, being instrumental prog will often do that. A majority of the crowd do seem captivated and are enthusiastically swaying to the groove, though not often breaking out into all out dancing. There’s plenty of energy though, especially from drummer Jerome Lemuta, who is by far the best hype man of any band, running from his kit to interact with the audience. Highly impressive, both silly and skilled in equal measure makes THE OMNIFIC a solid hit this Sunday.

Rating: 7/10

FUTURE STATIC – Sneak Energy Stage

Australia has a habit of producing top tier alternative bands and following their breakthrough debut record, Liminality, the band arrive at Radar Festival with the wind in their sails. And the band live up to the bubbling hype with a assured and confident performance that keeps the energy sky-high. The likes of Roach Queen and Waves keep the crowd bouncing as vocalist Amariah Cook commands the crowd effectively and dispatches her range of vocals with aplomb. It’s a tight and composed performance from a band whose stock is certainly going to rise in the years ahead.

Rating: 8/10

MIKE DAWES – Neural DSP: Archtype Stage

“You make me feel like TAYLOR SWIFT,” MIKE DAWES jokes at one point with the crowd. Stepping in at the last moment to save the day when OXYMORONS where unable to make their scheduled appearance at Radar Festival, MIKE DAWES is a true guitar hero. One man and his instrument, it’s no surprise to many that he makes a little go a long way. All manner of technical work does into his stunning arrangements, seemingly effortlessly. A true master and a charming presence on stage, MIKE DAWES has been the perfect mid-afternoon tonic for the crowd, being entirely musical and entertaining in equal measure.

Rating: 8/10

PINTGLASS – Sneak Energy StagePintglass live @ Radar Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

After the unfortunate news broke regarding SIAMESE being unable to perform, it left a mixture of sadness and trepidation amongst the attendees wondering whether Radar Festival could pull a sufficient replacement out of the bag with minimal notice. Boy, did they deliver. Whilst not exactly a like-for-like switch the unhinged hi-vis donning bruisers in PINTGLASS had the Sneak Energy Stage bouncing from front to back. Their highly entertaining, bludgeoning beatdown stylings were exactly what was needed to inject some adrenaline into the final day. A particular highlight being the opening of a can of Stella being crisply distributed over the PA to massive applause. Whilst looking like a parody act, PINTGLASS quite clearly take a lot of pride in their performance, having more than enough charisma and charm to back it up.

Rating: 8/10

SUNGAZER – Neural DSP: Archtype StageSungazer live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Rubix Photography

Going from the brutal laddish-hardcore of PINTGLASS to jazz fusion is potentially one of the hardest head swings you’ll come across in live music. SUNGAZER come primed in matching two sets of dazzling sunset colours. Bold outfits for bold sounds, this is pretty intense to follow along to, but is also a dazzlingly good time. From the two-step dancing and syncopated, odd time signature clap alongs, SUNGAZER do a great job of keeping things light were possible. From looping live sax to some sharp drum work, the whole band bring some of the more sophisticated sentiments of jazz to a fun and bizarre show that leaves many wishing there were merch to commemorate the great time they’ve had with this mad hat bunch of melomaniacs.

Rating: 8/10

BLOOD COMMAND – Sneak Energy StageBlood Command live @ Radar Festival 2024. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

BLOOD COMMAND have been on a wicked run of good form in recent years. Following the addition of former PAGAN frontwoman Nikki Brumen during the pandemic, Praise Armagedonism and World Domination have been highly received and their high-energy live performances, particularly here in Manchester at The Deaf Institute on two separate occasions, have cemented BLOOD COMMAND as a truly exciting force in alternative music. At Radar Festival, the band are utterly infectious as they ensure the energy never dips. Saturday City has the crowd dancing, The Plague On Both Your Houses‘ thrash-tinged riffs ignites the pit and A Villain’s Monologue sees Brumen spit her vocals with the utmost ferocity. Speaking of Brumen, she is utterly fabulous in controlling the crowd as she crowdsurfs, twerks, and dances across the intimate stage and a passionate speech on how Manchester has welcomed BLOOD COMMAND with open arms is met with adoration from the crowd. BLOOD COMMAND are a special band and at this point, we’re running out of superlatives to describe just how brilliant they are in the live arena.

Rating: 10/10

HOLDING ABSENCE – Neural DSP: Archtype StageHolding Absence live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Charlie Bluck

Given the more progressive and experimental-leaning makeup of Radar Festival, at first glance, HOLDING ABSENCE might appear like a curveball. But, the Welsh post-hardcore crew have a broader appeal in the wider spectrum of alternative music and they deliver a masterclass as the penultimate band on main stage. Largely, this is down to the gorgeous melodies and emotive passages that sees the crowd belting the likes of Like A Shadow and A Crooked Melody back towards the band. Lucas Woodland is a bonafide superstar as he controls the crowd with the utmost ease and delivers his stunning vocals with pin-point precision and his bandmates all play a vital role in keeping the band’s sound tight and composed. Gravity‘s riffs keep heads nodding along, In Circles encourages self-reflection and threatens the waterworks and a soaring rendition of Afterlife in the closing stages is simply euphoric. A diamond of the UK alternative scene and one we can all be proud of.

Rating: 9/10

HUMANITY’S LAST BREATH – Sneak Energy Stage

HUMANITY’S LAST BREATH are a phenomenal way to head out the Sneak Energy Stage at Radar Festival. With a bass that seems to hollow you out with its crushing depth, the level of pure malice and brutality on offer is unparalleled. The ambiance of their blackened deathcore in such a confined space gives the oppressive nature of the songs evermore weight. Mighty are the riffs, crushing are the drops, apocalyptic are the vocals. From Ocean Drinker to Labyrinthian, there’s a swarth of their epic back catalogue on offer in this set, levelling from their deepest black and death influence to their more progressive sounds. Physically commanding and foreboding in equal measure, the crowd are constantly bombarded with monster tune after monster tune, and seem reverent to the catastrophic primordial warnings. Finishing off with the biblical Glutton, the irony of people’s appetite for HUMANITY’S LAST BREATH isn’t lost, as the awe is palpable from everyone watching.

Rating: 9/10

LEPROUS – Neural DSP: Archtype StageLeprous live @ Radar Festival 204. Photo Credit: Oli Duncanson

It is now time for the main event! The spectacle of unpredictability which has had everyone talking since the announcement of their ‘Real-Time Song Request’ set and how on earth they were going to navigate it. However, if anyone was going to pull it off it would be LEPROUS. Before we get into the performance itself a huge applause is owed to newly recruited live member Harrison White who staggeringly learned basically their entire back catalogue in preparation for this event, cycling through multiple runs to ensure he was in top form. So how did the request element come into play we hear you ask?

The band performed some non-negotiable tracks throughout including the likes of The Price, From The Flame and fresh offerings from their unreleased album Melodies Of Atonement (Atonement and Silently Walking Alone) and for the remainder of the set the gave the audience batches of four songs to choose from, with the crowd reaction being the final verdict. Proposing songs scattered throughout their repertoire, LEPROUS were ironically let off quite lightly by the crowd as they opted for tracks like The Valley, Alleviate and Castaway Angels as opposed to deeper cuts such as Restless, Acquired Taste and Forced Entry. Due to the unpredictability of the choices there were pauses in the performance which frontman Einar Solberg excellently filled by taking cheap shots at his fellow bandmates whilst they were frantically retuning their instruments. There were some welcome surprises that came out of the voting system, particularly the hefty supercombo of Slave into Contaminate Me. Einar may have set the more aggressive elements of his vocal range aside in recent efforts but his delivery was flawless. Whether beautifully soaring or ferociously growling he was in sublime form. A perfect spectacle to round off a stellar Radar Festival lineup.

Rating: 10/10

And that’s a wrap on Radar Festival 2024! As the dust settles on this year’s festival, we can’t help but notice what a special little corner of the heavy music world this festival occupies. Forward-thinking, both in its curated lineups and ethos as a festival, this is a special event and one in which we are already counting down the days for 2025’s edition.

Words: James Weaver, Laura McCarthy, Dan McHugh

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