BLACK SABBATH - DRUMEO SHARES SHOWCASE VIDEO: THE GENIUS OF BILL WARD

BLACK SABBATH - DRUMEO SHARES SHOWCASE VIDEO: THE GENIUS OF BILL WARD

May 18, 2024, 7 hours ago

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The Drumeo YouTube channel has shared a new showcase video, this time focusing on Black sabbath legend, Bill Ward.

Drumeo: "Bill Ward is the godfather of heavy metal drumming. As the drummer and co-founder of Black Sabbath, he's left a lasting legacy that can be traced back to Sabbath's first record released in early 1970. His innovative style, iconic grooves, and dynamic style laid the groundwork for modern metal, influencing countless drummers over the following decades.

Join Brandon Toews as he dives deep into what makes Bill Ward one of the most important drummers in music history."

The Karma Effect: Bringing Classic Rock To The Modern Age

The New Wave of Classic Rock scene has proved to be a breeding ground for talent over the last ten years, boasting bands like THOSE DAMN CROWS, FLORENCE BLACK, and MASSIVE WAGONS among some of its more successful alumni. Even down to the grassroots level, its dedicated following has supported all bands that fall under the genre, building them up from small pubs to arena shows and further beyond, never letting them forget their roots. The next band to catapult out of this scene is THE KARMA EFFECT, a group that brings irresistible melody, raw soul and huge choruses into the 21st century. With their new album Promised Land releasing this spring, they hope to bring a taste of the 80s to the modern day.



THE KARMA EFFECT has the same ‘old school’ values that a lot of bands today lack. We’re not talking about the more questionable extracurricular activities that bands of yesterday are famous for; this band has a work ethic that many today just simply don’t have.

“When SLASH writes and album and they get in to rehearse, he expects his band to be able to play at any time, on any night of the tour, his entire back catalogue,” muses frontman Henry Gottelier. “He knows all his songs, if its VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N’ ROSES, SNAKE PIT, or his solo career, he knows his entire back catalogue and he expects his band to be able to play it too. If he goes ‘I want to do this deep cut’, he expects them to know it.”

THE KARMA EFFECT operates the same way, rehearsing their entire catalogue to keep their minds sharp. “When we get into pre-production for a record, for a tour; we’ll run our albums and our EPs and anything we have. At any point we could be like ‘let’s do this tonight’ and we could play it.”

This way of operating has clearly resonated with audiences, gaining them a devoted following not just from the dedicated New Wave of Classic Rock scene but also further afield. People are beginning to take notice of their old school sound, bringing them back to the glory days of THE ROLLING STONES and BLACK CROWES, both groups that the band list as huge influences on everything they do.


“We got into this to play the kind of music that we love playing but what’s happened is that we’ve developed this kind of amazing fanbase. We’re seeing now, especially in the New Wave of Classic Rock genre that’s having this kind of resurgence. It’s always been there but I think that it’s now rather than being a kind of underground scene, it’s becoming an actual scene.”

After the last few years of grafting away in the scene and working hard to build a name, all the blood, sweat and tears finally seems to be paying off for THE KARMA EFFECT. After recently signing to Earache Records the band has seen an uptake in their listeners, with their music being played across the globe on radio stations like the prestigious Planet Rock – a station that so many can only dream of hearing themselves on. “Since we’ve formed this team with Earache it’s just been go, go, go. I don’t think any of us have actually taken a second to sit back and take it in yet,” says Gottelier. The notion that they have such an incredible team supporting their every move is not lost to them, and their gratitude for backing radiates throughout everything they do. “We’ve got such faith in our band and the sound, and we just want people to hear that. To be on a station like [Planet Rock] is just incredible; it’s such a ‘pinch me’ moment.”

This success for THE KARMA EFFECT did not come without its hardships. The sophomore slump is a genuine issue for so many bands and at a time when they were DIY and without the backing of a label, the group were doubtful for their own future. “We were very worried, mostly financially, about whether we were going to be able to do a second album. We had the music there and it was recorded but we genuinely were concerned whether we could put it out,” says Gottelier.

Financial issues are so prevalent among DIY bands, but THE KARMA EFFECT found a way to persevere through the uphill battle that is ‘making it’ in the music industry until they had the financial backing they needed to really show the masses what they are made of. They are incredibly self-aware of the position they have found themselves in and their gratitude is abundantly obvious in the way they praise their label-mates and any person on their team the second they are given the chance to.

The main difference between this sophomore release and their debut is that THE KARMA EFFECT is finally able to reach those that should be listening. “It feels like the first album all over again, because we’re on this different journey now than we were on; it just means that we now have the capability of getting out there and reaching a bigger audience and being able to do the things that maybe once upon a time we would only have dreamt of doing,” Gottelier says. His appreciation of THE KARMA EFFECT’s dedicated fans, his bandmates, and collaborators is a clear undertone of everything he expresses, never letting his gratitude go unnoticed. “I’m very humbled and I don’t take it for granted ever.”

Promised Land is out now via Earache Records.

Like THE KARMA EFFECT on Facebook.

The White Buffalo: Referência mundial do folk, estreia no Brasil em dezembro

Influenciado por músicos de folk como Bob Dylan e Leonard Cohen, pelo autêntico country de Nashville e impactado também pelo rock e americana, The White Buffalo, também conhecido como o cantor/compositor/guitarrista norte-americano Jake Smith, enfim desembarca no Brasil, em dezembro deste ano, para sua primeira e tão aguardada turnê, que passará por seis cidades.

A inédita vinda do The White Buffalo ao Brasil, de 6/12 a 14/12, faz parte da extensa turnê Latino Americana, que é uma realização da Powerline Music Books e da Mirror /AM em parceria com a New Frontier.

The White Buffalo passa por São Paulo/SP no dia 6/12 (Fabrique Club), Brasília/DF no dia 10/12 (Infinu), Belo Horizonte/MG no dia 11/12 (Mister Rock), em Porto Alegre/RS no dia 13/12 (Agulha) e em Curitiba no dia 14/12 (Basement). Tem ainda o show do dia 7/12, que será anunciado em breve!

As canções de Smith, com seu vozeirão grave, ora rouca, ora melódica, já serviram de trilha sonora de diversas séries americanas, como Sons of Anarchy, Californication, The Punisher, Longmire, This Is Us, como bem como o filme de surf Shelter de 2001.

Smith era um garçom de São Francisco que tocava seu violão algumas vezes por ano. Quando lhe pediram em 2002 para permitir uma música no filme Shelter, do surfista Chris Malloy, ele largou o emprego e se mudou para Orange County. Desde então, viaja e compõe incansavelmente.

O mais recente trabalho do The White Buffalo é Year of the Dark Horse, de 2022, um registro ousado e forte na sua discografia de 22 anos.

“Com este álbum, eu queria algo fora do que já fiz. Eu queria me abrir. É difícil colocá-lo em um gênero singular. Há elementos e influências de Daniel Lanois, Tom Waits, The Boss, circo, música pirata, iate rock, e estou empurrando tudo isso de uma maneira que nunca fiz. Antes”, disse Smith à época do lançamento do disco.

O baixista/tecladista/guitarrista Christopher Hoffee e o baterista Matt Lynott são os músicos que acompanham Smith.

Para que ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’ alcançasse todo o seu potencial, Jake sabia que a experiência tinha que ser envolvente, e é por isso que a locação em Nashville se mostrou crucial. Não apenas os três músicos estavam longe das atrações de casa, mas a casa onde todos ficaram ficava a apenas um quarteirão do estúdio e estava repleta de uma variedade de instrumentos. Onde quer que estivessem, eles poderiam aprimorar o projeto, e algumas das músicas surgiram enquanto o tempo passava.

SERVIÇO
The White Buffalo em São Paulo
Data: 6 de dezembro
Local: Fabrique Club
Endereço: Rua Barra Funda, 1071 – Barra Funda
Ingresso: www.clubedoingresso.com/evento/thewhitebuffalo-saopaulo
Valor: 1º lote – R$180,00 meia / R$360,00 inteira

The White Buffalo em Brasília
Data: 10 de dezembro
Local: Infinu
Endereço: 506 sul bl A lj 67 / 69
Ingresso: www.clubedoingresso.com/evento/thewhitebuffalo-brasilia
Valor: 1º lote – R$150,oo meia / R$300,00 inteira

The White Buffalo em Belo Horizonte
Data: 11 de dezembro
Local: Mister Rock
Endereço: Av. Teresa Cristina, 295 – Prado
Ingresso: www.clubedoingresso.com/evento/thewhitebuffalo-belohorizonte
Valor: 1º lote – R$160,00 meia / R$320,00 inteira

The White Buffalo em Porto Alegre
Data: 13 de dezembro
Local: Agulha
Endereço: Rua Conselheiro Camargo, 300 – São Geraldo
Ingresso: www.clubedoingresso.com/evento/thewhitebuffalo-portoalegre
Valor: 1º lote – R$150,00 meia / R$300,00 inteira

The White Buffalo em Curitiba
Data: 14 de dezembro
Local: Basement
Endereço: Rua Des. Benvindo Valente, 260 – São Francisco
Ingresso: www.clubedoingresso.com/evento/thewhitebuffalo-curitiba
Valor: 1º lote R$160,00 meia / R$320,00 inteira

Turnê completa

06/12 São Paulo, BR @ Fabrique Club
07/12 TBA
10/12 Brasília, BR @ Infinu
11/12 Belo Horizonte, BR @ Mister Rock
13/12 Porto Alegre, BR @ Agulha
14/12 Curitiba, BR @ Basement
18/12 Santiago, CL @ Sala Metronomo
20/12 Guadalajara, MX @ C3 Stage
21/12 Mexico City, MX @ Indie Rocks

Tedesco Mídia

Ron Keel no House of Legends: Nite Stinger e Cavalo Vapor na abertura

O vocalista, guitarrista, produtor, compositor e radialista americano Ron Keel aportará pela primeira vez no Brasil para duas apresentações em São Paulo, sendo uma acústica no dia 16 de maio (quinta-feira) no Malta Rock Bar e outra plugada no House of Legends em 17 de maio (sexta-feira), que contará com aberturas do Nite Stinger e o retorno do Cavalo Vapor aos palcos.

Ron Keel, que tocará ao lado de Dave “DC” Cothern (guitarra, Ron Keel Band) e os brasileiros Bruno Luiz (guitarra), Bento Mello (baixo) e Gabriel Haddad (bateria) no show plugado do House of Legends, atualmente se prepara para lançar o álbum “Keelworld”, que estará disponível em vinil, CD e no formato digital pela Ron Keel RFK Media. No repertório do show, músicas como “The Right to Rock”, “Tears of Fire”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw”, “Somebody’s Waiting”, “I Said the Wrong Thing to the Right Girl”, “Here Today Gone Tomorrow” e “Because the Night”, famoso cover de Patti Smith gravado pelo KEEL, além de “Cold Day in Hell” e “Serenade”, do Steeler.

Luiz Sacoman, um dos fundadores do Cavalo Vapor, conta que com o relançamento do álbum “Greatest Little Hits” (1997) em CD pela gravadora Classic Metal, já estava pensando em um line-up de peso para shows e um possível futuro álbum. “O convite para este show partiu do Carlão, da Animal Records, e me deixou muito feliz. Foi aí que minha cabeça começou a buscar memórias de músicos que vi ultimamente, fazendo um ‘dream team mental’. Será uma verdadeira celebração do Cavalo Vapor, que é maior que qualquer membro individualmente que já esteve na banda, simplesmente porque as músicas pertencem ao nosso público”, declarou o guitarrista, que será acompanhado por Rane Oliveira (vocal), J B Neto (baixo, Almanak, ex-Firebox), Delfin Rolán (teclado) e Biel Astolfi (bateria, Carro Bomba, Ceos e Against Tolerance).

Já o Nite Stinger, que fez sua estreia com o álbum homônimo em outubro de 2021, vem se destacando na cena hard rock e já tocou ao lado de bandas como Europe e Hardcore Superstar, além de participar da segunda edição do Summer Breeze Brasil, realizada no final de abril. O grupo é atualmente formado por Jack Fahrer (vocal), Bruno Marx e Ivan Landgraf (guitarras), Bento Mello (baixo) e Ivan Busic (bateria).

SERVIÇO – RON KEEL:
Data: 17 de maio (sexta-feira)
Portas: 21h
Nite Stinger: 21h30 – 22:15
Cavalo Vapor: 22h30 – 23:15
Ron Keel: 23h30
Local: House of Legends
Endereço: Rua Inácio Pereira da Rocha, 367 – Vila Madalena (SP/SP)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseoflegends_sp/
Venda online em https://www.bilheto.com.br/comprar/2127/ron-keel-house-of-legends

Ingressos: Pista R$ 240,00 (INTEIRA) | R$ 120,00 (MEIA ESTUDANTE)
R$ 150,00 (PROMOCIONAL, 1 KG DE ALIMENTO NÃO PERECÍVEL)
Camarote: R$ 340,00 (INTEIRA) | R$ 175,00 (MEIA ESTUDANTE)
R$ 205,00 (PROMOCIONAL, 1KG DE ALIMENTO NÃO PERECÍVEL)
* Combo para os dois dias (SOMENTE PISTA): R$ 400 (INTEIRA) | R$ 200 (MEIA ESTUDANTE) | R$ 240 (PROMOCIONAL, 1 KG DE ALIMENTO NÃO PERECÍVEL)

SERVIÇO – RON KEEL (ACÚSTICO):
Data: 16 de maio (quinta-Feira)
Abertura: 19h | Show: 21h
Local: Malta Rock Bar
Endereço: Rua Itaipu, 13 – Mirandópolis (SP/SP) – próximo ao metrô Praça da Árvore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maltarockbar/
Venda online em https://www.bilheto.com.br//evento/2128/Ron_Keel_-_Malta_Rock_Bar

Site relacionado: http://ronkeel.com

Nota na ASE Music: https://tinyurl.com/4h2fu526

ASE Music

Kerry King revela como soube que o Slayer estava aposentando

Kerry King revela como soube que o Slayer estava aposentando
Apesar de querer continuar, o guitarrista sentiu que Tom Araya não estava com o mesmo sentimento

Kerry King. Crédito: Reprodução/Facebook




Kerry King, icônico guitarrista do Slayer e que esta atualmente com projeto solo, revelou em uma entrevista recente para Revolver Magazine, como soube da precoce aposentadoria do Slayer.

King disse: “Eu tinha intenção de fazer um novo disco”. O guitarrista continuou: “Isso até que Tom (Araya) estava dando uma entrevista e eles perguntaram a ele sobre o próximo álbum do Slayer: ‘Preciso falar com Kerry antes de começarmos a trabalhar no próximo disco’. No entanto, Tom não queria fazer outro disco com Slayer. Ele queria se aposentar”.

“E quando descobri isso, é claro que fiquei magoado, inicialmente”, continuou King. “Depois, pensei: ‘Tenho muito trabalho a fazer. Eu só preciso fazer meu show da melhor maneira possível todas as noites e me preparar para seguir em frente.’ Por fim, pensei: ‘Ok, todas essas músicas que eu estava escrevendo para o Slayer agora são só minhas’”.

Kerry King disse que sentiu ter mais liberdade criativa. O guitarrista comentou que suas composições para o álbum From Hell I Rise, talvez soassem um pouco diferentes se fossem feitas com o Slayer.
Kerry King e o recrutamento para seu novo projeto

Kerry King contou como foi o processo de seguir em frente em sua carreira. E como foi a escolha de sua banda de apoio.

“Não havia como fazer isso sem Paul Bostaph”, começa o guitarrista. “Ele é realmente fantástico e eu acho que é um baterista de thrash esquecido. Dave Lombardo (ex-baterista do Slayer) é um ótimo músico. Nunca poderei tirar isso de Dave. Mas Paul trabalha duro a cada segundo para ser o melhor baterista que pode ser. Ele é muito aberto. Ele pensa em como tocar uma música, 10 vezes antes de tocá-la”.

Para o baixo, King pensou em Kyle Sanders (irmão de Troy Sanders do Mastodon). O baixista é ex-integrante do Hellyeah e Bloodsimple. “Eu conheci Kyle no Mayhem Festival que fizemos juntos, e nos demos muito bem, e eu sabia que queria que ele fosse meu cara”, lembra King. “Mas eu tive que tocar com ele muito mais cedo do que queria. Vince (Vinnie Paul) desistiu de nós em 2018, e eu não queria oferecer a ele a vaga perto da morte de Vince, porque isso é inapropriado. Mas eu estava ao telefone com Kyle antes do Hellyeah fazer sua turnê final, apenas checando como ele estava, e eu disse: ‘Não quero atrapalhar o que você está fazendo, mas quando 2020 chegar, tenho algo em que você provavelmente vai se interessar’. E ele respondeu: ‘Ouço você em alto e bom som’”.
Cozinha montada, hora de selecionar o companheiro de guitarra

Para lhe acompanhar nas guitarras, Kerry King buscou Phil Demmel (ex-membro do Machine Head e Vio-Lence). Demmel tinha substituído Gary Holt, nas últimas apresentações do Slayer na Europa. “Quando Phil aparece para aqueles shows europeus, tudo o que ele conseguia falar era que sabia que eu iria continuar depois disso. E ele me disse: ‘Eu quero fazer parte do seu futuro'”.

King chegou a pensar em seu velho amigo Gary Holt: “Mas comecei a perceber que quanto mais peças eu tirar do Slayer, mais ele se chamará ‘Slayer Lite’. Quero dizer, é claro que vai soar como o Slayer. Eu escrevi 90 por cento do último álbum, mas se eu levar menos do Slayer comigo, haverá menos para as pessoas se basearem, no que diz respeito a fazer comparações preguiçosas. Tive que refazer o Slayer novamente depois de Jeff Hanneman (falecido em 2013). 110 vezes em 100, eu escolheria Gary Holt. Ele era o cara certo, mas a percepção das pessoas pesa sobre mim, e eu não quero lidar com isso”.
A escolha do vocalista

Por fim a voz para do novo disco, foi escolhido Mark Osegueda (Death Angel). Quando sairam as notícias de que King estava montando uma banda para seu álbum solo, poucos vocalistas se apresentaram. “Talvez eles pensassem que eu já tinha alguém”, reflete King, “ou talvez não achassem que conseguiriam lidar com os vocais rápidos. Definitivamente tenho alguns trava-línguas em minhas letras, mas sabia que Mark conseguiria. Eu o conheço desde sempre, mas nos aproximamos em meados de 2010, quando o Death Angel abriu para nós no Repentless. Ele é um cara divertido e um ótimo cantor. Mas eu não contei a ele até cerca de um ano atrás que ele tinha chances. Queria testar sua capacidade de treinamento, para ter certeza de que ele não era um pesadelo para trabalharmos juntos, o que ele não era. E descobri que ele tinha outro nível de voz que nenhum de nós conhecia”.

Reigning Phoenix Music lança nesta sexta, 17, seu aguardado álbum de estreia From Hell I Rise.

SATANIC NORTH - SATANIC NORTH

"Stop the mid-tempo, let's bring back the blastbeats." Irony is in place with Satanic North's motto as the standout track on their self-titled debut is the lumbering, mid-tempo groove of “Vultures”. The descending notes create a menacing atmosphere before exploding into that blastbeat up-tempo madness in the mid-section, however it's that main groove and riff in the slower sections that absolutely slays.

Satanic North is an interesting concept with two Ensiferum members (vocalist Petri Lindroos, playing bass band proving backup vocals on here, and drummer Janne Parviainen) fostering a need for a classic, dangerous sounding black metal record. No folk metal found on here, I can assure you. So these Finnish lads have basically constructed a record influenced by ‘90s Norwegian BM.

The production is “cleaner” than those early ‘90s efforts, but the guitars are razor sharp and the bass has potency that jumps out in the tracks. Vocalist Von Occult is demonic with his throaty screeches that at times has an echo effect on them. Fair to say this record was met with a certain amount of trepidation with two guys associated with folk, melodic death metal composing this style of music.

WARLORD - FREE SPIRIT SOAR

OK, this is album is bound to be contentious. Upon release of the first single, Internet trolls were already abuzz with the "No Tsamis, no Warlord" mantra. Mark Zonder (Fates Warning) who set behind the drums, for the pseudonym outfit (as "Thunder Child"), back in the ‘80s, decided to keep Warlord running, after founder/guitarist Bill Tsamis passed away. While fans were happy with the prospect of more Warlord material (Tsamis was guarded with WHAT he released), the founder's absence was a bone of contention that faces an uphill battle. Hey, Riot were able to pull off a similar, founder-less incarnation, while a "comeback" from Savage Grace soiled their reputation, even with the original guitarist onboard. It's not a perfect science.

There's no doubt that much of the record sounds similar to classic Warlord. There are plenty of bands in the today's scene who wear their influences prominently (directly copy?) the sound of bigger/more popular, and sometimes no longer viable acts. Is that a crime? Depends, often upon a fan's longevity. The younger generation, who never saw the original, and only received the music as a "hand me down", decades after the fact, typically embrace the idea more fervently than the old-timers/gatekeepers, who were there, back in the day. Is it truly Warlord, or more of a Warlord tribute? Same can be said of Pantera, Quiet Riot, take your pick. Some people just want a bucket list checkmark, next to "I got to see (band name) live!"

Just eight selections and a couple were embryonic constructions while Tsamis was still alive. The old classics have a stylized, military cadence drumming and pomp keyboards backing, in the lengthy instrumental passages. These new offerings never seem to completely cut loose. What is disappointing is that the current Warlord seemingly only opted for the pedestrian, mid-tempo, Lordian Guard song structures. There's no speedy "Mrs. Victoria" or "Child Of The Damned" equivalent, or the upbeat pop of "Lost And Lonely Days". Hell, there's not even an "Aliens" around. That said, I find this more enjoyable, start to finish, than The Holy Empire album (2013), which also had but a couple standout cuts (opener and titular closer). Let's take a closer look...

APOCALYPTICA RELEASE COVER OF METALLICA'S "ONE" FEATURING JAMES HETFIELD AND ROBERT TRUJILLO; OFFICIAL VIDEO STREAMING

Finnish cello metal band, Apocalyptica, have released "One", the third single from their upcoming album, Plays Metallica Vol. II, which will be out June 7. Check out the official video below.

Prior to the release, the band shared the following message:

"You will not believe this! It is such a big honor for us, we can’t even put it into words. Our next single will be 'One' - feat. Mr. James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo! Who would have thought, 30 years ago! 'One' will be out May 17th. We are 100% sure – it’s going to blow your mind!!"

LIVE REVIEW: Kill The Lights @ The Bodega, Nottingham

KILL THE LIGHTS, the transatlantic supergroup featuring former members of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, STILL REMAINS, THROW THE FIGHT and THREAT SIGNAL, have not had the easiest time with their first ever headline tour, especially when it comes to their show in the East Midlands. Those on the inside inform Distorted Sound, pre-show, that the shift in venue from the fairly spacious Rescue Rooms to the more intimate settings of The Bodega was due to low ticket sales, something caused in part by the tour’s fairly late announcement, coming just two months prior; furthermore, three local bands are brought in to support after other plans fell through, one of whom were only confirmed with days to go. All obstacles aside, though, there’s a relaxed atmosphere inside the venue, one slowly filling up nicely as the clock ticks round to 6:35 for the opening band.

Wolves Don’t Sleep live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

Said band are WOLVES DON’T SLEEP, who have their own challenges to deal with, namely that they’re coming on stage just five minutes after doors open. There’s a lot going on in their sound, which centres around metalcore but also invokes moments of metallic hardcore, hardcore punk and the early years of both SLIPKNOT and PARKWAY DRIVE. Tracks like If I’m the Snake, You’re the Ladder and House Of Glass have their moments and the band grow into their set as it goes on, but those watching are absolutely static, either because it’s too early or they’re just not impressed. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that vocalist Steve Bond just isn’t as strong with his clean vocals as his growls; the songs have far more bite when he’s screaming. There’s something there, no doubt, but right now it’s too slight to make much of an impact.

Rating: 5/10Bad Llama live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

The curiously named BAD LLAMA are also hampered, but this time it’s by the sound system. Like WOLVES DON’T SLEEP, there’s a lot going on musically, but this time it’s in the nuances; mostly drawing influence from the frenetic hardcore punk of CANCER BATS, the guitars often feature a hefty, blues-inspired groove and swing that one would see in BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, for example; there’s even a bit of expansive post-rock too, just for good measure. They’re also extremely tight as a unit and vocalist Kai Jordan boasts a powerful set of pipes, but whilst they play confidently and sparkle at moments, The Bodega speakers just can’t contain the layers and levels, with the sound sometimes reduced to little more than a fuzzy mess. It’s always a shame when a performance has its wings clipped by a factor out of the band’s control, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles, sometimes.

Rating: 6/10Those Once Loyal live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

Main support THOSE ONCE LOYAL have opened in both London and Manchester on this run, so finishing their mini jaunt with a hometown show is all rather poetic. Early impressions, however, suggest they might be on a hiding to nothing with a still stationary crowd, especially when frontman Matt Smith calls them out for their reluctance to move and they do, erm, absolutely bugger all. The quartet, however, continue unfazed and finally – FINALLY – the pit opens up. Musically, there are elements of GOJIRA and HATEBREED within THOSE ONCE LOYAL‘s sound, but their main focus is metalcore, specifically the OG sound of the early 00s; such is their alignment, they even drop a cover of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE‘s classic My Last Serenade halfway through their set; predictably, it goes down a storm. It might have been a slow start, but by the end THOSE ONCE LOYAL have put smiles on faces and raised the energy levels considerably.

Rating: 7/10Kill The Lights live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

Now sure, KILL THE LIGHTS were probably hoping they were in front of more than double the punters and with significantly more room on stage, but as one would expect from a band who comprise a rhythm section that have graced arenas in their time, they know what to do and they do it well; plus, seeing such esteemed musicians in a room this small is a wild sight regardless of your opinions towards their other projects. Entering to The Kids Are Back by TWISTED SISTER and blitzing straight into Hear You Scream from latest record Death Melodies, they’re immediately starting pits and have more than a few people singing the words back at them. Guitarist Jordan Whelan gets a chance to show off his chops in Dead From the Start and Broken Bones – currently their most streamed song – is a crushing mid-set highlight; just prior to this, The Enemy even sees a stage diver, which is no mean feat given there’s about a foot of height difference between the levels.Kill The Lights live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

There are, however, a couple of points of contention. The first – and biggest – is that there are so many other bands out there playing KILL THE LIGHTS‘ brand of metalcore. Sure, they play it extremely well and the reaction they get is testament to that, but there’s nothing that makes them truly stand out, which is indicative of how saturated the scene has become in the near 25 years it’s been around.

Secondly, and more telling in terms of this show, is that they’re on stage for less than an hour, which always feels a bit of a mickey take even if they’re the last of four bands playing. However, they do run through fourteen songs in that time and with the speed of a fully loaded freight train; by the time they finish with The Faceless to a rapturous response, nobody really seems to care. A strong performance all round, even if their compositions feel like they’ve been heard a hundred time already.

Rating: 7/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Nottingham from Kendall Giles-Davidson here:



































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HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: This Is Spinal Tap

Bands are often formed by longtime friends who share a passion for all things music. They spend time together sharing their love for bands before deciding to pick up an instrument and noodling away at various riffs they’ve heard, before it becomes a full-blown jam session and something of more substance. These bands will play together in garages or practice rooms before moving to the stage, bringing their dreams into reality and living their dreams. But what happens when this bond and camaraderie was formed through comedy and not music? SPINAL TAP is what happens.



The lore that surrounds the band is rich, formed by its dedicated fans and supporters since its members appeared on screens in 1979 as part of a sketch comedy special called The T.V. Show. The group was created by comedians Michael McKean as singer and guitarist David St. Hubbins, Christopher Guest as guitarist Nigel Tufnel, and Harry Shearer as bassist Derek Smalls. Their first appearance on The T.V. Show was a simple mock promotional video for the song Rock and Roll Nightmare, which was penned by the band. After several appearances on the show, the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap was released, with its own soundtrack album.

In the years following the film’s release, the actors have portrayed the band members at numerous concerts and have released music as SPINAL TAP. The trio that originated the group has toured the United States, played a musical guest slot on Saturday Night Live, performed at Wembley Arena, and has even played Glastonbury Festival. They boast an impressive back catalogue of extremely well-produced songs that draw references directly from other bands at the time, bringing an authenticity to the group’s sound and music and helping them sound like a cohesive unit. The sincerity of what they do paired with their impressive CV makes it increasingly difficult for audiences to separate fact from fiction and realise SPINAL TAP isn’t a real band.

The mockumentary and the band’s music treads the incredibly fine line between genius and ridiculousness, utilising all the elements that other bands at that time were using in everything from their song subject matter to their outrageous and elaborate stage shows. These components all come together to create an incredible recipe for comedy, as seen throughout This Is Spinal Tap, particularly during their performance of Rock And Roll Creation. Not only does the song replicate the droning doom riffs of BLACK SABBATH, paired with a synth break that is incredibly THE WHO-esque, but it shows us their visual comedy skills.


The escalation of the scene and its staging malfunction is one of the best sight gags in the film. The increasing absurdity of the tools that are used to try and extract Smalls from the large alien egg that he finds himself trapped within ranges from a hammer to a blowtorch when he finally manages to free himself at the end of the song. It’s one of those scenes that will elicit a giggle from viewers that have already seen it a thousand times before – it truly is timeless, though there is no comparing it to the infamous Stonehenge performance.

Though the film prides itself on visual comedy, it still boasts an incredible number of quotable lines that fans find themselves using in their everyday lives. To keep with the documentary style of filming, the movie is largely unscripted. Actors were left to their own devices when filming scenes, keeping each other on their toes and utilising their improvisational skills to produce a piece of work that truly feels like a real music documentary. This choice benefits SPINAL TAP immensely and adds to the feeling that they are a real band, keeping dialogue authentic and unrehearsed.

Though many music fans can equate This is Spinal Tap and its influence on them to other films like Wayne’s World (1992) or School Of Rock (2003), this film carries an entirely different meaning for the musicians among us as it is an inside look at what it really means to be in a band. It documents the highs and lows of SPINAL TAP, from their puppet show opening slot to topping charts with their music, following the arcs of extreme emotions that many are already familiar with. The intra-band relationships and tensions are reminiscent of real documentaries like METALLICA’s Some Kind Of Monster (2004) – though this film wouldn’t come out for another 20 years, it shows just how right SPINAL TAP got it the first time around with little reference material and inspiration to go off. The long-suffering manager, controlling girlfriend, and found-family tropes are all major, though stereotypical, parts of being in a band, and they are all elements that SPINAL TAP has made sure to incorporate into the band’s story.

SPINAL TAP may not be a “real” band, but the trio that originated it has put everything in place to make it seem as convincing and authentic as possible – from drawing influences from several artists at the time, along with a large production budget to help them sound as close to their inspirations as possible, to appearing outside of their own material on a regular basis. Seriously, Nigel Tufnel once appeared on National Geographic’s Stonehenge Decoded to talk about his insane theories about who was responsible for building it – they are one group that is truly committed to the bit. 40 years on from their initial mockumentary release filming has begun on a sequel, ready to introduce a new generation to the legend of SPINAL TAP and convince a new host of music fans that they are witnessing real history in the making.



This Is Spinal Tap was originally released on March 2nd, 1984

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