Mallavora: Champions Of Accessibility

Anyone can become disabled at any point in their life. That’s a fact, and yet it’s never spoken about. Some people are born with a disability, and therefore don’t know any different. Others acquire a disability throughout their life. Some people might have multiple disabilities, whereas others might just have one. Regardless of this, society dictates that disabled people should be seen as ‘inspirational’, ‘brave’ or ‘a warrior’. Whilst some people with disabilities might wear these like a badge of honour – and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t – others might find this a very narrow way of viewing things, as if their feelings are being dismissed. The truth is, even people who feel as if they are a warrior or brave can feel frustrated, embarrassed, angry, or any number of different feelings. It is a part of being human. Very slowly, the narrative around disability is changing, and at the forefront of this conversation are MALLAVORA, a metalcore quartet from Bristol whose EP, Echoes, deals with these feelings of being disabled head on.



Vocalist Jessica Douek lives with fibromyalgia and is disabled and guitarist Larry Sobieraj sit down with us to discuss Echoes, how the band got together, and why they’re campaigning for music venues to have more accessibility.

“Me, [drummer] Jack [Pederson], and Ellis [James, bass] all met at the University of Birmingham,” Larry explains. “We all started jamming together for quite a number of years and it took us a little while to get to somewhere where we making the music we thought we should make. In 2019, Jessica joined the band for one show, and from then onwards, that’s when MALLAVORA that is today was born.”

Jessica says that it was weird joining the band at first because although she had been in a band before, it was a cover band in school that they didn’t take seriously. “I did really struggle to put my own stamp on things. When we’d recorded the Paradise EP, the songs were already written, but that helped me find my feet. Imposter is the first song I wrote and screamed on, and I’ve slowly grown in confidence over the years. You can see the difference in the music videos.”

The name MALLAVORA doesn’t have a meaning, but it has origins in the genus for honey badger, which is mellivora. “The boys liked the idea of a honey badger because it’s small and unassuming, but also super vicious. They tweaked the word to make it sound more like a music project,” Jessica explains. She laughs as she remembers how in the early days, the band tried out a honey badger logo, but it ended up looking like a sports brand.

Their latest EP, Echoes, has come from the heart as it deals with their experiences living with disabilities. “The conversation around disability and chronic illness can feel quite detached from the humanity and that person’s experience, and we hope that people can listen to it and get a glimpse of how it feels and the real range and roller coaster of things that you deal with,” Jessica explains.

Earlier this year, MALLAVORA won a record deal with Marshall Records through Kerrang! Radio. “We entered the competition about a year ago, and we found out in January this year that we were in the semi-finals, which is when we started writing songs. In February, we had to get as many votes as we can from the public as possible, so we made about ten TikToks a day for a week and we put posters up in Bristol. We found it really heart-warming to see the support. We got to the final where we were judged by ten music industry heavyweights and we came out on top, which is crazy,” Larry explains.


He goes on to explain how insane it was that their EP was produced by SKINDRED guitarist Mikey Demus, as he’s been a hero of the band for their entire lives. The prize also included performing at Download Festival, which they describe as a ‘whirlwind’, especially stepping out onto the stage, as well as being backstage with some of the biggest names in rock music.

When it comes to live shows, MALLAVORA are keen to shine a spotlight on accessible venues, which is helpful not just for the band themselves, but for their fans. People with disabilities should be able to go to concerts, just like anyone else. Yet a lot of venues – especially small and independent ones – aren’t accessible for people. Furthermore, whilst there are a lot of venues in cities such as London, the journey can be difficult for people with disabilities.

“We have a lot of disabled fans and we feel very strongly that no matter who you are, you should be able to access live music and go to gigs. At the moment, in the small and medium-sized gigs, there is an accessibility problem. We don’t think it’s fair that wheelchair users can’t go to a lot of small gigs and that is even more of a problem if you’re an artist. A lot of the times, they can’t get into the venues, so we’re blocking off potential future talent. We just think that’s not okay. We want to change things,” Jessica explains.

To make their shows accessible, MALLAVORA play wheelchair-friendly venues, hand out lyric sheets, get sign language interpreters, play venues that have accessible toilets, and have a fifteen minute break to help the band and audience keep the energy up, as well as not using strobe lighting. Whilst these changes seem obvious on paper, MALLAVORA have just provided the drop in the ocean that will have a ripple effect on accessibility in the entire music industry.

Echoes is out now via Marshall Records.

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LIVE REVIEW: Meryl Streek @ Whelan’s, Dublin

If a person asks the question, is punk truly dead? Please point them in the direction of MERYL STREEK. Touring his latest album, Songs For The Deceased, Dublin hosted the penultimate show of an electrifying UK & Ireland tour.

Yinyang live @ Whelans, Dublin. Photo Credit: Orla Joyce

When an artist is given the task of being not only first on the bill but also the only support act it is no mean feat. It is particularly daunting in a smaller venue when the crowd is just arriving, getting drinks, searching for friends, etc. Their attention may be hard to grab. But opening the night in one of Dublin’s most cherished venues, Whelan’s, was YINYANG. She is an up-and-coming punk artist, incorporating hip-hop and electronic influences. Once on the stage, it was her own. Engaging with the crowd and performing with a level of professionalism more experienced artists would struggle with. YINYANG is an artist on the up and up, with a sound uniquely her own and creativity to boot, she is one to watch.

Rating: 9/10Meryl Streek live @ Whelans, Dublin. Photo Credit: Orla Joyce

After sufficiently warming up the crowd, they were ready for more, and MERYL STREEK took to the stage. This politically driven punk artist was greeted by an already raucous atmosphere. A contributing factor to the energetic crowd may have been that this was no ordinary Friday in Dublin. His home town show took place the same day as a much anticipated General Election. This serendipitous combination of events brought a more poignant feeling to the songs performed. The show began with Welcome, a song made up of sound bites from politicians and news clips discussing social and economic issues facing the Irish public.

There was a powerful performance by all involved, enthralling that riled up the crowd from beginning to end. From mosh pits to circle pits, Whelan’s had it all as the public had an opportunity to release some pent-up frustrations and feed off the catharsis of the moment. The issues tackled in MERYL STREEK‘s music are not confined to the island of Ireland. Sentiments of being let down by a system or forgotten by society transcend borders. Punk music is alive and well and will continue to be, whilst people are still left behind by repeated systemic failures.Meryl Streek live @ Whelans, Dublin. Photo Credit: Orla Joyce

Though stage effects were minimal, they were no less effective and complemented the energy of the show. House lighting was rarely used but a backdrop of protest posters and politically driven signage. A flashing torch worn by MERYL STREEK completed the atmosphere and the urgency of the message conveyed. As if this wasn’t enough, mid-way through the set, a guest joined the stage. Next on the setlist was Terence. Before launching into the song, a family member of the protagonist adds context to the lyrics for those unaware. An emotional speech was made regarding a twenty-year-old Dublin native, Terence Wheelock and the circumstances surrounding his death in 2005.

A concert like this is a reminder of the important role punk music has in society. So long as there is systematic oppression, punk will be found. It offers a corner of culture that dares to say you are seen, you are heard, and you are valid. This was apparent in how the crowd received MERYL STREEK and how he embraced them. Breaking the barriers between artist and patron by getting off the stage, being a vessel with a platform and using that platform well.

Though the show itself was an incredible hit, one drawback was the lighting. It was the constant strobe-like effects, albeit atmospheric, were overwhelming at times. Aside from this, it was a night full of talented musicians and a show to remember.

Rating: 8/10

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Ensiferum: We Like To Break Barriers

Over the years, the world of heavy metal music has had many types of sub genres that every so often come to the forefront of our attention. From the ever popular metalcore to the more niche pirate metal, the boundaries for genre are always going to be endless. One particular type of metal genre that has always remained interesting and fun is that of Viking metal. Over the years, acts like TURISAS, BROTHERS OF METAL and, of course, AMON AMARTH have always displayed entertaining performances and albums. However, Finnish folk metallers ENSIFERUM are a band on the eve of their 30th anniversary together and their latest and incredibly fun album, Winter Storm shows they’re ready to take on the world once more. Recently we were lucky to have a chat with bass player Sami Hinkka to discuss the new album and what lies ahead for ENSIFERUM after so long together as a band.



From the get go, listening to Winter Storm hits you like a freight train and once it gets going, there is very little you can do to be able to stop it. Throughout the album, the scale of epicness is dialled up to eleven with what feels like a multitude of vocalists. It really adds to the enjoyment of the record as it keeps it sounding fresh and unique. Throughout, Petri Lindroos and Pekka Montin share harsh and clean vocal duties. Sami goes on to explain how the band employed the use of a choir to give this album its enormous feel and epic scope. “We have the choir but we also wanted to have some vocals that kind of feel like they’re in the lead amongst the rest of the singers, my voice is quite fucking loud in the choirs which felt weird at first but by the end, it worked in my opinion but when you added the octaves, it added the giant ball of sound.” Sami further refers to it as a “double edged sword which adds to the diversity to ENSIFERUM with it going alongside both metal and folk instruments”. It’s a factor that contributes to music listeners being able to identify the band out when hearing them in the wild.

By employing all these styles that work for the band, Sami informs us that it has helped the band stick to their guns when it comes to recording music and not just always bending down to the whims of fans. Back in the day, ENSIFERUM were able to build their fanbase by making fun and niche drinking songs that wouldn’t be amiss from Viking Halls, but the band wanted to look further than that. Sami tells us one day that a friend once told him “you guys could be so much bigger if you give people what they want”, while admitting that his friend has a point, it further inspired the band to keep changing their style, triumphantly telling us that “we know what we want and we know what we like. We like to break barriers!”


The composing and recording process for Winter Storm took place over the course of four years from 2020. “We have a policy that every idea needs to be tried, no matter how crazy. Whilst we’ve not had hip hop, we’ve had reggae ideas, but the point is it will be tried, it takes a lot of time because we twist and turn.”

Once the ideas evolved and melodies were added, Winter Storm started to take shape. After being hampered by the COVID pandemic which put a stop to touring for the band and many others, the notion of not having much inspiration after that brought in confusion amongst the band before they started to get going once more. Sami reveals, “as the lyric writer, this was the hardest album I’ve ever done. It took ages. We had raw demos but we couldn’t progress until we had vocal demos!” After writing dozens of lyrics and passages, nothing felt right for Sami as he humorously describes what he was writing simply as “shit”.

Resorting to old books of his that would help find that spark and themes to focus on, Sami had a moment of inspiration. “The book that I have been writing myself.” Upon this realisation, Winter Storm finally had a foundation that they could build upon. With ENSIFERUM working as a full democracy (or at least a majority), the rest of the band trusted Sami in using this book as the basis for the upcoming album. When the idea came, the process to Sami “wasn’t easy, but the whole thing got easier. Especially when certain parts of songs would fit this particular part of the book or this character, once this happened it all started to work really well that worked really well with raw ideas we had for songs. The recording then went very well and here we are!” Whilst Sami doesn’t give much about the book away, he does tease that it is “100% fantasy that is a saga that will go through generations”, it’s an exciting extension of ENSIFERUM that lies ahead.

Moving on, discussion turns to ENSIFERUM reaching their 30th year as a band, a huge achievement that many bands can only dream of reaching. When asking Sami what it is like to be facing an anniversary such as this, he endearingly grins before jokingly saying he feels “old”, he hasn’t let it get him down though. “I can see I’m not eighteen anymore but I don’t feel that old, nor do I feel delusional. I feel very privileged, from getting my first bass at eleven, I never thought I’d make a career of being a touring musician. I feel humble that we’re still doing this.”

Even though thirty years is a long time together as a band, the future is still bright for ENSIFERUM. In the new year, they’ll be joining the line up of Pagan Fest, it will also be the first chance to see songs from Winter Bone live too! As the chat comes to a close, Sami leaves us some final breadcrumbs to follow by teasing us and revealing that there are “new melodies and a bunch of riffs and maybe two songs that are nearly ready, album number ten is definitely under construction, let’s hope the world stays sane so people can hear them!”

Winter Storm is out now via Metal Blade Records.

Like ENSIFERUM on Facebook.

FEATURESINTRODUCINGMETALCOREPROGRESSIVE METAL

If we were to be overly pedantic, OBEYER shouldn’t really be considered a ‘new band’. The Northampton-based quartet are veterans of the UK circuit and originally got together in 2010, so have already enjoyed a career longer than most bands could dream of. They’ve got some serious underground pedigree and even wound up in The Guardian once, so by most metrics would be considered an established act.



However, OBEYER are not the band they once were. Previously known as LAY SIEGE, they have experienced a dramatic change in sound and attitude, and it’s revitalised them. LAY SIEGE were a decent but predictable metalcore band, but OBEYER are a far more nuanced and progressive-minded act. They’ve added ethereal soundscapes and off-kilter songwriting, and the result is one of the most exciting metalcore debuts of 2024.

“We went into this this album as more of a vanity project, I guess, wanting to prove to ourselves that we could write these songs, and that we could step up,” explains vocalist Carl Brown. “You know we had no vision of being in this situation that we’re in now. We had no expectation that it was going to happen until the masters came back, and we were all sitting there listening to it and thought, ‘you know what? It is essentially a new band, a new sound.’”

He’s talking about Chemical Well, their recently released full-length. Across ten tracks and forty-two minutes of runtime, OBEYER showcase a forward-thinking style of metalcore that is bound to raise eyebrows. Where a lot of their peers are have turned towards nu-metal or electronica for influences, OBEYER are more interested in post-metal and sludge. This gives Chemical Well a distinct vibe, akin to GOD FORBID covering CULT OF LUNA, and they’re heavier and nastier than before.

A big reason for this is that OBEYER are very much a group project, with all four members taking part in the writing process. “We write old school,” explains drummer Lewis Niven, “We all sit in a room, and Jamie [Steadman, guitars] will play a riff or something, and then we’ll put some drums to it and start to structure a song like that. I know a lot of bands have one guy that writes everything on a computer and just sends it out and everyone learns it. We’ve never been like that. It has its pros and its cons. It means writing can take a while. It can be quite a back-and-forth process, but the songs build in a more natural fashion.”

As a result, Chemical Well is a very “organic” sounding record. The likes of A Momentary Death, Second Sun and the immense opener Witness are all chaotic pit-igniters with a hefty amount of chug, possessed with all the fury of a man who just bit into a KitKat with no wafers in it. But they also feel like they’ve developed over time, rather than being bolted together in a metalcore factory.


That being said, Chemical Well is accessible enough that OBEYER could tour with BURY TOMORROW and not feel out of place. It’s an aggressive and occasionally very dark record, but the thunderous riffs and earth-shaking breakdowns will appeal to any professional fist-swingers out there. And yes, they’re not averse to sneaking the odd clean vocal line in either, even if it was never their original intention. The more melodic parts are all thanks to a happy accident.

“Seven or eight years ago, we were on tour and the mic dropped from the stand on one of the shows. Jamie, instinctively picked it up and just started singing. Our jaws all dropped and we just thought, ‘what the fuck was that? Where did that come from?’” Carl laughs. “It’s taken seven years of bullying, and we’ve finally got him to contribute some vocals.”

You’ll spot a few genre cliches in there, but for the most part, OBEYER’s debut album is perfect for anyone that wants their ‘core to push boundaries. They’ve already attracted the attention of PERIPHERY‘s Misha Mansoor and signed to his 3DOT Recordings label, and with the hype machine behind them, the future seems bright for OBEYER.

But as violent, abrasive and uncompromising as Chemical Well gets, there’s a wholesome side to OBEYER as well. They’ve known one another for years now, and despite spending a hefty chunk of their adult lives rehearsing, gigging and stuck in vans together, they’re still mates. The line-up is largely unchanged from the LAY SIEGE days, and having responsibilities like full-time jobs and families hasn’t diminished their enthusiasm. If anything, the band is a way to keep their friendship intact. As Carl says; “we’re all dads. We’ve all got jobs. Being able to meet up on a regular basis and scream my head off is a good excuse to see my mates.”

Chemical Well is out now via 3DOT Recordings.

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Jeff Hanneman: O Criador do SLAYER Thrash Metal

                          Jeff Hanneman: O Arquiteto do Thrash Metal

Texto por Johnny Z.
Crédito/Fotos: Divulgação/Google/Autores Desconhecidos

Jeff Hanneman, lendário guitarrista e fundador do Slayer, nasceu em 31 de janeiro de 1963 e se tornou um dos músicos mais influentes do Thrash Metal. Sua genialidade na guitarra e talento para compor algumas das músicas mais brutais e icônicas do gênero ajudaram a definir o som do Slayer e do Metal extremo como um todo.

Se estivesse vivo, Hanneman completaria 61 anos hoje, dia 31 de janeiro. No entanto, sua trajetória foi interrompida precocemente em 2 de maio de 2013, aos 49 anos, devido a uma falência hepática relacionada a problemas de saúde que surgiram após ele contrair fasciíte necrosante — uma infecção rara e grave após uma picada de aranha em 2011.


Jeffrey John Hanneman cresceu em uma família militar e desde cedo teve contato com a cultura bélica, o que mais tarde influenciaria suas composições no Slayer. Inspirado por bandas de Punk como Dead Kennedys, GBH e The Exploited, ele trouxe uma agressividade única ao Thrash Metal, misturando a velocidade e a crueza do Punk com a complexidade do Metal.



Em 1981, Hanneman fundou o Slayer ao lado do guitarrista Kerry King, do baixista e vocalista Tom Araya e do baterista Dave Lombardo em Huntington Park, Califórnia/EUA. O grupo rapidamente se destacou na cena da Bay Area com seu som brutal, rápido e recheado de letras polêmicas. Seu álbum de estreia, “Show No Mercy” (1983), já mostrava o DNA feroz da banda.

Jeff Hanneman foi o principal compositor de algumas das músicas mais importantes do Slayer e do Thrash Metal. Entre elas: “Angel of Death”, “Raining Blood”, “South of Heaven”, “War Ensemble”,“Seasons in the Abyss”, dentre muitas outras.

Seu estilo de tocar era rápido, agressivo e técnico, mas sem perder a espontaneidade e a sujeira do Punk, criando um som caótico e violento que definiu a sonoridade do Slayer desde o início.



Mesmo após seu afastamento do Slayer devido a problemas de saúde, Hanneman continuou sendo reverenciado pelos fãs. Seu último crédito como compositor na banda – em vida – foi no álbum “World Painted Blood” (2009). Após sua morte, o Slayer seguiu com Gary Holt (Exodus) ocupando seu posto, mas Hanneman nunca foi realmente substituído, pois seu espírito permaneceu impregnado na essência da banda e inclusive em seu substituto, que nunca deixou de homenageá-lo nas apresentações.



Após a sua morte, que devastou a cena Metal mundial, a banda contou em alguns shows com Pat O’ Brian (na época no Cannibal Corpse) e Phil Demmell (que atuava no Machine Head) em poucas apresentações antes de Gary Holt, mas sempre homenageava Hanneman projetando seu nome no telão e encerrando os shows com a frase “Hanneman Lives”.

Hoje, aos 61 anos se estivesse vivo, Jeff Hanneman é lembrado como um dos maiores guitarristas e compositores do Thrash Metal. Sua influência transcende gerações e sua música continua a inspirar novos músicos e fãs ao redor do mundo. Esse ícone pode ter partido, mas seu legado é e sempre será eterno.

R.I.P Jeff
You’ll never be forgotten!!

WOLFHEART RECALL 2024 DRACONIAN DARKNESS TOURING LEG WITH "BURNING SKY" LIVE VIDEO

Wolfheart have unveiled an evocative music video for "Burning Sky", a single from their latest album released on September 7, 2024 via RPM. This release coincides with their extensive Draconian Darkness tour across Finland, other parts of Europe, and Saudi Arabia.

The Finnish melodic death metal band's tour has been a monumental part of their journey, taking them through familiar and uncharted regions to perform their intensely melancholic tunes. The video serves as a visual recap, highlighting the tour's most memorable moments for those who attended the live shows and those yet to see the band live.

"Our latest European tour was definitely one for the books in our career and it just felt right to shoot footage from several shows during the tour. Measured in all ways, it was the most successful tour and it was profoundly amazing to get to play new songs from Draconian Darkness live and to see the fantastic reactions of the audience night after night," recalls vocalist/guitarist Tuomas Saukkonen.

INTRODUCING: The Meffs

Over the last few years, we have seen the rise of Colchester-based punk duo, THE MEFFS. Made up of Lily Hopkins [guitars/vocals] and Lewis Copsey [Drums/vocals], the pair have taken the punk world by storm, picking up support from punk icons such as Fat Mike (NOFX) and FRANK TURNER along the way. 2024 has been the biggest year of their careers so far, seeing the pair go from strength to strength as they release their excellent debut album, What A Life. We were honoured to be able to sit down with Lily for a chat about all things THE MEFFS.



As we reach the twilight months of 2024, THE MEFFS frontwoman Lily reflects on what has been a huge year for the band by telling us that the craziness of it all has left them having to “pinch themselves every now and then whilst trying to to get rid of the imposter syndrome” but also describing that being on the go all the time is “something we don’t want to stop, we want it to keep going and going.”

Most bands in their position are often branded with the term “lucky”, Lily however wants us to change this attitude, and rightly so. “Lucky is a word we have to try and not put on bands. It’s not down to luck, it takes a lot of hard graft to get where we are.” When it comes to THE MEFFS, the graft the pair has put into the band is starting to pay off. The last year has seen them release two EPs (Broken Britain Parts 1 & 2) and their debut full-length album, What A Life. For a lot of bands, this is a position they all dream of being in. With the pair putting in all the work to get to this point, Lily remains humble and isn’t taking a second for granted by telling us “it takes a lot of pushing but when you break through that barrier – it feels incredible. We’re doing what we dream of doing and you can’t ask for much more.”


After last year’s two excellent EPs (Broken Britain Parts 1 & 2) helped expose THE MEFFS to a wider audience, thanks to signing to Fat Wreck Chords, Lily and Lewis turned their sights towards their debut album. The last few years of the UK’s political landscape are more than enough to arm any punk band with ideas for a record. Lily explains that with Broke Britain, they “took aim at how the country itself was being run”, but when it comes to What A Life, she explains it as “having a more all round and complete feel to it compared to the EPs. What A Life focuses more on what is going on around us. It still has the element of politics, current events and a societal view about what we’re seeing around us rather than focusing on singular problems.” Whilst writing the album it helped her to “see a change in my writing style which helped me to see a much wider vision of what is happening around us- especially in the UK.”

For the most part, punk rock has always been a progressive genre full of all kinds of folk, which is what has always made it so endearing to folk and THE MEFFS represent all the best aspects of it. However, there is an ugly side to it. There is still a weird disparity where misogynistic and other small minded people come to punk shows. From listening to THE MEFFS, you know that this is not what they stand for in their songs and have since written the song, Wasted On Women as a result of this being said to Lily previously. When discussing how they challenge these particular trolls who hold these views when at their shows, Lily jokingly says “we knock them all out”, which also would be a completely fair response to this. However, she further elaborates, “we get trolled all the time particularly online but I don’t care, I say bring it on and you give me more to write about. There’s more of us than there are of them. It can’t be a generational thing, there’s people who are my age who think like this, there’s no part of me that would think to say something out of order about someone because of who they are.”

To tackle this, Lily gives us a genuine and honest answer about the right ways of getting the message for the duo across and how it’s able to forge them a real identity rather than a faceless Twitter profile. “For me, the stage is my place. When I have the microphone it’s my turn to say what I want to say, to be who I want to be in front of a crowd of people. I know we’re not a huge band but it’s a platform I can use to spread the message of THE MEFFS and part of that is about being a woman and being queer in this punk community.” With every word Lily tells us, you can feel the passion that burns inside of her and inspires the duo. She is genuinely the real deal when it comes to being a punk and is a truly excellent ally to have in your corner.

As 2024 draws to a close, THE MEFFS aren’t quite done yet. After reeling in huge crowds at 2000trees and Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, there is one final stretch for Lily and Lewis. A support slot opening for none other than the godfather of shock rock himself; ALICE COOPER. They’re bound to pick up new fans at those shows alone and armed with a new album and their biggest UK tour to date in early 2025. The future for them is bright and holds no limits. It’ll be an exciting journey to go on with them and if you’re ever feeling down and out, stick THE MEFFS on, they’ll always have your back.

What A Life is out now via Bottles To The Ground/Fat Wreck Chords. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS114 here:
£3.00 – Buy DS114!

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