Monthly Archives oktober 2011

Posted in Interviews

Festivalphoto.net bytte några ord med RockNRoll Allstars, som är aktuella som headline på Released:Live & Unsigned på Harry B James i Stockholm, den 29 oktober.
Vilken är den bästa spelning ni har gjort hittills och vad var det som gjorde den så bra?
Den bästa spelningen är nog på Puntpop Festivalen utanför Antwerpen i Belgien 2010. Det var då allt släppte!

Vad är er drömspelning – lokal, plats, stad, festival?
Vi har nog ingen drömspelning just nu. Däremot har vi olika mål som vi måste ta oss igenom. Hoppas alla har det.

Hur ser era närmsta framtidsplaner ut? Skivsläpp? Spelningar? Andra roliga saker?
I april släppte vi ”Fuck Me Im Famous” musikvideo och singel regisserad av vår vän Bingo Rimér. I somras turnerade vi mycket festivaler...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massacre/Sound Pollution

Germany´s answer to GREEN DAY, THE DICTATORS and old Swedish band DOCENT DÖD (goes slightly metal). UNHERTZ releases their second album, with a more metal cover than suitable. Attitudes en masse and four chords can get you far, and they aim to prove it. They aim for live appearances, which is natural, Oktoberfest must be their natural habitat according to the info sheet. And the music?

The opener “Intro” doesn´t really represent the album. The enhanced sounds of a beating heart accompanied with some background sound from a horror movie or thereabouts are nowhere near the punk approach and, often, style that takes off 1.38 later. They hit it off with every beer drinking German hell-raiser at a festival with “Und Dunkelheit Wird Licht”...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massacre/Sound Pollution

Chilean thrashers CRIMINAL have six albums under their belt, plus this seventh one. They have made aname for themselves touring with the likes of KREATOR and SLAYER, plus over-the-top attention and sales in their native country. Since their early days of relocation to the UK in 2001 they have struggled to maintain a stable lineup. Today the band consists of the ubiquitous bandleader Anton Reisenegger, guitars/vocals, Spanish guitarist Olmo Cascallar, and the 50% that is non-Latin, drummer Zac O´Neil and bass player/producer Dan Biggin. They promise an album far away from the overedited, overtriggered sterile productions of today, while retaining faithful to the big guns of the genre. Interesting mix…

The opening three tracks are not convincing...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massacre/Sound Pollution

Canadian quartet KITTIE ia an all female alternative metal band. Formed in 1996 they scored a minor hit with the song “Brackish” off their debut album “Spit” (1999). Since then half the band members have left while vocalist/guitarist Morgan Lander and drummer Mercedes Lander soldier on. The rest of the lineup is completed by guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivy Vujic. There might be a few roses on the cover of this their sixth album, but don´t expect them to be gentle…

The opening part of the album is quite thrashy. Both the title track and “We Are the Lamb” are heavy stuff, the latter even being death metal. They have surely left the nu-metal they are marketed as. They start making an impression with “Whisper of Death”...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Mellanbror Jonas har ju gått solo och första singeln ”See No More” blev en riktig hit. Nu i dagarna släpptes albumet ”Fastlife”. Vilka låtar toppar och vilka låtar dalar?

Till skillnad från när han spelar och gör musik med sina bröder så är soloprojektet väldigt R&B-inspirerat och tar ett ganska långt kliv från det rockiga sound vi är vana vid. För de som hört ”See No More” så vet ni precis vad jag menar, men Joe Jonas fick då lite hjälp av Chris Brown med den låten, och det hörs väldigt tydligt tycker jag. Resten av plattan går i samma stil, men trots det så finns det ju alltid toppar och dalar.

Vi tar väl dalarna först, så sparar vi det bästa till sist. Jag har egentligen inga invändningar alls på killens röst...

Posted in Interviews

On Friday 14th of October I got the opportunity to meet Tuomas Holopainen from Nightwish at Warner Music in Stockholm for an interview. Their album, Imaginaerum, is scheduled to be released on December 2, 2011.

You are now preparing for the album release and the tour, what are your expectations for the upcoming tour?
It was two years ago since the last time and we are all excited. When I looked at the tour plan I noticed that there is going to be some really big shows this tour. In Milano we are going to have an audience of around 11000 and in Paris around 13000.

Where did you get the inspiration for the new album Imaginaerum?
Our previous album, Dark Passion Play, was very gloomy and heavy so I thought this album should be more easygoing...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Rockheim är ett nationellt upplevelsecenter för pop och rock som på olika sätt dokumenterar norsk populärmusik från 1950-talet och framåt. Där finns utställningar, mediatek, butik och restaurang. Under hösten arrangeras en serie konserter på temat ”piggtråd” och den här kvällen är det Mayhem som ska förevigas inför publik och läggas till samlingen. Dörrarna öppnas klockan åtta och det är stillsamt foajémingel som gäller. En högtalarröst meddelar ”publikum” att konserten startar klockan nio och pågår en timme följd av en halvtimmes paus och därefter intervju med bandet på storbild direkt från backstage-logen. Det känns mer som ett seminarium än en konsert och runt tvåhundra besökare släpps så småningom in i hörsalen som tömts på möbler kvällen till ära...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Escape Music/Sound Pollution

GARY JOHN BARDEN has an ongoing long career in hard rock. Most will recognize him as the voice of MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, but he has also collaborated with GARY MOORE, fronted STATETROOPER and PRAYING MANTIS, formed SILVER, plus released quite a few solo efforts. This time he goes solo again, amidst all the MSG activities. Not alone, but in close co-operation with Michael Voss of e.g. MAD MAX. A highlight is promised, tough one, concerning the fantastic new albums by SHY and CHRIS OUSEY on the same label.

Gary opens with the aircraft sounds of “Baghdad”. It is heavier than I thought, but the refrain works and the opening is very ok...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Lion Music/Warner

Lion Music have announced their plans to rerelease the entire back catalogue of CONSORTIUM PROJECT, following their success with their recent, and final, album “Species”. This album dates back to the late 90´s, when Ian Parry wanted to do something new and ambitious. The project has become famous for having great musicians on board, and this was no exception. Or how about Patrick Rondat (ELEGY), Staphan Lill (Vanden Plas) and Thomas Youngblood (Kamelot) on guitars, Arjen Lucasen and Jan Bijlsma (VENGEANCE) on bass, and Dirk Bruinenberg (David Readman, Adagio, Fergie Frederiksen, among many others). And of cause Ian´s voice and keyboards on top of that. Let the story of the select few rising to power after the assassination of President Kennedy begin… and its consequences...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massace/Sound Pollution

German true metal merchants MESSENGER return for a second shot at stardom with “See You in Hell”. With such a MANOWAR 82 image they have of cause played Keep It True and Headbanger´s Open Air, plus supported RUNNING WILD and ROSS THE BOSS. The leather clothing must be pretty hot in southern Germany, but they mean business and stay true to their aim at playing catchy metal with hooks and energy. How true are they really?

Opening intro “Flames of Revenge” is a like a declaration of independence. The cover opts for more children´s cartoon TV style, but MESSENGER head straight into the title track instead. The folky guitar work hints at some new ideas, and the song ought to go down well in the right (magic) circles...