Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

This was my first time at V festival and I’d heard mixed reports about it, so was keen to see for myself what the festival was like.

The festival is held at two sites – Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park, Staffordshire on the same weekend with bands who play one site on the saturday, playing the other on the sunday and vice versa. It’s a good system as it lets the organisers effectively split one massive festival into two more manageable sized ones.
First impressions were good – the site was well signposted from the motorway all the way through to the sites...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Limb Music/Sound Pollution

BLACLK MAJESTY started out as KYMERA, which was probably taken why they switched names. Two years they spent working on their debut “Sands of Time”, released in 2003. From then on they have been releasing discs just about every other year, with the exception of “In Your Honour”, which took three years to be made. The band seems to have withstood the pressure and consists of vocalist John Cavaliere, guitarists Steve Janevski and Hanny Mohamed, drummer Pavel KOnvalinka, and …that´s it, there has never been a steady bass player. For live and studio time they rely on buddies, that´s one way of doing it. Roland Grapow has mixed again, and the cover adds some modern touch to that classic RAINBOW song that might just have been the object of the title…

Nine...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Två gånger är en vana, tre gånger är tradition. Vad fem gånger är vet jag inte, men Scribblefestivalen har blivit ett stående inslag i Mjölby under slutet av sommaren. När det arrangeras för femte gången är lineupen förmodligen den starkaste hittills.

Night Train från Vadstena inleder festivalen på eftermiddagen. En ung hårdrockstrio som låter som att de har spelat ihop bra mycket längre än de förmodligen har. Musikaliskt riktigt duktiga och låtmaterialet håller hög klass hela vägen. Snygga riff och klockren sång. Fortsätter de så här kommer de att bli riktigt stora vad det lider. (3/5)

T.Y.P.O från Skänninge fyller sin speltid med covers. Stor inledning med Danko Jones kanske bästa låt, Had enough, men bäst är ändå Lady Gagas Pokerface i punkkostym...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Ett timglas av döda kroppar och texten ”Timme efter timme rinner sanden sakta ner till timglasets botten. Likt den bottenlösa nakenhet i människans bisarra värld, där vi ruttnar.”
Det är vad man möts av när man kommer in på Eldrimners hemsida. Ingen glad historia det här således…

Eldrimner bjuder på black/döds med få lugna stunder. Mest av allt är det ett hänsynslöst manglande. Ett kaos som tar mer än en lyssning att sätta sig in i, men när låtarna väl fastnar är det värt kämpandet. Det blir aldrig tråkigt utan det finns en skön dynamik över låtarna och plattan som helhet, mest tydligt kanske i “Ditt sista andetag” som är en av plattans höjdpunkter.

Alexander Andersson (även i Marionette) levererar texter på modersmålet med en rasande ansats...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Cyclone Empire/Sound Pollution

THE GROTESQUERY rose to prominence in early 2009, and here is the second opus. Formed by Rogga Johansson of PAGANIZER and BONE GNAWER fame and Kam Lee, the voice of MANTAS/DEATH and MASSACRE. Completing the blasphemy on bass and drums respectively are Johan Berglund and Brynjar Helgetun. The first album, “Tales of the Coffin Born”, was a major hit and success, and now…I fear they might repeat the achievement.

Fear, horror, H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe all infest this release. The sheer brutality, melody and ease of reinventing the scene are ubiquitous. Opener “The Madness (Of Mason Hamilton)” is very good, but no more in this collection of songs...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Ravenheart/Rock´n´Growl

Italian band SILENT OPERA debuts with Ravenheart Music, after some lineup changes. First signs of life came in 2007, and the will to mix symphonic metal with visual art rose. The band now consists of guitarist and main composer Claudi Ranieri, a.k.a. Rain, vocalist Ambra Gerussi, a.k.a. Aria, drummer Loris Volcizzi, a.k.a. Shadow and Andrea Pin, a.k.a. Kabal, bass. Since the recording of this album the band has changed both vocalist and bass player, I might have a good idea why the first change happened.

There are some dreadful out-of-tune vocals on some of the songs. Ex. vocalist Lady Victoria was probably in the deep end here. The material in itself is also rather weak at times, but there is also hope for the future...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

How a 20th anniversary of festival life is could be celebrated?

Sziget Festival is the winner of the best European major festival award- written on the hand passes. Idea started 20 years ago, as a small audience and band-meeting camp. Since it is thousands of young and older people biggest party in Europe every summer.

Anniversary’s lead and line-up was extremely successful, people were coming from everywhere in Europe, Italian speakers, French guys, and Holland girls everywhere. By the way Finnish flags or Portugal national symbols and German smiles also founded in the crowd. Anyway.. dust is huge, sand is twisting, but the feeling of festival life is eternal.

After three warm up days, as Metal Day with the best hard music bands from north and south, a day addressed to the great Hungari...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Minus second day was also a kind of surprise for those, who are curious in national music history, as well-known styles, and artists from the first hits of the modern age of Sziget Festival’s organizer Hungary.

On 5th of August a whole day music fiesta celebrated the upper mentioned topic, as the song culture and history of Hungary with the top crème of music life, reminds us great hits, unforgettable moments, sounds, and legendic artists from the past, presented by current, younger-older pop-rock icons. Initiative from Gábor Presser, world-famous Hungarian musician and music producer, in 2008. Then, as Sziget Festival, Day of Hungarian Songs also celebrates an anniversary the fifth...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Pulverised/Sound Pollution

Mexican duo ZOMBIEFICATION return with their second outing, produced by Tore Stjerna at Necromorous Studios. The Mexican duo of MAJESTIC DOWNFALL and DIES IRAE fame came to life in 2009, reveling in gore and blasphemy. Their fondness for Swedish riffs and putrefaction will soon be heard of (smelled?), and the taster of a cover was designed by vocalist Mr. Stitch.

The chosen style will no doubt please fans of Old School death, but there is a tad of originality thrown in, without desecrating the music. Tore has as most of the time done a fine production job and there is a kind of clear channel separation in the music. The many melodic breaks and atmospheric parts add to the pleasant experiences of “Dead Today, Dust Tomorrow” and “”Death Rides”...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Frontiers/BAM

Swedish band CRAZY LIXX has been in the spotlight since 2007, when they debuted with “Loud Minority”. Formed in Malmoe in 2002 they were a part of the New Wave of Swedish Sleaze alongside the likes of CRASHDIET and HARDCORE SUPERSTAR. Up to date they have released three albums, of which their second effort, “New Religion” had potential but also flaws. Sporting influences like KISS and GUNS´N`ROSES they go for the throat with “Riot Avenue”.
Opener “Whisky Tango Foxtrot” has balls and cocky lyrics, just like I expected.

It´s not a bad opener at all, but “Rock and a Hard Place” off “New Religion” was in all honesty better. This album has more balls than a lorry of male birds, but also some serious experiences of having heard it all before...