Welcome to the point where future, past and present collide. Zetra feel like nostalgia for a time to come. A Time Capsule from a dim dark future where synthesizers and samplers have become sentient and black metal is now the dominant religion.
Read MoreIn most rock 'n' roll bands the drummer is as far from the focal point as you can get. They are all about chiselled cheek-boned front men or dynamic athletic guitar heroes. The drummer in the main is relegated to the back with the soulless job of keeping time and perhaps smashing out a drum solo now and again when the rest of the band need a wee.
Read MoreWhile 2021 was pretty shit wasn't it? Not as bad as 2020, but still pretty miserable as years go. It however had one shining chink of light and that was the release of “Conquering” by Employed to Serve. Our album of the year here at ROCKFLESH, it was a bold and brazen treaty on modern metal.
Read MoreThis year we got ourselves out of ROCKFLESH Towers and down to a number of the Metal 2 The Masses events across the North West. To say we have been blown away by the level of talent on show would be an understatement.
Read MoreThere will be some tremendous vocals on display over the weekend but believe me, for power, reach and just general elegance none will match the set of pipes possessed by Gemma Lawler. Her day job is vocal coach but when she is not screaming " diaphragm, diaphragm” she is chief wailer with Birmingham prog metalers Dakesis.
Read MoreWhen Black Peaks imploded in 2021 there was a collective cry of "Bugger!”. They were responsible some of the most inventive, progressive and downright forward-thinking metal that had been produced in an awful long time, think Mastodon but with a PhD in advanced physics.
Read MoreYou know that memo that says all metal bands wear black and gotta create music that fits that blackness, well Square Wild didn't get it (they will probably shopping in Affleck's Palace for psychedelic shirts). Winners of the Mancunian Metal 2 the Masses, theirs is a technicolour and transcendental take on prog rock.
Read MoreFolk metal divides into two very distinct camps. Those who take it very seriously and those who don't. Norwegian buffoons Trollfest fall very much into the latter category. The fact that their latest album is entitled “Dance like a Pink Flamingo” should give the game away. For a band that didn't play shows for the first four years of their tenure, they have become a remarkably entertaining and chaotically wonderful like proposition.
Read MoreWe all like a bit of Goth metal! Every now and again over the decades it's become an essential component of our multifaceted world. But I promise you, you will not find Goth metal as heartbreakingly tender and mesmerising as the variant produced by Tribulation. This is Goth metal for the lost, lonely and forlorn and it talks to the insecurity that you will find at the heart of all of us.
Read MoreBloodstock 2023 is almost within touching distance. We can almost hear the sound of illegal bins being crashed together. We can almost taste the ridiculously expensive burgers. We can almost feel that tingly excitement in the air. It's Christmas for metalheads and it's almost here. But first we have the annual excitement of deciding who we should invest our time going to see. Well, we at ROCKFLESH are here to help. It's time for our annual countdown of 30 bands you must see.
Read MoreThis year's Bloodstock Festival is serving up a wide variety of death metal. By wandering around the plane of Catton Hall you will be able to see it in its many different guises. There is melodic, technical, core and symphonic a plenty. However, if all these bells and whistles iterations are a little too much for you and you hanker after some communal garden old school death metal then Frozen Soul is the one for you.
Read MoreAre you bored with modern metal? Does everything sound to you the same? Do you hunger after something with more complexity and emotional depth? Well my friend the answer is simple, the answer is Bossk. This is prog metal for a dystopian world. It takes what is usually euphoric and optimistic artform and dials up the fear, loathing and pessimism. But don't be expecting dark, dank introspection. This is widescreen Odyssey of biblical proportions. An immersive journey into the dark confines of the soul.
Read MoreIt’s the final morning of the festival but we’re still ready for even more tech-metal. We’ve plenty of press logistics to work through this morning, but we make sure we don’t miss one of the bands we’ve been most eagerly awaiting, Karmanjakah. Having chatted and watched this young Swedish band at Sweden Rock (here) earlier this year, we knew what a special and perfect-for-Tech-Fest set they would produce.
Read MoreDespite everyone going hard on the Friday, there’s no lack of appetite for more tech-metal…and more drinking. We make our way to two interviews with Vexed (Here) and Harbinger (Here), before making our way to the stages to be met by the energetic Monasteries. They continue to offer us their unique take on experimental deathcore, which is deliciously vicious and ferocious.
Read MoreWe wake up early, roll out of the tents and make our way to the press area to grab a coffee and prepare for a full day of live bands and interviews. We start the day with Cavekiller, complete with Hawaiian shirts, and Glower offering us some hardcore tinged metal.
Read MoreWe’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - UK Tech-Fest is more than a festival, it’s a family and a community. That feel of returning to a place you know and people you care for when you pass through the entrance and pop your wristband on. It’s always been welcoming, inclusive, passionate and dedicated to its punters. Those who hold it dear often say the festival community has changed their lives, and it’s no understatement for many. It’s a celebratory yet sad edition this year though. Whilst we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the festival, it’s also been announced as the last UK Tech-Fest in this iteration.
Read MoreSOS Festival 2023 (30th June to 2nd July 2023 at Whittles@Tokyo, Oldham) – Is it a local event for local people?
Well no, not really. In these days of austerity and the cost of living crisis it’s always handy to have a reasonably-priced festival with a good selection of bands available pretty much on your doorstep.
But what is SOS? Where did it come from? What does it offer? Pull up a chair and get comfortable, and I’ll tell you all about it.
Read MoreSaturday starts for me with Scarsun, a fairly generic alt metal female fronted band. They are doomy and gothy and it turns out this is only their second gig with this singer. She's actually really rather good and it's not bad at all in a gloomy melancholic sort of way.
Read MoreSOS Festival has moved since last time I was able to attend it, and now takes place at Whittles in Oldham. This gives them better staging, but overall slightly less space, and I’m still undecided on if this is a good thing or not. On the plus side,: there is a cheap bar, a food van, plenty of merch space and even room for a couple of traders. The minus is that o
Read MoreAll things must end and we reach the fourth and final day. Whilst it is still hot enough to boil a monkey’s bum, there are thunderstorm warnings a plenty with not one but four potential typhons heading towards Castle Donington. With all the shenanigans with sackings and members not travelling, there is a real question mark about how many members Slipknot will have when they grace us with their presence at the culmination of the festivities. But we have a whole heap of bands to sample before we get there.
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