There was a point in the noughties when it distinctly looked like AFI were on a direct trajectory to be stella. The former hardcore punks had morphed into an emotive crossbreed of Goth and post-punk that spoke directly to the alienated masses of the first decade of the new millennium. In “Sing the Sorrow”, they crafted a perfect synergy of dark poeticism and melodic splendour...
Read MoreIf there was an award for the oddest tourmates of the year then it would surely go to this pairing of rock and roll supergroup Hollywood Vampires and Glaswegian indie rock trailblazers The Jesus And Mary Chain. Hollywood Vampires frontman Alice Cooper has form for this though as he has toured with some unlikely bands over recent years. Canny bugger that he is, he tours with support bands who ...
Read MoreThe popularity of metal has astounded me a number of times in recent years, from the likes of Korn and Deftones filling stadiums when it felt like their peak had passed, to System Of A Down and My Chemical Romance coming back and playing stadiums but this feels like something else. It’s very much on a smaller scale but it feels light-years beyond what I expected. Even during the funk metal boom …
Read MoreBloodstock may be taking part less than eighty miles away but metal still lives and breathes elsewhere for those who cannot attend. It’s a really encouraging turnout too as Gorilla is around three quarters full. Spectral Wound made a couple of appearances on our shores last year at Incineration and Damnation Festivals and playing shows of such stature has possibly helped in drawing a good crowd…
Read MoreTonight’s gig is the culmination of a rather splendid week at the iconic Tivoli venue in Buckley. Perennial favourites Massive Wagons are performing to an almost-capacity crowd, following four totally sold-out nights from the iconic grandfather of industrial/electronica Gary Numan. In the space of just 9 days the Tiv has opened its doors to over 6000 people, not bad for a totally independent grass
Read MoreLiverpool’s Outpost is an oasis in a city that doesn’t really do rock and metal. Its tight confines are designed specifically to capture the unfiltered energy and raw atmosphere of the bands that play there. And what better complement to this sanctuary than the sound of extreme metal?
Read MoreHidden away from the glare of the mainstream, not only does Liverpool have a vibrant underground metal and punk scene, but within that there is non-conformity in the heart of non-conformity in the shape of a pulsating LGBT metal and punk scene that is very much out, loud and proud. Tonight’s free show in the nirvana of K1 showcases three of the cities most predominate acts, that just so happen ...
Read MoreSometimes the line between music and pantomime is a very thin one. Steel Panther walk it like a tightrope – they manage to combine musical prowess with daft 80s-inspired costumes and a large splash of “your mum” gutter humour to provide a scintillating, titillating spectacle that is far more than just another rock gig. What do you get if you cross schoolboy humour, 80s hair metal and comedy ...
Read MoreLast year’s Back To The Beginning event helped to reaffirm what most of us already knew, that we, as a community, love Black Sabbath and that we cannot get enough of hearing those songs no matter who is playing them. Bat Sabbath aren’t just any tribute act, they’re the alter-ego of Canadian punk metallers Cancer Bats, who have a devoted following themselves, and whilst there are plenty of Cancer Bat
Read MoreHoly Diver opened around eighteen months and is offers a spacious rock club located in a former retail unit just off Stockport’s main shopping thoroughfare. Interior wise its pretty impressive with plenty of cool things to look at: gig posters, guitars and records mounted on the wall and a huge stained glass style artwork of Ozzy Osbourne. It’s encouraging to see that so many people have been ...
Read MoreHalfway through the show, Joe Elliott surveys the capacity 23,000 Co-op Live and declares that this country needed a room like this. In that moment, it becomes clear that these lads from Sheffield always thought big; it's just that their homeland has finally caught up with them. Tonight’s performance is the utter personification of big slick arena rock. In every atom, it is built to entertain, and …
Read MoreBloodstock’s Metal 2 the Masses Merseyside Final represents the annual pressure cooker where the region’s metal scene proves its worth in choosing it’s lesser known champion to send to the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock. This is where the lifers who’ve kept Merseyside heavy through droughts and downpours stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the hungry newcomers desperate to claw their way into ...
Read MoreTuesday nights can be a hard sell at the best of times, but it’s quality not quantity we want from the crowd gathered inside The Live Rooms for a bill that feels quietly stacked from top to bottom. With Liverpool’s Raised By Wolves opening, Brighton's increasingly impressive ‘brat metal’ Eville in support, and Canadian genre-benders Sumo Cyco headlining, there's a sense that tonight can only be...
Read MoreJohn Peel used to describe his beloved The Fall as being “always different, always the same”. This similia also works for Sunn O))). Their approach is now part of metal mythology; two hooded figures play a scant set of notes glacially slow and in doing so create a monolithically heavy sound that you feel as opposed to hear. For near on thirty years Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson haven’t ...
Read MoreFor the last decade or so many of the new bands on the scene have taken their cue from the 70s, with the 80's not receiving anything close to the respect and acclaim afforded to that earlier era. But the tide seems to be turning; bands such as Chez Kane, Sam Millar, and even Wailing Banshee are all unashamedly flying the flag for the decade of decadence. Is this the start of the 80s renaissance?
Read MoreThere’s no feeling quite like being at a gig that is somewhat different to the norm. Tonight, we have around 900 people packed into the Arts Club like sardines to witness a truly intimate moment with a band that are more used to bothering arenas. Even the format is different – rather than song after song we get the band (and especially frontman Andy Biersack) doing Q&A with the crowd ...
Read MoreMidnight and Voivod make interesting bedfellows and at first glance they can be seen to be coming from two very distinct metallic camps. The former are about as stripped back and primal as you are going to get. They have no interest in expanding their mind or being transcendental, they just want to cause as much chaos with as few chords as possible. Voivod on the other hand are probably the ...
Read MoreIn our little corner of rock and metal, the 2 Promoters, 1 Pod podcast has been something of a success. A vehicle for festival promoters Gavin McInally (Damnation) and James Scarlett (ATG and 2000 Trees) to lift the lid on what goes on behind the scenes at festivals and the music industry in general, it has a dedicated fanbase. It also provides a platform for them to eulogise about bands they love …
Read MoreThe best bands are the ones that are unique, have a sound that is instantly recognisable, unmistakably them and hold a very special place in your mind and music collection from the first time you see and hear them. For me Karnivool are one such band. They have a signature sound that captures emotion alongside progressive technicality, a tender voice filled with power, and songs that have every ...
Read MoreOccult-themed metal playing nuns you say? Is that even a thing you say? Well tonight it is as Dogma come to visit Manchester as part of their first UK headline tour. We’re promised a night of curious lyrical themes, racy dance moves, guitar shredding and none of it without a pinch of theatre. Or should that be nun of it. Ahem. Support comes in the form of the ever-touring South of Salem ...
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