Reviews: Aviana, Skybinder, Narnia, Elysium (Liam, Sean & Matt)

Aviana: Epicenter (Arising Empire) [Liam True]

From the first song My Worst Enemy, you can already tell it's going to be a hard-hitting record from the Swedish Metalcore mob. The violently aggressive vocals from frontman Joel Holmqvist combined with the powerful instrumentals is a recipe for total annihilation, until you get a few songs in. The it becomes a generic Metalcore album. Granted it's a decent album, no doubt about it, but it needs to stay fresh to stay relevant. If the entire album was as aggressive as Attitude Sickness and Heavy Feather, the record would flow together flawlessly and become one of the best albums to come out of Gothenburg since At The Gates' Slaughter Of The Soul. It's a good album which could be better. They have the right ideas, the right sound and the technical abilities. They just need too flourish with their musical talent and stay aggressive like the first half of the record. I'm impressed, but ever so slightly disappointed. I'd still advise you to check these guys out. They're worth your time. Just don't go in expecting too much, that way it'll be a better listen. 6/10

Skybinder: Trauma & Trial (Spinnup) [Matt Bladen]

A dramatic instrumental starts off this album from the Athenian metalcore mob and from there it's an all guns blazing affair as the riffs come thick and fast, the guttural vocals grunt and the songs regularly move into groovy breakdowns from thrash riffs. The band cite their influences as Parkway Drive, Bury Tomorrow and August Burns Red, so when Daggers kicks things off properly in a flurry of triggered blastbeats you can hear why this is so, as Trauma & Trial is a thoroughly modern metalcore album bringing heaps of melody to the Swedish death metal sound where this genre emerged. Every so often there's a clean guitar line, or a more ambient sound but mostly it's your normal metalcore fodder that doesn't let up until it breaks down or a guitar solo such as the one in My Severance. It's nothing new and won't change the world, a bit of variation in the vocals, much like Parkway Drive have done to great success, and Skybinder will step up to that next level as their songwriting is there in droves. 6/10

Narnia: From Darkness To Light (Narnia Songs) [Matt Bladen]

I wanted to like this and musically it's up my street some melodic power metal. It's got rapid drumming, some big walls of synths and of course those all important neoclassical riffs and solos. Vocally it's also very good with the singer having a very soulful voice. As I said I wanted to like it unfortunately when I got to Has The River Run Dry? I heard the Lord's Prayer being recited and realised that Narnia are a Christian band and use their music to preach the word of God and their faith. Now there's nothing wrong with that per-se and the band seem particularly resolute about their beliefs but for me it really puts me off as every single song is about God or Jesus, literally nothing else is mentioned, even in the black metal scene not every song is about Satan. If you're a Christian metalhead who is a dedicated to your faith as you are to music then seek out From Darkness To Light (though you'll probably already know Narnia) if the thought of it makes you shudder then stay clear. 4/10 

Elysium: The Path Of No Return (1358472 Records DK) [Sean Morgan]

I’m partial to a bit of chunk. Ball to the wall thiccness, blaring to of one's speakers with all the subtly of bullet to the dick. Y’know what I’m talking about, a musical sledgehammer to the system, akin to a melee assault on the groinal region (new song title right there). Czech death metallers, Elysium, have got slabs of chunky gain, ready on unload on all us all and the some! Taking influences from….uh…old Whitechapel (so it’s deathcore, then), Elysium return with 4th album The Path Of No Return. Let’s get chugging then, huh? Meeting With Angel gets things a go go, Elysium already flexing all their muscles right out of the cage. The guitars are huge, the drums are thunderous and the gutturals are….well guttural! What would one expect? Maximum downtuned (presumably) BROOTALS are the order of the day, the mid paced groove ever present, as Elysium proceed to incite pits with their thuggish melo slamming.

The Death Without Hope pushes the tempo, alternating between rapid kicks and blast beats, though it’s doesn’t wander too far from Elysium preferred pace. It packs plenty of wallop, the tuning descending into the very depth of dense tonality. Some solo’s are thrown for good measure, though the riffing has yet to tickle my fancy. It’s….loud I guess? Madness Buried Deep Inside opens the dynamic up somewhat, the chords focusing more on melody than brutality. A nice touch, before shifting into some frenetic riffing. There we go! Both elements are fused, providing a nice contrast between the musical and melodic. There’s blast beats too, adding some vital energy to Elysium sound. The Black Snow opens clean chords, building atmosphere as the begin to strum against the synths. Then it’s shattered, Elysium chunking it out. It segues between these two modes, though quickly returns to their preferred close handed comfort.

Shame, as there were hints of something…more at work. The Way Of Expectations is forgettable, the riffs not really going anywhere or doing anything. In typical deathhore fashion, it’s got the volume but that’s about it. Dreaming About The End is a fair bit better, taking on aspects of what can only be described as brutal melo death. The more focused and structure songwriting shines here, rather than just throwing ALL TE BRUTUL in the hopes that something sticks. More of that please, I dug that. It flows nicely into Blindness Of The World, which squanders it all in favour of an overwhelming surplice vanilla DJUN DJUN DJUN. The Infinite Reality Of Everyday Life is a a solid enough number, as is closer Behind The Wires. Well, this album most certainly…uh…happened? That’s about the strongest I can emote on Elysium 4th outing, feeling no strong feeling one way or the other. That’s not to say that it’ bad, it just ‘ain't for me. Didn’t care for Whitechapel or deathhore back then, still don’t to this day and I’m fucking 30 now. If that’s y’all thing though, then go for it. 6/10

Reviews: Slipknot, Northlane, Russian Circles, Mad Spanner (Manus, Alex, Lee & Rich)

Slipknot: We Are Not Your Kind (Roadrunner Records) [Manus Hopkins]

A couple years of silence and a few months of turmoil seems to be the formula that will make up the advent of every new Slipknot album from here on out. Last time, it was the death of bassist Paul Gray, which threw the future of the nine-piece Des Moines band into uncertainty, followed by the dismissal of drummer Joey Jordison just when the ball started to get rolling again. Similarly, after being inactive since 2016, Slipknot entered a new world of chaos when it came time to prepare the new record, with the publicly dramatic firing of percussionist Chris Fehn over a lawsuit against the band leaders, and the unnerving death of band visionary Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan’s daughter. It’s not hard to see that there’s a lot that’s changed about Slipknot in the 20 years since their debut album was unleashed into the world. But through all the drama and tragedy, there is one thing that remains intact: the sense of danger that seems to follow the band, the looming idea that it might implode at any moment, and its latest record could always be its last.

If We Are Not Your Kind ends up being Slipknot’s final record, they’ll go out on a high note. The tumultuous nature that is Slipknot’s essence fuels this album, making it the angriest one they’ve put out in well over a decade. It’s not melancholy like .5: The Gray Chapter or commercial like All Hope Is Gone. The new chapter of Slipknot has a wholly different energy. A much more satisfying listen than its two previously mentioned predecessors, We Are Not Your Kind is an impressive output from the ‘Knot. After Insert Coin, the perfunctory noise intro that starts off most Slipknot albums, the record kicks off with already well-known lead single, Unsainted. While it’s far from being the strongest song of the bunch, it has the catchiest clean chorus, and the one that fits the song the best. Others don’t land quite so successfully. Before another short interlude, Death Because Of Death, comes the album’s main highlight, Birth Of The Cruel. The track is WANYK’s most reminiscent of Slipknot’s early work, though that isn’t to say it should be on one of those older albums. The writing is similar to songs like Prosthetics, Scissors and Diluted from Slipknot’s debut album, but the polished production makes a big difference. The first record had a muddy production adding to the overall feel of the songs. Many of the songs on We Are Not Your Kind, Birth Of The Cruel included, sound more mature, whether that’s a good or bad thing.

To get one thing out of the way, this album is not another Iowa. Despite singer Corey Taylor’s promise that the album would see levels of heaviness that parallel the band’s monstrous 2001 sophomore record, it doesn’t come close to that kind of rawness. But nobody should expect Slipknot to recreate that. Guitarist Jim Root disagreed with Taylor, even saying “we’re not that band anymore” when refusing to compare the new album to Iowa. He’s right—the first two Slipknot albums were made in low rent studios full of drugs and vomit, and none of the band members were living the comfortable, wealthy lifestyle they now enjoy.  There are many standout features that separate WANYK from previous release .5. Root has clearly come into his own more as a key songwriter, and the same can be said for Jay Weinberg as a drummer and permanent member. Taylor’s voice sounds infinitely better since he quit smoking, and there’s even a hint of that ethereal creepiness that tinged the first Slipknot album but has not really been present in some time.

The album is fast-paced and exciting, with intricate drumming and guitar patterns that keep the listener on his or her toes for the first several listens. Taylor’s vocals shine on several of the songs, from his raspy cleans on Liar’s Funeral, to his rap-like rapid fire spitting on Nero Forte. Towards the end of the album, experimental tracks Spiders, My Pain and Not Long For This World diminish the momentum built by heavy earlier tracks like Red Flag and Critical Darling a little, but the presence of Orphan and album closer Solway Firth, which have echoes of Iowa’s The Heretic Anthem and My Plague respectively, re-establish it in full. In recent years, it seemed Slipknot was on its way to becoming an arena rock band that played metal music. The long hiatuses from touring and the handful of festival headline slots every other summer didn’t do much to dispel that. But We Are Not Your Kind is Slipknot showing that the band is still a relevant force in heavy metal music and culture—now and always. 8/10

Northlane: Alien (UNFD) [Alex Swift]

‘You can’t make me disappear. You try to change me but I’m still here’ Northlane screams on Details Matter - sounding a rallying cry against those who wish the Djent trend would just die. Despite their cult status, Northlane has proved themselves one of the most significant acts in progressive Metalcore. I still consider Node a high point of the genre and was enthused by their 2011 album Mesmer. As the official follow up to that album, I had high expectations for Alien! The melodic elements still come in crests, with synthesizers creating a menacing whilst immersive experience on moments like 4D, Talking Heads, and Rift. Meanwhile, the guitars and bass perfectly supplement the tension on display, rearing and subsiding with the precision of a sharpened blade. Indeed, Bloodline and Paradigm see the instrumentals roar into life, proving glorious moments of feeling and passion.

Make no mistake, this is, once again, a very different identity for Northlane! Musically, we see a multitude of emotions, moods, and styles being utilized, all rising and falling to the tone of the anguish and fortitude conveyed through the lyrical content. There are some cliché, predictable aspects for sure, yet they are not overbearing and serve to supplement the overall aura of the record. Distinctly Avant-garde, fascinatingly adventurous and far more visceral than you may expect, believe me when I say you do not need any preconceived notions of weighty breakdowns and emo vocal styles to be dissuading you from giving Alien all the attention warranted! Aside from breaking new ground for themselves, Northlane break new ground for the metalcore genre, living up to the gripping nature of past works and proving them deserving of a place amongst the acts carving out a direction for the future of metalcore! 8/10

Russian Circles: Blood Years (Sargent House) [Lee Burgess]

If like me, you are knee deep in admiration for the post-metal scene, then Russian Circles are probably going to be right up your street. There isn’t much here that is new. You can hear echoes of Cult Of Luna, Pelican, The Oceans and many others, but this is not a bad thing. This band aren’t copying or mimicking, merely referencing those bands who have made such an imprint on those who love these pulsing sounds. Post-metal seems to draw hatred from those who like their music to be rounded and formulaic. With that in mind I’d say Russian circles new album Blood Year isn’t going to appeal to many outside of the genre. It will instantly give traditional metal fans images of hipsters standing around acting all disinterested with the world.

This is a shame, because the music is so dense and layered, and, well, interesting. What Russian Circles do well is to give us sounds we know we’ve heard but somehow they manage to keep it fresh and energetic. Anyone excited for the Upcoming Cult Of Luna record should get their listening gear around this little gem first, as it acts as a nice little stop gap. We have all the elements in all the right places and it’s all a nice neat little package. It’s good to hear music that doesn’t snarl and bark. It gives us something with a bit more meaning than gore and mutilation. There’s nothing wrong with brutality, but there’s also nothing wrong with asking more of listeners. If you’re looking to broaden your listening range, give this a spin. You might just be surprised. 8/10

Mad Spanner: Life Absurd (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]

Life Absurd is the debut album by Shrewsbury punk metallers Mad Spanner. Definitely not a band to be taken seriously Mad Spanner are another band who use comedy and silliness as a lyrical theme so those of you with a silly sense of humour will easily enjoy songs such as Anal Sex, Get Off Your Bastard Phone (You Anti-Social Dickhead) and I Was Caught Shitting In A Plastic Bag. There’s also a cutting social commentary throughout highlighting many of the things in modern day society that irritate and annoy. Musically the band have a lot in common with crossover thrash with fast paced punked up thrash riffs and hardcore style vocals. The performances are loose and sloppy but I believe this is intended. Whilst there is plenty of silliness and humour throughout this album I found it didn’t have much in the way of staying power and by the end of the albums short duration there was very little that stood out to me. This is a fun but ultimately very disposable release. 6/10

A View From Slovenia: Metaldays 2019 (Live Review By Rich Oliver)

MetalDays Festival 2019

Tolmin and the Soča valley in Slovenia is simply one of the most stunningly beautiful locations possible for a metal festival. Being surrounded by such natural beauty you sometimes forget that you are actually at a metal festival and as such once you have been you will always be drawn back. This was my third visit to the festival and yet again was a completely overwhelming experience with a supremely winning combination of stunning location, awesome bands and fantastic company. It is also a punishing experience with the festival running for five days (or seven days if you pay for the early arrival) but in the end it is wholly worthwhile. Bands don’t start until mid afternoon so you have almost a whole day to explore the area, unwind in the river or find bars and restaurants in the town to hang out in. This is easily the most relaxed metal festival experience you are likely to have.

This year's edition of the festival was definitely the most gruelling to date with extremely hot weather conditions (temperatures reached a ridiculous 38 degrees). Being a pale skinned Welshman this meant that the conditions were a bit of a struggle for me and I didn’t get to watch as many bands as planned as standing out in the sun in that heat was just physically exhausting. So I made sure that the bands I watched were the ones that mattered so here is my summation of the week of Metaldays Festival 2019.

Day One

My group arrived on the Sunday afternoon and despite there being bands playing on the New Forces stage we opted to spend the day relaxing and getting ourselves used to the hot climate so bands for me started good and proper on the Monday. Kicking things off on the Ian Fraser “Lemmy” KIlmister Stage were Irish stoner groovesters Ten Ton Slug (7) who got the festival off to a great start with their chunky riffs and fat grooves. Heads were bobbing and beers were rapidly consumed during their very enjoyable set. Next I headed to the Boško Bursać Stage to catch Belgian melodic death metal act Hexa Mera (7) who whilst playing a fairly unremarkable and bog standard style of melodic death metal played with enough passion and conviction to keep me interested throughout their set. I headed back over to the Lemmy stage to catch occult rockers Lucifer (8) who despite the sweltering heat definitely cast a spell over the audience.

 Old school groove with plenty of psychedelia and the enchanting vocals of Johanna Sadonis definitely won over this reviewer. These guys rocked like it was 1972 and it was awesome. I managed to catch a few songs of New Zealand groove metallers Alien Weaponry but not enough to justify a score. Despite being very much part of a huge hype machine at the moment Alien Weaponry always manage to bring a great show and are fantastic performers. Whether they justify the hype is questionable but I have thoroughly enjoyed these guys when watching them live. Unfortunately the rumblings of my stomach and the need of a rest were louder than the band.

After a meal and a few drinks back at the campsite I returned to the Boško Bursać Stage to catch Swedish death doom merchants October Tide (8). Featuring ex-members of Katatonia these guys performed a compelling set of darkened misery with new songs such as Ögonblick av Nåd sitting comfortably alongside older songs such as Blue Gallery and The Custodian Of Science. It was then back over to the Lemmy stage for atmospheric sludge outfit Neurosis (8) who whilst not the most visually exciting act definitely more than made up for that with the aural devastation unleashed on the crowd. Atmospheric and ambient sections were broken up by a dense wall of sound which you could feel as much as you could hear. An interesting choice of band for the slot but one that most definitely made an impression on those who watched. In the headline slot for the evening were Swedish melodic death metal megastars Arch Enemy (5) who were disappointingly lacklustre.

 The performances seemed clinical with very little to no passion and a complete lack of stage presence from frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz. The set was very heavily leaning towards recent material with three quarters of it from the last two albums which to me are easily the weakest Arch Enemy albums. Renditions Of Ravenous and Dead Eyes See No Future helped pick things up a bit but after a while I gave up and wandered elsewhere. The final band of the evening and in the deadline slot on the Boško Bursać Stage were Swedish blackened death metal legends Necrophobic (9). After the tedium of the previous band this was a much needed injection of energy and Necrophobic absolutely delivered with a furious set with relentless renditions of Mark Of The Necrogram, Awakening and Revelation 666 amongst others. This was the perfect way to bring the first day of Metaldays to a close.

Day Two

The temperature rose on day two and as such it was evening until I ventured to watch any bands. First band of the day were German progressive death metallers Alkaloid (7). I’ve been told that live performances of Alkaloid are few and far between with the band featuring members of Obscura, Hate Eternal and Dark Fortress so this was a must see set and Alkaloid certainly impressed with their guitar pyrotechnics. The band were a guitarist down but had this not been mentioned by the band I certainly would not have noticed. Next up and over on the Lemmy stage were Icelandic hard rockers The Vintage Caravan (9) who played one of the best sets of the entire festival. They performed simplistic and catchy hard rock but it was played so well and the songs so enjoyable that it was impossible not to love. Despite the searing heat I rocked my balls off to tunes such as Crazy Horses, Midnight Meditation and Last Day Of Light. 

 A must see band if they come round your way. A return to the campsite was needed for a rest and cool down before heading back in for mighty folk metallers Finntroll (8) who drew one of the biggest crowds of the entire festival. The band have been on a break for a few years but were certainly charged and energised during their performance with fantastic fun renditions of songs such as Blodsvept, Ett Norrskensdåd and of course Trollhammaren. It was over to the Boško Bursać Stage for Swedish gothic extreme metallers Tribulation (8) who were thoroughly enjoyable with their over the top dark Gothic theatrics. If you have never heard Tribulation they have a sound that can be described as The Cult and Danzig meets black metal. They are not a band I have listened to a huge amount of but one I shall definitely be giving a thorough listening from their performance.

Metalcore is not a subgenre of metal I enjoy finding it very limited and contrived but seeing as they have a massive following I thought I would give headliners Architects (4) a go. I didn’t hate every second of the performance but there was plenty I despised with half arsed Meshuggah riffs, pointless and repetitive breakdowns and whiny clean vocals. The band did perform well and had an impressive stage show but this music is really not for me and I completely fail to see the appeal in it. Especially as what followed was so damn fucking good. Final band of the evening and in the deadline slot were Norwegian atmospheric metallers In The Woods.. (10). 

I seem to be the MoM fanboy of In The Woods… having reviewed their two previous records and scored them very highly but this was my first time seeing the band live and they certainly did not disappoint. Getting a position at the front of the stage I was utterly mesmerised by over an hour of truly wonderful music. The band performed a nice mix of recent material such as Empty Streets and Respect My Solitude and older material harking back to their black metal days such as Heart Of The Ages and In The Woods (very appropriate considering the band were playing on a stage situated in the woods). The band performed fantastically buy frontman James Fogarty certainly impressed with his mix of baritone clean vocals and anguished screams. The perfect end to the second day and easily my favourite performance of the festival.

Day Three

The heat continued to rise as Wednesday hit but struggled through I did to catch fellow campsite buddies and awesome UK melodic death metallers Countless Skies (8). Despite the relentless heat and their slot on the New Forces stage they attracted a very decent sized crowd and wowed with their melancholic melodic death metal stylings with a set comprising of old and new material. This is a band surely destined for great things ahead. Next it was over to the Boško Bursać Stage for Italy’s Hour Of Penance (7) who performed a furious set of bowel rupturing violent death metal. Hour Of Penance are a fantastic band who balance the right level of technicality and brutality but after a few songs things can start to get a bit repetitive. 

 Next it was over to the Lemmy stage for one of my most anticipated bands of the festival Finnish swampy melodic death metal band Kalmah (7). Unfortunately Kalmah were the first sound casualty of the festival for me with a mix that took all the power out of the music. Performance wise the band were fantastic with their relentless take on the Finnish melodic death metal sound and frontman Pekka Kokko entertained with this very dry sense of humour. The band also played a fantastic selection of songs such as Swamphell, The Black Waltz, Heroes To Us and Hades. It’s just a shame that it sounded so shite.

I remained at the Lemmy stage for the remainder of the bands I saw for the rest of the day and next up were Norwegian rockers Kvelertak (8) who came out on stage and absolutely owned it with one of the most energetic sets of the festival. Their unique blend of hard rock, punk rock and black metal definitely won over the Metaldays audience with plenty of movement from the crowd to raucous anthems such as Bruane Brenn, Nekroskop and Blodtørst. Next up were a band who were a late addition to the line up replacing the cancelled Philip H Anselmo & The Illegals but it was an announcement that was universally praised by the Metaldays attendees as the replacement band was none other than Greek metal legends Rotting Christ (9) who performed the best set I have seen them play to date. They took full advantage of the setting sun utilising lighting and pyrotechnics to great effect but it was the music that made this set with jaw dropping renditions of recent material such as Hallowed Be Thy Name, Kata Ton Demona Eautou and Elthe Kyrie alongside relics from their lengthy discography such as The Forest Of N’Gai, King Of A Stellar War and In Serviam. 

 I was absolutely rooted to the spot for the entire set and totally mesmerised throughout. Then it was time for the evenings headliners and a band I had not seen for many years US progressive metal masters Dream Theater (7). This was definitely a set of two halfs - a tedious first half comprising of mainly new and recent material which got fairly boring and tested my patience and then an amazing second half with some absolute gems from the Dream Theater back catalogue such as In The Presence Of Enemies Pt. 1, The Dance Of Eternity, Lie and As I Am. Like Arch Enemy two nights previously way too many songs from the latest album were played when people really wanted to hear the old stuff.

Day Four

After an amazing morning floating down the Soča river with friends and burning to a crisp it was time for another bunch of bands. Stifling heat again meant I missed out on the earlier bands but thankfully it clouded over and cooled down before I headed to the Lemmy stage. There were several bands either clashing or overlapping so there was plenty of running between the stages this evening starting with Polish death metallers Decapitated (8). Decapitated never fail to impress live with their brutally precise technical death metal . This set was a little too heavy on recent material for my liking but it was impossible not to bang my head to tunes such as Kill The Cult, Homo Sum and the classic Spheres Of Madness. 

Unfortunately I had to miss the end of the set to get over to the Boško Bursać Stage for US old school death metallers Skeletal Remains (7) who despite the sparse crowd performed a great set with plenty of killer riffs and old school groove but unfortunately after the razor sharp precision of Decapitated their set felt slightly underwhelming. Again the last chunk of the set was missed to run back over to the Lemmy stage for Swedish metal masters Soilwork (8) who are a band I absolutely adore and have never to date disappointed me live. Björn “Speed” Strid is a masterful vocalist effortlessly switching between harsh and clean vocals and the rest of the band put in a commanding performance with fist pumping renditions of Like The Average Stalker, Nerve, The Living Infinite I, Stabbing The Drama and Stålfågel.

Another of the most anticipated sets of the weekend was from Swedish death metal legends Hypocrisy (9) and they most surely did not disappoint. Having been on a hiatus for a few years it was fantastic to see these guys back on stage and they also seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the experience performing a career spanning set. We were treated to belters such as Fractured Millennium, End Of Disclosure, Eraser, Fire In The Sky and Warpath to proper old school cuts such as The Fourth Dimension, Pleasures Of Molestation and Penetralia. It’s safe to say that I was grinning from ear to ear for the entire duration of their set. Nabbing the headlining slot of the day is a band that I never thought I would see live being as it’s more of a side project/super group than bona fide band and that is Demons And Wizards (8). 

 For those not in the know they are a power metal group formed by Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer and Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kursch with members from both bands making up the rest of the line up. This proved to be something very special indeed. Material was drawn from the two albums in the Demons And Wizards discography with fine renditions of Poor Man’s Crusade, Crimson King, Wicked Witch and Terror Train but the biggest cheers were for the covers of Iced Earth and Blind Guardian songs performed. Two songs from each band were performed with Burning Times and I Died For You from the Iced Earth catalogue and Welcome To Dying and Valhalla from the Blind Guardian catalogue. Valhalla especially had everyone singing along though hearing Hansi Kursch singing Iced Earth songs was truly awesome as he is hands down one of the finest singers in heavy metal. A fantastic end to the day.

Day Five

The final day of the festival and things finally cooled down with actual rain falling late in the evening. I never thought I would be happy to see rainfall at a festival. After a day of relaxing in the town with some refreshing beers and ice creams I headed to the Boško Bursać Stage for the majority of the day starting things off with French blackened death metallers Svart Crown (7) who performed a suitably vicious set but not too compelling. There was nothing particularly wrong with their set but it didn’t particularly enthuse me either though I enjoyed what I saw. Next up was a band who was proper heavy metal veterans and that is US power metal band Helstar (8). A band who rarely tours in the UK so this was the first time I had seen them perform and it was a fantastic set. After starting with a couple of more recent tunes the band stated that the rest of the set would be old school and delved into the back catalogue they did with performances of Remnants Of War, Genius Of Insanity & Harker’s Tale (Mass Of Death) amongst others. Next up was some German atmospheric black metal courtesy of The Ruins Of Beverast (6). Atmospheric black metal is a genre I do really enjoy but I definitely need to be in the mood for it so following a power metal band I struggled to hold my interest throughout the set and eventually three quarters of the way through decided to walk off to get some pizza. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the performance and if I see The Ruins Of Beverast again I may thoroughly enjoy. It just wasn’t what I wanted to hear at that right time.

The night starting drawing in and the rain started to fall as Finnish black metallers Impaled Nazarene (8) hit the stage. Playing a far more energised and aggressive style of black metal than The Ruins Of Beverast the set was a barrage of vitriolic punked up black metal derailed only when nearby storms temporarily caused a power cut to the whole area. Luckily this was short lived and the band continued as if nothing had happened. The final headliner of the festival was none other than Norwegian symphonic black metal horde Dimmu Borgir (8). With this being the final headline slot of the festival my expectations were high and I think maybe too high as whilst Dimmu Borgir performed a great set there was nothing particularly special about it. Some of the new material was cool to hear live but the rest of the set was comprised of the same songs they always play. With the band recently celebrating 25 years of existence I was hoping for some old and rarely played material but we got the usual setlist suspects such as The Serpentine Offering, Gateways, Dimmu Borgir, Puritanica, Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse & Mourning Palace. All were played to absolute perfection but if you’ve seen Dimmu Borgir before it felt like deja vu. Seeing as I had an early morning pick up and a campsite to dismantle I opted to miss Tiamat and retire for the evening.

So in summary MetalDays 2019 was a fantastic festival. The heat prevented me from checking out some of the smaller bands but I got to see who I really wanted to. Seeing as next years festival is looking to be the last at Tolmin I most certainly will be returning in 2020 and with Testament, Paradise Lost, Napalm Death, Malevolent Creation and Razor already confirmed it would be rude not to. MetalDays is highly recommended for those who want a very unique festival experience.

A View From The Back Of The Room: Voluntas - EP Released Show (Live Review By Paul H)

Voluntas EP Launch, The Trap, Bristol 3rd August 2019

M2TM winners Voluntas, fresh from their final victory in early July, returned to Bristol to hold a launch party for their debut EP Walk To Hell. If you’ve not been to The Trap before, then you’ve missed out, particularly if you enjoy the smell of rising damp and water running down the walls at the temperature increased. Yes, the venue is underneath a pub near St Nicholas Market, and with limited ventilation, the moisture levels soon amplified as the heat of the assembled Bristolian metal community slowly rose. A stellar line-up provided excellent value for money for the evening. In the same week that Rammstein charged over £80 for a ticket at the Principality Stadium, £5 for five bands seemed a bloody bargain.

The evening kicked off in lively fashion with the groove-based thrash of local outfit Voltane (7) whose energetic performance impressed. Their sound was a hybrid mix of Lamb Of God, Machine Head and Crowbar, sludgy thick riffage blending with meaty thrash segments. Vocalist Christopher Grey sticks closely to the Randy Blythe blueprint but his roaring guttural delivery fitted the songs neatly. Digital Skeleton veered toward a doom laden Omerta, and some of the earlier tracks contained impressive almost bluesy break downs. This is a band with bags of potential and it will be interesting to follow their development over the next few months.

M2TM finalists The Fangs Of The Dodo (6) had looked a tad nervous during the Bristol final but shorn of the pressure this evening, they provided a glimpse of their potential with a confident, eccentric and eclectic performance. Playing in a heat encased basement was hard enough for those in jeans and tees but for the Dodo there are no half measures. Body paint, gas masks and leather coat all feature in their regalia so full marks for fronting up the image. Musically I still find them a little confusing, A mixture of alt-metal, indie and industrial metal all surface and fade during their set. Please Don’t Feed The Vultures was probably their stand out track during this set which saw them fluctuate in passion and intensity.

It’s been a few months since I’ve seen the Rhondda crazies in Incursion (8) but their set was a powerful reminder of just how good this band can be. With Sam now settled behind the drum kit, Incursion rattled through their set with a mass of sweaty headbangers giving excellent support. My notes read:

Guitar solo
Nuclear War
Beetlejuice
Rhondda Valley
Hob Nob Carnage
No Clean Singing Please
Scourgeeee!!

I think that might be my best review of the band. No further words needed.

Operation clean-up hob nob remains completed, it was time for the Swansea death thrash of Sepulchre (8) to show why they stormed their way to the South Wales M2TM final. With huge love in the crowd, they wasted no time in charging their way through a strong six song set that included a rampaging Move Or Die, newer song Jolly Jane and a set clinching Kill Me. Once again, I refer to my notes:

Raucous
Fierce
Thrash
Sweaty
Power
Intense

By now, with a little slippage in the timetable, it was time for the headliners for the evening Voluntas (7) to demonstrate why they have made it to Bloodstock. With the room full and the sweat pouring down the walls, Voluntas hit top speed quickly and opened the first pits of the evening. Their groove-based thrash is well loved in Bristol and despite the heat there was little respite. The set included the entire EP and a range of covers including Master Of Puppets and an interesting Aesthetics Of Hate. Whilst the sound was a bit muddy the pace was frenetic and a fitting atmosphere for a band who should go down a storm in the New Blood Tent in a mere few days.

A View From The Back Of The Room: Rosalie Cunningham & Goldray (Live Review By Paul H & Matt)

Rosalie Cunningham/Goldray, The Fleece, Bristol

[Paul Hutchings]

Well into summer and as another sweltering day faded into dusk, we headed across the bridge once more to one of our favourite venues, The Fleece in Bristol for an evening off swirling psychedelia. Although doors were at 19:30, it was full hour before signs of life occurred and eventually the main draw from Mrs H and I took the stage. We’d first seen Goldray (9) at Hard Rock Hell in Pwllheli a couple of years ago and had thoroughly enjoyed their set. With a new album in the pipeline, this was a semi-co-headline event although it was Cunningham who took top slot. That was fine as it was Goldray that we’d come to see and once again the band were excellent from start to finish. Driven by former Reef guitarist Kenwyn House’s crashing riffing, the London based outfit danced and span through a 45 minutes set which encompassed tracks from their 2017 debut Rising and a smattering of new songs, including the excellent The Forest.

Whilst House may drive the band forward, it’s impossible not to be bewitched by Leah Rasmussen’s glittering outfit, her shiny tiara, her diminutive figure weaving around the stage in a possessed Steve Nicks kind of way but most of all, to be totally captivated by the voice that comes out of such a petite frame. Rasmussen is stunning, her vocal delivering a hybrid morphing of Kate Bush and Grace Slick. Ethereal and fragile at times, yet powerful and controlled, she really has a remarkable gift. Anchored by a solid rhythm section which earned its stripes towards the end with a freestyle frenzied climax, the rather sparse crowd rewarded Goldray with a deserved ovation which was well deserved.

Rosalie Cunningham’s new solo album didn’t do a huge amount for me so I passed the baton to Matt for the review of the former Purson singer.

[Matt Bladen]

So this was the first time I'd seen former Purson singer/guitarist/mastermind Rosalie Cunningham (7) playing with her solo band. This was probably because it was her debut tour as a solo artist with her solo band made up of Rosco Levee - guitar, Alpha Michelle - bass, Lee Spreadbury - keyboards and Purson drummer Raphael Mura. Having seen Purson numerous times I was interested to see how her psychedelic solo record translated onto the live stage. Numbers such as Ride On My Bike, Dethroning Of The Party Queen got things off to a bouncy start the band decked out in their glam/psych/hippie finery, there were a few technical issues in the opening few songs as it seemed the band were still finding their feet despite this being one of the final three shows on this tour. The final Purson single Chocolate Money was followed by Fuck Love which in turn was followed by Desire's Magic Theatre another Purson song.

Here lies the problem, the Purson material is still superior in a live context than the solo material, which is a lot poppier influenced by The Beatles and Ziggy Stardust, only really the prog epic A Yarn From A Wheel stands up for me especially after the mesmerising Goldray who blend the psych/glam sound with a heavier riff style. Still the freaks at the front got their groove on and welcomed the solo songs like old friends though again the Purson material had the biggest reception. There's no criticism of the musicianship all the members of the band were brilliant and Rosalie's vocals are very strong but maybe because it was the first tour after her self imposed exile, or perhaps it was due to the solo material being a little lighter than anything previously but my expectations were high after numerous viewing of her previous band and though they get plus points for the playing and performance, the solo songs are better on an album, but this may change in time as they get a life of their own.  

A View From The Back Of The Room: Black Tongue (Live Review By Liam True)

Black Tongue, Upon Those Dying, Sentry, Shallow Graves, Hobos, Bridgend

Shallow Graves

In twenty minutes, Shallow Grave proved they have the sound, the riffs and the songs to go far. But the only thing they're lacking in, in onstage presence and energy. The only member with any kind of energy was the guitarist, who pretty much took on all duties of the band. Getting the audience hyped, talking and actually moving rather than standing in place like the bassist and vocalist. If they can muster up the energy to move, they'll make it. But now, not so much. 4/10

Sentry

From the first note strummed, chaos ensued and the crowd were uncontrollable. The next thirty minutes were a pounding Metalcore fantasy of barbaric proportions. The band provide a meaty slab of headbanging and mosh pit inducing waves of anarchy from the Metal hungry crowd. Half way through the set, vocalist Danny Rees commands the crowd for a wall of death. And the crowd obliges to his command. Just before the battle cry to bombard either side is called, there’s a man with his friend on his shoulders, spinning him like a windmill, which pleases the band and crowd alike. This will then be a recurring thing that happens with the next two bands. There's no shortage of carnage from either the crowd nor the band. One of the underground Metal scenes best kept secret, they're one to keep an eye on. 7/10

Upon Those Dying

Slam upon slam. Raw energy upon raw energy that is unparalleled to anyone in the South Wales Metalcore scene to date. For the entire set there's no breaks. No time to recuperate. And no chance that you're standing still. Everyone in the room, front to back, side to side, is either in the pit, headbanging or moving in their own groove. Having seen the band before I was already familiar with their sound and style, but they have improved so much from that first time. With more crowd control and confidence in themselves and the music, they're on top of the world during their occupation on the stage. It's only when the last note hits you realize that this band are due a massive headline tour of their own. And they are more than capable and ready for it. 9/10

Black Tongue

There are no words to describe what happened when Black Tongue took the stage in Hobos. From the first guitar note. The first drum hit. And the first monstrous gurgle from vocalist Alex Tayen, the band have arrived to cause complete and utter deviation. With their combination of earth-shattering breakdowns, stomach churning gutturals and atmospheric feeling that the next song will be more violent than the last. Formed six years ago, the down-tempo doom band have come a long way, with the vile ear-splitting noise they've created being one of the most original and sought after sounds in the scene today. The show tonight has proved a number of things. Mainly that the band have the stage presence and artistry to rule the stage. 

During the set Teyen proclaims ‘Everyone Is A Fucking Target!’ while then pounds the microphone into his own skull before the most evil sounding drop of the night shatters the speakers and ear drums alike. And with the octopus like drum king that is Aaron Kitcher, the guitar wielding maniacs that are James Harrison & Eddie Pickard, fronted by none other than the monstrosity, putrid voice and demonic possessive stage controller that is Alex Teyen, the band have not only proved their worth. They're unstoppable. 10/10

Reviews: LORD, Carnifex, Bushwhacker, Blood Church (Matt & Liam)

LORD: Fallen Idols (Dominus Records) [Matt Bladen]

Having been a staple of the Australian metal scene since 2003 Sydney/Wollongong metal titans LORD have been abiding by the idea that "a good song, is a good song" since then over the course of four previous full lengths (their most recent being Digital Lies in 2013) and numerous EP's Lord have climbed to the top of the pile in the Australian metal scene though they may not be known to any of our non Aussie readers despite having played with Megadeth, Queensryche, Helloween, Nightwish and Saxon in their own country. Still led by vocalist/guitarist Lord Tim their sixth album Fallen Idols breaks out of the gates early with the blistering United (Welcome Back) a thrash/death riff fest that leads off with blastbeats from Darryl Murphy, breaks occasionally into some lead bass lines from Andy Dowling letting Tim and Mark Furtner throw some guitar pyrotechnics on a song that shifts styles at will moving from destructive thrash into big power metal choruses along with lots of solos.

It's a bloody impressive way to start off an album 6 years in the making immediately setting out Lord's stall as a force to be reckoned with. Next is the battle metal of Immortal which brings more than a whiff of the leather clad bravado of Manowar as the title track brings more galloping classic metal and twin guitar attack. Lord have always taken a jukebox approach to their music never discarding a song if it doesn't fit their genre, for all of the classic heavy metal posturing on this album such as the speed metal of Nod To The Old School and Kill Or Be Killed, there's modern groove metal on Chaos Raining, while Counting Down The Hours is a muscular ballad but on the other hand The Edge Of The World brings some black metal mastery. A delicious Mezze of styles but all in the heavy metal vein played by a band who are experienced in what they do. Fallen Idols deserves to be heard by a wider audience than an Antipodean one. 8/10

Carnifex: World War X (Nuclear Blast) [Liam True]

I have a small history with Carnifex. I was due to see them play in Bridgend in 2018. The show however was cancelled due to the weather conditions. Not the bands fault, but still unlucky for me and the other fans. Fast forward a year and a few months later, Carnifex have made their most destructive and powerful offering to date, with the appropriately titled World War X. The opening, and title track, is a bombardment of Deathcore brutality. Opening with gunshots and firefights the album is a concept of the world we know today. With the first line that spits from vocalist Scott Ian Lewis' throat "Death To All Humanity", you already know the foreshadowing theme here.

Albeit the title of the album. From here on out the band produces an absolute venom filled, breakdown leading and headbanging inducing look into society today. With guest appearances by Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White Gluz and guitar god Angel Vivaldi, they too unleash a torrent of violent vocal and furious fretwork to add to the records apocalyptic scenes. The American Deathcore kings have produced one of this years best albums so far. Here's hoping they announce a UK tour with a Welsh stop. 9/10

Bushwhacker: A Fistful Of Poison (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Consider this...a progressive stoner metal album based around a sprawling Western concept, created by a band from Canada. I mean the Western theme is not really surprising seeing as British Columbia could be considered the last remnants of the Old West, but this one is a story of some varmints who are in search of a shitload of weed, but there journey doesn't go to plan causing it to turn into a Tarantino Western at the end. Bushwhacker are Cavan Egan Guitar/Vocals Geoff Woods Guitar/Vocals, Rory O'Brien Bass/Vocals and Sean Komaromi Drums, A Fistful Of Poison is their second album and is a truly conceptual piece starting with a mostly instrumental Prologue setting the scene in a Morricone-style a lone harmonica backed by country acoustic guitars.

From there it's music made very much in the style of Baroness or Mastodon, a number heavy stoner/sludge tracks with some expressive drumming, thundering basslines and guitars that move between thick, molasses heavy riffs and lighter more melodic fluid playing that, to make things sound especially cinematic. The songs are interspersed by small spoken word interlude to drive the concept along (though at times the acting/characterization is a little cliche). The first proper song is And They Rode West is mainly instrumental but it sets the pace for the record letting Knives And Teeth bring more aggression and The River Black some doom as it evolves into a bludgeoning beast showing the vocal diversity on this record between the three string playing members. A Fistful Of Poison is a brilliant concept record which stands up there with Gold & Grey as one of the top progressive albums of the year, saddle up partner and play loud. 9/10

Blood Church: God Complex (Self Released) [Matt Bladen

From the hell on earth that is...Telford Shropshire, Blood Church beckon you to worship at their unholy altar. This blackened death metal band certainly have the visual stimuli you'd want in a band such as this clad in cloaks and covered in corpsepaint and blood. Their blackened death metal is influenced by one thing...Satan. Yes folks don't play this EP in Sunday school, these four tracks are here to rally against God and organised religion. A tolling of a bell and a singular downtuned guitar backed by some synths is how God Complex opens with the chanting intro We Are The Blood Church, the raw sounding music then blasts out of your speakers like an assault on the senses, now whether the rawness is deliberate is not known but it works well taking you back to that first era of angry, God hating black metal.

Furious riffs, squaked grunts and even a downtuned break at the end lead into the more melodic opening to Jesus Wept built around a bass riff and a quote from Star Wars Episode III it breaks into yet more tremolo riffage and the main section is more of a death metal grind. False Idols on the other hand has a whiff of punk to it ending the EP by showing you that Blood Church has a lot more up their sleeve than their blackened metal assault. A very brief look into the world of Blood Church and their anti-religious manifesto, let's see what they can do on a full length. 7/10

The Spotlight: BOA Interview With Master's Call (Paul H)

Master’s Call hail from the home of metal, the Black Country. The band have released a very tasty EP earlier this year and now take a headline slot on the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock on Saturday 10th August. Here’s their interview.

Paul: You’ve been building momentum for a while now but for those who may not know about you, can you give us a bit of history about the band and tell us who is in the current line-up.

MC: It began as a project between John and Dave (guitars) formed in Birmingham back in 2014 before developing into a full band by 2016. It took us a few years to develop a sound that we felt was "us". Once we started playing live, we soon had invites to various festivals such as Beermageddon, HRH Metal, and when we finally released our debut EP Morbid Black Trinity earlier this year things ramped up with the likes of Incineration Festival and of course Bloodstock! The current line-up consists of John & Dave on guitars, Adam on bass, James on drums, with an anonymous vocal presence fronting our darkened chaos!

Paul: You play a pretty intense blackened thrash which certainly gets the thumbs up from me. Who are the band’s major influences?

MC: It’s often easy to draw comparisons to bands like Behemoth, Dissection and Belphegor for bands in our genre, which is fair enough, as all of those bands certainly do influence us. Further to this we have major influences from the likes of Necrophobic, Watain, Slayer, Deicide, Nifelheim and Morbid Angel to name but a few, as well as our metal forefathers Black Sabbath and Judas Priest that inspire us to keep the Black Country fire burning!

Paul: You’re from the Black Country. The home of metal. How do you view the metal scene in the UK and in your area now?

MC: We take our art seriously and have found that the level of dedication, conviction and passion we have for it is becoming something of a rarity in our surrounding metal scene. Metal often gets treated like a joke, but we really believe in what we are doing. As proud as we are of our metal heritage, we honestly don’t believe the home of metal truly gets the recognition and celebration it deserves in the UK. It doesn’t really feel like a home of metal- like you’d expect Birmingham to be the capital city of metal, right? In truth it’s vastly underwhelming and desolate. We want to see it ignite with the same fiery passion we have!

Paul: You released Morbid Black Trinity earlier this year. How was the response to the EP?

MC: As it was our first release our first impression, we really took our time over it- ensuring that everything from the song choices, the production and the artwork were all at a standard we would be proud of before we release. We received positive reviews and praise from the media and the metal community, as well as festival slot offers off the back of it- so the hard work and patience we put into our EP certainly paid off. Of course, this all now means the standards and expectations have been set now for our next release!

Paul: You’ve got a high slot on the New Blood Stage this year at Bloodstock. Congratulations on the invitation. Were you expecting it?

MC: Thanks! We honestly weren’t expecting to be offered a slot at all, let alone a high slot. We sent our EP to Bloodstock more so to introduce the band and hopefully get on their radar for future considerations- but to get that offer right out the gate - to be making our debut at Bloodstock in the same year as our debut release is such an honour and we are ready to bring chaos to Catton Park!

Paul: From reading the BOA promo section, I know you guys have been to BOA before. Tell us about your BOA history. Who have been the most memorable bands you’ve seen there?

MC: We’ve individually all been to BOA over the years at different times but we were all in attendance last year- Judas Priest headlining the Friday with the likes of Emperor, Watain, Bloodbath and Cannibal Corpse on the bill it had to be done! One particular epic all time moment would be Watain’s main stage set in 2012 “we have come to bring the sun down!” just as the sun was setting. Perfection.

Paul: To those who haven’t seen the you live, what can they expect at BOA?

MC: We will bring our visceral and visual live presence, performing our EP tracks as well as a couple of forthcoming tracks with full intensity! It’s going to appeal to fans of the more extreme and darker sides of heavy metal.

Paul: It looks like you’ll be going toe to toe with Anthrax! That sounds fun. Who else do you plan to catch at this year’s festival?

MC: Well of course, having the high slot we were bound to clash with one of the big guns of the festival. As much as we would have liked to catch Anthrax, we’re just glad we weren’t put on alongside Cradle, Dimmu or Taake. We’ll be aiming to catch them for sure. And of course, we want to catch the Priest legend, KK Downing’s appearance with Ross The Boss!

Paul: And after the festival, what else can we expect from you over the next few months?

MC: We still have a few live appearances confirmed or in the works, but we plan to put more focus on writing our follow up to this year’s EP. It’s already in progress but the last few months have been too relentless for us to give it the attention it needs- we’ve had a lot going on behind the scenes to keep the train moving, so we really can’t wait to get back to writing and release a new album next year!

Massive thanks to the guys in Master’s Call. Be sure to check them out at BOA. Some blackness is always welcome!

The Spotlight: BOA Interview With Tomorrow Is Lost (Paul H)

Introducing Tomorrow is Lost, winners of the Newcastle M2TM. The band took time to answer our questions. Here’s what they said to us.

Paul: Let’s start with a brief history of the band

Josh: I'm not too sure on how the band formed, I know they have been around for maybe 2 or so years, I only joined a few months ago, I did however, almost join the band a year ago but it didn't happen, so it's definitely destiny that I play bass in this band!

Joe Mac: Cass and I were previously in another band together that didn’t work out, so we set about forming a new one and found the original bassist and drummer through adverts. We then welcomed in another guitarist, Ryan. We had a few line-up changes and finally settled with the current one. We have been together around about two and a half years.

Ryan: I’ve been in the band for two years now. They had formed a few months before I joined, Joe needed some help!

Paul: Who is the current line up?

The current line-up is:

Cass King - Vocals
Joe Mac - Guitar
Ryan O’Hara - Guitar
Josh Fodden - Bass
Marc Rush - Drums

Paul: Describe the band’s sound and influences

Joe Mac: The band is a mix of influences in my eyes because we all have such different musical tastes and we sort of bring it in as one, but some of them are Iron Maiden, Dio, My Chemical Romance, Rammstein and Pearl jam to name a few. I don’t like to put a name to it to be honest, I’ll let other people decide what we sound like and our genre because no two songs are the same, yet they have a particular sound.

Ryan: For me the band’s sound overall is heavily influenced by the guitars of iron maiden and Thin Lizzy but there are bits of the entire band in each song we write. Cass’ vocals (to me anyway) have a bit of Lzzy hale, Janis Joplin and God knows what else in there......She scares me sometimes.

Josh: All the members of the band have different inspirations, we have some that are similar, and then some that are totally different, with me for example, I'm a huge fan of The Beatles and The White Stripes. We are all huge fans of metal, rock and music in general, so I think we are constantly being inspired by different bands all the time.

Paul: Prior to Bloodstock, what are some of the highlights for the band so far?

Ryan: As a band I think a couple of highlights have been playing the 02 academy with inglorious, and supporting Skindred in Newcastle.

Joe Mac: Aye, supporting Skindred, Playing at Call of The Wild festival, and Supporting Inglorious.

Josh: My personal highlights have got to be, my first show with the band, which was a headline show in London, it was awesome, and then when we played with one of my favourite bands of all time, Icon For Hire

Paul: Let’s move on to Bloodstock and your road to the festival. Please tell us about your journey

Joe Mac: Well we entered to see how far we would get: we didn’t think we would get past the first round because we didn’t think we were considered ‘heavy’ enough, but we were over the moon that we got through. The next round was a pretty similar feeling that we weren’t going to get through to the final, I don’t know why it’s just a feeling you get in the pit of your stomach. Playing the final was a nerve wrecking experience I think it’s the pressure of competition that puts you so on edge, but it’s a very exciting feeling at the same time and I know that we all enjoyed every second of being in the competition.

Ryan: Man.....that was a bit nuts to be honest. Like Joe said we didn’t think we would get too far, but we approached like we do every show, full on, give it everything we have and let the crowd decide if they enjoy what we have to offer. Winning the thing was amazing for us, a huge confidence boost and as a band we are absolutely thrilled to be heading to BLOODSTOCK!!!!!!

Josh: I can't answer this question well since I wasn't in the band, but I was in another band before joining TIL, then when I joined the band, I was constantly learning all of the songs, and helping writing new songs and getting ready for shows so I could hit the metaphorical ground running y’know?

Paul: What about when you were announced as winners? What were the emotions like?

Ryan: I think we were all shocked about the win at first as we had our doubts. But when the bloodstock guys pulled us for a chat and told us the reason for us winning; we were very pleased with ourselves.

Joe Mac: It was amazing, disbelief at first haha! but no it was a great feeling and all the other bands were dead canny and it was just a great experience.

Josh: Pure shock, confusion and denial honestly haha! Obviously, I wanted TIL to win, but I really thought rather Nephilim or Rituals would have won because they were mind blowing!

Paul: So, moving on to the festival itself, what can we expect from you?

Joe: Well I think you’ll get to see some brand-new songs and a range of heavy to soft songs with big riffs and amazing vocals, very melodic and one heck of a show.

Josh: A fucking awesome show! New material and something that is new, original and refreshing!

Ryan: A very loud and energy packed set most definitely, there will be a little something for everyone.

Paul: Which bands are you looking forward to seeing there?

Ryan: Anthrax Anthrax Anthrax. And Anthrax

Josh: Obviously all of them, however, I really love Cancer Bat's, Parkway Drive and Children of Bodom, so probably any of them.

Joe Mac: Anthrax, Scorpions and Queensryche

Paul: Have you been to Bloodstock before?

Joe Mac: No, I haven’t

Ryan: No unfortunately. Other things have gotten in the way the last couple of years, mainly us being out gigging to be fair.

Josh: ALMOST made it three times..........There might be a story there........

Paul: And finally, tell us a guilty pleasure about each member of the band!

Josh: I honestly can't think of guilty pleasures for the other guys, so I'll make up so I'll try make up for it with my answer, I really love bad TV, I watch all and get invested in all of the worst things, like Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Desperate Housewives, River Dale and Love Island, don't tell the other guys though, they might not approve haha!

Ryan: Joe is kinda bendy and sucks his own Toes when he thinks nobody can see him …

A good point in which to conclude this interview, I think. Big thanks to Tomorrow is Lost. I’m looking forward to seeing them on Friday at BOA

The Spotlight: BOA Interview With Midnight Prophecy (Paul H)

Liverpool M2TM winners were Midnight Prophecy. A story of determination and pure effort, the band’s bassist Peter grabbed five minutes to answer our questions.

Paul: Let’s start with a brief history of the band ;

MP: We’re mainly based in Liverpool, UK. Well Sam, Pete, Danny & Chris are, our singer Craig comes from Stoke-On-Trent. We have been the same line-up since the start, which was around July/August 2015, in which our 1st live show/gig was in November 2015. So essentially around 4 years we’ve been playing together. Peter, Christopher & Danny had been writing songs together for a few months, then we noticed Sam was a drummer through Facebook - so we invited him down for a practice & with Craig - we put up an advert for a singer on 'Joinmyband' and he replied to us - we liked what we heard & similar story in that we invited him for a practice & it's been the 5 of us since.

Paul: Who is the current line up?

MP: The lineup has been the same since we started in 2015. We have:-

Craig Cairns - Singer/Vocalist & Lyricist
Christopher Dixon - Rhythm / Lead Guitar
Danny Quayle - Rhythm / Lead Guitar
Peter Mansfield - Bassist
Sam Caldwell - Drummer

Paul: Describe the band’s sound and influences?


MP: Our main influences, would be derived of metal bands from the 80's of the NWOBHM era - with bands like: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest etc. We all love bands from that time. We are melodic, and progressive and used our influences to bring that NWOBHM sound into the modern era.

Paul: Prior to Bloodstock, what are some of the highlights for the band so far?

MP: Personally, for us as a band - our highlights would have to include supporting Anvil (which was just unreal), playing SOS Festival 2018 & being asked to play Amplified 2019 on the VMA stage (which sadly got cancelled). Also writing & releasing our own self-titled debut album last year along with recording the music video for one of our album singles Obsidian'.

Paul: Let’s move on to Bloodstock and your road to the festival. Please tell us about your journey?

MP: As a band, we had competed in both the Liverpool (Merseyside) and Manchester M2TM in previous years but never progressed far enough. However, that didn't deter our determination - and we took it upon ourselves to enter the Merseyside M2TM this year. We played against both Riptide Messiah & Sixth Circle in our heat - and won to progress to the Grand Final. Going up against: MARW, Forlorn Hope & Anatamir - we were thinking it could be anyone's night to win. The venue was packed with so many people - it made the night have a fantastic atmosphere. We put everything we had into our set - although we sadly didn't strictly 'win' the Final (that was MARW), Simon Hall announced we would be playing as his 'special guests', which were we honoured by & also made us realise we made an impression on the night.

Paul: Tell us about the build up to your final and how you handled it.

MP: It was a fantastic feeling to know we had reached the Grand Final of the M2TM. In all honesty, we knew the seriousness of the show; given that the prize was playing Bloodstock. We promoted the show through our social media sites, in the hopes of bringing people down - which worked out very well on the night. Besides that, we treated the show like any other gig we would play - in which we always put the crowd first & try to implement crowd participation where we can.

Paul: What about when you were announced as winners? What were the emotions like?

MP: We've all wanted to play Bloodstock for years, so it was a mix of feelings; mainly: surreal, disbelief and incredibly excited. However, also proud, to see our hard work & dedication pay off.

Paul: So, moving on to the festival itself, what can we expect from you?

MP: We’ve started to write a 2nd album, so exciting times ahead. We have tested out a few new songs recently, and one new song will be entering our set at Bloodstock. We're also working on improving our live show and performance & expanding our merch line.

Paul: Which bands are you looking forward to seeing there?

MP: There's lots of talented & fantastic acts playing throughout the whole festival, for us in particular though; we're looking forward to seeing: Sabaton, Powerwolf, Metal Church, Control the Storm, Tomorrow Is Lost, Scorpions, Queensryche, Dee Snider, Witch Tripper, Evil Scarecrow, Raging Speedhorn & Anthrax. Plus, we recently saw Fury will be playing in the VIP Bar on the Friday, so hopefully we'll be able to catch them too!

Paul: Have you been to Bloodstock before?

MP: Only Sam in the band has been to Bloodstock before, in which he holds it in high regard as one of, if not 'the' best alternative festival in the UK. For the rest of us, we're really looking forward to experiencing Bloodstock for the first time, and even more excited to say we'll be playing it as one of the artists.

Paul: If yes, describe the three best things about the festival?

MP: From what Sam told us - " This year will be my 4th now and I have to say I’m dead excited to be there this year! The bin jousting, the line-ups are always insane! The party tree & Midguard is always a madhouse. Bloodstock is by far my favourite festival and will always choose it over other festivals in the country. I absolutely love what they do there, always organised, perfect time of the year and the perfect variety of bands."

Paul: And finally, tell us a guilty pleasure about each member of the band!

MP: Sadly, not all band members present to answer this question...

Craig - "I sometimes have the tendency of wanting to belt out Robbie Williams songs."

Pete - "Whilst I'm not guilty/ashamed of anything I listen to - people may not expect I own several Nickelback albums, makes for good driving music."

Sam - "I don't believe in guilty pleasures; I love everything I listen to and will never feel guilty about it. You like what you like."

Thanks to Peter and the band for their answers. The band play the Friday at BOA on the NEW Blood Stage. If you like your metal done the old way, they should be well worth checking out.