VIDEO PREMIERE: Coilguns announce Ireland Tour & debut "Millenials" live performance

Fresh from decimating the UK and Europe with a string of stunning live shows following the release of their critically lauded new LP, “Millenials” Coilguns are set to hit Ireland for a batch of live  dates kicking off on the 15^th May.  The band commented:

"We’ve toured Ireland twice a few years back and we are stoked to be returning to the place where we’ve made so many friends. We’re even happier that the tour is promoted by Ruiair and Josh from FEAST. We toured together with Josh’s band Ilenkus back then and when FEAST just started doing local shows. It’s great to see them now taking over national tours. As this wasn’t not enough, support for these shows will come from Bailer which features David Cleere on bass. I can’t even recall since when David and us are friends but sharing the tour with him and the lads will surely be a blast. Ireland, get your helmets on."

“Millennials “is available at the following links.  For physical: here and digital at the usual outlets.  To demonstrate just how devastating their live performances are,  check out the ferocious performance of their track “Millennials” below.  A full list of dates can also be found below.  

Coilguns Irish Live Rituals:

May 15th - Belfast @ Voodoo Belfast w/ Disconnect, Bosco Ramos*
Coilguns / Bailer / Disconnect / Bosco Ramos

May 16th - Dublin @ Grandsocial*

May 17th - Cork @ Fred Zeppelins w/ God Alone.*
Coilguns / Bailer / God Alone (Cork)

May 18th - Limerick @ Dolans Pub w/ Shardborne*
Coilguns / Bailer / Shardborne - Kasbah, Dolans, Limerick

May 19th - Galway @ Roisin Dubh*
Coilguns + Bailer

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

Live Review: RanestRane / Steve Rothery. Band On The Wall, Manchester, UK. 6/11/14

“I used to be a Marillion fan.”  There, I’ve said it.  I loved the early 80’s Marillion with which Steve Rothery was a founder member and with whom he is still the guitarist.  I never really got to grips with the Steve Hogarth era, preferring the cutting dynamic of the Fish led band.  But I am not here to reminisce, although I did later on.

  

Opening were Italian proggers RanestRane, delivering their cinematic prog-rock experience “A Space Odyssey”.  Inspired by the film “2001: A Space Odyssey”, which drummer Daniele Pomo describes as “the most important film ever made”, they proceeded over the next 45 minutes to perform this, with projections from the film, all timed to perfection.   This does give the film a new direction although I have to admit I found myself concentrating on the projection and not the music.  A consequence of which has made me want to watch the film again, probably not what RanestRane were hoping for. 

 

During the break the guy next to me starts talking:  “I’ve seen Marillion 12 times, they are fantastic and I don’t care what other people say.”  He obviously saw me making notes, was I wasting my time reviewing the gig?  The guy next to him says “I’ve seen them 21 times.” He is wearing a Marillion Fan Convention t-shirt.  I look around and many of the crowd are wearing similar t-shirts from different conventions.  It’s a strange crowd: Marillion-spotters and anoraks.  Fortunately the break is short.

For those who are unaware of Steve Rothery, he is hailed as a master guitarist.  Not for Yngwie/Vai speed but for the warmth and tone in his playing, in a similar vein to David Gilmour of Pink Floyd to whom he is often compared.  The first half of Rothery’s set is a performance of his first solo studio album, “The Ghosts Of Pripyat”, interestingly a crowdfunded project.  Rothery had previously been asked by record companies in the 80’s and 90’s to record one but there had always been the clash with his day job in Marillion.

 

These were beautifully balanced pieces of music, carefully crafted and executed.  So different to Marillion in some ways, but comfortably familiar in others.  The stand outs were “Old Man of the Sea” and the poignant “Yesterdays Hero” although there wasn’t a bad moment in this part of the set.

Another short break and the band returned for the second half of Rothery’s performance of older Marillion songs.  His choices based on his favourite guitar solos, much to the delight of most of the crowd who yearn to hear these older songs.  The band is now supplemented with singer Martin Jakubski, from tribute band StillMarillion, who uncannily sounds just like Fish.  A Marillion anoraks wet dream? Quite possibly.

I had escaped the talker and moved next to the mixing desk, having photographed the band during the first three songs.  In front of me was someone ‘dad dancing’ and showing off to his mate that he knew every word to every song.  Sing-a-long Marillion perhaps?

“Cinderella Search” started well, Jakubski handling his Fish vocals perfectly.  But, being able to adapt to the Steve Hogarth era song “Afraid Of Sunlight” was a surprise and was probably the best performance by Rothery and his band, turning it into a powerful masterpiece and ended up being my favourite song of the evening.  “Incubus” was thankfully without the embarrassing Fish polaroid introduction but the dad-dancer became visibly over excited whilst singing along “…Nursing an erection, a misplaced reaction…”.  Some people need to get out more, or was I now suffering from Marillion-fan-aphobia?   I decided to move again.

“Chelsea Monday” was its usual mournful self and left me reminiscing of pre-record contract Marillion, who I saw many times, Jakubski once again nailing the vocals.  I had to pinch myself during “Fugazi”, again the vocals so Fish-like.   Rothery’s guitar remained masterful but adaptable to ensure the solos were not direct copies of the originals but still fitting in perfectly.  Although a Steve Rothery gig, the empashis was most definitely on the band as a whole to deliver these sterling performances, Rothery quietly getting on with his subtle guitar playing.

The encore of “Lavender/Heart Of Lothian” was a more relaxed yet buoyant affair, a fine way to end the gig.  I left bang on the last note in fear of an onslaught from some of the crowd, wanting to force a convention t-shirt in my direction!

Words by: Anthony Firmin

Live Review: Farseer / Ancient Ascendant / Darkest Era @ Manchester Sound Control. 26th September 2014

Gigs at Sound Control on certain days are an odd entity. On this particular night, there was an early finish in place due to a club night afterwards. This meant that the opening acts were on stage very early doors.

Scotland's Farseer took to the stage at the hideously early time of 6.55pm. Consequently, the crowd was sparse. I tip my hat to the band though. Their galloping sound and falsetto vocal style was delivered with good energy on a stage where if you put just one more amp on or move that little bit quickly...you might get hurt! The band influences were obvious in their attire. The band were sporting Helloween, Iron Maiden and Primordial shirts amongst their ranks.

Ancient Ascendant are a band that I've followed and had a lot of time for since I saw them with the legendary Enslaved and the mighty Winterfylleth last year. I was looking forward to hearing some of the new material played live after being unfamiliar with it at Black Country Metal Fest earlier this year.

Luckily, a large clutch of the set list was dedicated to the quite superb 'Echoes and Cinder'. Whilst the new album material sounds sublime, the band trawled their back catalogue. 'Under Ancient Stone' was a particular highlight. Its shift between black metal monster and traditional groove oriented rock is a complete and utter firecracker of a track. The closing riff and groove is the absolute bollocks. I sincerely hope that Ancient Ascendant gain the accolades they deserve in the not too distant future.

Darkest Era’s bow finally came and they bounded on stage to deliver a rip roaring set full of impassioned Celtic tinged metal. The five piece sounded incredibly tight and mixed material up well from their two album releases. The crowd for the show was still not huge; I can only assume that metal fans had the night off to go see Kylie…however, the passion from the band reverberated with the crowd and the atmosphere was great, with people that really cared about the music and helping to keep the vibrant metal scene in Manchester ticking.

From the opening of 'The Serpent & The Shadow' to the closing of 'The Morrigan', Darkest Era were bombastic in their playing and delivery of the songs. With vocalist, Krum, venturing into the crowd to sing many of the songs, it was hard not to feel encapsulated by a band that has a whole host of epic metal songs in the same vein as Primordial, with many nods to heroes such as Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden (see Sons of God & Men).

Highlights of the set included a fantastic version of 'Beyond The Grey Veil'; which could make a claim to take the place of any track on Load or Reload in the mid 90’s and thrash any of those other tracks into submission. The penultimate track of the evening was the self-titled track of the bands’ first full long player; 'The Last Caress of Light'. Clocking in at eleven minutes, it was a joy to hear such a precisely honed track played live with such aplomb.

Overall, the evening was a superb showcase of bands proving themselves in a market that is hard to crack. Markets don’t matter when you can travel from town to town and make friends who all share a common love; metal. If you get the chance to catch any of these bands live, make sure you get involved.

Words by: Dominic Walsh

Live Review: HARK, Conan, High On Fire. The Camden Underworld, London, UK 09/08/2014

The night is heavy with anticipation. A sold out show at the Underworld Camden means absolute madness in most cases and this is no exception. Stopping off in London for a special one off show, High On Fire take on one of Camden’s most intimate venues for an evening of audible delight and beer fuelled debauchery. Starting off the evening as it means to go on, Welsh sludgers HARK bought the noise as they powered through a heavy, technical set. Destructive vocals and powerful riffs were on the menu tonight, but unfortunately their sound may have been just too brutal for the venue as a bit of the technicality they manage so well on record was lost to the highly reflective Underworld. A fantastic performance with lots of energy however completely made up for this, as did their signing of a super sweet trans-orange 7" for me. Cheers lads, I’ll be sure to catch you again!

Next up, the show was slowed down 300% as doom monoliths Conan took to the stage. Drawn out phrases of earth shattering distortion laid down by Liverpool's finest absolutely demolished my expectations (in a positive way). I found great pleasure in pressing my back up against the rear wall of the venue to feel the oscillating of those beautiful MATAMP's working, my whole body vibrating to the crazy thunder of guitar and bass. Conan have that beautiful quality of their name being an accurate description of their sound. Almost like an onomatopoeia, just saying their name conjures images of desolation and brutality, an perfect representation of their sound.

After a short change over, finally Oakland’s premier power trio were on. At this point I had drank enough beer to sedate a rhino, while trying to stand on a practically broken ankle, so I couldn't go as mental as the music demanded of me. Rocking a sweet Lemmy style handlebar moustache, guitar legend Matt Pike announced the first song to an instantaneous explosion of energy. The crowd erupted into a frenzied mosh of bodies as the aptly named 'Fury Whip' whipped up a fury! This music just fills you with exuberance, every fibre of your being tingling with excitement and the need to move. Powering on, riff after riff, something occurred to me. This may just be an opinion but having seen Motorhead fairly recently, High On Fire really feel like what they could have been if they formed (nearly) 25 years later. It's the whole vibe of the music and the relentless rock and roll attitude, or maybe it was just the tache that made me think it! Their sound was great too, with great clarity and balance to the EQ. Songs like the closer 'Snakes For The Divine'  where emotive journeys through metal making the camaraderie and kinship of music palpable as friends and strangers alike banded together for the love of one of metals finest bands. As the show drew to a close, the lack of encore left a slightly anti climactic feeling in the air, something that only another High on Fire show could cure! I can't wait until next time.

Check the set list bellow and sound out about how jealous you are that you missed it! Thanks for reading Y'all!

1.Fury Whip
2.Fertile Green
3.Madness of an Architect
4.Comets Down Hessian
5.Frost Hammer
6.Baghdad
7.Devilution
8.Serums Of Liao
9.Rumours Of War
10.Surrounded By Thieves
11.Snakes For The Divine

Words by: Asher G. Alexander

Live Review: Tax The Heat, Black Star Riders. Birmingham Asylum, UK, 7/8/2014

Show openers Tax The Heat took to the stage like a band that has been around the block a few times despite their obviously young age. With their 60s-influenced stomp and retro blues swagger, the pop-rockers delivered a blinding set of upbeat numbers to an increasingly cheerful audience. Sonically, the band produced a blend of Muse-style grandiosity to complement a vocalist reminiscent of Alterbridge’s Myles Kennedy in his more melodic moods. Whilst the band could be considered a leftfield choice to open for classic rockers Black Star Riders, the audience baying for the headline act lapped up their twin-guitar style. A Telecaster’s infamous twang balanced out the gruff low-end of the Les Paul whilst accompanied by the steady rattle of a Precision Bass. By the end of their set, Tax the Heat had demonstrated exactly why they were invited to perform by briefly touching on different elements of classic rock; their rhythm and blues roots were evident and could easily be compared to a young ‘The Who’, in their popular mod-rock era.

Headline act Black Star Riders made their entrance with the kind of swagger you would expect from musicians with such a long and varied history; Scott Gorham (guitar) had the audience eating out of his hand and front man Ricky Warwick took command of the crowd with his powerful stage presence. The band’s set list featured a welcome mix of the band’s own songs and Thin Lizzy anthems. What is particularly special about Black Star Riders is that they do not merely sound like a Thin Lizzy tribute act, but an unequivocally relevant force in modern rock music.

Ricky Warwick, the former front man of ‘The Almighty’, demonstrates his worth time after time. He could hardly be blamed for basking triumphantly, arms aloft, in the spotlight after delivering anthems like ‘Bad Reputation’ and ‘Jailbreak’.  Thin Lizzy stalwart Scott Gorham, whilst visibly aged, shows why he is considered one of rock’s greatest axe men; he can give guitarists half his age a run for their money any day of the week.

The stage show evokes the spirit of rock n’ roll excess and decadence of the hedonistic 1970's but the band take time to balance this with a more serious mood; the pace is hastened to reflect on the continuing war and political struggles taking place in other parts of the world before delivering a rousing rendition of ‘Emerald’. This was the sort of performance that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, where every word the Northern Irishman sings sounds sincere.

Black Star Riders have developed their own signature tunes, the legendary sing-along anthems that will be remembered for generations – the contemplative ‘Hey Judas’ and the stirring ‘Bound for Glory’ to name but two. Essentially Black Star Riders do not just continue the Thin Lizzy legacy, but build upon it and forge their own place in rock history.

Words by: Jay Ackerman

The Sludgelord News : ABORTED - reveals details for upcoming album 'The Necrotic Manifesto'

Death metal psychopaths ABORTED have just finished their eighth full-length, 'The Necrotic Manifesto', with Danish producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, MERCENARY)! The album will be released on April 28^th in Europe and on April 29^th in North America via Century Media Records.

Front-man Sven de Caluwé comments: "I can't believe we did it to be honest. We had a little over 3 months from start to master on this record-- everyone really gave 300% on this record, and it was an absolute pleasure to work with Jacob once again, who really pulled the best out of all our asses. I can say in all honesty that “The Necrotic Manifesto” is without a doubt the strongest record ABORTED has done thus far and could not be more proud of everyone involved in the project. It is the most brutal, extreme and technical record of the band without losing sight of groove and catchiness, which are all vital elements of this band. We cannot wait to get out there and start playing some new material in front of people and get some feedback on what we did in these intense months. Besides this I am very thrilled to have some of my favorite vocalists on this record as guests. Both Phlegethon (WORMED) and Vincent Bennett (THE ACACIA STRAIN) brought their own brand of burp to the table and really complemented the songs they are on! The artwork has been done by Par Olofsson (PATHOLOGY, IMMOLATION, IMMORTAL)."

'The Necrotic Manifesto' track-listing:
1. Six Feet Of Foreplay
2. The Extirpation Agenda
3. Necrotic Manifesto
4. An Enumeration Of Cadavers
5. Your Entitlement Means Nothing
6. The Davidian Deceit
7. Coffin Upon Coffin
8. Chronicles Of Detruncation
9. Sade & Libertine Lunacy
10. Die Verzweiflung
11. Excremental Veracity
12. Purity Of Perversion
13. Of Dead Skin & Decay
14. Cenobites

In support of 'The Necrotic Manifesto' ABORTED will tour North America together with Kataklysm in April. ABORTED will return to Europe in May for a handful of release shows before heading into the festival season.

ABORTED line-up:
Sven De Caluwe: Gurgloroth
Mendel Bij De Leij: Flesh Upon The Razor Wire
Danny Tunker: Immaculate Resection
JB van der Wal: Nocturnal Pulse
Ken Bedene: Hymen Blaster

ABORTED live:
22.02.   BlastFest - Bergen (NO)
27.03.   Empire - Springfield, VA (US)
28.03.   Sounds Asylum - Middletown, NY (US)
29.03.   The Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA (US)
30.03    Montage Music Hall - Rochester, NY (US)
31.03    Bogie's - Albany, NY (US)
01.04.   Middle-East - Cambridge, MA (US)
02.04.   Palace Theater - Stafford Springs, CT (US)
03.04.   St. Vitus - Brooklyn, NY (US)
04.04.   Club Soda - Montreal, QC (CA) *
05.04.   El Mocambo - Toronto, ON (CA) *
06.04.   The Foundry - Lakewood, OH (US) *
07.04.   High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI (US) *
08.04.   Zoo Cabaret - Winnipeg, MB (CA) *
09.04.   The Exchange - Regina, SK (CA) *
10.04.   Pawn Shop - Edmonton, AB (CA) *
11.04.   Republik - Calgary, AB (CA) *
12.04.   Columbo Lodge - Kamloops, BC (CA) *
13.04.   Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC (CA) *
14.04.   Studio Seven - Seattle, WA (US) *
15.04.   Jub Jubs - Reno, NV (US) *
16.04.   DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA (US) *
17.04.   Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CA (US) *
18.04.   Mirror Image - Anaheim, CA (US) *
19.04.   Joe's Grotto - Phoenix, AZ (US) * 
20.04.   Tricky Falls - El Paso, TX (US) *
21.04.   Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO (US) *
22.04.   Riot Room - Kansas City, MO (US) *
23.04.   Reggie's - Chicago, IL (US) *
30.04.   Magasin 4 - Brussels (BE)
01.05.   Steinbruch Theater - Darmstadt (DE) **
02.05.   Neurotic Deathfest - Tilburg (NL)
18.07.   Boarstream Festival - Mulfingen (DE)
19.07.   Grindtastic Open Air - Mittelsinn (DE)
21.07.   Metal Days - Tolmin (SI)
01.08.   Xtreme Fest - Albi (FR)
08.08.   Party San Open Air - Schlotheim (DE)
10.08.   Bloodstock - Walton on Trent (UK)
14.08.   Summer Breeze - Dinkelsbühl (DE)
23.08.   Kaltenbach Festival - Spital am Semmering (AT)
* with KATAKLYSM
** 'The Necrotic Manifesto' release show w/ GORGUTS, MISERY INDEX
 

ABORTED online:
http://www.goremageddon.be/
https://www.facebook.com/Abortedofficial
http://instagram.com/abortedmetal#
https://myspace.com/abortedmetal
http://www.reverbnation.com/aborted
https://twitter.com/abortedmetal
http://www.youtube.com/user/abortedbelgium

Century Media Records online:
www.centurymedia.com
www.youtube.com/centurymedia
www.twitter.com/centurymediaeu
www.facebook.com/centurymedia

Century Media webshop:
www.cmdistro.com

Source : The Noise Cartel

The Sludgelord News : A STORM OF LIGHT: New York Metal Alchemists Announce Long-Anticipated Live Dates!

The sound manipulators of New York's favorite metal alchemists, A STORM OF LIGHT, are very pleased to announce a long-anticipated run of live excursions beginning with a string of US shows next month. Slated to commence on February 25th in York, Pennsylvania, A STORM OF LIGHT will bring their foreboding soundscapes to Columbus, Chicago, Erie and Brooklyn alongside shoegaze metallers, Junius. Come April/May, the band will head overseas to storm Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and the UK in addition to stops at the illustrious Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands and Inferno Festival in Norway! Additional A STORM OF LIGHT live rituals, both stateside and abroad, will be disclosed in the weeks to come.

A STORM OF LIGHT

2/25/2014 The Depot - York, PA w/ Junius

2/26/2014 Kobo - Columbus, OH w/ Junius

2/27/2014 Reggie's - Chicago, IL w/ Junius

2/28/2014 The Crooked I - Erie, PA w/ Junius

3/01/2014 Brooklyn Night Bazaar - Brooklyn, NY

4/07/2014 Bingo - Kiev, UA

4/08/2014 Re:public - Minsk, BY

4/09/2014 Plan B - Moscow, RU

4/10/2014 Roadburn Festival @ 013 - Tilburg, NL

4/10/2014 Mod - St. Petersburg, RU

4/16/2014 Inferno Festival - Oslo, NO

5/02/2014 Motion - Bristol, UK

A STORM OF LIGHT will be touring in support of their critically-adored Nations To Flames full-length released last year via Southern Lord Recordings. Featuring Soundgarden's Kim Thayil and Indian's Will Lindsay on select tracks, A STORM OF LIGHT's Nations to Flames centers itself on the apex of human failure and bears witness to the fall of all governments, all nations, and all religions. Called, "the strongest STORM album to date," by Metal Injection and, "the soundtrack to our damnation," in a near perfect review by About.com, who further boasts, "... A STORM OF LIGHT have an intensity that burns with the fire of creativity and artfulness while still relaying the message of how seriously doomed mankind is," Nations to Flames finds the band at their creative apex both musically and conceptually.

In an 8.5/10 rating, Blabbermouth relays, "Reflective more of industrial and splatterpunk than the dirge modes that have characterized A STORM OF LIGHT's more recent works, Nations to Flames is still joined at the hip by those core values of punched-up doom and explorative embellishments. We may be inevitably fucked as a world, but at least we have bands like this to give us fierce empathy straight to the bitter end." Music Emissions shared the sentiment, "...dark themes of drowning, destruction and despair are perfectly suited to A STORM OF LIGHT's impressively pressurized sound... the group's haunting harmonic drone meshing guitar, vocals and subtle keyboard layers gives listeners a sense of slow suffocation in waves of noise rather than straightforward pummeling," Exclaim crowned the record "their best release to date," while Ghost Cult elaborates, "Neurosis and early Mastodon are the clearest reference points, but there are plenty of other influences that can be felt through; the sludge of Crowbar or The Melvins ('Fall,' 'You Are The Hunted'), High On Fire's relentless pummeling ('The Fire Sermon') and even Killing Joke's industrial-tinged aggression ('Dead Flags,' 'Omen')."

Nations to Flames was recorded with Travis Kammeyer (OCOAI, Generation Of Vipers) at Fahrenheit Studios in Johnson City, Tennessee, mixed with Matt Bayles (Isis, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Botch, Mastodon) at Red Room Recording in Seattle, Washington and mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, From Ashes Rise, Nails) at Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon.

Nations to Flames is out now via Southern Lord Recordings. Order your copy HERE.

For more information : 

http://astormoflight.com
http://astormoflightsl.bandcamp.com/album/nations-to-flames
http://www.southernlord.com
http://southernlord.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/SLadmin
http://twitter.com/twatterlord

Source : EarSplit PR

The Sludgelord News : Cowbell Promotions Presents : Grifter, Valfader, Gringo, Gouranga - 22/2/2014, St. James Wine Vaults, Bath, UK

Follow the link for more information

https://www.facebook.com/events/455389437906529/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming