Agnostic Front re-release

Just a quick one to say if you haven't yet grab this, do it now. It's the new year, it's a time to enjoy a bit of nostalgia, surely? And my god is this a worthy bit of nostalgia. I'd forgotten just how damn good this band were...tracks like Traitor and Society Suckers...argh, proper NYHC before it got engulfed by metal. I mean, metal's great, and class hybrids like Hatebreed are awesome, but there is a special place in the heart for the no-nonsense gritty rebellion that bands like AF represented back in '84.
So, yes, Victim In Pain & United Blood on one big 21 track album. Think about it. With original designs and slick packaging... Come on, what's not to like?

On an aside...just reviewed Cocoon and don't bother unless you like (a) screamo mixed with bad skate-punk drumming, or (b) anything that sounds even losely like Atreyu. Chaos In Her Wake IS worth a shout, however, as it's pretty evil in parts, but be warned that they are still better live...hey go, give em time.

New Converge!!! (oh & rubbish new AFI)

Converge have posted new track 'Dark Horse' to their MySpacepage - and, oh yes, it promises good things to come ;-)

Meanwhile, AFI appear to have forgotten all they ever new of the punk or hardcore worlds and tumbled into bad American highschool movie pop. If you want a cry go to youtube
Gutted.

Pennywise crumbles

After 20 years and 9 albums, Pennywise singer Jim Lindberg has parted ways with Pennywise. Gutted as they kicked arse live and are responsible for many memories of irresponsible...hee hee.
Still, the band will be continuing without him, meanwhile he can be found working on the film to his book 'Punk Rock Dad'.

Finish! Him, Agnostic Front & The Aggrolites

A random list of bands, you say. I know, but I saw quite a lot this week. And, hey, why be put off by style variety, eh? That and, to be brutally honest, the band I most looked forward to in this bunch was Agnostic Front, who were an utter disappointment. Hey ho. Yes, they have the songs we remember but the rebellious punk ethos seems to have faded and the energy is nowhere near what you'll find at a Terror or Hatebreed gig. Still, it was fun to hear Gotta Go live for the first time.

Finish! Him were more of a positive surprise...they should be back in London some time this month and are worth a glimpse if you like metalcore with a madddd in your face frontman and a loads of weird keyboard effects :-) It is quite loony and yet heavy - and I for one think there should be more up-and-comers this gutsy.

And ahhhh yes The Aggrolites. HOW COOL ARE THIS LOT?! I realise they are in no way shape or form metal, so don't really belong on this blog, but they had such a slick vibe I had to give them a mention. In the name of music, so to speak. Reggae with a smooth frontman and an absolute insistence that you dance cannot be a bad thing.

Bane, Terror & PTW photos!

Truly awesome pics of Bane, Terror, Poison The Well... at 10 for Ten Dollar tour in Atlanta. SICK!!!
Check em out on Flikr
Might have to set me up with a giant ceiling poster!

New Caliban & Winds Of Plague

I've been a bit slack of late due to excess work and random nights out drinking fruit beer watching barn-dancing, but this weekend has nicely kicked me up the arse thanks to our boys Astrohenge and Meantime shows.

Soooo...felt it only right to share the news of new releases from Caliban and Winds Of Plague :-)

Winds have taken a rather radical step by adding keyboards and producing a concept album (The Great Stone War) this time around. It tells of the destruction of civilisation, concludes in a final fight with stone (Don't ask...) and is basically an aggressive death meets black metal melodrama. And, by god, it's fun. 20 days left!

Meanwhile, Caliban have done the opposite and stuck with what they do best in Say Hello To Tragedy, and simply rocked out a giant wad of vicious modern metal. If you've forgotten just how god damn good their drumwork is, grab it without hesitation. It's out mid-August, a new song is on MySpace and they tour the UK in November. Bring it!

New KSE album streamed & a Devildriver track...

OK, it's happening! KSE's new album is available to stream on My Space right now now now now: ENJOY!

I also reviewed it a week or so ago for Metal Hammer so you should be able to find that in the next Hammer issue too (if you can't get to a PC for long enough to stream the whole beautiful creature yourself, that is.

Oh...and the new Devildriver track, Back With A Vengeance, is now on MySpace. The full album, Pray For Villains, will be out the 13th July :-)

VOD @ ULU - hell, the man can shout!!

Oh my good god. This is live hardcore at its most epic. Playing London for the first time in like forever, Vision Of Disorder pretty much set fire to our humble ULU mini-venue this Friday.
Intimate but huge, loud but precise, they're all you require of an oldschool hardcore pack leader. And mannnn is Tim's voice awesome! He's an unbeatable frontman; gloriously rough vocally but at the same time meticulous about making sure every word he spits is perfectly pronounced. The band message comes across clean and inspiring and fans look like lottery winners all night as they sing along and slam about in the pit. Wooooo hooooooo thanks guys - pls come again!!!!!

Metal Hammer Awards

Yes, they took place at the O2 Indigo on Monday and I am stillll recovering. Proof I am old or just proof that no normal human can cope with drinking Jager shots under the same roof as Iron Maiden and half of the Roadrunner roster?

I have a hazy memory of talking about pizzas with Anthrax's Scott Ian, getting rewarded with a hug from Phil from Machine Head for ordering him a JD(on another artist's tab) and brushing past Hatebreed's Jamie Jasta no less than four times and silently drooling. The man may be cute and pretty sweet-natured but I still worship the ground his band walks on, and even after DJing with him I cannot bring myself to ever have a conversation with him. So kill me, he was my one fail of the night.

Hey ho. The live shows were good (Malefice and Devildriver did slick shows making up for Trivium's slightly muddy set) but half as amusing as the chaos back-stage as bands were shunted about to be pushed on stage to accept the awards. I remember seeing girlfriends kept apart from groupies and seeing Bam Magara's mate being carried out with his trousers around his ankles and arse on show. Oh, and believe one chaperone has bite marks to show from minding Steel Panther - hee hee.

Looking back on it now I am finally sober again, I reckon trying not to spill mojitos at Steel Panther's mini-gig at the Regent St Embassy aftershow and being asked for my address by the late Dimebag's girlfriend Rita so she could send me a selection of sequin-stamped hold ups (???) are always good things to tick off on a Monday night. Pity I felt the need to stay on until 5am to drink beer, argue about the state of black metal and hardcore today and watch the on-bar strip show...

Bring on next year, baby ;-)

PTW: 26 days to The Tropic Rot

You may remember that Poison The Well gave a one song taster of new album A Tropic Rot at their Camden 36 Crazyfists gig a month or so ago...and, even despite the muddy sound, it sounded awesome. Well, now, with 26 days to go to the album release, they're streaming another new track called Cinema on their MySpace page. Have a listen, it's nicely angry and fast-paced with a slightly ambient clingy chorus. Very cool. Oh, and if you enter your details in the clever little box there you can get access to further downloads before the release too. Bring 'em on, I say.