Mad About Rock

THE MAMMOTH RETURNS!! T he UK metal community revels in delight after it’s brightest rising star in the independent festival market makes it’s opening announcements for their next event, MAMMOTHFEST 2016. The 3 day indoor festival, based in Brighton has revealed ALL its 2016 headliners and has opened up sales for a limited quantity of Early Bird tickets (including accommodation options!!!). The festival kicks off it's announcements by revealing Dutch Prog Metal Maniacs, Textures will headline the opening night held at THE HAUNT, Friday 30th September. Saturday 1st October, see’s the legendary incarnation Venom Inc. headline CONCORDE 2 and closing the weekend on Sunday 2nd October at THE GREEN DOOR STORE are UK Battle Doom monsters Conan. But that’s not all, to offer a wider range of choice Mammothfest have also revealed a Black Metal stage that will run on Friday 30th September at THE GREEN DOOR STORE, this will be headlined by UK Black Metal warlords Eastern Front. You can p...

Check out issue 34 of Stencil Mag released 30/11/15 featuring my interview with the creator of Mammothfest UK, Steve Dickson and the success & future of the festival! Plus my reviews of Fightstar, Trivium, Last Of A Dying Breed, Cane Hill, Vanna, The Echo & The Always & Omega Diatribe, as well as my album of the year feature, which went to Disturbed! It features tonnes of great interviews including cover band, Def Leppard & much more! http://issuu.com/stencilmag/docs/issue34/

Murder Mile are a thrash hardcore crossover band from the UK, who have recently released their vexed new EP, titled Murder Mile Hard Core, which sums up the offering brilliantly.. Opening track, ‘Brass Knuckles’ is a heavy slab of old school hardcore with modern thrash elements! It packs a punch with its colossal speed, belligerent screams, top class riffage and shredding solo, to add extra depth, showcasing their blend of angry at the world metal in style! ‘Burn The Hag’ offers no respite in this brutal assault of dark catchy riffs – although the tempo is slower than first offering it is still hot as hell metal. ‘Deathwish’ has a melodic more mellow intro, but this doesn’t last long! It features effective gang chants, in what is the most infectious track so far with many a head banging moment! ‘Devils’ displays some well-crafted instrumental sections, especially with tuneful riffs and breakdowns in this manic frenzied short lived explosion! So we come to the ...

Rome Will Burn are still newcomers, but this electronic alternative pop duo from Arizona, consisting of Alyssa Suede and Manifesto are certainly making an impression with their recently released self titled EP.. First song and latest single, 'Chameleon' radiantly opens with complementary electronic and synth sounds to match the repetitive yet effective vocals. It has brilliant rhythms and melody, and the use of strong language, gives it a slightly harder pop edge. This will easily hide in your mind and is adaptable for listeners, as they achieve what they set out too, with their electronic pop with a difference! 'These Three Words' has a more fragile air to it, with stand out emotive vocals that resonant wonderfully, with sweet sappy lyrics to fit the context, showing they can diversify more-so, and with charming results. 'Waging Romance' has a dramatic more serious feel to, but is very strong and infectiously catchy, making it a must hear, and featu...

Alternative rockers, Mars Royal from Indiana are looking to grow on their expanding fan-base, and with new single, "Berserker", and a new EP due for release late spring/early summer 2016, now is a crucial time for the band. The intro to, "Berserker" gains your attention with isolated drumming, before distorted guitars kick in, and is quickly accompanied by the full swing of vibrant instruments. The vocals jump in at a fast pace and possess plenty of positivity, in both delivery and lyrically. As although the title could well suggest this single is some brutal insane creation, it is quite the musical opposite, which makes a surprising contradiction, being rather chilled out with hopeful inspiring energy, and having an almost indie feel good vibe, which the majority should enjoy. Mars Royal have a interesting and refreshing sound they have produced through their array of influences, so it will be good to see what musical journey they embark upon on their upcom...

Check out the Angle Mixtape feature for Angle magazine/site I write for, showcasing some awesome talent! This feature includes my reviews of Meta-stasis, Weesp, Seratones, King Leviathan, Mannequin & Majentta. This mixtape feature like everything else at Angle is interactive, so you can listen to the song mentioned while reading about it! Click below to see/hear! http://angle-magazine.co.uk/the-angle-mixtape-3/ Also the new Angle Daily magazine is out today, which I contributed to on the news section: http://issuu.com/anglemagazineuk/docs/issue_23/1 Keep an eye out for future Angle Daily Issues & new mixtapes here: http://angle-magazine.co.uk/ http://issuu.com/anglemagazineuk/docs 

C heck out yesterday's Angle Daily, which I contributed too!  http://issuu.com/anglemagazineuk/docs/issue_17/1 Here's a bit of what's in this issue of the Angle Daily. Remember, there's videos and music in this mag, not just text and pictures! On the cover is a photo of Will Knox, taken by Lee Edwards of  Ledwards.photos . Inside you’ll find: Highlights from our Balcony Sessions featuring Martin Ellis, Logan Wilson, Harry Whitburn and Zakk Haydon. As well as photos of Mir Cooke’s guitarist James Brandenburg and Matt Finucane. Music and info on releases and news concerning rising bands/artists like Pity Sex, RingoDeathstarr, Suburban Legends, Cold Snap, Mofoisdead and Bel Esprit. Highlights from our Angle Radar playlist. A review by Cleary Mallard of the latest Thelem EP. Music and info on releases and news concerning major bands/artists like Simple Plan, Fall Out Boy, Demi Lovato, Protest The Hero, Radkey, Bullet For My Valentine and Twisted Sister...

Check out yesterday's new Angle Daily magazine! http://issuu.com/anglemagazineuk/docs/angle_daily-_issue_16/1  This issue features: On the cover is a photo of singer/songwriter Ben Eakins, taken by Lee Edwards of Ledwards.photos . Inside you’ll find: Highlights from our Balcony Sessions featuring Jess Phillips, Logan Wilson, Harry Whitburn and Zakk Haydon. As well as photos of Mir Cooke’s guitarist James Brandenburg and Matt Finucane. Music and info on releases and news concerning rising bands/artists like Indian Handcrafts, All People!, Dream State, &U&I, Junior and Handguns. Highlights from Muggle’s Full Rotation mixtape. A review by Cleary Mallard of the latest Thelem EP. Music and info on releases and news concerning major bands/artists like Brian Fallon, Metallica, Skindred, Tyler The Creator and Gorillaz Trailers, news and previews concerning the hunger games: mockingjay part 2, Hail Caesar, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Expendables 4 and Bryan Crans...

So I have just started contributing to a new interactive music/film magazine, called Angle which features written, audio and visual content (as videos ect included in mag). It aims to bring the latest Music & Film news daily, Monday to Friday! Check out the latest Angle Daily issue now here:  http://issuu.com/anglemagazineuk/docs/angle_daily-_issue_15 This issue contains: On front cover singer/songwriter Jamie Rush and Inside you’ll find: Highlights from our Balcony Sessions featuring Ian Roland, Logan Wilson, Harry Whitburn and Zakk Haydon.  Music and info on releases and news concerning rising bands/artists like Allison Weiss, The Callback Academy, Sexwolf, Any Last Words, Hunter Kill Hunter and The Black Queen. Music and info on releases and news concerning major bands/artists like Brian Fallon, Camera Obscura, Mr Hudson, Roam, Fightstar and Against Me! Trailers, news and previews concerning the hunger games: mockingjay part 2, Hail Caesar, S...

Red Martian describe their sound as neue-shoegazer, as they are trying to bring back this genre from the late 80s/early 90s that was born, known as Post-Paisley Underground but they have done so with a modern twist, to help create their own 'alien' sound on their new concept EP.. Opening title track, "Ghost Into The Fog" is highly atmospheric and melodic, with well written lyrics and vocals that sound distant from front-man, Stephen..like that of objects clouded by 'fog'. This is an intelligible offering which makes for a great opener! "None" sounds instantly more upbeat with solid rock vibes still, and brilliant instrumental sections to lose yourself in, and transcend even further, with spacey sounding vocals to add to the ambient huge presence this one has. It also keeps you guessing with transitions in timing! The next track is know as みなぞう which means 'Minazo' of course! Everyone knows that?!..So yeah this perfectly n...

Hollow Water are a instrumental two-piece outfit, consisting of Huw Roberts on guitar, and Alan Cookson on keyboards/drum programming. Based in Aberystwyth, Wales, UK they have created a strange and wonderful sound, so why not take some time to listen and appreciate their previously released material, in time for their interesting upcoming sci-fi album, "Rainbow's End", featuring a diverse range of musicians from all over the world, in what is to be a concept album inspired by an original photo taken by member, Alan Cookson.. "A New Idea That Won't Get Finished" has a mellow majestic feel, created through the synth sounds from Alan, and pleasant harmonious guitar work from Huw. It has a great overall ambient presence and progresses well throughout, making it an enjoyable track to help wash away your troubles..and although the title suggests an idea won't get finished..rest assured their upcoming concept album will be finished by the turn of the year...

Marc Vanderberg is a talented guitarist and songwriter from Germany, who is influenced by well known guitarists, Kee Marcello, John Norum and Yngwie Malmsteen. His influences certainly shine through in his new collection of songs in EP, "The Four Elements", especially with some impressive surprise guest vocalists!!.. Opening song, "Storm, Thunder and Lightning" is a slow power metal ballad, with soft vocals, from Paulo Cuevas, that still hit hard, as we see brilliant vocal abilities and range from him, which is mighty and impressive! That along with superb harmonies and melodies, makes this a dangerously beautiful concoction, like that of a 'storm'! "Devil May Care" sees a change in pace, and gets things off to a soaring start, with dark old school vocals from the mighty Swedish vocalist, Goran Edman (Ex Malmsteen/Norum), and Marc showing off his killer guitar work, in this all out heavy metal anthem! "Corrosion Of Socie...

Threatpoint is a groove metal band based out of Scranton, Pennsylvania pulling influences from all of the rock and metal spectrum. I caught up with them and asked them about their sound, influences and the future, including their third album which they are currently working on, so be sure to read all about it and check out their technical groove metal!.. For those that aren't familiar, how would you describe your music? Groove metal, simply put. We don't focus on technique or ability... just what we think is good song writing and what would move a live crowd. What would you say are your biggest influences, creatively and musically? We all grew up with a passion for music and playing music. Between all of us, bands like The Doors, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, Sepultura, Pantera and Devildriver to name a few... you can't help but be influenced by what you listen to So you recently parted ways with your bassist, Eric Ross and welcomed Matt Va...

Check out the new latest Stencil Mag featuring tonnes of cool interviews, including cover stars, Coheed & Cambria, Miss May I, Shinedown, The Black Dhalia Murder & More! Also featured are new album reviews, including my reviews of Atreyu, Bring Me The Horizon, Disturbed, Soilwork, Miss May I & Devil Wears Prada! There is a special Warped Tour UK Preview also, which I done the features for August Burns Red, The Word Alive & Trophy Eyes. Be sure to check out all my work, along with all the other awesome content from all!!  http://issuu.com/stencilmag/docs/issue33

Singer and songwriter, Josh Buche from Illinois, Chicago, has a very eclectic taste in music, which helps him to create his own signature sound, and in his first full length album, "Retroflux" he takes us on a weirdly wonderful musical journey... First song, "Ballad Of Juan Guerrero" is a lively ambient acoustic number, which has a dream like vibe to it, whilst having a raw organic feel, which is all helped by the delightful guitars and atmospheric chilled out vocals. This acts a good introduction and first impression, where Josh represents his creative flair admirably.. "Hold My Breath" is very smooth and soothing, where he gets to show of his brilliant guitar skills, and varied soulful emotive vocals further, with precision and fluidity. As we near the end, it takes on a different mood with a crescendo, which makes for a highly memorable number! To keep things fresh and dynamic, "I've Been Waiting" shows his diversity yet again, ...

SmartBlackKid is a multi-talented one man band, all performed by Hakhi Alakhun. He has impressively produced and released ten albums spanning many genres, and with his eleventh release, he has complied the ultimate collection of his songs over his career, in this 'Best Of' album, making for a great opportunity for existing fans to catch up on, and of course for new fans to discover... To get things started we have, "Stand Up" which is ultra smooth with it's beats and rhythms, along with melodic memorable guitar work, with refreshing and charming vocals, all delivered with style! Single "Free Thought" has great catchy hooks and an classic rock vibe, but with a upbeat modern twist, making it a perfect choice for a single and his creative sound offers something a bit different, which is always nice to see.. "Powerful" immediately highlights Hakhi's guitar skills yet again, with ambient and bouncy riffs throughout, with equally pow...

Los Angeles California’s  OTEP  has announced that she has signed with Austrian based Napalm Records.  Famed producer Howard Benson will be handling the productions duties on the band’s new album that is due out in 2016. OTEP  commented on joining the Napalm Records Roster: “Signing with Napalm Records is one of the most exciting alliances I’ve ever made. I haven’t felt this excited to write a new album since  SEVAS TRA . There’s a lot of work to do, a lot of music to write, a lot of things to say, a lot of injustices to confront and a lot of madness to summon and capture.  To be able to forge this sacred alchemy with the dark brilliance of producer Howard Benson is a dream come true.”  Napalm Records A&R Demetri Benoist said about the signing of  OTEP : "Beyond excited to be working with such a polarizing artist who stands for something and is not afraid to speak their mind.  This is a new beginning in  OTEP ’s history ...

Bag Of Nickels from Wilmington, Delaware have been through some hard times, and have just come back after a hiatus with their third independent release, "Amen" which impressively was produced by Dennis Prado and co-produced/mixed with Philadelphia-based, grammy-award winning engineer, Mike Tarsia. To open the album, "Hold Your Form" has smooth, groovy and slick rock 'n' roll tones, with resonant effective vocals, all delivered in style, and takes us back to more old school sounds with notable guitar work..it sounds like they are back and on top 'form'! Next with have, "Impurities" which has some brilliant rhythms and melodies..it's really quite hard to find any faults here! "Trapper Keeper" has a guest appearance from, Danny Carmona, which gives it a different feel and dynamic, whilst in-keeping with the rest of the songs so far.. Again we see Danny Carmona appear in, "The Set Up", which has a great lively...

Austrian Band, Luna Rise return following their successful and thrilling signature EP, "Smoking Kills, But Love Can Break A Heart" with new album, "Dark Days & Bright Nights", where they get to show off their unique melodic rock more-so plus with some extra surprises thrown in the mix.. Open song, "Demons Inside" is highly melodic, aided especially by the electronic sounds..it is fuzzy and delightfully dark all at once, helped by the fierce screams at the end! This is also one of the most diverse offerings, and for those not familiar with the bands sound, this will lure you in wonderfully!.. "Valentine" which has a great accompanying fiery emotive video too, has hard hitting memorable riffs and characteristic charming emotive vocals. This is a beautiful rock offering with a glorious layered sound, this is a must hear, which you are bound to 'adore'! "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" immediately grab...

Many applied through BBC Introducing: The South to be in with a chance of performing at Breakout Festival and the winners have been chosen! Selected by a panel from The BBC and Breakout Festival, We Deny have been awarded the opening slot at this year’s Breakout Festival. In just 2 weeks Breakout Festival will be unleashed. After an epic festival season, rock and metal fans will play out the end of the summer 2015 with at Breakout’s rock fueled blow-out. It’s not just about the music this year though, Breakout Festival promises to be the best way to mark the season close with a wealth of other attractions and entertainment. Keep your eyes peeled for the rides and inflatables! Deaf Havana – SikTh – The Qemists We Are The Ocean - Martyr Defiled – Black Tongue Heck – TRC - By Definition Zoax – Seething Akira The Gospel Youth – Skint Circus – We Deny Breakout is Brighton’s first and only outdoor heavy rock festival. It returns to Brighton racecourse on 26th September 2015...

Reggae metal kings in SKINDRED have just released their brand new single for "Under Attack" from their upcoming album "Volume", set to be released October 30th on Napalm Records. Watch their new video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkJuB656AVc VOLUME - Turn it up to 12! Since 1998 SKINDRED has been responsible for developing their own unique sound blending elements of Metal, Rock, Reggae, Dancehall & Electronica to forge the SKINDRED sound as we know it today. Add to this one of the most charismatic front men in Rock music in Benji Webbe, a man that always knows how to get the party started whether it’s getting Millions of people across the globe to do the now infamous Newport Helicopter or just making them rock harder than they have ever rocked before at any show previously. Volume, the band’s sixth studio album encapsulates everything that is great about SKINDRED. Drawing inspiration from their previous albums such as...

This music project from the multi-talented, Vladyslav Tsarenko from Prague shows instrumental music at it's pinnacle and truly embraces the elements needed to inject emotions and portray his inspiration, solely through his use and interpretation of the music. The main inspirations being events taking place in the world during our time, and the classic novel by George Orwell, '1984'.. The first song to grace our ears is, "War Is Peace", which opens on a very ambient melancholic note, before really coming to life with far reaching guitar work, and leads us wonderfully on to the intense new single for, "Freedom Is Slavery", which also has a very powerful video to accompany it. It manages to encompass the context superbly through the emotive use of the instruments and effects; especially the way it progresses throughout..this is a mighty track which needs to be heard! "Ignorance Is Strength" has a sombre yet hopeful vibe to it, which is ...

Abhorrent Decimation Release 'Miasmic Mutation' Full Album Teaser One of the UK's most promising death metal bands Abhorrent Decimation recently revealed release details for their hugely anticipated debut album, Miasmic Mutation. Out September 25th, and with just over four weeks to D-Day, today marks the unveiling of a full album teaser; a video featuring a short clip from each song.  Watch The Miasmic Mutation Full Album Teaser Here! https://youtu.be/ZAcGQZejC5Y Recorded and engineered by David Archer in the UK before making its way to Sweden to be mixed & mastered by sound wizard Ronnie Björnström (Aeon, Apostasy, Bodyfarm, Krow), the result is a death metal masterpiece. In a sub-genre filled with mediocrity and where only those pushing boundaries are rising, Abhorrent Decimation are a breath of fetid air. The band harness a sound that is both brutal and catchy and that appeals to both the old school and the modern death metal fan. With Metal Hammer...

The quite notorious Steve ‘N’ Seagulls back for some bigger and better shows. Their performances have been capturing the attention of millions (as you can see for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Ao-iNPPUc ) They will be playing a run of UK shows in October. UK TOUR DATES October 26th - Dingwalls - London, UK October 27th - The Slade Rooms - Wolverhampton, UK October 28th - Sound Control - Manchester, UK October 29th - Stereo - Glasgow, UK October 30th - Athletics Club - Rushden, UK October 31st - The Bullingdon - Oxford, UK http://stevenseagulls.mycashflow.fi/

ExoWaves from Stoke-On-Trent are set to release their Double A-Side single on 6th October 2015, they will unveil their futuristic rock 'n' roll sounds in these two distinct and contrasting tracks... To kick things off we have, 'Closest Romantic', which showcases their softer fuzzy side, which the masses can enjoy! Zak's vocals are soft yet strong, with a hard edge and compliment the ambient accompanying instruments. 'Side Effects' has a darker gritty vibe, truly embracing the dazed rock 'n' roll sounds, especially with lines such as, “watching my demons come and go from my soul"! That along with snarly shouts, slick riffs and overdrived instrument outbursts as backup, end things on a high impact memorable note! This is my opinion is the stand out song of the two, but that being said both offer something completely different and are constructed and delivered wonderfully, helping to convey their take and style on the rock '...