When you take your own bands affairs into your own hands, then things seem to happen. Leave it to a manager, label, booking agency, sure things will be done but only you will have that drive and passion behind the music you're making. Well this could be easily applied to Cerebral Bore. Just like last weeks UNDERGROUND band (you might have noticed this is called UNDERGRIND, awesome I know but save the laughs for later) The Soulless, they too are on Earache records which is a great position to be in but CB are booking their own tours, making contacts and making their own decisions and they are rapidly building up a fan-base due to pure determination.
The brutal death/grindcore band's popularity has excelled at a ridiculous rate. Countless magazine articles, touring constantly, releasing top quality videos and creating an amazing debut album have only contributed to the recent success of the band and this has been largely due to the hard work of guitarist/manager Paul McGuire. If you haven't heard this band then check out the first video from their new album Maniacal Miscreation.
The Scottish (via Holland) four-piece are a fantastic export of what British metal has to offer. I could be blatant to say the band is fronted by female Som Pluijmers, but with no offence to Som, she doesn't sound like a female when she is singing, for that matter she doesn't even sound like a male, her vocals are seriously incredible and she is only fucking 18. As a 22 year only male, who cannot even come close to her type of vocals, i respect her as a talented vocalist irrespective of her sex, so please leave any of the derogatory fem-vox shit at the door, because she is a better vocalist than you.
The band have tour dates planned right up until June, that will see them play with Putrid Pile in the UK and Ireland, Scotland with Desecration, headline shows in America and Mexico and plans for Eastern Europe and India in Autumn. I will be checking them out with Putrid Pile in May, so expect a live review very soon.
If Cerebral Bore aren't your type of thing, don’t worry, just familiarise yourself with their name, because without doubt, expect to see it a lot more in the future.
It would be fair to say that Job For A Cowboy have gotten progressively poorer. Ruination wasn't bad and Genesis was very promising but they have not released anything that would surpass the quality of the material on Doom.
Well they might just do that on their new EP; Gloom due for release this year. I'm doubting its going to be a Pokemon concept album but early vibes we're getting from it are sounding awesome, the music has got a groove and rhythm to it again and Davy has reintroduced his wretch like vocals. The only thing i have no love for is the solo that comes after the two minute mark because it sounds like something Trivium would write. With that aside, it’s the best thing I’ve heard since Entombment of a Machine.
There's also a video of John Rice performing Signature Of Starving Power, another song i presume bound for the EP, and despite being vocal-less, it is sounding pretty awesome as well. Watch this space for more updates.
Animosity was that band back in the day that got signed before they hit puberty. There's always a band every five years or so that get major recognition when half the members haven’t even hit their teens yet. Often it’s due to a fad, a certain look or a member being ridiculously skilled but in Animosity’s case, they were just a good band.
SHUT IT DOWN
Animosity's debut Shut It Down was recorded when the majority of the band was in their early teens, fair enough it wasn't groundbreaking but I think any judgement can be left at the door considering the context. With that said the ten tracks on that album sound a hell of a lot better than the releases of many established bands today.
EMPIRE
On Empire, the band found their distinctive sound. It was a mix of pure speed, aggression and discordance. Bearing in mind this was released in 2005, many bands like Killswitch Engage were still riding around on the metalcore horse, where as Animosity were making music that sounds much more familiar in this day and age and although it may never have been recognised, they were trend setters. The band bumped into Guy Kozowyk of The Red Chord, who signed them to his Metal Blade sub label Black Market Activities. Off the back of Empire, the band was touring America with Malevolent Creation, Origin, All Shall Perish, Psyopus and this was before any of them had hit 20.
ANIMAL
Animosity’s final studio album Animal, seen a band at their peak. The rawness of Shut It Down and the technicality of Empire were toned to perfection and its clear from the opener of Terrorstorm that Animal is an awesome album. Produced by Kurt Ballou, the band now had an added groove to their music which rang reminiscent of more hardcore tendencies. This addition to their sound saw them touring Europe with Converge.
Then suddenly it was all over.
Here’s what Leo Miller had to say:
You have never seen us rest this long. For those of you wondering about Animosity, you are correct to have assumed that we disbanded. It has been nearly a year since all five of us were in a room (or the same state) together. In this time, we have written zero songs and played zero shows. In short, nothing happened which I mean to say plainly and clearly. We are all still alive and friends, but following our last tour we just did nothing band related. Many of us grew up in this band, and for me personally, Animosity was somehow prioritized over everything including my very own life. This band formed our communities, relationships, experiences and the lens through which we view the world. Eight years later, I look back to being 14 years old playing Animosity shows in garages and backyards and I can honestly say that our musical and experiential goals have been exceeded in ways that once seemed impossible to me. If you haven’t gotten enough of Animosity, please rest assured that we have.
So that explains it, at least there was no Animosity between the members though. (you get it?! trolololol) (no? ok then.....)
So what happened next?
LEO MILLER (Vocals)
Leo worked with Aaron Spectre aka Drumcorps, on remixed tracks from Animal, titled Altered Beast. The pair got along so well that Miller also recorded some vocals for upcoming Drumcorps music and did a short European tour with Spectre taking care of vocals and electronics.
CHASE FRASER (Guitar)
Chase currently plays guitar in The Taste of Blood and the better known Son of Aurelius. Son of Aurelius play modern Tech-Death very similar to a lot of other bands in that genre at the minute, notably Wretched, who the band are currently on tour with along side Last Chance to Reason. SOA have also embarked on tours with Cattle Decapitation, Knights of the Abyss and Whitechapel. Chase also plays guitar for Decrepit Birth but purely in a live capacity.
EVAN BREWER (Bass)
Brewer spent his time after Animosity as a touring bassist for A Life Once Lost and Terror. He also became involved in a project called Climaxes who are a big departure from the scene you would expect him to be in. Evan was recently named the new bassist of The Faceless, and was announced to have a solo album in the works as well which is due for release on Sumerian.
NAVENE KOPERWEIS (Drummer)
Does this man need an introduction?! After a short stint in Sleep Terror, Navene lifted the sticks for instrumental act Animals As Leaders. He also formed his own project titled Fleshwrought with Jonny Davy from Job For A Cowboy. The drummer preformed all music on the album, as well as taking care of the tracking, mixing and editing.
Due to unprecedented nationwide demand BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have added six UK dates to their full-scale European headlining tour. Support comes from ANIMALS AS LEADERS.
September 2011
20th LONDON - Underworld
21st LONDON – Underworld
22nd MANCHESTER – Moho Live
23rd GLASGOW – King Tuts
24th LEEDS – Cockpit
25th BIRMINGHAM – Academy 3
26th BRISTOL – Academy 2
27th CARDIFF – Clwb Ifor Bach
I must admit, I’m not a BTBAM fan; I really don’t get the hype. Yes, I have listened to Colours, yes, I have listened to Alaska but they really bore the tits off me. Usually i can appreciate a band for their musical talent or vocal diversity but I really have no liking for the American quintet.
However when the London dates got announced with Animals as Leaders as support, I was there. Now, you will probably see a lot of AAL ass kissing on here, but that band is epic beyond belief, and regardless who they are playing with, I will see them live.
So imagine how delighted I was to see a Glasgow date added to the tour, and especially in the very intimate King Tuts Wah Wah Hut. Tickets are only £12, and for that giveaway price, I will happily enjoy 30 minutes of Animals as Leaders and walk right out of there. Yeah, seriously. I have left mid-set of Between the Buried and Me before but this time I won’t even stick around to hear the first song.
Sorry if you don’t like what you are hearing but, you enjoy BTBAM, while I walk out the door, with my newly bought Animals As Leaders tee in hand, rambling on to my girlfriend about just how awesome Navene, Tosin and Javier are in the flesh. If you are a fan of either band, I urge you to get to a date; it will be an experience to say the least.
What was wrong with Ignominious Incarceration? I had only learned how to spell the Bath bands name and then they changed it to The Soulless last October. Well regardless what they are called now, the Earache five piece are ready to unveil their new name, new line up and new album to the world this May.
The name alone, Ignominious Incarceration suggests technical, brutal and relentless, and to be honest that would sum them up pretty well. II were not afraid to be heavy, their debut Of Winter Born was pummelling from start to finish. Typical death vocals layered with intricate guitars and complexed drumming made them popular among the UK underground scene but the band largely went unnoticed. Now, whether the band/label felt their name had something to do with that or not, is another issue but still signed to Earache, the band have reinvented themselves as The Soulless, the big question is, what else has changed?
Musically, they sound like a different band. Now very influenced by the likes of Bleed From Within and While She Sleeps, there is a clear melodic edge to the bands music, thankfully however, Andy Wardle has not decided to include any clean singing and actually sounds much much better vocally. The band has also included two new members to the fold, guitarist Kristen Dawson and Dan Wilding (Trigger The Bloodshed, Aborted).
Not sure what UK festival to hit this summer? Well if you can’t afford to spend hundreds for the luxury of a few days in a field, you really should consider Ghostfest.
Dating since 2005, the two day fest has always demonstrated the best in British metal and hardcore along side huge international acts. Such bands to grace the Ghostfest stage have been Johnny Truant, Sikth, Bring Me the Horizon, Devil Sold His Soul, Eternal Lord, Trigger the Bloodshed, Job for a Cowboy and countless others. The festivals 2009 line up seen the headline combo of Despised Icon and Whitechapel which gathered huge interest upon metal fans beyond the British mainland.
This year’s line up was finalised and confirmed today with the Saturday headliner finally being announced. Check out the line up below.
There are 32 bands over the whole weekend; here are 6 of the best from each day.
SATURDAY - Viatrophy, Ingested, Martyr Defiled, Bleed From Within, Annotations of an Autopsy, Heart of a Coward.
SUNDAY - Suicide Silence, After the Burial, Heights, All Shall Perish, Silent Screams, Against the Flood.
Who would I have liked to have seen?
The Soulless, While She Sleeps, Ted Maul, The Eyes Of A Traitor, Dyscarnate and Monuments.
Ghostfest is held in Leeds University on the 25th/26th June.
Weekend tickets are £30. Day tickets are £20.
Its probably going to sell out soon, so if you want to go, buy now.
There's always a problem when a band change their vocalist. When you find out that a band has a new singer, you will go and listen to one of the earlier tracks and then listen to a new track and judge immediately.
Sadly Arsonists Get All The Girls are one of these bands. For me their best release was The Game of Life, that was a noisy, frantic and at times a schizophrenic album but it was original. Even Hits from the Bow was an unreal debut. However in the two years it took the band to release Portals, four members had been replaced including the main vocalist. For me, this means the band may as well rename themselves. The vocal combination of Cameron Reed and Remi Rodberg is not easy to mimic, the music that band made was similar to Sikth, Protest The Hero in the sense that, basically there’s no point trying to cover it.
Enter 'Portals', not literally, rather the album. So there’s still a heavy influence in the keyboard department, the vocalist is very similar to that on The Game of Life, the music is a little bit more contained and less sporadic. Does it still sound good? Yes it fucking does, listen to this...
Regardless though there is still the overwhelming feeling that this isn't the band you got into and to be honest they aren't but they are as close to AGATG as any band are going to get. So a further two years after Portals we have Motherland due for release on May 17th.
It was clear on the last album that AGATG had matured, a lot, it was more epic futuristic score and less cartoons, ice cream and Nintendo but on Motherland, maybe we are getting more of a balance. In any case this is Arsonists Get All The Girls, we are not going to get another Game of Life but does it matter when they are writing stuff as good as this?!
