Featured Bands

Norway's Altaar have just released the second teaser for their new self titled album which is due out on 26th February.  

The journey began back in 2007. After the dissolution of JR Ewing, Andreas Tylden (also known from One Tail, One Head) established the solo-project Altaar. In the shadows of Vår Frelsers graveyard in Oslo, the cassette "Dødsønske" was recorded. The result was a brooding mixture of black metal, doom, noise, ambient and drone.
 
"I had the need to create music with a broad emotional register, to break from the conventions of earlier methods I used to employ." – Tylden
 
Soon after, the art-academy graduate and noise-musician Sten Ove Toft (Ryfylke, Faux Pas) was initiated into...

In a few hours' time American band Huntress will pop their British live cherry in a small club beside the seaside. As the band begin setting up for soundcheck, a tiny figure in a dark hoodie glides past in the semi-darkness. This is no ghostly apparition but their leader and self-proclaimed witch, singer Jill Janus. She is petite and pretty with piercing eyes and bright blonde hair. You may have seen her. A lot of her. She is not shy about using her good looks in the band's promotional material. Even in civvies-type gear she is striking, and takes a seat on a large couch with a comedic plastic skeleton looking down on her from the bright purple wall. It is almost Hallowe'en and spirits are most definitely high.

Jill has no worries about the first gig on these shores...

Alright now, doom and vinyl fans, won't you listen? You'd better start saving your pretty pennies because Napalm Recrods/Spinning Goblin Productions are exclusively releasing a strictly limited gatefold vinyl edition of Alunah's latest "White Hoarhound".

The vinyl edition will be initially available 100 copies in white and 200 copies in green. Once they are gone, they are gone! Pre-order options will be available soon…so stay tuned!

Jake Mason / ALUNAH

"ALUNAH are extremely proud to say we are joining the Napalm Records / Spinning Goblin Productions family with the upcoming vinyl release of our current album ‘White Hoarhound’...re-mastered especially for the hallowed format".

In case you have missed it Relapse Records have released a free sampler available to download from their bandcamp.

The track listing is as follows:

1. Pig Destroyer - Sis 01:14
2. Ironhorse - Failure 03:03
3. Weapon - Vanguard Of The Morning Star 04:19
4. Baroness - March to the Sea 03:11

Teatime on a drab summer afternoon in a seaside resort. A figure glides along in a grey hooded top and glasses, with the hood up. Could be a moody teenager, complete with the slight head down posture. Or a tech nerd from one of the office blocks on a break. The truth is closer to the latter, but he is no ordinary tech nerd. This is Devin Townsend. After a break of a few months, he is back in Britain to play Download Festival. A few acoustic shows have been added to keep him busy including one in the club, Bournemouth's Sound Circus, I've been going to since my college days.

Townsend seems tired but he is affable and incredibly candid. Tonight is only the third gig after several months away from the stage. That was not much of a holiday. The Canadian was mixing the results of his four-night celebration of the Devin Townsend Project so far, an album per night live in London last November, recorded for the 

This video highlights the state the the current music scene is in.  Matt Drake from Evile discusses just how hard it is being in a band, paying bills, and keeping/getting jobs when not on the road.  Personally I think the bulk of this problem comes down to illegal downloads.  If you want to support the scene, then buy the music of the bands you like, don't steal it!!  

 This Bank Holiday Monday Devin Townsend plays in Bournemouth for the first of 3 acoustic shows in the UK (tickets at £12 on sale here).

We are interviewing the great man himself, so if you have a question you've always wanted answered, head over to our facebook page and let us know.  The best 2 questions will be added to ours. 

Following the Bournemouth date he will

Grimpen Mire are streaming their new album for free.  We've had this on in the office for the last few weeks and it RULES.  Go take a listen at their Soundcloud here:

http://soundcloud.com/grimpen-mire/sets/grimpen-mire-a-plague-upon

Interview - Aaron Aedy from Paradise Lost

by Nicholas Holmes

After days of glorious sunshine, ominous grey storm clouds gather over the hills around the North Wales coast. It coincides with the arrival of arguably British metal's greatest purveyors of doom, Paradise Lost, who are at Hammerfest 4 to play a special co-headline set with US thrash legends Anthrax.

The press area in Prestatyn's Pontins holiday camp, a room full of packed down billiards tables and lights, is buzzing. The mood is far from gloomy, and affable PL rhythm guitarist, Aaron Aedy,  shows the remnants of a tan after the band's recent trip to Australia. He is obviously keen to talk about the their new album, “Tragic Idol”, which will be released on 23^rd April soon after their 24^th anniversary. Other subjects include the forthcoming tour campaign, a fond farewell to long-time buddies Cathedral, happy BMX-ing memories of Pontins and being a tight-fisted Northerner abroad!

Interview – The Mariana Hollow

by Nicholas Holmes

Five people are squeezed into the tiny what-passes-for-a-dressing room backstage at London's Borderline. It is about the size of classic CBBC's famous broom cupboard – but without Edd the Duck. No groupies or giant bowls of white powder either...just about room for a couple stools and a pack of mineral water. The glamour of rock n' roll...

However, the mood is buoyant as London – five-piece The Mariana Hollow prepare to open for fellow British metallers Pythia. Like the headliners, the band have recently released their second album. “Velvet Black Sky” is the follow-up to their debut, 2009's “Coma Heart”, which was mixed by Chris Sheldon (Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters, Skunk Anansie, Anthrax). 

While drummer Adam Stanley and lead guitarist Danny Russell handle another interview, singer Rebecca “Spinky” Spinks, rhythm guitarist Richie Walden and (lead!) bassist Scott Chesworth discuss not being pigeon-holed, tight budgets, taking risks...and why their sticks-man's bum deserves it's own Facebook page!