MusicReview

I Am Alpha And Omega Set To Release Full Length Record The Roar And The Whisper

BretD — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:09:44 +0000

Northeast mainstays I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA have announced the September 5th release The Roar and The Whisper, one of the most highly anticipated releases of the summer.

The record, which will be available at Revelation Generation beginning September 5th, is one of the most highly anticipated records of this summer. The Roar and The Whisper is a passionate work of real heart. Chronicling the band’s life over the past year, the title comes from the idea that sometimes messages and lessons in one’s life are sometimes subtlety whispered to the individual and sometimes they are roared in order to be heard and followed.

Look for I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA’S The Roar and The Whisper coming September 5th to iTunes and comeandlive.com

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Press release sent to info@musicreview.co.za

Engel Ink A Deal With Seasons Of Mist

Sergio Pereira — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:44:35 +0000

Season of Mist are proud to welcome industrial metal act Engel!

“We’re extremely proud to say that we’ve inked a deal with the one and only Season of Mist!” the band comments. “It feels really great to be a part of this company and we look forward to our continued success with them on board. With an established roster of some amazing artists already on their books and Season of Mist backing us up, we aim for world domination, starting now!”

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News from Seasons of Mist

Interview: Spirytus Feel The Love From Fred Durst

Sergio Pereira — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:22:27 +0000

“Spirtyus! Remember that f**king name,” said Limp Bizkit frontman, Fred Durst. MusicReview certainly didn’t forget them – in fact, we’ve been keeping a rather close eye on the boys from Nottingham, England. Vocalist Ryan Walton and guitarist Andy K caught up with Sergio and discussed what’s cooking in the world of Spirytus.

Since we last chatted, a lot has been happening for you guys. You’re finally set to release your self-titled debut album, been sponsored by Ibanez, and have had some pretty rad gigs with Shadows Fall and Skindred in the meanwhile. So what held up the initial release of the album?

Ryan: We were shopping the album out to labels and that kind of takes time, as you need to chase and follow up everything. We’ve been playing a lot of shows in support of the album too, so it all takes time, but we’ve finally signed and we’re stoked that everyone’s about to hear the record.

Speaking of getting signed, just how hard is it to get a label to give a shit about you?

Ryan: It’s very hard. Unless you get spotted at a show, most of the time it’s about word of mouth. Labels won’t just turn up to your shows. They need to feel the buzz. It’s getting there, slowly but surely.

Andy K: I think it really depends on the label. We’ve had some labels who aren’t bothered and some labels that were dying to sign us, but for various reasons we didn’t sign with them. We’re happy with the deal we have with Quick Fist and we’re looking forward to working with them.

As your name gets bigger, so does the fan base. Is the groupie following growing as well?

Ryan: I’ll let Andy answer this one… I’m not interested in groupies. I have a beautiful girlfriend that I’m madly in love with. She’s my groupie! Adam loves it though, especially the older woman.

Andy K: Groupies? What are they?

It must obviously piss you off how the music industry runs, but do you ever get disheartened by it?

Ryan: No, not really. To be honest, if you let it get to you, then you’re in the wrong business. You just have to keep your head up and keep plugging away at it. It’s cool when people that you look up to, who are in the industry, give you praise. The people buying the music and coming to the shows make it totally worthwhile. There’s nothing like seeing people singing a song you wrote right back at you at a show.

Andy K: We tend not to look at the bad side of things. As a band we try and stay as optimistic as possible. We love to write, play and record music, and, like Ryan said, if you let the knock backs get to you then you’re in the wrong industry.

What is Spirtyus’ tactic in dealing with bullshit promoters?

Ryan: You ever see that movie Madagascar? Well, we do what the penguins say… ‘Just smile and wave boys, smile and wave’. You can’t let them bother you. We just remember who they are and they get put on the blacklist, that way we know to be very, very wary when in contact with them.

Andy K: Yeah we’ve had our fair share of them, but our manager, Heather, deals with them. She doesn’t take any shit, so we leave her to deal with them.

Fred Durst can’t seem to stop mentioning you guys. Why is this? Is one of your guys supplying him with red caps?

Ryan: That’d be me! I’m not supplying him with red caps though. I’m a huge Bizkit fan and have been since I was 14. They were the band that got me into metal in general. I’m there, every time they come to the UK and I guarantee that I will be at the front for their show. It’s that simple. It’s just what you like ain’t it? It was phat when he pulled me up onstage at Download, even cooler when he pulled me up onstage at London last year. The fact that he remembered me when he saw me in the crowd at Reading and gave us a shout out was sick! ‘Spirytus in the house!’ It would be nice if he signed us to Interscope one day….maybe for our next album!

Do you feel that Spirytus have reached a turning point in their career?

Ryan: I wouldn’t say that we’ve reached a turning point. We’re definitely moving up the ladder, but I think we have to wait to see how successful the album is and what the reaction is like over the next year before we can say we’re at the next level, i.e. picking up tour supports with bigger artists, bigger recognition and radio play. We’ll see.

Andy K: The ball is definitely moving now with the album signing and being endorsed by both Adam’s and my favourite guitar brand, Ibanez. I’ve only ever played Ibanez since I was 12 or 13, and now to be recognised by such a great guitar company as one of their artists is a real honour.

What’s next on the table for Spirytus?

Ryan: World Domination. I want to play big, big shows and I want the whole crowd to be as in to it as I am. That’s the plan; to make every show we play as enjoyable as possible.

Andy K: We’ve got a couple of great potential tours in the pipeline that we’re waiting to confirm. We’re really excited to see how the public like our new album and how well it sells. We put a lot of hard work into it, so fingers crossed.

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za
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Miza’s ‘Superhero’ Is Biggest Track In South Africa

Sergio Pereira — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:41:05 +0000

We are pleased to let you know that Miza’s ‘Superhero’ is the most heard local track in South Africa over the past 7 days! This is perfect timing for his debut album, Moon Dancing, which is scheduled for release on 9 September!

‘Superhero’ is also at number 4 on the International charts.

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Press release from The David Gresham Record Company

Review: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Sergio Pereira — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:44:45 +0000

Sergio reviews Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs.

Artist Name: Arcade Fire
Album Name: The Suburbs
Year: 2010
Genre: Indie Rock

There’s been a lot of hype around Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire since they dethroned Lady Gaga from the top of the Last.fm charts. Truth be told, they’ve been around for nearly 7 years and it’s actually a travesty that they’re only really getting mainstream attention now. If you aren’t familiar with Arcade Fire’s sound, it’s a distinguished brand of innovative indie rock flavoured by sullen lyrics and a lot of instrumentation (these guys often chop and change on stage as they conduct their mini orchestra).

Let’s be honest, indie rock has become pretty bland and it needed a rightful kick up the balloon knot to get back on track, which Arcade Fire have undoubtedly done with their latest release. The Suburbs has been critically praised for its variety and originality. It’s a masterful sonic record that picks and chooses all the right pieces from the different eras of music and combines it tremendously well to create a fluid and entertaining release. The tracks can be slightly playful (‘Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)’), garage rock-powered (‘Month of May’) or downright epic (‘Half Light II (No Celebration)’); the diversity is where the major strength of The Suburbs lies and it’s transparently obvious that this was a well-thought out and planned collection of songs.

A few people might find the lyrics too angry and sulky, but it really does add to the atmosphere. C’mon, show me the one person who is entirely satisfied living in the suburbs! For example, I hate the jersey-wearing poodle who yaps up and down the road and my neighbour’s insistence of playing Wamdue Project’s ‘King of My Castle’ a decade after it was moderately cool – nothing wrong with a little negativity to piss off all the happy chappies! Win Butler and Régine Chassagne do a marvellous job conveying the brutally honest lyrics.

In conclusion, I have only one final statement: believe the hype – The Suburbs is a terrific release!

Best Tracks: ‘The Suburbs’, ‘Empty Room’, ‘Deep Blue’, and ‘Month of May’

91/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za
www.twitter.com/MusicReviewZA
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Anaphys: Post-Prog Hits South Africa

Sergio Pereira — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:28:09 +0000

Sally Fink discovers Anaphys, the new boys in post-prog rock.

Progressive rock is all about pushing technical boundaries, breaking structural conventions and taking music into the realm of the abstract. I’m sure at least one in five people reading this have had a Toolgasm whilst listening to 10 000 Days.

Since the glory days of Tool there’s been a revival of the prog movement with bands like Mew, Circa Survive and Mars Volta taking the genre into new territory, or simply, post-prog. An example of this is Karnivool’s Sound Awake, which takes ideas from Tool and runs with them, hurling them into the sky to see how far they can go.

South Africa, whose biggest rock exports to date have been Seether and The Parlotones, has just caught up with the times with Anaphys, a Cape Town-based self proclaimed post-prog band.

Armed with their Winter Collection, the band launched on 28 August 2010 at The Albert Hall in Woodstock. Although a seemingly odd venue for a live rock show, the rustic charm and quaint stage layout set the perfect scene for its unusual performers.

Anaphys doesn’t do anything ordinary or without reason. Naturally, the opening act was also something out of the box. Instead of yet another local band with faux American accent, two scantily clad Soma Fusion dancers slithered through the crowd. I’ve never seen a more mesmerised audience move to the front of the stage so quickly. But the choice of supporting act had another marked effect: the sensual dancers set the mood for something magical, warming up the audience for something new and exciting, which was to follow. The feeling of mass anticipation was almost tangible.

The band is a four piece comprising vocalist Timothy Lester from the Magic of Pegasus, bassist Jordi Reddy, who last was seen playing for The Sleepers, guitarist Stephen Kukard and Xander van der Westhuizen, also from Magic of Pegasus, on drums.

Lester delivered a big concert performance. His counter tenor voice conducted the crowd through the complicated arrangements, taking them high, taking them low, but never out of synch with the rest of the instruments.

One eager audience member asked, “How do they remember all those notes?” It’s a good question. The band is tight.

The Winter Collection is a multi-conceptual release, with songs running up to seven minutes each. The live performance feels like a single composition quilted from its constituent songs. They each tell a different story, yet seem to hold a singular meaning. The intricacy is a far cry from the run-of-the-mill song structure we hear on the radio these days.

The idea for Anaphys was born in 2004 when Reddy began writing music that he felt challenged the accepted musical conventions. It took five years to perfect the sound, with Lester joining the band in 2006 after responding to an advertisement in the Cape Ads.

“I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand the music, or where it comes from,” explains Lester. “All I can do is let it be whatever it wants to be. It never really stands still long enough for me to identify it.”

Like the music, the name itself means different things to each member of the band. It is clear they are playing for each other, rather than writing songs with a commercial appeal. “If you listen to Anaphys and feel something in the process then it’s for you,” says the vocalist.

Lester echoes Reddy’s desire to take South African music to another level. “We’re not trying to fit into a mould that can be put on a shelf somewhere. We’re trying to be something different; something that no-one’s heard before.

Check out Anaphys’ biography here.

Listen to the tracks online at www.anaphys.com

- Sally Fink

Accept Hit The German Album Charts

Sergio Pereira — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:25:52 +0000

German hard rock and metal legends, Accept, just entered the German album charts at a sensational #4 with Blood Of The Nations! This marks the highest chart entry in the band’s career ever and beats the #5 position of Russian Roulette in 1986!

“This really swept us off our feet!”, says ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann. “Of course you dream about being on top of the charts, but this was pretty much out of the question. We tested new waters with our new singer Mark and emerged as winners! But even more than that, this is the reward for our unique collaboration with our label NUCLEAR BLAST, Brainstorm Music Marketing and all the others who gave their everything for ACCEPT. But most of all we want to thank our fans without whom we would be nothing! Thank you!”

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News from Nuclear Blast

Full Blown Chaos Join Ironclad Recordings

Sergio Pereira — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:24:17 +0000

Ironclad Recordings is proud to announce the addition of heavy hardcore powerhouse Full Blown Chaos from Queens, New York to the roster. The band is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on their follow up to 2007′s bone-crushing “Heavy Lies the Crown” (Ferret Music). The as of yet to be titled album will likely be released sometime in January 2011.

“We have reinforced our style of writing with a more prevalent sound while keeping to our roots of audible mayhem.”, vocalist Ray Mazzola said of the bands new material. “We are a 5 piece now so we are capable of doing so much more.”

Over the years FBC have scoured the World playing over 1000 shows pummeling crowds with their breakdown laden heavy hardcore. Mazzola and company have appeared on such North American tours as Ozzfest, Sounds of the Underground, the Jagermeister tour, countless club tours and five appearances at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. FBC have also toured overseas more than a half dozen times playing European Summer festivals, the Persistence Tour and a handful of club tours.

Touring non-stop has been a creed that Full Blown Chaos deems necessary, “Touring as much as we have in the past is an absolute necessity in this era of music and genre,” Mazzola added. “You need to be in everyones face and make them remember you wether they like it or not. There are so many heavy bands out there its hard to distinguish ones self by music alone sometimes. Our band and music stands out because you can feel and hear the struggle and time we have invested. That alone will set us apart from the impetuous herd of todays groups.”

Full Blown Chaos is:
Ray Mazzola – vocals
Mike Facci – guitar
Jeff Facci – drums
Mark Gumbrecht – guitar
Dustin Jennings – bass
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Press release from Ironclad Recordings

Chromium Announce Recording Of New Album

Sergio Pereira — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:13:07 +0000

The internationally renowned metal group, CHROMIUM, have just announced that they will be going into studio to record their follow up album to their successful sophomore release ‘Confessions Of A Hero’. The yet untitled project is the group’s third album and promises to break all boundaries of the stereotypical metal group.

After a turbulent but highly successful year, CHROMIUM have gone through what would destroy most bands but due to an undying work ethic and extraordinary perseverance, the band have reemerged with a new brand new look, sound and line up. Joining the band from the early days of Corporate War is Justin Du Preez on vocals & guitar and Adrian Basson on bass. The new attitude and personnel has brought a new energy to the already recognizable sound and blistering live performances.

After a terrific UK tour which spanned three weeks and 3000 miles across the country, CHROMIUM learnt what it takes to compete internationally and what the next step in total world domination of the metal genre is. Having realized that opportunities are limited in their home country, CHROMIUM have been adamant on breaking the mould and showcasing their music to the rest of the world. Being seen in the UK has led to a confirmed European tour in 2011 and keen interest from big booking agents in USA.

The third release will be available early next year and the set release date will be announced soon. The album will be recorded at Sonic Precision studios as well as other locations that bring the best out of the band. Comfort is not on CHROMIUM’s mind as they record as being uncomfortable brings out the best in their abilities. Sitting in the producer’s chair is the band’s very own Jared Gunston who has produced hit albums for many groups such as Knave, Wake To Wonder and Van Diens Af.

CHROMIUM is:

Jared Gunston – vocals & guitar
Justin Du Preez – vocals & guitar
Adrian Basson – bass
Hannes Matthysen – drums

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Press release sent to MusicReview

Porcupine Tree: Radio City Music Hall Gig

Sergio Pereira — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:53:47 +0000

Porcupine Tree will be hosting a special in-concert evening at New York’s historic Radio City Music Hall on September 24th, 2010. To see this special one-off appearance in person, go right here for ticket information.

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News from Roadrunner Records