RAMzine 26 | Trivium, Danny Wright, Isolation Diaries

ock & metal
ISSUE #26 WWW.RAMZINE.CO.UK

16
#FESTIVALFLASHBACK
Music photographer Ashley
Crowson looks back through
the past four years for some
festival favourite photos.
Lindsay Teske
Assistant Editor
assitant.editor@ramzine.co.uk
Support
Emerging
Artists
Our current climate has
disproportionately impacted
emerging and/
or independent artists
and their ability to
sustain their careers.
However, outlined
here are some simple
steps you can take to
continue to support
them during this
time. Right now,
music discovery is absolutely
paramount.
Think of the last few
gigs you went to
and look up who the
openers were on those
evenings. Chances are,
this will lead you to discovering
newer talent
whose sound you very
well may take a linking
to. Moreover, checking
out artists on the roster
of a local independent
label near you can
serve as another
means through
which to accomplish
this as well. With that
said, if you do hear
something you like
from one of these
artists, tell someone
about it! Word of mouth
is still one of the most
powerful marketing
tools at our disposal.
Lastly, if you’re able to
provide monetary
supportvia merchandise
or music purchases,
doing so could help
to supplement the loss
in revenue many artists
are currently facing
from no longer being
able to perform live
during at least the early
onset of the summer.
2

Ashley Crowson
Senior Contributor
ash@ramzine.co.uk
Guitarist, photographer,
geek, gamer, full
on metalhead and
allround barfly.
Neale McGeever
Senior Contributor
neale@ramzine.co.uk
An entertainment
writer from the North
East. I’m also big in to
movies & video games.
Megadeth at
Bloodstock ‘17
08
RAMzine Classic
In this issue’s RAMzine Classic
we take a look back at T.Rex’s
1972 classic The Slider.
Words by Tom Dixon.
Jay Brown
Assistant Editor
assitant.editor@ramzine.co.uk
Raised on motown and
rock, now with a deep
love for all things metal
and heavy rock.
rock & metal
WWW.RAMZINE.CO.UK
Amid Global
Crisis The
Rock and Metal
Community
Remain Strong!
We are amidst a global
crisis, at the time of
writing there have been
over 16,000 deaths
in the UK and over
160,000 worldwide. Our generation, not even
our parents have ever experienced a global
crisis like this. The last global pandemic was
just after the first world war with the Spanish
Flu which killed 250,000 people in the UK. So
what’s life like right now? Well most countries
are ‘locked down’ - this means various things in
different places but essentially we can’t leave
the house unless it’s for an essential reason such
as to buy food. There are those who are taking
the pandemic seriously and keeping to social
distancing guidelines and there are those who
seem to be clueless, or a non-believer, ignoring
rules in supermarkets and continuing to sun
bave and even attempting to go on holiday..
To which they receive a fine from the police.
Gigs and festivals across the globe have been
cancelled and right now we don’t know when
they are going to be allowed to go ahead. For
me, and thousands of others this will be our first
years of missing Download Festival since we
were in our teens!. For many our routines have
been turned upside down, being put on furlough
or losing jobs. Our country has shown great
community spirit by clapping for NHS staff and
key works every Thursday night. This reminds
me of the spirit of the rock and metal community
at festivals and gigs. We are a community of
music lovers and when someone falls (in the pit
or elsewhere) you pick them up! There’s so much
new music and livestream performances coming
out now, and we’ve got time to check it out!
Although right now
the future is unclear
(we don’t know what
will happen with the
economy, our jobs, our health) one thing is
certain and that’s that things will start to look up,
festivals and gigs will reschedule, and it’s going
to be one hell of a party when we finally get to
hear some live music with our mates over a pint!
#StayHome
Victoria Purcell
Editor
vicky@ramzine.co.uk
3

drink responsibly!
You may have heard of bands releasing their own
beer, whiskey, even gin. Well, Welsh rockers Bullet
For My Valentine has taken it a step further and
commissioned their own honey mead - Walking
The Demon. This is made by Lyme Bay Winery, and
described as “Sweet and moreish, with rich, deep
honey flavours”, this is celebrating a drink that the
band love and feel their fans will too. Mead is the
oldest recorded alcoholic drink surrounded by
myth and legend. This is 14.5% in volume so drink
responsibly. You can order a bottle from Lyme Bay’s
website, where you can also get a t-shirt. Waking
The Demon is also available on Amazon.
American metal legends Lamb Of God have
collaborated with Scottish craft beer giants
Brewdog, the brewers behind Punk IPA and Elvis
Juice. The difference with this beer, named Ghost
Walker, is it appeals to non-drinkers. Making this
the first collaborative non-alcoholic beer. This
was planned to be launched at the beginning of
Lamb Of God’s spring tour, but due to the COV-
ID-19 pandemic - dates have been canceled. Instead,
this co-insides with the launch of the video
of the same name, ‘Ghost Walker’. The beer was
inspired by vocalist Randy Blythe being blown
away by Brewdog AF (alcohol-free) beer. The
beer is availableto pre-order at the below link.
https://shopusa.brewdog.com/products/lamb-of-god-ghost-walker
4

Billy Talent have been releasing videos on their
YouTube channel as part of their ‘Forgiveness’ series.
Once you get into this little action/adventure
video series you become curious about where the
story line is going next, it’s exciting! The footage is
beautifully shot by award-winning Canadian director
Michael Maxxis, in New Mexico. The series
is groundbreakingly bold and an ambitious thing
for a band to put together. These videos are all in
aid of the bands new album which they are still
recording. The band have also recently released
a new song ‘I Beg to Differ (This Will Get Better)’
which is a track that fully encapsulates what we
are going through during the global crisis.
Teenage drummer Maren Alford is just 14 years old and
is part of pop punk girl band Not Ur Girlfrenz who have
already played Warped Tour, played many shows in the
USA and supported Bowling For Soup on tour in the UK…
twice! Maren first covered SlipKnot’s ‘Unsainted’ to which
Maren told us “I had made the video just for fun, to push
myself as I had never learned any songs like that before...
Jay (SlipKnot Drummer) really loved it which is really all
that matters to me because he is a really big idol for me”.
Back by popular demand Maren has now covered Slip-
Knot’s ‘All Out Life’ which Jay has already commented on
saying “Killing It”. Not Ur Girlfrenz recently released new
single ‘Game Over’ which you can find the video for on
YouTube or listen to on all the usual streaming platforms.
5

Interview by Victoria Purcell
Dubbed “The Prince of Pop Punk”
by the BBC, London based solo
artist Danny Wright has been
working on new music following on
from his debut EP Breath in 2019.
Danny is a supporter of how the
misunderstood youth can seek to find
their way through the way the world
now works, being understanding of
this era’s common feelings such as
anxiety and depression. He is a positive
voice in the fight against “breaking
away from the conformities of the
older generations”.
In this interview we discuss recent
single ‘I Hate Everything’ and the message
behind it. New single ‘Broken
Youth’ is set for release on 8th May
2020 via all streaming platforms.
Hi Danny, how’s it going? Are you
currently isolating and how are
you dealing with the way things are
during this global pandemic?
I’m good thank you. I am self-isolating,
it is a very strange time but I’m trying
to keep myself active with music and
I’m also using the time to educate myself
a bit more with music production;
which is something that I have always
wanted to get better at.
Do you have any tips for people who
are struggling with isolation?
This time right now is going to go
down in history and spoken about for
years to come, so I think people should
try to make positive memories - so
when they think back to this time it
will bring some joy out of the significant
moment in history. Maybe learn
a new skill, or start that hobby you always
wanted to do, a lot of people talk
about not having the time to do what
they really want. There is a lot of time
now as the world has slowed down.
Create some positive memories.
Tell us about your background in
music and how you got to the point
you are at now?
I have been obsessed with music since
a little kid and I have followed that
obsession for years, I taught myself
guitar playing along to my favourite
bands such as Blink 182 and Green
Day. I started bands in school, covering
my favourite bands, and then later
started my first band called DissolvedIn;
writing my own original songs
which went on to tour all over Europe
playing festivals and supporting some
of our favourite bands at the time.
After the band journey ended, there
was a period where I wasn’t doing music
as an artist anymore and was more
of a ‘session player’, working on shows
like The X Factor and Britain’s Got
Talent. Fast forward a few years and
I started the journey of being a solo
artist, which was quite a big transition
for me, having grown up listening
to ‘band’ music, being in bands and
always visioning myself in a band setting.
This was quite a slow transition
for me that started in 2017, which has
led me here today. I’ve put out a bunch
of solo music now and I am well into
my solo career, playing shows, writing
songs and building a community
which I am truly grateful for.
You’ve openly spoken about metal
health on social media and we
at RAMzine agree that it’s really
important to speak about it. What
advice do you have for those who
are struggling?
My advice will always be, to not be
ashamed or embarrassed talking
about it, especially men. You don’t
have to act like you have got all your
shit together just to appear strong or
desirable. There is strength in vulnerability.
The more you talk about what
you’re struggling with the easier it will
6

e to look at and tackle. Whether it’s
talking to a professional in the field
or a trusted friend or family member,
talking is good!
In the UK we tend to have a culture
of feeling that our issues are not as
important as the next persons, and
we are cautious of not ‘wasting people’s
time’ or we feel like it would be
easier to just deal with things alone.
However, it seems all too common
that this culture / upbringing
encourages people to be reluctant
about accepting help. How do you
believe the UK can tackle this?
It’s definitely a pride and ego thing that
is stopping us being more open about
it. I think we need to break the stigma
around the conversation of mental
health and seeking help. It’s nothing to
be ashamed of and its for the benefit
of your wellbeing. I think the UK
media can tackle this by promoting
it as a ‘good for you lifestyle’ topic.
Just like health and fitness which has
been a hugely popular topic in the
last few years through media, I think
mental health should be the same!
It would make it seem less daunting
and super private, and would help
normalise it. There are a few pockets
of communities who talk very openly
about mental health and seeking help
with no shame attached to it. I think
this needs to be everywhere. We are
slowly getting there.
We’ve been listening to ‘I Hate
Everything’, what was this song
written about?
This song is about those days when
you don’t really like yourself, you hate
everything in your wardrobe or you
just can’t get your hair to look the
way you want. The song was written
with a sarcastic tone to laugh off those
feelings of insecurity. The ultimate
message of the song is to embrace all
of yourself and to not let those passing
feelings of insecurity dictate your day,
or even your life. I had a lot of input
from fans on this track, they shared
their experiences with me on the
topic.
Who would be your dream line-up
to tour with?
Blink 182, Senses Fail, The Used,
Machine Gun Kelly - that would be a
pretty sick line up!
What are your plans in terms of
writing and releasing new music?
I have new music to release very soon.
I have written and recorded a bunch
of new stuff, which I think is some of
my best and most honest work. Musically
some of it has gone back to some
of the artists I love from that early 00’s
era. Lyrically it’s very insightful and
exposing of some of my experiences
as an adult.
Thank for speaking to us and are
looking forward to hearing your
new stuff!
If anyone reading this is looking to
seek help with mental health try
to speak with a family member or
friend. Or speak to your GP or a
charity such as Mind who can point
you in the right direction and give
you some advice.
www.mind.org.uk.
7

By Tom Dixon
If you think only of feather boas,
sparkly make-up and platform
boots when discussing Marc Bolan
and T. Rex, then think again. Yes,
he was all of those but, importantly,
behind it all he was a fierce talent; an
exceptional guitar player and composer.
His early, acoustic work as Tyrannosaurus
Rex was complex and a bit
‘folky and trippy’ but still had a touch
of genius behind it. Then he shortened
the name to T.Rex and began to make
waves with the first eponymous album
and then the even better Electric Warrior.
However, in my mind, he came of
electric age with the rounded, skilful
quality of the 1972 release, The Slider.
If I was in any doubts, then when I
saw him in concert in 1973 at Newcastle
City Hall, they were well and truly
quashed. Bolan commanded the stage
and, even above the hoards of screaming
teeny-boppers, his guitar prowess
in the solos shone through. (An
interesting aside – I only got the tickets
when a close friend (Brian Ross, who
later became lead singer (and still is)
for Blitzkrieg split from his girlfriend
and asked me along instead.)
This album was a natural progression
and, like Sweet, displayed a true rock
side over and above the glam singles.
The singles will be familiar: ‘Metal
Guru’ and ‘Telegram Sam’ have the
trademark heavy riff to back the
glam verses and choruses and, as
always they’re full of lyrical twists
and turns that are either very clever
or just plain unfathomable. I never
worked out what a “silver studded
sabre-toothed dream” was. However, it
is the album-only tracks that deserve a
closer listen. ‘Mystic Lady’ brings back
Bolan’s acoustic skills but with electric
backing, its lilt and complexity is entrancing
as well as damnably catchy. I
defy you not to join in the “baby, baby,
bop-a-da-da-da”. ‘Rock On’ has another
catchy, heavy riff behind the orchestration
and needs close listening to
appreciate all of the many nuances;
especially the very good lead burst
and backing piano. ‘The Slider’ is slow
and heavy blues-rock with a brilliant
riff and percussion that quickly becomes
what some call an ear-worm. I
prefer the term “aural sex” as worms
suggest something less edifying! ‘Baby
Boomerang’ is pure fun with the rock
again defying the glam label and the
lyrics tying the tongue and brain in
knots as you try to sing along and understand
what the hell he is going on
about… love it! ‘Spaceball Ricochet’ is
back to electric and acoustic with
sweeping and clever phrasing on the
guitar and a cracking bass behind it
all. It has purity and innocence too as
you can hear the pick on the strings as
he paradoxically sings about his Les
Paul on an acoustic track. ‘Buick McKane’
has the best riff of all and one that
has been copied by quite a few bands
since. It is truly heavy and listen out
for the genius guitar work in the extended
riff repeat: it shows how good
he is, even if the album was a little light
on extended soloing. ‘Rabbit Fighter’ is
an orchestrated, acoustic/electric
ballad that many a band would be
proud of… even if I don’t think being a
rabbit fighter is such a feat! The electric
guitar throughout is simple and
very clever as it plays around with the
melodies and makes this a memorable
song on many levels. ‘Baby Strange’ is
yet another rock based, catchy as hell
song hiding in plain sight behind the
glam. ‘Ballrooms Of Mars’ is a slow,
almost bluesy, rock ballad that has so
much behind the vocals to listen too
and yet, Bolan never over complicated
or overfilled the backing… and producer
Tony Visconti seemed to always
know how to get the best out of the
whole band. The multi-tracked guitar
solos on are stunning and illustrate the
whole point of revisiting this classic
album; even it is woefully short for
me. ‘Chariot Choogle’ (no, me neither)
is back to rock with touches of glam
and another infectious riff. The phased
guitar solo is genius too. The final
track, ‘Main Man’, is a simple structure
that, on first listen, seems repetitive
and heading toward boring - but a
few listens in and we’re back into the
world of aural sex… especially with the
quality bass line.
So, forget the labels; do yourself a favour
and listen to the man behind the
glam and treat yourself to some quality
rock. It may not be heavy, heavy, but
it has weight and skill and those great
riffs that have inspired so many. This is
quality, real rock by any measure.
8

By Tom Dixon
The 60s was the decade that formulated and forged the music we loved through all subsequent
decades. There are, of course, the obvious trailblazers: The Shadows (sans Cliff), The Kinks, The
Troggs, Cream, The Yardbirds, Hendrix, Sabbath etc. However I thought it better to draw your
attention to the lesser known but equally seminal pioneers of heavy rock, even if it wasn’t called
that quite yet. So, let me introduce you to the six best songs of the 60s that deserve to be as lauded
as their contemporaries, because they certainly influenced many of the artists that followed.
1
2
3
4
5
6
SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON (II)
The first half of the decade saw the blues resurgence as US artists began touring over here;
Sister Rosetta Tharpe and her white SG guitar for example. It was new to the UK players like
Sonny Boy Williamson (II) who are undoubtedly responsible for the birth of blues-rock - if you
listen to him on the album Nine Below Zero and especially on the superb ‘Bring It On Home’ from
1963 you will see where it all began. You’ll hear the inspiration for certain artists who eventually
acknowledged the originator.
JOHN LEE HOOKER
Self proclaimed Boogie Man, John Lee Hooker also moved the towards rock with his guitar style
and attack. ‘One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer’ shows how it was all beginning to develop into
riff based blues-rock. This style began to develop into true rock as bands began to use those
templates and expand them into uncharted territory.
13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS
13th Floor Elevators were as radical as any of their contemporaries and the ’67 Easter
Everywhere album showed an inherent feel for weighty pop/rock with a variety and depth many
attempted and failed however these guys didn’t and ‘Pictures (Leave Your Body Behind)’ is a
perfect illustration.
HEAVY JELLY
Heavy Jelly didn’t make waves (or wobbles) despite being on the fledgling Island label but their
eight minute slice of class, ‘I Keep Singing That Same Old Song’ from ’68 has it all - heavy rock
that predicted what was soon to come.
THE GODS
The modestly named The Gods included a young, pre-Heep Ken Hensley and on the ’68 Genesis
album showed how heavy proggy rock was soon to develop. The opening track, ‘Towards
The Skies’ has it all - riff, brilliant guitar solo and Hensley’s familiar Hammond and harmonies.
MAN
I cannot leave out the formidable Man who went on to record so much excellent heavy rock.
Their early output deserves to be heard too. The marvelously named ‘Spunk Box’ from their
second album of ’69 shows Deke Leonard at his most imperious (it was actually called ‘Spunk
Rock’ but was mistitled by the record label).
So there are 6 - I could have listed 666 but I think these show how the decade was one of
experimentation, diversity, and exploitation of emerging technology that the bands that
followed owe such a debt. Seek them out and as Rod Evans sang in 1969, “So listen, so learn,
so read on…”
9

10

Interview by Ashley Crowson
The year 2020, what a year it’s
been already! We’ve had our
festivals, gigs, pubs... (the list goes
on) and about everything we take for
granted taken away from us by the
dreaded Covid-19. On the plus side,
it has occurred in this day and age,
fifteen or twenty years ago, things
would be much worse! These days we
have amazing internet connections to
keep some sense of socialising, virtual
pubs, virtual gigs, they aren’t the same,
but they are something. One thing that
it can’t replicate though, is the build up
for tours and album releases. Trivium
are releasing their ninth studio release
What The Dead Men Say, and courtesy
of the internet, we were able to
catch up with guitarist Corey Beaulieu
about it and the band. So have a
read, stay indoors, stay safe, and with
any luck, we will be back to getting
outdoors and gigs sooner rather than
later!
RAMzine: We’re close to the release
of What the Dead Men Say, what
can the fans expect from this release
and what was your inspiration
for it?
Corey: They’re gonna get a full on
ripping Trivium album that contains
everything they’ve come to expect
from us. With the previous record The
Sin and the Sentence (Sin) we really
found and solidified the sound that
we feel combines all the best things
we’ve done as a band into the Trivium
sound. On this album we wanted to
continue to build off the foundation we
set with Sin.
The Sin and the Sentence saw a
nomination for a Grammy. Does it
bring any pressure to writing?
It was really cool to get the recognition
with the Grammy nod but awards and
stuff like that doesn’t add any pressure
on us. We just like to write music and
are always hungry to write the best
possible material we can together.
What the Dead Man Say sounds like
it had plenty of thought go into it as
a title and like there is something
behind it. What, if any proved to be
the most challenging song on the
album to write, and what has the
biggest meaning behind it for you
all?
The title ‘Paolo’ came across from a
Philip K. Dick story, we thought the title
was cool and wrote it down! When we
were jamming and writing the music
for the song we all wrote the chorus
on the spot and the title just worked
out perfectly. With the four of us the
creative chemistry is great and none
of the songs were difficult to write,
every song we put together in a few
hours. When we get in a room together
and start creating, the ideas just
flow. We all spend lots of time writing
and preparing song ideas and passing
around demos so when we get to the
jam phase we have lots of stuff to
work off of.
How have you guys changed over
the years in your approach to recording?
Has the process changed
much from your younger days?
The recording process hasn’t really
changed - the big difference from
going through making nine albums is
that we know the process we like to
follow in the writing, pre-production
phases before recording. We’ve tried
some different ways suggested by
different producers and looking back
we knew that’s not the way we like to
work.
Trivium started to hit the mainstream
just as the industry was
close to changing in how we listen
and buy music, while many seem
to have struggled with that, Trivium
have been one of those few that
12

have really pushed ahead and not
seemed to have been hit by it. Is
it a right place, right time sort of
approach, or have you been able to
embrace it easier because of your
age at the time?
Growing up we all bought CDs but
when Napster hit we were in high
school - we all used it and discovered
lots of new bands because of it
and would then go buy those band’s
albums. So we were introduced to
the early version of what we have
today in streaming services, which
we all use as well. I think we just
have always been supportive of new
platforms and if that’s the way of the
future, you need to embrace it and
find the best way to take advantage of
it .
You were always that band that was
given the moniker of the next Metallica,
how do you live up with that
hanging over your head, and how
does it feel to be in a position like
you are today where to some bands,
you are their Metallica?
Well when we first came out it certainly
was a good marketing tool to get
attention! We’ve always had big goals
which were inspired by being fans
of Metallica, now we’re older we just
want to be the best Trivium we can. It’s
really cool and humbling to have newer
bands who were inspired to pick up
an instrument or start a band because
of our music.
After nine albums, you haven’t
strayed from your sound in the
beginnings of your studio releases
whilst still maturing in writing
ability, during this time you’ve stood
your ground as trends seem to have
come and gone, what has it been
that has made you not change your
style and stick to your guns?
We write the music we want to listen
to as a metal fan and the style is just
what comes out of us. We aren’t motivated
by other factors in how we write
music at the end of the day - the four
of us have our name on that product
and we have to stand behind our
work and be proud of the music we
put out, that will last forever.
Over the twenty or so years that
you guys have been active as a
band, you’ve gone through all the
highs and lows you could expect
from critics and fans alike - how do
you deal with both sides of that coin,
what sort of toll does that take? How
do you handle the pressures of it
now?
With the internet and social media, no
matter who you are or what you put
out there’re always gonna be negative
comments - regardless if you put out
your magnum opus album, haha. We
13

developed a thick skin early on, coming
out in the spotlight being so young
- so shit doesn’t phase us at all. We are
all pretty chill dudes and don’t get
worked up about stuff so that kind of
pressure isn’t really an issue. We have
confidence in our ability to write our
kind of music and have a good bond
as a band; no one is bearing the full
weight of anything that we have to do.
We live in a day where mental
health is often openly spoken about,
and Trivium seemed to hit it big at a
really young age before it was openly
discussed - how do you deal with
the fame and success like that at
that age, and how has that affected
you all later in life?
It definitely was a whirlwind, to experience
this big change and people
picking apart your appearance and
your music; we had to learn and adapt
pretty quick. It definitely had an effect
on the follow up, with The Crusade we
weren’t working well as a band and
some of the negative press stuff was
bothering people because at that age it
can feel very attacking when you just
want to be accepted. We learned not
to listen to the noise of people, in this
career path everyone gets the positive/
negative thrown at you.
Obviously we’re now at a time when
everything in all our lives is up in
the air and we are stuck indoors,
new music is a great release for our
frustrations, but how has it affected
the band as a whole to put in all this
work and not be out to celebrate the
release and support it?
We are all in good spirits and happy
that when so much live music has
been canceled/postponed, we can
give everyone this album to enjoy
when content and entertainment are
in higher demand. We were looking
forward to getting back on tour to
promote the album but we know
safety of our fans is more important
than touring right now. We know we
will be able to play for everyone again
so we just have to be patient and make
good use of the time! We’ve had to be
creative in how we engage and promote
our new album with everything
having to be done online. It’s different
but we’re doing our best with the situation
we’ve been dealt. We also have
been writing new material so fans
won’t have to wait so long for more
new Trivium so I’m sure that will make
some fans happy!
Matt is very active on Twitch and
shares some of that on YouTube too
with play throughs, gear talk, and
general gaming and ramblings.
What impact does that bring to the
band as a whole and connectivity
with the fan base as a whole?
Matt has been doing Twitch for a few
years now and has really grown it.
He’s developed a really awesome
community of fans and now Trivium
is crossing over into the gaming world
more and more after developing new
friendships with people in that gaming
world so it’s really exciting stuff. We
played Dreamhack and were invited
to Blizzcon and the recent unveiling
of the Spawn character for Mortal
Kombat for which our music was
used. We look forward to having more
14

crossovers with different platforms in
the future and growing, expanding
Trivium’s reach!
What advice would you give someone
wanting to start out playing,
finding their first band or starting
their first gig?
Just play what you love and enjoy being
creative. Big thing is as soon as you
can I’d find friends or other people
that play an instrument and just play
with those other people, that musical
experience will help you develop and
make playing a lot of fun! Starting a
band, there is no manual on how to
do that - either you have like minded
friends and go from there or find a
group that’s looking for a member.
Finally, when you look back over
your career so far, there must
have been some really amazing
highs and some tough lows to come
through, are there any highlights
and sobering lows that come to
mind that you’d like to share of your
journey?
Luckily we haven’t had any lows that
go that low where you have a rock
bottom moment. We enjoy what we do
so much that the sheer fact we get to
do this for a career makes the whole
journey a high. Every time we make
a record it is a milestone and playing
historic venues, festivals, and performing
and meeting bands we grew up
idolizing makes it such an amazing
experience being in this band!
What The Dead Men Say is out from
April 24th via Roadrunner Records.
15

16

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Photos by Ashley Crowson

19

Judas Priest
Bloodstock 2018
By Ashley Crowson

Scorpions
Stone Free 2018
By Ashley Crowson

Blind River
Will at Bloodstock 2017
22By Ashley Crowson

AND THE SKY DARKENED
BETWEEN GHOSTS
IRONSTONE
PROPHECY
SERTRALINE
CLOUDED MINDS & SILVER
Metalcore outfit And the Sky Darkened
are most easily comparable to
BFMV & modern Trivium. This is due
to their ability to combine complex,
heavy riffing with grand arena-rock
vocals and soaring harmonised guitar
lines. For an upcoming band it boasts
some strong riffs and instrumental
performances. The EP shows off their
ability to take from all of their influences,
including Metallica and Alter
Bridge, and blend it into something
that has the potential to become a reputable
name in the hard rock scene.
Review by Dale Unsworth
Ironstone are a metalcore band from
Melbourne and on this, their debut
EP, they give us six cuts to show what
they’re capable of. They can certainly
rock as they blitz their way through
this EP but they also offer a varied
mix of styles. They’re not all flat-out
‘going for the throat’ rock, they’re also
subtle and their influences are more
contemporary rather than copying
seventies classic rock. This EP’s a good
indication of what Ironstone have got
to offer. They’re set to release debut EP
Prophecy on the 29th of May 2020.
Review by Laurence Todd
Sertraline are one of those bands it’s hard
to define in terms of genre with elements of
easycore, djent, and straight-up hard rock.
That’s the best thing about them, you never
know what you are going to get next. This
EP is a testament to this. I still can’t wrap
my head around how Lizzy Parry can
do the crisp, clean vocals as well as the
gritty guttural metal vocals. At only five
tracks long, this is kind of an appetiser
for something else much bigger. Clouded
Minds & Silver Lines is the band’s follow
up to 2017’s Guilty and will be released on
the 15th of May 2020.
Review by Neale McGeever
DEIFIED
ANTHROBSCENE
Deified are set to release their forthcoming
EP Anthrobscene. The album title is a perfect
choice, a word that is a metaphor for the ‘geological
epoch’ we find ourselves residing in.
Aside from its incredibly apt timing, the tracks
within fully support that nihilistic view. Each
of the eight tracks provide a dark fast-paced
insight into humanity affects not only each
other but the world in which we encompass,
from politics, CEO’s and the systematic forced
integration of AI into our lives. If you like your
metal hard hitting, philosophical and rammed
full of chugging riffs, then this is certainly a
band worth checking out.
Review by Rich Broome
24

PATRÓN
PATRÓN
The album cover depicting a distressed
woman with one nipple exposed sort of
sets the tone for what the self-titled album
from Patrón is like: a bit naughty (at least
it tries to be). It sounds like they are trying
to be like QOTSA from the start. Morover,
there are elements of ner rock, country, and
blues present. I think some members want
to break out into a toned-down version of
Rob Zombie or Wednesday 13, and I feel
that would work better for Patrón. Patrón
release their self-titled debut album via
Klonosphere on 29th May 2020.
Review by Neale McGeever
SHAPE OF WATER
GREAT ILLUSIONS
A million miles from a stereotypical
Manchester band (Happy Mondays,
Oasis, etc) Italian duo Rox Capriotti
and Luca De Falco have grafted their
bones to create the artistic synth pop/
hard rock hybrid that is Great Illusions
- which will be released by Eclipse
Records on June 12th 2020. Think
Depeche Mode meets 2020 hard rock.
The scene of 2008 will eat this up. Perfect
festival music, lighters up! See the
song that got them noticed, their cover
of ‘Ultravox – Dancing With Tears In
My Eyes’ on YouTube.
Review by Sophie Wegner
BENIGHTED
OBSCENE REPRESSEDY
Obscene Repressed is the angry
bastard follow up to the monster of a
release Necrobleed from Frances
Benighted. A veracious beating of
death and grind metal that makes
no apologies for itself, ear shattering
insanity delivered at machine gun
speed with no fear of experimentation.
Obscene Repressed sees Benighted
continue with their A-game, even
bringing in guests like hardcore legend
Jamey Jasta and a bonus Slipknot
cover could just be enough to entice
those not so into the extreme heavy.
Review by Ashley Crowson
DIE EGO
CULTO
London metal crew Die Ego bring us
their debut album. Bellowing guitar
solos and addictive groove-metal
melodies adorn this strong first effort.
‘Demons have Demons’ stands out
with crushing drumming and ‘There Is
No Tomorrow’ has strong live potential.
Culto has everything fans want
from a groove metal record, but offers
things that more established acts have
perhaps overlooked. This is pleasing,
solid heavy metal for 2020; akin to
Machine Head but more way more
daring and diverse.
Review by Sean Rafferty
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DEAD REYNOLDS
FRONTIER
DALI
VOL 1
THE WILD!
STILL BELIEVE IN ROCK AND ROLL
The mature alt rock of Dead Reynolds
is apparent on their second EP,
Frontier. They maintain the Foos/Muse
vibe but added infectiousness. ‘PS - I
Loathe You’ blends the best of alt,
riffiness with melody and structure.
‘Bright Lights’ adds weight without
going too Sabbath. The single, ‘Lines’
wraps up the four tracks with Def
Leppard-like chords but turned inside
out and made alt and, did I say infectious?
The album is different enough
to warrant you seeking them out and
following their improving skills.
Review by Tom Dixon
Southampton based Dali release their
debut EP Vol 1, with four tracks of
subtle and involving rock. ‘Borrowed
Time’ moves from light to heavy and
back with alt. riffs that engage. ‘You’re
Not The One’ teases with a tasty
solo. ‘Close’ is the Foos playing The
Undertones with wheels fully down.
‘Wasteland’ has a superb bass pinning
down a U2 feel, but more entertaining.
There’s also two radio edits - new
tracks would’ve been better. Vol. 1 is a
strong debut for alt rock lovers. Dali is
a band worth seeking out.
Review by Tom Dixon
Canadian band The Wild! is a fascinating
blend of Bon Scott era AC/DC and Hanoi
Rocks, especially on opener ‘Bad News’.
The album follows that rock with attitude
pattern and makes you Still Believe In Rock
And Roll. Raucous but with skill, they are
ones to watch. The title track is 70s rock
that bites. ‘Playing With Fire’ has great riffs
that may sound similar but isn’t; ‘Goin’ To
Hell’ out - Aussies those other pretenders
and has a brilliant solo to boot. The Wild!
will release Still Believe In Rock And Roll
on 1st May 2020 via One. Buy it and enjoy
their whisky guzzling attitude.
Review by Tom Dixon
EVERYDAY HEROES
A TALE OF SIN & SORROW
If there is a better album to usher in the warmer
weather this year then I am yet to hear it.
South Wales’ Everyday Heroes have put together
a perfect soundtrack to a garden party or
lazy warm day, drink in hand. Complete with
blistering hot licks and southern tinged riffs A
Tale of Sin and Sorrow is an album that’s good
for the soul. It covers a lot of ground too, deep
and moody to upbeat and vibrant, it’s all here.
Packed with heavyweight tunes, this album
sounds like it’s just been blasted out of a sunbleached
deserted and into this debut full
length that is sure to set Everyday Heroes on a
trajectory for success.
Review by Jay Brown
26

AWOLNATION
ANGEL MINERS
& THE LIGHTNING RIDERS
Opener ‘The Best’ (one version has ‘No Roots’
electropopsinger, Alice Merton) is hallucinogenic
and corruptible. The “heavy metal /
hollow wood” concept is transmutable and,
while simply europopical, this definitely makes
an impact. ‘Slam (Angel Miners)’ appears to
have psychogenic origins, with a buzzing not
a million miles from what German band Trio
was doing in 1982, (Da Da Da). Amazing Tijuana-style
‘Fiesta Fever’ with Magnetic Zeroist
Ebert is sparklingly nurturing. Essentially,
some sounds here are Crash Bandicoot, others
are big cyclonic eruptions. Amazing.
Review by Neil Mach
DICTATOR SHIP
YOUR FAVORITES
VORSTELLAN
ENCEPHALON
VEGA
GRIT YOUR TEETH
Sweden’s Dictator Ship manage to
successfully combine 70s rock with
punk, rock ‘n’ roll, and still sound
modern. The seven tracks on Your
Favorites will have you searching for
where the riffs are grounded… Purple,
Bad Company for example. Importantly
they’re still original, energetic, and
damn good. ‘Good Thing Gone Bad’
is punky rocky genius. ‘Just For Fun’
sounds like Wilko; ‘From The Womb
To The Tomb’ has the best of the aforementioned
genres in one song and it
all just works. Give it a listen.
Review by Tom Dixon
Vorstellian are set to release Encephalon
but it’s lacking a bit of spark,
while the music is competent, it draws
too heavily from the likes of Mallory
Knox & feels a little lacklustre. There
are jarring interludes based around a
therapy session that are unnecessary.
This album struggles to hit second gear
& if it does, it’s not for long. On future
releases it would be great to hear the
bands own identity, things ramped up &
some risks taken that aren’t in the form
of interludes, the music is solid. It will be
interesting to see what they do next.
Review byJay Brown
British melodic rock has never been
in a better state and title track of this
80s classic rock achievement has
malcontent, sateeny riffs, a shellacking
beat and jackfruits of rhythm that skip
around like a plinth dancer. Def Leppardy
numbers bring further heady
experiences that will conjure-up splendid
choruses in an arena setting. ‘Don’t
Fool Yourself Again’ is propulsive and
über-punchy while ‘Battles Ain’t A War’
is restrained, coroneted and rather
princely. For fans of ‘Ready an’ Willing’
Whitesnake, this is a doozy-blast.
Review by Neil Mach
27

THE ALLIGATOR WINE
DEMONS OF THE MIND
Drenched in 60s psychedelia and filled with
thick and groovy vibes emanating from the
70s, this ridiculously cool duo has spawned
something that is as atmospheric as it is
unique. The amazing thing is that it is devoid of
guitars, which means that its surreal soundscapes
are conjured up by analogue
synthesizers, distorted organs, and superb
vocals that walk that fine line between
melancholy and darkness. If you want
strangely timeless and eclectic rock music
with an innovative twist to it, this one is it.
Demons Of The Mind is released Friday April
24th 2020 via Century Media Records Europe.
Review by Jens Nepper
CALLING ALL ASTRONAUTS
#RESIST
DOHNY JEP
L.U.S.T
KYROS
CELEXA DREAMS
Made up of several different bands
who have toured with all kinds of
names, Calling All Astronauts are a
new recipe of industrial rock. There’s
equal measures of metal, pop and
even hip hop there. I can’t put my
finger on it but there’s something
missing from this mix. There’s hints of
Rammstein, Ministry, Killing Joke, and
even The Prodigy. The goth community
will love this, I’m not sure where
else #Resist fits in though. It has it’s
moments but generally feels like a
demo.
Review by Neale McGeever
When you get past the silly name, you
realise Dohny Jep is a pretty decent
band. They’re one of those British
heavy rock bands like Don Broco,
Biffy Clyro or Twin Atlantic that aren’t
heavy enough to be metal but heavier
than plain old hard rock. That’s not
a bad thing, Dohny Jep is certainly
melodic and use enough tools to make
them different from these bands.
Think Sempiternal era BMTH. If this
is the sound of British rock in the
2020s, I can’t complain. L.U.S.T will be
realeased 10th July 2020.
Review by Neale McGeever
On their third album, Kyros show
themselves to be an interesting hybrid
of influences, ranging from 1980’s electro
pop to more contemporary prog
bands. Tracks like ‘Rumours’ nod to
bands such as Orchestral Manoeuvres
in the Dark, while ‘Ghost Kids’ evokes
the Porcupine Tree. However, Celexa
Dreams is clearly aimed at the present
moment, being that it’s a fine collection
of synth-rock songs, short stories
underpinned with thought provoking
lyrics, and one which takes the band
in a fresh, new direction.
Review by Laurence Todd
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DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
ALIGNMENTS
THIRTEEN STARS
FINEST RAMSHACKLE JAM
THE SHRIEKS
ODE TO JOE LINES
Canadians Double Experience pull
their recent EPs onto the Alignments
album. They bring a Foo Fighter-ish alt
rock style to ‘Perish Song’. ‘New Me’ is
more rock, rock with riff and melodies.
‘My List’ is what alt rock should be,
complex and varied with class. ‘Your
Biggest Fan’ has been getting the most
attention and rightly so. ‘The Imp’ has
a punk edge and closer ‘Alignments’
saves the best ’til last with the most
accessible track. Give ‘em a try to hear
premium, original alt rock. Alignments
is out on 24th April 2020.
Review by Tom Dixon
Those dusty- rugged Cumbrian country-swing
rockers Thirteen Stars have released
a fine ramshackle jam. With Hoss’s
sandpaper vocals (roadbed macadam)
and the jangle from homesteader guitars,
‘Running So Long’ is more Tom Pettyish
than a performance by Muddy Wilbury
at a Mudcrutch gathering. The lamenting
guitars fill this billycan with angst. ‘Mint
Jelly’ is giddier, with a sordid beat reminiscent
of ZZ Top’s depravity (albeit delivered
with the heartsore raspiness you’d
expect from Dylan on a more sniffly day.)
Jumentous moonshine? You betchya!
Review by Neil Mach
New Yorkers, The Shrieks, bring their
blend of 70s rock, punk and 60s psych
together to great effect on Ode To Joe.
First track ‘T Rex’ is Iggy backed by Blue
Cheer. Third track ‘Whistleblower’ has
a bit of Bowie and REM. Fifth track ‘Ode
To Joe’ is heavy blues and brilliant. Tenth
track ‘Love Or Lust’ is as if the Sex Pistols
learned slide guitar! Closing track, ‘Legs’
moves to Sabbath with punk threaded
through. Difficult to explain, easy to love…
give it a couple of listens and it will capture
you. The Shrieks will release their new
album Ode to Joe on May 8th 2020.
Review by Tom Dixon
THE OUTLAW ORCHESTRA
PANTOMIME VILLAINS
Cowtown America meets Sheffield steel on
Pantomime Villains. ‘Chicken Fried Snake’
brings satisfying iniquity with a gratifying
buzzsaw riff. This is a front-running number
with expedited vocal dexterity and fluent
prowess in the artistry. ‘Take A Bow’ is perspicuous,
with pizzicato banjo and tin-plate rattle.
The vocal is rapid and corn-chowder homely
with lots of clap and a slidy, copperhead guitar.
‘Voodoo Queen’ imparts the best gypsy dance
and personifies back-room vaudeville. ‘Hanging
Tree’ has a rockabilly beat, and a dexterous
web of guitar. Released 29th May 2020 via
Voodoo Queen Records.
Review by Neil Mach
29

KULT OF THE SKULL GOD
THE GREAT MAGINI
These Italian purveyors of dark and raw
rock ‘n’ roll are about to unleash their
musically cohesive debut offering and the
result is a satisfying one. Owing as much
to the Rolling Stones and swampy, voodoo-soaked
blues rock as it does (early)
Danzig and Black Sabbath, The Great
Magini contains plenty of grooves and
hooks, and one could easily see this one
appealing to a wide variety of music fans
and listeners out there. However, it is
explosive and entertaining rather than
truly remarkable, but it is definitely worth
exploring.
Review by Jens Nepper
DEEPSHADE
SOUL DIVIDER
Deepshade embody a Goliathan-like
elixir of electricity on new album, Soul
Divider. Weaving a rich tapestry of
musical nuance through the inclusion
of snarling guitars, thunderous drums,
organs, rich bass lines, and a bone-chilling
vocal performance, Soul Divider presents
an intoxicating listening experience
that fully engages the ear from
start to finish. They add their own sense
of flair to the traditional classic rock
sound, creating a modern twist on beloved
sonic tropes - & most importantly,
something that is entirely their own.
Review by Lindsay Teske
ABORTED
LA GRANDE MASCARADE
Oh, Aborted, you magnificent beast
you! Released April 2020 comes La
Grande Mascarade, a three song EP
from Belgium’s finest grind/death
metal outfit. Horror themes and sound
bites still adorn the tracks, blast beats,
insanely fast and technical riffs, and
epic cluster bombs they all are.
Usually a sign of what to expect in the
near future, this showcases their first
outing with Harrison Patuto following
the departure of Mendel Bij do Leij,
and he fits the bill. The perfect EP to
piss off the neighbourhood!
Review by Ashley Crowson
THE MISER
THE MISER
The Miser are a hard rock band from
London set to release their self-titled
EP. They satisfy your need for beefy
bass lines and slick guitar hooks. I
hear slight Mastodon tones in there
and I’m digging it! But The Miser are
very much their own sound which
is hearty and fuel injected with
well-rounded rhythms and addictive
beats. You can feel the energy flowing
through the EP, with a sound perfect
for the live environment. We look
forward to checking them out with a
beer - once allowed outside!
Review by Victoria Purcell
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TRIVIUM
WHAT THE DEAD MEN SAY
Mention the name Trivium to anyone,
and they’ll have an opinion, some
good, some bad, but nonetheless
everyone has one. The odd thing
about their opinion is that the band
has had a career spanning 20 years,
but their opinion will come back to
just one single part of that period. It
was Ascendancy that really thrust
them unto the mainstream world, and
with that came the double edge sword,
massive praise, and love as the next
band, but also the weight of that on
their shoulders, which had many turn
away from the band with their next
releases.
Regardless, the band hasn’t stopped
they’ve stuck to their guns, and their
love for what they do is stronger than
ever before, the last few albums have
really showcased the levels to which
they have dug in deep to strive and
achieve greatness, and What the Dead
Men Say fits the bill with maintaining
that line. Start to end, this release
plays as an album should, it flows
fantasticallyfrom one song to the next
and is put together in a way that
deserves to be enjoyed as such.
A mellow, dramatic and broody intro
akin to the 80’s thrash era leads the
way to the already familiar title track,
which itself follows on with the
album’s debut single ‘Catastrophist’.
As if that wasn’t enough, third and
most recent single ‘Amongst the
Shadows & the Stones’ chases that up
making the beginning of the album
so familiar it’ll have you feeling like
you’ve owned it for an age from the
first play.
The explosive first half of the album
throws plenty at you, aggressive, melodic
and combustible in every
way. The turns and approach
on songwriting have them at
their best in their career together.
Borrowing and blending
elements of styles into their
sound, What the Dead Men Say
has seen Trivium grown into a
beast! ‘Bleed Into Me’ relaxes the
tone for a more mellow breather
before unleashing some mammoth
monsters in ‘The Defiant’
and ‘Sickness Unto You’, the latter
providing some of the finest
leads that Trivium have probably
written, period. The album as a whole
has a darkened feel without losing
much of an uplifting feel with album
closer ‘The Ones We Leave Behind’
having probably the most positive
sound musically on approach.
Vocally, Matt has really grown since
the early days, and with the album
being likened to Ascendancy, it shows
how he has developed and matured
in himself. To add to that, the album as
a product is a masterclass of metal in
this day and age, and that is boasted
yet again with the addition of Josh
Wilbur on the mix and production.
The only way you can find flaws is
with some seriously critical searching,
there might be some there, but if
there is, you’d either need to be going
into this with a chip on your shoulder,
or stuck with that attitude and opinion
like mentioned at the start of the
review. It would come as no surprise
to see this hitting more than a couple
of albums of the year for people come
the end of year.
What the Dead Men Say is out April
24th via Roadrunner Records read
our interview with the band in this
issue as they talk of the album, and the
effect the current climate on the world;
as well as the impact it has had on the
band in regards to the release of the
album and touring.
Review by Ashley Crowson
31