Author: Crossfire

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Original Black Sabbath line-up to reunite

Black Sabbath will return with their original line-up for a tour and new album.

Tony Iommi told local press in Birmingham that he and Ozzy had written new material in June, adding:

“We’re really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we’ve been writing is really good…It’s more back to the old original stuff…It’s all been very hush-hush. Ozzy’s been the worst at trying to hold it back. He’s doing a lot of TV and he’s being asked stuff about a reunion and he’s going, ‘Well, I never say never.’ He told me, ‘I don’t know what to say.”

Bill Ward, who recently had an operation, is the only member not 100% simply due to health problems but everyone is hoping he’s able to be a part of the reunion. It’s the first time this line-up has toured since 2005 and the album will be their first since 1978.

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Album Of The Week Album Reviews Buzz Chart Music Reviews

Sainthood Reps

Monoculture
Tooth & Nail Records

The debut from Sainthood Reps is at times lush and dreamy, at times a full-on barrage of riffs, but always beautifully chord crunching and satisfyingly grungey. Guitarist Derrick is also in Brand New and the sound of BN’s last two albums (and the Long Island scene in general) is certainly recognizable within the Sainthood Reps texture.

However, SR take the quirkier side that Brand New have toyed with in recent years and just run with it. It’s hard to describe Monoculture as anything other than a great rock record, thus it has evaded any pesky “emo” stereotyping where Brand New will forever be plagued by that term and its now-negative connotations.

Monoculture kicks off with serious intent and an absolute belter of a riff that demands to be played loud. The vocals join the fray with an angry swagger which grips you from the get-go. This album is filled to the brim with crushing riffs and crashing drum patterns but there are also moments of sincerely silicate beauty.

‘Hotfoot’ is the perfect representation to both these sides of the band, showcasing both the Jekyll and the Hyde if you will. There’s an insistent and relentless feel throughout this album and even when the quiet beauty surfaces, it’s always accompanied by a menacing undertone where you can’t quite figure out what’s coming next or when the huge guitar riffs are going to come thundering back in.

Parts indie rock, parts grunge and parts something you can’t quite put your finger on, this debut is a wholly satisfying listen. Sure, most of the elements are not totally original, but the way Sainthood Reps have crafted the elements has produced something almost ethereal. This is really an intense yet listenable rock record with both hooks and plenty of intrigue. Hopefully we’ll see a lot more of these guys in the future.

Winey G.

Holiday Makers by sainthoodreps

DINGUS by sainthoodreps

Monoculture by sainthoodreps

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Scream

Complete Control Session
Side One Dummy Records

Scream’s place in the annals of US Hardcore History is assured notably for their 4 albums albums on Dischord Records. Formalised officially in 1981, the band comprised brothers Franz and Pete Stahl, on guitar and vocals, with bassist Skeeter Thompson and drummer Kent Stax holding it down in the engine room.

The debut Still Screaming was a rip-roaring collection of thrashers. By their second album This Side Up they were well on their way from straight-ahead Hardcore, throwing in reggae fused jams (on the side produced by Dr Know of Bad Brains (a band whose influence on Scream cannot be understated) and then some heavy rocking numbers on the flipside where they added a 2nd guitarist.

Whilst many of Scream’s peers had discarded their ‘70’s rock albums in the Punk Rock Year Zero, these guys clearly still had their Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath records at the forefront of their collections and in my opinion, were a better band for it. This Side Up was the first album I picked up, in ’84, at Max’s Records in Eastbourne. I sure hit the jackpot there but I was also gutted a couple of years later, whilst overseas, my brother told me that he’d seen them play a show in Brighton. Oww!!

After the ’86 Euro-tour, Kent Stax left, and was replaced by a young DC skin basher by the name of Dave Grohl, who augmented a line-up that would release 3 more studio albums, touring relentlessly, including more trips to Europe (where I finally got to see them again in ’88). The end of the century was also the end for Scream as they fell apart on West Coast during a US Tour. The Stahl brothers headed to Los Angeles and started WOOL, with Pete later forming cult Stoner outfit Goatsnake. Dave went to Seattle, joined Nirvana and paid his dues to his former band by wearing a Scream t-shirt in the Teen Spirit video. Franz would also play in Foo Fighters early on.

The band has reunited occasionally over the years with Dave Grohl drumming, but with global world domination now firmly on his radar Kent Stax returned and these 7 songs were recorded live in February 2011 at Dave’s home studio and capture a band in really fine, fine form. The end result is totally raw and smoking, kicking off with the soulful rock grooves of opening duo Stopwatch and Get Free before the doors are blown open by the blasting Jammin’ at 606. Imagine Lemmy and the Bad Brains going off in the studio! Elevate is fired by a (way) snazzy NY Dolls inspired lead  and tongues are firmly in cheek for The Year Bald Singers Were In which vibes like a lost-track from This Side Up. Move (All Alone) is sublime, scorching riffage and cracking vocals. Demolition Dancing closes with “something’s gonna happen, that’s for sure”… and it really is! I would love to see them play again, let’s hope that they tour soon.

Pete Craven

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Music News

New MaLLy video drops

We here at Crossfire are massive fans of the Minneapolis hip hop scene and there’s a new player on the block.

Having been championed by Atmosphere’s Slug and a number of other members of the scene, MaLLy has dropped the video to his track Heir Time, produced by The Sundance Kid. We love it and the video is a fun one too, so click play below and see what you reckon.

If you dig it enough, you can buy the track here.

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Music News

Hawk Eyes announce UK tour dates

Hawk Eyes have unveiled UK tour dates in November.

The Leeds based band, formerly known as Chickenhawk, will be on the road with Turbowolf and the James Cleaver Quintet and have put a demo called Witch Hunt online here. The tour dates, which coincides with a five-track 10″ are:

08 – Bristol, The Croft
09 – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff
10 – Colchester, Arts Centre
11 – Southend, Chinneys
12 – Nottingham, Basement
14 – Birmingham, VUDU
15 – Leeds, Cockpit
16 – Glasgow, King Tuts
17 – Manchester, Alter Ego
18 – Sheffield, Corporation
19 – Aldershot, Westend Centre
20 – Bournemouth, iBar
22 – London, Garage (Upstairs)

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Music News

Nick Oliveri could face 15 years in jail

Nick Oliveri is facing a possible 15 years in jail.

The Kyuss bassist, who recently had a stand-off with police in LA, has been in trouble after an argument with a former girlfriend who he prevented from leaving.

After finally giving himself up, he was charged with domestic violence and according to reports, additional charges of possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and one misdemeanor count of resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer have been laid.

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Music News

Fantômas to release live DVD

Fantômas will release their live DVD on September 6th.

The group, which features Mike Patton, Buzz Osbourne, Trevor Dunn and Melvins’ Dale Crover, posted a trailer for the DVD, which is called The Director’s Cut Live: A New Year’s Revolution. The film covers the band’s 2008 New Year’s Eve performance of the album Director’s Cut in San Francisco.

Check it out below:

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Music News

The Game in twitter hot water

The Game has got himself in a little spot of bother over something he tweeted last week.

The LA rapper sent a tweet with the number for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s station in Compton and has been at the centre of a criminal investigation as a result. Reports say that the tweet prompted hundreds of calls which meant the phone system was overloaded. The MC has since pleaded his innocence.

His Hoodmorning (no typo) mixtape was released recently, check out the review here.

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Music News

Evidence announces new album release date

Evidence will be releasing his first Rhymesayers album on September 26th.

The Dilated Peoples MC and producer will be dropping Cats & Dogs, marking the first album released on rap powerhouse label Rhymesayers, home to Atmosphere, P.O.S. and Brother Ali amongst others.

To celebrate the album, which features appearances from Slug, Aesop Rock, Raekwon, Aloe Blacc and Mobb Deep’s Prodigy amongst others, he has dropped new visuals with Fashawn. It’s a banger.

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The Game

Hoodmorning (No Typo)
Free digital mixtape

The Game doesn’t do things by halves. Not content with having a full album coming out this year [this month’s R.E.D.], he’s continued his habit of putting out extremely strong mixtapes, following Brake Lights and Purp & Patron with the free release of  Hoodmorning (No Typo).

The 20 track release, hosted as ever by DJ Skee, features a plethora of names which would make any aspiring rapper green with envy for their album, let along a line-up this strong on a mixtape. And it’s testament to Game’s talent that he continues to shine amongst all of his guests throughout the proceedings.

Whilst Hoodmorning is not the strongest of his mixtapes, tracks like Uncle Otis where he mimics Frank Ocean and Rick Ross and jokingly disses Jay-Z and seriously gives Kreayshawn a dressing down, showcase both his talent and humour, something he doesn’t get enough credit for.

Drug Test could easily be a track from the is-it-ever-coming-out Detox and features Dre and Snoop, Monster In My Head works where it shouldn’t and even Gucci Mane sounds decent [well, by his standards] on Wow. Infrared sees production from Cool & Dre, who very rarely deliver a dude and this beat is no exception, giving Game a beat to work off that wouldn’t be out of place on a Ghostface record.

Even though there are some tracks that are fairly forgettable [and inexplicable B.O.B. verse], it’s hard to be critical as this is a free mixtape and there’s enough on here to indicate that R.E.D. is going to be a heavyweight album. Clink that Candy Corona, Game deserves the toast.

Grab the mixtape right here.

Abjekt.