Death Grips promised they would release two albums in 2012, and it seems they are sticking to their word… First up was the awesome ‘The Money Store’, next up the experimental unit will be back this autumn with the second installment of ‘Epic Records’ releases, with ‘NO LOVE DEEP WEB‘. Death Grips have released a very matter-of-fact statement about the forthcoming album. Here’s what was said:
The album is titled NO LOVE DEEP WEB.
We are working on 20 tracks and looking to narrow down to 13.
It will be released by epic records in the US and Columbia in the UK.
The release is scheduled for fall 2012. most likely late October.
We are in correspondence with Crispin Glover and working toward a video collaboration with him relating to this album.
We’ve been recording the album primarily in Sacramento , CA. and Oakland , CA. for the past five months.
We will be mixing it in Shanghai , Vhina.
There are no manually programmed drums on this album , the beats are being played live on a roland electronic v-drum set or acoustic drum set by zach. There are no features , guest collabs or outside producers.
The material is cold , bass heavy , minimal , rock & roll influenced and could simultaneously fit into a rave or dance club context.
It is essentially rap and electronic music while at times extremely aggressive.
We plan on supporting this release live internationally.
*the track that comes out sept.10 as part of the adult swim series is a previously unreleased track from the Money Store and is totally unrelated to the new album NO LOVE DEEP WEB.
NO LOVE DEEP WEB is another sound and vibe entirely.
– Death Grips
Fresh from a debut festival set at Hevy, Night Verses (hailing from LA and New York) are currently embarking on their first ever tour of the UK along with Flood of Red.
The band have also treated us to their debut music video for ‘Be Happy With Yourself, I’m Staying Here In Hell’ taken their debut ‘Out of The Sky’ EP which is available to download for free from www.nightverses.com
Combining raw energy with progressive soundscapes, Night Verses are ones to watch for fans of Deftones, The Sleeping and Glassjaw. Check them out at the following shows this week:
AUGUST
13th Plymouth – White Rabbit
14th Southampton – Joiners
15th London – Underworld
WHILE SHE SLEEPS
This Is The Six
[Search & Destroy]
While She Sleeps have been a dominant force in the UK scene for a while now, so it’s hard to believe that ‘This Is The Six’ is actually their debut full length. Tracks released prior to the album dropping (including ‘Dead Behind The Eyes’ and title track ‘This Is The Six’) give a clear indication of Sleeps’s intent to make this an intensely heavy album. To add variation to the record, Sleeps follow a similar pattern to 2010’s ‘The North Stands For Nothing’, adding piano interludes where appropriate to break up the aggression. Listeners are then treated to powerful riffs that seem utterly brutal after a moment of reflection.
Lawrence Taylor’s snarling screams gives a dark overtone to the whole record, the angst in his lyrics are spat into your face, so much so that you start to worry for his larynx..! It could be said that his vocal range isn’t overly impressive but raw emotion, captivating guitar melodies from Mat Welsh and Sean Long, alongside optimistic gang chants make up for any criticisms.
While She Sleeps have already impressed with their energetic live shows but now with the potential inclusion of tracks such as ‘Seven Hills’, Sleep’s artillery is instantly strengthened tenfold. The band embark on their biggest headline tour to date this autumn with the impressive Bleed From Within, Crossfaith and Polar as support, its going to be one heavy hitting show.
Perfectly combing the raw intensity and bounce of hardcore, with sinister and deafening metal, While She Sleeps are an exquisite example of metalcore. Drawing on strengths from ‘The North Stands For Nothing’, While She Sleeps pack this album full of brilliant tracks forming an album that demands a listen and stands up to the hype.
Catch While She Sleeps at the following shows:
Sep 26 Birmingham The Library @ Institute
Sep 27 Manchester Club Academy
Sep 28 Sheffield Corporation
Sep 29 Glasgow Garage
Sep 30 Newcastle Academy 2
Oct 2 Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Oct 3 Bristol Fleece
Oct 4 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Oct 5 London Electric Ballroom
It’s always a gamble going to see reformed old punk bands. You never know if they’re going to quite cut it, how many original members are left, are they just doing it for the money?
Well, in the case of Indianapolis, Indiana punks The Zero Boys, it certainly can’t be for the money. Whilst they do truly deserve the ‘legendary eighties punk band’ tag (their 1982 ‘Vicious Circle’ album is an absolute classic of the genre – a high octane mix of melodic punk and hardcore, a huge melodic and energetic rush), they are still only really renowned by those who closely follow US punk and have limited appeal having never played in the UK before. Suffice to say, there are only about 60 or so diehards and fans here tonight so any thoughts of cashing in must be long gone! And thankfully, original members drummer Mark Cutsinger and frontman Paul Mahern are still in the band and when they take the stage with two younger hired hands (sorry, I don’t know who they are!) and kick into the set, they sound tight and well-rehearsed.
Admittedly, it does take them a few songs to warm up (drummer Mark thankfully starts hitting a little harder a few songs in, propelling the band forward) and snotty hardcore pop punk anthems like ‘Living In The 80s’, ‘Civilization’s Dying’ and ‘Amphetamine Addiction’ all race past in a flurry of frenzied aggression. And although the venue isn’t exactly filled to capacity, those that are in attendance really get into it and the front area of the stage is soon filled with bodies, hot and sweaty and catapulting across the floor as the band beam back, buzzing on the energy spilling back at them and obviously thoroughly enjoying re-living their youths, casting their minds back to simpler more agile times.
All in all, a worthy reformation. Let’s hope they make it back again one day.
So, your bicycle has been in the repair shop, getting a new front wheel fitted (the old one unexpectedly broke loose after six-odd years of loyal service). You’re excited, but slightly nervous, mainly because it’s an awesome bicycle, and you’re hoping that it’ll give you as much joy with the new wheel as it did with the old one. The guys at the shop say that this new wheel is pretty impressive, though, so you’re waiting with bated breath.
You’ve probably figured out the analogy by now. Gallows are back with album number three; their first with former Alexisonfire guitarist Wade MacNeil at the helm, and probably as good a riposte to their critics and doubters as we could have hoped for.
Make no mistake, this is a Gallows record through and through. From the moment ‘Victim Culture’ kicks in after a sinister spoken-word intro, those signature raw rock n’ roll riffs, squalling guitar solos and raucous gang vocals are all present in abundance, and sounding more muscular than ever. Frank Carter left large shoes to fill, but MacNeil proves himself more than capable; a hardcore screamer among the best of them, but able to hold a tune when it’s called for (most notably on the intro of the gloriously anthemic ‘Outsider Art’, which is sure to incite mayhem live).
None of this would matter much if the songs were substandard, but among the eleven tracks on offer here are some of Gallows’ best songs to date. ‘Everybody Loves You (When You’re Dead)’ matches anything from ‘Grey Britain’ or ‘Orchestra Of Wolves’ in ferocity alone; a stinging indictment of the ‘don’t speak ill of the dead’ mentality. ‘Depraves’ surfs in on a jagged Laurent Barnard riff before exploding into a carpe diem chorus that will have you howling along with conviction. Elsewhere, ‘Vapid Adolescent Blues’ and ‘Cult Of Mary’ are hardcore belters shot through with shards of melody, seething and writhing exactly as they should.
Long viewed as plucky underdogs who have survived (and prospered) through no little determination, it seems that the adversity of Carter’s departure has resulted in Gallows returning angrier and hungrier than ever. Mark my words: this bicycle has what it takes to go the distance.
They’ll be playing the Lock-Up Stage at this year’s Reading/Leeds festivals, before embarking on a full UK tour in October.
UK Subs/Anti-Nowhere League/Discharge
100 Club, London
31st July
Part of a series of gigs that Converse are promoting at the 100 Club (the tickets are free to those who could grab them first online), tonight was the brand’s homage to all things spiky and snotty, bringing together three UK punk legends under one roof. And not just any roof at that – seen by many as the birthplace of UK punk (the 100 Club hosted the first punk festival in 1976) this is, as Captain Sensible put it whilst having a beer outside – ‘the scene of the crime, this is where it all began.’ He explains as the doorman tries to move him away from the entrance with a shove. “Can’t believe I’m still getting into trouble here all these years on,” laughs Captain.
Inside the venue is a funny old mix of gnarled old punks mixed with guests and staff of Converse, but there’s a great atmosphere and energy in the room at odds with what some more cynical types may refer to as ‘penshioner punk’. But as Charlie Harper once said, ‘born a rocker die a rocker’ and nothing is going to stop these old punk bands from continuing to play, not even nuclear war – something that Discharge have been shouting about since the early eighties when everyone thought the bomb was about to drop at any second. Discharge’s paranoid anthems of war, death and destruction inspired a whole new generation of punks (as well as many metal heads too, their then ultra-raw and fast punk was a big influence on the likes of Metallica, Anthrax etc). These days, Discharge are fronted by The Varukers frontman Rat, original singer Cal having parted with the band long ago. And considering the dodgy metal direction Cal took the band in before, this is probably no bad thing. Discharge are a harsh, bellowing, distorted mess of noise. Bones’ guitar tone makes your teeth rattle and all in all, they make a horrendous noise, that somewhere underneath lurks classic punk anthems like ‘Protest And Survive,’ ‘Fight Back’ and ‘Never Again.’ All good fun!
Next up, Anti-Nowhere League (made most famous for Metallica’s cover of their filthy-anthem ‘So What’), take the stage, fronted by the snarling, towering biker-punk monster that is Animal, an apt nickname if ever there was one! He stalks and prowls that stage like a caged lion (he has quite a mane of hair to boot!), spewing obscenities out of his mouth to songs, mainly drawn from their early eighties debut album ‘We Are The League’. Tracks like ‘Streets Of London’, ‘Woman’, and of course, the revolting ‘So What’ all provide dumb, drunk, moronic punk fun that’s certainly not meant to be taken seriously.
Tonight the UK Subs are a revelation. So many musicians, both good and bad, have passed through the bands ranks over the years that their live shows can sometimes be a hit and miss affair, depending on who is in the band at the time. The band that frontman Charlie Harper can proudly call UK Subs in 2012 is shit hot. With original member Alvin Gibbs on bass, Charlie is joined by drummer Jamie Oliver and guitarist Jet who both inject a massive dose of energy into the barrage of classics that pile from the stage.
It’s a complete mystery how Charlie, now well into his sixties, keeps going with such rampant energy and enthusiasm. The man is an absolute inspiration for those that never want to give up, and just keep on going. And it tonight’s gig is anything to go by, let’s hope there’s many more years left in the UK Subs yet. The set is back to back absolute classics – ‘Warhead,’ ‘C.I.D.’ ‘I Live In A Car,’ and many more are all played with total conviction and passion from a band who deserve far more respect than they get. The UK Subs are the kings of UK punk and long may they reign over us!
Crossfire favorites The Safety Fire have injected some fresh adrenalin into our veins with their high speed video for latest single DMB (FDP) that dropped this evening. The video, directed and edited by Jamie Carter, showcases the bands energetic live performances from their recent tour with metal titans Gojira and their critically acclaimed performance at this years Download festival.
TSF guitarist Derya Nagle explains a bit more about how the video was made and why they picked this track in particular:
‘DMB (FDP) is one of our favourite songs to play live and was an obvious choice for this video. We love touring, and wanted to give a wider audience a glimpse into what our live show is all about. We filmed over several UK dates, including our performance at Download and our recent run with Gojira. We were lucky enough to have our good friend Jamie Carter produce the video, whose eclectic credits include Rise To Remain, Conor Maynard, Funeral For A Friend and Professor Green to name a few. Other filming duties were handled by our friends and crew including our brü Adam Nolly Getgood, who recently joined Periphery. More importantly this video will help spread the message of #FDP. Jokes.’
Not ones to sit still for too long, The Safety Fire will be heading back out on the road this autumn as support for the legendary Between The Buried And Me and US djent/tech-metal heroes, Periphery. The dates are as follows:
OCTOBER
1st, Reading – Sub 89
2nd, Wolverhampton – Slade Rooms
3rd, Glasgow – The Garage
4th, Newcastle – O2 Academy 2
5th, Manchester – O2 Club Academy
6th, Leeds – Cockpit
7th, Bristol – O2 Academy
8th, Southampton – The Brook
NOVEMBER
2nd, London – Shepherds Bush Empire
Stay tuned for an interview with the guys from this year’s Hevy Festival!
The Safety Fire’s debut album ‘Grind The Ocean‘ is out now.
On Thursday we showed you the brilliant video ‘Snakes’, the new single by UK underground hardcore sensation, Giants. Here’s what we found out when catching up with Giant’s Jack to discuss our shared passion for skateboarding and music.
So it’s no secret that you guys have huge amounts of love for skateboarding and music, would you say that each of those passions cross over into the other?
Yes definitely. It is no secret at all that most of us would say most of our musical background comes from skateboarding, watching skate videos as kids with your mates and hearing so many different styles of music for the skaters sections, finding out what bands they were and getting into them from that etc. But I am not saying that is the only way all of us got into music haha!
You’ve listed Skateboarding as your only influence on your Facebook page, would you say that that really is the only influence on your music or do other things come into play when writing?
No it isn’t our only influence, we’re mainly influenced by everyday hardships, things that piss us off, positive times, memories, nostalgia etc. I think I put that there as it’s more to the fact that that is how we all met really.
You guys have done a few tours this year; do you guys take your boards with you on tour?
Yes! Half our time on tour is spent looking for skateparks, some that we could never travel to when we were younger, we skated Stoke Plaza a few times last year which was rad. Giants' suitably decorated amp What has been your favourite place to skate when you’ve been on the road?
I think as a group probably Stoke or Bristol, but recently we visited a plaza in Mansfield which was amazing! So many intelligently crafted little lines, it was sick!
Apart from a couple of rolled ankles or heel bruises not so much really! It’s always a bit of a worry as that sort of injury to hands or feet could prevent us from touring.
Probably a tough question, but if you guys had the choice between making a living from music or making a living from skateboarding, which would you choose?
Haha, that is actually probably the toughest question we’ve ever been asked. Erm, I am not sure. I would say it’s a lot harder to earn a living off of skateboarding, especially if you’re trying not to “sell out.”
You recently headed out to mainland Europe, the beer is cheap there and the scene even more crazy than ours… any interesting stories to tell us?!
Europe was one of the single most amazing experiences of our lives in this band, we had never been treated as kindly as we were out there. You can tell the passion for music out there is so strong. It still means something to the kids out there, they all help each other and are genuinely grateful that 5 smelly dudes playing in a punk band will cross an ocean to play in a room for them. There were so many funny stories from this tour, like we got so drunk on the first night after the first show as the venue manager gave us four crates of beer that our van got towed without us knowing. Also being our first time over there, with only one of our crew spoke very broken German, the language barrier presented so many funny situations… like when some Police officers told us we couldn’t skate in their car park as we will “make an accident on their cars.”
So what’s the latest on new material from the GIANTS camp?
We are releasing a mini-album entitled “These Are The Days” on the 17th of September, it will feature 9 tracks of our newest and best material to date. We have taken real time on these songs; we didn’t just write them in a month and record it the month after, some of them we have had with us for about a year. We’ve learned that you can only get to know your songs properly by playing them live extensively on the road, seeing how people react to them etc. If you liked our debut EP you will like this record a lot, the songs are faster, the riffs are bigger, the heavy parts are heavier but, we’ve taken into account what we’re best at and what we’re not and have therefore excluded the unnecessary.
We looked to our roots of whilst writing for the record, old skate-punk bands that we got into by playing Tony Hawks games like Pennywise, Offspring, Good Riddance, Rise Against as well as the modern hardcore/punk we’re all into like Comeback Kid, Pour Habit, Stick To Your Guns etc. and we feel that these songs reflect our band for what it is.
Neil D Kennedy and the guys at The Ranch Production House have done a sterling job with it, this record sounds exactly how a Giants record should sound.
You’ve got some dates lined up with We Are The Ocean, they have a slightly softer style, how are you going to win over their fan-base?
The lads in We Are The Ocean have been our best friends since school days, they live down the road from us and we both played our first shows together in different bands. To tour with our long time mates that we go to the pub with every Friday is going to be such a great experience we hadn’t really thought about this! I guess We Are The Ocean used to be a post-hardcore/screamo band, most of their fans are always asking for them to play the older material so I think we will do ok! Kids usually go mental for the heavier band on the bill at shows. Great Cynics are also an awesome punk band on that tour you should check them out!
Grab a free download of Giants anti-Scooter track ‘Snakes’ here.
A while back we brought you the news that Lamb of God‘s front man, Randy Blthye, had been arrested and charged with manslaughter. After quite an ordeal, Randy posts the following statement to explain the details:
“Greetings. This is D. Randall Blythe, checking in from my beloved hometown of Richmond, VA, United States of America. I was recently released on bail from Pankrác Prison in Prague, Czech Republic, after over a month of incarceration. Now that I am out for the moment, I would like to say a few things.
1. While in prison, I had minimal knowledge of how my case was viewed anywhere but the Czech Republic. I was told by my attorney that I had a lot support from peers in the music industry, my hometown, fans, and of course my family. I cannot express how emotional it made me upon my release to read about even a fraction of the voices that were raised on my behalf. From legends in my music community, to fans across the world, and even people who were previously unaware of my existence but sympathized with my plight- I am truly humbled. I cannot thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers. I would especially like to thank the people of Richmond, VA, for standing by me. In the 48 hours I have been home, many people I have never met before have stopped me on the street, waved and smiled as I passed by, or said hello in a restaurant. All have said “We are glad you are home, Randy”. You all make me proud and grateful that I call Richmond home.
2. I would like state that I suffered no abuse, from either authorities or inmates, during my incarceration in Pankrác. I received no special treatment, and was in general population with everyone else- make no mistake, it was prison, not some celebrity rehab tv show. But I was treated fairly by the guards and kindly by my fellow inmates. People are dying of starvation all over the world. Men and women are losing their lives daily in the Middle East and other war torn regions. I had food, clothes, shelter, and no one was trying to kill me. I cannot complain over a short stay in prison while many people elsewhere fight to survive on a daily basis.
3. If it is deemed necessary for me to do so, I WILL return to Prague to stand trial. While I maintain my innocence 100%, and will do so steadfastly, I will NOT hide in the United States, safe from extradition and possible prosecution. As I write this, the family of a fan of my band suffers through the indescribably tragic loss of their child. They have to deal with constantly varying media reports about the circumstances surrounding his death. I am charged with maliciously causing severe bodily harm to this young man, resulting in his death. While I consider the charge leveled against me ludicrous and without qualification, my opinion makes no difference in this matter. The charge exists, and for the family of this young man, questions remain. The worst possible pain remains. It is fairly common knowledge amongst fans of my band that I once lost a child as well. I, unfortunately, am intimately familiar with what their pain is like. Therefore, I know all too well that in their time of grief, this family needs and deserves some real answers, not a media explosion followed by the accused killer of their son hiding like a coward thousands of miles away while they suffer. I am a man. I was raised to face my problems head on, not run from them like a petulant child. I hope that justice is done, and the family of Daniel N. will receive the closure they undoubtably need to facilitate healing. I feel VERY STRONGLY that as an adult, it would be both irresponsible and immoral for me not to return to Prague if I am summoned. This is not about bail money. This is about a young man who lost his life. I will act with honor, and I will fight to clear my good name in this matter. Thank you for reading this, and I wish you all peace.“
Coke Bust / Sick Fix
Platform, London
5th August 2012
A little bit of Washington DC arrived in town tonight in the shape of straight edge hardcore ragers Sick Fix and Coke Bust. In true DIY spirit this gig is hosted in a youth centre basement, is all ages, has stalls selling feminist literature, is bring your own booze, and leave your attitude at the door.
First onto the floor are the female fronted Sick Fix who lurch into a set of grindcore fuelled hardcore. Pounding with a rage and intensity of acts like Nails their twisted riffery chugs and lacerates through the blast beats to the beatdowns and is only let down by the small PA that just cannot handle a noise of this magnitude. Vocalist Michelle Northam vents her spleen in a guttural fashion, her face reddening with each rasp as she paces back and forth. This girl has some serious lungs on her. Tracks from their forthcoming debut album ‘Vexed‘ are aired tonight and after thirty minutes of relentless brutality they are greeted with rapturous applause and a queue at the merch table. This is band that takes no prisoners.
It’s Coke Bust‘s second visit to these shores and if you caught their last London show in 2010 you know you’re in for a treat. It becomes quickly apparent that they are sharing their drummer with Sick Fix, this man has to be a machine! After 30 minutes of blast beat skin pounding during their set he’s back to do it all over again with Coke Bust, a task which he makes look effortless. If only it were an Olympic sport, he’d be in for a medal. Coke Bust are just as fast and furious in their song delivery as their support tonight but in contrast encompass a more traditional hardcore sound, buzzing riffs and beatdown’s providing a cutting backdrop to front man Nick Tape’s scathing delivery, as he throws himself left to right, thrusting the mic into the crowd for odd gang chorus. A new track from their recent Vaccine split 7″ is debuted alongside more familiar material from their 2010 debut ‘Lines In The Sand‘. As the crowd is ushered forwards for the finale the pit erupts in a fitting climax to an awesome show.
It’s great to witness two bands that take the power and precision speed of grindcore but manage to break it’s monotony yet retain its ferocity. Sick Fix and Coke Bust manage this whilst each putting their own unique spin on it. If this is the new sound of hardcore emerging from DC these days then we can expect more excellent shows by young bands like these.
On Thursday we showed you the brilliant 
