Posted in Cd Reviews

Cyclone Empire/Sound Pollution

THE GROTESQUERY rose to prominence in early 2009, and here is the second opus. Formed by Rogga Johansson of PAGANIZER and BONE GNAWER fame and Kam Lee, the voice of MANTAS/DEATH and MASSACRE. Completing the blasphemy on bass and drums respectively are Johan Berglund and Brynjar Helgetun. The first album, “Tales of the Coffin Born”, was a major hit and success, and now…I fear they might repeat the achievement.

Fear, horror, H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe all infest this release. The sheer brutality, melody and ease of reinventing the scene are ubiquitous. Opener “The Madness (Of Mason Hamilton)” is very good, but no more in this collection of songs...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Ravenheart/Rock´n´Growl

Italian band SILENT OPERA debuts with Ravenheart Music, after some lineup changes. First signs of life came in 2007, and the will to mix symphonic metal with visual art rose. The band now consists of guitarist and main composer Claudi Ranieri, a.k.a. Rain, vocalist Ambra Gerussi, a.k.a. Aria, drummer Loris Volcizzi, a.k.a. Shadow and Andrea Pin, a.k.a. Kabal, bass. Since the recording of this album the band has changed both vocalist and bass player, I might have a good idea why the first change happened.

There are some dreadful out-of-tune vocals on some of the songs. Ex. vocalist Lady Victoria was probably in the deep end here. The material in itself is also rather weak at times, but there is also hope for the future...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

How a 20th anniversary of festival life is could be celebrated?

Sziget Festival is the winner of the best European major festival award- written on the hand passes. Idea started 20 years ago, as a small audience and band-meeting camp. Since it is thousands of young and older people biggest party in Europe every summer.

Anniversary’s lead and line-up was extremely successful, people were coming from everywhere in Europe, Italian speakers, French guys, and Holland girls everywhere. By the way Finnish flags or Portugal national symbols and German smiles also founded in the crowd. Anyway.. dust is huge, sand is twisting, but the feeling of festival life is eternal.

After three warm up days, as Metal Day with the best hard music bands from north and south, a day addressed to the great Hungari...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Minus second day was also a kind of surprise for those, who are curious in national music history, as well-known styles, and artists from the first hits of the modern age of Sziget Festival’s organizer Hungary.

On 5th of August a whole day music fiesta celebrated the upper mentioned topic, as the song culture and history of Hungary with the top crème of music life, reminds us great hits, unforgettable moments, sounds, and legendic artists from the past, presented by current, younger-older pop-rock icons. Initiative from Gábor Presser, world-famous Hungarian musician and music producer, in 2008. Then, as Sziget Festival, Day of Hungarian Songs also celebrates an anniversary the fifth...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Pulverised/Sound Pollution

Mexican duo ZOMBIEFICATION return with their second outing, produced by Tore Stjerna at Necromorous Studios. The Mexican duo of MAJESTIC DOWNFALL and DIES IRAE fame came to life in 2009, reveling in gore and blasphemy. Their fondness for Swedish riffs and putrefaction will soon be heard of (smelled?), and the taster of a cover was designed by vocalist Mr. Stitch.

The chosen style will no doubt please fans of Old School death, but there is a tad of originality thrown in, without desecrating the music. Tore has as most of the time done a fine production job and there is a kind of clear channel separation in the music. The many melodic breaks and atmospheric parts add to the pleasant experiences of “Dead Today, Dust Tomorrow” and “”Death Rides”...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Frontiers/BAM

Swedish band CRAZY LIXX has been in the spotlight since 2007, when they debuted with “Loud Minority”. Formed in Malmoe in 2002 they were a part of the New Wave of Swedish Sleaze alongside the likes of CRASHDIET and HARDCORE SUPERSTAR. Up to date they have released three albums, of which their second effort, “New Religion” had potential but also flaws. Sporting influences like KISS and GUNS´N`ROSES they go for the throat with “Riot Avenue”.
Opener “Whisky Tango Foxtrot” has balls and cocky lyrics, just like I expected.

It´s not a bad opener at all, but “Rock and a Hard Place” off “New Religion” was in all honesty better. This album has more balls than a lorry of male birds, but also some serious experiences of having heard it all before...

Posted in Press Releases

”As some of you probably already know, we’re currently in the studio recording the follow-up to the ”Generation Wild” album – to be released in late January 2013!”- readable in the official newsletter on Crashdiet website. Promise is enticing.

”Alright, now listen up 🙂

We wanted to let you decide what the next CRASHDÏET album release is worth!

We offer four price levels – same CD, different price :

Low – Our ideal album price
Mid – Support the band with what you’ve got
High – Get your name printed in the booklet
Overkill – Get your name tattooed on london’s ass…”

So.. waiting for the new hits of legendic sleeze rock band, we can look in a bit to the workhours in studio with their newest video. Album works are not ready yet, but preorders started on Friday already.RQ

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

DIMMU, HAMMERFALL ON THE TOP- METALDAY IN SZIGET FESTIVAL

On the first day of 20th birthday celebrated Sziget Festival, city of Budapest was thrilled by Scandinavian soul, since that day called The Metal Day…

Started in the early afternoon Sziget’s island filled up with real music lovers, waiting for the best metal artists, mostly legendically from Scandinavia. But trying to not get any one-lined stereotypes, check all the great bands out, who played fantastic gigs at that big Hungarian Metal Day. Hungarian all-music festival, called Sziget won the best European major festival award int he year, celebrated its 20th year. Every time Sziget Festival renew itself, to show something more nd more from year to year for thousands of visitors, coming to party an enermous int he middle of summer...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

The second edition of the fresh Bucharest-based Romanian festival Summer Well started not so well and ended really bad.

The lineup announced included The Stone Roses, Hurts, The Vaccines, Patrick Wolf, Wolf Gang, Zulu Winter and many others, but the joy of being able to see Hurts (again in Bucharest) and The Stone Roses for the first time in Romania soon turned into a very frustrating experience.

Let’s start with the beginning. The festival takes place in a superb location, 20 km outside Bucharest, near a 150 year old palace and all over the forest surrounding it (including a pond populated by swans and ducks). Sounds (and really is) dreamy, which is why the tagline of the event is ”a festival like a holiday”.

Last year it was great, but unfortunately this year it rained hard in Bucharest...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Vädret: stekhett, soligt, varmt, svettigt, regnigt, blåst, blixtar, moln, kallt, fullmåne
Summering: Woodstock bjöd på allt förutom snö och storm, men mestadels 30 grader och sol 🙂

Folk: 800 000st Polacker (så långt ögat kunde nå), en och annan tysk och så några få procent svenska, vietnameser, fransmän och ryssar. Mer internationellt önskar emellertid både från civila som från ledningen.

Stämning: trevlig, glad, välkomnande, fredfull, öppen, spexig, festlig, magisk och allt annat kul man kan förknippa med en festival under namnet Woodstock. En festival som värnar om öppenfrihet och ickevåld...