BAD SAM - Middle Age Shred

M
M
37
BAD
SAM
BL’AST!
Out Cold
Phil Hall
Jesse Damon
Shai Hulud
Vista Chino
Adjudgement
Onslaught
Sahg
Gregg Hurwitz
Symphony Of Pain
Tyr
Nervous Impulse
Death Angel
Robert Venditti
GWAR
Toxic Shock
Toby Hadoke
Matthew Pritchard
Castles
And much more…
Ah, autumn is here, and we’re once again spiralling helplessly toward Christmas. But don’t despair; as you can take solace in the knowledge that in the madness that
consumes us at this time of year, you’ve got the latest issue of Mass Movement to help you find some peace of mind in those all too rare quiet moments. That said, enjoy
the issue and we’ll see you soon…
Tim Mass Movement, October 2013
CEO: Emma Mass Movement
Editor: Tim Mass Movement
Deputy Editor /Online Editor: Martijn Welzen
Reviews & Features Editor: Tom Chapman
Sub-Editor: Ian Pickens
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Magazine Layout & Design: Tom Wilding
Staff Writers: Tim ‘The Impaler’ Schwader, Steve Scanner, George Tabb, Doug Crill, Liam Ronan, Brady Webb, Marv Gadgie, Mark Freebase, Jim Dodge
Contributors: James McLaren, Fiona Brennan, Sophia Fox, Chest Rockwell, Ian Glasper, Gavin Gates, Lauren ‘MM’ Barley, Tom Chapman, Carrie Bluer, Devon Morf,
Paul Hoddy, Will Pywell.
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BL’AST!
Well here’s a BL’AST from the past (sorry couldn’t resist). Santa Cruz’ resident skate-punk hardcore/metal crossover pioneers return with a bang in the form of an alternate recording session of
their classic ‘It’s In My Blood’ album featuring current Alice in Chains vocalist William DuVall on
guitar and engineered by long time BL’AST fan Dave Grohl. MM gets the skinny from vocalist Clifford
Dinsmore (CD) and guitarist Mike Neider (MN).
Interview by Ian Pickens & Tim Cundle
MM: Did you think you would be participating in
a BL’AST interview in 2013?
MN: Ya, well not with you in particular but sure.
CD: Not really, but I’m always up for some Bl’ast!
action! It was awesome music, and I’m always into
playing those songs live.
MM: BL’AST were often unfairly, but some would
say accurately, labelled as Black Flag sound-alikes;
did that ever bother the band?
MN: We had a member, when the band first began,
that was very short lived, that wrote some tunes,
and his approach to writing music was to listen to
‘My War’ and rip it off to write ‘Fucking With My
Head’ then would listen ‘Thirsty and Miserable’ and write ‘Break It Down’...
you get the picture? This same person had a run in with Rollins after trying
to write down Ginn’s guitar settings and Rollins confronted him. So Rollins
wrote about us because of this, I guess. So this baggage was cut off really
quick into the bands existence to eliminate that. We grew up with BF and
became friends and were even signed to their record label. Comparisons are
limitless in any band situation.
CD: The people that would say “accurately” are brain dead, mentally retarded,
bandwagon jumping sheep that never really listened to what we were trying
to convey. By the time ‘It’s In My Blood’ rolled around, that comparison
was dead and buried. I think that misconception did, however, push us to
strive harder to make truly original music...so thanks to the clueless herd of
mongoloids that came up with all that! We couldn’t have done it without you!
MM: To me you were always a four piece. But there was more than one
occasion when you had two guitar players, it seems. Could you give me a
little more information?
CD: Steve played guitar on the first record
and decided shortly after that he was leaving
the band. He had received a letter from
William DuVall, saying that if we ever
needed a guitar player, that he would be into
it. He ended up coming out to California
during a very productive time period and
many of our best shows were played with
him. MM: Were you ever a straight edge band?
There’s the line: “And I don’t need drugs”,
but not much more. On the other end there
is this heavy stoner vibe in the Spaceboy
stuff.
CD: Steve wrote that song and may have
claimed straight edge for a short period of time, but I will never understand
the motive behind that song considering none of us were really all that
straight edge.
MM: The band are often credited with helping to create the hardcore/metal
crossover sound that culminated in bands like Annihilation Time; is that
accurate? What were the bands main influences back in the day?
MN: Not sure, but we took Black Sabbath & Flag`s approach to having a band
and then dwarfed it into our own aggression and beliefs. Anti-Conformity. It
would be cool if it were true.
CD: That is accurate. When we formed we were seeing all the punk bands
like Black Flag, SSD, Minor Threat, etc. but were more directly influenced by
Sabbath , Maiden, and Trouble, and just applied those influences to the form
of music we were participating in, which was Hardcore
MM: BL’AST were always intrinsically linked to the Skate Punk scene and
had quite a tight relationship with Santa Cruz boards; do any of the band
still skate these days?
MN: In 82` I moved to Santa Cruz to start Bl’ast! and lived with Rob
Roskopp(pro skater) as a roommate. I got a job at Santa Cruz skateboard right
away and our apt. was about 50ft from work. Our pad was the place for pro`s
and such to stay at during their time in town. I ended up working there for
around 18yrs or so..... The owner Novak was really cool with Bl’ast! and let
me tour etc.... As long as I listened to his story about being the only person in
history to pull out a band he managed from playing Woodstock. Ha ha
CD: I surf every day there’s waves, but don’t really skate that much...I’ve
always been more into surfing
MM: You guys only released three albums and had quite a short time
together, and yet are one of the most well-known bands from that mid 80s
era of hardcore; why do you think that is? Was it something to do with
Corrosion of Conformity being such big fans?
MN: California had a great scene and it was very interactive with
skateboarding. We were hugely into what we were into because of
skateboarding. We have literally probably watched Black Flag for example 25+
times through their career, and when that happens you become friends with
these people. Bl’ast! being signed by Black Flag and their record label SST was
amazing for us. Didn’t get better than that. So that and Skateboarding along
with all the rad friends like COC helped.
CD: We were playing music that was really new and different for that time
period...even in the beginning, when there was still the SSD, Flag influence,
it was still delving into areas that most hardcore bands couldn’t even
comprehend at that point, and that’s where we found a common bond with
C.O.C. The second show we played under the name Bl’ast! was with Black
Flag, Saccharin Trust, and C.O.C. We were both unknown bands that had
an immediate impact on the stagnant hardcore scene, and have been good
friends ever since. God bless those loveable Motherfuckers! MM: Back in the day you guys played with a lot of the most popular
hardcore and underground metal bands around; do you have a favourite
show from that time; any bands you would have loved to have played with
but didn’t get the chance?
MN: Many great shows to speak of..... SST had a lot of BBQ’s with great bands and we hosted Fenders ball room quite a bit which is a story of its own, along with
the bands we played with on tour. There are some bands that didn’t exist back then that we would like to play with now. I think Minutemen, Germs, Devo are about
the bands that we never had the chance to play with off the top of my head.
CD: The ones that got away......we almost got to play with Motorhead, and we almost got to play with Celtic Frost....Fuck!!! Still pissed off!!
MM: Obviously there’s a lot of attention on the band again due to the release of ‘Blood’; the story behind the release is quite an intriguing one - could you flesh
out the details for us?
CD: Some “lost, unearthed” tapes turned up and the rest is history.......very, very recent history!
MN: Lost tapes were found, Southern Lord was told..... Dave Grohl was told, they jumped on this rare opportunity as cool bros they are. Cliff and I were stoked and
it turned out amazing!
MM: The release is significant due to the presence of current Alice in Chains singer William Duvall on guitar, and Dave Grohl’s engineering of the album; were
there any concerns in the BL’AST camp that you could be seen as ‘trading on their names’?
MN: hahahaha.....................Seriously?
CD: It definitely adds to the mystique. Both those dudes have backgrounds in hardcore and will never forget their roots....there is a common pride amongst people
from that era that we all share. It’s sort of a “gotta stick together like glue” kind of thing.
MM: Whose idea was it to call Dave Grohl?
CD: It was Greg’s idea, but we all assumed he would be way too busy to do it. We were very surprised and stoked when he found a window in his schedule to
make it happen.
MM: These sessions were the only ones recorded with DuVall and his tenure in the band was pretty short; why didn’t things work out?
MN: I think times were tight and it was hard to be in a band that didn’t make money and live far away from your surroundings. It just dissolved.
CD: William moved to SC from Atlanta to join Bla’st! What dedication and sacrifice that took at such a young age....At this point, all I’ve got to say is thank you!!!
That took a lot of balls!!
MM: The songs are alternate versions of what went on to become your second album ‘It’s In My Blood’; some people are saying this version is even better than
that release; do you agree? Are you all pleased with way it’s turned out?
CD: Fuck yeah!
MN: Well I hope technology and experience has taken control of ‘Blood’ to do so. It turned out really fuckin’ good.
MM: You might share the impression that ‘It’s In My Blood’ and ‘Take The Manic Ride’ were suffering on the sound side compared at least to ‘Power Of
Expression’; what went wrong?
CD: Basically, back then no one knew what to do with music like that, in terms of trying to record. So, it was basically the luck of the draw. Depending on what
engineer you got at the studio you were recording at. For the most part it was just dumb luck that the ‘Power of Expression’ turned out the way it did. It’s a shame
we don’t have the tapes to ‘Take The Manic Ride’ because that was the album that we had pushed ourselves the hardest musically. But the recording quality is
so poor that it is hard for the listener to get the gist of what we were doing. If we could remix it, people would really be able to understand what a truly ground
breaking record that really was.
MM: Can we hope for a “corrected” version?
CD: We have got some great people trying to re-master it. However, we are limited in what we can do with it without the master tapes. MM: So maybe you could help us out with what happened after the records, and what your plans are. Touring? European tour? There was a tour planned for
Europe as I was told. But you had to cancel it. Why?
CD: I can’t really disclose that information, but maybe we can talk more about that in person this spring (hint, hint).
MN: Ya, We are working on that now. We look forward to creating and raging soon. But ya never know with this bbblast!.
MM: How did Nick Oliveri come into the picture? It seemed a
bit strange to hear about that first. And unfortunately I found
out a little too late, otherwise I would have asked him when
he was in town, doing his solo stuff.
CD: Mondo Generator was playing at the Catalyst and we were
all hanging out. Nick asked about Bl’ast! and I mentioned that
Southern Lord was releasing the record and there might be
some live shows in the works. When he asked who was playing
bass, I kind of jokingly said,” YOU!” To my surprise, He said,
“Fuck YEAH! I’ll play that shit!”! And then came the question
of who would play drums? Then I saw Hoss play and the rest is
soon to be history. MM: Are you still involved in playing Doom Metal? Since
probably you’re not necessarily full-time musicians these days
– what are you occupied with?
CD: I play in a band called Dusted Angel and I work at a
concert venue called the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, Ca. MN: Alwayz......some kind of doom. Hahaha
MM: What’s next for BL’AST? Are there any other long lost
recordings to surface?
MN: Live action, recording new and possibly old. Rage! Rock
Roll Shred.......
CD: Come to think of it........you never know what’s gonna turn
up....the ghost of some weird forgotten archive might come
creeping to the surface to freak a few people out!
www.b-l-a-s-t.com/
OUT COLD
When Out Cold Vocalist/Guitarist Mark Sheehan sadly passed away in 2010 it also signalled the end for one of the most intense
and respected Hardcore bands of the 90s. Little did we know that in 2013 we would be talking to OC drummer and founder
member John Evicci about a new album of material partially recorded before Mark’s death.
Interview by Ian Pickens
MM: Hi John. I’d usually start the interview by asking the
band to introduce themselves but I’m guessing that most, if
not all MM’s readers will be familiar with Out Cold, so instead
why don’t you tell us who played what on the new album?
JE: Hi Ian! This album has Mark Sheehan & Deuce on guitars,
Kevin Mertens on vocals, Mikey Flynn on bass, and myself on
drums.
MM: The new album ‘A Heated Display’ is the first release
following Mark Sheehan’s tragic death in 2010; it must have
been pretty emotional putting this together? I’m guessing you
didn’t think that you would be doing another OC interview at
this point in time?
JE: Extremely emotional. I can’t even begin to describe all the
twists and turns and ups and downs that have led to this point.
All I can say is that I’m extremely happy to see it finally out. If
you had told me I’d be first interviewed about this material in
2013 when we were writing it back in 2005, I’d have not believed
you.
MM: Mark had laid down the basic guitar tracks for the songs
but no vocals, so original OC singer Kevin Mertens, stepped
up; how did it feel be working with Kevin again? To be fair he’s
probably one of the only people who could have delivered the
songs in the same spirit as Mark.
JE: First and foremost I was very glad Kevin was willing and able
to step in to fill the void. You’re exactly right: he was the only
person who could do this given the circumstances. It’s weird
enough as it is, but to bring a completely new person in to do
vocals on this stuff would have just not been acceptable. We
could have maybe done that and called it something else, just to
salvage the material, but it wouldn’t be Out Cold.
MM: Was it logistically difficult to get the final product
together? You guys are all spread out geographically now
right?
JE: Yes it was difficult, but that was more due to the equipment we’re using rather than our
disparate locations. All of the existing overdubs that were done in the intervening years
were recorded on this recording device that is not very common and working with it proved
to be a real pain in the ass. Fortunately, we managed, but it added a lot of time and expense.
MM: Am I correct in thinking that the original recording you had for this album got
lost until a friend found a copy on their hard disk?
JE: This is just one of many strange twists and turns to this whole saga. Mark & I recorded
the original drum & guitar tracks onto 2-inch tape with the intention of using this during
the final mix and blending in the overdubs. Simply as a backup, the engineer dumped it
all into Pro Tools and gave it to us on an external hard drive. Mark had possession of both
the tape and the hard drive. In the nightmarish aftermath of his death, neither could be
found. All the other masters he had were located, but for some unfathomable reason, not
this stuff. I was devastated, thinking these recordings would be lost forever. After a short
time, though, I got an email from some guy who I had never met before, saying that he
had a hard drive with some Out Cold recordings, which turned out to be the ProTools
backup of these sessions. Relief! At this point the hard drive was over 5 years old, though,
and when I tried to access it, it wouldn’t work at first. Thankfully, though, a techie friend of
mine managed to extract the data from it in the end. The 2-inch master tape still has never
surfaced to this day and remains a befuddling mystery.
MM: How has the response been to ‘A Heated Display’; it had a universal thumbs up
from the MM team. Are you happy with it?
JE: I’m never 100% happy with any of our recordings. There’s always some aspect to it that I
think can be better, and this one is no different, but overall I am very happy with it. I think
Mark would be as well. Kevin really came through and delivered on this stuff and I give him
a lot of credit for his contribution, which as I said before, was crucial. The response so far
has been very minimal, but positive, which I am very happy about.
MM: Does this album put Out Cold to rest now, or would you consider carrying on,
either playing live or making further recordings?
JE: We have no intention of carrying on or playing live, but as for recordings, this material is only
half of what Mark & I recorded back in 2005. There are still another 14 songs from that session that
we intend to put vocals to and release posthumously in much the same way as this record. That will
officially put Out Cold to rest.
MM: You and Mark also worked with CJ Ramone in Bad Chopper; are there any ‘lost’ recordings
from those sessions that will see the light of day?
JE: Not that I know of.
MM: You’ve eased off on releasing records through Acme over the past few years; is the label on
temporary hiatus or permanently put to bed?
JE: It’s been euthanized, put out of its misery. It took me over a decade and a lot of my personal finances
to realize that I just don’t have what it takes to run a successful label. I had the passion but not the
business acumen. I keep the website up at this point just in the hopes of trying to chip away some of the
mountain of backstock that I have collecting dust in my basement.
MM: Have you burnt out on Hardcore or is it simply other things in life are taking priority now?
JE: I wouldn’t say I’m burnt out on it, but maybe, to a degree, saturated. I’m definitely not up on the latest crop of bands from the past 10 years or so. I find myself these
days delving into other genres of music more. I’ve always done that, though, and I still love hardcore, so nothing’s really changed.
MM: You seem to have quite an affinity with Iceland; what is it about that country that appeals to you so much? Would you ever consider relocating there from
Boston?
JE: Funny you ask that as I just got back from my 12th visit there just 5 days ago. I love everything about Iceland except the weather and the prices, and even those are
tolerable for the most part. I love the landscape, the people, the culture, the language, the music scene, just everything. It completely captivated me since the moment
I first visited in 2001. I feel a profound connection with the place that I’ve never experienced anywhere else, not even close. I would love to move there and have long
dreamed of it. I don’t pursue that due to various practical considerations in my life right now, but my heart has definitely been pulling me there hard for years.
MM: Are you currently working on any music projects?
JE: Yes. I have a new band called Oblivionation. More raw, fast, loud hardcore type stuff. We’re a bit slow going because we all have a lot of other shit going on in our
lives, but we’re just now finishing up our first real recordings which are due to be released on LP, hopefully soon, on Rock N Roll Disgrace Records right here in Massachusetts. I also did some home recordings with Kevin Mertens last summer which is somewhat similar, but maybe a hair more “proggy”, for lack of a better term. We’re
talking about getting together again soon to do some more, but not sure what will become of this.
MM: What’s next for John Evicci?
JE: Not sure exactly. I’m hoping we can finish up those final Out Cold recordings with a lot less pain and consternation than the first batch. Other than that, just the usual
musical and traveling endeavours, I guess. I’d be happy with that.
Palm Reader Records
www. palmreaderrecords.co.uk
PRR007: Castles—Fiction or Truth? 12”
PRR006: Human Future—Anachronism 7”
Recorded by Kurt Ballou at Godcity, this is
the Belgian/English trio's sophomore album
and. We can honestly say it's one of the
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Human Future are an experimental hardcore band situated in the South East of Britain. The band has a collective aim to compose and perform intensely passionate and
thematic music, encompassing shifting
bursts of energy, creeping ostinatos and
dissonant walls of sound.
Pre order now in orange/white mix /150
and black/red mix /150. Release: 25/11/13
Available now in black /300.
PRR005: Self Defense Family | Goodtime Boy
Split 7”
This split is a pre-cursor to SDF second
Deathwish LP and Goodtime Boys upcoming
Bridge 9 LP. Each song approaches life and
interests in both new and familiar sounds.
This 7" includes a poster and avail to preorder now in clear /100, blue /200 (limited
to B9) and black /700. Release: 4/11/13
PRR003: Our Time Down Here— Midnight Mass
12”
Just over a year since it was first released
on CD and digital download, Midnight Mass
will finally be available to order for the first
time on 12" vinyl. OTDH mix the old sounds
of AFI and Alkaline trio in the best possible
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Available now in red /200.
Also available on our website distro items from Bridgend Nine Records, Topshelf Records, Holy Roar Records, & Deathwish Inc.
w w w. p a l m r e a d e r r e c o r d s . b a n d c a m p. c o m
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d of. It’s possible that you haven’t heard of many of the movies
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Interview by Jim Dodge
MM) What led you to writing such an in-depth and thought-provoking book?
Phil Hall) In 2010, I was acting in a film called “Rudyard Kipling’s Mark of the Beast,” and in the downtime between shots I noticed that some members of the
company were talking about a movie called “The Room.” I was unfamiliar with the film, so someone grabbed a laptop and started showing YouTube clips from
the production. Then almost everyone on the set started reciting the crazy dialogue from the film.
This incident reminded me that people are much more energetic and animated when discussing the great bad movies – or, as I call them, the “anti-classics”
– versus a discussion of good movies. I thought it would be fun to compile my list of the top 100 anti-classics, and explain why I felt they were deserving of
attention.
MM) How many hours of research did it take to complete this project?
Phil) Close to 40 years. Some of these films take me back to my childhood in the 1970s, when I saw them in the cinema. Even back then, I realized there was
something wonderfully warped about them. The actual writing of the book took about 18 months to complete.
MM) Were there times when you thought you had gotten in over your head?
Phil) Not at all, but I was challenged to keep a consistent tone. I did not want the book to be seen as a grand slap at these films – I wanted to pique the curiosity of
the reader to seek out films they may never have seen.
MM) What criteria did you use to compile the list of “The Greatest Bad Movies of All Time”?
Phil) I did not want the film to be overstuffed with a specific genre, such as cheapo 1950s horror or bloated contemporary action flicks. I tried to cover as many
bases as possible, going back to the silent era and incorporating a variety of genres. Nor was this meant to trash Hollywood – I have independent cinema plus
notorious films from Europe and Asia in the mix. There is also an infamous porno film and a student movie that is too crazy to believe (a remake of “A Streetcar
Named Desire” that includes a dance number in the middle of the plot!).
My mission was to prove that the anti-classics came in all shapes and sizes, from all points of the globe and from all points in time.
MM) Based on the other books you’ve written it’s obvious you’re a movie fan. What movies inspired such dedication in you?
Phil) No film in particular inspired dedication. The earliest films I can recall take me back to when I was four years old. Movies have always been part of my life. I
have been fortunate that I can make a living writing about them.
MM) Are there any movies you absolutely despise?
Phil) Plenty, but I prefer not to go out of my way to be negative. Trash talking is not fun.
MM) What will your next project be? How long before it hits shelves?
Phil) At the moment, there is no next project. I wrote six books in nine years,
and I am somewhat exhausted at the moment.
MM) What is the most disappointing thing you see in modern movies?
Were the classics really any better?
Phil) The classics were created under completely different circumstances.
They were a product of a distant era – and lest we forget, there were plenty of
crummy movies made back in those days.
I am mostly disappointed by the level of vulgarity in contemporary comedy.
There is too much belching and farting and no genuine wit, or at least that’s
my opinion.
MM) If you could make a movie, what kind would you make? Who would
direct and star in your film? What would the budget be?
Phil) I wrote a short film called “Uncorked” and it was made for $10; it took
one hour to shoot the whole thing. The point of the film was to show how
quickly and cheaply a film could be made. I did not direct the film – an
extremely talented artist named E.M. Schrader did that.
MM) Is there anything else new and exciting going on in the world for
Phil Hall that you’d like to share with our readers?
Phil) I am also an actor, and my latest film is called “Monochromia.” It just
came out on DVD, so please check it out!
Thank you, Phil, for stopping by! Perhaps Monochromia will hit Mass
Movement’s review pile soon and one of our amazing staff members can
critique it for the masses!
CAPTAIN
MIDNIGHT
The Manic Ace of the Airways
The first character study in a series of both chapter play superheroes
and super villains
by Doug Crill
This guy was a very popular character, indeed.
He was a comic book hero, a radio and television
personality as well as a chapter play star.
Although that’s a lot of ground to cover, I think
that I’ll just focus my attention on his character
in this fun-filled cliffhanger.
Produced by Columbia Studios, Captain
Midnight (1942), played by David O’Brien, is
a fast-talking, fist-flying, energetic character
in pursuit of a villain known as Ivan Shark. He
wears a leather flight suit, headgear and goggles
on most occasions. After all, he’s an old-time
aviator. On a side note, probably one of O’Brien’s
most recognizable roles was that of a drug crazed
character in the infamous public service film
Reefer Madness (1936). Who could ever forget
his maniacal laughter as he puffs away on a “joint”
while spouting the command for the pianist to
“play faster, faster?”
I can remember seeing Reefer Madness as a young
hippy and laughing hysterically over that scene in
particular. So, I guess he is a perfect choice to play
a rather nervous, manic-type character in this
chapter play. O’Brien did have a very successful
career as a “B” movie star, mostly in westerns and
low budget horror films. Later on, he became a
rather prolific comedy writer of several television
shows, most notably, The Red Skelton Show.
The daring Captain, whose character’s name
is Captain Albright, is an ace pilot capable of
flying blindly through a thick fog, parachuting
from a flaming airplane just moments before it
crashes, running his car off of a cliff and leaving
the wreckage without even a scratch and on
and on. He’s an indestructible force without the
superpowers -- your average guy with a lot of luck
on his side.
His prowess as a fighter is second to none. In fact,
he would never avoid a conflict of any nature, no
matter how improbable the odds against him.
In a nutshell, the guy is on a certain drug free
“high” that makes him seem nearly physically
impenetrable. Along with his two, bumbling
sidekicks, he manages to find a way to outwit his
nemesis and escape death, albeit, only by the skin
of his teeth. His identity to the lawless is known
only as Captain Midnight
As for the villain, James Craven plays the character
of Ivan Shark. His portrayal of the evil antagonist
is, at times, so “over-the-top” that it’s downright
insanely hilarious. So, you have both the hero and
villain on equal terms of insanity. Maybe that’s
too much of a stretch. Let’s just say that they both
could use some drug therapy to calm their manic
ways.
Director James Horne, known for directing Laurel and Hardy films and other comedies, made this chapter play laughable at
times. But that’s part of the charm of a chapter play. Not all of them were polished productions ready for an Oscar. All of them,
however, were meant to entertain, primarily a younger audience. The script is nothing out of the ordinary. Basically, it’s a routine
example of the villain wanting to dominate the world with a secret invention that he plans to steal from a well-known inventor (John
Edwards). Back then, it seemed to be a rather popular theme that chapter play writers used as your basic storyline.
Shark’s ambition is to acquire, by any means necessary, the model of a range finder that can destroy aircraft and navel vessels
from anywhere in the world. He orders his henchmen to steal both the model as well as its blueprints at Edwards’ home. However, just prior
to their arrival, Edwards instructs his daughter, Joyce, to mail the model to Captain Midnight’s headquarters as a matter of safekeeping. When
the henchman break into Edward’s house to steal his model, they discover that they are too late to retrieve the goods, so instead, they kidnap
Edwards as well as the blueprints, and they take him to Shark’s secret hideaway. Strange, that he wouldn’t send the blueprints along with the model.
The trick is that the inventor’s blueprints are in code, and he refuses to comply in deciphering it for Shark, that is, until Edwards is threatened
with his life. What follows next is another clever device from the minds of the writing staff: it’s the old telephone dial routine. Edwards secretly bumps the
telephone receiver just enough so that he can dial his daughter for help, and then begins (as he dials) to explain to Shark that his code is somehow based by
the numbers on the phone. When his daughter answers at her end, Edwards cleverly mentions where he is being held prisoner, but Shark soon catches on to the
ruse, and he abruptly stops the inventor from completing his message.
In the meantime, Shark learns that Edwards had the model shipped to Albright’s headquarters, and he sends his men to recover it. When they fail to
find the model, Shark decides to pressure Edwards by threatening his daughter’s safety. By the way, I forgot to mention the fact that Shark is also a master of disguise and
voice impersonations, and he uses his talents to deceive Joyce in order to capture her as a hostage. It’s just another clever method that was used quite frequently in several
chapter plays to help confuse the opposition
As the story progresses, Captain Midnight is at the mercy of Shark’s ingenious means for disposing of him, but he always manages to escape, as do all heroes, from
certain death. One device in particular that Shark uses is a giant spinning wheel that forces a person to fall into a fiery pit below as the wheel increases its rpm’s. Chapter after chapter
involves numerous situations of incredible circumstances that can only be appreciated by fans of the genre.
Unfortunately, most of today’s moviegoers would consider such a chapter play as Captain Midnight to be silly and much too unsophisticated to enjoy. Of course, that’s
merely my own opinion, and hopefully by my exposing some younger readers to these dated gems, they will understand the significance of the genre. Don’t forget
that famous directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have tipped their hats to the chapter plays in the making of many of their blockbuster mega-hits.
Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Arc are just two examples that owe much of their success to cliffhangers.
It was the spirit and action of the era that inspired studios such as: Republic, Columbia and Universal, as well as a few independents, to make over three
hundred chapter plays, from the silent days of movies until television took over as a major source of entertainment.
As with all serials, with one exception, the villain is brought to justice. In the final chapter, Shark is accidentally electrocuted (but only unconscious)
by one of his own devices as he battles the good Captain.
I chose this chapter play primarily for the emotional similarities of both the hero and villain. The only difference being, that one is on the
side of justice, and the other is on the opposite end of the spectrum. It truly is a fast-paced serial and, by all means, extremely hilarious
at times. In short, it’s a heck of a lot of fun to watch, and I highly recommend it to anyone for a good laugh. But most of all, it’s a
visual time-capsule that reflects our nation’s history, when life seemed to be a little less complicated, and chapter plays were a
great source of entertainment. On a scale of one to ten, I give this one an eight, mostly for the laughs.
He’s known to the general public and the police as Richard Wentworth, a famous criminologist devoting his efforts to
combat the forces of evil and eradicate crime. However, in some ways, he is not at all unlike The Green Hornet; that is,
he works both sides of the law to fight those who oppose it.
His main alter ego is known only to his servants and fiancée (Ninta Van Sloan) as The Spider. Although on the side of
justice, The Spider has at times been made to appear guilty of the very crimes he is trying to prevent. As a result, he is
accused by the law to be a dangerous criminal and sought after by police officials.
The idea for The Spider started out as a pulp magazine in the 1930’s and soon became a popular seller. Columbia Studios
bought the rights to make a chapter play starring Warren Hull as the lead. Hull plays both Wentworth and The Spider
as well as a shady character known as Blinky McQuade. With makeup to disguise himself as a shabby tramp, Wentworth
uses the character of McQuade to obtain valuable information from the criminal underworld, since he appears to be on
the wrong end of the law himself.
The Spider’s manic side is somewhat of a mystery to understand. Once he dons his caped costume, he becomes a ruthless
killer of anyone that he even remotely considers a threat. Armed with only a pair of twin pistols, he very effectively
guns down the bad guys with reckless abandon. One movie reviewer remarked that The Spider killed more criminals
per chapter with his pistols than any other serial character on film. There’s no mistake about it, The Spider makes short
work of the opposition.
Wentworth, nonetheless, “appears” as a mild-mannered crime investigator eager to solve his next assignment and to work
“hand-in-glove” with police authorities. Although in one chapter, he guns down two household intruders by shooting
them in the back and then, in a very relaxed manner, he phones the police and jokingly informs them to send the “meat
wagon” to retrieve the bodies.
It’s difficult to establish a dividing line that separates Wentworth’s true identity from that of his alter egos as The Spider
and Blinky McQuade. I guess that’s what makes him such an interesting character study. Like The Green Hornet, The
Spider has no real superpowers, so he must rely on pure wit and the force of his trusted weapons. For his protection, he
entrusts his servants and fiancée to guard his true identity from both law enforcement and the public.
In his first serial, The Spider’s Web (1938), the enemy is a mysterious masked man that goes by the name of the Octopus,
who is hell-bent on destroying the cities’ transportation systems in order to cripple all operations and seize control of the
city itself. To stop the Octopus’ maniacal plot, Wentworth uses his detective skills to outwit his opponent. Of course,
as in any serial, Wentworth/The Spider is faced with certain death at the end of each chapter, but somehow he manages
to escape the inevitable outcome.
THE
SPIDER’S
WEB
The Ruthless Two-Gun Superhero
The second character study in a series of both chapter play superheroes and super villains
by Doug Crill
The Octopus is ruthless in his own right as innocent citizens are killed in
order to accomplish his insane plans. He is a true terrorist in every sense of
the word. This type of villainous activity is standard fare for most serials:
it’s your basic case of a megalomaniac who desires world domination.
In essence, the Octopus is fighting two enemies at the same time, since he
doesn’t realize that Wentworth and The Spider are one in the same person.
It’s a clever device for a plot and a great character strategy. For all intents
and purposes, the storyline is about an “anti- hero” that leads a double
life and an evil, masked villain, both of whose identities are unknown to
the public, and both of whom have violent tendencies. Which force will
win out? The fact is that in all of movie serial history, there has been only
one villain that escapes justice, and we’ll save that story for another day.
On a side note, I refer to The Spider as an anti-hero because of his violent
approach to crime solving. Technically, an anti-hero is a protagonist who
displays no morals, courage or virtues, thus, making the line between
hero and villain a little less definable. The historical documentation of the
term can be traced back as far as 1605, with the story of Don Quixote.
Some literary critics even site Shakespeare’s character of Sir John Falstaff
as being an anti-hero. It all depends on how society views the concept of
the traditional hero at any given point in history.
The Spider’s Web is a gun-blazing adventure that is entertaining, although
rather conventional. What makes it better than the average run-of-themill serial is the complexities of both the hero as well as the villain. It’s
not rocket science, but it is a lot of fun. As with most serials, the villain is
equally as important to the storyline as the leading man. In fact, at times,
he is even more of a character study than the protagonist. A good example
of this would be Republic’s four-part serial of the famous detective Dick
Tracy, played by Ralph Byrd. Byrd more or less plays the role straight and
lets the villain steal the spotlight. At least it made the writer’s job a bit less
complicated. It is your basic storyline of good versus evil.
The Spider’s Web, on the other hand, requires a more complex examination
of the principals. Both the villain and protagonist are somewhat “cut
from the same cloth” when it comes to their methods of operation. It’s a
simple case of violence against violence, leaving in its wake, destruction
and mayhem as a byproduct.
After having watched as many movie serials over the years as I have, I
try to find an interesting character aspect that separates one protagonist
from another or, for that matter, one villain from the next. Most, if not
all, chapter plays are based on proven formulas since the purpose was
meant to entertain a younger audience with plenty of action rather than
to bore them with character driven storylines. It is my attempt to explore
some of the character traits that separate these very colorful creations of
yesteryear from the average flatfoot detective types. The Spider is certainly
a violent protagonist. He is a perfect example of a cold, calculated crime
fighter. Although not quite as overt in his approach to solving crime,
Wentworth’s temperament is often times unpredictable, which makes the
entire experience enjoyable to watch. In this particular serial, I would
have to say that both the hero and villain are on equal terms when it
comes to their methods of operation.
Recently, Moonstone Publications released a series of nineteen original
Spider stories entitled, The Spider Chronicles. Although I haven’t had
a chance to read all nineteen stories, those that I have read are of great
interest. They seem to capture the same raw grittiness of the original
1930’s chapter play. So, like The Green Hornet, The Spider uses both sides
of the law to accomplish his objectives. Fortunately, they both remain
unscathed by their actions. To them, the ends do justify the means. On a
scale of one to ten, I give The Spider’s Web a solid eight.
BAD
SAM
Back at the tail-end of the eighties, I stumbled across a split seven inch featuring a criminally underrated band called The
Cowboy Killers, a scruffy bunch of punk rockers who proved that the UK could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the
best that the US and European HC scenes had to offer. I immediately declared them (in my, ahem, humble opinion of
course) to be the best UKHC band ever, and in the last twenty six years, no-one has ever managed to topple them from that
position. Hell, they even played my wedding, and for longer than I care to remember, I’ve also been fortunate enough to
be able to call their singer Dean, my friend. But like all good things, The Cowboy Killers came to an end and Dean and the
rest of the band moved on Now fronting Bad Sam who are about to release their new record, ‘Working Class Holocaust’, I
figured it was time to catch up with Dean, shoot the shit about the old days, the state of the union, punk rock and of course,
Bad Sam…
Interview by Tim Mass Movement
MM: Introduce yourself then Sunshine….Tell us about the man known simply as
Beddis…
DB: I was in the Cowboy Killers from beginning to end, all four albums worth of fun, then
I was in a band called the Ginger Arsonists for a bit; I was an Elvis impersonator – still
am sometimes - and I’ve been with Bad Sam for about 3 years. We’ve just recorded a new
record.
MM: I’d got the impression after the Cowboy Killers and Las Vegas Elvis that you wouldn’t
want to be in bands any more…
DB: I said I wouldn’t again because it had become too stressful. But then I went to prison
and came out, and wanted to try the old screamer out, find some drum sounds and put
something together again. This was the Ginger Arsonists. We played a few gigs but after
a while Dave didn’t want to do it anymore. It was a bit more experimental that was, a bit
different. It had some strange visuals and was a bit arty farty in some strange psychotic
way…
MM: It’s more metal, the Bad Sam record, than anything you’ve done before…
DB: It all comes down in the end to the tunes as they appear in my head and what the other
guys want to do with them. For a long time Ritchie was playing guitar- now he’s back on
bass – but he was listing to AC/DC and whatever. I don’t mind you know? As long as there’s
not too much guitar wankery I’m okay with that. As long as it’s not too long as well, that’s
important. I like System Of A Down, stuff like that; it has social and political comment. On
the new record there’s a theme of everything being dumbed down over and over again to
stop you thinking. It’s like this American trend obsession. People talk about how drugs and
gang culture have come over here and now its obesity. When I was in school there wasn’t
a fat kid there but now obesity is exploding and diabetes is on the rise. People draw the
comparison with America and say its part of a trend, but really it’s just people living to their
means. Sure they could cook and eat properly, but there is an epidemic of ignorance
in this country since the Thatcher years that has meant that when combined with
the poverty which has also proliferated, you end up with no money, no idea, let’s
go to McDonalds. Over and over again. You can tell there is a problem with the
education system as people don’t know how to ask questions. They don’t think
to ask where the food comes from or anything else – it’s just ignorance. It’s not
copying America.
MM: So you don’t think it’s inevitable that we’ve become a carbon copy of America?
DB: I used to with most things, whether it’s foreign policy or whatever, we follow America in most things. Just look at Afghanistan, Iraq and now Syria, Yemen and the rest
of it. We follow America in many ways but it’s always the negative things. If you like punk rock, hardcore and that then we import some of the good stuff as well.
MM: And now you’re on the telly, well YouTube anyways, with the videos for ‘Black John Wayne’ and ‘Bastard Son of A Teddy Boy’. Were the two videos filmed close
together?
DB: Ish – six months apart. We did Black John Wayne and other songs about Obama and because he’s black people think he’s going to be cool and left-wing and want to
change everything. But this guy was all the time supporting the Republicans and all the right wing policies over Afghanistan etc. In some ways it’s a parallel with Obama;
because he was black and was voted in, everyone thought it would mean change, but it’s just more of the same. But there’s also a sense of humour running through the
lyrics and especially through certain songs.
MM: Speaking of sense of humour, have you been down to the Elvis festival in Porthcawl?
DB: Yes I have. There are basically three types of Elvis there: those just out to get pissed, those, like myself, who are out to have a bit of a laugh; then you get the
people who actually think they are Elvis and are mentally ill. Which is quite a lot of them actually. I went on the piss there once and there was me and nine Elvi in
the loos which was fun. Then there was this committed Elvis who was sitting there with this woman who called herself Queen Priscilla. She was a very large lady
with a pink ribbon in her hair and the pair of them looked psychotic. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of people who like Elvis who happen to have a mental
illness – and so what? But there are some people who like Elvis and they like nothing else.
MM: When was the last time you did the Las Vegas Elvis thing?
DB: I like doing that. I think the last time was last year. We
did some really crazy gigs, we had about 400 people turning
up. But although it’s good to have the anonymity, you can’t do
it forever, or all the time. I like the fact that nobody knows it’s
you. It gives you a freedom you just don’t get otherwise. From a
creative point of view though, doing cover versions all the time
and not writing your own music or lyrics. They’ve got no social
comment in them either, things like Heartbreak Hotel
MM: On a more sombre note. It was the end of an era when
John died, leading to the closure of the legendary TJs in
Newport…
DB: You know, in some ways John’s death just underlined
the fact that that era was over. People often ask why
Simon stopped doing Cheap Sweaty Fun at TJ’s,
and the answer was simple: the whole way that
bands dealt with venues changed. Back in the
old days when he used to deal with Green Day or NOFX, he may have to deal with a band’s manager, but mostly the band itself. Therapy? Just
phoned him up and asked him for a gig. Now it’s all about the agents and the booking companies, and it’s had an effect on the costs. Bands
which used to cost £300-£400, now cost £2000 or £3000. So Simon used to organise the gigs, but it was always John who greeted you and
fed you and made you feel welcome. He sat at the bar during the gig and held court. He didn’t like the music but he liked the scene.
People had a lot of respect for him. He was a shit businessman, and the place never stayed the same. You would go in there from
one week to the next and never know where the stage was going to be or what was going to be what. The roof leaked and it was
a shithole, but it was a lot of fun. He’s sadly missed by a lot of people, and so many people played there from Kurt Cobain, to
Oasis. A wonderful 20 years. He was a really nice guy, always gave you food and a bed, and buy you a drink if you needed it...
MM: And now you’re running Kriminal Records….
DB: Yeah. Simon started it up years ago (as Rockaway Records) as a sort of HQ for
Cheap Sweaty Fun and all the people who went through there. I worked there for
years away and then took it over about 3 years ago, and the rest is history. The great
thing about a place like this is that it’s the centre of life. People come here and they
talk about their life and spill their souls and you do the same. They buy a couple
of records and feel part of something, getting together for a chat about all kinds of
stuff. It’s what life’s about.
MM: Why do you think harder music is coming back again?
DB: It’s all to do with the atmosphere. It feels like the late 70s early 80s again. So
much misery and poverty and people losing their jobs, it brings back the popularity
of music which was underground then but has since come into the mainstream.
After all, when times are good and everything’s great, there’s no music in that
is there? Plus the airwaves are filled with X-Factor and all that crap, people
are looking for something more. I think John Peel’s death had an effect too. It
exposed a lot of what used to be underground and brought it to a new audience.
It’s important because if you’re accessing music through X-Factor or MTV, you’re
never going to discover local bands, or touring bands as they won’t get that kind of
exposure. John Peel used to play all that stuff and discover new sounds and new
ideas and make them accessible. Nobody’s doing that now, so it’s hard for bands
to make an impact. People just don’t have access to them. They get stuck with the
kind of stuff they sell in Tesco and Sainsbury’s. It’s all the same, designed to get
stuck in your head whether you like the tune or not, it just gets stuck there like Bob
the Builder. I go to the gym and they are playing these songs and even though I hate
them, they get stuck in my head. A lot has changed over the years, some for the
better, some for the worse.
MM: What’s next for Bad Sam?
DB: We’ve just got the record out, so we’ll be working that. We’ve all got families
and I have the shop, so we’re not interested in running round doing gigs for £10 or
shit like that. We do what we want to do, when we want to do it. We don’t bother
with managers or any of that shit, we have control of what we do and that suits
us perfectly. It’s not radio friendly but we don’t give a fuck about that. It’s almost
like therapy with all the screaming and yelling and it’s exactly what we need. We
brought the record out ourselves as well. Anyone can order from me mail order and
it’s pretty cheap….
Kriminal Records
https://www.facebook.com/groups/278677959429/?fref=ts
Bad Sam - https://www.facebook.com/groups/54626951484/
Now then gadgie
We got a riot...
One infamous afternoon there was an eruption of tribal warfare in the grounds of our primary
school at dinner time. My brother and his gang of miscreants known as “The Jam Butty Gang”
had got in to a bit of a scuffle with my year group. At first it was only a daft caper at morning
play but by dinner time it had escalated and fights galore broke out with knacking in the head
and everything. I will never forget when Mrs Bendilow’s cup of tea got smashed out of her hand
as a feral bunch of wild bairns ran in to her mid scuffle as she screamed “Cease this foolishness
at once!” Many people got well done off Bouncer, our beloved and rotund headmaster but I
miraculously escaped the range of custodial sentences that were dished out ranging from a
week of dinner times standing in the staff corridor facing the wall to the dreaded phone call
home ... This tale of anarchic antics has been well documented in the pages of Gadgie and the
sheer injustice that me and our lad got away with it all was not lost on our less fortunate class
mates. Karma however, if you believe in such things, has a way of evening up old scores and so
a few years later another wave of anarchy swept the school yard and we didn’t get away with it.
Neither of us had any excuse for the time six second years were excluded, twelve people were
put on report, loads of first went home with black eyes and at least three prefects got their heads
stoved in by a gang of psychopathic future guests at her majesties convenience ... It all started
one Autumnal morn in the mid 1980’s. A cold wind swept through the town of Guisborough,
a small outpost of semi-civilisation nestled between the Cleveland Hills and the North east
coast line. Me and a group of mates were sat in our second year classroom waiting for teacher
to come and do the register. Miss Gilbert was our form tutor and was alright sort. She dressed
like a U2 fan all faded trousers and checked shirts and made us do these “lecturette” things
where we had to tell the class about an interest or hobby that we had. Quinny had taken his
turn yesterday and brought in a pair of ripped jeans and a bloodied shirt. His talk was on
skateboarding. He used to ride his bike with a pair of cut off jeans and the cut off bits around
his ankles. He certainly danced to his own beat that lad did ... Haresy was another character of
note in our form. He was farmer’s lad and lived at the foot of the woods in an old and creepy
Victorian farm. It was full of old creaky barns where he told us in his lecturette that he liked
to capture rats and sew their arse holes up. He was also well known to own a porn stash in one
such barn which he referred to as “the merchandise” when hiring it to friends. Not sure he had
a telly. He was a peculiar fellow and as he was so odd we used to pretend he was really hard and
make out we were all in his gang called “The Haresy Psychos”.
We weren’t. None of us were really that hard but that fateful morning Haresy suggested in a fit of boredom cum spontaneity “Hey, let’s go hassle
the first years!” My brothers form was in B Block just across the way from ours. You could see their window from the back of our class room, so of
course I pointed out we should go over and beat up my brother’s form. It was all a harmless jape of course and we set off to war laughing and joking.
When we reached their window I pretended to hold Haresy back from our lad saying “No Haresy, leave him alone, it’s not worth it mate!” and so on ...
you get the picture. We all hooted and guffawed but were totally unaware that one of the hardest nutters in the school had a younger brother in the same
class. He heard the commotion and went to tell his brother that the second years were starting a fight against the first years ... we all went off to form time and
first lesson completely unaware that powers beyond our control were now raging out of erm, well, our control. Rumour upon rumour spread like the proverbial
wildfire and at break when we returned to B Block to see our lad and his mates again we were met by a scene straight out of The Warriors! Minus the makeup. And
Baseball bats. And tough New York gangs ... but you get the picture ... a group of lunatic second years had heard that the first years wanted a fight with the second years
and took the law in to their own hands. As I walked in to the staircase area I was met by Duster and his gang of reprobates.
“You’re a second year aren’t yer?”
“Yeah, course I am.”
“Alright then.”
At first I was bemused as to why this lot were here and not behind the grounds man’s shed having a fag? I was relived of my bemusement seconds later when some
young lad with brillo pad hair and a briefcase innocently wandered in to the wrong place at the wrong time ... it really couldn’t have been any wronger if he tried.
“Now then, are you a first year?”
“Why yes I am.”
“You fucking MP*!”
Smack.
It was kicking off. The stair case was full of second year barbarians chasing little kids and smacking ‘em. In the head and everything. What the ruddy ‘eck was going
on? I was on vaguely speaking terms with one of these illustrious recreational assaulters and asked what indeed the flippery flip was going on.
“They wanna scrap with us. They started on Haresy this morning!”
Erm. No. They didn’t. It was too late though ... a chain of events had been set in motion and there was no stopping it now. Me and Honker returned to our class room
where a standoff was ensuing. Grimbo in our form who sort of straddled the “Alright Lad but a bit of a Scrapper” scenes was stood at the window talking to a fat headed
first year outside called Callum or something.
“Callum’s having Grimbo out!”
He was ‘n all! Outside the open window the filling out first year was trying to set up a fight with Grimbo as a consequence of the turf war that was erupting. Lorks
knows how this one came to be but when he threw a punch through the open window and Grimbo ducked saying “Ha! Missed you fat bastard!” it was only going one
way.
“Right I’m coming round to pagger you!” Callum, followed by his legion of first year admirers, set off to the door of our class room as Grimbo stood in the door way
awaiting the meat head. As soon as they saw each other they went for each other’s throats and ended up rolling on the floor duffing each other until a nearby caretaker
grabbed one by the hair and his mate put his cigarette down long enough to pin the other against the wall with a sweeping brush!
During the next lesson a member of the senior staff was sent round with stern warnings about everyone’s behaviour so far today but it fell on deaf ears to most,
especially when we were told that the Prefects would all be out at dinner time so we’d all better behave and if they saw anyone at all scrapping, rucking, battling
or biffing each other they would have their dinner time ID cards confiscated and handed in so they’d know who it was and the teachers would get us all in
the afternoon. Ha Ha! The Prefects were the biggest bunch of MPs in the school! Nobody liked this despised bunch of power hungry gimboids whose
only role as far as I could tell was to stand at the doors at dinner time and tell a steady stream of kids that “No, you’re not allowed in, even if you do
need the bog desperately.”
An uneasy atmosphere was all pervasive at dinner time as first years cowered behind walls and bushes and most of the second years weren’t
really sure whether someone was gonna start on them or if indeed, they should start on someone themselves. The answer came in one explosive
moment behind the sports hall. Another fight had been arranged between Swazzer and some other lad, probably called Wozzer or Fazzer or
summat. Now, behind the sports hall was strictly out of bounds by law and anyone found loitering back there would get well done. Of course this
is where all the ROSLA Block** Barm Pots would be found hanging out swearing, smoking and taking it in turns to get sexual favours off the same
couple of mucky lasses. It was not a pleasant place but today half the school were there as the next in a series of inter year brawls had top billing. Before
anyone’s fists were flung however, Giles, a bespectacled fellow and despicably smug, rich, posh and MP like soft lad appeared with half a dozen other Jarvis
Cocker-a-likes doing their prefectly duties ...
“Everyone here must leave! This is out of bounds you know!”
Enter the cream of Rosla Block.
“We’re gonna have a scrap so why don’t you fuck off you speccy twat!?”
“Right you, give me your ID card, I’m reporting you”
Smack.
I distinctly heard someone shout “Knack the prefects!” and the rest is a blur as a vision more harrowing than medieval warfare unfurled before us. Fists flailed. Faces
were walloped. Plums were booted and noses were knackerised. Yaks were paggered as. It wasn’t pretty as the collected psychos of the school set upon the prefects
in one unholy rumble. I didn’t know, like most there, whether to join in, laugh, run away or shit bricks and build a wall should I be mistaken for an MP! Eventually
a bunch of teachers appeared and kids scattered to the four corners of the world hysterically screaming, laughing and going crazy ape shit bonkers. Teaching that
afternoon would prove challenging thought I ... well, not really as around twenty five of the usual suspects, including me, our lad, Haresy and the rest of his Psychos
along with all those fellows who, shall we say, were more accustomed to being summoned to the Head’s office than most, were read the riot act and put on report or
suspended. I was put on report as were the rest of Haresy’s mob who were pretty much disbanded after this incident and yes, when I got home I got well done off me
Dad. Next time we were bored waiting for registration we decided to bring a Subbuteo set in to play ... surely we couldn’t get in to bother with a Subbuteo set? Well,
actually, yes it appears we could ... but that’s a whole other story.
* “MP” A derogatory phrase used to describe anyone with an outward appearance of being intelligent, well mannered and academically gifted. Would
often be seen with a briefcase instead of a sports bag, would be wearing a blazer when nobody else did and always had a letter to get out of PE when
it was cold. Most of these lads are probably now in high paid jobs laughing at the scrotes at school who made their life hell.
** “ROSLA Block” Rising of the School Leaving Age was a plan from the late 70’s or early 80’s I think which meant you could no longer leave
school when you turned 16 without doing your exams. This was the preferred choice for the sort of kids that hung around behind the sports
hall. Such pupils were built a block of their own - ROSLA Block - though what went on in this academic ghetto I dread to think. The denizens of
ROSLA seemed to be very proud of their status and graffiti saying ROSLA RULES OK was common around the school. I imagined it to be like
Borstal but a little more threatening and hostile ...
You want more of this nonsense? Drop us a line at
[email protected] as I have a whole book of it for
a fiver and back issues of Gadgie Zine for a quid a pop.
Gregg
Hurwitz
Every now and again, you stumble across a writer whose work subtly alters the way you perceive the genre they dwell
within, almost as if you walked through a doorway you hadn’t noticed before, a door that leads to new horizons and
new vistas. Gregg Hurwitz is one of those writers, a best-selling author and Sci-Fi TV writer and the man responsible
for shaping the destiny and life of The Dark Knight. Folks, say hello to the literary polymath, Gregg Hurwitz…
Interview by Tim Mass Movement
Images appear courtesy of Gregg Hurwitz and DC Entertainment
MM: Let’s start at the beginning… Would you like to both introduce yourself and tell all the boys and girls something strange about Gregg Hurwitz, something
that hardly anyone knows…
Gregg: When I was a kid, I used to go to bed with a dictionary instead of a teddy bear. ..
MM: So, when did the literary bug bite you? When did you know you wanted to be a writer, and what came first for you, as fan and reader, comics or books?
Which of literary mediums drew you in and refused to you go…
Gregg: As long as I can remember. I have mystery “books” I wrote and illustrated with crayons from third grade on (though the crayons got wearisome in college). I
started my first novel when I was 19 and never looked back. Then I added screenplays, and later TV and comics. MM: You started writing as you were finishing college / university didn’t you? Was that when you knew your path was set, that what you were doing was going
to be what you’d always do? How long did it take you to break through and become successful as a novelist…? Was it an over-night thing, or is the story a little
more complicated...
Gregg: I was pretty fortunate. I was young and dumb enough to think that if you wrote a halfway decent book, it would get published, and my first book indeed got
bought right after I’d finished school. So I never had to have a real job. MM: How did you break into comics? You started work at Marvel didn’t you? How different
was, and is, it writing for comics, compared to writing novels and writing for TV (more of
which later)…? Is it harder, easier, or so completely different that you can’t really compare the
mediums? If so, why?
Gregg: Axel Alonso, one of my favorite folks in comics (or anywhere) called me and offered me
a few characters from the Marvel vault to build a miniseries around. I was obsessed with Ennis’s
Punisher and so I chose The Foolkiller and wrote a hard R MAX series. Then Ennis decided to
end his epic run with Frank Castle and Axel offered me the next arc after that. MM: We have, as I’m a BIG fan, to talk Moon Knight… How did you end up forging Marc
Spector’s (or more accurately. Jake Lockley’s) destiny? What drew you to the character, and
what do you think his (lasting) appeal is? Did you achieve everything you wanted to do during
your run on the book, or was there anything that you wished you had done, but didn’t, and
looking back, anything you might have done differently? Gregg: I was drawn to Lockley’s craziness! I love that he had all these different personalities
within himself and that his struggle was primarily an internal one. I’m pretty proud of how I (and
my artists) built up Moon Knight. MM: And then (well not immediately after, but you know, a while after) you moved to DC,
and started to write Batman… But before, we move on the Dark Knight completely, having
written both Moon Knight and Batman, what do you think about, and of, the comparisons
that inevitably crop up between the two, especially that refer to the former as an ersatz version
of the later? What, from your perspective and in your opinion, separates and differentiates the
characters?
Greggg: Yep - a lotta similarities. But some key differences too. Moon Knight is crazy, and much
of his efforts are spent in holding himself together. Bruce is sane and able to devote more time to
his relentless discipline. MM: It’s Batman time… How did you feel when you found out that you were going to be
writing for one of the most iconic characters in comics? Was it difficult to separate the legend from the character that you wanted to write for? What do you think,
and what do you know that, you’ve added to the character with your run?
Gregg: When I first went to DC, I asked to write a Penguin miniseries. I loved The Killing
Joke and the more recent Joker OGN and wanted to do give a similar in-depth analysis
of our boy Oswald. So the first time I wrote Batman, he appears from the Penguin’s
perspective -- as a villain! Then I was offered The Dark Knight with Finch drawing and
that’s not an offer any sane man would turn down. It is hard to take on a character who is in the public trust like Batman. We all have such
a rich history with him. I’d like to think I’ve added a bit to the legend -- not just by
adding more depth to some of the rogues, but by also drawing out Bruce’s psychology and
showing why intimacy interferes with his quest for perfection. MM: Is there a particular period of Batman’s history or a story arc that you’ve drawn
inspiration from for your Dark Knight? If so, what part of the characters history
influenced your vision of Bruce Wayne? Why? Gregg: My vision of Bruce Wayne stems from Miller, of course, but also there is a heavy
influence from the Goyer/Nolan work.
MM: Is there anything that you’d like to do with the character that you feel you can’t
because of already established canonicity and mythology, and is there anywhere that
you’d like to take the character but are a little bit wary of doing so for the same reasons?
Do you think that the characters long history is a boon or bane (yeah, I went there)
from a writers point of view? Does it, the history that is, hinder or help the creative
process? Why? Gregg: I want to put Batman in a musical. Kidding! No, I don’t feel particularly constrained
because I arrived at Batman with a pretty good concept of who he is and the world he
lives in. The history is both boon and bane -- so much to draw upon, but one does have to
stretch to find something new.
MM: What’s been the stand-out moment on the book (Batman The Dark Knight) for
you so far? What’s coming next and, for us fanboys, what can you tell us about the
“Wow!” moments and surprises (without giving anything away of course) that you’ve
got lined up and ready to go….
Gregg: For me, the stand-out moment is when the Mad Hatter gets hold of Natalya. I’d imagined her as a very different type of
girlfriend for Bruce. Smart, witty, talented, no nonsense, from a tough background, and unwilling to put up with his nonsense.
She represents the ultimate opportunity for him to find intimacy. So when the Hatter gets her, you can imagine Batman would
go Bat*** crazy!
MM: Tell us about Tell No Lies …
Greggg: It started with a simple idea: What if you started receiving death threats -- accidentally? Threats intended for others
with concrete life-or-death deadlines? My hero, Daniel Brasher, finds himself inadvertently in the middle of a killer’s vendetta.
And this story is played out on the labyrinthine streets of the city of my birth, San Francisco. Like many of my recent thrillers, it
has a Hitchcockian “everyman” hero who is pulled in over his head and has to rise to the occasion. I suppose in certain regards,
it’s my homage to “Vertigo,” where the winding and complex alleys and hills represent the increasing dark psychological stakes
-- it’s almost as dark and fog-drenched as Gotham!
MM: It’s ‘V’ time… How did you end up writing for and working on the re-imagined ‘V’? What was the experience like, and
what did you think, overall, of the series? Was it tough to shake off the memories of the original series and fans expectations
of the new series?
Gregg: I don’t usually staff on shows (I do more pilots) but my buddy was the showrunner who pulled me. I wound up doing a
lot of writing and producing -- it was an absolute blast. We did have to pay our respects to the old show while finding something new. In that regard, it was a bit like
writing Batman; whenever I face the blank page with Bruce, I find myself walking that same tightrope. MM: What was tougher, being on a demolition range with SEAL’s or infiltrating a cult, and why and how did you come to do both of things?
Gregg: Both were a blast. Going undercover into mind control cults was more incredible though. I’d never have believed some of that stuff if I didn’t experience it
firsthand. That’s why it’s important to me to do so much research for my thrillers. My job is to give the reader a front-row seat to watch the action and if I haven’t done
something myself, I can’t paint it as effectively. MM: What’s next for you Gregg? If there’s anything that you’d like to add, now would be the time…
Gregg: A great new rogue will be clawing his way into the pages of TDK. And I also am doing an experimental
story arc -- can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’m just finishing my tour for TELL NO LIES, which has been a
lot of fun and took me all over the US and across the Atlantic. And am working on some TV and film stuff
which should be ready to announce soon.
INJURED EYEBALLS - 10
By Jasper Bark
Writers, gentle reader, are SO full of shit it beggars belief!
Considering I’m a writer myself, and knowing the silo loads of shit with which I’m stuffed,
it shouldn’t really beggar my belief. But let’s just say, for the benefit of this column, that it
does. Let me give you an example of this outrageous and completely unqualified claim.
If, like me, you’re in contact with a lot of writers through twitter and facebook (and if
you’re reading this I’m presuming you are, unless you’ve just stopped by because you heard
this column contains celebrity fisting anecdotes) then I’m sure you’ve read a tweet or status
update like this one:
“Just written 4,000 words of my latest novel before breakfast and done 50 laps of my Olympic size swimming pool. Now I’m off to make love to my super model partner - WOOT!”
What the writer might not realise, as they type those words, is that the word “CUNT!”
springs involuntarily to the lips of every other writer who reads them. Not because we’re
eaten up with bitterness and jealousy (which we are), but because the claim they make is so
intrinsically opposed to the actual experience of writing professionally. A more honest post
would read something like:
“Just stared desperately at my laptop screen until I wept tears of pure blood, then beat my forehead against my desk for over an hour. Now I’m off to inject smack into
my eyeball and lie on the piles of unpaid bills that clog my hallway.”
Maybe it’s because this so much the norm for our careers that, on those rare days when do manage to be positively productive, we want to share the joy with our
writer brothers and sisters. Or maybe it’s because, as stated previously, writers are FULL of shit.
Still not convinced? Hmm, you’re a tough crowd. Okay well here’s another bug bear of mine. Quite frequently I’ll read in the trade and fan media that a colleague of
mine in the comics industry has been commissioned to write a regular comics series. When asked for a quote the writer will often say something non committal along
the lines of: “Just started work on the first couple of story arcs and I’m having SO much fun writing it!”
Let’s just look at those last five words again: “SO much fun writing it”. If you honestly believe that the words ‘fun’ and ‘writing’ belong together in a book that describes
the profession, let alone a sentence, then you’re either heading for a universe of disillusion, or you’re a writer, and therefore -full of SHIT.
Unless of course, your idea of fun is an experience akin to tearing out one of your innards and tying it round the throat of an epileptic doberman. Then kicking the
unfortunate creature over the side of a cliff in mid seizure. Because that’s what it really feels like to tear concepts, plots, characters and dialogue out of yourself, to meet
an unrelenting deadline, on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong, there are occasional moments of unparalleled elation when everything comes together, but these moments usually result in the sort of manic episodes that have me writing letters of apology to all the neighbours and promising never to go near root vegetables or KY
jelly ever again.
All of which brings me to the point of this column. You mean, I hear you ask
gentle reader. That there IS actually a point to this column? Well no, but let’s
pretend that, even though I’m a writer, I’m not actually full of shit, and I’m not
just changing the subject because I’m getting bored now. As the point I’m making does start with another example of writers and the shit of which they’re
full.
Whenever a writer reminisces about public appearances, they always claim
the one question they’re asked most is “where do you get your ideas from?”
Strangely I’ve never been asked that question. Even more strangely I’ve never once heard anyone ever ask
that question at all the hundreds of signings, readings and conventions to which I’ve been. I don’t know if
this is because everyone now knows this is the most asked question and doesn’t dare ask it anymore for fear
of being derided by their favourite author. Or if this is a collective hallucination that all authors share and
no-one ever bothered to slip the right drugs in my drink (probably because they thought I was on enough
already).
Or maybe it’s because writers are actually the ones obsessed with where their ideas come from. So whenever
they’re asked to write a quick article for someone they trot out the standard line about “whenever I make
a public appearance, someone always asks me ...”. Whatever the case, it isn’t the most asked question in my
experience.
The most asked question that I’ve ever heard (and I DO hear this at just about every public appearance) is:
“do you just sit around and wait for the mood to strike you?” I think they picture me lying around on some
chez lounge, surrounded by naked dwarves with a feather quill in my hand, awaiting the arrival of the muse
(or my dealer). I’ve always thought this a pretty strange question seeing as this is what I do to pay the bills
and, seeing as all the fluffing work dried up when I hit 40, it’s all I do to pay the bills.
No-one ever imagines other professions sitting about and waiting till they’re hit by inspiration. Have you
ever heard of a tradesman suffering from ‘plumber’s block’? As I write this,
we’re currently having a kitchen fitted. While I admit that every time I walk
into the gaping hole that used to be my kitchen, the builders do seem to be
standing around either scratching their stubbly chins or waving a coffee cup
hopefully at me, but I’m pretty sure they’re not waiting for ‘the mood to strike
them’. They want to get the job done as quickly possible so they can move on to
the next. Just like I do now - writing this column, even if I never seem to get to
the point.
Some years ago, when I was still a music journalist, I interviewed Brian Eno (and no, if you’ve been hanging on
for that celebrity fisting story for last 1,500 words, I’m afraid this isn’t it). We spoke about his working methods
and he told me how he wrote his latest album by walking into the studio each day, grabbing hold of the first
idea he could think of, and working on it until he had a finished track at the end of the day. He seemed to think
this was a pretty novel way to work, but I remember thinking it was pretty much business as usual for most
professional creators toiling away to meet a deadline.
This is the truth about where our ideas come from. We torture our imaginations with pressing deadlines and
financial imperatives until they rupture and bleed. Then we catch those precious few drops in a story or a script
that we’ve hastily cobbled together to keep an editor and/or a mortgage provider off our backs. It’s not always
‘fun’ and we rarely do it in 4,000 word blocks between bouts of healthy exercise, but it is usually the very best
we could do given the circumstances and the short amount of time we were allotted. This is what Wilde really
meant when he said “art is never finished, only abandoned.”
Anyone who tells you different is either full of shit, or a writer which, as I’m sure we’ve now established,
amounts to the same thing.
On a completely different note, I’d like welcome Simon Bestwick, fellow TIH columnist and acclaimed author of Tide of Souls and The Faceless to the column. Simon
and I both have stories in a new anthology called Tales of the Nun and Dragon and in a desperate attempt to boost sales and our royalties, we’ve decided to interview
one another about our respective contributions to the book.
Simon, thank you very much for hitching a ride on my column.
I want to start with the genesis of the idea behind Lex Draconis. Was it something you’d been toying with before you were asked to contribute, or did you develop
it especially for the anthology?
It came from the premise of the anthology. Adele Wearing said there had to be either a nun, a dragon, or both, so I went for the ‘both’ option. The Catholic Church is
not one of my favourite institutions for a number of reasons, not least its attitude towards women and its related loathing of natural sexuality, so that was always going
to be an element, and I wanted to do something other than make the dragon an evil monster. I may also have used the phrase ‘hot nun on dragon action’ at some point
and found it stuck in my head.
Did it take a bit of work to put the whole plot together or was it one of those wonderful gift-stories that come as one almost fully formed package? The sort that
impels you to just sit down and start writing it?
The elements I’d mentioned above were bubbling in my head, and then one day- while I was on a bus to Bolton Market, if I remember aright (you know how inspiration can strike at the oddest, most random times) the idea of Sister Leonora’s mission came to me and the basic plot clicked together around that. I always tend to
outline story plots these days- I have to slot them in between bigger projects, so it’s handy if I know roughly where I’m going and can get straight to work- but it slotted
together pretty easily. Without letting any spoiler slip, I’d like to explore a little more of the back story of Sister Leonora, the central protagonist. Prior to the events of the story Sister
Leonora has had a serious relationship with a young man called Neil. It’s apparent that the relationship ended, and most probably so badly that it caused her to
take the veil. Could you let us know a little more about the circumstances surrounding the break up and how much of this is pertinent to her state of mind at the
beginning of the story?
The way I saw Sister Leonora was as a woman in whom a deeply and prescriptively religious upbringing is at war with a passionate and sensual nature. She’s been
brought up to regard sex as wicked and herself as lesser and sinful, because she’s a woman. Neil I visualised as a fairly straightforward person- someone intelligent,
caring but predominantly secular, who questioned the values she’s been brought up with, and more importantly led her to question them too. Ultimately she was torn
between what she wanted and what she’d been brought up to believe was right, and her religion won, leading to the break-up of the relationship and her decision to
take the veil- something she regrets but feels guilty about regretting. In her heart she’s discontented and yearns for the forbidden. The events of the story don’t transform her into a different person so much as reawaken what’s already there.
Finally, without giving too much away again, do you think the events of the story have ensured that dragons
won’t be extinct for a little while yet?
In the broad scheme of things, things won’t change much, but the dragons will endure, as they always have. It’s what
they do.
Thanks once again for hitching a lift with me Simon. I’ll drop you off at the next paragraph, but before I do you
can probably tell by that hand on your knee and the devilish glint in my eye that there’s no such thing as a ‘free
ride’. What do you say to a quick game of Fallen Nuns and Dragons hmm, big boy ...
I knew when you talked about me ‘riding your column’ that this wasn’t going to end well… :-)
You can can purchase Tales of the Nun and Dragon at http://amzn.to/1cjsGgk.
Well go on then, what are you waiting for?
Eden’s Curse
One of the most recently anticipated releases to finally surface is the fourth album by
multi national power metal phenomenon Eden’s Curse. With great praise coming from
the likes of Bruce Dickinson and the world renowned Dream Theatre, a few years of
unease has finally come to an end.
Interview by Mark Freebase
MM: Scots-man and bassist Paul Logue was gonna buy me a battered
Mars Bar but not until he’d dished dish the dirt… So, take it away
Paul….
EC: I can honestly say, we know our direction and are honing the sound,
so taking our time to find the right vocalist may be a long haul, but the
final result is most definitely what we have achieved to take Eden’s Curse
forward in the way we perceive. We are who we are… and people like that
band, there is no way we will write an album because of trends. We incorporate sounds from Journey to Megadeth, from Dream Theatre to Opeth,
its what we do; that’s what I love about metal; it’s such a big family. We are
thick-skinned and write for ourselves firstly, and our label AFM Records
backs us one hundred percent, because they know where we are coming
from. You can do it for the money, or you can do it for the love…
MM: How did the change of singer come about then?
EC: Well going back to our original singer Michael, he quit the band after
our UK shows with Dream Theatre. He had an idea of where he wanted
the band to go, and to be honest the rest of us had ideas and we asked him
to stay and follow the ideas we were building for Eden’s Curse, unfortunately people grow apart. We talked for months whether we should keep
the name or not, as Michael actually named himself Michael Eden after
we had named the band, and we had to put that one to bed after he started
to ask for obscene amounts of money to carry on with the band. The band members vote was unanimous that we would carry on; I mean we’d come to far to give up
now and we’d just come off the two best and biggest shows we’d done with Dream Theatre, our stock was never higher. It was a shame to lose a singer, and we didn’t
want to lose him, but, he gave us no option and we couldn’t come to an amicable agreement and it was quite an acrimonious split. We then bought an Italian guy in,
and we had to ask him to leave after just one single and video, so that was a bit of an embarrassment for us really, we had to admit that the new singer of six months had
left! This time we decided to go for public auditions, it was in the region of 170hrs worth of footage, 44 audition tapes! We generated quite a bit of interest actually. A
lot of people got secondary auditions also. Our primary focus this time around was, number one… the voice for this album, but we did want a European singer as the
trans Atlantic experience was very costly; we had tried our hardest to find a British singer, but unfortunately our person was not out there. By this time I had started
looking on line and found a particular band from Hungry and through tracking the singer down on Facebook I eventually got to find out a little bit about him. His
band didn’t seem to have a lot of work going on, so I reached out and contacted him and spoke about the auditions that we were going through and it was our drummer really who said to me this guys is different, he’s different from everybody else and we did unanimously think we had found the great answer, so we decided to try
out a few old Eden’s Curse songs and that went so well that we then gave Nickola something new to work with – we said look we have this new song started, we’ve got
one verse and the chorus done, why don’t you have a stab at it? So we actually didn’t know this at the time but Nick is a professional sound engineer so he potentially
built the shell of the song, I mean we gave him maybe two minutes and we got back five minutes worth of song! This guy had really gone to some length putting in a
cool breakdown section and really, really bowled us over, so we got him to do one more brand new song, just to double check, and it was unreal. So now because of the
situation before, and the embarrassment of our last vocalist, we were recommended to go and get the album in the can and then start to drip feed some studio footage…studio diaries… and keep the singer under our hat. We waited to get it right, and it was quite funny actually as you could read things on line about Eden’s Curse
and I could sit back and grin as what we had accomplished was now in the can.
MM: So the importance of getting it right this time was a big deal…
EC: Absolutely. ‘Trinity’ was a special album and ‘Symphony Of Sin’ had to be this good to cement the future of this band. That is why we took so long to find Nick and
we know he’s the right guy to front this band, as well as being a great guy also. That’s of importance too for us y’know. We are quite easygoing individuals and we need
to get along also, we can’t be in this situation where there is any rock stars in the band, there can be nobody carrying around any egos! We live and breath music, but we
like a good laugh also, it’s crucial for a band to survive.
MM: So the turmoil’s and tribulations make or tend to highlight the highs and lows for the better would you say?
Yes, but they do highlight the fact that the previous member most certainly wasn’t the right situation to have around! Our band is a democracy and we have always
believed that the song is the champion; I have never in four albums told Thorstein what to play. We are easy going and we believe in who has the better idea we go for it.
MM:Has that hampered the live show situation at all, with things being so close to the chest?
EC: In honesty, then yes. We kind of missed out on a lot of this years gigs, we would have really liked to of done a couple of summer festivals, but Firefest will be our
debut now with Nick. Looking positively at the situation though, we are in a good spotlight to focus on next years situations now and continue throughout with what
we intend to create at Firefest. It’s not the end of the world honestly, and after the last few years of shit patience pays off! Eden’s Curse is seriously up-graded now! We
never expected to be out touring with Stratovarious, or Firewind, or even out in the States so we’re dying to get back out there and show what we can do now. Hopefully
there will be a Wacken, or Bang Your Head, or Rock Of Ages and definitely a Donington in amongst our schedule for 2014.
www.edenscurse.com/
Vista Chino
A vibrant Brant Bjork has a new band, Vista Chino, alongside vocalist John Garcia
and Corrosion Of Conformity’s bassist Mike Dean. Unsurprisingly the desert rock
drummer seemed keen to spill the beans…
Interview by Mark Freebase
MM: So, Vista Chino, what does it mean and where did it originate
from?
BB: Well, originally it was a name that I submitted to the band for a
working title for what would have been the new Kyuss record. So when we
were faced with changing the name of the band we kinda shifted that working title over. Vista Chino is the name of a street out in the dessert where we belong,
there’s no real heavy meaning, it’s just a name we grew up with, we wanted to hear a name that when it was read, took us back to our roots, y’know. It fits
perfectly as it has that whole desert vibe and it rolls off the tongue.
MM: The artwork has that same feel of Mexican, desert, old school dusty vibe running through it.
BB: Well that particular artwork has been around the desert for quite some time now. It’s authentic and original. The Chicanos have been around a while
and I have always loved their artwork but never worked with them before, so was really excited about developing a working relationship with them, and
their artwork epitomises the whole desert feel. Desert art, Chicanos art, folk art, call it what you want, but it’s the real deal here, it’s celebrating our roots and
combining our evolvement. It’s really simple, but so effective and I couldn’t think of a better canvas for the first Vista Chino release. The guys do artwork for
tattoos also, so they got that vibe going on there and I’m kinda interested in seeing some people’s pieces of the cover.
MM: Stepping up to bass duties on this album is hardcore reprobate Mike Dean, infusing even more vintage quality, with Corrosion Of Conformity’s
later sound leaning more towards a stoner vibe, one would be keen to find out if this was natural progression for the legendary bassist, and was he a full
time member of Vista Chino?
BB: Firstly, Mike is here and fully supportive of this record and it’s touring commitments, so it should follow through next year. We are so pleased to have
Mike involved and we are aware that C.O.C. has a busy schedule, as will Vista Chino, were really hoping to make things do-able for both. They won’t clash! We
respect C.O.C. and all that Mike does, as of now we’re just trying to work it all out for everybody. The chemistry between us is awesome when we jam, and off
stage we are all on the same page, it’s really rad that this is happening; so yes, he’s gona help us out until next year man.
MM: How did it fall into place? Were you buddies before hand or…
BB: I’ve been a fan of Mike Dean since I was a young skate boarder kid, I was down with Corrosion Of Conformity and I loved Mike’s style from the early days. We
were getting ready to go down to Australia and our bassist Nick got into another sticky situation with his personal life and wasn’t able to go down with us, so once
again we were in a pinch… erm… I was kinda a little frustrated by bass players as the last few years they had been driving me crazy, and I just thought fuck it man…
I’m guna shoot for the moon – Mike Dean had always been one of my favourite bass players and I’ve dreamed of working with him and I just thought hey man I’m
guna call up Mike Dean. And I did call him up. He’s been with us ever since! We still love Nick, and I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Nick, he’ll always be one of our
brothers, but right now we feel we have a real solid situation with all four members.
MM: The whole concept of Vista Chino seems to have fallen tightly into place; it’s evolving into a well oiled machine; so how was the transformation from
Kyuss Lives!
BB: John (Garcia) called me in 2010 and to be personally frank he didn’t ring to start a new band, he said hey man let’s get Kyuss back together. Let’s go back to
the original spirit, but we had to bear in mind it was obvious that Josh didn’t want to do it. It sounded like fun, it sounded like a challenge, it would be good to get
younger generations to experience the band. We tried to focus on the music, we are musicians after all. The goals and destinations were always musically motivated.
We failed to address the business issues with Kyuss back in the day, but you have to have the courage to face your convictions and try to gain faith in trust and trust
in faith that everything will work out smoothly. So for the most part it was awesome, and not only did it meet or destinations we exceeded them. But obviously
there is a price to pay and not everyone under the gun is cool, we did always know from the beginning there was potential beef and Kyuss was a band with conflict
that ended prematurely anyway. But having said that, there was no way we were not going to pursue the vision we had. That is certainly not the spirit for us. As far
as the transition from Kyuss to Vista Chino… who knows? We may have changed the name at an appropriate time anyway, it’s hard to say… all I know is that law
suits are silly and they are not how we live our lives, it’s a not about principals, it’s about economics and John and I just
simply didn’t have that money and we wanted to move forward. I’m really excited about the new name, it’s the freshness,
the conflict is far behind us and we can focus on moving forward and doing what we love. You know you can’t please
everybody all the time, and we want to just pick up with Vista Chino were we left off with Kyuss. I mean Kyuss was a
band that not everyone understood and fell in love with back in the early nineties y’know.
MM: Music fans are human after all. They probably like a little bit of drama along the way, and if things go to
smoothly always then possibly it can become somewhat boring…
BB: Yer I agree, a bit of tension is not necessarily a bad thing. You gotta fight for what you believe in, and that’s what we
were doing in the beginning; and funnily enough that’s exactly what we had to do this last year. Things change and people
change, John and myself and Bruno and Mike, well, we’re not people who fear change. The challenges as an artist, the
highs and the lows always make it worthwhile. Embrace change, I think that change is positive.
MM;Has that created new songs? Fresh ideas?
BB: All these songs are new songs. The key to the writing partnership was with me to write with Bruno, I knew that as
soon as I jammed with him back then, he was undoubtedly an exceptional guitar player. Yes you could ask him to recreate
the Kyuss classics on stage, but this guy has his own swing, his own feel, his own vibe; and like I had a writing partnership
with Josh back in the day I knew that I was going to develop a new writing partnership with Bruno here.
He just came out to the desert and we took our time, we didn’t rush anything and we celebrated our love
of music, bounced ideas off each other and I was simultaneously building a studio in my property in the
desert, all vintage gear, all analogue and we just through ideas around until we touched upon a riff or a
lick or something then we expanded on it. All the songs are pretty much born from that method. When
we had a handful of songs we liked we just started rolling tape.
MM: Bands like Monster Magnet, Sleep and Fu Manchu had a bit of a connection back in the day, how
did that come about and connect with Kyuss’s inception?
BB:Well we all general interest as bands and musicians who just weren’t interested in playing commercial
rock. I mean I was a skater and there was a massive punk vibe, and we’re not from Seattle, but what was
happening with the grunge movement gave inspiration to evolve and it was okay to take that punk attitude
and fuse it. We were all pulling from the 60s and 70s and 80s, from the punk and metal influences and
celebrating the independence of non-commercial rock music. That’s just what it is. My life was punk rock
and skate boarding and I was either guna play in a band or be a skate pro.
MM:Along with Vista Chino, who else is coming through?
BB: I actually just produced a great band from out’a Portland Organ called Black Pussy and they are really
good. They got great songs and a really good rock sound, I anticipate their record being received real
well, and they are guna support Vista Chino shortly. I don’t keep up with all the new bands, but I do hear
people talking, and I can tell that there is a lot of good stuff around and coming through, I mean I have a
wife and kid now, so there’s only so many hours in the day you can listen to music. Things feel good, and I can tell rock music is doing real good right now.
MM: So what created Brant Bjork’s vibe for the Vista Chino album, who are you listening to, what’s on your stereo as of late?
BB: I listen to a lot of different styles, and depending on my moods I take what feels right. For example if I wake up in the morning and I need to get my energy and
get going then I’ll throw on some hip-hop, but in the evening when I’m winding down I can play jazz actually, some post war, mid fifties… y’know Sonny Rollins and
Coaltrade and Miles and all that shit. I love to put it on when I’m cooking the dinner, I don’t really listen to a great deal of rock records now as I’ve heard so much
rock over the years, I’m now giving my ears a break! Maybe it’s a bit of a sign of being older and not caring, but enjoying. Even in the height of my punk rock loyalty I
enjoyed bands like The Smiths or Bob Marley, even to this day I am learning to appreciate different and all kinds of music.
MM: How will that affect the band vibe when on tour?
John, Bruno, Mike and I all like similar tastes in music, even Nick has a fairly open mind when it comes to music, although he loves punk and heavy music when he’s
on tour. We were all collectively listening to a lot of Deep Purple on the last tour. Cream and Jimi Hendrix is good rock music for us to chill out to also.
www.vistachinomusic.com/
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MM: How have you managed to maintain a more or less steady Shai Hulud vibe / sound over the years, when so many musicians have been in the band,
some for only very short time.
Matt: I’ve been in the band since the beginning, write a good amount of our material both musically and lyrically, and everything we have released, even if it
was written by another member of the band, goes through the “Shai Hulud filter” - a long established filter understood and perpetuated by every member of
the band, seasoned or new. In addition, newer members we’ve had who were inclined to create with us joined because they loved what the band was doing
and wanted to help further that sound that made them want to join in the first place. Having people join that feel an attachment to what is we do helps both
maintain our sound and keep it fresh.
Shai Hulud’s sound and style is noted so even when transient members offer their creative input, it always either fits right into the mold, or helps us effectively
broaden our parameters. I truly enjoy having other ideas outside of my own. Yes, too many cooks in the kitchen may spoil the food, but two heads are mostly
always better than one. I welcome the brainstorm.
MM: Is it difficult playing Shai Hulud songs with a different line up time after time, or does this add some flavour to the songs?
Matt: It can definitely have its hiccups. We never want to change members, but life happens in band life just as it does in real life. You adapt and overcome as
best as you can; cherish the moments when it clicks easily, and work hard to smooth things out when it’s not as conveniently immediate.
Every new person brings something new to live show. Similar to what I mentioned above, all those who ever joined the band never expect to change who it is
we are, but new and different people, similarly, are who they are, and they bring with them different and unique characteristics; new flavors for sure. Just like
every new James Bond, every new Batman, every new Doctor Who…
When forced to take in new band members, we make sure we find as right a person as possible, and we understand that everyone will bring with them their
own personality that will obviously bleed into the songs to some degree. We welcome that. We’ve been fortunate in continuously finding people that work very
well within the Hulud framework. The new characteristics always seem to serve the songs well, and often the new flavors do keep things fresh and stimulating.
MM: Do you like how other guitar players or singers interpret your older songs? Have you ever been surprised by how your songs came out when
different musicians played / sang them?
Matt: I truly love new members’ interpretations and ideas. We’ve never had someone join, on any instrument, where we hated what it is they brought to the
table. Then again, that’s what jamming and preliminary conversations are for. I’m pretty sure we would know after a first meeting or two if someone was just too
far out of step with who we are and how we play.
When we do confirm a new member, invariably they always bring a new twist and interpretation that’s both effective and exciting. Our songs have been given
many little makeovers over the years; that really does keep them fun to continue playing. I think even with a stable lineup for a decade I would still want to
make slight changes to the songs. Re-interpretations keep older songs from growing stale.
MM: For the new album, you have invited all old singers for a (guest) performance. Would you say that all former members of Shai Hulud are part of the
extended family?
Matt: Absolutely. It is very safe to say we are on incredible terms with 99% of the people have who have spent time in Shai Hulud then moved on. It is definitely
an extended family. And I love that. Again, life happens. When people leave a unit, it doesn’t have to be the end of a friendship. Sometimes things just can’t
continue the way they are, and as always, we adapt. We overcome. And that’s never to say anyone who has left the unit will be forever abandoned to the
cold. That’s childish, and not how I want to live my life. One of my favorite aspects of the new album is that all the former singers came together to sing on
“Medicine To The Dead.” It makes me happy. Gives me a warm feeling. Our love and respect to Damien Moyal, Chad Gilbert, Geert Van der Velde, and Matt
Mazzali. Hugs and hi-fives all around.
MM: How did you decide which song would fit what vocalist best? Did the singers also have a say in this? And was Chad the obvious choice being the
main singer of ‘Reach Beyond The Sun’?
Matt: Funny you should ask… We had the plan to have all the former singers appear on this album for years now; all said alum were contacted, and they all
agreed to take part. We simply needed to make the decision of where to put who. We had ideas though noting was set in concrete other than the fact they all
would appear somewhere; where exactly would be up to us. They would receive the lyrics, be given a place and cadence within any song, and set free to have
at it. As it happened, the song “Medicine To The Dead” was the last song to be written lyrically. By the end of the scheduled studio time the lyrics still had not
been finished, and Chad was leaving for tour. This wasn’t to be a problem as he was on Warped Tour where apparently there was a studio truck; he said he
should be able to finish the vocals there once I sent him the lyrics. Regardless, I always knew we would give former singer Geert a guest spot on this particular
song because it was most reminiscent of the music on our second record, “That Within Blood Ill-tempered,” the album he sang on. Having him appear here
made perfect sense, and we thought it would stir up a warm sense of familiarity.
The lyrics trickled out slowly. By the time I had everything finished, the option for Chad to record on the road was slim, why, I can’t exactly recall - I think he
may have gotten sick on tour. Whatever the case was, it looked like we were going to end up with a song where Chad’s voice only took up a fraction. Even after
we added Geert’s vocals, more vocals were needed, and the irony of this situation was “Medicine To The Dead” was and is the most vocally dense song on the
album. Just our luck.
With all the former singers ready to record their respective vocal spots, “Medicine” having plenty of empty space, and Chad not being able to get back into a
studio until after our completion date, as you can guess, the decision to have everyone now appear in the same song was a no-brainer. Though not at all the
original plan, this happy accident made for one of my favorite, and more charming aspects of the album.
Chad was certainly the obvious choice to be the main singer on “Reach Beyond The Sun.” He was confirmed to produce, even when we had another singer in
the band planning to sing on the album. When we parted ways with that singer - believe me, the fact that our producer had a great voice and also happened to
be our former singer was extremely convenient! We put a lot of hard work and heart into “Reach Beyond The Sun,” additionally, it was also the recipient of a lot
of stray pieces falling into very fortunate places.
MM: Is the title, of the new album, in any way linked to the idea one should already reach for the stars in life? Never to give up, and keep reaching for
your dreams….
Matt: That certainly could apply - as with anything, any individual can take these lyrics and relate them to their own particular circumstance, but the
original intention was indeed the most fundamental of the “never give up” notion: to move forward, move through depression / lethargy, or any debilitating,
immobilizing situation. Truly, more often than not, “Our days are as bleak as we permit.” The first step is critical, and often the most difficult… Extend.
Outreach.
MM: What can you tell us about the general feeling of the album. I personally think this one has more of a positive vibe, where you seem to be breathing
more hope. Yes, still very much angry, but with less desperation. Does that maybe also link in with the title of the album?
Matt: I think you are very correct regarding the the link between the album’s overall feel and its title. It immediately comes off as more hopeful because “Reach
Beyond The Sun,” no matter how you read it, is a very encouraging phrase, likewise, the song is also inspiriting. Most every song on the album does offer some
varying degree of hope, with maybe exceptions for “Medicine To The Dead,” “Monumental Graves,” and “A Human Failing -” all of which are more unrelenting
in their despair.
This record was intended to be somewhat of a juxtaposition to “Misanthropy Pure;” we meant for Ms. Pure to offer a minimal amount of positivity, and a
maximum of anger, sadness, and aggression. This is why “If A Mountain Be My Obstacle” was excluded. It was just far too optimistic. Lyrically, it has a more
fitting home on “Reach Beyond The Sun.”
MM: The titles of the songs sometimes seem to suggest otherwise. Like ‘A Human Failing’ or ‘Monumental Graves’. Is contradiction in words and music
deliberate?
Matt: I always mean for our song titles to be intriguing and pique interest. This is why I shy away from overly simplistic titles; personally, they do nothing for
me, whereas if I, myself, saw a song titled “Man Into Demon: And Their Faces Are Twisted With The Pain Of Living,” I would very extremely excited to hear
it. Our titles absolutely aim to pull people in to pay attention the song, read the lyrics and see what he song is about. Again, regarding simpler titles for songs,
movies, books, and even band names, when they are bland or seemingly meaningless, it takes more autonomous energy for me to look deeper. I prefer a title to
be striking, provoking, and arouse curiosity upon first glance.
Additionally, creating contradictions in music, musically or lyrically is always fun and interesting - whether it’s the title to the lyrics, the lyrics to the song, or
any other combination to stimulate thought and emotion.
MM: There also seems to be more of a hardcore feeling to the album. Is that Chad’s influence on the songs?
Matt: At our core (no pun intended) we are rooted in Hardcore / Punk, that’s where the band started, no question, the scene from which we spawned. Further
beyond that, all the key creative players who have ever been involved in Shai Hulud are lifelong Metalheads, and lovers of progression in all music. We are truly
an amalgamation of all the aforementioned; no doubt that will always be evidenced on every album.
With “Reach Beyond The Sun,” one of our first focuses was to not over-think, overwrite, or overproduce the individual songs or the album overall - Matt
Fletcher, longtime bassist, was a huge proponent of this as he felt “Misanthropy Pure” was far too guilty of said overages. Intentionally keeping things more
on the organic side - song-writing, production, overall tracking - “Reach Beyond The Sun” allowed not only more emotion to flow, but also our true sound to
shine through. I can’t say there was a different approach to song-writing on “Reach” other than simply not to overcomplicate anything just for the sake of doing
so. Admittedly, though I do love the album, “Misanthropy Pure” did exactly that. “Reach Beyond The Sun” is Shai Hulud raw, with all our varied loves and
influences very much intact. I think if the songs were overwritten or any less organic when we showed Chad the original “Reach” demos, he may have declined
to work on the album with us. The approach we were taking was the approach Chad also had in mind which is partly what helped make things work so well.
Granted, there was a bit of a tug-of-war between he and I. My nature is to pull to more of the progressive side, his nature to keep the songs more accessible.
Maintaining that balance is essential.
MM: In between every album there’s five or six years, quite a long time in hardcore and even metal. Would you say you need a couple of years to make
sure you’re in a different mindset when writing a new record?
Matt: The gap between albums is more a result of refusing to force creativity. So much space between records may work against us career-wise, but when all is
said and done, we will be able to look back and smile on the fact that everything we released was sincere. I like that. That said, recently I have made an effort to
fiddle with my guitar more often; I would love to not wait another half a decade to release the next album if at possible. We’ll see what happens.
We never need to be in a different mindset - in fact, I’d rather not be. I prefer to simply be honest with the music. Honesty and ideas defines what we are. On
every album we release you will find the consistent thread that is Shai Hulud - it’s weaved in everything we have ever released; that will always be prevalent,
though it’s unlikely there will ever be two Hulud albums that sound the same. I wouldn’t say we have ever had the goal of re-inventing ourselves, we like what
we are, but keeping fresh is very important, and hopefully it isn’t delusional to state that we have managed to accomplish that. We are always intent on pushing
forth new ideas - ideas new to Shai Hulud. When we weave our ‘signature’ thread within new ideas a fresh yet familiar sound be the result. In theory.
MM: Is that also the reason why you wanted to shed the label ‘metal-core’ fairly early in your career? How would you like us to remember Shai Hulud?
Matt: The term “Metalcore” these days can be poison. Haha. Then again, so can almost any genre label. If we ever started steering clear of that term it was
simply because we are not what it is. If we were, we might be a much more popular band!
I’m not sure there is any specific genre label we’d like to be remembered as; so many labels could really apply. We’ve tossed around a little catch phrase for a few
years, and I think that phrase would be an agreeable way to be remembered: Shai Hulud, A vehicle for thought and emotion.
MM: Is Chad now also going to be part of the band for the upcoming tour? Is he going to continue with the band for the foreseeable future?
Matt: There has been no discussion of Chad doing any tours with Shai Hulud, though he is part of the extended family and always welcome to join us in
whatever we do. Truthfully, I wouldn’t expect to see him live with us any time soon. He surely has his hands full, involved in a number of projects that consume
his time. We plan on doing some recording in the near future with our current lineup, and we will certainly invite Chad to be a part of it. While it’s safe to say
Chad is not an active member of Shai Hulud, you can count on him being involved with the band in some capacity for as long as we exist.
Thank you kindly for reaching out to us. Onwards and upwards!
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George Tabb:
Holiday Gift Guide
Yay! It’s that time of year!
The time when dirty squatter punk rockers are out jingling their coffee cups full of change asking for “donations” to help out all
the other children at the orphanage. Singing Christmas Carols like “Violent Night, Smelly Night” and “Suck My Balls You Bitch Named
Holly”. It’s all very lovely, actually.
I love the way these kids care about their fellow human beings who are out on the streets actually starving, or seriously mentally
ill, or have just returned from the Middle East where they have had their brains scrambled like eggs. But, hey! Come on! These kids
need their “forties” and “weed money”, which can really be for any variety of weed, from Marijuana to the Cocoa Leaf to that ever
popular Poppy Plant. The plant their pappy’s used to use.
And to all those filthy little street urchins with their coal blackened faces and black fingernails, I wish they all a one way bus ticket
back to their suburban parent’s houses, where they can have their old room back, eat proper meals, and this time, learn it’s not so bad
to take out the trash or do the dishes once in a while.
Of course I realize their are real reasons to leave your home. And that sucks. Having gone through it myself, I understand. And
if you have to live in a squat, it’s sad and there should be someone out there to help. That’s why the first gift I’m going to suggest in
this all new 2013 Mass Movement Gift Guide is to please give the gift of CHARITY.
It’s actually a great present to get all your friends. A donation in their name to a very good cause. Their are plenty of good ones for
abused kids. For sick kids. And for kids who really do need a roof over their head. So instead of buying them that pack of smokes or
that piss-water beer, get them some help by having buying something that will REALLY help them.
There are also great charities that take care of animals. The ones like the “No-Kill” Shelters. Or the ones that place our
beloved four foot friends in nice homes. I live in New York City, and we have plenty that I like to donate too. But PLEASE,
before you donate anything in anyone’s name, check out the charity to make sure the money you give goes to the actual
cause. A lot of these “503s” as they are called here in the United States, are, well, full of shit. Most of the money (sometimes
upwards of 85%) goes to “administrative costs”. What bullshit. Giving money to people who can pay their own lucrative
salaries while kids starve and dogs die. FUCK THEM. Do a search on the net and find out about each charity. There are even
sites like www.givewatch.org or www.charitywatch.org. They’ll tell you the breakdowns.
I myself like to give to www.heart911.org. They are a bunch of guys and gals like myself, who survived 9/11, but
who are well enough to go around the world rebuilding from disasters like the one they survived. I wish I could do that. It
definitely give one a sense of purpose after going through that shit. These guys really do help and the whole thing is run by
Bill Keegan, the ex-Port Authority Police Captain who lost forty of his own men that fateful day.
This guy, as busy as he is with that, and his autistic daughter, which he cares for day and night, still had time a few
years back to come to a benefit put on for ME by my lawyer friend, Dan. He read from his book, “Closure” (Talk about great
books and a great gift) and was really very kind and humble. And although lots of my friends are punks with spiky green
hair and metal sticking out of all sorts of places in their body, Bill took no notice. To him, we are all the same. The human
race. He’s a good cop. Like my friend, Tommy, who was a detective with the NYPD until he got to sick to work from 9/11
as well. Until I met these guys I admit I sort of had a “black and white” idea about cops. Good or bad. And I thought most
cops were bad.
Turns out I was dead wrong. I have met some of the best people in the world who are part of that wall of blue. The
kind of guys who pick up kids accused of crimes and do “drive-arounds” with them to show them how bad things really can
be. The kind of guys who give these kids their own personal cell numbers to call for help 24 hours a day. The kind of guys
who never turn these kids into snitches, and only want them to have a chance in the unfair world. My kind of people!
So give!
A cool gift to give is something from the luxury leather goods company I am trying to keep going with my fiancee, Elena.
Check us out at www.volumeandtone.com. Volume & Tone specializes, right now, in kick-ass leather guitar straps. We even
got a few endorsements from some “rock legends” who now have their own signature straps!
First, there is “The Chrome”. Signed by Cheetah Chrome of The Dead Boys himself, this strap had metal studs on
really comfortable leather that Cheetah loves so much, he never takes it off! It even has our trademarked “Pick Pocket”.
Something I came up with. A guitar shaped pick pocket at the bottom of the strap where you can store those extra picks so
while you are playing and drop one, you can just grab another in one move of the arm! Awesome! You can check out the
strap on the site, and see the picture included with this article!
Then there’s “The Magnum”. Named after Jeff Magnum of The Dead Boys as well. Jeff’s signature strap is again, really nice
leather with perforated holes to give the player some air while he/she kicks out the jams. Jeff loves his so much he wears it in his
facebook photo profile! Go Jeff!
Then there’s “The Ramone”. Named after Richie Ramone, Volume & Tones new best friend, who is actually playing guitar
these days and fronting his own band with a new record out called “Entitled”, and it’s a good fucking record! While he does some
of his Ramone penned tunes like “Human Kind” and “I’m Not Jesus” and “Smash You” and my favorite, “Somebody Put Something In
My Drink”, he also does some newer tunes he’s penned that kick ass in a half Dee Dee sort of stupid/clever way, and those Joey love
tunes way as well. Totally good and totally Ramone. Which the guitar strap is as well! It’s one piece of leather (like all our straps, not
compressed or mixed leather, but one fine piece of skin that will last a lifetime, and grow into your body shape the more you use it)
and it has a kickass zipper down the middle like a Ramones MC Jacket. In fact, it says “Ramones” all over it, what with it being black
leather, having a zipper, and Richie’s “Eagle Logo” with his signature. I love this one! I hope you do, too!
And of course there is “The Tabb”. Named after some guy I really never heard much about, except he sucks, can’t play guitar,
and certainly can’t write to save his life. Anyway, “The Tabb” is a thin leather strap that comes in either brown or black. It looks exactly
like the straps Johnny Ramone used to use, that you can’t find anymore. Infact, it probably should have been called “The Johnny Ramone” even though I have used the same one for thirty years because I’m just copying him, and he is just copying The Ventures. The
reason it’s not in his name, though, is because trying to deal with widows and lawyers of dead rock stars is the biggest pain in the ass.
I’m lucky Richie, Jeff and Cheetah are alive. They like doing this, and guess what, NOT ONE OF THEM IS MAKING A DIME ON THESE!
They are all giving their portions of the profits, as are we, to CHARITIES! One of them, Richie’s, is Max Love. Named after a friend’s
child they know, named Max, who has childhood cancer. And what better way to say I care then to buy a “Ramone” strap and help kids
with cancer at the same time? The truth is, most punk rockers I have dealt with throughout my life are the nicest and most charitable
people I have ever known.
This list includes the likes of Henry Rollins (who donates much of his earnings to other artists to keep them afloat and keeps
their art coming out), Ian McKaye (who helps other musicians and tons of other causes), Debbie Harry “Blondie” (Who helps out just
about whoever she can), Brandon Cruz (who helps childstars from Hollywood like himself who got fucked-up and fucked over) and
tons of others. They were real from the start, and real now!
Okay, now let’s get to some other cool gifts that are fun for the kid or teenager in all of us!
First, check out “Skylander’s Swap Force” from Activision for the Xbox360, 3DS, Nintendo WiiU, and the Sony Playstation.
This video game is actually a set of toy figures, too. The idea here is you take your “toys” and put them on a magic “empowering” stand, and all of a sudden, they come to life on your TV screen! It is something incredible to see, and fun as hell to play!
You battle on another, now able to “swap” parts from the other toy figures, to make your guys tougher and tougher! Sort of like
“Rock’em-Sock’em Robots” of the 21st Century. Of course you have no idea what I’m referring to, and that exactly the way it
should be!
“Swap Force” is fun for all ages, and the “toy figures” are actually very cool to just have standing around, looking cool! I
keep mine on display along with my “Throttleheads” from Aggroanautix of people like “Handsome” Dick Manitoba of The Dictators, Keith Morris of The Circle Jerks, Blag and HeWHo from The Dwarves, Wendy O’Williams of The Plasmatics, Tesco Vee of
The Meatmean, Jello from The DK’s, and so many more, that I’ve written about before in this here magazine. Oh, by the way,
these are great Holiday Gifts as well. Bobble-heads of famous Punk Rockers who you can always get to agree with you by just
flicking their heads in a certain direction.
“Handsome Dick, you think I’ll get laid tonight?”
“Of course, George,” my pal will nod back.
“Hey Tesco, you think it okay if I schtup this chick who is fifteen years younger than me?”
“Of course, George” Tesco will nod, as he hold up his middle finger with one hand, and holds his dick with the other.
“Hey Blag, want some free cocaine?”
“Nope, George,” both Blag and HeWho will shake their heads.
Right.
And pigs can fly.
Anyway, also, the guy, Clint, from Aggronautix, does some other cool shit that is definitely great for gifts.
Check out the new G.G. Allin book, “My Prison Walls” in extremely limited hardcover (only 2500 copies printed). The book
is coffee table sized and BEAUTIFUL! It’s 208 pages of pure GG fun, and starts with a story in G.G.’s own handwriting called “30
Days In The Hole”. This is the real thing, folks. The most punk rock book. Ever. It’s got copies of letters to and from John Wayne
Gacy from G.G. (fucking disgusting), and comes wrapped in black saifu cloth and decorated and tiled in like red foil blood ink!
Each book is of course numbered and shrink wrapped so it’s guaranteed to be new and fresh and never seen by anyone but you!
Of course the book is not cheap. It’s $49.95, but fucking well worth it. Get his for yourself and your friends before it sells out. Which
is gonna be very VERY soon! And no more will be printed! So get this for the collector in you and your pals!
Also Clint puts out MVD dvds. He’s got some great Grade Z titles like “ThanksKilling 3” (so good they skipped the second one),
“Murder University” (“The Tuition Isn’t All That Will Kill You”), Skull Forrest (with Playboy Centerfold Lisa Neeld), Death By VHS (Snuff
tapes found on a VCR), and compilation dvds of films like “Mother Truckers” and “The Women In Prison Collection”! (Actually, my
friend and I in college made a REALLY short film called “Women Behind Bars”. We just went around with a movie camera and filmed
girls with the biggest boobies pouring drinks in the town’s hottest clubs. Stupid, I know, but funny!)
Clint and MVD also releases music dvds all the way from punk bands like Devo and G.G. Allin, of course, to those from Paul
McCartney, Linda Ronstat, Ween, Black Sabbath, Slipknot, and my new favorite DVD, “Bob And The Monster”, a film about a TRUE
AMERICAN HERO. If I tell you what it’s about, you may not want to see it. But trust me, you do. Talk about GREAT human beings who
care! If Dr. Who were to see this, he’d totally pay Bob a visit, just to thank him for helping people with their “timey-wimey”. He might
even take Bob for a ride in the Tardis!
Speaking of which, where the hell is Captain Jack these days? I know the new guys is coming to replace Matt Smith....and yes,
it will all be very much about The HOLIDAYS and CHRISTMAS! But Jack Harkness, I miss you. At least I saw “Q” from Star Trek on
“Breaking Bad”. John Barrowman to the small screen, please! Gwen and Rhys, too, please! And yeah, it was nice to see “!Q” in “Miracle
Day”!
Grand Theft Auto Five or “GTA5” from Rockstar Video games is finally out and it was well worth the wait. This time we are
taken back to San Andreas and Vinewood, the video game version of Los Angeles and Hollywood, where we get to play as three characters this time. Franklin, a sort of gang-member dude who does repo work on the side, Michael, a retired mobster, and Trevor, and
really fucked up redneck who is actually the most fun to play as because he is just THAT bad of a guy! The sandbox world is huge, and
it took me over an hour to drive all the way around the map. Once!
Sometimes you are on the city streets, and other times you are in hick towns out in the woods with cougars, deer, goats, and
scary redneck bikers on meth. The game cost zillions of dollars to make, and made even more zillions of dollars the first week it was
out. My high point? Radio “Channel X” of course.
Each GTA game as radio stations you can listen to while you are driving around town, killing people and causing havoc. Last game,
GTA4, “Liberty City”, you got a whole NYHC station that played “Agnostic Front”, “Cromags” and “Warzone”. This time we get the L.A.
version, which is much better! I mean, how fun is it shooting up cop cars and blowing their helicopters out of the sky along to “Black
Flag’s” “My War” or tunes by “The Circle Jerks”, “The Germs”, “The Adolescents” and even “Fear” itself? And what’s cooler is that it is
the radio of choice of all the rednecks and meth heads! Of course, the gang members like the Hip-Hop, and House Music, and all that
shit is fine, too. And then there’s classic rock and stuff with very special radio hosts you’ll all know. The Public Radio Station that’s all
talk is the best, though. Funny-ass social satire that you thought no one would ever have the balls to say out loud. In fact, the whole
game is all one big joke of Social Satire. At its meanest and best. Next to “The Legend Of Zelda: The Ocarina Of Time” this is the BEST
video game ever made. Story wise, graphics wise, size wise, etc. You’ve never seen something this big and detailed. Ever. You can
drive around the virtual world for days doing nothing but exploring and you’ll never get bored. That’s really all I’ve done so far except
a few missions to get up to Trevor.
In the world of the Nintendo 3DS, some great gift titles are “Donkey Kong Country 2”, “Mario and Luigi: Dream Team”, “The Legend
Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” (a screen by screen remake of “A Link To The Past”, “Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate”, and my
soon to be new favorite, once it comes out, “Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe In Peril”, just because the “Lego Batman” games
were so fucking unbelievably great! Yay!!!
Also check out games from UFO and SNK, they are all handled by a great PR firm called MMPR, with a video-gamer/punk
rocker named David Bruno at the helm. This guys knows his stuff, is SUPER COOL, and all the titles have the right budget for the right
price. Plus, it’s way cool to support punks doing other cool things! Also, befriend him on Facebook, and tell him George Tabb sent ya!
Anyway, that’s about it for some cool gifts for this Holiday Season! Have fun and see you next year! Punk Rock!
George Tabb
In Solitude
Sweden’s masters of all things
dark and doomy have drawn
together and created a slab of
pure heavy metal with their third
full-length album and newest
release ‘Sister’.
Interview by Mark Freebase
MM: So, since 2011’s ‘The World, The Flesh, The
Devil’ how have things been with In Solitude, the
band line up seems to be pretty stable. Has it been
an easy ride?
PA: Our goals when it comes to albums is to make
them justify something powerful and important
for us. And I definitely think we achieved that with
“The World, The Flesh, The Devil”. But it’s also an
album that has its place in that particular time in
our lives. Just like this one will in the future. I mean,
the things in your tracks get older, just like yourself
on your trail. I’m not saying that they lose value, but
your course of approach develops with time, and you
hopefully see things in a different light. We had very
few defined ‘hopes’ around the time of that album,
but we’ve certainly gained anything we could have
hoped for.
PA: The two years that followed that album was
definitely a period of evaluation in a lot of ways.
Both of our music and of our situation as a band and
as people. Also we strengthened a lot and gained a
lot more understanding and focus throughout that
period. I mean, you get to know each other at quite
peculiar depth when going through these sorts of
things together for a long and intense period of
time… and at this moment, I’ve never felt that we’re
MM: So how did you prepare yourself for the next
as much as a band as we are now.
album... how did ‘Sister’ start to materialise?
MM: Did you achieve what was hoped for with that
album? What were your goals or achievements to PA: The preparations for “Sister” were really the two
years that followed. The things that happened within
be measured by?
the band, and the things that happened within us
individually. Preparations for such things seem to
happen quite naturally and without much talking.
Also, playing the old material live to such an extent
as we did was an important part of that. We were
very focused and on the same page once we started to
write the new material. There weren’t any strategies
that had to be defined and discussed beforehand.
Those things were already being finished within the
five of us at that point and we knew what we were
doing.
MM: In Solitude seems to have effortlessly been
able to create a perfect mix of Candlemass’s doom,
trad metal, and even goth elements, was this
intentional or was it the chemistry from all band
members that combined to make this sound?
PA: The music is entirely the result of the chemistry
that there is between the five of us. It’s the thing that
happens when we reach for something together.
Things are intentional once it’s in our hands to place
it somewhere. But initially, these things come from
a pretty abstract place that we don’t have much control existence to the way we disappear.
over. Like any idea that can lead somewhere. This
source, however, is something that everyone should MM: Explain some of the weirder song titles
‘Horses In The Ground’ and ‘Inmost Nigredo’
explore further.
these seem to instantaneously spring to mind as
MM: Have any of your influences or favourite unusual.
musicians and bands changed much since the
PA: I wouldn’t want to explain them actually, because
beginning of In Solitude?
it’s important for me that they have their particular
PA: Definitely. I mean, we constantly find out about way with people without me telling them what they
artists and bands whose work changes who we are. mean to me and what they’re aimed at or what
Which in turn makes an impact on In Solitude. they’re translating. Words are something we share,
Exploring music we haven’t heard is a major part of but they’ll evoke different things in different people.
our lives. For me personally, things like Coil, Swans Hence, that’s important to me… and I think that’s a
or Townes Van Zandt, that I’ve found out about beautiful thing.
during the latest five years or so, have definitely made
immense and fundamental effects on who I am and MM: What does In Solitude have planned for the
how I see things. That makes it seep into everything I rest of 2013/2014?
do. In Solitude included.
PA: We’re going to America in a couple of weeks
MM: So how were the early ideas for ‘Sister’ where we’ll be touring together with Watain and
Tribulation for a month. From there on we’ll be
conceived? Do you write all the time?
playing around the world as much as possible. I
PA: We all write constantly in our own particular guess more sustainable information regarding these
way. And eventually the things that are In Solitude adventures and the logistics will probably appear in
ends up in In Solitude. Often someone might have a other places in the nearest future.
framework or structure for a song and then we deal
with that together when everyone is in the same room.
The early ‘ideas’ or steps for “Sister” were really when
those first songs set the mood and tone for what was to
come. From there on we just follow…
MM: What are the main concepts and thoughts
behind ‘Sister’?
PA: The lyrics deal with the spiritual journey. This does
in turn incorporate everything for me. From details in
MM: So where are you looking forward to going
to, and why?
PA: Based on my knowledge on where we’re heading,
I’m really looking forward to going back to various
places in America that I personally fell in love with;
and also to the places where we’ve not been before. It
will be wonderful.
MM: What would you liked to of achieved with
‘Sister’s release? This time in 2014 what would you
like to see in the bands diary or accomplishments
list?
PA: I would like if the album made as powerful
impressions on other people as it does to us. That
people get to experience that album in a special way.
I’m actually not asking for much more then that. I’m
just really thankful for the things that come along the
road… and in 2014 I want to read about the things
that are about to happen. I choose not to question
them too much beforehand. But I sense tumultuous
things coming our way.
Jesse
Damon
From the 80s hay-days of Silent Rage through to Kiss
collaborations, guitarist and songwriter Jesse Damon has seen a
lot of rockin’. Now with his recent solo album ‘Temptation In The
Garden Of Eve’ Jesse has honed a fine collaboration of songs
and musicianship, melody and guitar licks.
Interview by Mark Freebase
MM: So how does ‘Temptation In The
Garden Of Eve’ sit or fit with Jesse Damon?
MM: So are there any changes you would have liked to
make if you went back in the studio…?
JD: I am very happy with it; I think it’s a strong
album, the whole album fits together well, the
storylines, my lyrics and the material comes
across solid and strong. So when looking at
past material and past songs and past CDs
that I have recorded I feel that it not competes,
but is in line with some of the stronger Silent
Rage material as well as probably my best
release as a solo artist ‘The Hand That Rocks’.
I do love my first debut release because I took
a little bit of a different turn, I actually went a
little lighter on the feel which enabled me to
express things a little bit different. It took me
away from what I was doing for years, but then
with ‘Rebel Within’ it kinda bought me back
to what I love to do which is rock, and jam
art. With ‘Temptation…’ I’m pulling it back
and the production quality that Paul Sabu
delivered is consistently fantastic throughout
the entire CD.
JD: Ha ha… well with me being a Capricorn I am
probably my worst critic, I’m real hard on myself…
but there comes a time when you really have to let it
go, and I tried on this album, you know doing the
best I could on this album, and drawing from Paul
Sabu, he knows how to pull the best out in me
and extracted my best abilities. I really felt very
strong about having Erik (Ragno, keyboards)
on the CD and Pete (Newdeck, drums – Eden’s
Curse), I was very happy to have them and
knowing Paul was going to be a big part of
it made me focused. We were all very active
even as regards to back up vocals. There
were different conglomerations and I
really do feel good with how the whole
of ‘Temptations In The Garden Of Eve’
has finalised. Paul is there to please
me, but at the same time I know
that he is the master at his job. It’s
important I know how to back off
when necessary.
MM: Your not a control freak then?
MM:Your
Hownot
dida the
songsfreak
come
about? Past experiences and trips along the way?
MM:
control
then?
JD: No, I would hate to be that person the one that nobody
wants to work with, and I like to think that the people I
affiliate with are on the same page as me, ha ha! As it all
continued to develop it really carried on motivating me.
JD:No,
Well
two songs
particular
arethe
very
personal
for me… ‘Angel Of The Starlight’ that I wrote and dedicated
JD:
I would
hate toinbe
that person
one
that nobody
to mytoDad,
he passed
away
wants
workabout
with, when
and I like
to think
thatand
the ‘Save
peopleMe’
I which materialised when I lost my sister in law, but
apart from
suppose
it’sha
kind
thing the way things come about. I can get sudden
affiliate
with the
are dedications,
on the same Ipage
as me,
ha!ofAsa itmagical
all
inspiration
haveittoreally
dashcarried
off andon
write
it down me.
or just jamming and fiddling and oodling on a guitar and it
continued
to and
develop
motivating
can come to me. There is no set pattern I just try to incorporate any areas of thought. I kinda take the content as
writing
a score
for a movie,
when
I have
gotthe
thecutting
music first I try and think about what this music is saying, for
MM:
With
the melodies
in the
songs
and
example
the track
‘Black
Widow’
thought
it was aJesse
little tough and heavy and it needed something a little scary/
edge
rockin’
of the
guitars,
is, Ithat
a natural
creepy,trait?
almost a spider’s stance, hence the title. That then inspired the correlation of how a woman can be a black
Damon
widow! I tried to get the AOR chorus that hits the home-run and the story behind the music, I think we got
some
goodthat
hardflavour
rock solos
in theirbeen
also. me.
I’ve been
JD:
I think
has always
I lovestudying
to be the classic player for a while now; y’know I love Tony
Iommi, and
I’ve
been
looking
at Whitesnake’s
Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach for some years also, so I know there’s
aggressive
with
the
guitar
playing;
it’s just so inspirational
some
players.
I’ve
been out
trying
to Iplace
in a place of contemporary rock, stripped down, precise,
with
all good
the great
guitar
players
there.
meanmyself
I did try
heavy,
containing
like toI think that I am carrying the torch of the 80s sound.
and
stepdirectional,
up, and do and
something
that melody.
dazzles aI also
bit. Once
was unleashed to do a solo, I really was wanting it to have
MM:integrity.
Is the sound of the 80s being reflected in some of the newer artists and bands coming through, or is it
some
an era relevant to those who were there?
MM: So the fruition of the album, how long did it take
I honestly think that labels over here in the U.S. are more apt to sign a young band that has flavour of the 80s
toJD:
evolve?
but has a look, and possibly a taste from the contemporary sound of the new look band, where-as an older artist
who’s
great
or sounds
good
is putting
outbeen
flavourful
JD:
To be
honest
there was
oneorsong
that had
aroundmelodic stuff is picked second…
for a little while, that was ‘Little Angel’ a song Paul and
Sum maybe
up the plus
points of
the‘Rebel
older artist
then…
I MM:
had done
six months
after
Within’
had
come out, when I started to get that writing itch again,
JD:things
The stamina,
vintage,
thewhen
passion
in Rage
wanting
but
kinda gotthe
pushed
aside
Silent
got to deliver heart felt songs and geniality really. That’s
to ato
musician
like meSoanyway,
that’s
animportant
opportunity
record again.
I bought
thatwhy
songI do
to what I do.
the for-front for this album and focused on getting all
MM:
With
so many
albums
collaborations
that you have been involved in, how many songs do you
the
other
pieces
together,
so it’sand
all pretty
fresh actually.
youwhen
havewe
in your
repertoire?
I think
came in
started
and record, and I had about
eight songs done, not 100% ready, but ready for putting
JD: Ha ha…
you know
that nottoevery
song
I have
forward
and then
I continued
writesingle
and the
very
last written has been featured on an album though? I would
probably
sayforthat
come close
to having
a hundred
songs that I have published, remember things get pushed
song
I wrote
thisI album
was ‘Save
The World’
.
aside when a better tune comes along for the record, so that totals around the two hundred number mark.
MM: With the melodies in the songs and the cutting
edge rockin’ of the guitars, is that a natural Jesse
Damon trait?
JD: I think that flavour has always been me. I love to be
aggressive with the guitar playing; it’s just so inspirational
with all the great guitar players out there. I mean I did try
and step up, and do something that dazzles a bit. Once I
was unleashed to do a solo, I really was wanting it to have
some integrity.
MM: So the fruition of the album, how long did it take
to evolve?
JD: To be honest there was one song that had been around
for a little while, that was ‘Little Angel’ a song Paul and
I had done maybe six months after ‘Rebel Within’ had
come out, when I started to get that writing itch again,
but things kinda got pushed aside when Silent Rage got
an opportunity to record again. So I bought that song to
the for-front for this album and focused on getting all
the other pieces together, so it’s all pretty fresh actually.
I came in when we started and record, and I had about
eight songs done, not 100% ready, but ready for putting
forward and then I continued to write and the very last
song I wrote for this album was ‘Save The World’.
MM: How do you keep the inspirations coming in to cover and address topics you write?
JD: Life! Life in general, experiences, my life in general and hearing stories. Everyday on the news you hear
things, if you don’t keep blinkers on. It’s the highs and lows, sometimes it can be about my personal life, and
then other times it can be n instance that people can relate to. I try and put it in a way that they can understand
it and then that way they can connect to it. It’s important
to me if people can connect and think that’s my story,
I know that. Don’t forget though, once in a while these
songs are fictional also y’know, they are about what
could be. I love Rush’s lyrics, Neil Peart is a great writer,
sometimes they are relevant to the day and sometimes
they are so atmospheric you don’t know where he came
from! You have to have a leap of faith, and I respect Paul
(Sabu) as a co-writer I learned a lot from him.
MM: So how long have you known Paul?
JD: 1985 is when I met him! We started to demo and
stockpile songs and eventually he produced ‘Shattered
Hearts’ which was Silent Rage’s first release. So it’s been
a long relationship, and we’ve been involved in a lot of
album projects, so like I said, he knows me well and has
given me direction. Something obviously works, as that’s
a hell of a working partnership; he knows how to extract
from an artist what is best, Bob Ezrin is also very good
at it.
MM: Is the singing as natural as the guitar work and
writing for you?
JD: Well it’s god-given and what I work at to maintain and
get better at, with exercising and health. The other side
of that is also whom you are working with and how they
collaborate with you to get the best out of you, what you’re
offering and recording. The singing really is important, as
that is the emotion of the song.
MM: With industry changes and the music business
showing casualties and people falling by the wayside,
do you have any comments for up and coming bands?
JD: You really have to believe in yourself, you must take
the leap of faith and invest in a project, invest your own
money into it, talk other people into getting involved,
make them a part. Do not expect anything to happen
without work. Hard work! You must form an identity and
you don’t want to be shaped into somebody else. I love
giving back and helping young and new artists, cos they
are guna be the future of what we have. You just never
know whom you are going to meet and collaborate with,
who you may even become a partner with. I owe all my
gratitude to the fans, family, the press, everybody who
bought me this far and I know I owe it all for them.
MM: That’s great to hear some sincerity, it does seem to
be coming through in a lot of older bands now, a real
sense of thankfulness, something that was maybe on a
little bit of a back-burner in the reckless 80s?
JD: Sharing your story and having that respect and time
was probably not at the top of priorities for many people,
it was about being so busy and getting all the fun out
of it you could. But there is ways of getting fun out of
it without being wrongly directive… I still love meeting
the fans and can’t believe how passionate the Europeans
are about bringing memorabilia out to the shows to get
signed etc, CDs, old albums and more, to the venue, it’s
fantastic. I mean gosh… I still wanna meet a few of my
heroes, and you know what, there is nothing wrong with
that.
To narrow a life of music-obsession down to ten records
is impossible, so please allow me to quite simply waffle
on a bit about 10 really great records, that are in no way
my ten favourites.
In no particular order then…
Regulator Watts - The Aesthetics of No-Drag
This record made me realise that simple, dissonant
playing could result in interesting and original songs.
It’s intense and direct and varied, without being overly
complicated. It’s got a lot of charm – to me it’s a record
that defines the heavier end of the ‘dischord/DC’ sound.
Keelhaul – Subject to change without notice
My Life In Music
By
Edward Godby
of Castles
(www.castlesband.net)
I went to see this band in Leeds back in 2004, on
the back of a recommendation, nothing more. They
played to about 30 people, in the back of a pub. By
the end of their show my jaw was on the floor. They
were technical, really really technical, but not in an
outlandish or audacious way that retracted from the
power and modesty (for want of a better word) in
their performance. I immediately bought their entire
back catalogue, and they’ve been one of my favourite
bands ever since.
Nirvana – In Utero
Nirvana’s best record, although it’s a close run
thing for me. It’s, of course, brilliant lyrically, and
musically efficient; melodic, yet jarring. Don’t even
get me started on the way it sounds. Unique, and
considering the circumstances surrounding the band
when it was made, totally brave and headstrong. It’s
gone through a renaissance recently, with the 20
year anniversary coming up. The 45RPM remastered
audiophile version is worth your pocket money.
Neurosis – Times of Grace
I listened to this on loop whilst completing my
A-Level art exams (13 years ago) and interestingly
enough I listened to it today. That tells you everything
you need to know about the longevity of this record,
in my opinion a seminal work and one of the records
that started this (now rather insipid) fad for ‘postmetal’ or whatever it’s being called nowadays. Heavy.
End-of-the-world heavy.
The Dismemberment Plan – Emergency and I
In the early part of last decade I was listening to a
lot of mid-west emo/college rock/American indie
rock and I discovered this gem on the back of that
movement. It stands out to me being exceptional
because in addition to the charm, melody and
pop sensibility that makes that wave of bands so
appealing, it also has incredible musicality. By
that I mean intelligent compositions and eclectic,
ingenious playing. Chapeau.
Converge – When Forever Comes Crashing
Far be it from me to state that this is even my
favourite Converge record, but it has to go down as
a record that changed my life. I was listening to a lot
of European hardcore/metalcore/edge metal during
the late 90s and when this band popped onto my
radar, things changed. It has to go down as one of my
most personally influential records – I’ve gone on to
be in a few bands that have recorded with Kurt, and
if I hadn’t have heard this LP when I did, then maybe
that wouldn’t have happened. My life would not be
remotely like it is now. Heavy. (Not like the metal, or
like the aforementioned Neurosis record, but like the
heeeaaaavy that Marty McFly uses in Back To The
Future, much to Emmett Brown’s infinite confusion.)
Iron Monkey – Our Problem
Hands down the most disgusting and best extremely
heavy band to emerge from the British underground,
and yes, I’m counting your Napalm Deaths and
Carcasses and Godfleshes and all the rest. Balls to
‘em. Iron Monkey were the best. This album is just
incredible. They were a force to be reckoned with
live. Just vile. I love it.
Soundgarden – Superunknown
Quite simply an all time classic. I have to say, it was
difficult for me to decide if I was going to write
about this of Alice in Chains’s seminal album Dirt.
In the end it had to be this. Equal parts pop hooks,
crooning vocal melodies and harmonies from when
Chris Cornell wasn’t a burned out old hack, shifting
rhythms and crushing guitars, Superunknown is
my favourite of all records that can be considered
a product derived entirely from the late 80’s grunge
explosion. It ain’t punk, but it’s hard rock at its finest.
Black Sabbath – Vol 4
“What you get and what you see
Things that don’t come easily
Feeling happy in my vein
Icicles are in my brain
(cocaine)”
The National – High Violet
I know this band are pretty hyped up at the moment,
and maybe their music is out of keeping with my
preferences (at least historically) but my wife got me
into this record around the time of the birth of our
child, and it gives me (good) shivers every time I hear
it, from start to finish. His voice is just incredible,
and it’s totally unusual to hear a baritone singing on
a guitar-pop record. That’s an awfully simplified way
of describing this band, but it’ll have to do. Anyway,
this record is wonderful.
So, there you have it, ten records that I like. That aren’t
my favourites. Because that would be impossible.
Thanks for reading.
The new Castles album, ‘Fiction or Truth’ is available
now on 12” Gatefold vinyl from Palm Reader Records
- www.palmreaderrecords.co.uk
PUNK ROCK STEW
By Tom Chapman
If you live,eat and breathe punk rock,
then listen up. I’m talking about the
“eat” part of that way of life, or to
put it another way, the punk rock
stew. I don’t know if you have been
fortunate enough to drag your arse
across the punk circuits of Europe
whether in a band or on holiday, but
chances are if so you will have come
across punk rock stew. It tends to
consist of whatever veg the locals
had festering in their cupboards,
chopped up and chucked into the
pot, bulked out with soya chunks
and tins of tomatoes and served up
with a vat of overcooked rice.
I remember one time about 10
of us stood around a car park on
the industrial side of Bratislava
(Slovakia), half-starved and going
stir-crazy after a long stint sitting on
amps in the back of the van, huddled
around the pots of grub. No plates
and three spoons between us. We
were allowed to take a spoonful or
two then pass the spoon along. It
tasted amazing! If we thought that
was it, we were very mistaken - after
the gig (Kito and Manfat played a
raging gig in one of the garages on
this huge wasteland on the outskirts
of town) we were taken back to an
apartment in the centre of the city
where a massive spread was waiting
for us.
You have to take the rough with the
smooth - one time I was in Chicago
and we were given a salad which
was made by someone who had just
chopped up whatever veg he could
find into cubes roughly the same
size and shape. The tomatoes and
onions were OK, the raw spuds in
there were pretty awful. I think after
the pills he had been necking it all
probably tasted out of this world, but
for us tired tour-hungry Euro punks
this wasn’t the best meal we would
have that day.
Other places serve you more or less
gourmet food. Anyone who has ever
been to the infamous Zoro squat in
Leipzig is bound to remember the
three course meal you normally get,
all home-made, healthy and as tasty
as you can imagine. No surprise
that they have now opened up their
own restaurant which serves up
some pretty amazing food. In fact it
seemed to me that the East German
squatters were hellbent on outdoing
each other in the top nosh stakes,
as the Potsdam punks wielded their
pots and pans with just as much skill
and finesse as their dreadlocked
Leipzig counterparts. Needless to say
the dinners and the rest of the night
were nicely fueled with crate after
crate of the local brew, Sternburg in
Leipzig, Rex Pils in Potsdam always
went down well, not to mention
all the other amazing German beers.
If tour took you as far south as places
like Munich you had to put up with
the right wing Bavarian motorway
cops who are always keen to pull
over a vanload of punks, but the
bottles of Augustiner Helles that
awaited made it all worthwhile.
DIY for me doesn’t start and stop
with records and gigs. The whole
“reclaim your lives” and “question
authority” messages that bands
have been singing since punk rock
first stuck two fingers up at the
music establishment meant that a
lot of people I know have explored
alternative lifestyles. Running their
own labels, collectives, fanzines
was a starting point, but now as
people get older, many have turned
other passions into a way of life
and a means of keeping their heads
above water. Punk rockers opening
restaurants, coffee shops, working
in whole food cooperatives, brewing
their own beer, it’s happening all
over. Success isn’t guaranteed, and
businesses built on passion and
hearts of gold such as our buddy
Jeff Tarranova and his Long Beach
Vegan Eatery don’t always stay the
duration. We’ll be catching up with
Jeff to talk about his experiences watch this space
Next time you’re enjoying anarchy
pie with Oi Polloi, a crucial barbeque
with Murphy’s Law or just kicking
back with a six pack and Black Flag,
raise your glass and say oi! to all
those involved in the punk rock stew.
Tom Chapman
ADJUDGEMENT
A band can act like a living, breathing organism. It often starts out
raw, loud and unwilling to compromise, but as years go by wisdom
sets in, which takes that unpolished edge of things. German band
Adjudgement has reached the respectable age of twenty. All these years
have led to ‘Bis Hierhin... Und Weiter’ (‘To Here.... And Onwards’).
The maturity is also to be found in the lyrics, and for the first time,
almost entirely in German. Drummer Ruven talks about taking this
bold step, to open the door to the core of Adjudgement even further.
Interview by Martijn Welzen
MM: Do you feel now that, most of, your lyrics
are in German that they have gained more
depth? To me personally they are a lot more
poetic, as you just know a lot more words and
synonyms. Subtle nuances come across so
much better.
MM: So now on to the lyrics... It feels that
many, and I am specifically pointing out
‘Schmerz Verzerrt’ and ‘Selbstverdammt’, but
also songs like ‘Schlagmann’ and ‘ Der Frei
Fall’ are about how anger and resentment can
be your downfall.
Ruven: Yes, it really is fitting. For one we can
indeed achieve more depth in the lyrics,
simply because we can express ourselves a lot
better in our own language. Marc and I wrote
all the lyrics. For me it was mostly about the
spontaneous origin of lyrics, which I can only
appoint to my subconsiousness. And because
my subconsiousness is thinking in German, the
lyrics automatically were in German. If all would
have been translated it would probably have lost
it’s deeper meaning. We can obviously also see
the downside of things. We cannot reach as
many people with our message anymore, which
is a desicion we had to make. I do think the end
result is more authentic.
Ruven: I would like to answer this question
like this; music is art, but we also come from
a time when one said; music is politics. That’s
how we were raised. Nowadays our lyrics are a
part of the art and needed to understand our
music. Which means the lyrics don’t ALWAYS
have to be linked to specific events in our lives.
However with a song like ‘Schmerz Verzerrt’,
THAT definitely is the case, as it really helped in
coping with a very difficult divorce. The topics
are usually about things we encounter when
meeting friends or life in general. I can deal
with the experiences I have, that way. Context
and specific angles often only be come apparent
after the writing process has finished. All to
often the lyrics are about anger and hate, which
will drive people apart, and in their turn cause
more friction and depression. We want to make
people think!
MM: I find it interesting why you have released
your new cd through Engineer records. Can
they help you out enough in Germany?
Ruven: Hm, well, this time we’re releasing the
music on our own. Engineer is only supporting
us in this matter. We did release our previous
release, ‘Human Fallout’, through them, and
really kept close contact with them. I do think
that the the new cd will be available through
Engineer, that’s something we will definitely
work out.
MM: “Ich verlier’ die Kontrolle” (I am losing
control) from the song “Selbstverdammt’
seems to be key to so many songs. Is that your
biggest fear? And if so is that about getting
angry, or even violent, or more about losing
control over your life. We often feel life is
leading us, instead of the otherway around.
Money, status, safety or even love.... all can be
out of our control.
Ruven: That’s the thing with this specific line. If
we’re not immensly carefull, we will succumb to
the forces of the outside world. We will not only
loose control, but as some point also our selfworth,
and that what we truely are. When we will do this,
we will be moving these conflicts inwards, instead
of pushing them out, and can never really find
closure. This will result in more anger, which we
then point towards ourselves or others.
always expected to stay in touch, with everyone
and everything, through modern technology,
nowadays.
MM: On the other hand a song like ‘Eingenetzt’
seems to suggest you’re feeling stuck in a rat
race or society. Is everything decided for us
from cradle to the grave?
Ruven: That really is a difficult subject. And in all
honesty, I don’t know enough about it being able
to form a conclusive opinion. I would rather focus
on both sides of extremism. Here we have hatred
and envy being bred on a fertile foundation of
ignorance, unforunately on both sides of the
political spectrum. This will lead to intollerance
and people will have increasingly more problems
distinguishing right from wrong.
Ruven: No, I don’t think so. Every thought has
the wish to become reality. Or put to words
differently; The energy will follow the awareness.
We only know two specific points in life; our
birth and that we will eventually die. Everything
in between is constantly changing. ‘Eingenetzt’, is
about the so-called freedoms of this era, which
makes us question whether these are not actually
burdens. nteresting example is how we are
MM: Makes me wonder where you think the
right balance is between a safe and prosperous
society and one of absolute freedom for the
individual? Current upheaval about the NSA
seems to feed that discussion too.
For me personally this means I have to withdraw
from the world wide web a bit. I order my books
from a local bookstore, and I am not paying
with a creditcard anymore. I also buy my food
regionally whenever possible. I try to limit my
reach in that matter, so my digital footprint isn’t
that big anymore. I did not, however, decide on
deleting my Facebook profile, just yet. Although I
did not include any new information for about a
year-and-a-half now.
MM: Aren’t we always looking for peace and
have the need to be led? It sort of struck me that
chancellor Merkel won the elections recently.
The German voters could have chosen for
parties on the extreme left or right, or parties
who are overly anti-European. Isn’t stability
what people are after, even if that means giving
up the dream for an, even better, world? Are we
also settling to easy with what we have in fear of
an unknown, or maybe unstable, future?
Ruven: When we look at the history of
Europe there’s always been wars and the
consequences from this unheaval we have
had to deal with. Would you have asked
me this question ten years ago, I would
have answered it differently, just as many
cricital people would have had. I generally
think this idea of ‘walking down this path
together’ is a sound idea, and the same goes
for the European thought to unite people.
Unfortunately this European idea has, now
that the recent crisis just keeps on going,
driven people apart. That is something
we can blame politicians for, as they are
the ones to make the desicions in the first
place. In Germany, however, I have noticed
a more relaxed, almost negligent, vibe, at
least where the economy is concerned. And
yes, this all has apparently influenced the
people tremendously. Why would I want to
change anything? Besides, there isn’t really a
serious alternative to Frau Merkel’s politics.
We do have two major parties, but there
aren’t any significant differences. Merkel
has been able linking economy stability to
social commitment, and a certain warmth.
She almost has this motherly approach to
things and apparently people like that:
stable and secure! Within our society also
an underlying fear exists. We are living
in one of the most prosperous countries
in the world. Still there’s this huge fear of
not being able to maintain that level of
existence, even with this high employment
rate we currently have.
MM: What is the song ‘Frustgesicht’
about? I think it’s great that despite all
adversity you have to face, as portrayed in
many of the other songs you still have “Ich
hab einen Traum vom Leben” (“I have a
dream about life”).
Ruven: This one goes out to the people who
are only out to make things miserable, and
who want to entice people to talk down,
and critise others. We have to fight against
this and should not have our dreams taken
from us, without any opposition.
MM: Is that a song about not having
succumbed to the demons we also talked
about? Feels like hope is still alive. And if
so what is your dream?
Ruven: I have a pratice in psychotherapy
and have this sense of self-determination
as the centre point of my life. I even had
to put the economic stability on the back
burner for that. Still, even in other jobs you
can have this sense of accomplishment, or
the feeling you’re nearing the dreams you
once had. Or you commit yourself in any
other way to people, and let them be a part
of your life. There’s quite a lot you can do.
You’re writing for a magazine, and use this
outlet as a way of sharing (your) thoughts
with others.
MM: How will you communicate these deeply heartfelt lyrics to
people who do not understand German, that well? Will you include
either short decriptions or translations of the lyrics in the cd?
Ruven: We are working on translations which we will put on our
homepage. Since several of the lyrics came into existence shortly before
recording, this will take some time. Maybe you or your readers can help
us with this?
MM: Now that the band is, about, 20 years old. Are you making plans
for a celebration? Anything we can expect from you shortly?
Ruven: We have played an amazing concert in Nienburg on the 28th of
September. On the 25th of September 1993 we played our very first gig
in exactly the same place. A week before we were in Halberstadt. Several
concerts have now been planned and we are thinking about a short
tour. I cannot reveal the exact itinerary just now.We’re just very lucky
to be able playing again after a two year break, and we had so much fun
playing! Photos are on our Facebook page! Besides playing live we have
also been working on new songs. We’re trying to use this momentum we
currently have to our advantage.
[SAHG]
Norway’s Sahg seem to draw everything
from retro greats Led Zeppelin and Black
Sabbath right through to taking inspirations
from modern day progressive bands such as
Mastodon and Opeth. Their new concept album
is ‘Delusions Of Grandeur’.
Interview by Mark Freebase
Photographs by Fred Johnny
MM: How would you best describe Sahg’s
sound to that of the untrained ear... and how
should one best experience it? What mood
settings help or would enhance?
TV: Well obviously it’s heavy metal isn’t it? The
Sahg sound is developed through 40 years of
pure love for the heavy part of music. Influenced
by our childhood heroes from the 70’s, like Kiss,
Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Pink
Floyd, through the 80’s NWOBHM, the thrash
days with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth and
the grunge wave with Soundgarden and Alice In
Chains, and on to today’s finest, like Mastodon
and Opeth.
Best experienced live of course, like every music
experience, but also played at extremely high
volume on your stereo, iPod, or the device you
prefer.
MM: Fusing old school sounds and
contemporary modern day influences
combines a very atmospheric sound. How
do you feel Sahg fit in with today’s musical
crowds? Where and who do you like to see
Sahg being put along with?
TV: In my opinion Sahg is not a retro band.
It’s not the purpose to make music sounding
like the old masters. We make music first and
foremost for our own pleasure and creative
outlet. With the influences involved it just so
happens that we make music deeply inspired by
what was made 40 years ago. But at the same
time we find that music kind of timeless.
Obviously Sahg would have been a perfect
match along all the classic bands mentioned
earlier. But also newer bands like Orange
Goblin, Mastodon, Down, Baroness, and so on.
MM: ‘Delusions Of Grandeur’ was recorded
live. Was it an easy task to undertake? - did the
songs flow? - were there many overdubs? - was
it easy to create the vibe you were looking for?
- was there any special techniques you used
along the way to create the overall output?
TV: It was always the intention to do the
recording of this album live. We worked with
producer Iver Sandøy for the first time, and that
was a new experience for us. He took charge
of things, and it all worked excellently. The
majority of work was done before we hit the
studio. We worked a lot to get the songs under
our skin, to be able to record them live. It´s the
preparation that counts… and then we did the
basic recording in just four days. We added
some guitar overdubs and solos to get the sound
we were looking for, and there are also some
keyboards and extra percussion added here and
there.
MM: How did the concept for the album come
about and how was it developed, and the
songs created?
TV: We wanted to try something different on
‘Delusions Of Grandeur’. That was the main
objective. First of all, we wanted to make an
album with a title this time, not just a number…
and I think it was Thomas T who came up with
the idea to the title. We all liked the ring of it and
soon discovered that we could make a concept
based on the content of the title. The story
about this crazy motherfucker just developed
from that. One of the fun parts was Olav and
me late night skyping, with something good in
our glasses, trying to figure out stories and song
titles that would match the concept.
The music was picked and developed from a
lot of ideas, to best fit the concept and to be a
part of the story, to create the right feel and the
atmosphere.
MM: How has the band grown since it’s
inception then, is there many similarities or
differences between ‘Sahg I’ and ‘Delusions
Of Grandeur’?
TV: There are a lot of similarities between ‘Sahg
I’ and ‘Delusion of Grandeur’. But as I said
earlier we decided to try something different
this time. Explore our boundaries and use
the qualities of each of the band members to
make something less predictable. We wanted to
challenge ourselves and stretch the limits to see
were it brought us.
MM: Is the acceptance of Sahg important,
or will you continue and do the band for
yourselves for as long as you wish?
TV: We make music we want to listen to. We
use our creativity for what it’s worth. No one’s
gonna tell us what kind of style we are gonna
play or what kind of song we are gonna write to
sell more records or get our songs played on the
radio. If someone else is gonna decide what we
do musically, all the fun and excitement is out
of it and we might as well find something else
to do.
That said, of course we want people to like
what we create. But we want them to like what
we create. We won’t create what other people
expect from us, because then it wouldn’t make
an impression, if you know what I mean.
It’s also important to stay fresh and hungry, have
an open mind to all the impulses hitting you
everyday. That makes life a lot more interesting
and sharpens your creativity. So I think it is fair
to say we will continue to develop Sahg in our
own direction.
MM: Is doom-space rock a fair description of
‘Delusions Of Grandeur’?
TV: Well, yeah, I don’t have a better one. But I
think it depends on what song you are listening
to. I know it’s a cliché but we are not too keen on
categorizing our music.
MM: So, you have described the album
concept, would you care to tell us a little about
the topical content of the song titles? Are they
based on fantasy or fiction... who evolved the
topics and who developed and crafted them,
or were they jammed out at rehearsal and
developed naturally?
TV: Everything happens in the imagination of
one character. He imagines himself as something
bigger than others and better than what he
really is, at different levels and in different states
of realism. From being a vicious tyrant in ‘Walls
Of Delusion’ to becoming kind of a superhero
in ‘Firechild’. His intentions are definitely not
good. He wants to rule over everything and
everyone. In the end it all falls apart when he
realizes it’s all in his mind and he just fades away
into oblivion.
It’s mainly Olav who is responsible for the lyrics,
with a little help on ideas and creation of the big
picture from me. Basically the character and the
universe where invented outside the rehearsal
space. As I mentioned, we had some productive
meetings on skype creating and developing
topical ideas!
MM: What’s the plans to support ‘Delusions
Of Grandeur’? Where will the road hopefully
take Sahg? I mean, is touring a big part of
the bands itinerary, and if so what would be
the ultimate package for Sahg to be billed
alongside?
TV: We are, as we speak, in the process of
settling our tour schedule for the rest of 2013
and for the first half of 2014. We have some
options we are working on, so expect to see us
somewhere around Europe some time within
the next ten months.
We also plan to play as many festivals as
possible next spring/summer. We are really
looking forward to tour the new album, and we
are changing our set list radically compared to
previous tours, with at least half of ‘Delusions …’
being played live. We will also add some songs
we haven’t played in years, so this is gonna be
great fun.
As anyone else would, we want to play alongside
the biggest bands around. Right now, I assume
the ultimate package would be Sahg and Sabbath
… We´ll see what happens. You never know, do
you? So see you around.
I was a perfect teenage target for the lure of the electric guitar: awkward,
shy, socially inept and desperate to be noticed. I got my first electric guitar
at 17, after bashing away at a crappy flamenco thing for six months, and
the change it wrought on my life was immediately noticeable.
Up until then, I had been content skiving my way through life without ever
really showing much interest in anything apart from the film, Alien. Once
the electric guitar arrived, though, 3 and 4 hour sessions of concentration
and effort became the norm as I struggled to master the instrument.
Being a stubborn, contrary type of person, I taught myself to play by ear,
painstakingly picking out licks and riffs from my favourite records, which
is the hardest way to learn but also the best way, as you learn not only
how to reproduce the licks but how to use them as well. This was really
a valuable life-lesson and I applied exactly the same technique when I
started writing, deconstructing the prose styles of my favourite authors to
see what made them tick.
If it weren’t for a chance encounter in a pub, I would likely have developed
into one of those bedroom-hero type guitarists, mindlessly aping other
people’s music and firing off widdly-diddly solos. As it was, though, I
happened to overhear some guys complaining about their guitarist’s lack
of dedication and decided to offer my services, despite only having had my
electric guitar two months. Again, this helped me to another important
realisation about life: Confidence, when displayed at the right moment
and in suitable amounts, is often mistaken for competence. Get your foot
in the door and worry about the consequences later on.
The next eight years were swallowed playing in bands. Playing live cured
me of my adolescent shyness, although it was a real kill-or-cure situation
and I spent the first year of playing live throwing up before going on stage
due to crippling nerves.
My strike-rate with girls picked up noticeably during this period as well
(hardly surprising as it had been ticking along at a steady zero for years)
and I dread to think what sort of desolate sexual wilderness I would have
been forced to tread during my late teens and early twenties if I hadn’t
played in bands; in 41 years of life, I still haven’t ever managed to pluck up
courage and talk to a woman I didn’t already know.
A lot of my closest friendships were formed and cemented through
playing in bands and the guitar has introduced me to a lot of the people
I still consider heroes – Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Paul Kossoff, Jorma
Kaukonen – and the music that has formed the soundtrack to my life so
far.
I’d love to be able to say I still had that first guitar, but alas, I left it propped
against my bed one night, and, after returning from a long session at
the pub, stumbled and snapped the neck in half. That was a final lesson
learned: I put my all guitars on stands now.
It Ruined My Life
'Electric guitars'
by MatThew Pritchard
My Life In Books
Matthew Pritchard
Alien - Alan Dean Foster
It’s 1979, I’m eight years old and
my parents are discussing Alien,
the film my father went to see
the night before. Despite my best
efforts, however, all my attempts to
pin down specifics on the film are
met with that obvious, lily-livered
adult evasiveness guaranteed to
fire any child’s curiosity.
My solution? Get the novelisation
of the film out of the local library.
Although the book isn’t really much
cop, this event was important as
it was my first introduction to the
advantage books have over other
media: people worry about kids
watching adult films, but books
are regarded as harmless, a fact
I proved over the next few years
by digesting a wide array of wildly
unsuitable literature all thanks to
my local library.
The Dunwich Horror and others H.P. Lovecraft
Blood Meridian
McCarthy
Way back in the mid-80s, finding
H.P. Lovecraft books in the UK
involved scouring dozens of
second-hand bookshops and a lot
of luck. After discovering the Call
of Cthulhu RPG, I was desperate
to read the master’s work, but I
had to wait almost six months
before I found this little beauty. I
still read it now.
What a weird, violent read this is,
but a gripping story nonetheless,
as McCarthy’s scalp hunters run
wild in 1840s Mexico. I draw on
this book when I depict violence
in my own work, as McCarthy’s
style really highlights the horror
of the acts without ever being too
graphic.
The Glass Key - Dashiell Hammett
Farewell My Lovely - Raymond
Chandler
People like Hammett and
Chandler formed my introduction
to the crime genre. Although
their hardboiled, wisecracking
style can seem a little hackneyed
nowadays (but only because it
has been imitated ad nauseam)
they were both masters of prose. I
still read these books as they serve
as a good reminder that people
who claim “genre” fiction is, by
definition, devoid of any literary
merit are quite simply wrong.
-
Cormac
Collected Poems - Phillip Larkin
Etchings by Goya
I’m not a massive fan of poetry,
but when I do read it, I read sour,
grumpy, cynical old Larkin. When
I find myself feeling jaded, a quick
flick through some of his poems
always refreshes my appetite for
writing. An Arundel Tomb says
more in a few brief stanzas than
most writers do in a book.
My writing includes a number of
macabre elements and this book
is a constant source of inspiration.
Whether it be the horrific scenes
of The Disasters of War or the
disturbing witchy weirdness of
Los Caprichos, there is something
about Goya’s etchings that
conjures up the sense of having
glimpsed another, utterly alien,
world.
Junkie – William Burroughs
The only book by this guy I’ve ever
been able to make any sense of,
but a fascinating peek into a real
world hell in the shape of heroin
addiction in 1950s America. The
elegant, laconic prose style is
something I try to emulate in my
work.
TYR
‘Valkyrja’ on Metal Blade Records is
the seventh full length album from
Faeroe Islands natives Tyr, and it’s
packed full of Viking concept and
imagery.
Interview by Mark Freebase
We’ve played Wacken twice and it’s been a mindboggling experience both times. The crowd and the
reception they gave us has been excellent! I’d love
to play some big festival tour in the US, and I truly
hope we’ll be booked for one in the future.
MM: There are two types of person... the
judgemental type and the understanding. How
would you address a person putting you down
for the imagery Tyr gives off?
MM: So Heri, why do you think Viking imagery
is so popular? It seems to be making a really big
impact amongst the metal scene, especially on
mainland Europe.
HJ: I think it’s because people have an extremely
romanticised image of the Vikings already in
advance, and it lends itself readily to this kind
of popular use. I think it’s on the rise in North
America as well. Why precisely the metal scene…
well maybe it’s because of the image of a typical
Viking, long hair, beard, drinking etc. I don’t know.
MM:What are your beliefs as a band, and
personal, towards this culture? How deep are you
involved and how did you become drawn to it?
HJ: I’ve been fascinated with it since I learned about
it in history class in school at age 10. We learned
about Nordic history and Nordic mythology, from
an old teacher with a true XXX (triple X) talent.
I also learned a bit about it from listening to
traditional Faeroese ballads from a young age. So I
grew up with it.
MM: Why choose the concept of the storyline for
the album? Was it past history based, or made
up? What drew you to it?
HJ: Maybe it was just an excuse to put boobs on
the cover! The story is completely fictional, but
it’s based loosely on personal experience. To that
extent it is of course completely metaphorical. Also
half on insight into human mentality. But truly the
mythology involved, and the details surrounding it,
is authentic.
MM: Tyr have now been involved in some pretty
impressive ‘outings’ - PaganFest, Wacken O.A,
and 70,000 Tonnes of Metal Cruise; is there
anything else you hope to be involved with?
HJ: Wacken stands out among those, although
70.000 TOM is a very pleasant experience.
HJ: Not my problem really. I am aware of the fact
that only a small portion of people who listen to
music like metal. And of those who like metal only
a portion likes our kind of metal, so it never bothers
me that individuals don’t like Týr or something
specific about us. I’m too busy being glad there are
so many who actually do like us.
MM: With the sound of ‘Valkyrja’ and it’s
storyline, there is an atmosphere of cold winter
nights yet you are also perform in a festival crowd
situation, how do you manage the difference
those situations?
HJ: Listening to music at home and having it
conjure scenes in your mind is of course nowhere
near the same as listening to the music live, even
though the music is practically the same. Though
the music may conjure scenes from the past, we
are still very modern guys. I only have an affinity
for the Nordic past. It’s two different situations and
they work differently. I see no need to make any
more links between the two than that.
MM: Would it be wrong to conclude the main
attraction behind the whole Viking lifestyle is
that of love yet battle (with your enemies) and a
HJ: Playing so much live has had an impact on our
song writing. It is very easy to see which songs go
down well and I think I can imagine, while I write
the songs, how they will go down live.
MM: What’s the plans to support ‘Valkyrja’?
Where do you hope it takes you?… And how long
do you envisage the lifespan of the album before
you focus on a new record?
strong human bond with your surrounding
people. Almost protecting and caring?
HJ: I am not a violent person myself, but I do support
wars that are for the better. And I do realise that we
have enemies, as nations and the entire free world.
And I do feel passionately for my home country
and the entire region, and I am immensely proud
to whatever extent I may represent my homeland.
MM:What is the hardest part of being in Tyr?
HJ: The hardest part of being a musician, I think, is
to be in studio. It is extremely hard work, mentally
and physically exhausting, and I’m completely
burned out after each studio session.
MM: How much does connecting with your
crowds and fans affect the output of the band
and the whole writing process for an album and
concert?
HJ: We’re currently on tour with Finntroll all across
Europe, and we have two more tours in the work
at the moment. Then there’s next summer’s festival
season. If all goes to plan we’ll play more than ever
before, until the end of next year. We’ve released
albums with two-year intervals for some time now,
and at the moment we see no reason to change that.
But we already have a lot of material to work on, so
it’s just a matter of finding the time now.
ONSLAUGHT
With their newest and most ferociously thrash-tastic release since 1986’s ‘The Force’, Bristol’s
finest return with an album surely to be grabbing for the title thrash metal album of 2013! ‘VI’
offers up eight new stunning songs carved from nearly a decade of reformation and experience. The
power is here, the feeling is here, and dare I say it… the force is back.
Interview by Mark Freebase
MM: How was it have been able to play several
dates in Russia thirty years after Onslaught was
formed?
SK: Long train rides! Ha ha! Lots of travelling on
sleeper trains, as Russia is such a vast country. We
were doing long journeys on these open sleeper/
bunk carriages, it was sixteen hours travel our first
day, and to be amongst all these bodies and feet! It
was an eye opener. It was a good foot in the door
for Onslaught; we hope to go back again. The show
in Moscow was outstanding, it was really good,
and we played some smaller towns and places in
the provinces to make it pay, these were slightly
less attended, but non the less it was a great buzz
for us to get over there, who’d have thought that
one day Onslaught would play Russia? There was a
very nostalgic feeling to certain things, things that
you can take for granted here back in the U.K. they
still have underground music shops, places to go
and buy copied music. In one town I was taken to
a place with a real old school vibe, a place I hadn’t
experienced for quite a while and these people
were still living this way and getting by. It was an
eye opener.
MM: ‘VI’ has eight songs, is that kind of an old
school vinyl feel going on there?
SK: Actually it’s just the way it is… We have not
steered towards any trends or focused in areas
certain media may have expected Onslaught to
dabble, we have just written an album we would
like to hear and are happy playing it live. I get where
you are coming from though.
MM: ‘Children of the Sand’…
SK: Foreign troubles in the Far East, about what
the kids are growing up and seeing, what they bare
witness to; it’s a lot of bad things unfortunately.
MM: ‘Slaughterize’…
SK: Ha ha that’s another one of Nige’s (Rockett)
lovely made up words! Chaos and mangling and
plenty of killing in there…
MM: ‘66 Fuckin’ 6’… now if I had of written
that, it would be called cheesy, but you got such
a powerful chorus in there, it’s so perfectly
finalised.
MM: Tell me about the songs themselves, they
seem to have some pretty manic titles; one senses
there’s a definitive air of anger?
SK: Basically they all come under the unfortunate
truth of the world we live in today topics.
MM: ‘Chaos Is King’ then…
SK: Well that basically speak for itself, ha ha… the
uncertainty, the unruly, how manic the situation
can be.
MM: Fuel for My Fire’ now tell me that wasn’t
inspired by Metallica, at all…
SK: Ha Ha Ha ha ha… (Now at this point Sy bursts
into a full on Metallica chorus)
SK: Yeah cheers, it’s got a great ring to it, so simple
but hammers home well. Your right it is so cheesy
but just carries across in such a correct way.
Perfectly metal.
MM: ‘Cruci-fiction’…
SK: Do I really need to spell that out? I’m not
a religious man at all, and I think religion is
responsible for so much that is happening. My son
is not a religious person also; we’ve not been pulled
into this trap. The title really does say it all.
MM: ‘Dead Man Walking’…
SK: Now that’s basically about someone who needs
to watch his back. We’ve had some problems and
Onslaught is now a happy family again. There were
some issues that were making it uncomfortable and
we have finally got rid. That’s all I need to say on
the situation.
MM: Do I detect a bit of finger pointing here?
Sounds like some troubled water is under the
bridge? Is that also emphasised in ‘Enemy of My
Enemy’?
SK: Well, we’ll let the listener decide what angle we
may have approached. I don’t like to give too much
away as they probably want to figure out some
things for themselves.
MM: ‘VI’ is a preposterously monstrous album.
Is there any difference in Onslaught now, as to
when you first joined back in the days leading up
to ‘The Force’?
SK: Oh Yeah. We were young and we were reckless,
we’d started to play venues like the Hammersmith
(Odeon) and things were picking up real good
for us. The thrash scene was awakening, and it
was gathering pace so fast. There was some ego’s
around, but that’s just how it was back in the day
then. We were lucky, we’d toured with the likes of
Motorhead and Anthrax and we’d seen a good run.
I still think we are lucky to be around now though
and finally get to play places like Russia; our label
AFM Records has been really good pushing us,
especially in Eastern Europe. We have to a certain
extent tried to re-capture some of that old vibe, I
mean the album artwork is fantastic and along the
lines of the old school feel.
MM: So do you think the topics addressed on ‘VI’
could mirror the old school vibe also?
SK: Well, Yeah, I suppose this new world disorder
and chaos we see appearing could be parallel with
the classic 80s topic of nuclear war and nuclear
bombs etc. There was that fear or anticipation back
then and now we see all this shit going on from the
East. It does kinda make an impact I suppose. I
think it does have a modern day reflection to what
the 80s were about, but not in a directly instant way.
anything for ten years, that’s a long time, and you
know I’m fifty one now… it don’t get any easier
these days; that’s probably why I’ve come back
with this sore throat and cold from Russia! On a
serious note though I am lucky, Nige writes with
me in mind, so that does help, and it also helps me
to push to my maximum output, because I’m not
over stretching or exceeding my limits.
MM: Do you cross the paths of many old school
thrashers then?
MM: How have you seen the audience change?
SK: The likes of Kreator, Exumer, and Artillery are
still around, and I still rate them. There is some
good new bands coming through also, but to be
honest I listen to such a diverse lot of metal I can’t
keep my finger on just the thrash pulse. One band I
really am in love with at the moment is Battlebeast,
they are just amazing, and I’m loving the album.
I love Annihilator, their new album ‘Feast’ is
a really good turn out, although I’m not really
sure where they were going with the re-recorded
disc; personally I prefer the originals, how they
were. Classic Anvil, y’know ‘Metal on Metal’ and
‘Forging Steel’ is where I’m at at the moment, and
some space rock… Because of the rock show I’m
presenting, I’m getting a good new cross section of
great metal to discover and work with.
MM: After a ten-year brake how did you jump
back into it then? How did the vocals adapt or
handle?
SK: I did actually have to find my voice again. I was
honing it, and training it to get back to where it was
before and beyond, as basically I hadn’t done
SK: Well since we reformed, we started to get mainly
older people coming out to see us, but I do think
since Testament have made a big impact again, they
have started to attract a crowd of younger followers.
There does seem to be a lot more young people in the
audience the last few years, that’s great though, as
these people are the future. I try not to think about
things too much, even when we play I sometimes
find myself coming off stage thinking, crikey, that’s
just what I did when I was twenty one, I’m trying to
just get on and do it without restrictions. We intend
to get out and play a lot, so I won’t have time to sit
back and ponder too much! I do think that I have
found my niche again, I’m more than pleased with
the performance on ‘VI’ it’s a strong release and for
an older guy I’m happy with where I’m at now.
Symphony of Pain
TL: Well it was Alice Cooper’s ‘Killers’ album that I bought on Tamworth market way back in the day
that turned me onto all this, says a well-spoken Tracie. I loved the imagery way more than the music
actually so maybe that’s where our deep sense of stagecraft and love of theatrics comes from? I was
really into bands like Thin Lizzy and Motorhead and 80s glam to be honest, whilst my brother fed me
a healthy diet of Genesis, Uriah Heep and 70s prog! I did however lose interest in the naughty 90s, and
found myself listening to a large selection of classical music, Bach, Beethoven and Vivaldi which kind
of honed in towards my love of imagery of the scary movie and those atmospheric pieces. Maybe that’s
where the angst and creepy aspects crawl in from our debut album? Pam came from a different background entirely: Packed full of world music and a lot of jazz, she states. It was definitely Kings X who
swayed my way towards metal, their chord progression and talent impressed me with the twists and
time changes and absolute feel of their music. That’s where the directive for Tracie and myself to start
this project and mould it with different angles on views etc, to combine a mould of compliments to
each others strong ideas and back grounds. I never would have thought about playing or trying certain
musical stances if it had not been bought up by Tracie.
MM: So how did you get back towards a metallic feel Tracie?
TL: Well that was the darker side that took me back to those roots! It seemed natural.
MM: And the imagery of Symphony… where was that derived?
TL: To be honest our love of watching Hammer House movies, y’know the old Boris Karlof epics, that’s
the type of people we are. That dark force and eeriness surrounding the musical atmosphere keeps in
tow with our stage image also, the Victorian feel. We love the corsets, the lace and the velvets that were
so popular; it just fits in with our lifestyles. I mean we tend to be restaurant and wine people at our age;
a fitting decorum.
MM: How was Symphony’s inception evolved then?
Tracie Law has cut his teeth with such luminaries
as Beki Bondage, L.O. Girls and Jamez Gang,
whilst partner in crime Pam Chowhan has the
credentials of being pianist to Julian Lloyd Webber.
Take the two individuals and work them together
and their band Symphony Of Pain dishes up a nice
slab of Alice Cooper meets goth electronica in a
scary movie! Debut album ‘Hydeology’ is released
just in time for Halloween….
Interview by Mark Freebase
TL: I suppose it was an old girlfriend who told me “go do it!” A project that I was working on grew into a band around about 2000, slightly
different, and I was working with a previous violinist before Pam came on-board. It was a long haul to get it going in the correct motion and
in 2009/2010 we stopped gigging to write what was to become ‘Hydeology’ we needed to focus and start work fully conscious of our intentions. So it’s taken three years to create our debut album and we have a dark video for the song ‘Am I Dreaming’ on YouTube, so it was worth
the wait. We have taken some of the older live songs such as ‘Darker Side’ and ‘Out Of My Head’ and re-worked them for a finer finish. Not
without band fall-outs I must hasten to add… it was our guitarist that bought the attention to detail regarding the latter said song.
As for the concept behind the whole album, well, its most definitely a tale of people killing people, a dark side of things, a revenge theme and
taking a lot of inspirations from the Hammer Horror themes. Hopefully more will come clear with the new video we are currently working
on for ‘Kiss The Bride’. As far as comparisons go… well… ‘Broken Clown’ has a Queensryche vibe and feel to the vocal lines and ‘Mister Hyde’
surprisingly has an Ozzy bass-tempo feel running through it. All influences, and we are not ashamed to bring these forward, another that
springs to mind is the Nine Inch Nails and Queensryche sounding ‘Nightmare Life’ so the textures of everything is deep.
MM: Is there a hint of movie work tagging onto the Symphony Of Pain sound?
TL: It is something we would love to do in the future. The dramatic feel of situations unfolding is perfectly sound-tracked by a good atmospheric. Pam has worked doing library music also, and making a bank of sound for situations creating textures and moving drama would be
right up Symphony’s alley actually.
MM: Has there been some big budget to help produce the final product?
TL: No, far from it. We had a meagre budget. When we first had disagreements with the current band members things had to be sorted out. It
was a little chaotic with the first recording of the album. Pam always remembers the band meeting where Tracie took a box of spaghetti along
to explain the situation with the tapes containing pieces of music the individuals had recorded by themselves… breaking it up and putting it
in the middle of the table the others then realised that assembling the parts was not an easy task! Shitty e-mails followed and Tracie and Pam
were forced to reform the whole project as a duo. This consequently required the assistance of Tracie to become a multi instrumentalist to
piece back everything, a task both took to hand, and we had a real basic budget to re-build everything they emphasise.
MM: Being forced into a corner made you take the decision to being a duo?
TL: I am a bassist primarily, and I had to learn to become other things. This is mine and Pam’s project and we have to get it right. We have
been forced into a situation and we now have the album we desired. A band situation may be something we will look into, but it’s got to
have the right feel, the right situation. We can’t afford to have disillusioned people around us here, we are not chasing the dream, times have
changed, people are still inadequately informed, and we want focused people with drive and a sub conscious commitment and feeling.
www.symphonyofpain.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypo-ofeAYW0
Death Angel
‘The Dream Calls For Blood’ is a welcome release to a sound Death Angel haven’t utilised
in a long time, as it has the excitement and intensity of debut ‘The Ultra-Violence’, and
Rob Cavastney was more than happy to bring us up to speed on the new record and
Death Angel...
Interview by Mark Freebase
Photographs by Nick Kolgian
MM: This is the Death Angel album I have waited for since ‘Frolic
Through the Park’, it has the power of ‘The Ultra-Violence’, it seems
back on track would that be a fair comment?
RC: Yes! I think it is, and it’s fuckin’ great to hear you say that, and I’m
actually hearing that from pretty much around the board also, which is
great. It’s kinda having that effect, kinda what we were hoping for and
that’s great feedback, I’m glad, I’M GLAD!
MM: Why are you getting this feedback, what’s made this album
achieve that feel?
RC: It had to happen in a natural way… well we had an idea that we wanted this feel and sound but you never know until it’s all said and done,
until it actually happens? Most of what D.A. do is by feel and natural
reaction. It was our intention that this album should be really fuckin’
heavy, fast and aggressive and not really take you out of that feel and
involve too many different emotions. As far as writing the music and the
songs this way, it starts off because we were on tour for so long, we were
actually on tour for the last album for three years, a thing that we’d never
done before, and a thing that we’ll probably never do again, it was crazy,
it was brutal, but it was also an intense experience in great ways and in
not great ways… errrm anyone who has ever been on the road that long
can tell you it’s a bit of a psychological torturous experience, to be confined with a lot of people in small living conditions for a very long period
of time and also very strenuous and draining as we play our fuckin’ asses
off every single time we play, we don’t know the meaning of how to take
it easy! You know we’re playing like eighteen nights in a row and we’re
still playing as hard as we can that eighteenth night. It’s ridiculous but it’s
great at the same time. We just feed off that energy and keep going. It was
going on for so long I suddenly realised that I had better start writing the
next album, so it’s the intensity of those gigs that have put the speed and
the power into ‘The Dream Calls for Blood’. It was soaking up the environment we were in for so long. A lot of the music I wrote after I came off
the stage that night. When we were on tour with Anthrax and Testament
I would go and watch a bit of Anthrax’s set and have a few beers, but after
so long I realised it was time to start cutting out the partying and getting
on with the work.
Being in that frame of mind definitely helped set the scene for writing. The
other thing that was on my mind was being surrounded by all these great
musicians and bands, and I’d better do a good job with this record as these
guys are probably gonna hear it.
MM: So basically it was that live atmosphere that pumped up the power?
RC: Absolutely, the adrenalin rush from being on stage, the highs obtained
from the crowd participation, which pushes the levels you work at
immensely.
MM: Did anything with the twenty-fifth anniversary of ‘The UltraViolence’ make you have a change of pace?
RC:: Definitely, with that occasion coming up, we switched our live set
to include playing that album in its entirety, we were for quite some time
playing all that record back to back, and now that started to do something
to my writing, we were switching gears and getting a different reaction
from playing and the fans, again I knew it would have some effect on what
I was composing – I welcomed it y’know… what better way than get a view
of your original self, the thing you debuted with. But you must remember
something like that can’t be forced, it’s like going back in time nearly thirty
years! What a mind frame…
MM: It doesn’t sound forced, weirdly enough it does sound like a natural
progression to draw from some of the past…
RC: All those circumstances added to the place we were at during that
time’ ‘Relentless Retribution’ (the last release) was the way it was because
of where we were then. One more addition to the intensity and vibe we
were working with was to finish the entire tour for ‘Relentless…’ then finish
writing the new album, record it, and then after we were done, finally take
a break, before we had time to wind down and mellow out. Then it was
time to come up for air and take a break; people may think we’re crazy,
but even though we may have been tired from the road, it’s a different type
of feeling, we were not going to give ourselves a chance to settle down, or
come down off the high, if you will. It was literally straight off the tour
then over to Florida for two months where I stayed until the album was
completed!
MM: That must have been painful to extend the time from loved ones a
further step?
RC: Absolutely, I mean I came home from tour, had like three days to do
my laundry and pack again, and get some quality time with them, and very
painfully kiss them goodbye again until the work was done. But it was so
worth it when I got back home finally. It was a different feel going into the
studio like this also. By not breaking the feeling, we hoped to capture that
live intensity on this new album, to incorporate all those positive features
we’ve just talked about. Y’know what, we now have this fuckin’ great album
that is born out of all that, and we are better people for all that we’ve done
to get here.
MM: So will you now be able to recreate that energy and passion when
you get back on stage?
RC: It comes back when you start playing the music… its starts telling
you the story and drives your own self and the energy of the other guys
in the band, boy we have no problem there brother! I know that for fact
because we’ve been rehearsing now for the last couple of weeks and its
fuckin’ furious… we are worked out! It’s heavy shit and it feels good.
MM: How much will you be taking from this album on the new tour?
RC: Well without being too self indulgent, and we don’t wanna freak people
out, but we have widdled it down to seven new songs. If I had my way we’d
play the entirety of ‘The Dream Calls For Blood’ ha ha… I know we were
tight back in the day, but looking back on live footage, I would say we have
honed things in and pulled the reigns harder now, I mean, honestly I really
do think we are on fire and Death Angel at this point are probably at our
highest point ever, also we are more energetic now than we were even back
then when we were younger!
MM: Is it almost a new starting point for Death Angel then?
RC: With things going on, Jeff Hanneman’s death and other people dying
all around, we just really pulled out all the stops and thought we had better
make this album as if it was our last ever. You just never know what is
coming your way around the corner, and recent events have bought
situations closer to home. It has been taken real seriously, and a statement
has been made right now.
MM: A clean slate almost?
RC: Exactly, we have been through so much personally, and as a band with
line-up changes and other things and even from the outside it may look
rosy in the DA camp, but we are only gonna show the good parts. We most
certainly are not going to sit here complaining about the bullshit to our
fans. Unfortunately for every laugh there is a tear that goes along with it,
we have let it all out with this album and given Death Angel a clean slate,
yes. A re-birth if you like.
GWAR
MM: Why haven’t the scum dogs of the universe taken
over the world yet?
OU: I don’t know… probably cos were too busy fuckin’
up… smokin’ crack, humpin’ bitches, havin’ sex with dogs,
stealin’ the stupid pleasures of the human race like getting
drunk and being fucked up on drugs, and indulging in sex
and rock ‘n’ roll, all this comes as too much of a distraction
for us, we are really just taking the time to throttle the life
outtalk you guys, when we have had our fill, we will then
spend all of our energy slaughtering, killing, maiming and
completing the feat of world domination. We do have this
other fuckin’ problem also y’know… when we created you,
we gave you all a sex organ, and you guys are uckin’ the shit
outtalk each other… fuckin’ and reproducing faster than
we can kill you. Plus I am a little bit of a sentimentalist, I
did create the human race by fucking apes, so in a sense
you are my children, and even though you are a retard…
well it’s like when you have a retarded baby, you don’t
just leave it out on the mountain-side to die… do you?
In the old days they did. I do get a certain pleasure of
taking that retarded baby and beating the shit out of it,
like trying to teach it how to read – YOU WILL READ
YOU RETARDED LITTLE FUCK! Look, the process of
destroying the human race is probably more pleasurable
than the end result. There is no rush to get to the end of
the pleasure, being immortal we have to try and fill every
second with something that is fun.
MM: What is the most fun part of the day then?
OU: Without a doubt it is definitely our show. That’s why we evolve. I
might spend the best parts of the day lurking alleys, public urinals, bus
stations, y’know chokin’ out bitches in men’s rooms, but it’s not until we
actually play the show and people are dying at 20 to 30 a swoop with the
giant double headed broadsword, when the giant meat grinder is rolling
and we are creating our music on top of all that, that is definitely the
highlight, when we hit that stage.
MM: So there is no thought of using nuclear weapons against the
human race?
OU: No we like the old ways. No explosive devises or nukes. The feel of
steel, the power of the blade, but it is hard to kill the whole of the human
race with a broadsword.
MM: How is the continuity between debut album ‘Scum Dogs Of The
Universe’ and your newest album ‘Battle Maximus’?
OU: Well, we were immediately under attack as soon as we lost Flattus
Maximus, so as a result we summoned the rest of the Maximus’s
to Antarctica and as soon as Pustulus had prevailed in the battle
maximus we became under attack from this arsehole Mr Perfect from
the future, he was kinda like this uber-fascist human, the latest self
styled fuckin’ demi-god who was on about creating his new master
race and apparently what he decided was the only thing that he lacked
was the secret of immortality and the only creatures that he found that
possessed that quality were Gwar, and we lived in an entirely different
time, and Mr Perfect had to build this incredible machine to actually
come through time and steal my balls. It’s been a rift through time as
we’ve been going on. My nut sack is always getting attacked, it ‘s full
of Gwar gunk, Gwar jism, jismoglobim, you know spunk, whatever
you human’s wanna call it! I would not let Mr Perfect get them. Now if
Mr Perfect said “hey Oderus I wanna suck your balls, and sqeeze em,
I wanna lick em”, hell I could even tea-bag him, but I’m not gonna let
him chop them off NO! I need these muthafuckin’ things.
MM: Have you ever though about doing a KISS – mid eighties period?
OU: Taking off the make-up you mean…? we have done it on occasion
and it was a failure, so we stopped. No body wants to see us without
our clothes on, it’s disgusting, and we look like humans - now that’s the
biggest horror show of all. It’s like Kiss without the make up. Our armour
stays!
MM: It wouldn’t be Gwar without the armour!
OU: Look we’ve been wearing it for fifty million years now.
MM: At this moment I manage to get Oderus Urungus to step out of
character. Dave Brockie the human and creator has escaped personality
to talk a little on the sensitive issues…
OU: I’ve been in a million punk rock bands and metal bands, and we’ve
just kept on adding elements and some of it worked and some didn’t. I’ve
been in bands with some great musicians yet it didn’t fully work until
we came up with this crazy idea of combining heavy metal with a grand
theatre of comedy and blood; then it really clicked and it was completely
accidental, we were just a bunch of artists and we were trying to have
fun with it, and it blew up in our faces. We created a monster and were
not just gonna let that monster wander around the countryside like the
very serious dis-service Dr Frankenstein did with his creation. We are
certainly not gonna do that.. We are gonna shepherd it, and herald it,
and clutch it close to our bosom, and take care of it, and feed it dead
babies obviously, but we were going to pour all our heart into it.
MM: So what would you say to anyone that doubts your sincerity
then?
OU: Firstly I would say, have you ever listened to a Gwar album? Then I
would say, have you ever seen a Gwar show? Then if they had said no I’d
advise them to start with those things and then get back to me.
MM: The musicianship on this album ‘Battle Maximus’ does seem very focused
and tight and there is elements of thrash metal, punk, hardcore, there is a lot
going on there, even a bit of emo on the likes of ‘Falling’.
OU: Yeah, it’s a real train wreck, but a good one. We really didn’t know what was
gonna happen after Corey passed. He had really been the guy that had reaffirmed
our sound again. You see Gwar originally starts out as a punk rock thrash band,
then after like four albums there’s a lot of line up changes and the music is all over
the place, there was like parody albums, there’s some lounge music in there…
albums like ‘Ragnarok’ and ‘We Kill Everything’ and they’re all over the fuckin’
place and then when Corey finally comes back the band gets really heavy, and we
stay that way, and we don’t lose any of that heaviness till ‘Bloody Pit Of Horror’
when we tuned down to a Carcassy sort of sound. It was the way Corey was
writing stuff and the way the other musicians we’re reacting to his writing. I mean
even Mike and Brad (who have been with Dave since the ‘Scum Dogs Of The
Universe’ days) have slowly come to like metal. They were not originally metal
guys. It has taken a really long time to get a really good bunch of great metal
players to be in Gwar because it was always about competition, and you had to
be a better musician to be a metal player, otherwise you were a punk rock player;
all those metal dudes didn’t really want to play in a band where you have to wear
sixty bloody pounds of rubber. They wanted to play in a band where they could
go shout YHEEEEEEAR and shake their hair around and get their dicks sucked
after the show; it took a while to get those guys together and Corey was a big
part of that. People were worried what was gonna happen to Gwar after Corey
passed…and y’know all I said was lets go out and find the rowdiest, rippinest
guitar player we can, let’s keep him local… and actually Brent Purgason was a
really good friend of Corey’s. You must remember every single song on ‘Battle
Maximus’ was written without Corey. One of the things that kinda helped us a lot
was that Zach Blair (from the band Rise Against) who used to play Flattus before
Corey, he came in immediately and as soon as we got off that tour he said “look
guys I can’t be Flattus anymore, but I can get this thing going in the studio right
away again, and he started to write some wicked metal riffs so we kind of filled
that gap until we had Brent. When Bent came in he just kicked the shithouse
down, the first song he wrote was ‘Madness At The Core Of Time’ which was the
first single from the record, and that song is a stampede y’know? We knew that
we had everything we needed then, and just let it run its cause, we never tried to
emulate Corey’s sound, we never tried to write songs like Corey would write, we
just let the band evolve naturally.
MM: Now that the sensitive parts had been addressed I coaxed
Dave into leaving the mindset, and ushered another arrival of
Oderus back for more madness…
So what will happen if the reception of ‘Battle Maximus’ isn’t as
well greeted as expected?
MM: Did you vision the album to be anything then?
OU: We wanted it to be three things actually, we wanted it to be
a tribute to Flattus and Corey, and we wanted it to tell the next
chapter in the story of Gwar, but first and foremost we wanted it be
a fuckin’ awesome record. It was our first record that we did in our
self-designed Slave Pit Studios and as much as Corey wasn’t there to
write any songs he actually designed the studio that we wrote it in,
so he was like errm, with us every second, we also had like this huge
picture of him on the wall with us. We weren’t gonna let him down,
and we weren’t gonna let our fans down, and we certainly we’re not
gonna let ourselves down, in fact we were gonna take the opportunity
to show everybody in the world that no matter how fucked things
can get you can use it as an opportunity to show strength, and I hope
that is what we have done.
OU: Well I don’t give a fuck what people think about our music,
it is helpful if they like it, because then they will actually come to
the shows. This biggest thing I’m onto right now is getting Gwar
back to Europe. I really don’t understand why you humourless fucks
over there prefer Mr Lordi to your fuckin’ lord and master Oderus
Urungus. Mr Lordi doesn’t have a sense of humour! Mr Lordi can’t
juggle dead baby heads! Mr Lordi does have a giant world maggot
that lives under his drum riser! Mr Lordi doesn’t have a goddamn
twelve-foot dinosaur that comes out and bites his nut sack off! We are
off to slaughter all over the United States, and then were off to Asia
and Australia, but no fuckin’ European slaughterings in the pipeline
yet! What the fuck – I NEED TO EAT SOME EUROPEANS!
MM: After you leave the stage tonight, how many women will you
have lined up?
OU: There will be a fair few; they will probably be ravished by the
slaves first. We get them all lined up for the last song, then we put
‘em through the meat grinder during all the intensity and usually I
get carried away and when it’s time to ask where the remainder of the
women are there is usually a bigger pile of gristle, fat and bones than
needs to be. Sometimes there’s not even a recognisable vagina in
there! That’s when I will have to flop onto it, and mush it all together,
into one giant vagina!
NER
VOUS
IMP
ULSE
Nervous Impulse grew up on unhealthy doses of the Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, and the Big Boys, to name a few; so it’s no surprise their music
is raw, fast, and would bite you if it could. The lyrics are angry, caustic, and laced with cynical commentary of everyday life. They’ve all spent their share of time
in the DC-area hardcore/punk scene, from the late 80’s onwards, playing and touring in bands such as The Goons, Striking Distance, VPR, Set to Explode ,The
Reticents, HR Band, and others. They formed in late 2009 as a five-piece band with Serge Goon on vocals, Dave Stone and Nik Deems on guitars, Jon Shaffer on
bass, and Jon Bergner on drums. They played their first show in late summer 2010 under the name Brand X. After a few shows they changed it Nervous Impulse,
which was a more appropriate name. Nervous Impulse went to Minimum Wage Studios in Richmond, VA in Sept. 2010 to record a five-song demo which they
handed out at shows and they began to build a small local following. Shaffer soon left the band due to other commitments, and Dave Stone took over the bass.
The tighter arrangements of the four-piece line-up suited their sound well, and they took off writing and playing shows in earnest, playing just about anywhere
and anytime, to anyone they could, tightening up their act. They soon began to make a name for themselves, playing tons of local shows and also opening for
bands such as Youth Brigade, OFF!, and the Dead Kennedys. The band soon went to Sheffield Recording Studios, where they tracked 14 songs in a single Saturday session. Afterwards, Deems left to pursue his PhD at Stanford University, prompting Shaffer to re-join and Stone to switch back to guitar. The band then
went on a short hiatus, during which Stone released 8 of the 14 tracks recorded at Mazurek’s studio as the debut Nervous Impulse Record under his own label,
Undercurrent Records. Soon after, Bergner left the band, opening the door for Dave Byrd from (Striking Distance, Set to Explode, and Barfight) to join on the
drums. The dust has now settled from the line-up changes and N.I. is back in the frame, writing new material, while Bridge Nine Records releases those eight
songs as a self-titled Nervous Impulse album. Vocalist Serge Goon drew the short straw to fill us in on the details..
Interview by Mark Freebase
MM: You’ve had changes in the line up, how has that
effected the band? Has it contributed the way it sounds with
this release?
SG:: The line up changes came after the recording so it didn’t
really effect the release. Dave Stone recently played his last
show with us this past weekend so I’m guessing our next
release is going to sound pretty different.
MM: How big is your involvement with live music... do you
gig regularly?
MM: So thirteen songs... eight minutes... that’s pretty
intense. Is that the way Nervous Impulse was ment to
be, or are you just pissed off guys?
SG:: Hardcore punk was meant to be concise I guess. I
can’t speak for the rest of the guys but if I didn’t exorcise
my demons this way you wouldn’t need to ask if I was a
pissed off. It would be pretty obvious. As it is I maintain
an even keel.
MM: For me personally it’s a perfect mix of metallic
riffs and guitar work, punk sing-a-longs and cleverly
crafted brilliance with pinches of such pivotal bands
Dead Kennedys.
SG:: My vocals have always drawn comparisons to Jello
Biafra. I personally don’t hear the similarity but I suppose
there could be worse comparisons made, right? Your
description of the band makes perfect sense otherwise.
The sound is very much an even blending of Dave Stone’s
love of Bad Brains and Nick’s love of metal. Dave Stone
has played live a lot with HR performing reggae and old
Bad Brains tunes. It figures that would come out heavily
as an influence.
SG:: NI has not done much traveling yet. I think the farthest
out we’ve been is Richmond VA. All of us have been playing in bands for the better portion of our
lives. I know I love to go out on the road but as old geezers with responsibilities its hard to go out
and tour these days knowing that we’re gonna come home broke. That said, I for one, LOVE to play
live, to 5 people to 500 people doesn’t matter. I’ll be doing it for as long as I can... stand up in front
of a band.
MM: How far back do your musical influences go?
SG:: Anyone who’s heard the NI record or my old band knows I love to sing. Some people love it
and some people hate it. The love comes from singing along to all kinds of stuff: old Samba music,
classic rock, 60’s psych rock, some blues and 80’s rock. When I first started itching to really sing
in a band I was obsessively singing along to my New Bomb Turks, Dwarves and Candy Snatchers
singles.
What’s your views on classic hardcore punk and that of the modern day environment?
I’m not sure what you mean? its all the same to me. The old get old the young stay pissed the sounds
steal from each other then evolve. Sometimes the old timers like to denounce the young bands. No
matter what that’s always gonna happen, but thats not my style.
Being in a band is no easy task, how do you go about ‘getting along’ and making it work?
It is certainly not easy stuff. Sometimes its like having a handful of bitchy girlfriends and none of
them put out! LOL We’ve all been playing in bands for a long time. Making gigs work is pretty easy,
people are available or they’re not ya know? Writing songs can be
tricky though. Everyone has an opinion so the trick is trying to get
everyone satisfied. Sometimes that works out and sometimes there
is overblown friction but it always works out one way or another.
MM: Should old bands reform? SG:: Depends on the band’s ability to pull it off really. They have to
still have the energy and the chops. I’ve seen lots of bands reform
and be amazing: MDC, DOA, UK Subs, Varukers, FU’s, The Dickies,
The Zero Boys. I saw Flag play last month. Black Flag was a BIG
deal for me growing up. I never got to see them back then and I was
so stoked to get the chance to see Flag. They NAILED it! I went out
the next day and got a Black Flag tattoo with my old lady and my
best friend! I’ve also been tragically disappointed. I drove to Philly
to see The Freeze from Boston. The guy just threw together a band
and it was terrible! My favorite song of theirs is called Time Bomb
and when they played it I couldn’t even recognize it till he started
singing. Such a let down.
MM: As a music fan, what should I be checking out new band wise,
and why?
SG:: You should be checking out Common Enemy, hardworking
fast ripping badasses from PA then there are our local DC brethren:
Supreme Commander, Cop Stabber, The Shirks, The Sniffs, Coke
Bust. Why? ‘Cus they rule thats why!
MM: What’s the positives for a band like Nervous Impulse being
involved with a label like Bridge Nine?
SG:: Bridge Nine is a great label! Because of their catalog of releases
they’ve already got an audience that I think is receptive to what
we’re doing. They’ve got great distribution and they’ve got the
resources and desire to promote their releases. For me, its a very
new experience and I’m glad to be working with them.
MM: So Rob, how did you come to make the move to DC?
RV: Writing work for hire comics us something that I’ve just always wanted to do y’know
as it offers balance to working on creator owned as it’s your creation, it’s wide open and you
can do what you want. That’s one sort of creativity, and the other is to be given a pre-existing
continuity and pre-existing characters and work within the confines of that, which means
that you get to exercise a different set of creative muscles, so it was a challenge that I’ve been
looking to do for quite some time. Of course, I did it with ‘X-O Manowar’ over at Valiant and
I had a friendly relationship with Matt Idelson, I’d been in contact with him over the years
and when the Green Lantern job came up, I made the pitch for it as it seemed like too good a
challenge to pass up y’know?
Robert Venditti
MM: How do you approach writing a title like Green Lantern, one of DC’s flagships titles
when you’re following in Geoff Johns wake…?
RV: Yeah, Geoff leaves behind huge shoes to fill and in a lot of ways those shoes can’t be filled,
I mean he wrote the book on these characters, developing the mythology over the course of
his very long and very well regarded run, and I try not to think about in those kind of terms
and just sort of think about telling the kind of stories that I like to tell, in the way I like to tell
them and just hope that the readers like it. Ultimately, all you can do as a writer, or as any kind
of artist, is embrace the things that make you different from everybody else because if try to
imitate what other people have done, then you’re going to end up reading like that, as a copy
of what’s been done before…
When I was offered the chance to talk to new Green
Lantern writer Robert Venditti, I jumped at the chance
as I’ve been a fan of Rob’s work since his time at Top
Shelf and ‘The Surrogates’, and I’m a huge Green Lantern mark. Put those factors together, and it was a no
brainer that I’d want to talk to Rob and find out everything I could about what was happening in the Universal domain of the Green Lantern Corps…
MM: Where you a Lantern fan before you took over the reins of the book…
RV: You know, I didn’t start reading comics until I was in my late twenties and all that I knew
about established characters was the same as everybody else knew from the Christopher Reeve
‘Superman’ movies, ‘The Incredible Hulk’ television show and things like that, so I didn’t
dislike Green Lantern, but I wouldn’t say that I was a reader of the series and I still haven’t
seen the movie. Until they called and offered me it, I’d never read a Green Lantern comic in
my life, but what I did know about the character from general pop culture immersion was
very interesting to me, but it’s not like I was a life-long fan or anything like that, and the same
(for me) is true of any super-hero really…
Interview by Tim Mass Movement
Photographs appear courtesy of Robert Venditti
and DC Entertainment
MM: Given the sheer scale and scope of Green Lantern, and given that you’ve now got the
whole Universe in which to play, as a writer, does knowing that put more pressure on you
or is it strangely liberating?
RV: A little of both. I mean, there’s a lot of pressure in that it’s a very popular series
coming off a long, popular run and Green Lantern is an integral part of the DC
Universe so it’s not like a creator owned book such as ‘The Surrogates’ where I know
the whole thing in and out, this is a much larger tapestry. It’s also very rewarding as a
writer to be able to work on concepts and have them become a part of that tapestry,
looking at a character like Relic, the primary villain of this ‘Lights Out’ crossover that
we’re doing right now which is a villain that we’ve created and being able to create an
entire Universe and destroy it in twenty panels, things like that are tremendous fun
and extremely rewarding.
MM: What can we expect as regards the characters evolution is concerned, and
how will he, they and the book itself differ from previous incarnations?
RV: There’s a few things that we’re doing differently, but a lot of it is just picking up the
threads that were left hanging at the end of Geoff ’s run and introducing new threads.
Between ‘Rise Of The Third Army’ and ‘Wrath Of The First Lantern’, the Corps was
really in a lot of disarray, and had been through a lot of really tough times, so one
of things that we’re doing is shifting around the roles of some of the characters. For
example, Hal has now become leader of the Corps because the ranks have become so
decimated and the Guardians are gone and they’ve been replaced by a newer team of
inexperienced Guardians, and so we’re looking at how Hal’s new role rubs up against
his inherent nature of being the going it alone flyboy. We’re also introducing a lot of
new Lanterns, both new recruits and veterans that we just haven’t seen before and
exploring different parts of the wider Universe that we haven’t seen before, while
looking at the emotional spectrum and exploring the greater mythology that Geoff
laid down over the course of his run. So we’re taking it in some now and unexpected
directions that I hope readers will be surprised by in a good way, and as we come out
of ‘Lights Out’ which will conclude in October with Green Lantern Annual #2, I think
we’ll see a radically different status quo for each of the four books involved in the event,
‘Green Lantern’, ‘Green Lantern Corps’, ‘New Guardians’ and ‘Red Lanterns’, and we’ve
worked hard to give each of the main characters in those titles a very significant role
in the event to make sure that the event, and its aftermath, had a legacy that was going
to run through each of them.
MM: Given that you’re also writing ‘Green Lantern Corps’, is there one character who
stands out for you, one Lantern in particular that you enjoy writing for?
RV: I Like John, I think he’s great as a polar opposite to Hal and we’re going to see a lot of, and
learn a lot about, him in Green Lantern Corps #25. Its sort like his zero issue, the zero issue
he didn’t get to have the last time around as that zero issue focussed on Guy Gardner. I like
Kilowog as well, I think he’s just an amazing character and Billy (Tan) does an amazing job
of drawing him so I’m finding new and enjoyable ways to feature him in the series…
MM: What do you think Green Lantern’s lasting appeal is? Why do you think this
particular character has managed to weather the storm when so many others have fallen
by the wayside?
RV: I think it’s a great high concept, particularly with the American audience as police
shows, law enforcement shows on television and in film and books as well, are very popular
and Green lantern takes that structure and applies in on a very cosmic scale and in a galactic
setting. I think that’s a great mix, and it’s a great hook that a lot of people can grab onto easily.
MM: Okay Rob, hypothetical question time. If you were handed the keys to the DC
Universe and could write any story you wanted to featuring any character or characters
that you wanted to use, what would it be and who be leading the charge…?
RV: See, as I didn’t grow up reading comics and don’t have any allegiance to any particular
characters, I don’ really have any stories that I’ve been dying to get out since I was a kid.
For me, what I really enjoy is having someone call me up and say “We’ve got this character,
we’d really like you to take a look at them”, and then have to start from zero, read up on that
character, learn about them and come up with stories for them, which will hopefully be
different to something that a lifelong reader of comics would come up with. I’ve always seen
that as a greater challenge and a lot more off the wall…
MM: What’s next for Hal Jordan and Rob Venditti?
RV: Coming out of ‘Lights Out’, we’re going to have some radical changes across the Green
Lantern books, we’re planning out our next storylines which should take us all the way
through 2014 and we have a lot of things coming up. New characters, new challenges, new
settings, some characters who people haven’t seen in a long time coming back, so there’s a lot
of stuff to be excited about…
Toxic
Shock
As crossover is straight to the point, and just hella cool,
there’s no need for lengthy introductions. It’s just like
the band says on their Facebook page: Thrash, hardcore,
crossover straight out of Antwerp. ..
Interview by Martijn Welzen
Photographs by Nele Vandermaesen
MM: You have a hardcore background, and now play in a thrash / crossover
band. What often strikes me is that crossover seems to have a broader sense
of humor, albeit it often cynical and sarcastic. Still there’s more room for
laughter. Do you also see a lyrical difference in between both styles?
PC: Many hardcore bands to send to take themself too seriously, I think.
Something which can also be applied to a lot of metal bands. Something in the
vein of: “my band is the most important band in the world, yada, yada”. I can
imagine this has to be true for some musicians, especially when you’re trying to
make a living. Luckily playing music is not a job for us. It’s just a great release
valve, from which I am trying to take as much enjoyment as possible. Meeting
new people, visiting new places, being proud of anything Toxic Shock has
released. We don’t take ourself too seriously and humor is, indeed, important.
That doesn’t mean we’re not giving it a 100%. We want to take this band as far as
we possibly can. So we do take Toxik Shock seriously, but with the right balance.
MM: Is it maybe also an advantage being in a world now, in which not every
word will be weighed for its value? Is crossover more of a mirror, where
hardcore can be preaching?
PC: You’ve hit the nail on the head. I still believe people are very well capable of
thinking on their own. They don’t need someone to do this for them. Whey do
most people come to gigs? Because they like a band, and to have fun, to meet
friend, to escape the daily routine AND to get some frustration out, either in
the moshpit or not. And when a good band also has a message, all the better.
I do get a bit sick from band would only seem to be on stage to preach, and all
to often also preach to the already converted. Our message is in our songs and
in our lyrics, and it’s up to anyone to take whatever they please. We will never
comand to or deny anything.Still if someone is taking a positive message, which
does make him thinks, and might inspire him to do things differently in the
future.... amazing. Never will we climb on stage shouting: “Don’t do this! You
can do that! And you certainly have to do this.”
MM: I also had to think about your song ‘Anthem’, when talking about
crossover. Seems to be dealing about the whole world going down the drain,
but that is no reason NOT to have a party. Maybe a bit in line with Nuclear
Assault’s ‘Critical Mass’...
PC: Yes, Nuclear Assault. Another band we’re all crazy about. A band with a
message, but not a message that is too outspoken. ‘Anthem’ is actually about
a nuclear powerplant going down because of greed and negligence. We haved
turned it into an anthem, because anthems are cool. It is quite a challenge
playing this song live. When I am not mistaken we have only played it twice.
MM: With that, almost automatically, the question comes to mind, which
songs have a more political or very personal angle, and which songs have
this more absurd character. Is that mix of content important to the band?
PC: Many of our songs are about frustrations, personal frustrations about daily
life, but also about the bigger picture, about the world and how things are being
dealt with. And again, we never want to preach or put people in their place,
that’s often all to easy. Several songs are just observations, without judgement,
while other are merely our own opinions about things (e.g. ‘Nivoa’). Personally
I think that mix of absurd and more political songs very important. With only
the absurd we’d me more of a party band, in the vein of Tankard, and that is not
what we’re about. And we wouldn’t want to take the band too seriously. Things
also have to be taken with a grain of salt every now and then, and we should not
forget to enjoy the moment.
MM: Did you ever expect Toxic Shock to have such an impact when entering
the spot lights? Most of the reviews I read were extremely positive. Did you
ever expect even the low countries needed a decent crossover band? Nope, I
would never have imagined we’d be put on the map like this.
PC: Apparently were are, without knowing it, the right band at the right time,
which is just great. We are also more than happy with the reviews which vary
from good to excellent. Band who claim the reviews cannot touch them.... I
don’t believe that shit! I am over the moon our record has been received the way
the way that it has. We have worked very hard on it, and it was not an easy
process getting to that final result. Never will we take that attention for
granted, because we have all played in bands, who weren’t necessarily bad,
but always moved in the twilight of the underground. I thoroughly enjoy all
the attention we are currently receiving. I think the best part it that we don’t
really have to walk the beaten path at all times. In the end, it’s us, doing what
we like, and any riff that sounds cool will be used. It is hardcore or pure
thrash? No, it’s crossover, and it’s giving us this newly found freedom to create
songs.
MM: Which bands have influenced you most? Is that the classic bands from
the 80s or are newer bands like Municipal Waste or SSS also an influence?
PC: Although I am a fan of Municipal Waste, and I think the whole band
is, are they not really an influence for us. DK (our other guitarplayer) and
I create some basic riffs and together with the rest of the band we turn
them into Toxic Shock songs. Without a doubt are the 80s my source of
inspiration. It even goes back to bands like Black Sabbath and Discharge. I
try not to be influenced by the new(ish) band too much. It’s the thrash- and
hardcore bands of the 80s for me! I want to have that same rawness and speed
in our songs. Many of the modern bands sound too polished. And many
of the older bands had a sound of therir own. You can almost immediatly
recognise them. Also not that many singers sounded alike, they all had a face
of their own. Main influences: old Slayer, old Metallica, Exodus (without any
doubt!), Suicidal Tendencies, Cro-Mags, Leeway, Negative Approach, old
Agnostic Front, Excel, Crumbsuckers, Death Angel,… you name it. Venice
Beach crossover, Bay Area Thrash and New York hardcore. For DK these
influences are the same for the most part, except you can change New York
for early Californian hardcore bands. On the level of riffs DK and I work
together remarkably well.
MM: That’s all about thrash and crossover, but a song like ‘Smoke Dust’ is
obviously about smoking. I find that very interesting as it read more like an old school
hardcore lyric. Crossover bands are known for their more nihilistic approach fuelled
by beer, cigrarrettes and junk food. Is that a more modern angle to the genre?
PC: Our singer Wally is responsible for about 90 percent of the lyrics. And this is one of
those songs we had some doubts about, because it is more of a hardcore topic, and we
consiously did NOT want to make a hardcore record. Eventually it wasn’t more than fair
including this particular song too, as Wally is never giving us a hard time about the riffs
we come up with. It mainly deals about a pet peeve of his; smoking. But again without
setting any rules for what you can or cannot do. That’s why this song, with these lyrics is
on the album.
MM: Also a song like ‘I Shot Joe Biden’ stands out. Mainly because it’s a very American
subject. I often have, as a European, problems understanding the gun laws of the
country, simply because I don’t know the culture all that well. How do you look at
this?
PC: When we were about to enter the studio, and even the first days when we were
recordings, we did not yet have all lyrics. The major part was done, but some songs didn’t
have the right words. We all set together and wrote the lyrics to the final two songs with
Wally. And we also wanted to so something else than just putting words to music. We
already had the Joe Biden sample, and we all loved it, and thought we just had to use it
for something; like the intro to a song or the entire record. Than Wally suggested we used
the sample itself as the lyrics to the song. Such an amazing idea.... the title is obviously
some sort of tribute to ‘I Shot Reagan’ by Suicidal Tendencies. How incomprehensible it is
that Obama is trying to change the gun laws, but just cannot succeed in that. How many
people have to get shot, before the Americans understand that a change is needed, or at
least given some thought? It’s not all that easy as the ‘right to bear arms’ is deeply rooted
in the people’s DNA. That’s the major difference with Europe. Ever since the colonisation
of America, people were used to carrying guns, and the right to defend against intruders
and other dangers. However in these modern times this is causing side-effects for which
the law was never intended. Then again who are we to tell the Americans what it right
and what is now. So again, without passing any judgement we want to form a statement.
MM: On a sidenote, would you be able writing a song about anything that is bothering you in
Flandres?
PC: Some songs are really close to home, but we wouldn’t want to make it all too obvious, as it should
always be applicable to different situations in different countries. ‘NIVOA’ is about something in
Antwerp, but written in a way it can be applied to any country or town where an idiot is in power.
Everyone can read in our lyrics whatever seems appropriate to them. So our songs can be about local
topics, but it’s written in a way, it’s not that obvious. It’s important to us. And also how amazing is it
that many of the lyrics of the old thrash and hardcore bands are still strangely current?
MM: And I have to ask... I can imagine what the title ‘Daily Demons’ is all about, but what does
this six-headed monster have to do with it? Is each head a problem you have to deal with on a daily
basis?
PC: A friend of ours (Arno Vanputte) drew the cover. This drawing already existed prior to the record,
and we wanted to use it for something. We came up with the title at the time when the record was
already done, and when we knew Johan Reflections was interested in releasing it. We went to his
place to let him hear some of the songs. And we also had decided to put the monster on the cover.
Then Wally came with ‘Daily Demons’ and it just fit the record, music and cover, perfectly. It’s totally
a coincidence the monster has six heads, I could just as easily have been five or seven. So it’s not like
every head it a problem you have to face. But again, if that’s your take, all is cool!
MM: And what about your personal demons? Is Toxic Shock giving you the energy you need to
fight the demons again every day?
PC: My Demons? I am a fairly happy person, but there are frustrations and things I am struggling with.
The hardest thing for me is finding the right balance between my children, my work, my girlfriend and
myself. I feel quilty rather quickly when one of these things is taking more time than the other, or if
work is taking the best of me. Mind you; I want to work hard, and I like doing it, but I want to be more
than my job. Toxic Shock is just that release valve I need to keep my sanity. I think it’s amazing to create
something with friends we can be proud of, and continue to be proud of for the coming years. Above
all do I think we’re slowy, but gradually killing this world, and we have to do all we can to wake people
up. Despite this doom scenario I am always hopeful for a better future. It’s really however which keeps
on throwing things off. I just physically get sick when watching the news. All media is responsible for
creating this negative image. It’s only the bad things that make the news; a war here, a disaster there,
and some murder over thre. Bad news sells apparently, but good or postive news barely makes the
headlines. Not interesting, doesn’t sell! I really don’t watch that much news, because it makes me sad
and depressed. Not that I am very consistent, because I do read newspapers and magazines... which
then leads to new inspiration for Toxic Shock songs.
MM: So the new record has been out for a while.
What have you been doing in the meantime... any
new songs?
PC: No, but we are slowly shaping up to start writing.
I do have enough songs to fill about halve a record,
but they have to mature a bit longer. DK also has some
songs lying around so nothing to worry about. Bands
who release too many records, too quickly will surely
loose my attention, so I wouldn’t want to release a
new album until we have ten songs we all agree upon.
Will it take a year, then is has to be a year, but will
it take two or even three years.... so be it. I wouldn’t
want us to release a mediocre album just because we
wanted to have it out there quickly. That pressure I
can do without. We will be part of a four-band 7” and
a compilation with ten Belgian underground bands.
Most likely we will release a new 7” next year as a
teaser for more new songs.
One of the biggest surprises of the last five years, for me, was stumbling across ‘Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf’, a hilariously funny, deeply moving,
Whovian rites of passage one man show by stand-up comedian and actor, Toby Hadoke; a man whose life-long love of Doctor Who was now the focus
of his professional life. Whether he’s on stage making audiences laugh and reflect on their lives as he shares the Doctor’s impact on his own, creating
a multitude of characters for Big Finish reuniting legendary seventies Doctor Who stunt team Havoc, presenting Who’s Round or hosting Who DVD
commentaries, Toby Hadoke has become a one man Whovian force of nature, and as I’m also a life-long fan of the Doctor, I set out on a mission to talk
to him about all things Who…
Interview by Tim Mass Movement
Photographs courtesy of Toby Hadoke
Toby Hadoke
MM: Let’s talk about the Doctor.
When did you first stumble across
Dr Who?
TH: In my living room at home
when there was a repeat of ‘The
Invisible Enemy’. I know it was a
repeat because my brothers, who I
remember watching it with, knew
what was going to happen, and
lo and behold, they were right so
it must have been a repeat of one
they had seen before. And with that
Doctor Who hit.
MM: So it’s been a lifelong obsession
with you?
TH: Definitely yes. My two older
brothers had Target books and things
like that and when Doctorr Who
wasn’t on I used to get out these
things and flip through them even
before I was really old enough to
read; I used to like the illustrations.
It was a natural childhood interest
that I just took to another level.
MM: Do you think your younger
self’s obsession with Doctor Who
effected your later career choice?
TH: Yes absolutely. I wanted to be
an actor because I wanted to be
in Doctor Who. I wanted to do
directing too, and when I did that I
knew it was the actor’s life that I was
really interested in. So I went to see
plays that had Doctor Who actors
in, which gave me a Shakespearian
education. And because I had
that Doctor Who fan gene, if I like
something I just like it. So I pawed
over each Shakespeare play through
the summer holidays. I practiced
them through the summer holidays.
So it began an interest, not just in
Doctor Who and science fiction but
in classical theatre, British film and
all those sorts of things so I had to
give it a shot.
MM: With ‘Moths Ate My Doctor
Who Scarf’, where you initially
surprised by how well it was received
when you started performing it?
TH: Yes. It was a big deal. A lot of
comics go to Edinburgh. I thought
I might do well in terms of seats,
because Doctor Who might give
you that extra 5 or 6 seats, but I got
slightly more than that.. The title; I
remember there was a buzz about the
title of the show and I guess I didn’t
know how many people knew who
I was in terms of the industry. I was
fairly well known on the Manchester
circuit but I’d pretty much stayed
in the North West. Being known,
though meant that critics who might
have stayed away for another first
time show, came to see me and gave
me good reviews. Instead of waiting
for audiences to build up and coming
and seeing it at the end of the run,
they were asking me if they could
come over that first weekend. So I
was lucky and they were good. Then
when they talked about doing it in a
larger venue, I thought it was going
to be an anticlimax, but they moved
it to a bigger venue and it sold pretty
well. We sold out on the last night,
the Saturday, I think, which is what
we really wanted to do, to go down
well in a big venue. Then a guy
came in a couple of nights before
and asked how long we were going
to tour it. We were thinking: well
there’s tonight and tomorrow…. But
he got us on a West end run and a
proper national tour. It just kept on
going to my continued surprise yes.
MM: It seemed to take on a life of
its own...
TH: Yeah. I guess it made my name
as a Doctor Who fan. Which wasn’t
my bright idea, if it was a bright idea
at all. When I played my home town
of Ludlow, people were bemused.
Someone told me that the show
was all about me, and it was all
the Doctor Who stuff that was the
proper, interesting stuff. It’s hard to
hear though as when you’re a comic,
you write about what you know,
which for me is the kids and stuff.
So making it all about Doctor Who
and being a Doctor Who fan wasn’t
the grand plan. We went though the
stuff working out the best stuff, and it
was a dialogue between me and my
Doctor Who fan self. But because it
wasn’t just for Doctor Who fans, and
there will be people there who will
go just for that, it needed to be such
that you could say “Oh but it’s not
really about that, it’s about how this
happens to him and how he copes
with that”. Of course I talk about
things that happen and the basic
human emotions that are common
to all of us. I think that’s what it was
really, what made it work for the
audience as well as the Doctor Who
fans
MM: You’re part of Doctor Who
cannon now having been cast in a
number of Big Finish audio dramas,
how does it feel?
TH: Some people don’t think Big
Finish is Cannon, so I’m glad to hear
you say that. It’s incredible. What
I love about them is that they don’t
necessarily cast to type. When I
played an Australian for them, they
didn’t ask if I could do an Australian
accent, I’ve got a voice reel knocking
about somewhere, and I do a lot of
voiceovers and I’ve worked a lot for
Radio 4. I also played a highly strung
man under pressure in the Sylvester
McCoy one I did, “Robophobia”.
They didn’t offer me any funny
parts which I would expect them to,
and they didn’t ask me to read for
anything, unlike television where
you are so often cast according to
type. It’s like the last battleground
for the character actor. Every time
I did one, I thought: “Ooh that’s a
good one, that’s probably me done
with Big Finish for a while” and
then they turned round and offered
me four stores with Tom Baker and
David Warner. I’m well aware that’s
it’s a job of work and I’d love to say
that I worked in and my ten year old
self sort of floated through, but you
have to be grown up and responsible about it while also enjoying
it. But it was Tom Baker and David Warner and I was thinking “ay
something interesting, say something interesting, otherwise they will
think you’re an imbecile”. But they didn’t because they are very
nice people. I remember when I did “Cyberman 2” which was the
first one I did, which, isn’t Doctor Who, I did a scene where Nick
Briggs did the “Tenth Planet” Cyberman voice and I wasn’t expecting
it because I thought they’d do it in post later. Then suddenly there’s
this Cyberman voice and that was a real hairs standing on the back
of the neck moment. That voice, it was terrific. I had a line in one
of the Tom Baker Dalek ones which was something like: “The dalek
ship has docked” – it was a very sci-fi line – and I did a sort of Lenny
Henry-esque emphasis on the word Dalek at the end and Nick saw
it, and even though I couldn’t see him, I could imagine him sort
of peering over his glasses as he was saying (adopts world weary
tone) “Yes, Toby, very fine sci-fi acting”; when I was thinking “well,
it worked fine in my bedroom”. At the same time, Tom Baker’s over
there, and David Warner’s over there – Cor, that was exciting!
MM: So what’s happened to Volumes 2 and 3 of “Running through
Corridors”?
TH: Well it’s supposed to be Volumes 2, 3 & 4. The first volume
was written in a splurge, and the problem with writing something
in a splurge is that there is no time to fine tune it. There is editing
involved, but that’s the sort of duller process, and we (Running
Through Corridors was co-written with Rob Shearman) need to find
time to get together and edit it, because we wanted to do it ourselves.
Volume One was edited while I was in Edinburgh and I only had
a chance of a quick perusal, and so this time we wanted a little bit
more editorial input both from me and him who meant we had to be
available at the same time. The problem with that is that he got really
busy, and then I got really busy so it hasn’t really worked out. But the
short answer is: I am done. I have finished my stuff for Volume Two
and I’m supposed to be meeting Rob to work on it next week. We’ve
both been so busy…. So apologies to anyone who may have been
waiting, it is coming.
MM: So what was it like getting
Havoc back together, and have
you ever thought of pursuing your
burgeoning career as a stunt man?
TH: (Laughs)… I’m never going to
jump off anything ever again. It was
really good and I’m really pleased
with the warmth that comes out of
that documentary. I think I’ve found
my niche which is being so very
interested in other people. When
I was a kid I used to read through
cast lists to try to find out who
these people were, and I’ve always
thought that you can benefit from
the stories and experiences of other
people. I’d sort of decided not to
do any more DVD documentaries
because I didn’t want to end up
being so ubiquitous that they would
get somebody else to host the DVD
commentaries which is the bit I
enjoy doing the most. Then Chris
suggested the idea and I thought
(adopts really excited tone of voice)
“Ooh stuntmen with stories” and
they are really lovely people. Derek
Ware was one of the first Dr Who
people I met because my brother’s
only brush with professional theatre
was when he was with Richard III as
a schoolboy and Derek Ware was
also in it. As he was one of the first
Dr Who people I met, it was nice to
be there for the last hoorah for the
Havoc boys. It was his idea that I
jump off the platform which I didn’t
really enjoy. I’m not a total wimp,
I’ve done swordfighting and stuff
like that, but it’s the height thing I
don’t like. Even though most of the
reviews were very very nice, there
was one review online that really
got to me as they said “The fun of
this is watching a middle aged
man getting scared by jumping off
something that’s not that high”. And
I thought “How dare you – I’m not
a trained stuntman. If you think it’s
not so high why don’t you jump off it
yourself?” I think they really missed
the point; which was just that it was
a bit of fun. And Derek Martin is one
of the nicest men I’ve ever met, who
most people probably know from
Eastenders. He had such a positive
attitude. I remember him saying to
me in one of the breaks “Toby, don’t
waste a minute mate. Even it’s just
about reading a book, don’t waste a
minute because it goes by so fast.”
It’s such a great attitude to have. And
when we picked him up he started
moving the camera tripods and we
said to him “Derek you don’t have to
do that” to which he replied “Yes I
do lads, we’re all in this together”.
What a top fella. I think Chris
makes very good looking films and
I’d do whatever he wanted which is
why you have shots of me striding
towards camera looking a bit of a
Charley, but if he thinks it’ll make the
film look good I’ll do it. It’s a great
looking film, it’s got heart and it’s got
me landing between the mattresses
(which wasn’t supposed to happen
but it’s an interesting moment) and a
good ending.
MM: So tell us about Toby Hadoke’s
“Who’s Round”
TH: Ahh, this came about because I
wasn’t enjoying Christmas as I wasn’t
very well and somebody on twitter
said: “My wish for Doctor Who’s
50th anniversary is for Toby Hadoke
to interview everybody involved in
Doctor Who.” And I can’t remember
what possessed me to think that was
a good idea, but I sort of moulded
that and it became into getting an
anecdote from every story which is
a much more containable question.
There is a beginning and end and it’s
not so random. I know Anneka Wills,
Frazier Hines and Louise Jameson so
I thought it would be a doddle. This
was all being done on Twitter, so I
asked Nick Briggs if Big Finish would
be interested and he said “Sure,
send us the tapes and we’ll put it on
the Big Finish website. So I started
getting in touch with people I knew,
and people I didn’t know, and people
started coming out of the woodwork
which I thought was rather nice. I
started to get some people slightly off
the beaten track. So one night I just
asked (on Twitter) if anybody knew
Kevin McNally, having seen him in
‘The Twin Dilemma’ and with in half
an hour I had a contact for him, and
within a week I had an invitation
to his house. The conversation sort
of drifted away from Dr Who onto
other stuff, and when I tried to edit
it down I thought “There’s too much
good stuff here so let’s keep it as a
career tour from Kevin Macnally”.
This made me think “Let’s get people
who haven’t really spoken in public
before, and some who have, and
talk to them about their lives outside
of Doctor Who and just use Doctor
Who as a leaping off point. Suddenly
I started getting contact from PA’s,
with people wanting to get involved
and I started, myself, getting more
fired up as I sort of liked the detective
work; tracking people down through
Skype because I sort of knew who
they were and where they lived. The
whole process was quite exciting
and gave me something to do when
I wasn’t doing anything else. When
you’re an actor and a comedian
you’ll find endless ways to waste
your time when you should be doing
something. Take today, I’m still in
my pyjamas and was watching a
second “Tales of the Unexpected”
just before the interview began. I’ve
got loads of things I’m supposed to
be doing but I just thought I’d do
that instead. I’m nearly there. I’ve
done 128 interviews and as the
anniversary year approaches its end I
know I’m not going to do it again, but
I’m so close to getting an anecdote
from every story. And looking back
now I know I must have been ill at
Christmas because if I hadn’t been
there is no way I’d have started this.
But it just goes to show that even if
you’re useless at doing something
– I’m terrified of talking to people
on the telephone on a one to one
basis and call someone out of the
blue – I really have to build myself
up to make an unsolicited phonecall
because I’m frightened that they
will hang up or won’t give me their
time. It’s easier by email because if
they don’t answer they don’t answer.
This was so not the ideal project for
someone as cowardly as me to do.
I’ve done something that is always
going to be there. It again comes
back to people and the stories they have to tell which is something I’ve always been interested in.
Good old Doctor Who was the keystone to hearing all these great stories from people who worked
in TV in the sixties, seventies and eighties.
MM: The new show “My Stepson Stole my Sonic Screwdriver”…..
TH: I decided to do another Doctor Who show with some encouragement from the guy who toured
with me for the first one. So about 7 months before Edinburgh I stopped drinking so that I could get
up early and write after the show, because it’s easy getting into the pattern of having a few drinks after
a gig and getting up late. So I stopped that and tried to stay focussed and professional, and write a
show that would appeal to the same audience the other show did, but be a continuation of the story
and not a carbon copy. So I nailed myself to the keyboard and out of all the stream of consciousness
stuff I poured in, I pulled the best stuff out and creating an hour wasn’t’ really the problem, because
when you get up to do it, it’s actually an hour and three quarters. It was (designed) to tell the story of
what happened after the first Doctor Who show as 5 or 6 years had elapsed and a lot had changed,
Doctor Who had changed, and to carry on some of the themes but in a different way as there are no
teenage diaries or music in this one. And to tell a story about my stepson who is deaf. So it becomes
a story of communication, and as Doctor Who is a universal language to a certain sort of person,
communication and forging a story with someone with whom I couldn’t talk as I’m not good at sign
language and he uses his hands to talk; and he hadn’t seen Doctor Who until I came into his life. So
it’s a different story told in a different way. I think it’s a better show for it. It’s a stronger show… There
are elements of “Moths” when I look back at it, that are incredibly angry as I had that hangover of
people who mocked Doctor Who and now I just think “It’s your loss”. It’s less of an angry show, a bit
more grown up, about some harder realities, but told in a more accepting way.
MM: Toby, to finish off; time to put you on the spot. Who is your favourite Doctor?
TH: Patrick Troughton….
MM: Good man. Why?
TH: Because he was the best at straddling the humorous and the dramatic, and he’s also a very
naughty and inventive actor. You can’t stop looking at him. He never mugs, he’s never over the top,
and he always delivered an energised performance, and a gravitas coupled with a pixie like sense
of fun and huge intelligence. I think that combines the two things that Doctor Who does so well. I
think he’s marvellous.
Reviews
Audiobooks
Counter-Measures: Series 2 Box Set – Performed by Simon Williams, Karen Gledhill, Hugh Ross, Pamela Salem, Lucy Fleming, Blake Ritson, Celia Imrie, Gemma
Whelan, Philip Pope & Tom Price & Written by James Goss, Matt Fitton, John Dorney, Mark Wright & Cavan Scott – 5xCD / Download (Big Finish Productions www.
bigfinish.com)
It’s all hands to the pumps and time to prepare for action as Counter-Measures, the top-secret government group who first appeared in ‘Remembrance Of The Daleks’ and
were later revived and given their own series by Big Finish, are back, and this time, it’s all systems go, the team hit the ground running and don’t slow down until the fourth
story reaches its conclusion and the outro music begins. Unlike the first series, which reintroduced the group and added Sir Toby Kinsella, Series 2 doesn’t waste any time,
and right from off gets stuck into the thick of things in the first of the four adventures on offer, a tale of genetic manipulation designed to create a super soldier that goes
desperately and tragically wrong, and a tale that sets up the loose arc (picked up in the final chapter) that runs throughout the series. After facing the horrors that humanity is
willing to inflict upon itself in order to play War a little better, the team find themselves facing a near Nuclear meltdown in the middle of London and then face a psychic force
that’s unlike anything they’ve ever encountered, a force that could plunge the civilised world into a new dark age of chaos and violence before finally piecing the mystery of
the super-soldier programme together, a mystery that in turn, digs away at, and erodes the heart of the team in a kaleidoscope of lies and mistrust. Counter-Measures feels
like a glorious collision of Quatermass and The Avengers, and plunges it’s characters into a miasma of double-dealing and paranoia, as the team find themselves questioning
everything that they thought they knew about their boss, and inevitably always seem to be the last people to know what’s really going on as they valiantly struggle against
the forces of darkness. It’s a good old fashioned adventure yarn that rattles along at an incredible pace, submerging the listener in a secret world that of intrigue, mystery
and adventure that at times is incredibly realistic, but also retains the retro, gung-ho feel of the original sixties shows that inspired its creation. As exciting as it is exhilarating,
Counter Measures is brilliant fun, that just gets better every time you listen to it, and hopefully it’ll be around for a long, long time. Tally ho! Tim Mass Movement
Doctor Who: 1963: Fanfare For The Common Men – Starring Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Mitch Benn, Andrew Knott, David Dobson, Ryan Sampson, Alison TheaScott, Jonty Stevens & Written by Eddie Robson – 2xCD / Download (Big Finish www.bigfinish.com)
I must be the only Scouser in the world who shudders every time he hears The Beatles mentioned, and having been raised on nothing but their music by a Fab Four obsessed
parent, I couldn’t care less if I never heard any of their tunes, or their names mentioned, ever again. So, when ‘Fanfare For The Common Men’ appeared, a tale in which The
Beatles are usurped by a band called The Common Men, I nearly jumped for joy. But while I was ecstatic, The Doctor is less than amused, as everything that was supposed
to happen to John, Paul, George and Ringo is happening to Mark, Korky and James. Somebody has altered time, and it’s up to The Doctor and Nyssa to set things back on
their correct course. From Hamburg, to London, to New York to North Wales, the Doctor and Nyssa track The Common Men, desperately trying to find out why time has been
altered, who’s altered it and why. As they uncover the truth about the Fab Three, the sheer scale of what’s happening and why begins to unfold. It’s not just the Earth that’s in
danger, but the entire Universe. Nothing corrupts like power, and there’s nothing more corrupt than a power crazed music manager. ‘Fanfare For The Common Men’ unfolds
like a science fiction Beatles film that doesn’t feature The Beatles. The tone, pace and settings are perfect, as are the accents, and Mitch Benn, Andrew Knott and David
Dobson are wonderful as the band who never were, riffing on certain cheeky Liverpool chappies in order to bring their alter-egos to life. It’s a witty, knowing and, at times,
touching ode to a bygone era that also happens to be a tightly plotted and fiendishly paced Who adventure full of aliens, obsessed fans, strange space ships, weird guru’s and
groovy music. Maybe The Beatles weren’t so bad after all… Tim Mass Movement
Doctor Who: Daleks Among Us – Starring Sylvester McCoy, Tracey Childs, Terry Molloy, Jonathan Forbes, Christian Edwards, Nicholas Briggs, Jessica Brooks, Tim
Delap, Paul Chahidi & Written by Alan Barnes – 2xCD / Download (Big Finish Productions www.bigfinish.com )
I think it’s safe to say that, given the title of the concluding part of the latest Klein trilogy, it’s fairly obvious who the villains of the piece are. Or is it? Even though the Doctor
finds himself, once again, facing the sons of Skaro, thanks to some awfully clever literary prestidigitation from Alan Barnes, the role that the Daleks play in the ever unfolding
story of the quest to find Kurt Schalk and his persuasion machine, is almost secondary as the real power behind that stands in the way of the Tardis crew finally achieving their
goal, slowly but surely reveals itself. It’s a tale of duplicates, and invasions that didn’t happen in which secrets that have festered for far too long are finally exposed and old
enemies assume new identities as the race to lay claim to the Persuasion Machine reaches its climax, and it’s terrifying capacity for destruction and ability to control everyone
and everything is tested to the absolute limit. While the infamous Nazi’s and Daleks analogy has been a part of Who mythology since its inception, it’s nice to see it actually
brought into play and utilised as effectively, and intelligently, as it is in ‘Daleks Among Us’, and even though Klein’s gradual journey to embrace and accept her humanity has
gathered momentum throughout this trilogy, the revelation of who and what she is in ‘Daleks…’ conclusively, tips the scales of fate and forces her to become the person she
was always destined to be. And, while a few more pieces of the ever growing jigsaw that is the Seventh Doctor’s existence are slotted into satisfying place, as awful and
horrible as this sounds, I think I’m going to miss Kurt Schalk, as even though he was a thoroughly unrepentant, insane, odious fascist pig, he did provide some incredibly dark
comedic relief while pulling double duty as the centrepiece and pseudo-miscreant of the trilogy. Oh and that ending, that cliff-hanger of cliff-hangers? It’s damn near perfect,
leaving our intrepid adventurers dangling on the edge of uncertainty, their lives in the balance and the audience, well me anyway, desperate for more. Until the next time… Tim
Mass Movement
Doctor Who: Destiny Of The Doctor: Enemy Aliens – Performed by India Fisher & Michael Moloney & Written by Alan Barnes – CD / Download (Big Finish
Productions www.bigfinish.com / AudioGo www.audiogo.com/uk)
And, just like that, ‘Enemy Aliens’ puts the ‘Destiny Of The Doctor’ firmly back on track as The Doctor and Charlie Pollard become entangled in a plot involving the secret
service, extra-terrestrial armies, double agents, spies, Nazi’s and, uh, William Tell. ‘Enemy Agents’ proudly embraces its influences, drawing them close and exploiting them for
all they’re worth, borrowing major plot points from ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’ and elements of ‘The Lady Vanishes’ to create a thirties style period drama that finds the occupants
of the Tardis, after receiving one of the Eleventh Doctor’s cryptic messages, stumbling into a catastrophic series of events in which suspected of murder, and in a desperate
bid to uncover the truth about said homicide, they flee to Scotland only to find themselves at the mercy of a secret Nazi spearhead, a ring of sleeper agents forced to act by
our heroes inadvertently discovering their method of communication. Then there’s the aliens. Yes, there’s aliens, a whole army of them waiting to descend on, and take over
the Earth when the signal is sent, a signal that Charlie may just have, accidentally of course, already triggered. It’s a right rum to do and no mistake, but it’s also an incredibly
enjoyable romp whose sense of familiarity adds to its charm and the listeners enjoyment, as the unfolding events end up mirroring those of John Buchan’s most famous work
in a steampunk ode to the master of adventure and spy fiction, one that the most famous Governer General Of Canada himself would heartily approve of. Ripping stuff… Tim
Mass Movement
Doctor Who: Destiny Of The Doctor: Night Of The Whisper – Written by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright & Performed by Nicholas Briggs & John Schwab – CD /
Download (Big Finish Productions & AudioGo www.bigfinish.com / www.audiogo.com/uk )
So, it’s the Ninth Doctor’s turn in the hot seat as the clock slowly ticks down to the finale, the series conclusion and the end of the mystery, as all of the pieces slowly, but surely,
begin to slot into place. The action begins almost as soon the story starts, and before you can say “Is that a sonic screwdriver in your pocket or…’, The Doctor, Rose and Jack
are up to their collective necks in trouble, caught between a lupine gangster who runs New Vegas and the unstoppable vigilante, The Whisper, who’s intent on ending all crime
in the city, and if that wasn’t enough, the Eleventh Doctor has tasked them with saving the man stuck in the middle of the turf war that’s waging between law and order and
the chaos of criminality, a man who knows far more about the masked avenger than he, or anyone else, should. ‘Night Of The Whisper’ is an adrenaline packed ode to thirties
pulp crime fiction and the golden age of comics and science fiction in which no-one and nothing is what it first seems to be, and as the odds begins to stack up against them,
the Doctor and his companions find themselves locked in a desperate race to save the soul of the one man who could make all the difference to the future. Nicholas Brigg’s
frighteningly accurate impersonation of the Ninth Doctor combined with Cavan and Scott’s tightly plotted, perfectly executed story-telling ensure that ‘Night Of The Whisper’
doesn’t pull any punches, delivering a first rate adventure that’ll leave you strangely satiated, yet at the same time, desperate for more. Fantastic… Tim Mass Movement
Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles: Upstairs – Performed by Maureen O’Brien and Peter Purves & Written by Matt Coward – CD / Download (Big Finish
Productions www.bigfinish.com)
Have you ever wondered about what really happens in the corridors of power, about the secrets they harbour and the monsters that are hidden away behind the walls of the
edifices of the political elite? In ‘Upstairs’, The Doctor, Steven and Vicki, after landing the in seemingly endless attic of Number 10 Downing Street at the turn of the Twentieth
Century, discover a hidden secret, something that’s been lurking in the shadows, waiting, with the aid of the domestic staff, for its chance to seize control, fulfil its destiny as
the thing that would be king and ensure that the sun never sets on the British Empire. With history on the verge of being changed for the worse and time irreparably damaged,
The Doctor and his companions step into the breach in attempt to foil the machinations of the plotters and ensure that things unfold as they should. Clever, sharp, witty,
perfectly paced and bristling with black humour, ‘Upstairs’ takes a knowing and slightly satirical swipe at the class system, the office of ultimate responsibility and those who
would assume it, by using both as the corner stone of its plot, and it’s success and, with a little help from The Doctor and his friends, it’s failure. ‘Upstairs’ uses one beloved
institution to make fun of, and ridicule, another using the old adage. The more things change, the more they stay the same, to its fullest while reducing politics, politicians
and those who desire power and control to that which they ultimately are, parasitic fungi that sap the will and life from any and all they come into contact with. Number Ten will
never be the same again… Tim Mass Movement
Doctor Who: The Greatest Show In The Galaxy – Written by Stephen Wyatt & Read by Sophie Aldred – 4xCD / Download (AudioGo www.audiogo.com/uk)
By the time ‘The Greatest Show In The Galaxy’ was originally broadcast by the BBC, I’d pretty much stopped watching Doctor Who as, at the time, I wasn’t exactly a fan of
either The Seventh Doctor or Ace, and the two episodes of this particular tale that I did watch, well, let’s just say that they didn’t alter my opinion of either the main characters
or the show, which, even though, back then, it nearly broke my heart, was, I felt, rapidly becoming a caricature of its former itself. In fact, if I’m brutally honest, ‘The Greatest
Show In The Galaxy’ was the reason I stopped watching Doctor Who as I couldn’t bear to see what my former favourite programme had become. While time, and the
evolution the characters have undergone thanks to Big Finish, have gradually changed my opinion of both The Seventh Doctor and Ace, it hasn’t done anything to change the
way I feel about ‘The Greatest Show In The Galaxy’. Even Sophie Aldred’s spirited and animated reading of the novelisation, which if it were any other story would have my
singing her praises from on high, hasn’t managed to convince forty one year old me that sixteen year old me wasn’t right all along. And you know what’s really annoying about
‘The Greatest Show In The Galaxy’? What’s really annoying is that it should, and could’ve been, fantastic as the central Lovecraftian idea, old gods taking over and controlling
a circus, using it to feed on performers who don’t provide adequate entertainment is fantastic, but the story wastes too many opportunities to make it genuinely frightening
(Let’s there’s nothing more scary than clowns is there, and yet the clowns in ‘The Greatest…’ are, at best, a little creepy when they should have been terrifying) favouring a
sort of fear-free story that’s filled with cringe inducing dialogue and spends too much time on bland characters when it should have focussed on the power behind the circus,
and as such doesn’t really hit the highs that it , and so easily, could have done. Sometimes I hate being right… Tim Mass Movement
Doctor Who: The Lost Stories: The Dark Planet – Performed by William Russell, Maureen O’Brien, John Banks & Charlie Norfolk, Written by Brian Hayles &
Adapted by Matt Fitton – 3xCD / Download (Big Finish Productions www.bigfinish.com)
And so, as another series of ‘The Lost Stories’ begins, it’s time to go to back to the beginning again. The beginning of the Universe that is, as The Doctor, Ian, Barbara
and Vicki land on one of the first worlds to have developed sentient life, two species, the Light and the Shadows, who are locked in an age old conflict, each fuelled by
burning hatred and an overwhelming desire to see the other annihilated. But the universe has a way of playing the most cruel of tricks, and the sun of this world, the world
on which the Doctor and his friends are caught in the middle of a war that rages without end, is dying, and as it fades, it will take all life with it, denying either side their
longed for victory. Determined to save both sides from themselves and their world, The Doctor tries to find a solution to the devastation, yet with neither side being what
they first appeared to be The Doctor and his companions discover that trust is an all too rare commodity as both The Shadows and The Light begin the final phases of their
campaigns in the dying days of their world. ‘The Dark Planet’ is strangely downbeat for a Who story and uses the ever present sixties threat of mutually assured destruction
as the backbone of its plot, ridiculing the idea that there could ever be a winner in a conflict in which each side is capable of completely destroying the other. It also targets
fundamentalism and blind obedience and leaves the audience in no doubt that the writers (both Hayles and Fitton) believe that both are responsible for paving the road to hell,
and that salvation and evolution can only be achieved through free thinking and individuality, the natural well springs of creativity, achievement and progress. An engrossing
and strangely endearing story, ‘The Dark Planet’ is a slow burner, a tale that gradually builds momentum as it unfolds and spirals toward a conclusion, that while odd for a
Who story, given the characters and history involved, feels natural and unforced, if a little surprising. Still, sometimes it’s nice to be surprised… Tim Mass Movement
Hammer Chillers: Series One – Starring & Performed by Con O’Neill, Miles Jupp, Tony Gardner, Camille Coduri, Alex Lowe, Zoe Lister,
Jacqueline King, Daphne Alexander & Lizzie Roper & Written by Paul Magrs, Christopher Fowler, Robin Ince, Stephen Volk, Mark Morris
& Stephen Gallagher – Download / CD Digipack (Bafflegab Productions www.bafflegab.co.uk)
There are very few names that mean as much to me as Hammer does. Along with Amicus, TSR, Marvel, DC and EC, Hammer shaped my
formative years, they provided the scares, blood, chills and thrills that made the quiet, furtive trips downstairs to watch the late night visual delights
after everyone else had gone to bed worth all the trouble that they inevitably brought when I was caught in front of the idiot box, transfixed by
the horrors and grizzly pleasures on display. Despite the fact that I was discovered, and punished, numerous times, I always kept going back for
more, because once Hammer have got their fangs in you, your theirs for life, a slave to the dark side, one who has willingly given his soul to the
purveyors of the gruesome and profane, and in doing so, became a lifelong fan of the films produced by Bray Studios. Strangely though, given my
devotion to the films they made, it wasn’t until the late eighties that I finally discovered that Hammer had also made a television series, ‘Hammer
House Of Horror’, and while the series had its moments, it was largely a hit and miss affair that’s really only remembered, and cherished, by
devoted fans. So, when I heard that Bafflegab were resurrecting the ‘House OF Horror’ format, albeit as audio drama’s and rebranded as ‘Hammer
Chillers’, I could barely contain myself, and even though the series initial release as downloads was staggered, I made myself wait until I had all six chapters, all six stories,
before sitting down to listen to them, over and over again. Almost as soon as the first part started, I had an inkling, a feeling if you like, that unlike its predecessor ‘House Of
Horror’, ‘Hammer Chillers’ wasn’t going to be a hit and miss affair, and that feeling soon became manifest, as Bafflegab’s collection of twisted terrors delivered hit after hit
after hit, each episode ensuring that the scare-o-meter was turned up to eleven and the dial snapped off to prevent any relief or respite from the shocks on offer. Opening
with ‘The Box’, a story of the fears and regrets that we each carry with us every single day breaking through the veil and suddenly becoming very real, it’s quickly followed
by ‘The Fixation’ in which the oldest of things collides with the modern world as one man’s crusade to clean up his town goes horribly wrong, which in turn is succeeded
by wonderfully horrific ‘Spanish Ladies’ a tale of motherly love, unrequited devotion, rejection, dolls, murder and revenge. Then, just when you feel like you’ve managed to
get your breath back and have finally started to calm down, ‘Sticks And Stones’ creeps up on you, a cautionary fable of the doors that exists between worlds, the ones that
shouldn’t be opened, even by the darkest of internet trolls, because you never know what can, and will come through, while ‘The Devil In The Darkness’ a thoroughly modern
love story that evolves in the strangest of environments before descending into the madness of pure evil, evil that exists hand-in-hand with innocence, the flipsides of the
same coin continually fighting for control fills you with a sense of unease and dread that guides you straight into the arms of series finale; ‘Don’t Go There’, blurs the thin line
that divides mythology and reality, reminding the listener that monsters do exist, even in paradise. ‘Hammer Chillers’ is the series that the obsessives have been waiting for,
one that’s finally fit to bear the Hammer name, yet at the same time, casts its net wide, offering its forbidden and enticing pleasures to anyone and everyone, rewarding any
and all who settle into its embrace. But whatever you do, don’t turn out the lights, don’t press play in the dark and remember, they’re only stories. Aren’t they…? Tim Mass
Movement
Honour To The Dead – Written by Gav Thorpe, Narrated by David Timson & Performed by Gareth Armstrong, Jane Collingwood, Jonathan Keeble & Luke
Thompson – Download (Black Librarywww.blacklibrary.com)
The places, names, faces, weapons and soldiers may change, but war, as a historical constant remains the same. Xun Zi, a Chinese philosopher born the time of the
Warring States in a pre-Christian world once said “In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one
small section of truth”, and whilst we’re always taught that it’s the larger events and actions that shape our lives, we often forget that it’s the small things that cumulatively
mould and create the massive occurrences that compose and invent the destiny and history of our species. Gav Thorpe however, hasn’t forgotten this lesson, and in ‘Honour
To The Dead’ returns to Calth, narrowing his focus and targeting just one of the many battles on the planet’s surface, the fall of Ithraca. As the world is blasted from orbit,
the Titan Legions turn on each other, and as the Princeps and their war machines make the city their battleground, the survivors and space marines try to fight their way
through the scorched ruins in a desperate attempt to escape the living hell that has befallen them. It’s a tale of man-made gods and mortals, steel and iron versus flesh and
bone, of the warriors whose stories and deeds will forge a new mythology, one born of fire and betrayal that heralds the arrival of a darker age. The characterisation and
performances are wonderful, the screeching, moustache twirling villainy contrasts sharply with the stoic, reserve and the desperation, fear, and above all, hope, that surviving
unimaginable horror breeds in the human heart. ‘Honour To The Dead’ feels almost like a Peckinpah film flickering away in your minds-eye, the lumbering, shuddering, brutal
violence and destruction of the Titans unfolding like a far future version of ‘Cross Of Iron’ meets Fuller’s ‘The Big Red One’, in which the combatants just happen to be giant,
plasma fuelled robots. Gav Thorpe is a maestro of unrelenting fury, a composer of exquisite force, the natural successor to both Sven Hassel and Robert Heinlen, and in
‘Honour…’ has humanised the savage maelstrom of combat and its participants and delivered a pulse pounding and strangely thoughtful story of a minor skirmish in a much
larger war that stays with you long after the clatter of the last bolter has faded. It’s the small things that matter… Tim Mass Movement
Iris Wildthyme: Series Four Box Set – Starring Katy Manning, David Benson, David Ames, Ayesha Antoine, Bernard Holley, Sophie Aldred, Simon Fischer-Becker
& Written by Mark Wright, David Bryher & Cavan Scott – 3xCD / Download (Big Finish Productions www.bigfinish.com)
After the climactic showdown at the end of Series Three in which Iris and Panda were hunted down and done away with by none other than Iris, a future Iris that is, Series
Four was left with a small hurdle, that being that both the lead characters had supposedly been killed by another version of them, to overcome. Fear not though, as death is
never the end in the ever expanding vagaries of the Whoniverse, and as with all of the best cliff hangers, nothing is exactly what it appears to be, which is why in the opening
story of this series, ‘Whatever Happened To Iris Wildthyme?’, Iris seems to have a become a permanent fixture at all the best parties that have ever happened and Panda
has become a world famous polymath, both of them living their most heart-felt desires and dreams with no memory of their former lives together. But life doesn’t work that
way, nobody gets everything they’ve ever wanted, and as Iris and Panda begin to remember each other, everything starts to fall apart and they slowly start to realise just how
much trouble they’re really in. As soon as they manage to extricate themselves from one life threatening situation, they find themselves back in the frying pan at the World
Darts championship in ‘Iris At The Oche’, a championship that attracts the attention of a bellicose bovine species determined to seek vengeance on the dart wielding superbeing who thwarted their plans for galactic conquest. The only problem is, he doesn’t exist yet, and it’s up to Iris to ensure that he make a premature appearance to save
the Universe from a heard of angry matriarchal bulls. And, if that wasn’t enough, in the final chapter, ‘A Lift In Time’, our heroes find themselves battling an insane artificial
intelligence attempting to control and subjugate the galaxy through the mind numbing, endlessly repetitive and subliminally catchy power of muzak, a skirmish that doesn’t
exactly end well for the solar system, leaving Iris and Panda in a far stickier situation than they were in when the series started. After all, in the beginning, they were only
supposed to be dead and now… Oh, wait, that’s a spoiler too far, and if you want to know what happens, you’ll have to find out for yourself. Rammed full of slightly absurdist
humour, think Noel Coward (Panda, I’m looking at you) meets Douglas Adams with a smidgeon of Northern comedy thrown in for good measure, ‘Iris Wildthyme’ has become
a personal favourite, as her exploits, and those of her steadfast companion Panda, are always thoroughly entertaining, incredibly amusing and just a little strange. However,
the highlight of any Iris story is the wonderful partnership that’s been forged by Katy Manning and David Benson as the central characters, a dysfunctional duo of sixties fried,
booze fuelled, spent far too long in the midday sun reluctant chronal detectives who provide a less than serious alternative to the Whoniverse norm. And that folks is what
make Iris Wildthyme so much fun, and you know what they say, all’s well, that ends well. Oh, wait a minute, it didn’t though did it? I can’t wait to see how they get out of this
one… Tim Mass Movement
Jago & Litefoot: Series Six – Starring Christopher Benjamin, Trevor Baxter, Lisa Bowerman, Geoffrey Whitehead, Conrad Asquith, Francesca Hunt, Adrian Lukis,
Keith Bartlett, Nancy Carroll, Timothy Speyer, David Timpson & Written by Jonathan Morris, Matthew Sweet, George Mann & Justin Richards – 5xCD / Download
(Big Finish Productions www.bigfinish.com)
And so, following their near calamitous, but incredibly exciting and entertaining, sojourn to the decade that time forgot, the nineteen sixties, Henry Gordon Jago and George
Litefoot find themselves back in their rightful place, that is late Victorian London. No sooner have they arrived, than they’re summoned by a mysterious figure known only as
‘The Colonel’ and pressed into the service of Her Majesty to investigate rum goings on and strange mysteries at the behest of the crown. Or so they believe. Series Six charts
the fall from grace of the daring detectives of the arcane, curious and inexplicable, who, through no fault of their own, get caught up in the machinations and schemes of a
man who would be king and his fellow conspirators and are dealt a sticky wicket by fate, a fate that ensures their destiny as public enemy number one. As they travel the path
to their social damnation Henry and George find themselves investigating a ghostly harbour town and helping to avenge the spirits of the woeful dead, become entangled
with Sigmund Freud and a peculiar baboon with a penchant for assaulting policemen with their own truncheons in a tale of repressed memories and the demons of childhood
returning to plague their host, prevent an attempt to assassinate Victoria herself before finally finding themselves in the Old Bailey in a case that seemingly defies all logic.
With our heroes back where they belong, Series Six gets off to galloping start and refuses to let up until the final note of the last adventure fades, as Jago and Litefoot once
again do what they do best, well, I mean, what they do well, alright then, do what they do as they once again travel the roads of steam-punk adventure, in another series of
tightly plotted, fantastically paced, wonderfully written and performed tales. And in case you couldn’t tell, it’s true I’m something of a fan. Christopher Benjamin and Trevor
Baxter are, as ever, sublime as the odd couple adventurers, and have a crafted an incredible partnership, each feeding off and nurturing the other, wisecracking and serving
up delicious one liners one minute, then fighting the forces of darkness in a battle to the end the next, and with an incredible supporting cast behind them and a group of
writers who consistently, and without fail, deliver the goods, ensure that series six is a worthy addition to the ‘Jago & Litefoot’ arsenal. Superb… Tim Mass Movement
The Mervyn Stone Mysteries: The Axeman Cometh – Starring John Banks, Nicola Bryant & Written By Nev Fountain – CD /
Download (Big Finish Productions www.bigfinish.com)
Mervyn Stone, amateur detective, convention mainstay and ex-script writer for, and creator of, ‘Vixens from the Void’ is back (well,
technically it’s his audio debut, but as he’s already established as a literary “hero”, it’s not technically wrong to state that the character
is returning. Anyway, it’s my review, and I say he’s back. And that’s that), and where Mervyn goes, murder follows. Invited to take
part in the brand new series of ‘Vixens From The Void’ audio drama’s, Mervyn also receives a mysterious letter informing him that a
murder will take place during the recordings of the aforementioned series and that his attendance is the only thing that can prevent it
happening, so Mervyn hops on a train to meet his destiny. As the cast and suspects, who just happen to be one and the same, begin
to gather in the studio, a face from the past, one that the entire ensemble has reason to hate also appears, and as the tape begins
to roll, Mervyn desperately tries to put all the pieces of the puzzle together as the clock ticks down to murder time. Wonderfully
self-reverential , ‘The Axeman Cometh’ lightly pokes fun at all the genre clichés of classic sci-fi shows, fandom and the writers and
stars who keep the programmes alive long after they’ve died a grizzly cathode death, yet at the same time remains razor sharp,
delivering a blackly comedic murder mystery, in which everyone is a suspect and no-one is entirely innocent, a mystery that builds to
a genuinely shocking, never-saw-that-coming ending that plays on and uses, to fantastic effect, the classic Big Finish extras that fans
have come to know and love. Move over Marlowe, there’s a new shamus in town… Tim Mass Movement
books
Adventures Into the Unknown Archives Volume 3 - Featuring the work of John Celardo, Bob Lubbers, Lin Streeter, Ogden
Whitney and others (Dark Horse Books www.darkhorse.com)
Here’s another of the excellent reprint editions of the ACG horror range, this one reprints issue 9 - 12 from 1950. There’s quite a point
made about this being pre-code, but as it’s 1950, there’s still not much in the way of gore or real scares so if that’s how you like your
horror this probably isn’t for you. What is on offer is a selection of supernatural spinechillers that range from the laughable to actually
quite poignant.
The opening story, Shadow of the Panther, is unfortunately one of the more laughable efforts here. A scientist invents a ‘hormone
spray’ that can reanimate dead creatures and has the bizarre side-effect of transforming the reanimated subject into an entirely different
creature. So a dead rabbit becomes a living fox. So of course, he transforms a dead panther into a living woman (complete with panther
fur dress) and promptly falls in love with her, teaches her to talk and gets married to her. Alas, on the actual wedding day she reverts to
panther form and kills the poor (and clearly mad) scientist. It’s fair to say that you need to suspend your disbelief a little more than usual
to enjoy these stories the most.
Some of them are truly excellent though. When the Shamen Walked is a story about a museum dummy come to life, but is surprisingly
touching, plot holes and all. The Boy Who Could Fly features a boy taught to fly (surprisingly) by the ghost of his dead pilot father. The
ending will leave you sad for a week. The Man in the Mirror is a cleverly presented story set in the ACG offices themselves and reveals
how the stories for Adventures into the Unknown are written. All excellent stories in their own right.
There’s even a stab at a super hero type of thing going on with the Spirit Of Frankenstein, who features in three stories here. A robot, with a human brain but no willpower
or real intelligence fights against supernatural terrors ranging from the psychic energy of hypnotised criminals to reanimated mummies and ancient sorcerers. The science
of it all is possibly the silliest I’ve seen, a cyclotron is apparently capable of anything and the scientist hero, creator of the robot, spouts such hokey nonsense as ‘There’s
no doubting that we’re face to face with a supernatural being’ without even raising an eyebrow. But despite this, it kind of works. The stories are illogical but the robot is so
endearingly crap that it just about gets away with it.
As well as these, there are plenty of other stories worth your time and a few that aren’t. The good vs bad ratio is well weighed to the good though. The Civic Spirit is probably
the oddest ghost story you’ll ever read, in a good way. Special mention should also go to Vampire’s Castle, featuring the most bat’s arsed plot it’s ever been my pleasure to
read. An ex-pilot writing a book about the history of flying decides to drop everything and fly to Transylvania to photograph an ancient glider suit invented in 1506. Clearly after
450 years it’ll just be lying around in the castle, which to nobody’s great surprise, it is. One re-animated vampire later and we’re treated to the immortal line: “What have I to
fear from a silver stake, when I have trained myself to stay away from pointed silver objects?”. What indeed?
The art’s never less that capable and the majority of stories are entertaining, although possibly not in the way that was originally intended. In addition there are a few one or
two page features on famous historical ghosts and ‘real’ ghost stories. There’s also the obligatory selection (12 in total) of single page text stories, the majority of which are
pointless filler. Completests will be pleased to hear that all the original ads and letters pages are also reproduced for this volume.
If you’re looking for a slab of nostalgic horror fun then you could do a lot worse than this volume. All the classics are represented from werewolves and vampires to Satan
himself and there’s little in the way of repetition. One story features a character called Limey Gubbins. That really should be recommendation enough. Paul Ferriday
Age Of Ultron – Brian Michael Bendis, Bryan Hitch, Brandon Peterson & Andre Lima Araujo (Marvel / Panini)
The fan reaction to Marvel’s latest, Universe changing, crossover event, ‘Age Of Ultron’ has been something of a mixed bag, some folks love it and others, well, let’s just say
that they haven’t enjoyed it all that much. And, having read it, I really can’t understand how anyone could fail to lose themselves in this breakneck, hell for leather story which
pits machine against mutant and hero in a seemingly impossible war in which nothing less than the fate of the human race is at stake. As the story opens, it seems the war
has already been won by Ultron, who at last has managed to carry its threat to wipe mankind from the face of the Earth through to its faultlessly logical conclusion, or rather,
is in the middle of doing so. With more than three quarters of the hero’s dead, it’s left up to those who remain to find a way to stop Henry Pym’s Artificial Intelligence seeing
its dream reach its ultimate conclusion. What follows is a desperate, last throw of the dice gambit based on information bought at a terrible costs, that ends up launching
Wolverine and Sue Storm in one direction through time, on an insane mission to kill Pym before he can create Ultron and thus negate the machine’s vision of the future, and
Nick Fury and his team in another in what the spymaster believes is the only answer to the robot problem. Success, as it is with all things is comparative, and the destruction
of one time line, results in the creation of another, equally traumatic version of the world, a world that Wolverine created and Pym could have saved. And as Fury and his team
battle to save the future from Ultron, Wolverine and Sue Storm find themselves caught in the middle of another war in another version of world, a world that should never,
and without them would never, have existed. As the wars rage and their friends die, Wolverine and Sue are left with no choice but to listen to the advice of a familiar, but
impossibly different comrade, putting the fate of the world and everything they cherish in the hands of the man whose creation destroyed it. Okay, so, as good as it is, and
it really is good kids, ‘Age Of Ultron’ isn’t without fault. Surely not, I hear you say, fault in a Bendis book? Is such a thing possible? Believe me, I’m as shocked as you are,
but apparent it is, and ‘Age Of Ultron’ is the book that proves the hypothesis. It’s the ending. The overly simplistic finale that becomes glaringly apparent as soon as Doom’s
Time Platform comes into play, which makes full use of the get-out-of-jail free reset button that’s been built into the story. That said, it’s a minor quibble, and it does close that
particular, previously bullet-proof fire door once and for all by forever altering the mechanics of temporal travel within the Marvel Universe. And even though it may end with
a whimper instead of a bang, right up until it’s conclusion, ‘Age Of Ultron’ is a gun-blazing, full throttle, rip roaring super-hero adventure that paves the way for things to come
and beautifully incorporates the butterfly effect into its whole, expanding the idea that everything and everyone has a role to play in the ever-evolving nature of time and reality,
and if that evolution is changed or altered, even slightly, it could forever alter the essence of existence in this, and every other Universe. Time travel, world slaying robots,
death or glory suicide missions and Henry Pym saving the Multiverse? Yeah, this is my kind of book… Tim Mass Movement
Batman: Arkham Unhinged – Derek Fidolfs, Pete Woods, Brian Ching, Simon Coleby & Paul Dini (DC Comics www.dccomics.com)
Okay, I’ll admit it, I was on the back foot with ‘Arkham Unhinged’ and found myself at a distinct disadvantage as I began to read it because of my reluctance to completely
immerse myself in the pleasures of the digital age. Why? Well, it’s because I don’t play video games. I don’t own an Xbox, PlayStation or any other games console, never
have and probably never will, and whereas I tend to think of myself as being “old school”, most other folks think I’m a luddite, scared of the magical dancing figures on the
idiot box, the pixies and imps controlled by sorcery and plastic wands. The truth, however, probably lies somewhere in the middle, but it doesn’t change the fact that because
I’ve never played, and probably never will, ‘Batman: Arkham City’, the game that ‘Arkham Unhinged’ is based around and on, when I settled down to read it, I couldn’t help but
feel that I was approaching the start line with two flat tyres. After about three pages, that feeling started to fade, and by the time I was ten pages in, I’d completely forgotten
my trepidation and soon realised that at the end of the day, a comic book is a comic book, and all that really matters is that the artwork blows you out of your socks, the
characters (both central and peripheral) have to make an instant connection with the reader and most importantly, the story has to grip you from beginning to end, and folks,
‘Arkham Unhinged’ ticks all the boxes, dots every single “I” and crosses each and every “t”. Following the closure of Arkham Asylum and the relocation of all of its inmates
to ‘Arkham City’, an area of Old Gotham that’s closed off to everyone else, Dr. Hugo Strange, the former Asylum psychiatrist, starts to slowly exert a growing influence over
Gotham itself and in doing so, he gradually becomes obsessed with capturing the greatest “criminal” in the history of Gotham, the vigilante Batman. The hunter becomes the
hunted as Strange increases his pressure on Batman, forcing the Dark Knight to retaliate in the only way he knows how, by taking the fight to Strange. As Batman find himself
trapped in this strange new world, Fidolfs explores the way in which the “major” players of Gotham’s underworld respond to being given the “freedom” of the city, and the
power plays and struggles that fill their lives as they settle into, and change, their new environment. The curtains have opened, the players have taken to the stage, and the
drama is starting to unfold, but where it all ends, no-one knows. However, I’ll tell you this much, I’ll definitely be sticking around to find out. Who needs the video game when
the book is this good… Tim Mass Movement
Batman The Dark Knight Volume 2: Cycle Of Violence – Gregg Hurwitz & David Finch (DC Comics www.dccomics.com)
Everyone, no matter who they are, is scared of something, but one of our, that is humanities, defining qualities is the innate ability to overcome our fears, to confront what terrifies
us head on and face it, no matter what the consequence may be. Frank Herbert called fear the little-death, the mind killer, and it’s this darkest of emotions, the one that, if you
allow it to, will slowly consume even the strongest soul if it’s allowed to take control. ‘Cycle Of Violence’ is a story about fear, about confronting the past and acknowledging how
experience shapes and moulds people, guiding them through life, because, as we all know, the core of all of life experiences is fear. It lies at the heart of all things. The fears that
drive us, define us and make us who we are, they’re the essence of the human condition, and they form the foundation on which ‘Cycle Of Violence’ is built. It’s also a story about
confronting destiny and realising that choice and free will are as strong, if not stronger, than the primitive urges that still manipulate and push us onwards. And, finally, it’s also a
tale about Batman and Scarecrow clashing head on, each of them battling the demons of their past while they fight each other. Following a trail of children who are kidnapped and
then returned to their families, safe but different, damaged in a way that only prolonged mental abuse and exposure to the Scarecrow’s fear toxin can damage a person, Batman
tracks the Scarecrow to his lair, but is, like Jim Gordon, captured and subjected to the tortures of the damned at the hands of his insane quarry. Insanity is contagious, and having
captured Batman, the Scarecrow sets his sights on Gotham, as the only man who can stop him gradually drowns in ever increasing doses of his foes mind altering chemicals.
Maintaining an exquisite balance between characterisation, plot and action, the protagonists in Hurwitz’s and Finch’s (whose artwork is, as always, incredible) story switch
between their roles, each assuming the role of hunter and hunted in a battle that will ultimately decide the fate of Gotham and every soul who calls the city home. It’s punishing,
relentless, exciting and enthralling; it doesn’t pull any punches and it offers no quarter. It is exactly as it should be. It’s Batman at its finest… Tim Mass Movement
Batman The Dark Knight: Knight Terrors (Volume 1) – David Finch, Paul Jenkins & Richard Friend (DC Comics www.dccomics.com)
The problem with being Batman and having the night sky of Gotham continually lit up with your symbol whenever there’s a problem, is that you inevitably attract a lot of attention,
and as Batman has put a lot of bad guys away for doing a lot of bad things, most of the time, that attention you attract, it’s not going to be good. So, when there’s a mass break
out from Arkham Asylum, and the escapees, who all seem to be strung out on a new version of The Scarecrow’s famous toxin which makes them fearless and incredibly strong
but has some incredibly nasty physical side-effects, all come gunning for the Dark Knight, well, let’s just say Batman’s had better days. Fantastic for the reader, as it’s an all-out
assault in the caped crusader by the most famous of his foes, but not so good for the Dark Knight. And while he’s trying to fend of his enemies and stay alive, he’s also trying
to discover the secret of the new toxin, a quest that would be a lot easier if it wasn’t for the unwanted interference of The White Rabbit a new player in town who just happens
(unbeknownst to our hero) to have a very strange, and very close, relationship with Bruce Wayne’s new, uh, ‘companion’, Jaina Hudson. Throw in a run-in with The Mad Hatter,
and a Talon with a tale to tell, and as I said, it all adds up to one hell of a time for Batman, which is exactly how we like it. Finch and Jenkins story-telling is first rate, humanising
the Dark Knight, allowing his frustrations, worries, fears, courage and hope to escape his normally ice cold façade, adding an extra dimension and level to the story, and through
his budding romance with Jaina, they’ve set up the beginning of an arc that could, and hopefully will, run and run, and when all of this just happens to be coupled with the multitalented David Finch’s (yes, it’s the same chap, writer and artist, damn polymaths) incredible artwork, it’s no wonder that ‘Knight Terrors’ is such a blinding, runaway success.
Superb… Tim Mass Movement
Before Watchmen: Comedian & Rorschach – Brian Azzarello, J.G. Jones & Lee Bermejo (DC Comics www.dccomics.com)
When it comes to superhero teams, everyone, no matter who they are, has a favourite member or members of the team, and anyone who says that they don’t is lying. See, it’s
basic human drive, we’re drawn to certain archetypes, and because of free will and the notion of individuality, each of us is geared toward a different personality type, centring and
focusing on an individual or individuals within the group entity. It doesn’t matter if it’s the JSA, JLA, Avengers or even the Watchmen, the rule applies to each and every superhero
team; and I’ll bet that if I asked each of you who your favourite characters in Watchmen were and why they were thus, you’d each have a different answer and a different reason
for making that choice. Me? I’ve always been a Comedian and a Rorschach kind of guy, characters who at first appear to be nothing more than avatars of violence, men capable
of inflicting incredible cruelty and pain without batting an eyelid, but as their stories progress, their characters become infinitely more complex, and ultimately reveal which side
of the nature versus nurture argument Moore sides with and believes in. The Comedian, strange as it may seem finds himself on the side of the righteous at the beginning if his
story, a tale of friendships lost and squandered by political intrigue and circumstance as he becomes a propaganda tool thrown into the hell of Vietnam in order to inspire the folks
back home and the troops who are already there, but hell creates monsters from even the best of men, and as the world around him begins to burn, he loses the final part of soul
in act of betrayal that determined not only his own future, but that of the entire Western World. Rorschach on the other hand, has always been in hell. The special kind of hell
that exists on the streets of any poverty wracked, crime infested ghetto slum, and as battles gangsters for control of the streets, he loses his one and only chance to escape in a
cruel twist of fate. Azzarello’s wonderful, violent, twisted tales, while widely different, the political conspiracy thriller and the sleazy, exploitation tale of revenge and street justice
that’s stylistically reminiscent of ‘Mean Streets’, convey, in the brief sojourns into their heroes lives, the anger, abandonment and sense of loss that drive their central protagonists
toward their ultimate fates in the story that each of us cherishes. Brutal, incredible and strangely beautiful… Tim Mass Movement
Before Watchmen: Minutemen / Silk Spectre – Darwyn Cooke & Amanda Conner (DC Comics www.dccomics.com)
All good things come to those who wait, and after twenty six years, my patience has been rewarded with not one, but four collected volumes of
the Watchmen Prequel, ‘Before Watchmen’, the second of which, reveals the former lives of the ‘Minutemen’ and the ‘Silk Spectre’ . Darwyn
Cooke, the man responsible for the incredible ‘The New Frontier’, tells the tale of Watchmen precursors, the Minutemen, using Hollis Mason’s
(the original ‘Nite Owl’) biography ‘Under The Hood’ as the basis for the book, while Amanda Conner details Laurie Juspeczyk’s passage into
adulthood in sixties San Francisco. Cooke’s ‘Minutemen’ is a retro love affair, a passionate homage to the Golden Age of comics that lays
bare the souls of the individuals, as seen through the eyes and pen of Hollis Mason, that made up the team. Their mistakes, their faults, their
victories, everything that made them a family, Cooke lays the team bare, exploring the notion of celebrity and how public persona’s differ
from private ones and the damage that both can ultimately inflict on the psyche of those caught up in the vacuous pursuit, and vicious circle,
of fame, and how public perception, especially that built by rumour instead of truth, is often an impossible ideal to live up to and has been
the ruination of many a good man and even better woman. After all, we’re all, heroes included, only human. Conner’s tale of lost love and
disillusionment, intended and accidental, serves as a reflection of the universal disappointment in counter-culture movement of the sixties,
a social revolution that promised so much, yet delivered (apart from some incredible music) so little. Laurie’s path from love-struck teenage
runaway, to street level hero embracing change, to acceptance of the role she was raised to fulfil, mirrors the head-on collision of consumerism
and idealism, the former pounding the later into accepting, and this becoming part of, the status quo thanks to a little “help” from “external
forces”. Both books ( ‘Minutemen’ and ‘Silk Spectre’ are collected in their entity), prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that there was life,
exciting, action packed, intelligent life, ‘Before Watchmen’ and it’s a life that should, and thoroughly deserves to, wholeheartedly embraced.
Something’s are worth waiting for… Tim Mass Movement
Before Watchmen: Nite Owl & Dr. Manhattan – J. Michael Straczynski, Adam Hughes, Andy Kubert, Joe Kubert, Bill Sienkiewicz & Eduardo Risso (DC Comics www.
dccomics.com)
It was never going to be easy, trying to follow in Alan Moore’s footsteps; to fashion the stories that shaped the heroes whose exploits were chronicled in Moore’s most famous book.
To successfully emerge from that shadow, you’re going to need a big gun to direct the action and call the shots. Step forward long-time MM favourite (and creator and lead writer of
Babylon 5, one of the greatest Sci-Fi shows ever committed to celluloid. No, it is. It really is and that’s that) J.Michael Straczynski, one of the only men capable of committing to the
demanding task and excelling in the role handed to him. He begins his prequels in the company of Daniel Dreiberg, the man who followed in footsteps of Hollis Mason and became
the Nite Owl, and his story follows his journey into adulthood. Forged by his past and the sins of his father, Daniel discovers the nature of fallibility, finding out that even heroes
are human, and experiencing his first taste of forbidden love while tracking down a murderer in a bittersweet coming of age story. Jon Osterman, better known as Dr. Manhattan,
experiences an alternate quantum journey, one in which the Universe hands him the chance to be either Jon Osterman or Dr. Manhattan; a journey based on a single choice that
explores the fractional nature of time and the infinite possibilities that are created by the multitude of decisions that each of us makes daily. Straczynski manages to capture the
elusive spark that lies at the centre of Manhattan’s being and uses it to forge an engaging sci-fi tale that’s equal parts hypothetical exposition, historical adventure romance that for
some inexplicable reason reminded me of ‘Somewhere In Time’- if, that is, ‘Somewhere In Time’ had been written by Arthur C. Clarke and had featured a strange blue creature that
existed both inside, and outside, of linear time. Rounding off his prequels with a quirky, pulp style adventure that charts the rise and fall of Moloch, arch advisory to the Watchmen,
Straczynski’s trio of beautifully rendered stories are a more than worthy addition to the Universe created by Moore and proof positive that, despite what their architect says, there
are more Watchmen tales to be unearthed and scrutinized and with writers like Straczynski at the helm, they’ll be enjoyed by legions of fans, both old and new alike. Tim Mass
Movement
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias / Crimson Corsair – Len Wein, Jae Lee, John Higgins, Steve Rude (DC Comics www.dccomics.com)
Literature, it is often said, mirrors the real world. There are pivotal moments in literary history, just as there are in the history of humanity, that change it forever, altering the
perception of genre in the eyes of the mainstream, and as far as comics are concerned, the book that, arguably, changed the genre more than any other was Alan Moore’s
Watchmen. It’s the book that keeps on giving, rewarding each successive reading with a previously undiscovered sub-plot, hidden arc or idea that allows you to enjoy it on
a whole new level, and proved beyond any shadow of a doubt what so many of us had known for so long, that comics had evolved into an intelligent, challenging, absorbing
and thoughtful medium. However, Moore’s characters in Watchmen sprang into life fully formed, and while the reader is treated to brief flashes of their lives before the events
that form the basis and backbone of the story unfold, we, the audience, are left somewhat in the dark as far as the pasts, desires and dreams that initially forged the players in
Moore’s drama, are concerned. Until now. ‘Before Watchmen’ finally lifts the curtain on the backstories of the Watchmen, and although Alan Moore isn’t involved in the series,
DC have drafted in some of biggest heavy-hitters in the world of comics to make sure that the series is treated with the reverence it deserves and that its legacy will continue
to endure, a legacy that these prequels will hopefully play a small part in expanding. First out of the gate, is the story of Ozymandias thanks to Len Wein and pencilling
demi-god Jae Lee, the former turning his ability to create incredible stories up to eleven and the latter delivering his usual cerebellum shattering art that’s as detailed as it is
beautiful. Wein’s story casts Ozymandias as an almost Neitzschean version of Doc Savage, his journey from boyhood to that of an adult singling him out as a near perfect
specimen of humanity determined to forge his own path and destiny, stumbling into crime fighting, before becoming hardened by his resolve to save the world from itself at
any cost, and his lifelong obsession with Doctor Manhattan, the being that he believes will bring about the end of the world. Ozymandias’ single-minded drive to achieve his
goal transforms his story from one of triumph to one of tragedy, as he separates himself from the people he’s trying to save, sacrificing those closest to him as he travels
down the path to his final objective, and the more distant he becomes from those he’s determined to save, the less he understands them, until he becomes exactly the same
as his obsession, a man who believes he’s going to save the world, but instead becomes a catalyst for its destruction, and as his story ends, Watchmen begins. Wein also
tells the story of ‘The Crimson Corsair’, an ode to Moore’s ‘Tales Of The Black Freighter’, in which a cursed mariner attempts to escape his fate only to discover that no matter
how far, fast or hard you try to flee your destiny, you can never elude yourself, and that at the end of the day, we’re all the architects of our own doom. And in the closing
chapter of his book, Wein shares the fate of Dollar Bill, one of the original Minutemen, a hero cut down by his own costume, and a warning to every would be costumed
vigilante about the practicalities of disguises and outfits. This is the story of Ozymandias, the man who nearly destroyed the world, a story of beginnings and endings and the
dreams that inspire both. And it’s absolutely essential… Tim Mass Movement
Dark Horse Presents # 26 (Dark Horse Books www.darkhorse.com)
Another Dark Horse compendium to entice the pennies form our pockets in the Comic Shop opens with Trekker as Bounty Hunter Mercy finds herself on a train and caught
up in some sort of inter galactic dispute. With guns, bombs, a hot jump suit and a bit of gilr on girl will they won’t they action all in the mix it’s a heady concoction that will have
fan-boys popping their corks. Nosferatru Wars signals a complete change of tone with a painted style of gloomy art. Heavy on the atmosphere with a wiff of Masque of the
Red Death, vamps Moira and Tarquin cavort around a plague ravaged wasteland in search of a walled up Lord upon which they seem intent on feasting. A sense of doom and
menace make this one a stand out ... Underground is back to a dystopian future where gangs of marauding youths play a deadly game of murdering “bums” for “marks”. Like
a computer game gone real leaving us on a cliff hanger as an enemy gang dressed up like a pissed off Aussie Test Ashes team corner our hero with Cricket bats. Squish: A
Juice Squeezers Tale drops us in on that most visited of environments the American High School and all seems to be going as it always does ... the nerds being bullied by the
jocks, the nerd who has a secret crush on the girl he can’t tell ... and then some giant bugs turn up! Typical day at High School really! Nexus: Into the Past really does take us
in to the past with art work that could be straight from the pages of any DC title in 1986 as a hyper active tale of a talk show going bonkers with time travelling super heroes
and cyborgs and a Jay Leno type host all been thrown at the page to see if it sticks. It sort of does. At Wilmot Manor we meet Steggy Wilmot and Spimps who are a peculiar
sort of combination of malice and whimsy. Raffles The Gentleman Thug meets Jeeves and Wooster via Ren and Stimpy in a twisted Mr Men world. With a sting in the tale
this odd episode suits the quick fix format beautifully. A chapter from City of Roses up next and we’re in neo noir territory with drug busts and dodgy cops that doesn’t really
do much that hasn’t been done before. Buffy The Vampire Slayer! Bloody hell, do folks still dig Buffy? I couldn’t tell you much about where our favourite vampire vanquisher is
at these days but fanged fiends are the least of everyone’s worries as a horde of zombies clamour around a house in true Romero fashion and an ass kicking Granny plows
through fences in a camper van! Lively! Back in to the realms of far away planets with an excerpt from Alabaster: Box Car Tales or so it seems as there’s a poignant and
ambiguous twist awaiting the unwary reader! Blackout didn’t do much for me ... the usual robots fighting folk in super suits al a Iron man or Robocop ... and Brainbot Junior’s
two page finale similarly wouldn’t be tempting me to search the racks for more. An interesting collection with more hits than misses. Marv Gadgie
Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers – Brian Michael Bendis, Steve McNiven, Sara Pichelli (Marvel / Panini)
By now, almost everyone with a passing interest in comics or film knows who the ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ are, as they’ve been
well and truly thrust into the limelight with the announcement that this little known team will be spearheading Phase Three of Marvel
Studio’s cinematic assault in their own film, but before ‘Cosmic Avengers’ arrived, in all honesty, what I knew about the Guardians
Of The Galaxy could’ve been written on the back of a postage stamp. Twice. But that was then, and this is now, and thanks to Brian
Michael Bendis, the author of the aforementioned book, and Steve McNiven and Sara Pichelli, the artists responsible for bringing
into being the distant worlds and curious creatures that weave their way through the pages of the tale, I’ve joined the ever swelling
ranks of fandom that are slowly, but surely, gravitating toward the Guardians in the wake of their revival. ‘Cosmic Avengers’ is part
origin story, part desperate race against time to prevent Earth being destroyed in a surreptitious scheme hatched by the King Of
Spartax (who also happens to be the father of Starlord, Peter Quill, the leader of the Guardians) designed to pre-emptively remove
any future threat that the third rock from the Sun might create for his, and his fellow Galactic Rulers, empires. Bendis introduces each
member of the team in a series of vignettes that accentuate and highlight their personalities, and then drops the hammer and let’s
all hell break loose in a blisteringly fast story that combines action, drama and adventure in an exquisitely stunning book in which art
and story combine perfectly, ensuring that each and every panel burrows its way into, and sets up a permanent encampment in, the
pleasure centre of your brain. And as much as I enjoyed the book, and I did folks, I really did, I did have a slight, and almost certainly
inconsequential, issue with this initial arc, and that, boys and girls, was Iron Man. See, I’m an Iron man fan, and his appearance (as
a catalyst to introduce the Guardians Of the Galaxy, create a sense of familiarity with the team and reintroduce them to the Marvel
Universe as a whole) in the book started alarm bells ringing, and for one excruciatingly long moment I thought, especially given the
books title, that the Guardians were going to become “just” another Avengers offshoot, but I should have kept the faith and I should
have believed in Bendis. Instead of Stark leading the Guardians to victory, he becomes a bit part player in the Guardians, just another
cog in the machine. It’s a bold move, and one that works as it further cements Starlord’s position in the Guardians and establishes
them as a force in their own right. I told you it was inconsequential, and like I said, I should have kept the faith. I should have known
better. A month ago I didn’t even know who these guys were, and now, now I’m die hard believer. One book that was all it took. I’m hooked… Tim Mass Movement
Harlan Ellison’s 7 Against Chaos – Harlan Ellinson, Paul Chadwick & Ken Steacy (DC Comics www.dccomics.com)
Harlan Ellison has long been regarded as one of the finest writers of the last century, and when he makes an all too rare foray into the four colour world (by my reckoning,
‘7 Against Chaos’ is his third outing and follows ‘Dream Corridor’ and ‘Phoenix Without Ashes’), those of us familiar with his work, get more than a little bit excited. Which is
probably the understatement of the year. Anyway, moving on… ‘7 Against Chaos’ is an incredible tale of genetically altered humans and one robot who are recruited from
the never ending hell of their daily existence in order to save their home world from destruction and mankind from extinction at the hands of a twisted alien super-being
who, from nearly two million years in the past, is determined to wipe humanity from the stars by manipulating and restricting the species development, thus changing the
face of Earth and all life on it. Full of sublime characterisation, ‘7 Against Chaos’ examines what it means to be human, delving into the human condition by exploring the
fragility of existence and the lives of the protagonists and the motivational forces that drive them ever as the changed heroes face uncertainty and almost certain death in a
changing past that could forever alter the future, all the while enforcing and ramming home the inescapable truth that we’re, homo-sapiens that is, only here through a series
of fortuitous events and cosmic accidents. ‘7 Against Chaos’ has, at times, an almost psychedelic undercurrent that captures the mood and spirit of the sixties counter-culture
movement, and is a loving and heart felt ode to the golden age of science fiction, and I don’t know why, I can’t explain it, but it has an air of Alfred Bester and Alex Raymond,
almost as though Ellison was being guided by the spirits of the long departed authors of ‘The Stars MY Destination’ and ‘Flash Gordon’, and even though it’s seeped in pain,
anger, sacrifice and death, ‘7 Against Chaos’ is imbued with an almost dream like quality thanks to Paul Chadwick’s nostalgic, gorgeous artwork cementing the setting and
feel of Ellison’s fable. It was worth waiting for. Thank-you Harlan, thank-you… Tim Mass Movement
Savage Wolverine: Kill Island – Frank Cho (Marvel / Panini)
It was inevitable, with the imminent release of the new ‘Wolverine’ film, that there would be a surge in Wolverine related
books being released, but it was, and is, an inevitability that I, and I expect the vast majority of comic fandom, welcome
and embrace with open arms, and wasn’t it Confucius who said ‘He who is tired of Wolverine is surely tired of comics’…
Wait, no, I’m getting my philosophers mixed up, maybe it was Plato or was it Stan Lee? Anyway, it doesn’t matter who
said it, the point is, it’s damn near impossible to ever become bored of Wolverine, and anything that increases the
number of Wolverine centric books should be praised, because let’s face it boys and girls, you know as well as I do
that we (that’s right, I went there, it’s the collective we, I’m speaking for you, and your entirely welcome) can never get
enough of the claw popping, Canadian berserker. And that said, it’s time to move on to ‘Kill Island’. Wolverine, after
mysteriously finding himself in finding himself in the Savage Land, teams up with Shanna (also stranded in The Savage
Land) to destroy an ancient machine that’s preventing them leaving their new home, but the machine is protected by
a tribe who aren’t happy with Logan and his new sidekick’s attempt to turn the machine off, as they know the truth
about what the machine’s real purpose is, and if it’s turned off, it could be curtains for humanity. With Amadeus Cho
appearing and doing his best to calm the situation down, although why he’s in the Savage Land is another story
altogether and one that’s shrouded in mystery, our trio (Logan, Cho and Shanna make here) of adventurers find
that not everything is what it seems in the Savage Land, and when you throw giant apes, the Hulk and an incredibly
powerful alien into an already boiling cauldron full of trouble, things go from bad to ‘Uh Oh’ in a split second that’s filled
with bad decisions and wrong choices that’ll almost definitely end up leading to an eternity of danger, death and bad
things happening. ‘Kill Island’ is Frank Cho’s finest moment, fuelled by smart, snappy dialogue, an intelligent story that
gets it’s hooks in you from the get go, and eye-popping, jaw dropping art, and whoever gave him free reign to create
and stamp his identity all over this book should at least get a raise or a promotion. Or both, yeah, give whoever it was
both. They earned it. I know this is going to sound insane, I mean really insane, and like you I didn’t think it would
ever happen, but folks, Wolverine just got even better, and it’s all thanks to a man named Frank Cho. Welcome to ‘Kill
Island’… Tim Mass Movement
Slaine: Time Killer – Pat Mills, Massimo Belardinelli, Glenn Fabry, David Pugh, Bryan Talbot (2000 AD /
Rebellion www.2000ADONLINE.com)
Some stories get under your skin and stay with you forever. ‘Time Killer’ is one of those stories, and when it first
appeared in the hallowed pages of the Prog back in the mid-eighties, it hammered a hole in my mind, crawled inside
and it’s been there ever since. Mixing Celtic mythology, fantasy and science fiction, ‘Time Killer’ finds Slaine (and Ukko) allied with the Ever Living Ones (the last of the
Atlanteans) and their leader Myrddin (Merlin anyone?) battling the Cythrons, a race of aliens trapped in the past for crimes against all sentient life in the Universe, who are
determined to escape from their eternal prison by freeing their masters, the High Cythrons, beings of immeasurable size and horror. Oh, and did I mention that the Cythrons
feed on negative human energy, are responsible for each and every war that has destined humanity and view mankind in the same way we view cattle? Well, they do, they
are and I have now. ‘Time Killer’ is basically a war story, albeit one that was forged on the same anvil that Lovecraft, Burroughs and Howard used to fashion their tales of
horror, swords and sorcery and high adventure, and is, as far as I’m concerned, one of Pat Mills finest moments, as he let his imagination run wild, cramming each and every
page with seemingly limitless ideas and action, aided in his mission to create the definitive four colour (it’s actually black and white, but you cats get where I’m coming from)
fantasy by the sublime, incredibly detailed and, more often than not, incredible art of Belardinelli, Fabry, Talbot and Pugh. ‘Time Killer’ has stood the test of time, entertaining
the forty year old me as much as it entertained, excited and amazed the thirteen year old me, and is still, and will forever be, one of the defining Slaine tales. Fantastic… Tim
Mass Movement
Star Wars Legacy #5 - Corrina Bechko, Gabriel Hardman (Dark Horse Comics www.darkhorse.com)
Ah Star Wars. Who doesn’t love Star Wars? Imagine a world without it? No action figures, no timeless quotes, no references in episodes of The Simpsons or in movies
that even people who haven’t seen Star Wars get, no Yoda Gooseberry flavour yoghurts ... the universe would be a dull place without Mr Lucas’s game changing space
western ... but the trick with writing new Star Wars stuff is keeping it fresh, finding new ways to make us care about a galaxy far, far away and coming up with predicaments
and tales that thrill, intrigue and move us in the same way that the movies did in flea pit cinemas around the world when we were ten years old. This is a problem that
blights many a Star Wars novel or comic book and to some extent, this latest instalment in the Legacy series does suffer somewhat from this over familiarity ... in a universe
where the Empire is vanquished and the new Jedi Order maintains peace a dark threat looms. An Imperial Knight searches for his missing master. A new Sith Lord is on
the rise, threatening the hard fought stability through deception and violence ... again. Ania Solo, a descendent of everyone’s favourite scruffy nerf herder, has found herself
inadvertently mixed up in a scrap with said Sith and Imperial Knight and this issue picks up in the aftermath. The gritty style of the artwork portrays the dark, threatening
narrative well and when the missing master is about to be executed via a live-round the galaxy holo-broadcast to everyone from Ithorians to the people of Coruscant we
really are in dark territory (reality TV influence maybe? Torture Porn reaches Star Wars?) and the good guys aren’t necessarily having it all their own way. As always though,
someone fancies being a hero ... you get your light sabre ruckus, there’s plenty of chasing around and big things crashing in to each other and blowing up but there’s some
nice touches outside the main narrative embedded in this tale which fans will really appreciate. The human side of an assassin droid is a great touch and familiar species to
those of us well versed in Wookiepedia mean the Solo name isn’t the only link with the past as the tale ends with an inconclusive non ending. Of course, you’ll have to tune in
next issue to find out if Legacy really is going to take us somewhere Star Wars hasn’t taken us before or is it just another Empire Strikes Back with a Return of a certain Jedi
just around the corner? Marv Gadgie
Wolverine: Hunting Season – Paul Cornell, Alan Davis & Marco Pierfederici (Marvel / Panini)
I was right. In the wake of Hugh Jackman’s latest cinematic venture there was, and has been, a sudden upsurge in the number of Wolverine books, but for a die-hard Logan
fan like myself, that’s a cause for celebration, as, contrary to popular opinion, you can never have too much of a good thing. And with Paul Cornell and Alan Davis firmly
ensconced as the creative team on ‘Wolverine’, not only does the book look incredible, it also features a story that even the most demanding of fans can sink their claws…Uh,
I mean teeth, into and fully embrace without reservation. Words and pictures baby, words and pictures, that’s what it’s all about and with these guys on the case, we’re given
a near pitch perfect combination of both. ‘Hunting Season’ is a classic Cornell tale, delivering a new twist on the age-old alien invasion story, as Logan finds himself facing
an enemy unlike anything he’s encountered before, one that uses and destroys people with a cold, precise crystal clear sense of purpose. As his friends, colleagues and
innocents alike are taken to be used in the grand design and plan of his unseen foe, Wolverine is held back and limited in his response, as his overwhelming guilt at his initial
response to the crisis prevents him becoming the animal that lurks in his soul, waiting to take over and transform the man into the beast that knows no fear and won’t stop
until everything and everyone is dead or maimed. In the ensuing conflict, Logan’s human side come to the fore, and given the characters recent history, it’s hardly surprising
that it does, but thanks to Cornell’s deft touch and sleight of hand, he manages to balance it perfectly with fan-boy satisfying levels of gratuitous violence, bloodshed and sniktsnikt claw action. The wonderful characterisation, pace and plot merge seamlessly in a story that rattles along at an insane velocity that never lets up, and thanks to Davis and
Pierfederici, always looks incredible. Ending on a cliff-hanger that leaves you desperately wishing the book was twice as long as it is, ‘Hunting Season’ is an astounding start
to what will, hopefully, be a very long, very successful run on ‘Wolverine’ for all involved. Fantastic… Tim Mass Movement
X-Men: X-Termination – Greg Pak, David Lapham, Marjorie Liu, Matteo Buffagni, Andre Araujo, David Lopez (Marvel / Panini)
I love big Universe changing events and stories, one in which a band of heroes (or in the case of X-Termination, three separate bands of heroes) face suicidal and near
impossible odds in a desperate attempt to save every living creature in creation. And massive Universe nearly ending stories don’t come much bigger than ‘X-Termination’, a
story built on inherent nobility. The incredible sacrifice (and boy oh boy, there’s a lot of sacrifice in ‘X-Termination’) and almost non-stop action that’s executed at breakneck
pace, creates multiple arcs involving all the characters that are delicately woven into each other at frantic speed, the story gaining more and more momentum as it rushes
headlong toward its world crunching conclusion. It’s a tale of multiple Earth’s and multiple dimensions; one in which Apocalypse reigned supreme, and humanity became an
endangered species until mutants and mankind united to defeat the super- power crazed dictator. Our own world is where the X-Men are, well, the X-Men and one in which
the X-Men are a ‘little different’- insanely cool, but a little different- and a threat instigated by a lovelorn Nightcrawler, who in a desperate attempt to return to his own world,
pushes the damaged barriers (damaged by heroes leaping from one dimension to another) that exist between dimensions a little too hard and unleashes a race of beings
who were imprisoned in the structure of the Multiverse by the Celestials at the beginning of time, a race of creatures that feed off the energy of all living things, a race who
the Celestials themselves couldn’t defeat, and whose existence is the Celestials greatest secret, and shame. Freed from their eternal prison, the beings set about destroying
everything, and the Universe’s only hope lays with three teams of X-Men and their increasingly dangerous and audacious plans to save the Multiverse. ‘X-Termination’ is a
blink and you’ll miss all the heavenly glory type story that encourages and rewards multiple readings, giving the more patient readers among you a chance to fully absorb
everything that’s been crammed into its pages without having to suffer the inevitable fried cerebellum that comes with a side order of instability that’s caused by trying to
understand and process every pertinent plot point and detail in single sitting. A word of warning though folks, as good as ‘X-Termination’ is, unless you’ve submerged yourself
in X-men lore for the last decade or more, you might get a little lost in, and confused by, the mythology and history that ‘X-Termination’ assumes you’ll already be familiar with.
That said though, it’s still one hell of a story… Tim Mass Movement
Young Avengers: Style > Substance – Keiron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie (Marvel / Panini)
Yeah, it’s a strange title for a book, ‘Style > Substance’, and much to my chagrin, my first thought was ‘I’ll bet the exact opposite is true…’,
because if I’m honest, I’ve never really been a fan of the Young Avengers. But, that was then and this is now, and I’m not afraid to admit when
I’m wrong or when I’ve hastily jumped to a conclusion based on nothing more than guesswork and an irrational idea, and fear, that Keiron
Gillen’s ‘Young Avengers’ was going to be a carbon copy of the teams creator Allan Heinberg’s original run on the book. It isn’t, and so here
I am shuffling out of the corner, looking downtrodden and wringing my hands together, because folks, I was wrong, and as much as I thought
I wouldn’t enjoy this book, well, that’s how much I ended up loving this book. Between you and me, that’s lots and lots. Yes it’s an origin tale,
one that brings the team together, but Gillen knows that his audience is a smart one, one that’s already going to be familiar with the history of
characters, as only a fan is going to read, what is essentially, an Avengers offshoot right? And yes, he does jump straight into the thick of things
with the team, but at the same time, he leaves enough latitude for a new audience to pick up the book and develop a sense of familiarity with the
protagonists as the story progresses, and as good as the story is (Wiccan in an attempt to rescue Hulking’s mother from a dimension in which
she hasn’t yet died, accidentally summons a parasitic entity that feeds off and dwells on the bonds of parenthood, an entity too powerful for the
team to completely destroy that also latches on to the other members of the team, thus cementing the bond between them and necessitating
the formation of the Young Avengers), that isn’t where the books strength lies, no, what makes ‘Style > Substance’ great is the relationships and
characterisation that it’s built on. The clever, witty dialogue, the interplay between characters and the way that, instead of avoiding the issues
that preoccupy eighteen year olds, it dives straight into them, incorporating and utilising them to fantastic effect, creating a team that’s as dysfunctional as it is endearing, and
a book that’s about to go stratospheric. Gillen, you did it, you got me, you made me a fan. Damn you … Tim Mass Movement
DVDs & Film
Bring Me The Head Of The Machine Gun Woman (Clear Vision )
The revenge thriller has a long, storied and vicious cinematic history, and the latest entry to join its infamous hierarchy is the Chilean cult classic in
waiting, ‘Bring Me The Head Of The Machine Gun Woman’. Built around and upon a fairly simple story in which a club DJ over hears something
he shouldn’t, his gangster boss talking about getting his hands on the infamous bounty hunter The Machine Gun Woman and how no-one can
seem to find her, and in a desperate attempt to prevent his boss killing him, volunteers to deliver the psychotic and seemingly impossible to kill
Amazonian avatar of violence into the hands of the criminal who pays his wages. That said, the plot is almost incidental to the film and follows an
almost traditional linear and formulaic seventies, low budget grindhouse blue-print, existing only to anchor the breakneck, full throttle action and
pace in place, and while the characters, for the most part, also conform to genre stereotype, the cast bring them to glorious, vivid life, allowing
each of the protagonists a chance to flourish and evolve, which is a fairly incredible achievement given the films comparatively short (eighty one
minutes) running time. Director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza riffs on ‘GTA’, as the film’s plot is broken down into a series of missions in the same way as
the game, which cleverly and deliciously compares seventies and eighties genre cinema and the gaming revolution of the twenty first century and
demonstrates the increasing debt that the later owes the former, while delivering a modern twist and take on “traditional” exploitation fare. Soaked
in blood, gore and violence, ‘Bring Me The Head Of The Machine Gun Woman’ is never going to win any Oscar’s, but it is a clever, witty and ever
so slightly sleazy revenge driven powerhouse of a film that delivers on every single level and leaves you wanting more. Much, much more… Tim
Mass Movement
Convoy: Special Edition - Uncut (Studiocanal)
Rubber Duck. Pig Pen. Dirty Lyle. Spider-Mike. Ask any man over the age of thirty what those four names have in common, and they’ll smile
knowingly, and with a far-away look in their eye, will either say “Breaker One Nine, you got a Smokey at your side door”, or they’ll grin maniacally,
yell ‘Convoy’ and start pretending to be an R-Model Mack, gunning a make believe engine while making horn noises. This is the film that became
the talk of the playground for an entire generation and introduced CB (that’s citizen’s band to you young ‘uns) Radio to the masses. While the
CB fad may have been short-lived, ‘Convoy’ is still as fresh and entertaining today as it was thirty years ago. Okay, so there isn’t really much of a
story. Truckers fall foul of a corrupt sheriff, end up running for their lives, are joined by legions of their disenfranchised and dispossessed brothers
and sisters, briefly become the focus of mass media attention then crash down in flames in a confrontation that isn’t quite as final as it seems. But
the threadbare plot, it doesn’t matter, it’s just a vehicle to get the film moving, to start it rolling. What does matter is that Sam Peckinpah’s antiauthority, middle finger to the man road movie looks beautiful, the balletic scenes in which the trucks wind through the desert and the open road
contrasting sharply with the snarling violence of their charge through the concrete hell of urban America. But it’s a beauty that’s destined to fade;
just as the films cast of endearing characters desperate attempt to cling to what little freedom is left to them in the modern world fades, as reality
and authority try to bring them to heel. For one hundred minutes, ‘Convoy’ lets you forget about the misery and drudgery of the real world, let’s you
believe that the individual really can beat the system and that you can be free, out there on the open road. And that boys and girls is its true magic,
its real power. ‘Convoy’ makes you believe in that freedom, it makes you want it and in doing so, it makes you fall in love with it all over again.
Keep on truckin’… Tim Mass Movement
Doctor Who: The Ice Warriors (BBC Worldwide)
There are few things as precious, and exciting, to Who fans as the chance to experience a previously “lost” story (due
to episodes being missing from the BBC archive*) that’s been restored, whether by animation, as is the case in ‘The
Ice Warriors’, or the incredibly rare discovery of an entire story, which returned ‘The Tomb Of The Cybermen’ to the
Whoniverse. It’s a difficult thing to explain to people who aren’t fans, as you finally get to experience something that you
never dreamed you would, in the format that it was originally intended to be enjoyed in, or as near as its possible to get to it.
These are stories that most of us, fans that is, have spent years reading about and imaging, and to finally be able to watch
them, well, believe me, for us fans, it’s incredibly special. As I’ve already mentioned, ‘The Ice Warriors’ missing episodes
have been restored via animation, and as with the previous Who stories that have used this technique, ‘The Invasion’, ‘The
Reign Of Terror’, ‘The Tenth Planet’ (which, despite being available as part of the ‘Regenerations’ box set, isn’t due for
general release until October) it feels a little odd and slightly disjointed at first, but that initial trepidation soon disappears,
and animation and film fuse together in a near seamless harmony, allowing the story to flow in much the same way, I’d
imagine, as it did when first broadcast. Well, almost the same. Nowadays, thanks to the wonders of technology, you can
immerse yourself in all six episodes at once instead of having to wait a month and a half, as fans did in the sixties, for the
story to resolve itself. But anyway, I’m digressing… ‘The Ice Warriors’, as with many Troughton stories, follows a familiar
base-under-siege type arc, with the Earth facing a new Ice Age, all resources are dedicated to battling Nature’s onslaught,
with teams of scientists around the globe desperately trying to prevent the ecological disaster. One such team discovers
a creature frozen in a glacier, a creature that’s been preserved for thousands of years, and having taken it back to their
base, they soon discover that said creature, an Ice Warrior, isn’t as dead as the initially thought it was. Oh, and guess who
just happens to have landed next to said base, and thanks to the vagaries of fortune, happen to have found themselves,
once more, in the right place, at the right time? That’s right folks, Jamie, Victoria and the Second Doctor. As the Ice Warrior
escapes and returns to its ship to revive the rest of its crew, the Doctor and his companions find themselves in a desperate
race to save the scientists from the aliens and the ever encroaching ice, a race against what seems to be impossible
odds, but one that’s inevitably won by our heroic trio. The pace of the story, as with all Classic Who, is a lot slower than the
twenty first century version of the show, but it gradually builds toward the tales grand climax, allowing for greater character
development in the supporting cast, “goodies” and “baddies” alike, and a greater sense of the history and place of the
serials setting, which overall, makes ‘The Ice Warriors’ an incredibly satisfying and fulfilling experience. ‘The Ice Warriors’ is also packed with a smorgasbord of extra’s that
explore the genesis and restoration of the story, Frazer Hines time on Who, includes a little bit more of the joint Blue Peter Who history and much, much more, meaning that
it’s quite possibly one of the most fan (and newbie) friendly packages to have, so far, been released by the BBC. Oh, and it’s also the debut of the Ice Warriors, the tale that
introduced the warlike denizens of Mars to the Whoniverse, changing it forever by adding another iconic foe to the Doctor’s ever increasing list of enemies. It’s, as Sam Spade
so famously said, the stuff that dreams are made of… Tim Mass Movement
*The full story of the missing Who episodes can be found here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_missing_episodes
Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet (BBC Worldwide / 2Entertain)
All good things must come to an end, and with ‘The Tenth Planet’, the First Doctor’s time in the Tardis finally drew to a close. Famous, at least among long-time fans, for
being the story that introduced not only the Cybermen to Who mythology, but also the concept of regeneration. It hasn’t been seen in its entirety since it was broadcast in
nineteen sixty six as the final episode, the one featuring the first regeneration, is one of more than a hundred missing from the BBC archives. However, thanks to the miracles
of animation and, crucially, the original soundtrack, recovered from recordings on audio tape by a number of fans at the time of first broadcast, the final chapter of ‘The Tenth
Planet’ has now been restored - albeit in animated, form. Expectation is, understandably high, and ‘The Tenth Planet’ is definitely still an incredibly enjoyable tale in which the
tension and pace are pushed to their limit; mainly thanks to the near-manic and first rate performances of Michael Craze (Ben) and Anneke Wills (Polly). We learn through the
accompanying documentary that with William Hartnell being ill at the time of recording and thus absent for a good chunk of the middle part of the serial, these two fine actors,
used to a more subordinate role in the series, virtually carry the entire story. They would have stolen it from The Doctor as well, had it not been for the Cybermen making their
first, and far from last, attempt to destroy the Earth. Set in 1986, ‘The Tenth Planet’ finds The Doctor, Polly and Ben at a space research station in the Arctic just as Earth’s
long lost twin, and home of the Cybermen, Mondas returns to the solar system in desperate need of Earth’s energy to survive. As Mondas starts to drain the Earth’s energy,
its natives begin landing on Earth in order to subjugate and subdue the population and prepare them for cyber-conversio., As the worlds become locked in a struggle for
survival, Ben, Polly, The Doctor and the crew of the station begin their desperate fight to save humanity from the Cybermen. Okay, so the Cybermen look a little clunky and
suitably retro, and the regeneration isn’t mentioned at all, although not so subtle hints about The Doctor’s body wearing out and the state of his health are made throughout
the story. In the end it only comes into play as the cliff-hanger ending of the final episode; but there is a sense of history being made, of something special happening, as
the drama unfolds. It doesn’t feel like a First Doctor story, the plot and pace feel more like a Second Doctor adventure and it’s this sense of transition and change that makes
‘The Tenth Planet’ so special, as it balances on the edge of all the incredible, wonderful things that occur in its wake. Is it worthy of its place in hallowed halls of fandom?
Yes, it absolutely is, and if the story alone isn’t to convince you, then maybe the tantalising extras will convince you. They include an incredibly rare Television interview with
William Hartnell which shows just how difficult and abrasive he could be, a plethora of stories from behind the scenes, and about the making, of ‘The Tenth Planet’, tales from
a variety of companions and much more, will. The original game changer is back, and it’s better than ever… Tim Mass Movement
Frankenstein’s Army (Entertainment One)
William Sherman once said that “War is Hell”, but the vision of hell created by Richard Raaphorst in ‘Frankenstein’s Army’ isn’t Sherman’s hell, it’s more like an LSD fuelled
version Dante’s eternity of torment and pain, a half-crazed surgical nightmare in which machine and flesh are joined in unholy union to create a brigade of cybernetic
horrors slaved to the demented will of their insane creator. It’s a tapestry unlike any other you’ll bear witness to, and it’s one that you’ll never forget. Set in Eastern Europe
during World War II, ‘Frankenstein’s Army’ follows a squad of Russian soldiers sent to help, or so they think, their comrades who are trapped in a Nazi held village, but when
they arrive, they find no trace of their fellow soldiers, but instead are forced to fight for their survival when a legion of monsters, the twisted products of Frankenstein’s (the
grandson of the infamous scientist) vile experiments and a sick fascist desire to forge new super-human weapon. As the Russian’s are whittled down, each meeting a more
grizzly fate than the last, the truth about their mission is gradually revealed, as the wolf in their midst desperately tries to strike a bargain with the devil. The devil however,
doesn’t make deals, offering only death or the promise of something much, much worse, and as the curtain falls, Raaphorst makes sure that his audience is in no doubt that
there are things that are far worse than dying, things that could only have been dreamt of, and made real, by man. ‘Frankenstein’s Army’ proudly revels in its Clive Barker,
Del Toro, Steam Punk and Hammer influences, yet at the same time, is strikingly original and questions the morality of the men who wage war rather than the idea of war
itself, enforcing the idea that all men are capable of inflicting and ignoring evil, separated only by ideology and policy. It’s a gruesome, gore filled tale of the horrors that lurk
in the dark and hidden corners of man-made hell, and a wonderful, edge of your seat rollercoaster ride into the deepest depths and furthest recess of Raaphorst’s warped
imagination. ‘Frankenstein’s Army’ is how horror should, look and feel. It’s the stuff that nightmares are made of… Tim Mass Movement
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Movie Collection 3DVD Set (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Secret Of The Ooze/Turtles In Time)
(Mediumrare)
Wow. This was a total and utter joyous blast from the past! We all know the story: Japanese ninja clan, big rivalry, ninjitsu-knowing rat, New York,
pet turtles, green ooze etc etc. As a kid, seeing this story jump from the comics and cartoons to the live-action screen was a treat…one that hasn’t
dissipated in adulthood! The first film I consider a classic – it deals with the origin story, (though slightly different to the Mirage Comics background,)
and the Turtle’s first run-ins with The Foot. The just-as-fun-but-oh-so-90s sequel, ‘Secret of the Ooze’, finds Shredder kidnapping the scientist
who created the original mutagen with the aim of creating his own mutant army, and features the first recorded instance of ‘Ninja Rap’, (seriously
– there’s a scene where the Turtles accidentally fall into a Vanilla Ice gig during a fight scene. BRILLIANT.) The inferior third film casts the pizzamunching team back in time to Feudal Japan after April O’Neil finds and unknowingly-uses an ancient scepter, with them aiding the revolting
peasants in an uprising against an evil lord in the process. Watching all three brought back a tonne of memories, and the films were actually pretty
well made, gritty and dark for supposed ‘kids films’ of the time, (though there’s very little in the way of real violence – PG ratings and all – but it does
mean you get to see Michaelangelo take out some guys with a string of salami. Oooh errr.) I’ve also been singing ‘Go Ninja Go Ninja Go’ to myself
for days.Definitely purchase if you’re a fan, definitely worth a watch if you were raised in the early 90s and can appreciate the nostalgia. Try and
watch it without shouting ‘Cowabunga dudes’ at least once. I dare ya. Tom Wilding
The Dyatlov Pass Incident (Anchor Bay)
Conspiracy theories and found footage films go together like slash happy serial killers and slumber parties, a gloriously unhappy union that feeds on all the horrible things that
rationality tells you can’t exist, but part of you knows, deep down, they almost certainly do, and that they’re probably far more terrible than you can ever imagine. The real
world is, as we all know, a far more dreadful place that anything any of us could ever dream up, and ‘The Dyatlov Pass Incident’ plays on, and uses that inescapable truth,
loosely basing its core secret on an actual event, the unexplained deaths of nine Russian hikers in the Ural Mountains in 1959. Renny Harlin’s slick, atmospheric film follows
a group of American students who set out to make a documentary film about, and in doing so try to discover the truth about what happened to, the aforementioned Russian
hikers, and the closer they get to where the hikers died, the stranger it gets, until they stumble across the truth, which is more shocking than any of them dared envisage.
I’m not usually a fan of “lost footage” films as they tend to follow a well-worn path, but ‘The Dyatlov Pass Incident’ abandons the usual formula and rather than offer a brief
hardly glimpsed explanation as it’s finale, it embraces the “truth” behind the mystery and runs with it, taking its audience down a frightening path that’s firmly rooted in “reality”,
leaving you questioning the possibility that maybe, just maybe, something like this could have happened. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the film’s fast moving plot is based
around, and on, one of my all-time favourite conspiracies, the one that supposedly took place on American soil (actually water) during World War II when….Ah, no, you don’t
get me that easily. No spoilers remember? Let’s just say that if you enjoy the more far-fetched stories that fuel the idea of secret government experiments then you’re going
to love the ‘The Dyatlov Pass Incident’. Sometimes, truth and fiction, like they do in ‘The Dyatlov Pass Incident’, wrap themselves around each other until they’re almost
indistinguishable, and that’s when the world becomes really frightening. Surprisingly good… Tim Mass Movement
The Wicker Man: The Final Cut – 4 Disc DVD / 3 Disc Blu-Ray (Studiocanal)
Long regarded as one of the greatest British Horror films ever made, ‘The Wicker Man’ has spent the last four decades earning it place in hallowed
tomes of cult cinema by enchanting and terrifying audiences in equal measure. Ostensibly the film follows a Scottish police sergeant investigating
the reported disappearance of a young girl in a remote Island community, but as events unfold, the deeply religious Sergeant finds himself drawn into
a nightmare world from which there is no escape. It’s a film driven by the performances of the lead cast: Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee,
embodying the collision between the old ways and the new, deliver career best performances in the cat and mouse game at the heart of the story. ‘The
Wicker Man’ is a film riddled with subtext; fear of the future and the advance of modernity destroying the more traditional aspects of life; the way faith
and religion shape perception, ideas and desires; how, most importantly in the real world, the hero very rarely emerges triumphantly to save the day.
To this day, nearly forty years after it was first released, it’s a disturbing, and at times uncomfortable film; one whose sense of atmosphere gradually
drowns its viewers as they desperately try to decide who to side with: Woodward’s Sergeant, the avatar of “civilisation’ or Lee’s Lord of the Manor,
into whose domain the investigator has, of his own free will, encroached. And it doesn’t matter how many times you watch it, the ending will always
surprise you, as years of being conditioned to believe in, and expect, a different outcome leave you doubting your own sanity, and what you’ve just
witnessed, as the end credits begin to roll. Even though it’s been previously released on DVD, Studiocanal have pulled out all the stops with this anniversary release, which
includes all three versions of the film (the final edition, the director’s cut and the original theatrical cut) and a whole host of extra’s that explore the history, cult appeal and
mythology of ‘The Wicker Man’ in all its minutiae,leaving no avenue unexplored and delivering the definitive release of a film that changed the face of modern horror cinema.
Incredible… Tim Mass Movement
Time Bandits (Blu-Ray / DVD) (Arrow)
You never forget the first time you fall in love. It doesn’t matter how many times it happens over the course of your life, the first time,
that’s always special and it’s always the one you remember. ‘Time Bandits’ was my first Terry Gilliam film, it was ‘Time Bandits’ that made
me fall in love with his films and began my life long cinematic and celluloid obsession with Gilliam’s work. Three decades and some
change after it was first released, I’m sure that you’re all familiar with the story, but just in case you’re not and for the benefit of those
who came in late, it goes a little something like this… Kevin, an eleven year old who’s obsessed with history and ignored by his parents,
ends up travelling through time with six dwarves who’ve stolen a map to all the holes in time, and cracks in creation (as the world was
a bit of rush job, and having been built from scratch in six days, a few mistakes were made) from their employer who just happens to
be the Supreme Being after they burst into his bedroom while fleeing from their former boss. Having decided to become criminals, the
dwarves (and Kevin) find themselves bouncing between nineteenth century Italy, Medieval England, Ancient Greece, The Titanic and
The Time Of Legends in an attempt to find and steal ‘The Most Fabulous Object In The World’, the idea for which has been planted in
the mind of one of their number (Og) in an attempt to lure them to his domain by Evil, a fiendish creature obsessed with the map and
escaping his Fortress in order to know, understand and exploit everything in existence. A blackly humorous film that ridicules greed,
consumerism and the way modern life has been subsumed by both, ‘Time Bandits’ still feels as fresh, vital and energetic as it did when
it was first released, and even if some of the set design does looks a little dated (which, unfortunately, it does) thanks to an incredible
restoration, the film itself looks gorgeous, bursting with colour and detail in a way that I’d never have thought possible. Then there’s the
extra’s, and boy oh boy, do they go overboard and then some with the extra’s. Featuring a veritable who’s who of those responsible for
bringing ‘Time Bandits’ to life, there isn’t a question left unanswered or stone left unturned as the film is explored in all its minutia, in the
ultimate package that delivers everything ‘Time bandits’ related that you could ever want or need. Incredible… Tim Mass Movement
Music
Across Tundras – Electric Relics – CD Album (Bad Omen Records)
More psychedelic Americanca from this impressive Tennessee trio. ‘Pining For The Gravel Roads’ picks up where the bands ‘Sage’ album left off; the soundtrack to a man
dragging his carcass across the dust covered desert, surrounded by sun bleached bones, picked clean by circling vultures. The music is sparse but loaded with western
imagery. Equal parts Townes Van Zandt and Black Tusk; its heavy, but not HEAVY; country without the clichés. ‘Electric Relics’ is the kind of album that transports you from
where you are to where Across Tundras want you to be. There’s nothing radically different from ‘Sage’ musically or vocally, in fact ‘Electric Relics’ could be considered a direct
continuation of those sessions, which isn’t a criticism, both albums consisting of quality country inspired pyschedelia. Ian Pickens
Adjudgement – Bis Hierhin...Und Weiter (Own release)
It has taken Adjudgement 20 years to finally take off the mask completely. For bands from the Anglo-Saxon countries it is obvious that singing in English, they are able to put
their innermost, personal thoughts to music. Now language is a strange thing, as, in the case of German band Adjudgement. For these guys, using English has always acted
as some sort of emotional shield. Rationally the same thing is said, in English, but the heart only speaks German. Now, with German lyrics it’s the true heart of the band that
you can now feel. Musically things have also been made a little more accessible, as if all has been done, taking the listener to the core of what ‘Bis Hierhin...Und Weiter’ truly is
about. But don’t be mistaken, as much as the lyrics might touch the deepest emotions of the members, and musically it’s a bit more straight-forward; it still is hardcore, giving
way to anger! Now with the poetic heart of Adjudgement shining through it’s just not as blunt anymore. Martijn Welzen
Annihilator – Feast (UDR)
For as long as you don’t pretend to be highly original and give credits to the bands where they deserve it, and above all play so insanely well, all is good. Annihilator is a thrash
band, as pure as they come, and never said being anything else than METAL You can hear Metallica, Slayer, Judas Priest and Metal Church, just like you always could, but
you can also hear that pure Annihilator sound, coming from Jeff Waters’ guitar. And truth be told, those putting this Canadian powerhouse down are most probably green with
envy. Jeff is what we all wanted to become when we were kids: lighting fast riffs, intense melodies, and amazing songwriting, being delivered by a cooler-than-hell red flying V.
Seemingly easy, but oh-so difficult. ‘Feast’ builts on where ‘Annihilator’ (2010) left off, but the chemistry between the master guitarist and singer Dave Padden is still developing.
Stronger songs than before, hitting even harder. Although the funky ‘No Surrender ‘ is not what I am looking for in an Annihilator song. Luckily the intensity of all other songs
cover up this, minor flaw, easily And be sure to pick up the version of ‘Feast’ with the 15 (!) track bonus cd. Many of the classing Annihilator songs, reaching back as far as
1989, got re-recorded and collected under the mohiker ‘Re-Kill’. Some songs sound totally different, giving them overall a new meaning. Can’t remember having ever been
dissapointed by Annihilator, and they’re not going to any time soon . Martijn Welzen
Asomvel – Knuckle Duster – CD Album (Bad Omen Records)
I thought the name sounded familiar. Asomvel first started pumping out their hybrid Punk/Metal back in the early 2000s but haven’t been particularly active, with only a 10” and
one album (‘Kamikaze’) to their name. Having sadly lost founding member Jay-Jay Winter in a road traffic accident in 2010, the band have regrouped and launched a new
offensive in the form of this 11 track album, the suitably titled ‘Knuckle Duster’. Opening track ‘Dead Set On Living’ sets the standard from the off; a Motorhead-esque stormer
with a dirty, biker bar vibe. There are shades of early Tank and Orange Goblin to the proceedings too, which is no bad thing, but it’s the Motorhead influence that shines through
with ‘Cash Whore’ sounding like ‘Iron Fist’ Part II and ‘Waster’ a dead ringer for ‘The Chase Is Better Than The Catch’. Kudos to Gentleman’s Pistol’s frontman James Atkinson
for delivering a tight production job without sacrificing the spirit of the band. Recommended for fans of Tank. Motorhead, Anvil, Venom etc. Ian Pickens
Black Shapes - Sleep, Sleep, Sleep (In At The Deep End)
Dark and gloomy riffs come crushing on the shores of your consciousness. A deep sinister groove slowly turns you life into a hellish nightmare. And again, as we have heard
all too often with those bone crushing bands from the In At The Deep End roster, there’s an addictive side to it, that wants to make you hurt yourself, and get you to carve these
amazing songs deep into your flesh...into your emotional make-up. Where the rock of Gallows strips it bare naked, it will be clothed again with the doom of Mastodon, and a
Converge-like chaos. An iron-clad monster will take shape and appear in your dreams. A monster led by former-November Coming Fire vocalist Gareth Evans. And where they
say ‘Sleep, Sleep, Sleep’... you only hear ‘Nightmare, Nightmare, Nightmare’. But don’t be afraid, you know it is time to embrace your deepest darkest feelings, because as it
turns out with Black Shapes, they will be the most original, inspirational, and amazing feelings you can have. Martijn Welzen
Blues Pills – Devil Man CD (Nuclear Blast)
There have been some astonishing retro sounding rock acts of late, some of real astounding quality and feel, but now it’s time for all others to step aside – enter AmericanSwedish-French quartet Blues Pills. The sheer power and depth of Elin Larsson’s beautifully crafted vocals is the definite driving force for the span of the whole e.p. and the
entirety of the four songs on offer here compounds the fact that this is no retro re-hash, just pure heartfelt soul. Some amazing guitar work surfaces from Dorian Sorriaux (just
past the seventeen year age mark!), show-casing a future genius is upon us as he plays equal quarter alongside the grooving tunes and solid drum rhythms emphasising the
fact that this is heavy blues and rock ‘n’ roll baby! ‘Devil Man’ is a timeless revisit to an era of powerful rock with amazing authenticity, only bolstered by today’s contemporary
production and sound. Many may say, “No, it’s not metal!” but the music speaks for itself and one can’t help but keep returning to the fact that Elin’s take of Aretha Franklin’s
power, or Janis Joplin’s command is a definitive and prominent part of the chemistry. If you’re a fan of The Doors or Cream, or prefer the output of modern day heavy rock bare
in mind that Blues Pills draw from both avenues putting them in an extremely prominent position. Available also on 10” versions of blue or purple vinyl. Blues Pills, go on try
‘em… just once… you’ll be all right; well actually I think you will become addicted. Mark Freebase
Blood Ceremony – The Eldritch Dark – CD Album (Metal Blade)
More Organ/Flute driven pagan shenanigans from the Canadian 70s celebrants. Shades of Black Widow and Jethro Tull certainly; a little Sabbath, definitely; and yet the band
retain a uniqueness to their sound that puts a fresh spin on the doom/pagan metal sound. Due credit must go to vocalist/flutist/organist Alia O’Brian whose Anderson inspired
flute solos and unique vocals play such a significant part in defining Blood Ceremony’s sound, although the presence of some Celtic tinged fiddle on ‘Ballad of the Weird Sisters’
adds yet another dimension. Lyrically the band reprise their love of witchcraft and 70s horror films (‘Witchwood’ and the ‘Planet Caravan’ inspired ‘Lord Summerisle’) which you
will either love or despise depending on your attitude to such things. A solid third release from one of the more genuine and talented bands in this genre. Ian Pickens
Death Angel – The Dream Calls For Blood CD (Nuclear Blast)
The Bay Area thrashers have returned and given us something which is a very welcome homecoming to the style they seemed to of slipped away from somewhat after the
reformation album ‘The Art Of Dying’. The soft intro of album opener ‘Left For Dead’ is just the calm before the storm… the tidal wave of unprecedented energy driven forward
by Rob Cavestany’s relentless riffing and Mark Osegueda’s trademark outstanding vocals; ‘The Dream Calls For Blood’ parallels the excitement and aggression of Death
Angel’s debut ‘The Ultra Violence’. One doesn’t have to focus too hard to get sucked into the hook line chorus of the epic ‘Son Of The Morning’ which purely reeks of classic
Death Angel power whilst the title track of the album executes crisp thrash riffing and pounding gang vocals echoing throughout the chorus. Honing in all focus and delivering
us a record of galloping, neck rockin’ riffs ‘The Dream Calls For Blood’ has the songs, it has the aggression, the choruses, the feeling, the production and the excitement that
the band have by-passed for far to long! Some will say it takes guts to move on and develop your sound, but personally I think it takes even more to return to, and re-discover
your roots (besides… why fuck with a winning formula?). The slower ‘Succubus’ delivers a deep heavy rumble throughout it’s entirety yet spices up the thrashmosphere with
a stunning mid-song solo; making the crazy spewed vocals and sharp licks of ‘Empty’ seem even more insane. It surely wouldn’t be Death Angel as we know without a piece
of classical guitar work, and the instrumental ‘Execution’ offers just this before the second half of the song ‘Don’t Save Me’ emphasises the harder faster parts are back. Now
this is Death Angel returning tighter than before, they are more alive, and the fire and passion is burning brightly. Miss them on their European tour at your own peril! Mark
Freebase
Death Remains - Stand.Fight.Believe (In At The Deep End)
Here we go again... formed in 2010 and barely three years later capable of levelling a town. You don’t think this is possible in three years? What about - an amazing sound,
catchy songs, heavy, original, varied, but not going overboard with avant-garde metal. All goals a band can have, seemingly achieved in such a short time. I just cannot get my
head around this. Musically they do link in with Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying and Miss May I, but strangely enough, and quite possibly because they are from London, with
its rich music heritage, and now signed to In At The Deep End, there’s still a slightly noisy, heartfelt and desperate undercurrent, which lifts them above their peers. This talented
bunch of youngsters has that spark, which is impossible to describe. Martijn Welzen
Doomriders - Grand Blood (Deathwish Inc)
Someone forgot to close the gates of hell, and a horde of noisy violent monsters is now plaguing the earth. Spreading the screams of tortured souls. ‘Grand Blood’ picks up the
pace slowly, with what they aptly call ‘intro’, as they apparently have to get used to all the colours, balloons and puppies, before smothering them under the weight of amazing
discordant metal. Doomriders have created a vortex of, mostly dark, emotions that will shake and twist you until you understand. And there’s only one thing to understand;
abandon all hope. What Doomriders do tease you with is this unmistakably catchy groove, creating an illusion that there’s still hope for a brighter future. Hope for a time when
cuddly little dogs can play in the park, before their heads are bitten off by acidic crushing metal. I’d better leave the lights on tonight.... my final night. Martijn Welzen
Downtown Struts - Victory 7” (Pirates Press)
You know when you get your dinner and you save the best bits on your plate til last? When I got a new bunch of downloads through for review I purposely saved this one until
the end. Before even listening I was sure this would be the icing on the cake, and I’m happy to say that this release certainly doesn’t disappoint in any way and helps bridge the
wait for the much anticipated new album. There is always a lot going on in a Downtown Struts song, melodic vocals shared between band members and twin guitars that add a
depth to their punk sound that not many bands manage to achieve. These two songs are older tracks which never made it onto the “Victoria” record, but that’s not to say this is
throwaway material. It has a slightly rougher vibe than the album, perhaps a little more like the “Sail The Seas Dry” EP from 2011. Believe me the future is bright for these fellas
and I think their next album will be a modern punk classic and I can’t wait to get hold of it. In the meantime this EP will do very nicely thank you. Tom Chapman
Eden’s Curse – Symphony Of Sin CD (AFM)
Quite possibly one of power metal’s most recently anticipated releases kept fresh in everyone’s minds by the difficulties experienced over the last few years of unease for
Eden’s Curse. Showcasing Serbian vocalist Nikola Mijic on this their fourth studio album, the tsunami of harmonies, radio friendly appeal, hooks galore, yet an underlying
heaviness makes this release a pinnacle point of return for the multi national melodic metal group. Paul Logue’s (bassist) baby has come into full fruition as the passion and
energy delivered on ‘Symphony Of Sin’ returns Eden’s Curse to a place of far stronger stature than any previous release. With praise from the legendary Bruce Dickinson, and
the multi skilled metallers Dream Theatre coming their way, it is easy to see why such positive reactions have been founded around the deep sound and phenomenal space
created during all thirteen songs provide on the epic metal ride SOS. Showcasing frantic fretwork during the astounding 7.37min opening track, guitarist Thorsten Koehne
delivers power, melody and a driving force setting such a high standard of musicianship from the very start – tapped up with anthemic rhythm and finely crafted vocals, making
it hard to find a favourite on the entirety of the album. Mark Freebase
Epic Problem - S/T 10” (Contra/ Pirates Press)
There is a bit of a buzz around these guys, mainly as it is “Mackie from Blitz’s new band!” which I suppose is a good and not so good thing. Good as everyone likes a bit of punk
rock trivia and people will certainly be interested in hearing new songs coming from someone who was involved in writing some of punk rock’s all time classics. Not so good as
it takes a bit of the focus away from Epic Problem itself, which could be a shame as they are great band in their own right regardless of band members. So that’s out of the way,
onto the record. I have seen them live but on that occasion the sound was so bad it was hard to make out a great deal. On record, it’s obvious that these guys need a good
soundman; this is really LOUD with twin guitars work really well interacting with each other. Despite the volume, there are intricacies and subtleties which aren’t immediately
apparent, and that adds a real depth to the sound. I’ve heard comparisons to Leatherface but I can’t really hear that, beyond the gruff vocals - as it says on their bandcamp
page “get that boy a fucking strepsil”! But they are a lot punkier that Frankie Stubbs and co, occasionally straying into Rancid territory, but a cover (not on this record) of
Gainesville punk heroes The Beltones is a more accurate pointer as to where these boys’ hearts lie. Tom Chapman
FM359 - Some Folks EP (Pirates Press)
I don’t know how these guys managed to keep this project well under wraps until now, as I am pretty sure if the punk rock world was aware that a project featuring current and
former Dropkick Murphys and Street Dogs members was brewing, there would have been a storm of attention. As it is, it feels like these punk rock veterans have been able
to kick back and take it all back to the roots. You’ll not find a distorted loud guitar on here, instead acoustic and slide guitars interplay beautifully, with Mike McColgan’s vocals
suiting this style down to the ground. If we talk about spiritual roots music, I don’t mean religion, but rather a very soulful journey through the American folk landscape, and that’s
exactly what is on offer here. I’m a sucker for this kind of thing, when punk rockers spread their musical wings and FM359 really hits the spot for me. Can’t wait to hear more.
Tom Chapman
GWAR – Battle Maximus CD (Metal Blade)
In their new epic story, Antartic Rock Gods Gwar have come to battle the might of Mr Perfect who is trying to steal the power of immortality from these illustrious scum dogs of
the universe. Drapped in sickness and filth, we are served twelve songs of what could be Gwar’s finest metallium to date. With the loss of Flattus Maximus almost two years
ago, Oderus Urungus and his crew have channelled the loss into creating a full on slab of metal thrashing-punk continuing in the vein Flattus (Cory Smoot) would have indulged
and taking the sounds of Gwar to the next chapter. With new axe-man Pustulus Maximus now firmly rooted (and close friend of Cory to boot) Gwar recorded the entirety of this
colossus in their newly designed ‘Slave Pit Studios’ with the band riding the fact that ‘his spirit lives on’. The shred-tastic Pustulus commands a presence of his own and adds
some real solid fret board work on thrashers ‘I, Bonesnapper’, ‘Madness At The Core Of Time’ and the beautifully Gwar crafted ‘Raped At Birth’. During instrumental title track
‘Battle Maximus’ the combined skills of Gwar musicianship offer a song capable of competition with any metal band, a true finger in the air to those who may have doubted and
put only the comedy element first. It is the delicately composed and almost melodic rocker ‘Falling’ that will leave the all important smile on the face of those who understand,
and may even grab a few fans from readers of ‘that weekly’ rock magazine so many teenagers venerate. Let the slaughter continue!
Mark Freebase
Hail Of Bullets – III – The Rommel Chronicles (Metal Blade)
For Dutch death metal heroes Hail Of Bullets the Second World War still hasn’t ended, but there’s been a shift in focus. On the first two albums the band wrote about the Soviet
Union and the Pacific respectively. In that matter geography set the boundaries for the intense stories. On III – The Rommel Chronicles, they tell the story of German general
Erwin Rommel. And although he was part of the Nazi regime, his strategic insight gathered respect even from the allied forces. The chronicles start with the early beginnings of
Rommel as a soldier and end with his death in 1944. Well-written lyrics tell the story of a man shaped by his time, without ever taking any political stance. Hail of Bullets are the
messengers of how things went down, backed by hard-hitting old school death metal. As a whole the album seems to have more of an affinity with the debut offering ‘...Of Frost
And War’ rather than being a natural follow-up to sophomore album ‘On Divine Winds’. Nevertheless the band clings to the sound that made them this amazing. The secret
formula of pure death metal must not be changed and luckily it hasn’t. Martijn Welzen
Hateful - Soundtrack For A Sinner LP/ CD (Contra/ Rebellion)
Hateful have been around for quite some time, and some of my friends rave on about them, but for some reason this the first time I’ve given them a proper listen. I can only
shake my head and admit I’ve been missing out big time as this is just the kind of thing I like. Streetpunk can be many things, and for me this is a great example of a band that
doesn’t worry about the hype, or writing songs to fit a certain mould – they just get on with what they do best and that is writing punk rock, where the honesty shines through.
It reminds me a lot of Belfast’s Runnin’ Riot, whereby a throaty vocalist who can carry a tune sings over some high energy punk rock. It’s all here, anthemic choruses, heartfelt
tunes and some great musicianship - loads of guitar melodies, and the drumming is tight as hell. As with the likes of Runnin’ Riot, Gimp Fist or SLF, the influences on here
go beyond punk rock, with the occasional folky touch that fits in perfectly with Hateful’s songs of protest, coming together to create a sound that is completely authentic. Tom
Chapman
Hirax – Hellion Rising CDS (SPV)
“HELL-I-ON RI-SING, BOW TO YOUR KNEES”… pulling out all the punches and packed with the classic thrash feel Hirax are back to kick your sorry little arse! Stunning
shredding and unashamed riffage drive this power thrash (soon to be) anthem. Katon’s vocals still reek of trad-thrash metal and display a bulberous attitude sucking the listener
into a circle pit of chaos. Good, honest, and old school through and through, combined with a contemporary sounding production. Just leaves me craving for the new album out
on SPV soon…
Mark Freebase
In Evil Hour - The World Bleeds Out CD (STP Records)
Punk and hardcore and its many sub-genres have successfully managed to pigeonhole bands and turn what could be a great scene into isolated pockets of scenes that don’t
really gaze past their self-imposed marginalisation. Fortunately, every now and again bands come along and upset the applecart with a blatant disregard for the factions,
choosing instead to play the music they feel comfortable without giving a shit. Enter In Evil Hour. Darlington’s In Evil Hour have been on the live circuit for a couple of years now
and their hard work is paying off, with frequent invitations to play down in London as well as appearances at Rebellion festival for the last two years in a row, so this their debut
full length comes hotly anticipated. Well I’m glad to say folks ain’t going to be disappointed by this belter of a record. Equal parts catch punk rock and powerful driving hardcore
can be heard on here and with lots more besides. Vocalist Alice possesses a powerful set of lungs, as well as singing some great singalalong choruses such as the title track or
live favourite “I Lost Years”, she is just as comfortable jumping down your throat as can be heard on the hardcore smasher “Little Death”. Of course although In Evil Hour bring
various genres together, you can hear various influences on their sound, AFI, Bad Brains and the Misfits all spring to mind, but there is no imitation going on, this is powerful
stuff that holds its own with the best of them. Great record! Tom Chapman
Integrity – Systems Overload (A2/Orr+ Mix) – CD Album (Organised Crime)
Remixed version of what many consider to be Integrity’s defining album. What’s intriguing about this version is that it’s been remixed by both current and ex members of the
band (Robert Orr from the current incarnation and Aaron Melnick from the version that originally recorded SO). This version is definitely more vibrant than the original; both the
guitars and bass are more forward, clearer and defined, which is especially noticeable on tracks such as ‘Armenian Persecution’ and ‘No One’; Dwid’s vocals are thankfully
undiminished in their ferocity, but even they sound ‘brighter’. Even leaving aside the package that accompanies this release (booklet, poster, sticker and t-shirt) this is an
essential release in terms of it sounding as the band actually intended it to sound. Ian Pickens
In Solitude – Sister CD (Metal Blade)
2011 saw the epic release from Sweden’s In Solitude ‘The World, The Flesh, The Devil’ and it was going to be a tough cookie to beat for the band. With 2013’s new release
‘Sister’ the perfect mix of doom / trad metal / and even a little gothic feel have engulfed a slight Candlemass atmospheric and created a weird and wonderfully powerful piece of
music and vocal delivery that has crafted In Solitude’s sound to which they seem to effortlessly lure the listener into trance. Delicate intros, and tasty guitar tempos from Hendrik
and Niklas will find the rivetheads reaching for patches of the band to sew onto their trusted denim cut-offs, whilst Pelle Ahman’s vocals could even provide tones of romance
amongst female fans – delicate, but hard edged all the same. Some of the song titles may entice the listener to dig deeper into In Solitude’s topics of interest, but without over
complicating the process take ‘Sister’ for what it is… a perfectly good piece of metal, with soul and emotion, power and feeling. Sometimes one can look to deep into what is
offered; not knowing all is what keeps the flame of interest burning and In Solitude provide that mystic. Mark Freebase
Jaded Eyes - Gods And Monsters LP/ CD (Boss Tuneage)
Jaded Eyes round up the trio of Boss Tuneage’s glorious Summer of 2013 putting UK melodic hardcore back on the map, along with HDQ and Thirty Six Strategies. You could
almost call these guys emo revivalists as they bring back the spirit that bands like Dag Nasty and Government Issue ignited, laying down the foundations for so many great
bands over the years. Leeds’ based Jaded Eyes are no simple copy machine though as they pick up influences from the likes of The Ruts along the way and manage to make
the sound their own. The name certainly gives the game away and the Government Issue influence is undeniable, but there is so much more going on and the twin guitar
interplay adds a lot of depth. You may have previously heard vocalist Steve singing for the Sex Maniacs and his style fits the band perfectly - he doesn’t actually sing a note
but his voice carries emotion in much the same way as Sean Brown did for Dag Nasty. As well as Steve the line-up of Jaded Eyes pretty much reads as a who’s who of UK
underground hardcore and these guys have played in bands that I have been a big fan of for many years, so it’s great to hear them gel so well on here. I was talking about them
not so long ago with a mate of mine and we agreed that Jaded Eyes is basically “that band you’ve always wanted to be in”. Tom Chapman
Jenny Woo - My Revenge LP/ CD (Randale)
This is, I believe, Jenny Woo’s second full length album (as well as having a split LP with Dutch band Discharger) under her belt, and there’s no signs that this Canadian oi!
songstress is slowing down. Despite being from Canada, Jenny has become an almost permanent fixture in the European oi! scene, and her acoustic shows bring a breath
of fresh air to the gigs she plays. So acoustic oi!, how does that work then? Well it works surprisingly well! Jenny is a talented musician and vocalist and she draws influence
from a musical heritage that includes Johnny Cash and Billy Bragg as well as the classic and the street punk bands of today. Don’t forget that the likes of Cock Sparrer and The
Business never shied away from throwing in the occasional acoustic number into the mix. The acoustic songs on here are real gutsy sing-a-long moments that make for great
listening. That is just half the story, as for this album Jenny has put together a band to help her out on one side of the album, plugging in and cranking it up. Songs like “I Refuse
To Be A Victim” and “Get Out Of My Way” kick it hard and tuneful and there is also a cool cover of “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” that rounds the album off nicely. Acoustic oi!
Canadian style - I’ll raise my glass to that. Tom Chapman
Kill Division – Destructive Force (Metal Blade)
All of a sudden there it is a new division of Dutch extreme metal. A three-piece having earned their medals of honour with bands like Legion Of The Damned, God Dethroned
and Asphyx is going to know what metal songs should sound like. So in less than a year we get this amazing display of destruction. One could say the heaviness and intense
blastbeats are just too much for a man’s senses to take, but it does portray the vile nature of our species relentlessly trying to exterminate our own kind, by any means
neccesary. Bombs, computers, viruses, poison, lies and manipulation; all is fair in war. You can try shutting your eyes to all the atrocities, but Kill Division and its double-barrel
vocal attack, will blast horrific images straight through your thick and ignorant skull. As Kill Division is a violent concoction of grind, thrash-, death metal there’s something in it
for anyone. This division is about to march, and there’s just no escape. Martijn Welzen
Mike Oldfield – Crises/Five Miles Out Special Editions Vinyl/CD/Boxed Sets (Mercury/Universal)
Oldfield has always leaned to the more popular end of the Prog market and 1983’s ‘Crises’ was probably his second most commercially successful album after ‘Tubular Bells’.
Featuring guest vocals by Maggie Reilly on the beautiful ‘Moonlight Shadow’, The Family’s Roger Chapman (‘Shadow on The Wall’) and Jon Anderson from Yes (‘In High
Places’), the album is consistently strong both on the shorter commercial tracks and the superlative 10 minute title track. ‘Five Miles Out’ (so named for a rather hazardous flight
to San Sebastian) also features some of Oldfield’s most well-known songs including ‘Family Man’ (also featuring Maggie Reilly and later covered by Hall & Oates) and ‘Taurus
II’. For me it doesn’t quite match up to the quality of ‘Crises’, some of the music sounding almost throwaway and the song writing not quite as strong. The re-releases come
in several different formats 180gm vinyl, coloured vinyl, single CD, deluxe CD and Box Set Editions and contain the obligatory extras (live DVDs, demo and live versions of
varying quality) but there’s enough to keep even the most diehard Oldfield fan satisfied until his next release. Ian Pickens
Misconduct – Blood On Our Hands (Strength)
Oh what strange tricks life can play. The amazing new Misconduct will always have this bitter sweet taste. This Swedish band was the last band to join Strenght Records under
label boss Onno, before his untimely passing. Take that in mind when you get to hear this amazing, upbeat and uplifting record uniting the best Pennywise, H2O and Vision
have to offer. Such sweet and energetic songs make you feel like taking on the most toughest experiences in life. That also is the message Misconduct have been carrying
out for so many years; don’t let the downs in your life be the end of your hopes and dreams. I have been following Misconduct for many years, and this one is by FAR the best
melodic record ever to leave their very capable hands. Tears and pain will turn into a smile before ‘Blood On Our Hands’ is over. Fitting monument for both the band and the
man keeping Misconduct’s fire alight! Martijn Welzen
Modern Life Is War – Fever Hunting (Deathwish Inc.)
When Modern Life Is War went into hibernation about five years ago, they truly left a giant hole in the hardcore scene. Who was going to tell us these sad sad stories of despair
and losing hope, brought forth by such amazing music? Defeater stepped in and did a fantastic job, but their slightly different approach meant I could not forget MLIW who gave
us three outstanding records. Almost a year ago to the day, the original line-up got back together and surely they must have noticed the amazing energy that made up this band
was still very much present. On ‘Fever Hunting’ you can feel just that - that same tension, that same will in wanting to play amazing songs, that absolutely amazing heartfelt
delivery, especially coming from singer Jeffrey Eaton. The new record rocks like there’s no tomorrow, and when the first tear starts to appear in your eyes, brought forth by so
much beauty, you really feel the end of the world is indeed nigh. Then all of a sudden the pace increases, a silver-lining appears and starts to give these dark clouds some
colour, and everything is right again. ‘Fever Hunting’ has more energy than ‘Midnight In America’ had and also gives you some hope. And above all the return of the mighty Iowa
hardcore band has had me smiling all day long. Martijn Welzen
Nervous Impulse – Nervous Impulse CD (Bridge Nine Records)
Thirteen minutes, eight songs, and not one beatdown or blastbeat anywhere in sight! Nervous Impulse play raw and fast paced hardcore reminiscing Dead Kennedys, (old) Bad
Brains, and the Cro-Mags. Their no nonsense approach rekindles a fire many of the newer style hardcore bands fail to ignite and focusing on a substantial mix of punk sing-along vocal structure and metal guitar riffs, but treading perfect waters in between, just like it should be done. Good production alongside songs that keep a building interest for
the listener make for a great release and don’t disappoint one bit. Continued listenings emphasise the quality of this hardcore album and increase the positive output Nervous
Impulse create. This album without a doubt gives off the energy and excitement of ‘Age Of Quarrel’. Mark Freebase
No Second Chance – Face Reality (Rucktion)
Interesting thing about anger is, that there always seems to be something that infuriates you even more. Is there an absolute end point to anger just like there is to speed?
No Second Chance are closing in on that. But just as with things approaching light-speed it feel things get deformed a bit, bend out of shape just for the sake of making is the
darkest and heaviest hardcore record known to man. I love the occasional speed, the massive break downs, but it could use a bit of colour. Some riffs are just so insanely slow
and heavy, they seem to have become stationary objects. No Second Change have mastered themselves in art of the ‘sur place’ breaks. Then again this slab of destruction is
being called ‘Face Reality’ and if this is what the London wrecking crew preceive as their reality I cannot question the truth. Martijn Welzen
Onslaught – VI CD (AFM)
The aptly titled tasteful intro of ‘A New World Order’ creates a majestic calm before the modern day thrash metal pounding of chaos is unleashed. Onslaught were always
ferocious, and the production of today has done great justice in honing this album as one of the pivotal three titles of their career and by far the best they have delivered since
their reformation release ‘Killing Peace’ (2007). Serious guitars, creating heavy riffs, send aggression and angst in all directions, but songs and hooks that are memorable – kind
of in an early day Metallica vein; eight songs of carnage and fuel for anxiety, creating old school vibe, power, and passion (maybe reminiscing that beautiful vinyl feel of the 80s
– four songs each side) and possibly mirroring the troubled times of pre-90s nuclear warfare fear. In an age where the world is one huge vortex of a shit-storm ‘VI’ addresses
many of the realities and issues humans are dealing with. Onslaught are not letting up, it seems to be an album of frustrated truths they wrote for the right reasons, thankfully
steering away from any current trendy sections and arrangements dropped in to please a certain type of listener. There’s so much space around the instruments (production
wise), the pummelling sound of this fast paced rhythm airing premium thrash metal music on the albums entirety lets you feel the bitterness, the atmospherics, and the intensely
angry vocals of Sy Keeler, who in turn executes his best gut-wrenching delivery to date. You won’t be disappointed and there is no monotony only a teen-angst excitement of
the 80s hay-days driving force, setting serious standards for the thrash metal revival. Mark Freebase
Propagandhi– How To Clean Things – 20th Anniversary Edition – CD Album (Fat Wreck)
Hard to believe it’s been 20 years since I first heard this album. To be fair it’s aged well. The pointedly politically correct lyrics still bite, and the melodic, yet aggressive music
still sounds as fresh as it did back then. At the time I thought Propagandhi sounded a lot like other bands on the FW rosta - pop-punk with a dint of Ska/Reggae (albeit done
as a barb-tongued attack on the nascent Ska-Punk scene prevalent at the time), but in retrospect the Cheap Trick/Kiss musical influences were much more evident than I
first realized (even taking into account the bands rather good cover version of CT’s ‘I Want You To Want Me’). The Canadian trio were not shy at expressing their disgust at
everything from punk rock orthodoxy to religious conformity masquerading as racial identity (‘Haillie Sallasie, Up Your Ass’) but were able to balance the direct political rhetoric
of ‘Stick the Fucking Flag up Your Goddamn Ass’ with the sarcastic humour of ‘This Might Be Satire’. Rarely has being preached at been so enjoyable. One of the most
important albums of the 90’s. Ian Pickens
Ringworm – Bleed 10” Vinyl (Relapse)
Ringworm executes the perfect combination of hardcore and metal intensity; of that I am certain. The Cleveland heavyweights release this e.p. featuring two brand new songs
and a new cover of Discharge’s ‘The Nightmare Continues’, as a limited edition multi coloured vinyl to coincide with their ‘fall’ U.S. tour 2013. Opening track ‘The Wheel’ sees
the powerful but precise vocals of Human Furnace bringing a harsh audibility to top the metallic guitar work that slays all listeners present. Galloping metal drums fused with
hardcore beats unite the pulsating choruses and heavy pounding so perfectly, it causes no area of criticism, Ringworm play music exactly like it should be. ‘Bleed’ raises the
all already fast-paced brutality and sees the musicianship and production busting with pure power - no messing! Whilst the Discharge cover is belted out with such precision,
it could almost be assumed as being one of Ringworm’s own songs as the tempo and aggression match the other tunes flawlessly – the perfect cover version, or maybe the
perfect sound Ringworm have created? Mark Freebase
Rudimentary Peni – Archaic – CD EP (Southern)
More listenable than the experimental and aptly named ‘Cacophony’ or ‘Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric’; 2004’s ‘Archaeic’ EP was a return to the style of the earlier S/T EP
and ‘Death Church’ album. Each of the 12 tracks is a minute long burst of taunt repetitive guitar/bass riffs and Nick Blinko’s snarling vocals. I must admit I find this a lot more
palatable than the previous Southern reissues, with the songs on ‘Archaic’ having a structure missing from those releases, without losing the inherent psychosis of Blinko’s
lyrics and vision. Impossible to pick a favourite but ‘In Crematorium Flame’ and ‘House Of The Void’ being as perfect examples as you can get of Peni at their pessimistic best.
Highly recommended. Ian Pickens
Sahg – Delusions Of Grandeur CD (Indie Recordings)
Someday Black Sabbath will come to a stop… like it or not. You can either dwell on past memories of brilliance, or look for solstice in a new blood. Sahg may well be the
up-takers of the vacancy as their old metal vibe, mixed with contemporary ideas puts this Norwegian four-piece in the top league of this genre. With this, the band’s fourth
release, they have come up with an actual title surrounding the concept of the whole album (previous releases were called ‘I’ ‘II’ and ‘III’ surprisingly), and eight tracks revealing
the delusions of a person who becomes completely consumed with his own grandeur - 46.54 minutes of solid clean guitars, crisp in tone and divulging an eerie depth to the
psycadelia and deep space vibe enhanced by the Kubrick-esque album artwork itself and drifting nonchalant vocal chords of Olav and Tony. You can lace an album with
comparisons, but ‘Delusions Of Grandeur’ is first and foremost a darn fine heavy metal record, just remember that! Whether the intensities of pounding rocker ‘Firechild’ light
your touch paper or the eleven-minute drifter ‘Sleeper’s Gate To The Galaxy’ complete with it’s flavourings of Floyd, Zepp and Sabbath, Sahg create the opening to the gateway
of ‘contemporary old school metal’. Mark Freebase
Symphony Of Pain – Hydeology CD (Lycan Media)
And so Britain’s new story of darkness begins. Tracie Law (ex Beki Bondage and L.O. Girls) and Pam Chowhan (pianist to Julian Lloyd Webber) have created the rather
splendid cocktail of eeriness easily capable of comparisons to a rock n roll scary movie! Mixing a sound of Alice Cooper-isms amongst goth, rock and elecronica elements whilst
taking influences from accredited artists Queensryche and N.I.N, sees a formidable marriage of musical skills. Uncanny opener ‘Mister Hyde’ sets the pace as a thunderous
beat and groove adjust the melancholy mindset and one’s mood swings can be lifted elegantly by Pam’s soaring sharp violin etiquettes. ‘Darker Side’ starts off as if a psychotic
killer is narrating, almost boasting his deepest credentials. The rousing tempo of ‘Sister Change’ executes a formidable Queensryche vocal vibe and demonstrates a driving
Kings X stylee deepness pumping through it. The likes of ‘For Now I’m Dead’ offer splendid loops and strange sounds and sums up the content of atmospheric rock and heavy
storyline; which along the way is emphasised by moving piano and violin breaks. As ‘Nightmare Life’ closes the album the exquisite prowess of Pam’s playing echoes selfthoughts of bouncing doubts as the tile may cunningly suggest, whilst Tracie’s nonchalant vocals question a comfortable eeriness… Symphony Of Pain are epic, they are
uncanny, they are packed full of Hammer Horror, yet some of the musical parts would sit quite comfortably amongst Pink Floyd.
Mark Freebase
The Detonators - My World LP/ CD (Destiny Records)
I’ve been reading some depressing stories on the internet. A “punk rock jacket” selling for megabucks on a designer website. Justin friggin’ B****r wearing a Black Flag parody
shirt. Who themselves have managed to piss all over their own punk hardcore legacy in a very short time with ridiculous lawsuits and a couple of bickering “cover” bands going
through the motions. Then a band such as The Detonators comes along and all faith is restored. Coming out of the blue, or in this case Novi Sad in Serbia, these guys crank
up not just guitars, bass and drums but throw in a mandolin and accordion into the mix, creating a wonderful racket. The opening tones set the mood, with a very Rancid-esque
intro, however then the accordion kicks in and then the party really gets going. Once we are past opening numbers, The Detonators introduce a few more influences to the
sound and they cherry pick the very best that Californian punk rock has to offer, equal parts prime Social Distortion and Swingin’ Utters. It doesn’t stop at punk as there are folk,
country and even Hawaiian touches, and that tells me one thing, it boils down to the fact that there are only two types of music - good music and bad music. In case you were
wondering, these here Detonators is good music and no doubt about it. Despite using a selection instruments you don’t hear every day, it sounds so natural, it all makes perfect
sense and when that accordion kicks in on album closer “Word Or Two”, you can’t help but find yourself grinning from ear to ear wishing it would carry on and on. Definitely a
record to watch out for and I bet their live shows are killer! Tom Chapman
The Gorillas - Message To The World LP/ CD (Damaged Goods)
This reissue is a real treat for record collectors and fans of timeless good music in general. Originally released in 1978 on Raw records, the Gorillas didn’t get the same
attention that propelled many of their peers to punk rock stardom - maybe because their sound bridges pub rock, punk, glam and classic rock wasn’t as marketable as others?
I have long been a fan of the 1977 “Fool’s Gold” compilation that features three tracks by the Gorillas, that appeared on the legendary Chiswick records, alongside the likes
of the 101’ers (featuring a young Joe Strummer), Count Bishops, Radio Stars and Rocky Sharpe. Despite having played that album to death over the years for some reason I
never delved further into the Gorillas catalogue, so I am eternally grateful to Damaged Goods for blowing the cobwebs off this album. The first surprise on here is just how big
classic rock an influence is on here and as if to tell it loud and clear they open with a spirited version of the Hendrix tune “Foxy Lady”. I suppose that comes as less of a surprise
when you delve into the band’s rich history, but still the last thing I expected the punk generation of 1978 would be for them to worship at the altar of Hendrix. The next tracks
take the Gorillas back to more familiar pub rock territory, before going off on another tangent with the Who/ Small Faces sounding “Going Fishing”. And so the album continues,
delving into all manner of musical styles but hovering mainly around the classic pub rock sound of the likes of Eddie and the Hot Rods and Dr. Feelgood, and in fact if you have
anything more than a passing interest in these bands then feel free to dive into this album as with all its eccentricities, it will be right up your street. Tom Chapman
The Interrupters - Family 7” (Pirates Press)
Here we have the debut EP from Californian ska band The Interrupters, and it is a tasty appetiser to their album which due to drop anytime soon. I love all types of ska,
whether we are talking about the Jamaican originators, the Two-Tone ska revival, (most) modern ska or the offshoot genres – rocksteady, reggae, dancehall and whatever
else. On the whole ska-punk does leave me a bit cold – bar the classics a la Operation Ivy, Culture Shock, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, most of it is pretty vacuous and absolutely
devoid of soul. Here I am happy to say, we are treated to some genuine ska, with soul served by the bucketload. This powerful up-tempo bouncing sound owes a lot to the
aforementioned Op Iv and Rancid, and not only thanks to a guest appearance by Mr Tim Armstrong. There is also a decent portion of Specials in the mix, in particular “This Is
The New Sound” features some quality Roddy Radiation style guitar licks, and a brash production adds some great dub touches – by which I mean you get the echoes, fades
and massive groove in all the right places. And just like many of those legendary Specials records, here we have the classic Two-Tone 7″ format – in essence a double-a side
that features two pounding dancehall smashers. Tom Chapman
Vista Chino – Peace CD (Napalm)
Kyuss Lives! is now Vista Chino. Brant Bjork and John Garcia have driven forward with the fuzz-ridden riffage of Bruno Fevery and added the dark anarchic rumblings of bass
wizard Mike Dean (Corrosion Of Conformity). As ‘Peace’ emerges from the stereo speakers the intro instrumental ‘Good Morning Wasteland’ creates a perfect soundtrack and
atmosphere as if crawling from the very desert Kyuss once entered and got lost in a gigantic sand storm. Garcia’s trademark soulful vocals put the icing on this album of beach
rock songs for the soundtrack to a long hot summer; moving forward rather than stagnating at a time when this genre of music seems to be at an all time popular high, Vista
Chino blow holes in so many of the sub-par dessert rock bands scrambling for a few tokes of the burning spliff. Crammed full of effortless vibe, basic but solid musicianship, and
melodies that will have you grooving your lazy-ass butt to, ‘Peace’ is an instant quality adrenalin shot of pure feeling yet total gracious consciousness drifting from a daze during
the entire forty nine minutes of it’s content. You may even get to find yourself in album closer and epic thirteen-minute tune ‘Acidize – The Gambling Moose’. These originators
offer nothing new here, but they do emulate a precision and passion many struggle to follow – good sounding well produced rock.
Mark Freebase
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