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Changing scenery, tonight we forgo the smog of London for a trip to the Welsh countryside. Normally a hall for all sorts of occasions from ballet to recitals, tonight William Aston Hall has been modified for Rock ‘n’ Roll. Currently on their Heavy Fire tour, Black Star Riders shall be tonight’s curators. Cue the crowds coming out, slicked back (greying) hair, just a touch of booze and that true spirit of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Orienteering, aside from being incredibly boring, is also incredibly hard. For those who aren’t Bear Grylls reading the signs of the setting sun in the west, drinking urine and checking compasses really won’t do! Similarly at times the listener can get lost, particularly in the treacherous environment of Prog. Banding together to deliver something entirely different we welcome Nova Collective, our metaphorical compasses to help guide us through the labyrinthine layers of Prog.
As Bob Dylan has quoted and we heard in the absolutely brilliant “Watchmen” “The times they are a’ changin’”. Remembering ten years ago when I was a fledgling Metal head, a small band from Florida would release in hindsight, one of my favourite teenage records. The Metalcore compendium that was Ascendancy saw all manner of doors open for me into the Metal world. In the same year of discovering Opeth, Trivium had a soft spot in my heart.
All things must come to an end. After 26 years the self-proclaimed ‘love metallers’ are calling it quits and invite you all to a grandiose send off.
Shown a blank piece of paper, we have all been given the task of writing whatever we want down. Exactly that, whatever you want. Freedom can be in its own right a terrifying thing, having so much possibility that at times it can overwhelm you making you unsure of what you really want. This could be said for the audience A perfect metaphor of one Suicide Silence. Having now laid the ghost to rest of Mitch Lucker with their final You Can’t Stop Me, the band made the ballsy move of changing their entire make up. Having only heard two songs off the record, people were quick to judge but perhaps the freedom Suicide Silence have been given will in turn become what people actually wanted all along. This is our account of the brand new, self titled record.
Thrown around without a second thought in the world of Metal, Heavy, is quite possibly the most common form of praise. Yet what if there was actually a band that quantified not only for its colloquial meaning but for its defined one too. Waking from their troubled slumber, the obelisk that is Immolation has begun to stir. Combining elements of dissonance, the band’s obsidian riffs have paved the way for some of the most nefarious sounding melodies in Metal. Combining the trio of vocals, drums and strings Immolation not only create a racket but have moulded an iconic sound, a sound that is by every single definition Heavy.
Conversation, the metaphorical rally between two players, what ideas stem from be they good or bad. Enabling the flow of thinking it is an invaluable tool and one which is quickly becoming an afterthought. Walking around in the modern day, the ability to have a conversation is somewhat of a novelty. So engrossed in their own portrayal in this cyberworld we call the Internet, they are beginning to miss the world itself around them. Ranging from pictures and videos, people would rather isolate themselves, together in proximity yet entirely separate on their phones. Inflating the idea of nonexistence and non consequential remarks online, there has been more evidence of cyber bullying being on the rise. Giving rise to the faceless and ultimately giving bullies the perfect tool to use at their whim. Statistics show :
Rebirth within a band can be somewhat of a mystery. Releasing arguably their most well received record of late, Trivium’s Silence In The Snow stood proudly as a new statement of the band’s intent. Featuring entirely clean singing the record was perhaps the band’s most accomplished example of songwriting to date. Soon to lay the album to rest as they begin their next phase of their career. Armed with new drummer Alex Bent the band embark on their final touring cycle as defiantly as it began with their intimidating headline performance at Bloodstock. As the cold chill is felt across London tonight it’s not from the February air but the imperialistic conquering that will happen over at Camden’s Roundhouse.