I recently saw Aynsley Lister at The Waterfront in Norwich.
You can read my review here: http://www.soundnorfolk.co.uk/review/129.
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Turisas: Live Review
Having seen Turisas before at Sonisphere 2010 I was very much looking forward to seeing them again, on Halloween no less! With such an appropriate day of the year and a nice venue it looked to be a good gig.
You can read my review here: http://www.soundnorfolk.co.uk/review/118.
You can read my review here: http://www.soundnorfolk.co.uk/review/118.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Mucked Up Funkies: Live Review
This is the first article I've written for SoundNorfolk, an online music magazine based in Norwich. The Mucked Up Funkies are a Norwich band who've been together for just under a year. They played a great set and I will be watching eagerly to see where they go in the future.
My review can be found here: http://www.soundnorfolk.co.uk/review/109
My review can be found here: http://www.soundnorfolk.co.uk/review/109
Gig Reviews: General Information
This is just to let you know that the reviews of live shows posted to this site will be changing slightly from now on. I now write for SoundNorfolk, an online music magazine which can be found here, and so a lot of my gig reviews will go on their site. Whenever this happens I'll post a link here so that you can read it.
Some reviews will be posted in full on this site if they aren't affiliated with SoundNorfolk.
Thank you for your continued support.
Some reviews will be posted in full on this site if they aren't affiliated with SoundNorfolk.
Thank you for your continued support.
Friday, 7 October 2011
The Best Music Video You'll Ever See
I'd been a fan, to say the least, of Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt for long time, but only recently did I watch the music video for it. I don't usually go for music videos since I often multitask when I listen to music, but I'd heard that the video for this song was particularly good so I checked it out. Here it is:
It's a beautiful piece. The emotion of the song is captured so accurately in the video with the image of the ageing Cash bringing tears to the eye. The video's full of imagery as well. For example the small house in the middle of nowhere as well as the closing of the piano at the end which seems to represent the idea that the song is Cash's final work, his epitaph.
Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails, How to Destroy Angels, and other projects) who wrote and performed the original says of Cash's version:
It's a beautiful piece. The emotion of the song is captured so accurately in the video with the image of the ageing Cash bringing tears to the eye. The video's full of imagery as well. For example the small house in the middle of nowhere as well as the closing of the piano at the end which seems to represent the idea that the song is Cash's final work, his epitaph.
Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails, How to Destroy Angels, and other projects) who wrote and performed the original says of Cash's version:
"I pop the video in, and wow. Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps...Wow. I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore..."
It's a truly masterful piece, which isn't surprising considering it was written and performed by two of the most talented musicians of all time. It's a desert island disc for sure. I'll always hold this one close to my heart.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Album Openers
The opening song of an album is more important than you might think. It's the first thing you hear when you stick it on the stereo and it often decides whether someone will listen to the rest. Essentially it's got to hook the listener and get them to leave the album on. But what makes a good opening track? Here's a list of a few songs that I think work really well as album openers and I'll explain why in each case.
Kill the Rhythm - Gallows
The crushing first song from their debut album Orchestra of Wolves, Kill the Rhythm is fast paced and fierce. The listener is immediately drawn into the catchy song and can't help listening to the rest of the album. It's easily one of the best songs on the album and is my second favourite Gallows song, after London is the Reason from their 2009 album Grey Britain. Recently Frank Turner, who had fronted the band for both their albums, announced that he was leaving the band. He has since been replaced with ex-Alexisonfire singer Wade MacNeil. A third album is in the works and their latest Twitter post says:
Since We've Been Wrong - The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta are renowned for their individual brand of music full of mesmerising intricacies and complex melodies. One result of this however is that their music isn't all that popular in the mainstream musical community, and I think that this is because people find it hard to connect with it. The good thing about Since We've Been Wrong, the opening song of their latest work Octahedron is that although it has many of the features typical of the band, it has a consistent vocal part that reappears throughout. This repeated chorus has the effect of bridging the gap and as a result I think Octahedron would be a good album to start with for anyone looking to get into The Mars Volta. Another element of the song that I like is a piano trill which has a nice effect.
Aces High - Iron Maiden
If this isn't a classic then nothing is. Having stood the test of time Aces High remains popular today with millions of people. This fast paced, action packed song is the first track from the 1984 album Powerslave which also contains the famous Maiden songs: 2 Minutes to Midnight and Powerslave. Centring on the Battle of Britain and the pilots flying the Supermarine Spitfire planes the song makes you feel like you're in the cockpit as the music twists and turns like a plane in a dogfight. For years the band opened with this song, only changing it recently for their tours where they're playing more songs from recent years. I predict however that it'll return to their performance at its rightful place: the first song on the setlist.
New Born - Muse
Even if you don't know Muse at all you may well have heard this song. The first track of their 2001 album Origin of Symmetry, it has appeared on television advertisements in the UK at least. The riff to this song is fantastic, and Matt Bellamy's vocals are great as usual. Like Aces High it's fast paced, a quality I think helps create a good album opener. The band played the album, Origin of Symmetry all the way through at their shows at Reading and Leeds Festival 2011 and I've heard it was a fantastic gig (sadly I couldn't be there). I prefer this, their second album, and Absolution, their third, to their newer material as it's less produced. I feel their current genre, especially their latest release, The Resistance, has too many effects and that this obscures the music.
One More Time With Feeling - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
The opening song from his debut album Get Cape's One More Time With Feeling is a masterpiece. Featuring the picked guitar melody technique that Sam Duckworth (the man behind Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) is so good. It's a short song like most of the rest on the album, but it's a really lovely piece. The lyrics are thoughtful and make the listener think. This is true throughout the album. Overall the album is my favourite of Get Cape's releases.
Duckworth has also released an album under his real name which came out at the end of August. I quite liked it, it's has many parallels with the work on The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, the album that One More Time With Feeling features on. You can read my review of it here: http://malfunctioning-musical-madness.blogspot.com/2011/09/mannequin-review.html
Enter Sandman - Metallica
This is a really interesting choice of album opener. It works very well, its fast, powerful and extremely catchy. It's debatably the band's best known song. However I think that's a problem. An album opener should be a hook, but having the album's main hit right at the start is risky. It means that the rest of the piece may not live up to the opening track. For me this isn't an issue with this particular album because it isn't my favourite song. My album highlight (and in fact my favourite Metallica song full stop) is the eighth track (out of twelve) on the album: Nothing Else Matters. Enter Sandman has a fantastic riff and a chorus that demands crowds' to sing along with no regard for the condition of their vocal chords. A really good song.
So there you have it, a selection of my favourite album openers. Out of that list I'd say Aces High is the best at introducing the album. In my humble opinion it's the best album opener of all time. A good album opener is important and if a band gets it wrong they can lose a lot of potential fans that won't listen to the rest of the piece. Musicians, take not,
Kill the Rhythm - Gallows
The crushing first song from their debut album Orchestra of Wolves, Kill the Rhythm is fast paced and fierce. The listener is immediately drawn into the catchy song and can't help listening to the rest of the album. It's easily one of the best songs on the album and is my second favourite Gallows song, after London is the Reason from their 2009 album Grey Britain. Recently Frank Turner, who had fronted the band for both their albums, announced that he was leaving the band. He has since been replaced with ex-Alexisonfire singer Wade MacNeil. A third album is in the works and their latest Twitter post says:
"Drums and guitars for the new songs are tracked and sounding huge!"I'm really looking forward to the new album and to see what the new singer produces. They've released one track with their new singer (available from www.gallows.co.uk) called True Colours, and it's rather good but at only 37 seconds long it's way too short. Whenever they next hit the UK I'll be there, I've seen them twice already (the most recent being Sonisphere 2011, the day after Frank's announcement of his imminent departure) and they were fantastic.
Since We've Been Wrong - The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta are renowned for their individual brand of music full of mesmerising intricacies and complex melodies. One result of this however is that their music isn't all that popular in the mainstream musical community, and I think that this is because people find it hard to connect with it. The good thing about Since We've Been Wrong, the opening song of their latest work Octahedron is that although it has many of the features typical of the band, it has a consistent vocal part that reappears throughout. This repeated chorus has the effect of bridging the gap and as a result I think Octahedron would be a good album to start with for anyone looking to get into The Mars Volta. Another element of the song that I like is a piano trill which has a nice effect.
Aces High - Iron Maiden
If this isn't a classic then nothing is. Having stood the test of time Aces High remains popular today with millions of people. This fast paced, action packed song is the first track from the 1984 album Powerslave which also contains the famous Maiden songs: 2 Minutes to Midnight and Powerslave. Centring on the Battle of Britain and the pilots flying the Supermarine Spitfire planes the song makes you feel like you're in the cockpit as the music twists and turns like a plane in a dogfight. For years the band opened with this song, only changing it recently for their tours where they're playing more songs from recent years. I predict however that it'll return to their performance at its rightful place: the first song on the setlist.
Even if you don't know Muse at all you may well have heard this song. The first track of their 2001 album Origin of Symmetry, it has appeared on television advertisements in the UK at least. The riff to this song is fantastic, and Matt Bellamy's vocals are great as usual. Like Aces High it's fast paced, a quality I think helps create a good album opener. The band played the album, Origin of Symmetry all the way through at their shows at Reading and Leeds Festival 2011 and I've heard it was a fantastic gig (sadly I couldn't be there). I prefer this, their second album, and Absolution, their third, to their newer material as it's less produced. I feel their current genre, especially their latest release, The Resistance, has too many effects and that this obscures the music.
One More Time With Feeling - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
The opening song from his debut album Get Cape's One More Time With Feeling is a masterpiece. Featuring the picked guitar melody technique that Sam Duckworth (the man behind Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) is so good. It's a short song like most of the rest on the album, but it's a really lovely piece. The lyrics are thoughtful and make the listener think. This is true throughout the album. Overall the album is my favourite of Get Cape's releases.
Duckworth has also released an album under his real name which came out at the end of August. I quite liked it, it's has many parallels with the work on The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, the album that One More Time With Feeling features on. You can read my review of it here: http://malfunctioning-musical-madness.blogspot.com/2011/09/mannequin-review.html
Enter Sandman - Metallica
This is a really interesting choice of album opener. It works very well, its fast, powerful and extremely catchy. It's debatably the band's best known song. However I think that's a problem. An album opener should be a hook, but having the album's main hit right at the start is risky. It means that the rest of the piece may not live up to the opening track. For me this isn't an issue with this particular album because it isn't my favourite song. My album highlight (and in fact my favourite Metallica song full stop) is the eighth track (out of twelve) on the album: Nothing Else Matters. Enter Sandman has a fantastic riff and a chorus that demands crowds' to sing along with no regard for the condition of their vocal chords. A really good song.
So there you have it, a selection of my favourite album openers. Out of that list I'd say Aces High is the best at introducing the album. In my humble opinion it's the best album opener of all time. A good album opener is important and if a band gets it wrong they can lose a lot of potential fans that won't listen to the rest of the piece. Musicians, take not,
Thursday, 1 September 2011
The Mannequin: Review
Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, has released an album under his
own name as a side project from his main act and it's been available since 29th
August. I've gotten hold of a copy and given it a listen. I enjoyed what I
heard; here's my review.
The first track, which begins with a nice piano and guitar intro, immediately evokes an air of nostalgia. The drums are then introduced and the three parts combine nicely. The song is fairly reminiscent of Get Cape's first album, The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, which incidentally was my favourite. I'd been hoping for this since Duckworth had described the album as different to his current work with Get Cape and I'd always preferred his earlier work. The song gets a little heavier around 2:30 which is really nice; the best part of the track.
The second track, Crane Song (The Wall), begins with a guitar intro more complex than that of the first song. Using a picking technique that he does very well, in this track Duckworth provides further parallels with the first Get Cape album. Around 2:20 a really nice chord progression is introduced. It's not the most memorable song of the album, but that's not really a problem. Very nice.
Next up is Nights, which begins with guitar and vocals melding well with the stronger drum beat that this song boasts. There are places in the song however where the vocals seems at odds with the other parts, so in this respect it could be better. This might not be such a problem, but on second listen it's still distracting.
The fourth track begins with another lovely guitar melody using a different
tone than has been used before. The vocals in this song remind me of Chronicles
which, as I've said before, is what I was hoping for. The lyrics and the way they're
sung are really soothing and contribute to the relaxing effect that the album,
and all of Sam Duckworth's current work, has. About 2:10 another guitar part is
introduced which is nice. It's definitely a highlight of the album for me.
By Rhiannon Rees (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Next we reach Angels in the Snow, which starts off with two parts; one of which is a lovely picked guitar tune. The two parts go together nicely, something that Duckworth generally excels at. I particularly like the lyrics to this song, they remind me a little of Regina Spektor's work on her album Far. Also the vocals work well with the rest of the piece. The inclusion of an organ part in the background is interesting addition that works well. Finally there's a pause towards the end of the song that's nice for some reason.
The sixth song, The Miracle of Science, is more electronic than the other songs, but not too much so. I've got no problem with electronic music I should add, I just think that the later Get Cape records are a little too much so and I prefer the first album which is much more acoustic. The song's a little mysterious at the beginning and reminds me a bit of some of David Bowie's work on Space Oddity. It's a lot slower than the rest of the album which sets it apart; it also has a waltz style which makes it a little different. These differences don't ruin the song, on the contrary they make it unique and worth listening to. About 3:20 in the track speeds up and I find myself nodding along. At the end the lyrics have an effect that sound like they're being whispered which works and creates a nice atmosphere. Overall the song isn't a hit in the conventional sense, but it's one of my favourites from the album.
The seventh track is called This Farmer, and begins at a slower pace than many of the other songs. About a minute in the drums are introduced way too loudly. They're only slightly too prominent but the effect is very distracting. The lyrics are repetitive in places as well. About 3:30 the song speeds up which produces a nice effect. The presence of backing vocals sets this track apart from the others and gives it an interesting quality.
Next up is Clementine, the eighth song of the album, which has a niceish guitar introduction- I'm not crazy about it but it's ok. It gets better about 30 seconds in when another acoustic guitar part is added. The song however lacks variation which makes it a little monotonous- not necessarily boring, but definitely lacking. Towards the end of the song there's a slight change to the chord progression; it changes to an ascending chord pattern which is nice. This relieves some of the sense of monotony, but not enough.
The final track, 8888, begins with drums and guitar; very much like some of the work on Chronicles though the guitar part in the background is definitely different. Everything in this song fits together well, it's all very tight. The tambourine is a nice addition, however it’s way too loud. It's more prominent than the guitar, which is a problem. The song works well as the album finale as the parts when there are lots of parts interacting make it seem grand. It's not terribly interesting for the most part, but it's a nice song.
Overall it's a nice album. I like the fact that it's less electronic than Get Cape's newer work, and that it's similar to the first album that was released under that name. In places it is repetitive and can seem to lack variation in others. There are moments when everything is tight but others when it seems like things aren't quite melding together well enough. Despite these faults it's a nice piece, very relaxing. I give it a 7.8/10. It's not as good as The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, but then I suppose comparing the two is a little strange since they're from separate projects. To summarise it's a nice relaxing album where, although it has faults, the talent is obvious. Good work from Sam Duckworth as expected, and I'll be keeping an eye on any future developments.
The first track, which begins with a nice piano and guitar intro, immediately evokes an air of nostalgia. The drums are then introduced and the three parts combine nicely. The song is fairly reminiscent of Get Cape's first album, The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, which incidentally was my favourite. I'd been hoping for this since Duckworth had described the album as different to his current work with Get Cape and I'd always preferred his earlier work. The song gets a little heavier around 2:30 which is really nice; the best part of the track.
The second track, Crane Song (The Wall), begins with a guitar intro more complex than that of the first song. Using a picking technique that he does very well, in this track Duckworth provides further parallels with the first Get Cape album. Around 2:20 a really nice chord progression is introduced. It's not the most memorable song of the album, but that's not really a problem. Very nice.
Next up is Nights, which begins with guitar and vocals melding well with the stronger drum beat that this song boasts. There are places in the song however where the vocals seems at odds with the other parts, so in this respect it could be better. This might not be such a problem, but on second listen it's still distracting.
The fourth track begins with another lovely guitar melody using a different
tone than has been used before. The vocals in this song remind me of Chronicles
which, as I've said before, is what I was hoping for. The lyrics and the way they're
sung are really soothing and contribute to the relaxing effect that the album,
and all of Sam Duckworth's current work, has. About 2:10 another guitar part is
introduced which is nice. It's definitely a highlight of the album for me.By Rhiannon Rees (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Next we reach Angels in the Snow, which starts off with two parts; one of which is a lovely picked guitar tune. The two parts go together nicely, something that Duckworth generally excels at. I particularly like the lyrics to this song, they remind me a little of Regina Spektor's work on her album Far. Also the vocals work well with the rest of the piece. The inclusion of an organ part in the background is interesting addition that works well. Finally there's a pause towards the end of the song that's nice for some reason.
The sixth song, The Miracle of Science, is more electronic than the other songs, but not too much so. I've got no problem with electronic music I should add, I just think that the later Get Cape records are a little too much so and I prefer the first album which is much more acoustic. The song's a little mysterious at the beginning and reminds me a bit of some of David Bowie's work on Space Oddity. It's a lot slower than the rest of the album which sets it apart; it also has a waltz style which makes it a little different. These differences don't ruin the song, on the contrary they make it unique and worth listening to. About 3:20 in the track speeds up and I find myself nodding along. At the end the lyrics have an effect that sound like they're being whispered which works and creates a nice atmosphere. Overall the song isn't a hit in the conventional sense, but it's one of my favourites from the album.
The seventh track is called This Farmer, and begins at a slower pace than many of the other songs. About a minute in the drums are introduced way too loudly. They're only slightly too prominent but the effect is very distracting. The lyrics are repetitive in places as well. About 3:30 the song speeds up which produces a nice effect. The presence of backing vocals sets this track apart from the others and gives it an interesting quality.
Next up is Clementine, the eighth song of the album, which has a niceish guitar introduction- I'm not crazy about it but it's ok. It gets better about 30 seconds in when another acoustic guitar part is added. The song however lacks variation which makes it a little monotonous- not necessarily boring, but definitely lacking. Towards the end of the song there's a slight change to the chord progression; it changes to an ascending chord pattern which is nice. This relieves some of the sense of monotony, but not enough.
The final track, 8888, begins with drums and guitar; very much like some of the work on Chronicles though the guitar part in the background is definitely different. Everything in this song fits together well, it's all very tight. The tambourine is a nice addition, however it’s way too loud. It's more prominent than the guitar, which is a problem. The song works well as the album finale as the parts when there are lots of parts interacting make it seem grand. It's not terribly interesting for the most part, but it's a nice song.
Overall it's a nice album. I like the fact that it's less electronic than Get Cape's newer work, and that it's similar to the first album that was released under that name. In places it is repetitive and can seem to lack variation in others. There are moments when everything is tight but others when it seems like things aren't quite melding together well enough. Despite these faults it's a nice piece, very relaxing. I give it a 7.8/10. It's not as good as The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, but then I suppose comparing the two is a little strange since they're from separate projects. To summarise it's a nice relaxing album where, although it has faults, the talent is obvious. Good work from Sam Duckworth as expected, and I'll be keeping an eye on any future developments.
Recent Discoveries
I'm always discovering new music, whether by recommendations from friends or
by hearing about it elsewhere. Calling it "new music" doesn't in this
case mean that it is recent in the chronological sense, just that I hadn't
heard it before now and that it's something that I think you might not have
heard before and that you might appreciate.
††† (Crosses)
A while back I downloaded the debut EP of Chino Moreno's (of Deftones) side project ††† (Crosses). I like Deftones' music, although I don't know it that well, and I remember liking Chino's vocals so I thought I'd give it a listen. The fact it was free (legally I might add) sweetened the deal a measure, but when I hit play I was ready to give it a fair chance without any prejudice, or pre-bias as the case may be. I really liked it; the vocals seemed like a fusion of My Chemical Romance and HIM. The former really came out during snatched moments of the vocals where Chino really sounded like Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance). In terms of overall genre it's a combination of Electronica and Rock. The way in which the two parts fit together is really good, neither dominating the music. Listening to it as I write this, I'm struck by a moment in the fifth song that's very Nine Inch Nails. I was pleasantly surprised by this piece and will be watching them closely. Go to their website to download the EP (www.crossesmusic.com).
Parov Stelar
I can't really comment too much on this artist since I know very little about them. The song I've heard I first came into contact with at work and loved it. So I bought it when I got home and have been rather addicted to it. It's called Come Closer, and it's one of the most relaxing things in my library. Do check him out.
Devin Townsend
There's a story to this. For years I'd loved the album artwork for Devin Townsend's Ziltoid the Omniscient but had never listened to it. Not that long ago a friend of mine was collating album art as inspiration for an art project. I sent a copy of the album artwork to her and it was well received. Not long later the same friend tells me that the music from said album is also phenomenal, so I decided to get hold of it. Turns out it's awesome. Lots of bands try to be silly or funny and succeed, but often when they try to take themselves seriously it all falls apart. The thing with this album is that while it is hilarious (it's about an omniscient being besieging Earth for coffee) the talent is obvious and the music itself is enjoyable; and that's difficult to pull off. Annoyingly he was playing really close to where I live a couple of months back; I wish I'd listened to it sooner.
The Protomen
Just the other day I listened to The Protomen for the first time as was very taken by them. I don't know them that well, having only given them a preliminary listen, but they're rather good. I listened to their self titled album (The Protomen) which was full of lovely choral type parts that really gave the music something that made them unique. I've got their other album, Act II: The Father of Death, which I'll listen to soon; but from their debut I'm expecting good things.
That's it for now. I'll write one of these articles every so often so that I can talk about new things I find that might not necessarily have their own individual posts.
††† (Crosses)
A while back I downloaded the debut EP of Chino Moreno's (of Deftones) side project ††† (Crosses). I like Deftones' music, although I don't know it that well, and I remember liking Chino's vocals so I thought I'd give it a listen. The fact it was free (legally I might add) sweetened the deal a measure, but when I hit play I was ready to give it a fair chance without any prejudice, or pre-bias as the case may be. I really liked it; the vocals seemed like a fusion of My Chemical Romance and HIM. The former really came out during snatched moments of the vocals where Chino really sounded like Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance). In terms of overall genre it's a combination of Electronica and Rock. The way in which the two parts fit together is really good, neither dominating the music. Listening to it as I write this, I'm struck by a moment in the fifth song that's very Nine Inch Nails. I was pleasantly surprised by this piece and will be watching them closely. Go to their website to download the EP (www.crossesmusic.com).
Parov Stelar
I can't really comment too much on this artist since I know very little about them. The song I've heard I first came into contact with at work and loved it. So I bought it when I got home and have been rather addicted to it. It's called Come Closer, and it's one of the most relaxing things in my library. Do check him out.
Devin Townsend
There's a story to this. For years I'd loved the album artwork for Devin Townsend's Ziltoid the Omniscient but had never listened to it. Not that long ago a friend of mine was collating album art as inspiration for an art project. I sent a copy of the album artwork to her and it was well received. Not long later the same friend tells me that the music from said album is also phenomenal, so I decided to get hold of it. Turns out it's awesome. Lots of bands try to be silly or funny and succeed, but often when they try to take themselves seriously it all falls apart. The thing with this album is that while it is hilarious (it's about an omniscient being besieging Earth for coffee) the talent is obvious and the music itself is enjoyable; and that's difficult to pull off. Annoyingly he was playing really close to where I live a couple of months back; I wish I'd listened to it sooner.
The Protomen
Just the other day I listened to The Protomen for the first time as was very taken by them. I don't know them that well, having only given them a preliminary listen, but they're rather good. I listened to their self titled album (The Protomen) which was full of lovely choral type parts that really gave the music something that made them unique. I've got their other album, Act II: The Father of Death, which I'll listen to soon; but from their debut I'm expecting good things.
That's it for now. I'll write one of these articles every so often so that I can talk about new things I find that might not necessarily have their own individual posts.
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Hammer of the Gods (Self Titled) EP: Review
After catching them at Sonisphere UK 2011 and enjoying what I managed to see of their set (I only got there halfway through), as well as from recommendations of their studio music, I thought I'd get hold of Hammer of the Gods debut EP Hammer of the Gods and see what I thought. Recorded back in November 2010 in Reading the EP consists of three songs: The Halting, Earthshaker, and Maiden. The band is made up of members: Apollo, Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, and Hermes.
The Halting, the first track of the EP beings with a catchy power metal intro typical of their music. Soon afterwards deep bass toned guitar riffs are launched and I already find myself nodding along. The guitar riffs are interesting without overcomplicating things. The vocals, which are on the correct side of growling in my opinion work well with the guitar here. About 1:30 in the song slows down before being built up by the original riff and a thudding bass drum. It reaches a peak and then the full power of the main part is brought back in expertly. The moment it reverts back to the original piece is sublime; the pause followed by a moment of sheer power. About three minutes in two more trebly guitar parts are introduced which produce a nice melody. Towards the end the bass drum appears in short bursts which assault the listener, adding to the effectiveness of the song.
The second song begins with a lovely riff that finds the right balance between the power needed for this genre and the creativity needed for it to be in any way interesting. About 1:20 the song slows down and we're introduced to a slow, throbbing, riff. The song relaunches soon after with another good riff. This part of the song definitely reminds me of another band but I can't quite pinpoint who. It doesn't matter too much here as it's still definitely their style that is most prominent. The solo on this track is good; it's got something Maidenesque about it, not in tone, but in moments of the melody itself. A very solid song, not necessarily the most memorable, but it shows the band's talent clearly.
The final piece, Maiden, begins with a strong, riff cantered, introduction. It's by far the best intro of the album, and like the others it's very catchy. About 30 seconds in a double picked riff is introduced that attacks the listener like a machine gun such is its power and ferocity. This song seems to be much more driven by the riffwork than the others do; the vocals and the drums play a part of course, but not to the same extent. A nice melody introduced just before the 2 minute mark, which while a little generic, is a nice addition. Simple but effective. 30 seconds later the song slows right down to give us a strong combination of guitar and drums. About 3:10 a pounding riff comes in which melds nicely with the vocals. The riffs later are a little disappointing though I have to say, there's nothing musically wrong with them, it's just that they are very reminiscent of something I've heard before. I'm not entirely sure where from, but I've heard a similar riff. Although it's obviously a mistake I can't help scouring my mind when I listen to it to remember what it reminds me of which does detract from the song. Overall however it's the best song on the EP, it's catchy, powerful, and doesn't let go of your ears.
Seeing them at Sonisphere was like a breath of fresh air, they weren't the best band there but you could tell that they wanted to be there as much as any of the others and more than most. Having just left a band I didn't like they turned my mood around.
For a debut EP this is great stuff. The power is generally well balanced with creativity, and every song is catchy in its own right. I'd give the piece a 7.5/10; it's a really great start. In future I'd like to see a little more melody as I thought in places it could have done just a little bit more. Watch out for this band, I know I will.
The Halting, the first track of the EP beings with a catchy power metal intro typical of their music. Soon afterwards deep bass toned guitar riffs are launched and I already find myself nodding along. The guitar riffs are interesting without overcomplicating things. The vocals, which are on the correct side of growling in my opinion work well with the guitar here. About 1:30 in the song slows down before being built up by the original riff and a thudding bass drum. It reaches a peak and then the full power of the main part is brought back in expertly. The moment it reverts back to the original piece is sublime; the pause followed by a moment of sheer power. About three minutes in two more trebly guitar parts are introduced which produce a nice melody. Towards the end the bass drum appears in short bursts which assault the listener, adding to the effectiveness of the song.
The second song begins with a lovely riff that finds the right balance between the power needed for this genre and the creativity needed for it to be in any way interesting. About 1:20 the song slows down and we're introduced to a slow, throbbing, riff. The song relaunches soon after with another good riff. This part of the song definitely reminds me of another band but I can't quite pinpoint who. It doesn't matter too much here as it's still definitely their style that is most prominent. The solo on this track is good; it's got something Maidenesque about it, not in tone, but in moments of the melody itself. A very solid song, not necessarily the most memorable, but it shows the band's talent clearly.
The final piece, Maiden, begins with a strong, riff cantered, introduction. It's by far the best intro of the album, and like the others it's very catchy. About 30 seconds in a double picked riff is introduced that attacks the listener like a machine gun such is its power and ferocity. This song seems to be much more driven by the riffwork than the others do; the vocals and the drums play a part of course, but not to the same extent. A nice melody introduced just before the 2 minute mark, which while a little generic, is a nice addition. Simple but effective. 30 seconds later the song slows right down to give us a strong combination of guitar and drums. About 3:10 a pounding riff comes in which melds nicely with the vocals. The riffs later are a little disappointing though I have to say, there's nothing musically wrong with them, it's just that they are very reminiscent of something I've heard before. I'm not entirely sure where from, but I've heard a similar riff. Although it's obviously a mistake I can't help scouring my mind when I listen to it to remember what it reminds me of which does detract from the song. Overall however it's the best song on the EP, it's catchy, powerful, and doesn't let go of your ears.
Seeing them at Sonisphere was like a breath of fresh air, they weren't the best band there but you could tell that they wanted to be there as much as any of the others and more than most. Having just left a band I didn't like they turned my mood around.
For a debut EP this is great stuff. The power is generally well balanced with creativity, and every song is catchy in its own right. I'd give the piece a 7.5/10; it's a really great start. In future I'd like to see a little more melody as I thought in places it could have done just a little bit more. Watch out for this band, I know I will.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Blog Upgrade
Greetings all, you may notice that Malfunctioning Musical Madness has had a minor upgrade. There haven't been any major changes, I've just added a few buttons at the top of the page (just below the blog title) that allow for easy navigation to a few notable pages. These include: "Home" which links to the front page, "About" which talks about the aims of the blog and a little about me, the author, "Links" which lists useful web addresses currently just for music related websites but will eventually have a list of non-music related websites that I feel you may find interesting, and "Contact" where you'll find information about how to get in touch with me.
These new pages may be edited and built upon as time goes on so, for instance, while the "Links" page is a little thin right now I'll be adding more websites as I remember/encounter them.
Thank you for your continued support.
These new pages may be edited and built upon as time goes on so, for instance, while the "Links" page is a little thin right now I'll be adding more websites as I remember/encounter them.
Thank you for your continued support.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
The Album: Many Songs, One Piece
Often just a collection of songs an album is generally how bands release their music, with the exception of EPs and singles. Often an album will have two or three "hit" songs and then several other lower profile, but hopefully still good, tracks. Often the songs are very much separate entities and can sometimes be very different in style from each other. However this isn't always the case, sometimes an album can feel like a single piece of music, even though it's technically split into multiple tracks. To achieve this each song needs to lead into the other, not necessarily seamlessly but the divide can't be too obvious. Also each song must be similar in its style and motifs if not directly continuing the previous song's lyrical subject.
So in this article I'll talk about a few albums that sound like they're one long musical piece and, more than that, work as one single entity. A few of these albums may have been mentioned before on this blog before but I can't leave them out of this list.
Far - Regina Spektor
The interesting thing, for me, about this album with respect to the idea of it being a single piece is that the songs are fairly separated, they vary a little bit especially with regard to their tempo. However despite this it feels a little bit like a journey of sorts and so it fits into this category. A masterpiece of vocals and piano, this is one of my favourite albums. Its beautiful lyrics touch on
various melancholic subjects; for instance the questioning of belief in Laughing With (the best song on the album), and in Blue Lips with the lines:
So in this article I'll talk about a few albums that sound like they're one long musical piece and, more than that, work as one single entity. A few of these albums may have been mentioned before on this blog before but I can't leave them out of this list.
Far - Regina Spektor
The interesting thing, for me, about this album with respect to the idea of it being a single piece is that the songs are fairly separated, they vary a little bit especially with regard to their tempo. However despite this it feels a little bit like a journey of sorts and so it fits into this category. A masterpiece of vocals and piano, this is one of my favourite albums. Its beautiful lyrics touch on
various melancholic subjects; for instance the questioning of belief in Laughing With (the best song on the album), and in Blue Lips with the lines: "As they made it past the enemy lines
just to become enslaved in the assembly lines"
A lovely album that, while individual tracks differ, has a nice overall production with relaxing piano part and vocals that make you think while you enjoy the music.
By Tom dl (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
10,000 Days - Tool
Simply a masterpiece. The album's dark allure prevails right the way through with songs varying dramatically but still retaining an overall composure. The first track, Vicarious, has to be one of the greatest album openers I've ever heard, and what's more it leads quickly into the crushing introduction to Jambi. The album's absolute highlight, and my favourite Tool song, is 10,000 Days (Wings Part 2). The lyrics for this are sublime and the singer Keenan's emotions come to the surface as he recounts the hardships his mother endured when she was paralysed before her eventual death.
Crack the Skye - Mastodon
Departing somewhat from their normal style, 2009's release from Mastodon was far proggier than anything they have released before or since. Not as heavy as Leviathan it features lots of picked acoustic guitar and lovely whiny melodies over heavier riffs. The lyrics talk about Tsar Nicolas II of Russia amongst other things. The songs on this album are sometimes difficult to distinguish from each other; such is the way that the piece ties together. This really emphasises the sense that it's less a collection of
songs and more a musical journey. The final track, The Last Baron, is 13 minutes long which along with its style puts it firmly in the progressive category, and also features lyrics that work especially well live. When they toured in 2010 I saw them in Bristol UK where they played the entire album start to finish. Playing an entire album live is rare but it worked really well. This shows the majesty of the album; definitely worth a listen.
By http://www.flickr.com/photos/shadowgate/ [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shadowgate/3703888760/
So those three albums are all examples of where, rather than being firmly split into several unique songs, the tracks are all part of a single identity and form a journey upon which the listener embarks.
just to become enslaved in the assembly lines"
A lovely album that, while individual tracks differ, has a nice overall production with relaxing piano part and vocals that make you think while you enjoy the music.
By Tom dl (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
10,000 Days - Tool
Simply a masterpiece. The album's dark allure prevails right the way through with songs varying dramatically but still retaining an overall composure. The first track, Vicarious, has to be one of the greatest album openers I've ever heard, and what's more it leads quickly into the crushing introduction to Jambi. The album's absolute highlight, and my favourite Tool song, is 10,000 Days (Wings Part 2). The lyrics for this are sublime and the singer Keenan's emotions come to the surface as he recounts the hardships his mother endured when she was paralysed before her eventual death.
"10,000 days in the fire is long enough,
You're going home."
Talent is so obvious on this piece, along with all the other Tool albums. The multiple time signature changes add to the complexity of the music that amazes me every time I hear it. The album feels like a single entity, and I rarely listen to individual songs from it (with the exception of the song 10,000 Days). It's one of my top two albums (I can't decide how to rank it within that group) and I urge you check it out. If you don't listen to any other music I talk about, listen to this. You're going home."
Crack the Skye - Mastodon
Departing somewhat from their normal style, 2009's release from Mastodon was far proggier than anything they have released before or since. Not as heavy as Leviathan it features lots of picked acoustic guitar and lovely whiny melodies over heavier riffs. The lyrics talk about Tsar Nicolas II of Russia amongst other things. The songs on this album are sometimes difficult to distinguish from each other; such is the way that the piece ties together. This really emphasises the sense that it's less a collection of
songs and more a musical journey. The final track, The Last Baron, is 13 minutes long which along with its style puts it firmly in the progressive category, and also features lyrics that work especially well live. When they toured in 2010 I saw them in Bristol UK where they played the entire album start to finish. Playing an entire album live is rare but it worked really well. This shows the majesty of the album; definitely worth a listen. By http://www.flickr.com/photos/shadowgate/ [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shadowgate/3703888760/
So those three albums are all examples of where, rather than being firmly split into several unique songs, the tracks are all part of a single identity and form a journey upon which the listener embarks.
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Sol Invicto - Initium: Review
Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter and his side project Sol Invicto have released their debut EP for free download. Since I enjoy listening to Deftones I thought I'd check it out. I've given it a listen and I've formed my opinion of the record. Here's my review:
Uninteresting is probably the best word to describe it. It has its moments that seem to break through in some way or another but nothing close to being energetic or creative. I don't know electronica as well as a lot of people, but I'd say that whatever genre of music I'm listening to I can recognise creativity and talent, but the former was definitely lacking in this piece.
The first track starts with a mildly ominous introduction which drags on a little before a repetitive heavier guitar riff comes in which melds nicely with the preexisting electronic parts. What struck me most was the lack of any melody. The track would have had the potential to be quite entertaining if there had been some kind of part over the top to finish it off, but as it is I just find it lacking.
The second track, and indeed all the tracks, leads directly on from the previous song. Here ambient effects are introduced which I liked and found somewhat interesting. The faint effects in the background underneath the ambience remind me of rain and have a pleasant influence on the song as a whole. Towards the end of the track there's a few snatches of speech that, in retrospect, seem self indulgent and serve no particular purpose.
Each track is named simply Sol Invicto Initium followed by the track number, so Sol Invicto Initium 3.0 begins with a more confident drum beat which again combines nicely with the other effects in use. The elements of chorus introduced here sound faintly of an Air Raid Siren so you can make your own mind up about that; I actually quite like it.
While listening to the fourth track I thought: "Anyone sitting in their room with a keyboard and decent effects software could make this." This is perhaps an unfair and untrue statement since the talent is evident in the overall piece, but it does convey my frustration at how uncreative the piece is. This track is the most unmemorable of the entire piece.
There's a moment of silence in the next track which seems to form a sort of minibreak for the EP which works nicely. It doesn't quite separate the piece into two parts but just gives the feeling of an intermission which works well.
The guitar riff in the sixth song, while uncreative, sticks in your head and draws your attention back to the music a little, which I suppose is a good thing. However the drum beat in the song is not just uncreative, it is generic to a ridiculous degree.
The combination of guitar and chorus parts at the beginning of the seventh and final song spark a little interest, however the riff is the same as in the sixth track and is still as uncreative as ever. The song seems to begin to build up to something but this then dissipates and there's a feeling of lost opportunity. The song ends with twenty seconds of nothing.
Overall it was uninteresting and generic. I had pressed play with high hopes for the EP but I was in the end disappointed. It may be that because this genre of music isn't what I listen to the most I don't know what I'm talking about, but I stand by my assertion that I can spot talent in most genres. Fans of Deftones should check this out, but don't have too many expectations of it.
Uninteresting is probably the best word to describe it. It has its moments that seem to break through in some way or another but nothing close to being energetic or creative. I don't know electronica as well as a lot of people, but I'd say that whatever genre of music I'm listening to I can recognise creativity and talent, but the former was definitely lacking in this piece.
The first track starts with a mildly ominous introduction which drags on a little before a repetitive heavier guitar riff comes in which melds nicely with the preexisting electronic parts. What struck me most was the lack of any melody. The track would have had the potential to be quite entertaining if there had been some kind of part over the top to finish it off, but as it is I just find it lacking.
The second track, and indeed all the tracks, leads directly on from the previous song. Here ambient effects are introduced which I liked and found somewhat interesting. The faint effects in the background underneath the ambience remind me of rain and have a pleasant influence on the song as a whole. Towards the end of the track there's a few snatches of speech that, in retrospect, seem self indulgent and serve no particular purpose.
Each track is named simply Sol Invicto Initium followed by the track number, so Sol Invicto Initium 3.0 begins with a more confident drum beat which again combines nicely with the other effects in use. The elements of chorus introduced here sound faintly of an Air Raid Siren so you can make your own mind up about that; I actually quite like it.
While listening to the fourth track I thought: "Anyone sitting in their room with a keyboard and decent effects software could make this." This is perhaps an unfair and untrue statement since the talent is evident in the overall piece, but it does convey my frustration at how uncreative the piece is. This track is the most unmemorable of the entire piece.
There's a moment of silence in the next track which seems to form a sort of minibreak for the EP which works nicely. It doesn't quite separate the piece into two parts but just gives the feeling of an intermission which works well.
The guitar riff in the sixth song, while uncreative, sticks in your head and draws your attention back to the music a little, which I suppose is a good thing. However the drum beat in the song is not just uncreative, it is generic to a ridiculous degree.
The combination of guitar and chorus parts at the beginning of the seventh and final song spark a little interest, however the riff is the same as in the sixth track and is still as uncreative as ever. The song seems to begin to build up to something but this then dissipates and there's a feeling of lost opportunity. The song ends with twenty seconds of nothing.
Overall it was uninteresting and generic. I had pressed play with high hopes for the EP but I was in the end disappointed. It may be that because this genre of music isn't what I listen to the most I don't know what I'm talking about, but I stand by my assertion that I can spot talent in most genres. Fans of Deftones should check this out, but don't have too many expectations of it.
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Black Sabbath Return... Well Actually No... Actually Maybe?
(Edit: It would appear that the news that Black Sabbath are returning is false and the work of a journalist that blew a casual remark out of proportion. I apologise for any inconvenience caused. I'll leave the article I posted here for you to read as it's got some interesting information)
(Edit mk II: Other reports that have been released appear to support the original statement, so I'm going to wait to see what happens.)
It's been announced that the original lineup of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward have been playing together once more with intent to tour and to record a new album. This is truly historic news for rock and metal fans, many of whom never got the chance to see Sabbath the first time around.
Black Sabbath are regarded by many in the musical community as the band who created heavy metal, which was subsequently made big by Iron Maiden and Metallica. Hailing from the midlands of the UK in a setting filled with steelworks and other metal production facilities the band's music reflects with the deep guttural power of the riffs reflecting the utilitarian steelworks.
I don't know Sabbath too well, I've only heard the album Paranoid but I'm definitely going to listen to more of their work. What's more I'm setting aside some ca
sh for a gig ticket. My fear is that the high commercial opportunity that this reformation brings will cause ticket prices to be alike to when Led Zeppelin reformed for a limited amound of shows and charged way over £100 for two tickets. The demand for tickets for this tour will be immense and I foresee server crashes when online ticket sales open.
By Photobra|Adam Bielawski (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
I find it astonishing that this has been kept under wraps for so long, since the band have been rehearsing since June. Whatever the outcome, however many albums the band release, this is going to be an event like no other, and will shake the metal genre to its very core. Bring it on!
(Edit mk II: Other reports that have been released appear to support the original statement, so I'm going to wait to see what happens.)
It's been announced that the original lineup of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward have been playing together once more with intent to tour and to record a new album. This is truly historic news for rock and metal fans, many of whom never got the chance to see Sabbath the first time around.
Black Sabbath are regarded by many in the musical community as the band who created heavy metal, which was subsequently made big by Iron Maiden and Metallica. Hailing from the midlands of the UK in a setting filled with steelworks and other metal production facilities the band's music reflects with the deep guttural power of the riffs reflecting the utilitarian steelworks.
I don't know Sabbath too well, I've only heard the album Paranoid but I'm definitely going to listen to more of their work. What's more I'm setting aside some ca
sh for a gig ticket. My fear is that the high commercial opportunity that this reformation brings will cause ticket prices to be alike to when Led Zeppelin reformed for a limited amound of shows and charged way over £100 for two tickets. The demand for tickets for this tour will be immense and I foresee server crashes when online ticket sales open.
By Photobra|Adam Bielawski (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
I find it astonishing that this has been kept under wraps for so long, since the band have been rehearsing since June. Whatever the outcome, however many albums the band release, this is going to be an event like no other, and will shake the metal genre to its very core. Bring it on!
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Profile: The Mars Volta
From now on the series of "Notable Artists" posts will now be replaced with a series of profiles. The articles will be essentially the same in style but with a few changes. In this I aim to achieve a greater consistency across the series in terms of the information included so as to aid comparison. I hope you enjoy the new format.
The Mars Volta are a Texan band who first became active back in 2001 (biographical information courtesy of wikipedia.org since the bio section of their official website was empty). Forming out of the remains of At the Drive In, they released their debut album in 2003 entitled De-Loused In The Comatorium. Many of the songs from this album still feature in their live sets today including Inertiatic Esp, a track of shorter length than a lot of their pieces.
Their brand of alternative, progressive, rock/metal has earned them a large following and they have become a very successful act to date. They currently have five studio albums released:
In terms of raw skill they're phenomenal. This is evident in the frequent changes of style and timing during songs which many bands would struggle to pull off, especially live. When listening to their music you get a sense of this and it demands a great respect for their work. Whether or not you like their music, which I definitely do, you should be able to see the skill with which their work is infused and appreciate them for that.
As a live act they're amazing. I say this about a lot of bands, I realise this, but there's something that sets The Mars Volta apart from other bands I've seen. The best word I can think of to describe the atmosphere of their live set is "captivating". The music just takes up all your attention until your just standing their in awe of their talent. When I caught them at Sonisphere 2011, when they headlined the second stage on the Saturday, I didn't see anyone moshing or even moving very much, everyone was just absorbed in their performance. Also the singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, was entertaining just to watch. He was full of energy and ran around the
stage causing havoc. At one point he shoved a kettle and other equipment onto the floor (the former broke), but this was nothing compared to when he picked up one of the metal barriers from the side of the stage and threw it towards the crowd. Obviously it didn't reach the crowd, it went just off the stage, but it was still absolutely hilarious. A fantastic live band.
By Clownhouse III [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clownhousethethird/2676735835/sizes/l/
This band are popular amongst fans of similar progressive rock/metal and I'd say that people who like Dream Theater would like them. However it was obvious from their Sonisphere performance that they are very appreciated by fans of Tool. This doesn't surprise me in the least; the two bands are similar in style although Tool are darker and more metally.
So there you have it. I think The Mars Volta are at the forefront of their genre and are popular amongst the musical circles they inhabit. Still they are under appreciated and I urge you to check them out.
The Mars Volta are a Texan band who first became active back in 2001 (biographical information courtesy of wikipedia.org since the bio section of their official website was empty). Forming out of the remains of At the Drive In, they released their debut album in 2003 entitled De-Loused In The Comatorium. Many of the songs from this album still feature in their live sets today including Inertiatic Esp, a track of shorter length than a lot of their pieces.
Their brand of alternative, progressive, rock/metal has earned them a large following and they have become a very successful act to date. They currently have five studio albums released:
- Deloused In The Comatorium 2003
- Frances The Mute 2005
- Amputechture 2006
- The Bedlam In Goliath 2008
- Octahedron 2009
In terms of raw skill they're phenomenal. This is evident in the frequent changes of style and timing during songs which many bands would struggle to pull off, especially live. When listening to their music you get a sense of this and it demands a great respect for their work. Whether or not you like their music, which I definitely do, you should be able to see the skill with which their work is infused and appreciate them for that.
As a live act they're amazing. I say this about a lot of bands, I realise this, but there's something that sets The Mars Volta apart from other bands I've seen. The best word I can think of to describe the atmosphere of their live set is "captivating". The music just takes up all your attention until your just standing their in awe of their talent. When I caught them at Sonisphere 2011, when they headlined the second stage on the Saturday, I didn't see anyone moshing or even moving very much, everyone was just absorbed in their performance. Also the singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, was entertaining just to watch. He was full of energy and ran around the
stage causing havoc. At one point he shoved a kettle and other equipment onto the floor (the former broke), but this was nothing compared to when he picked up one of the metal barriers from the side of the stage and threw it towards the crowd. Obviously it didn't reach the crowd, it went just off the stage, but it was still absolutely hilarious. A fantastic live band.
By Clownhouse III [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clownhousethethird/2676735835/sizes/l/
This band are popular amongst fans of similar progressive rock/metal and I'd say that people who like Dream Theater would like them. However it was obvious from their Sonisphere performance that they are very appreciated by fans of Tool. This doesn't surprise me in the least; the two bands are similar in style although Tool are darker and more metally.
So there you have it. I think The Mars Volta are at the forefront of their genre and are popular amongst the musical circles they inhabit. Still they are under appreciated and I urge you to check them out.
Sunday, 7 August 2011
Iron Maiden: Live Review
Having seen the famous British heavy metal band at Sonisphere 2010, where they headlined the Sunday and brought the festival to a close, I was expecting great things from Iron Maiden this year, and I wasn't disappointed. Their Final Frontier World Tour finally reached the UK where they played an extensive stadium tour ending in two dates at the London o2 arena. I saw them at Cardiff International Arena when they played on 1st August.
Opening with Satellite 15... The Final Frontier (after UFO's Doctor Doctor was played on the PA system) their set began, with the low key first half of the song teasing at the crowd as they waited for the curtain to drop when the second half began. Before the gig I had my problems with that song, I felt that the first half was too long and was something you had to sit through in order to hear the better second part. I still feel that way but I really enjoyed the song live, but my view is that it only works as an opener, if they were to play it in the middle of a set a lot of the crowd's energy would be lost.
Afterwards they moved onto El Dorado, a track from their newest album (The Final Frontier), which I include as one of their classics. Next up was my highlight of the gig: 2 Minutes to Midnight. This song was like a shot of adrenaline for the already pumped crowd. I remember being very close to the front (which I was for the entire gig) and leaping as high as I possibly could into the air. I enjoy the studio version of the song, but I feel that it works much better as a live track.
Later on the crowd was graced with the beautiful, flowing, chorus of Coming Home; one of the songs that, I'll be honest, makes The Final Frontier, worth listening to. Not that it's terrible, it's no The X Factor, but many of the songs, while entertaining, are in the dangerous category of "filler". Coming Home, however, is a masterpiece, both on CD and in concert.
The opening notes to the next song, Dance of Death, put a massive smile on my face that lingered for a long time. Possibly the best ballad Maiden have ever written, it's subtle acoustic parts are directly contrasted with heavier riffs, and the
lyrical content gives the song a darker edge with it's talk of the devil and things rising from hell. This is one of the songs that I've now seen live twice, as the played it at Sonisphere 2010, and I loved it both times.
By Scott Penner [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31648498@N00/4771190892
A couple of tracks later they played The Wicker Man. Personally I thought this was the weakest song of the whole set. I never thought it was that good a song; I feel that the chorus is boring and repetitive and that the overall song is just uninteresting. However the crowd loved it, so I suppose this may be one of the opinions that few people share. For the record I have similar feelings about Run to the Hills, although not to the same extent.
The 10th track they played was the epic ballad from their 2010 album. When the Wild Wind Blows was a change from the heavier songs that had gone before it but the crowd loved it just the same; and so did I. The soft vocals talk of the end of the world with such grace that the song seems to rise and fall with ease to the delight of the audience. A great song.
Next up was The Evil That Men Do, a classic from the album: Seventh Son of a Seventh Song, which I loved. There's a small part of the song which I like even more than the rest; when the lyrics go:
Something about those lines always gets me and it really defines the song for me; speaking about the nature of humanity.
Finally the band ended the gig the way they usually do; by embarking upon a storm of classics. Fear of the Dark had it's guaranteed effect of making the crowd sing out louder than ever before. Their self titled track featured a giant Eddie (their mascot) head which appeared behind the stage and glared around at the audience. They returned for their encore which began with The Number of the Beast. Hallowed Be Thy Name showed Bruce Dickinson's v
ocal talent once more as he soared through the extended notes and really brought across the plight of the song's narrator; a prisoner waiting for the gallows. The studio version, on the album The Number of the Beast, is in my opinion Dickinson's finest performance of his career with Maiden. Finally the band left the stage after playing through the ever-popular Running Free.
By Mike Lawrence (Flickr: Iron Maiden) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98945462@N00/5970616949
Overall it was a fantastic gig, in fact it's the best I've ever been to I think, with Mastodon at the o2 Academy in Bristol last February in second place. I enjoyed every song and I felt that the setlist for this gig was better than the one they played at Sonisphere 2010 which had too many rarities and not enough classics. This time they added 2 Minutes to Midnight, The Trooper, and The Evil That Men Do which improved the ratio of rarities to classics (6:10). The band have already hinted at a new album, which I'm guessing will be released in around September of 2012 since they seem to average an album every 2 years. Roll on the next tour!
Opening with Satellite 15... The Final Frontier (after UFO's Doctor Doctor was played on the PA system) their set began, with the low key first half of the song teasing at the crowd as they waited for the curtain to drop when the second half began. Before the gig I had my problems with that song, I felt that the first half was too long and was something you had to sit through in order to hear the better second part. I still feel that way but I really enjoyed the song live, but my view is that it only works as an opener, if they were to play it in the middle of a set a lot of the crowd's energy would be lost.
Afterwards they moved onto El Dorado, a track from their newest album (The Final Frontier), which I include as one of their classics. Next up was my highlight of the gig: 2 Minutes to Midnight. This song was like a shot of adrenaline for the already pumped crowd. I remember being very close to the front (which I was for the entire gig) and leaping as high as I possibly could into the air. I enjoy the studio version of the song, but I feel that it works much better as a live track.
Later on the crowd was graced with the beautiful, flowing, chorus of Coming Home; one of the songs that, I'll be honest, makes The Final Frontier, worth listening to. Not that it's terrible, it's no The X Factor, but many of the songs, while entertaining, are in the dangerous category of "filler". Coming Home, however, is a masterpiece, both on CD and in concert.
The opening notes to the next song, Dance of Death, put a massive smile on my face that lingered for a long time. Possibly the best ballad Maiden have ever written, it's subtle acoustic parts are directly contrasted with heavier riffs, and the
lyrical content gives the song a darker edge with it's talk of the devil and things rising from hell. This is one of the songs that I've now seen live twice, as the played it at Sonisphere 2010, and I loved it both times.
By Scott Penner [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31648498@N00/4771190892
A couple of tracks later they played The Wicker Man. Personally I thought this was the weakest song of the whole set. I never thought it was that good a song; I feel that the chorus is boring and repetitive and that the overall song is just uninteresting. However the crowd loved it, so I suppose this may be one of the opinions that few people share. For the record I have similar feelings about Run to the Hills, although not to the same extent.
The 10th track they played was the epic ballad from their 2010 album. When the Wild Wind Blows was a change from the heavier songs that had gone before it but the crowd loved it just the same; and so did I. The soft vocals talk of the end of the world with such grace that the song seems to rise and fall with ease to the delight of the audience. A great song.
Next up was The Evil That Men Do, a classic from the album: Seventh Son of a Seventh Song, which I loved. There's a small part of the song which I like even more than the rest; when the lyrics go:
"And I will pray for her,
I will call her name out loud.
I would bleed for her,
if I could only see her now"
Finally the band ended the gig the way they usually do; by embarking upon a storm of classics. Fear of the Dark had it's guaranteed effect of making the crowd sing out louder than ever before. Their self titled track featured a giant Eddie (their mascot) head which appeared behind the stage and glared around at the audience. They returned for their encore which began with The Number of the Beast. Hallowed Be Thy Name showed Bruce Dickinson's v
ocal talent once more as he soared through the extended notes and really brought across the plight of the song's narrator; a prisoner waiting for the gallows. The studio version, on the album The Number of the Beast, is in my opinion Dickinson's finest performance of his career with Maiden. Finally the band left the stage after playing through the ever-popular Running Free.
By Mike Lawrence (Flickr: Iron Maiden) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98945462@N00/5970616949
Overall it was a fantastic gig, in fact it's the best I've ever been to I think, with Mastodon at the o2 Academy in Bristol last February in second place. I enjoyed every song and I felt that the setlist for this gig was better than the one they played at Sonisphere 2010 which had too many rarities and not enough classics. This time they added 2 Minutes to Midnight, The Trooper, and The Evil That Men Do which improved the ratio of rarities to classics (6:10). The band have already hinted at a new album, which I'm guessing will be released in around September of 2012 since they seem to average an album every 2 years. Roll on the next tour!
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Sonisphere 2011: Review
A weekend packed to the brim with music of many genres and calibres, Sonisphere 2011 brought the crowds what they wanted. Taking place in the historic grounds of Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire where the likes of Led Zeppelin have played in previous years, this year's festival was somewhat bigger than last years with all three days selling out. Headlining this year were Metallica (and the rest of The Big Four), Biffy Clyro, and Slipknot. Bands appeared across five stages; Apollo and Saturn, the main and second stages respectively, Bohemia, Red Bull, and Jagermeister stages. Here's a day by day breakdown of the bands I saw.
Friday
The first band I saw on Friday were called Japanese Voyeurs. I left after three or four songs. Playing in the Bohemia tent, the third stage as it were, they were too loud and lacked creativity in my eyes. The singer was obviously a Skunk Anansie fan because she tried to emanate Skin's, the Skunk Anansie frontwoman's, style of soft verses that immediately launch into crushing chorus vocals. It didn't work. So I left them and caught the end of the set of Hammer of the Gods who were very good. I wouldn't deem them to be the most creative band in the world, but they were entertaining and the crowd loved them.
I then returned to Bohemia to catch one of the best performances of the festival. Lower Than Atlantis demonstrated their talent for raw hardcore music and were everything I hoped them to be. During one of the songs the crowd were urged to sit down and then jump up, a move probably borrowed from Slipknot. As it is LTA were masters of working the crowd and provided a hugely entertaining set.
Later on I saw Firewind, again in the Bohemia tent, on whom opinion in our group was divided. I personally found them boring. The constant shredded melodic solos wore thin after a song or two and I was left underwhelmed by the seeming lack of creativity from such a famous band. However, as I said, many in our group liked them, the crowd certainly appeared to.
At around 7 in the evening I went to see a band called Black Breath who I'd heard a lot about but had never listened to. Playing on the Jagermeister stage, formed from an open truck, they were crushing. The music was so powerful that it was like an assault on your mind. I was one row from the front and I could feel the band's ferocity coursing through my veins. A truly fantastic set and a highlight of the festival.
I then went to get a good spot for Metallica. I'd not gone to see any of the other Big Four bands (Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer) since I'd already seen two of them and the one I hadn't seen (Megadeth) I had no interest in seeing since I'd heard they are a weak band live. Anyway, Metallica emerged onstage beginning with Kill 'Em All, a track from the album of the same name released in 1983. Previously I hadn't liked the album. I'd thought that the time changes made it difficult to get into. However I listened to it again yesterday and have changed my mind. Metallica's set was fantastic. A few rarities were thrown in including Welcome Home (Sanitarium) which was great. For me the setlist was a little disappointing because it didn't include Nothing Else Matters which until recently had been a staple for the band akin to Iron Maiden's Fear of the Dark. Overall it was a great performance made better when members of the other Big Four bands came onstage and played Diamond He
ad's Am I Evil? like they have done at all the Big Four shows. The difference between Sonisphere UK and the other Sonispheres where The Big Four played was that at our festival a member of Diamond Head, Brian Tatler, who had written the song played as well. A truly phenomenal gig which I enjoyed immensely.
By Alberto Cabello from Vitoria Gasteiz (James Hetfield (Metallica)) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53477761@N08/4936122349/
Saturday
Late Saturday morning I sat down and watched Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine, a group that plays jazz versions of various songs. Their set included covers of Nine Inch Nails and Pink Floyd, but the highlight has to be their cover of Slipknot's People=Shit which was in such contrast to the original song that it belied belief. It was a nice change to have some jazz amongst the metal, it changed the rhythm of the event somewhat which worked well. Last year on the Sunday The Fab Beatles played who, as you'd expect, were somewhat different to the other bands playing at Sonisphere 2010.
Next up were Architects followed by Gallows. Having seen Gallows before back in December 2009 and being blown away I was expecting a great show. I wasn't disappointed at all by their performance. My favourite part was when they played London Is The Reason, which is among my favourite of their tracks. What made it a little more unique was that it was renamed to match the location. They've done this before on their current tour. So this time the lyrics, instead of including the phrase "London is the reason,", were "Knebworth is the reason". However I still left their set downhearted since their singer, Frank Carter, confirmed what I'd heard the night before: he is leaving Gallows at the end of this tour. In my opinion Gallows will never be the same without Frank's raw vocal strength, but time will tell.
At 3 in the afternoon Bad Religion emerged onto the Apollo stage to deliver a great set of their brilliant pop punk anthems. 21st Century Digital Boy was the best moment of their set but the absence of Incomplete was a shame. A problem with their set was that the singer's mic was too quiet. At the beginning I couldn't really hear him at all, and this wasn't fully rectified. Other bands also suffered from parts being too loud or quiet across the weekend.
Immediately afterwards I saw Sum 41 who were boring. I was surprised. In fact the best part of their set was the few minutes they spent playing bits of Metallica songs. However later the second stage headliner came on and really made an impression. Tool-esque prog rockers The Mars Volta were underwhelming for the first 20 minutes of their 1 hour 15 minute set, but after that they really got going. Playing some new songs before embarking on a tour of various classics. They were mind-bogglingly good and their singer was fascinating to watch. At one point he started to climb underneath the staging before wrecking a kettle and trying to fit into a box. The set was fantastic, definitely one of my top five performances of the weekend.
Then it was time for the day's headliner: Biffy Clyro. Having heard only heard one or two Biffy Clyro songs before I went I was expecting to enjoy their set only somewhat. I was wrong. They were brilliant. When they were originally announced the internet was on fire with so many people saying they weren't headliner material, since they hadn't headlined anywhere before. I think it's safe to say those people were proved wrong on Saturday 9th July 2011. Biffy looked like they'd been headlining festivals for years. And so ended the Saturday's music for me.
Sunday
Around midday I watched House of Pain on the second stage. Their set was ok they suffered from what all one hit wonders suffer from. The crowd were only their for one song. Predictably that one song was played last. Last year's Sonisphere UK booked Europe who were the same with their hit The Final Countdown. When House of Pain finally started Jump Around the crowd when mad. So many people leaping into the air that early hour (relatively, it's a festival after all) was quite a sight.
Later on Mastodon took to the mainstage. One of the bands I'd been looking forward to the whole weekend did not disappoint. Playing a greatest hit set this time meant it was quite a different show from when I saw them in Bristol in 2010 when they played all of 2009's Crack The Skye. If I'm being honest I enjoyed the latter more, but their performance at Sonisphere was still fantastic. I love the distinctive hum overtone they add to their pieces, it's something unique to them. They didn't play The Last Baron (the last track of Crack The Skye) but they played lots of other great songs so I wasn't all that annoyed.
The next act on the main stage were Motorhead. For such an old experienced band I was expecting to enjoy a great set of classic rock. Disappointed isn't a strong enough word. Lemmy was drunk, the songs were monotonous and impossible to tell apart, and Ace of Spades was boring. I came away feeling I'd wasted an hour of my life.
Just after 7 o'clock in the evening Alestorm took to the Bohemia stage and began with Shipwrecked, a song from their new album Back Through Time. They were fantastic. It was hit after hit. They even played Nancy The Tavern Wench which is something of a rarity. Barriers were set up to stop any more people entering the already packed tent. After the gig the crowd leaving Bohemia took up the chant of "Alestorm. Alestorm. Alestorm" an en masse we descended upon the space in front of the second stage ready for Bill Bailey.
Playing a greatest hits set that included the BBC News Rave, Das Hokey Kokey, and his Love Ballad, Bill Bailey was great. He also played a Rammstein-esque rendition of Scarborough Fair. The most surprising thing was that there actually was a mosh pit, and a circle pit, to the comedy act. The gig also broke the world record for largest comedy audience.
Finally Slipknot walked out onto the mainstage to enthrall the crowd. The performance was all about celebrating the life of their bassist, the late Paul Gray (right). All wearing orange jumpsuits and masks it was quite a sight, and a great gig. At one point one of the members, I forget which one, crowdsurfed all the way to the sounddesk, quite a distance. He then climbed onto the roof and then leapt off into the crowd during the next song. The band played classics like Heretic Anthem and People=Shit, the same song that Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine had covered the previous day. Towards the end of their set they asked the entire crowd to sit down, before commanding them to "Stand the fuck up", the crowd interaction move that I mentioned earlier when talking about Lower than Atlantis.
I was left stunned after the end of the gig, craving more. They were, and still are, fighting Metallica for my favourite performance of the festival.
By bill from jersey city (Slipknot, Nassau Coliseum, 8.06) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72935807@N00/2744748856/
So there we have it; Sonisphere Knebworth 2011. I'll definitely be there next year. Tool are heavily rumoured to be headlining, which would be reason enough for me to go. They're top of my list of bands to see, followed by Flogging Molly (whom I have tickets to see in November). Overall it was a great weekend packed with talented bands.
Friday
The first band I saw on Friday were called Japanese Voyeurs. I left after three or four songs. Playing in the Bohemia tent, the third stage as it were, they were too loud and lacked creativity in my eyes. The singer was obviously a Skunk Anansie fan because she tried to emanate Skin's, the Skunk Anansie frontwoman's, style of soft verses that immediately launch into crushing chorus vocals. It didn't work. So I left them and caught the end of the set of Hammer of the Gods who were very good. I wouldn't deem them to be the most creative band in the world, but they were entertaining and the crowd loved them.
I then returned to Bohemia to catch one of the best performances of the festival. Lower Than Atlantis demonstrated their talent for raw hardcore music and were everything I hoped them to be. During one of the songs the crowd were urged to sit down and then jump up, a move probably borrowed from Slipknot. As it is LTA were masters of working the crowd and provided a hugely entertaining set.
Later on I saw Firewind, again in the Bohemia tent, on whom opinion in our group was divided. I personally found them boring. The constant shredded melodic solos wore thin after a song or two and I was left underwhelmed by the seeming lack of creativity from such a famous band. However, as I said, many in our group liked them, the crowd certainly appeared to.
At around 7 in the evening I went to see a band called Black Breath who I'd heard a lot about but had never listened to. Playing on the Jagermeister stage, formed from an open truck, they were crushing. The music was so powerful that it was like an assault on your mind. I was one row from the front and I could feel the band's ferocity coursing through my veins. A truly fantastic set and a highlight of the festival.
I then went to get a good spot for Metallica. I'd not gone to see any of the other Big Four bands (Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer) since I'd already seen two of them and the one I hadn't seen (Megadeth) I had no interest in seeing since I'd heard they are a weak band live. Anyway, Metallica emerged onstage beginning with Kill 'Em All, a track from the album of the same name released in 1983. Previously I hadn't liked the album. I'd thought that the time changes made it difficult to get into. However I listened to it again yesterday and have changed my mind. Metallica's set was fantastic. A few rarities were thrown in including Welcome Home (Sanitarium) which was great. For me the setlist was a little disappointing because it didn't include Nothing Else Matters which until recently had been a staple for the band akin to Iron Maiden's Fear of the Dark. Overall it was a great performance made better when members of the other Big Four bands came onstage and played Diamond He
ad's Am I Evil? like they have done at all the Big Four shows. The difference between Sonisphere UK and the other Sonispheres where The Big Four played was that at our festival a member of Diamond Head, Brian Tatler, who had written the song played as well. A truly phenomenal gig which I enjoyed immensely.By Alberto Cabello from Vitoria Gasteiz (James Hetfield (Metallica)) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53477761@N08/4936122349/
Saturday
Late Saturday morning I sat down and watched Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine, a group that plays jazz versions of various songs. Their set included covers of Nine Inch Nails and Pink Floyd, but the highlight has to be their cover of Slipknot's People=Shit which was in such contrast to the original song that it belied belief. It was a nice change to have some jazz amongst the metal, it changed the rhythm of the event somewhat which worked well. Last year on the Sunday The Fab Beatles played who, as you'd expect, were somewhat different to the other bands playing at Sonisphere 2010.
Next up were Architects followed by Gallows. Having seen Gallows before back in December 2009 and being blown away I was expecting a great show. I wasn't disappointed at all by their performance. My favourite part was when they played London Is The Reason, which is among my favourite of their tracks. What made it a little more unique was that it was renamed to match the location. They've done this before on their current tour. So this time the lyrics, instead of including the phrase "London is the reason,", were "Knebworth is the reason". However I still left their set downhearted since their singer, Frank Carter, confirmed what I'd heard the night before: he is leaving Gallows at the end of this tour. In my opinion Gallows will never be the same without Frank's raw vocal strength, but time will tell.
At 3 in the afternoon Bad Religion emerged onto the Apollo stage to deliver a great set of their brilliant pop punk anthems. 21st Century Digital Boy was the best moment of their set but the absence of Incomplete was a shame. A problem with their set was that the singer's mic was too quiet. At the beginning I couldn't really hear him at all, and this wasn't fully rectified. Other bands also suffered from parts being too loud or quiet across the weekend.
Immediately afterwards I saw Sum 41 who were boring. I was surprised. In fact the best part of their set was the few minutes they spent playing bits of Metallica songs. However later the second stage headliner came on and really made an impression. Tool-esque prog rockers The Mars Volta were underwhelming for the first 20 minutes of their 1 hour 15 minute set, but after that they really got going. Playing some new songs before embarking on a tour of various classics. They were mind-bogglingly good and their singer was fascinating to watch. At one point he started to climb underneath the staging before wrecking a kettle and trying to fit into a box. The set was fantastic, definitely one of my top five performances of the weekend.
Then it was time for the day's headliner: Biffy Clyro. Having heard only heard one or two Biffy Clyro songs before I went I was expecting to enjoy their set only somewhat. I was wrong. They were brilliant. When they were originally announced the internet was on fire with so many people saying they weren't headliner material, since they hadn't headlined anywhere before. I think it's safe to say those people were proved wrong on Saturday 9th July 2011. Biffy looked like they'd been headlining festivals for years. And so ended the Saturday's music for me.
Sunday
Around midday I watched House of Pain on the second stage. Their set was ok they suffered from what all one hit wonders suffer from. The crowd were only their for one song. Predictably that one song was played last. Last year's Sonisphere UK booked Europe who were the same with their hit The Final Countdown. When House of Pain finally started Jump Around the crowd when mad. So many people leaping into the air that early hour (relatively, it's a festival after all) was quite a sight.
Later on Mastodon took to the mainstage. One of the bands I'd been looking forward to the whole weekend did not disappoint. Playing a greatest hit set this time meant it was quite a different show from when I saw them in Bristol in 2010 when they played all of 2009's Crack The Skye. If I'm being honest I enjoyed the latter more, but their performance at Sonisphere was still fantastic. I love the distinctive hum overtone they add to their pieces, it's something unique to them. They didn't play The Last Baron (the last track of Crack The Skye) but they played lots of other great songs so I wasn't all that annoyed.
The next act on the main stage were Motorhead. For such an old experienced band I was expecting to enjoy a great set of classic rock. Disappointed isn't a strong enough word. Lemmy was drunk, the songs were monotonous and impossible to tell apart, and Ace of Spades was boring. I came away feeling I'd wasted an hour of my life.
Just after 7 o'clock in the evening Alestorm took to the Bohemia stage and began with Shipwrecked, a song from their new album Back Through Time. They were fantastic. It was hit after hit. They even played Nancy The Tavern Wench which is something of a rarity. Barriers were set up to stop any more people entering the already packed tent. After the gig the crowd leaving Bohemia took up the chant of "Alestorm. Alestorm. Alestorm" an en masse we descended upon the space in front of the second stage ready for Bill Bailey.
Playing a greatest hits set that included the BBC News Rave, Das Hokey Kokey, and his Love Ballad, Bill Bailey was great. He also played a Rammstein-esque rendition of Scarborough Fair. The most surprising thing was that there actually was a mosh pit, and a circle pit, to the comedy act. The gig also broke the world record for largest comedy audience.
Finally Slipknot walked out onto the mainstage to enthrall the crowd. The performance was all about celebrating the life of their bassist, the late Paul Gray (right). All wearing orange jumpsuits and masks it was quite a sight, and a great gig. At one point one of the members, I forget which one, crowdsurfed all the way to the sounddesk, quite a distance. He then climbed onto the roof and then leapt off into the crowd during the next song. The band played classics like Heretic Anthem and People=Shit, the same song that Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine had covered the previous day. Towards the end of their set they asked the entire crowd to sit down, before commanding them to "Stand the fuck up", the crowd interaction move that I mentioned earlier when talking about Lower than Atlantis.
I was left stunned after the end of the gig, craving more. They were, and still are, fighting Metallica for my favourite performance of the festival.By bill from jersey city (Slipknot, Nassau Coliseum, 8.06) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72935807@N00/2744748856/
So there we have it; Sonisphere Knebworth 2011. I'll definitely be there next year. Tool are heavily rumoured to be headlining, which would be reason enough for me to go. They're top of my list of bands to see, followed by Flogging Molly (whom I have tickets to see in November). Overall it was a great weekend packed with talented bands.
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