Mad About Rock

Stone Circle announces crowdfunding campaign to record EP in 2016 Progressive metal band Stone Circle (UK) has set up a crowdfunding campaign to aid their next recording, to be done at Bandit Studios (with producer Jonny Renshaw - guitarist for Devil Sold His Soul, ex Mahumodo). The EP will be their 5th release to date and Stone Circle are calling on fans to help contribute towards the recording, including limited edition signed copies of the EP upon its release on pre-order. The band are hoping to raise £1500 to cover the full cost of recording and mastering. www.indiegogo.com/projects/stone-circle-ep-metal Stone Circle has had several accolades from the press, including Terrorizer Magazine stating: “What with Opeth going all 'full-prog' on us, the time couldn’t be better for a new band to take up the mantle of king purveyors of intelligent, melodic and progressively-minded death metal.” Metal Hammer gave the group 8/10 for their performance at UKTechfest “...Their Op...

Live Album Teaser Plus New European Tour Dates for Space Rockers! Alternative electro hard rockers, Weesp from Minsk are keeping the momentum going since the successful release of their high impact debut alum, 'The Void' last year. The album displayed an array of infectious and electrifying hits, such as singles, 'Murderers' and 'Solar Empire' which featured Cory Brandan of American metalcore band, Norma Jean. The band are also known for their energetic outstanding shows, so its no wonder they have decided to release 'The Void' Live in concert, filmed in Minsk to capture this.  Check out the exciting and epic teaser now below! I suggest you catch Weesp live for yourselves, and luckily have have just announced a new European tour: 13.10 Berlin - Slaughterhouse http://slaughterhouse-berlin.de/ 15.10 Hamburg - Grüner Jäger http://www.gruener-jaeger-stpauli.de 18.10 Prague - Lucerna Music Bar http://www.musicbar.cz/ 19.10 Krakow - Jazz Roc...

Heath is a recently formed act, which consists of the multi-skilled singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Peter Hewison, who is based in Manchester, UK. Heath's debut EP is currently in production, but this new song, 'Old Town' gives us a taste of what is to come... 'Old Town' is a blissful reminiscent indie alt rock number, which is a joy to listen to especially with Peter's soft and soothing voice, paired with ambient effective tones and sounds to accompany which make for a very alluring offering. With this new single and the previously released, 'Back Up Now' it is evident that Peter is a brilliant musician and can inject soul and passion into this beautiful chilled out rock. This is the perfect preview that will certainly charm and interest the masses. If you liked this track, luckily we don't have to wait long until the next, as he will be releasing new song, 'Whiskey Skies' soon. In the meantime check out new single 'Old ...

Berlin based Brit trio have just released a new EP, titled 'The Room', having only formed earlier this year by Leah Hinton (Guitars/Vocals) of innovative metal band, El Schlong. Again this isn't a standard rock sound, as they have blended grunge and pop to give them an unique edge, with a hint of grimy bleakness and a dash of beautiful lightness, to keep everyone happy or sad, whichever you prefer... Opening song, 'Knees Are Clean' is a tense shiny grunge tune, and quickly asserts their unusual sound, making a good first impression, especially with varied vocals and dynamic melodic instruments with a gritty fuzzy feel. The short creepy 'Bumps' sounds more downbeat and unhinged with memorable dark toned guitars, and again hard hitting vocal harmonies, and shows off their changeable mood swings. 'And I Wait' is a perfect balance of dark and light. It has drawn out effective vocals and one of the best stand out chorus's so far, along with d...

Check out the latest packed issue of Stencil Mag! It includes my reviews of Chelsea Grin, Milestones and Hunter Dumped Us Here as well as some of my intros I did for the interviews, including Vanna, The Bouncing Souls and more! This issue actually contains more reviews than normal too, so make sure you have a read and discover some new music! Unfortunately, I was busy, as went on holiday, so didn't manage to contribute as much as normally do! See all my reviews here:  https://issuu.com/stencilmag/docs/issue38/155 What are you waiting for check all this out & more!  https://issuu.com/stencilmag/docs/issue38

Convey is an alternative post rock band based out of Los Angeles, CA, but originally from Boston who formed back in 2009, but have only just unveiled their first official release with single, 'Nothing But A Love Song'...luckily for us. They have a vast collection of influences helping them to create their own driving and fresh sound, including Muse, Tool, Deftones and Queens Of The Stone Age. The long wait has paid off for the band, as this debut is extremely melodic, beautiful and powerful, with hard hitting vocals and bouncy groovy riffs, all wrapped up in perfect production and complimenting ambient and atmospheric tones throughout. They have hit the mark, as you are instantly hooked and captivated from the start to finish, with a song that the masses should 'love'. Check out the single for yourself:  https://soundcloud.com/convey/nothing-but-a-love-song Fortunately we don't have to wait long to hear more from this exciting ban...

Broken Glow on their sound: "It's meant to replicate some kind of astral projection or link to a higher consciousness."  Looking for a new diverse rock band?! Broken Glow from Georgia, US fit the bill with their 'bluesy hard rock' that they have been delivering since 2008. So read on to find out about this exciting and deep band... So first things first, how did you come up with your band name and what is the story behind it? The name "Broken Glow" was stumbled upon as we pored through lyric sheets of bands we were influenced by. We'd had a hard time coming up with a name, and after trying strange brainstorming tactics, random word generators and everything else we could think of, we turned to Led Zeppelin and The Beatles for inspiration. The two words of our name are taken from songs by these artists. Can you tell us a bit about your formation in 2008? Our lineup has morphed quite a bit over the years, but the band's inception ...

Are you looking for some light-hearted and strange music to escape the depressing reality of humanity?! Look no further, Panamanian pop rockers, Azucar Acida who formed last year have you covered,  by injecting some humorous music and compelling visuals in one shot with their debut release, titled, 'El Blah Blah Blah Oficial'. As you can probably fathom from the name, it doesn't take itself too seriously, and is highlighting the funny side of arguments. We are all tempted to respond with "Blah Blah" at times, and Azucar Acida do just that in this upbeat and bizarrely satisfying offering. The video is well produced and in perfect sync with the song for maximum effect, and the whole concept works weirdly well. The chorus really makes the song, with its straight forward simpleness that everyone can blast out and join in with. So forget your troubles and embrace the attitude of 'El Blah Blah Blah Oficial'! Arguments aren't fun, but this song certainly i...

I catch up with fresh metal quintet from Perth, Australia, Patient Sixty-Seven who blend the best parts of metal and rock genres to create their own sound. I ask about their origins, what they are currently working on and what lies ahead for the future. So be sure to read on and check out their compelling and electrifying metal... Great band name, is this referring to Shutter Island? Can you tell us a bit about it and how you arrived at this? For sure! And thank you - the title is indeed a reference to Shutter Island. To tell you the truth, the name sort of came about one day while the band was in its early stages. It’s a favourite movie of mine, and the name honestly just stuck straight away haha - I kind of threw it out there as suggestion to our guitarist Dylan and he was like, yep - that’ll do. The name itself definitely represents a lot of incredible themes within the movie, and similar themes are covered in our music - such as self-reflection, deception and coming ...

The Theodolites are a pretty unique concept band who formed in Derbyshire, UK in February 2016. The band consists of multi-instrumentalist Nicky, lyricist Bereek Tha Capricorn, singer/songwriter Marie Red and vocalist Shine. They are a virtual band, who are free of musical constraints and are able to provide a platform for music, graphics and artists for a broad range of genres and audiences. The three songs they have released, demonstrate this perfectly, with each song having the video and visuals matching the tone and feel of the music  in a wonderful and powerful way.  Artwork for single, Code Purple Their latest and hardest hitting single is, Code Purple which acts as a tribute to hard rock heroes, AC/DC, influenced by their classic hit, Thunderstruck. The video depicts various cityscapes, which is beautifully constructed; the imagery that unfolds in the lively cities flows in harmony with melodic bouncy licks and riffs, which have an obvious AC/DC sou...

Thrice are back...and it's sweet as hell! American Rockers Thrice have premiered new song, Black Honey. The band have releashed a new song from their upcoming highly anticipated comeback album, To Be Everywhere Nowhere. This is first album in 5 years, which is due out May 27 via Vagrant. Check out the new song below and let me know your thoughts!

German Metal Thrashers, Assassin have been at it since 1983, and there still going strong! They have just released new song, "Back From The Dead" from their upcoming album, "Combat Cathedral" , on May 20. This will be released via Steamhammer/SPV worldwide on CD, limited-edition LP (500 copies only on red 180-gram vinyl + CD) and as a digital download. The album art work was created by Marcelo Vasco, who also worked with SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY and BORKNAGAR. "Back From The Dead" is the album opener, and for good reason! As it packs a punch and asserts new singer, Ingo "Crowzak" Bajonczak vocal capabilities and energy, in a raging speed, and with some hefty riffage! A sign of good things to come for the new album, and showcasing that the band are still alive, screaming and kicking all the way!! Check out the ruthless new offering below: http://www.assassin-online.de/ https://www.facebook.com/AssassinOfficia...

DEBUT EP FROM NEWCOMERS IS HONEST HARDCORE WITH A DIFFERENCE! Seek Nothing are a Berlin/UK act, that describe themselves, 'as not so bad hardcore'. They unleashed their first EP on the 21st March 2016, and now they are looking to break out, and get their music heard further afield to scout for new fans on more home turf,  as they are heading to the UK this June! Opening song, Drunken X Wolf starts on a light hearted comical note, before it bursts into full fast chugg mode, with extremely pissed mad vocals, and chunky down tempo riffs throughout. The nice bass breakdown towards the end offers a breather, before it all kicks off again, in this blistering likeable bruiser!  The interesting titled, Actually, It's About Ethics In The Hardcore Scene , see's them bare all and snarl their teeth at the generalisations of the genre. This is thought provoking, fast and fuming, making for a good one to let some steam off too!  Caught In The Slipstream has a heavy well...

ANTI-CLONE GO DEEP AND DARK IN DEBUT ALBUM! To open we have the title track, which acts as the atmospheric build up prologue, before demonic drawn out vocals take over and alarming effects, showcasing their industrial sonic nu-metal madness in all its glory... Deracinated flows well following the opener, with intriguing clean vocals, until the technical franticness consumes once again, in this stomping release that will have an unconformable grip on you! Mechanical Heart chuggs away with dark down tempo memorable riffs and guitars. The subject matter, highlights the strong digital influence in the modern world we live in, where everything becomes cold and lifeless, reliant on machines. A very thought provoking number! Astaroth is simply mental, and highly reminiscent of Korn and Slipknot, which isn’t surprising as produced by Matt Hyde (Slipknot 'All Hope Is Gone' - Machine Head 'The Blackening') . With agitated fast guitars, pounding drums and crazed ...

Anti-Clone announced for Mushroomhead UK shows - New song 'Astaroth' now streaming online - Debut album produced by Matt Hyde (Slipknot) Art by Mister Sam (Rob Zombie) - Out 29.4.2016 via Phd "Likely to be one of the year’s most distinctive debuts" #HOTNEWBAND METAL HAMMER #281 - http://metalhammer.teamrock.com/features/2016-03-01/why-anti-clone-are-bringing-nu-metal-back New song 'Astaroth' now streaming: https://soundcloud.com/anti-clone/astaroth Anti-Clone live with Mushroomhead and Sanguine: 24th March - BIRMINGHAM - O2 Academy Birmingham 25th March - CHESTER - The Live Rooms One of the UK's best breaking bands is preparing to make their mark in 2016 with the release of their highly anticipated debut album. Notoriously named as 'murder capital of Britain', the sleepy town of Boston, Lincolnshire is home to apocolyptic nu-metal mob ANTI-CLONE. Since bursting onto the scene in 2013, the five piece have wasted no time in grabbing audiences by ...

EMP Label Group, the label founded by Megadeth’s David Ellefson , has announced the formation of EMP UNDERGROUND, an imprint which will release and distribute music from more “underground, extreme and subversive artists.” Says Operations manager and EMP UNDERGROUND co-founder Thöm Hazaërt. “A lot of the stuff we have been signing to EMP has been more Hard Rock and mainstream metal, and we wanted to create an outlet for signing some of the amazing heavier/weirder/more extreme artists that have been coming to us, without all the pressure of the big releases on EMP. And that’s exactly what we’ve created with EMP Underground.” He adds, “We have found some great releases, and we get so many amazing submissions from the heavier end of the spectrum, and David and I talked and we really wanted to create an outlet for some of this other stuff that didn’t necessarily fit on EMP proper.” Distributed via eOne and SPV, the first signings to the imprint include Thrash metal stalwarts (and former Me...

This quartet from Dayton, OH have only been together for two years, and in that time they wrote their debut album, 'Shadowglass'. The band are multi talented, as not only did they write and record the album, the vocalist, Josh Schaurer and drummer, Brian Gerth mixed and mastered it too, so a lot of hard work has gone into this first offering. With an interesting blend and delivery, Left In The Dark are looking to unleash a new style of rock... The album opens on a haunting atmospheric piano intro, before going into first proper song, 'Denial', which is moody and far reaching, kicking things of in powerful way... 'Lie To Me' raises the bar higher, as it unravels a more aggressive metal side, creating a striking sound, which is all encompassing and very compelling, whilst sounding different to other hard metal sounds, with their layered dark and light rock. 'We Aren't' roars into action, bursting into fast riffage which is equally beautiful and ...

MAMMOTHFEST reveals MORE acts including...  HEART OF A COWARD, ENTRAILS, LIQUID GRAVEYARD, ONE MACHINE and MANY more. WEEKEND TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE  It’s been a long time coming but MAMMOTHFEST have finally revealed the next hugely anticipated wave of acts that are booked to perform at the incredibly popular independent Brighton based festival this October. Take a look at this astonishing line up; coming to the heart of Brighton later this year. Joining Textures at The Haunt on Friday 30th September are Century Media’s heavyweight metal quintet HEART OF A COWARD, Krysthla & aggy-groove metal newcomers The Five Hundred.  Joining Venom inc. at The Concorde 2 on Saturday 1st October are Metal Blade Records very own Swedish, Old School flag bearers ENTRAILS, Nick Barker (ex-Cradle of Filth, ex-Dimmu Borgir) & Shane Embury’s (Napalm Death, Venomous Concept, Brujeria, Lock-Up etc.) new band LIQUID GRAVEYARD, Steve Smyth’s (ex-Testament, e...

3 Doors Down have revealed the official video for their latest single “In The Dark,” starring none other than RJ Mitte [Emmy Award®-winning Breaking Bad, Switched At Birth] and directed by the duo of Magnus Jonsson and Martin Landgreve of Gaucho Film [Azealia Banks]. Check it out HERE ! “In The Dark” which is already Top 5 at Active Rock Radio, is the first single from the GRAMMY Award®-nominated multiplatinum Mississippi rock band’s sixth full-length offering, Us And The Night [Spinefarm Records], out in stores and digitally March 11. Pre-order it here. Huge fans of the music, the star and filmmakers both jumped at the opportunity to work with the band. Now, the video showcases Mittelike you’ve never seen him before. He puts on his headphones, cranks some 3 Doors Down and what ensues is a bit unexpected - with a sexy twist. On working with the band on the video and the video’s star RJ Mitte, directors Martin Landgreve & Magnus Jonsson commented: “To make music vide...

Pegasus are a fresh French metalcore quintet who have previously only released a couple of singles. Now they have more to offer in their debut EP, Fairy Tale which is unleashed to the masses on the 20th February... Opener, The Shadow Of Our Soul has an ethereal hopeful intro with distant deep screams and melodic ambient riffs. The breakdown is bad ass and it keeps things changeable throughout, making for a thrilling start... Mirror, Mirror features melodic striking guitars which are highly sonic and resonant, creating a very enjoyable metalcore offering, and showing the high standards and coherency of the EP. We reach title track, Fairy Tale which opens on a beautiful dream like state, before being treated to some clean vocals here, for effect and emphasis, keeping things diverse and unpredictable. This is a strong number, that portrays the vibe and sound of the overall release wonderfully. It demonstrates them at their best, showing their individual talents, as well as their ti...