New Trucker Diablo video featured at Classic Rock Magazine!

Northern Irish rising stars Trucker Diablo have released a video for their single The Rebel, and it's featured at Classic Rock Magazine.

The track is taken from upcoming album Songs of Iron, to be released in May.

Previously noted by Classic Rock, the hard rock outfit’s debut album The Devil Rhythm featured a guest appearance by Thin Lizzy frontman Ricky Warwick. They’ve also been hotly-tipped by Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and The Answer’s Cormac Neeson.

The band enjoyed a successful 2012 which included appearances at Hard Rock Hell and Hammerfest, a support slot with the Foo Fighters at Tennents Vital and a support tour with Terrorvision. They rounded out the year by opening for their heroes Lizzy in Belfast.

Final Best of 2012 Top 10 List!!

Our industrious scribe and master of metal, Odin, was tied up and couldn't get his list done earlier.  But we have it now, and wanted to shed some light on the bands that occupied the pleasure zone in Odin's listening last year

Odin's 2012 Top Ten List


In no particular order, other than how they popped into my head:

Murder Construct – Results
Chris Robinson Brotherhood – Big Moon Ritual
Big Wheel Stunt Show – Wonderful Life
The Darkness – Hot Cakes
Never To Arise – Hacked To Perfection
Job For A Cowboy – Demonocracy
Bestial Holocaust – Into The Goat Vulva
Trillion Red – Metaphere
Enslaved – RIITIIR
Witchcraft – Legend

Ripple Road Trip: - On the road to Frederick, MD December 15 2012: Featuring Pale Divine, Nitroseed, Admiral Browning, Wrath Of Typhon,Trilogy, and Puricist

After a 10-hour drive "back home" to Maryland from Tennessee my wife Kesha and I got to spend a day and a half with some of our best friends especially Mamma D, Evil Fanny and Jaks before show time at Cafe 611 approached. Krug's used to be THE joint for doom shows in Maryland but was sadly shut down early in 2012 and Cafe 611 has taken over a lot of their business. It is a nice small venue very suitable for a gig like this although the Amy Winehouse wanna-be bartender messed up just about every drink. Oh well, at least the beer was $3 cheaper than down in Tennessee...the little things.

On to the actual show, which was held to celebrate our friend Dustin's birthday, with Puricist kicking things off. They play old school-sounding thrash with distinct hints of death metal and weren't bad at all. However, they were plagued by technical problems throughout their entire set which naturally frustrated them. Still they battled on and did good.

Next up was a fairly new Maryland trio, Trilogy, featuring Fez on bass guitar and this was the first of three bands he played with this evening, talk about a marathon runner! The band is rounded up by Jason Sheldon Barker - vocals & guitar and Tony Saunders - drums, and they got the groove going with a real nice bluesy heavy rock. And of course, the steadily increasing crowd loved it, yours truly included. Having just recorded their debut cd, which is being mixed as I write this, you could tell they wanted to play live and they simply crushed. By the way, record companies with any sense and an ear for great music should take notice and pick them up immediately....you hear?!

Third band on the bill were four hooligans from York, PA, called Wrath Of Typhon and they brought the fury to Cafe 611 alright. No-holds-barred punk-infused metal is their forte and do they deliver. A still somewhat smallish crowd banged their heads to smithereens to this apocalyptic soundtrack as the band tore the place up. I have seen them live several times before and they never fail to bring the goods but after this display they show they have grown a lot and are so tight, heavy and good. No let me rephrase that....great!

The second trio of the night to take the stage, Admiral Browning, featured the second performance by bass maestro Fez. This is his main gig in many ways since he helped form the band with Tim Otis - drums and Matt LeGrow - guitars, effects and vocals back in 2002. Even though I'm not the greatest sea urchin in the world I do love this band of pirates and I have seen them countless times throughout the years. Once-instrumetal they do write vocal songs now which has expanded and pushed them forward. The focus is still on instrumental progressive metal/doom though and that excels live. Every time I see them they have tweaked the songs slightly making every show different and....amazing!

Fifth band to hit the stage were Nitroseed from Laurel, MD, and they feature ex-members of Earthride and Wooly Mammoth. Despite having a new album out in January 2013, their first since 2006, they probably played their last show ever on this night which is a shame if true. Mainly instrumental these guys absolutely crushes on stage. Stoner rock without vocals played this well is all I need on any given day but they went on like a bulldozer on a rampage and I'm amazed that Cafe 611 hadn't vanished when they were done.

Last band out and one of my all time favourite ever, Pale Divine. This was the first time I've seen them play since the release of their excellent album Painted Windows Black and the first time with the addition of Fez on bass guitar, so my anticitpation and excitement were running very high indeed. As always with The Pales though I shouldn't have worried at all because they were absolutely amazing. One of the best songs off of Painted Windows Black started their set, the fantastic Black Coven and to see them play with Fez, who made his third appearance of the night, is nothing short of brilliant. The focus was mainly on the new album and it was a joy to hear Angel of Mercy. However they did surprise us pretty good by playing two brand new songs, Curse The Shadows and Shades of Blue and an old previously unrecorded song, Chemical Decline. All three were great and but it was especially fun to hear the brand new tracks knowing they are working on new material. Yes, that's all I can say...yes!

Unfortunately an amazing evening and an amazing homecoming weekend had to come to an end. 10 hours on the road back to our new turf in the deep South loomed and it was with great sadness my wife and I left. We did have a great time watching some great bands and seeing great old friends and hopefully we'll be back up "home" soon. A big shout out goes to Jaks and Evil Fanny who let us crash at their places; to Mamma D, Fez and Shannon Diener for making the Sunday breakfast awesome; to Doug and Joe, two of my best friends!

Katatonia to support Opeth on "North American Heritage Tour 2013"

 

Sweden's ultimate dark rock/metal band, Katatonia, has announced an extensive North American tour with headliner and fellow Swedish elite, Opeth. The upcoming run, "North American Heritage Tour 2013," will conquer over 30 cities this spring beginning April 18 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Commented guitarist, Anders Nyström, "Back in the U.S.A...That's right Springsteen! We're looking at round #2 as special guests to our brothers in Opeth on their last North American leg of the Heritage World Tour. This time we'll mainly cover off-territories, so regardless if you caught or missed us last time, consider this a second chance to attend the dead ends of North America with one of the best bills there'll ever be!"


The tour will make two special stops, the first in Worcester, Mass. on April 20 where the band returns to play the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, then in Clifton Park, N.Y. on April 28 where acclaimed Porcupine Tree front-man Steven Wilson will join for the night. A full list of confirmed dates can be seen below.

Katatonia last toured North America in September 2012 as part of the co-headlining "Epic Kings & Idols Tour" with The Devin Townsend Project.

Dead End Kings, Katatonia's ninth studio album and the follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed, Night is the New Day, hit stores on August 28, 2012 via Peaceville Records.

The record debuted at #4 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, #138 on the Billboard Top 200 and #10 on Hard Rock, topping Night is the New Day first week sales in the U.S. and making it Katatonia's most successful U.S. debut in its 20-year career.

Stay tuned to the Dead End Kings mini-site: http://www.deadendkings.com for more information on Katatonia, Dead End Kings and "North American Heritage Tour 2013."


Katatonia on tour w/ Opeth...

4/18 - Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
4/20 - Worcester, MA @ New England Metal & Hardcore Fest
4/21 - Quebec City, QC @ Capitole
4/23 - Halifax, NS @ Halifax Forum
4/24 - Moncton, NB @ Casino New Brunswick
4/26 - Guelph, ON @ Guelph Concert Theatre
4/27 - Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
4/28 - Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall *w/ Steven Wilson
4/29 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
4/30 - Norfolk, VA @ NorVa Theatre
5/02 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
5/03 - St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre                
5/04 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
5/05 - Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
5/06 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
5/08 - Lexington, KY @ Buster's Billiards & Backroom
5/09 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
5/10 - Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
5/11 - Joliet, IL @ Mojoe's
5/12 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
5/14 - Fargo, ND @ The Venue
5/15 - Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's
5/16 - Sauget, IL @ Pop's
5/17 - Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
5/18 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
5/20 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
5/21 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
5/23 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre

5/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
5/25 - Agoura Hills, CA @ The Canyon Club
5/26 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst


Katatonia is...

Jonas Renske - vocals
Anders Nyström - guitar, backing vocals
Daniel Liljekvist - drums
Per Eriksson - guitar
Niklas Sandin - bass


Katatonia online...

www.katatonia.com
www.deadendkings.com
www.facebook.com/katatonia
www.myspace.com/katatonia
www.peaceville.com
www.omerch.com     
www.northernmusic.co.uk

 

Muse - The 2nd Law

“Dean Penfold, the three members of the band Muse have arrived.  Can you meet with them at this time?”
“By all means Mary.  Send them right in.”
My office door opened and admitted the three musicians.  The guitar player/lead singer didn’t allow any time at all to pass before he spoke.
“Look we don’t know who you are but…”
“Gentlemen, it’s nice to finally meet you face to face.  Please, have a seat.”
“Finally meet us?  What are you talking about, and why have you repeatedly called us insisting on setting up a meeting?  What do you want?”
“It’s not what I want.  It’s what I need to tell you.  There is something of the utmost importance that you must know.”
The bass player chuckled incredulously.  “What can possibly be so important that you, a man none of us have ever met, needed to tell us in person instead of over the phone?” he asked.
“Gentlemen, you are operating under a powerful misconception.”
“A powerful misconception?”
“I’m afraid so gentlemen.  While walking through the faculty lounge of this university a couple of weeks ago I spotted one of my science professors listening to your newest album.  As I’m sure you’re aware, we employ some of the finest academic minds the world has to offer.  Our professors have been awarded a slew of honors across an extremely wide spectrum of academic disciplines.  In fact just last year…”
“Get to the point already,” interrupted the drummer.
“Very well sirs.  In order not to waste any more of your time I’ll cut right to the chase.”
“Thank you.”
“The crux of the matter is this.  I’ve listened to your album over a dozen times now and I believe you are attempting to create a perpetual energy machine with your music.”
All three men responded at the same time.  “Excuse me?”  “What?”  “Come again?”
“Please gentlemen, I am a man of science.  There is no need to deny what is clear as day to anyone paying attention.  Clearly, your goal is to harness the human energy created by your listeners’ energetic reactions.  Since your music will be enjoyed by listeners all over the world that means that human energy will be flowing nonstop, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.  Thus, you have a system of energy that will not suffer entropy, at least in theory.  But I’m here to tell you that what you’re trying to do will never work.  It’s impossible.  Admirable yes, but still impossible.”
Again the three men all talked at once.  “You’re insane!”  “Have you lost your mind?”  “I’m glad I didn’t enroll at this university.”
“Look…I get it.  You don’t want to talk about your work publicly for fear that some ne’er-do-well will steal away the credit.  I understand.  But gentlemen let me assure you, there will be no credit to take.  You can’t defy the laws of nature!”
Without saying another word the three band members got up and left.  I can’t be sure, but I think one of them flipped me off.  How rude!  I was only trying to help!

Okay waveriders.  I’d like to try something different with this writeup.  Based on a variety of industry statistics and casual observances I’m going to assume that almost everyone with a set of ears has been exposed to the band Muse.  You might not own any of their albums, but in my opinion once a band is commissioned to compose a song for the Olympics they can officially be dubbed ‘pretty popular with the masses’ and thus ‘well known’.  Hence there is no real need for any in depth biography and we can get right to what I want to talk about…the music.  So let’s get to it, shall we?

The 2nd Law is one of the most enjoyable albums that I have had the pleasure of listening to all year long.  2012 was an extraordinarily strong year for music (at least for me personally).  My music appreciation cup run-eth over all year long, but to be perfectly honest I was fully prepared for this latest Muse release to fall by the wayside.  Why was that?  Well their last album, The Resistance, really didn’t do it for me.  I’ll grant you that after their two previous studio albums and excellent live release my expectations were significantly elevated, but I definitely wanted to hear something different from the band.  Bottom line, I wanted The Resistance to rock a whole lot more.  Enter The 2nd Law.  It’s almost as if I was asked to participate in a conference call with the band members in order to help guide the creative process!  While completely imagined, it’s extremely gratifying.

The first song on the album, “Supremacy”, is a glorious mash up of a foot stomping, string supported guitar/bass riff inspired by Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and the orchestral score to a James Bond film.  “Panic Station” combines a bass line reminiscent of Faith No More’s “Epic” with a driving guitar line that strongly reminds me of Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out”.  Lead-off single “Madness” is what it would sound like if Queen ditched their regular instruments in favor of synthesizers and beat machines.  The first half of the two-part title track is a very ominous symphonic number that could serve as the perfect soundtrack to a modern cinematic thriller.  Not satisfied with merely creating a foreboding atmosphere the track devolves into heavily distorted, ugly, down tuned guitar/bass/drum passages which when listened to loud enough can cause microquakes.  Perhaps the British set a new precedent, but I’m willing to bet that there won’t be an officially sanctioned Olympic song like “Survival” ever again.  The song starts innocently enough with some plucky piano and boastful lyrics but it evolves rather quickly, adding more and more layers of volume and aggression until the guitar/bass/drums synchronize in a head banging finale.  Wonderful stuff!  Wait till you hear the rest!

To sum up waveriders, are you looking for an album chock full of ambitious, interesting music?  More importantly do you want your ambitious, interesting music to actually rock?   Of course you do!  Well then, hop aboard the Muse bandwagon and get your ticket punched because The 2nd Law is one sweet ride.

--Penfold

Unsustainable http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydGrJ0DjyQ0

Pony Trash - S/T

Pony Trash are one of my favourite new bands for one very good reason – they made me aware of a genre I had no idea actually existed – post shoegaze. As anyone who knows me (or, in fact, has even just skimmed through some of the artists I’ve reviewed on here) will know, this was essentially Christmas come early for me. I love post ANYTHING, and shoegaze has essentially been my mistress since I first heard My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless back in my young teens, so, unsurprisingly, Pony Trash gave me tingles before I had even heard the opening notes of this nifty little EP.


Luckily enough, said opening notes just so happened to be pure bliss for me. Gentle drums and a relaxed, psychedelic-tinged bassline open first track “Submarine”, only to be joined by delicately strummed guitar chords, and both male and female vocals, singing surprisingly audible lyrics. I was expecting this track to be instrumental, purely on how solid the instrumentation is by itself, but the vocals fit in exquisitely, and I find myself liking them more and more with. The guitars early on have a really shimmery feel about them, with enough sustain to leave a gentle wall of sound in the background after each strum.  However, it’s the bass that really stands out for the first 4 minutes or so of the track, keeping things going ever so gently, yet firmly. Around the 4:30 mark is when the guitars really shine though. They take centre stage in a flurry of distortion, in what I can only describe as the most laid back wall of sound I have ever heard. In my humble opinion, of the entire EP, they really got it right making this the opener.

Things get a bit more rock ‘n’ roll on “Down To The River”. Well… You won’t quite be throwing the horns and slam-dancing into your friends to it, but it’s a bit more up-tempo than its precursor. Wailing guitars (still drenched in sweet, sweet reverb and distortion though) screech in, before the other instruments jump in and roll along like some form of super-stoned juggernaut. The female vocals also drop out of the limelight, only coming back to add some floaty “ooh”s here and there. This was one subtle little touch that I LOVE. The guitar parts are the real focus here though. The whole song is a lot more blues-rocky than one would expect (or at least than I expected), but with Pony Trash’s signature tones, sound quite unusual, albeit in the best possible way. The solos here though are one of my favourite parts of the whole EP. The PERFECT blend of just rocking out and ethereal wall of sound. A real treat for those of us who would rather watch our shoes all night than dance. Almost makes me want to learn to play guitar… Almost.

“The Weight Of The Night” carries on a lot of the sounds and themes of “Down To The River”, but is slightly more laid back and ethereal. This is where the shoegaze influences really get layered on thickly, the guitar creating a near constant wall of sound throughout. The bass yet again nearly steals the scene though, similar to “Submarine”, but the guitar is just undeniably lush. It was after listening to this track the third time that I knew I HAD to write about this EP. Pony Trash have not only got a unique sound that is all their own, but it’s very easy to identify little things that give away all of their collective influences. They’ve basically managed to master the elusive art of appealing to fans of several genres, while never actually committing to any one single genre itself. Also, their sound is very much their own, and I admire when a band can achieve that more than anything else in the world.

Alas, I digress, and there are two more songs to go. “Inner Worlds” is again a very mellow, reverb-led affair, but it’s the vocals that really stood out here for me. The female vocals in particular are very reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, and, it may just be me, but the guitars seem to have even more effects present than previously audible. “Inner Worlds” sounds quite similar to the rest of the EP, but I don’t mean this in a bad way. More, it sounds almost reassuringly familiar, while still bringing new things to the table. I feel as if I shouldn’t like it as much as I do, if that makes any sense. Regardless, it’s a very pretty little piece of particularly psychedelic shoegaze that I’ve listened to far too many times over a cigarette at night. God damnit I LOVE this genre.

And for the closer, Pony Trash left their most sombre track for us to spiral out to. “Dry Your Eyes” starts at a snail’s pace and never really goes far beyond, with slow, steady floor toms leading the gently strummed guitar and (uncharacteristically) austere bass along, under faintly audible moaned vocals. “Dry Your Eyes” is all the more impressive considering how different it is to the rest of the EP while still sounding entirely like it belongs exactly where it is. It’s an excellent way to finish up, and one of the more exciting tracks on here in my opinion. The vocals in particular really grab your attention more and more with each subsequent listen. And believe me, this EP really should be listened to start to finish a few times before you make any real judgements about it. I keep finding more and more reasons to like Pony Trash each time I give it a spin.

To sum it all up, Pony Trash are a fine little band that excellently represent post shoegaze, which may well be the coolest genre EVER (seriously, you really have no idea how happy I am that this is a real thing). The Pony Trash EP is interesting in that I can see it going down well with fans of Hendrix or Pink Floyd just as easily as fans of The Sisters of Mercy or Joy Division. All I can really say to adequately sum up the whole affair is it’s one of those records I’ll be listening to before bed for quite a while.

--Malice

Revenge of the Quick Ripple Bursts - Featuring Popular Giants, Howlin Widow, White Dynamite, and Triggerman

More Ripple bursts

Popular Giants - S/T

Their CDBaby page says it all.  Popular Giants is garage rock/pop-punk band that brings on high-energy punk ditties with big catchy hooks and harmonies over fat guitar riffs.  Think bands like the late lamented Hellacopters.  These cats pick up that garage/punk mantle of “dirty rock n’ roll” and fly with it.  Each song cooks with enough grime and grit and trashy punk energy to make this a killer listen.




Howlin Widow - Exorcised Accidental b/w Son Shine

Raging out of the early 70's protometal stew of Sir Lord Baltimore, Toad, and Sabbath, Ireland's Howlin Widow are the newest band (to my ears) to plow that crazy retro, beefy metal vibe.  Tones of modern doom drape over this kicking 7" of retro-metal like a funeral drape, clothing the massive riffs with the atmosphere of something dangerous.  Freak Flag Records has released this killer 7"in very limited numbers, so race over and see if they have any left.  If huge retro, fuzzed out, powerful metal riffs with wailing vocals are your thing (like they are mine) you may have just received your latest manna from heaven. 






White Dynamite - S/T

A little kitchy, fuzzy garage rock/pop from two of the mainstays of one of my favorite bands, Roadsaw.  And in typical, side project status, the guys mix it up a bit.  Tim Catz still plays bass, but Riggs fills in on drums, leaving the vocals to Dave Unger and the guitar work to John Darca.  Stepping away from the retro-70's, big stoner rock of Roadsaw, White Dynamite play it purely for fun!  This is big, riffy garage rock with a sloppy smooch towards 70's Glam Rock a la Turbonegro Tongue planted firmly in cheek and a middle finger flipping off anyone who stands in the way.  It's fast, it's turbocharged, it's dirty, greasy, glammy and full of highway debris.  In other words its perfect. 





Triggerman - Hail to the River Gods

Not quite sure why the heavy rock blogs aren't all a twitter over this meaty dose of cacophony by UK's Triggerman.  My guess is because the sideways, irreverent approach that these lads spew all over their panzer assault of thick riffs leaves some writers scratching their heads.  I mean, really;   how do you classify these guys?  They rock and rage with the best of the stoner rock elite, pounding out ferocious mountains of riffery and pulverizing rhythms, all the while talk-singing their bizarre missives about River Gods, Wild Woodsmen, and Strange Brew.  Like stoner rock straight from the world of Tolkien.  But not in a take-themselves-seriously vein.  Many bands actually write songs about druids and trolls like they mean it.  To me, Triggerman are simply having a blast.  Unleashing the hoardes of waring riffs while poking fun at the seriousness of a lot of metal.  Great rock and good fun.  Check it. 



--Racer