Live Review - Facemelter Music@ The Thomas House, 24-05-13 wi Marabou, Beltbuckle Overdrive and Snowblind

Entering Dublin's Thomas House for tonight's Face Melter extravaganza, it's not readily apparent that there's any kind of metal gig going on at all , at least not straight away.For those unfamiliar with the south inner city venue, it's one that has in the past been home more to rockabilly,punk and trad gigs than ear raping metallic noise, and as we stroll in from the haze of an unusually bright and warm Irish summer evening, we are initially a little puzzled by all the friendly , be-quiffed and tattooed  folk bopping to what sounds like Tiger Army.Directed downstairs by the cheery barman, all becomes a little clearer as soon as we push upon the door, to be greeted by some wicked noise from the evening's openers Snowblind, not to mention an enthusiastic hello from tonight's masters of ceremonies, one Aaron Gaffey of Kerouac fame, who proceeds to stuff Nihilist's pockets and various other orifices with glowsticks and merch til we're nearly weighted down.The vibe tonight is all about cutting loose and having a laugh while listening to some killer bands, and we're definitely game.Cold, frosty pints of lager at the ready, we head for the front . . .

Snowblind in action.

Unfortunately due to various public transport balls ups(well not really balls ups, just Dublin Bus being shit)  and my general lack of direction, we miss about half of Snowblind's set, but what we hear is pretty impressive. Billing themselves as a thrash band, Snowblind are actually a far more eclectic bunch than that tag normally implies.Owing more to bands like Voivod and latter day Entombed than Metallica or Slayer, the young trio forge a sound that's progressive but accessible, managing to fit in some bizarre arrangements and pin-wheeling through time changes like nobody's business.An excellent cover of Metallica's 'Blackened' rounds out an excellent set,one which  marks Snowblind as ones to watch.

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Snowblind.Melting faces.

Beltbuckler Overdrive are next, and waste no time getting into the party spirit . Frontman Matt Smith is an engaging presence, riling up the crowd and getting down on the floor to get in their faces once or twice, and the band's driving,Southern-flavoured  hard rock is the perfect accompaniment to some beer-doused head banging. The band themselves are , as ever, tight as hell, and blast through their set like men possessed. The highlight, for this Nihilist anyway, is a cover of Kyuss' classic 'Green Machine', drummer Alejandro Cruz nailing every one of Brant Bjork's fills expertly.

Beltbuckle Overdrive:just out of shot, loaded war machine.

And so on to the head-liners. Looking around the tiny basement venue, everyone seems to be wearing a Marabou hoody or shirt, and the anticipation as the Wexford Three-piece take the stage is feverish to say the least.Not at all acquainted with their music,our curiosity is piqued , and we edge a little closer, wondering what all the fuss is about.It takes roughly one song for everything to be cleared up.Marabou are, as they say in my neck of the woods, the business.

Marabou, do they even riff?Yes, yes they do.

Filtering the bellicose energy of  sludge  through a prism of post-hardcore, crust and progressive metal, the band's serrated riffing cuts through a slightly muddy sound mix and rips heads,  with a blend of off kilter aggression and killer hooks.Much like Snowblind, they're a difficult band to pin down, but if you can picture Tool at their most aggressive jamming Nausea tunes while Poison Idea knife-shank The Melvins in the corner, you're halfway there in describing their sound. This is a band that has to be experienced live, and the only complaint we have about their set is it's far too short.Everyone gets involved in the carnage too, with our promoter tonight himself lobbing glow sticks around and leaping off speaker stacks ,while a small but still fairly vicious mosh pit breaks out just in front of us at a few random junctures.In a word:mental.

The rest of the night disappears in an alcoholic haze, but it has to be said, it's been a long time since I enjoyed a gig quite this much.The relaxed atmosphere and friendly vibe is a throwback to the teen years of yours truly, and to gigs organized in church halls and school basements, with the emphasis on the music and having a laugh as opposed to getting just shit faced(though there's plenty of that as well).A cracking night had, and we're eager to see what Facemelter has in store next . . . .

Pictures courtesy of Aaron and Fallon/Facemelter Music Nights.


Stephen.

Check the bands out here:

Snowblind
http://snowblindireland.bandcamp.com/album/demos

Beltbuckle Overdrive

http://www.reverbnation.com/beltbuckleoverdrive?page_view_source=facebook_app

Marabou

http://www.reverbnation.com/maraboumusic?page_view_source=facebook_app

Stephen

bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

You Should Be Listening To...Zodiac N Black!

Introducing London hard rock outfit Zodiac N Black. This 4 piece bring the old-school heavy from the current hotbed of hard rock in Britain. Fans of fellow Brits Ashes of Iron, and even a few Tool fans will dig this!

Stream the whole record through the link or check out the new video for "Bad Pills".

Edward Gerard Brophy, bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com.

Album Review, Ashes of Iron, Self Titled Album

Ashes of Iron. A record review that felt inspired from the outset. This English band formed, or should I say were FORGED, back in the fateful year of 2008. Since then they can boast supporting the likes of Brandt Bjork and the Bros and Viking Skull. This self titled record was released just days ago and fuckin' wait til you hear this beast of an album!

Lo-fi sounds evocative of Neu! introduce opening track 'That Fucking Look in Your Eye', but quickly implode like a dying star that for some reason sounds like Wooly Mammoth. The chorus is an unexpected departure from the vibe of the verse, bringing out a very welcome grunge feel. And onto 'Sanefull', which is all straight up hard rock goodness. Earthy, overdriven guitars in harmony and open hi hats that bring the best of Corrosion of Conformity to mind: lovely jubly! And with no messing about we go headlong into the sinister 'Martyr'. Dissonant, old-skool metal riffing trundles along like a steam train with a drunken driver.

It's clear after the first three tracks that this is nicely angy music, the kind of atmosphere that any given punk rock band wishes they could evoke but Ashes of Iron do it at a moment's notice.

'Pharmacopoeia' is a slow build up of weaving fuzzy guitars and grunting bass before ending up in a Queens of the Stone Age style groove. The vocals maintain a high timbre, bringing to mind 'Rocks' era Aerosmith at its best. 'Rivals' begins with a nicely unpredictable riffing pattern and settles down into an alt-metal swing. A very American tasting rock song, whatever that means... 'Fresh Ears' is a full on QOTSA style head mover, and features the most twisted and aggressive vocal performance on here so far.

Ashes have more than shown us that they know how to put two guitars to great use, this has to be one of the most interesting riffathon records I've heard lately. 'Therapist' continues that trend with some later Sabbath style dirty hard rock riffing, all in a bruising package of just two and a half minutes. 'Gone in the Stun' takes the record in a slightly different, more contemplative than we've heard up to this point. No less pregnant with heavy guitars though, which themselves are taken to experimental places as the track reaches its climax. 'The Beast' displays a slightly doomier side to Ashes; mid-tempo steady grooves and low guitars. And it's all over in a few sleeting moments and straight into 'Three Daze' which sees the band back in an angry and impatient mood. A great example of how the band like to construct a song, certainly a stand out on the record. We wrap up our time with Ashes of Iron with 'Nails and the Truth'. Another stand out right from the start that sees the band once again in a stoner/doom frame of mind. The only track that can be described as lengthy makes an excellent closer for this superb album.

Ashes of Iron have produced a solid bit of work here, quality from all instruments and every aspect of the production, it's hard to fault. My only wish would be to hear the band branch out a little more, there's a lot of raw talent floating around that could be harnessed into something incredible. No doubt the band will continue to give us more of the good stuff as time goes on. Cheers to Ashes of Iron!

Ashes of Iron, Self Titled.

Rating: 9/10

For fans of: Wooly Mammoth, Them Crooked Vultures, Fireball Ministry.

Listen Here: http://ashesofiron.bandcamp.com/

See the video for Sanefull here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XADY2wWl2I8&feature=youtu.be

By Edward Gerard Brophy,

bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com

Album Review, Axxicorn 'War with the Giants'

Axxicorn are a self described Proto-metal band based in Portland, Oregon, and sure enough the first thing that comes to mind when 'War of the Giants' kicks in is Sabbath's Vol.4. The snappy, understated riffs have Iommi's mark on them. Nearly four and a half minutes go by in a flash and we sail headlong into 'Poseidon'. The smokey vocals and sludgy verse riffing lend the track a certain High on Fire feel.

Continuing the Greek theme with 'Prometheus'. Back to the Sabbath inspired work but with a slightly more modern approach, think Sleep's 'Holy Mountain' rather than Sabbath themselves. The long and winding instrumental choruses give the drummer room to display his flare. Next up, 'Revolt of the Titans/Wasteland' begins with a nod to 'Snowblind' and continues into pure, distilled stoner metal. Just short of three minutes, it all breaks down into an OM-like mid-tempo, distorted bass groove and a dissonant guitar solo follows closely behind. So far this is the best result of the rough production of this record.

'Typheous' opens with utterly bleak sounds of Western movie dialogue, mouth organ sirens and clean lead guitar. This is soon over taken by a snappy, immediate beat and bass to match. Almost as soon as the guitar returns with distortion in tow, we're back in familiar territory but with a new feel to the movement of the music, not a million miles from an early anarcho-punk sound. 'Theseus and the Minotaur' is a broken and heavy dream of The Obsessed at their best, and features some of the best riffing on the record: it picks you up and doesn't let you down until the very end. Finally we finish up this rough ride appropriately with 'Hades'. All the stops are pulls on the punk rock for this one, like an Amebix house party in the mid-eighties. The minimum vocals contain the some of the hardest belted out shouts we've heard from Axxicorn yet.

Axxicorn's 'War with the Giants' is the epitome of a no nonsense album. Brutally lacking in any bells and whistles and to great affect. The unique, rigid guitar tone invokes a more punk than stoner vibe but in doing so makes for a more unique recording overall. There's some very interesting filthy heavy shit coming out of the West side of the States right now and I'm betting Axxicorn will fit in nicely.

Axxicorn, “War of the Giants”

Rating: 7/10

For fans of: Melvins, High on Fire, Sleep.

Standout Tracks: Prometheus, Revolt of the Titans, Theseus and the Minotaur.

Listen here:http://axxicorn.bandcamp.com/

New Book, From The Minds of Madness: The Origins of Heavy Metal Band Names, by Blair Gibson

This is a first for B.A.N. while we have done a few book reviews this is the first time we've plugged a newly released book. Check it out.

As of the 6th of January, the new book "From The Minds of Madness: The Origins of Heavy Metal Band Names" by Blair Gibson is out. This book is a compilation of testimony from members of over 350 bands, about the origin of the name of their band. The bands come from all corners of the heavy music spectrum, including B.A.N. favourites Yawning Man, Whores of Tijuana, Truckfighters and Totimoshi. Awesome idea and a nice H.P. Lovecraft reference in the title. We hope this book gets the ball rolling for Blair. Cheers!

Pick up your ebook copy of it here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120088

Edward Gerard Brophy

bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com.

Rant Number 1 in E-Minor

Rant Number 1 in E Minor – “I Like All Kinds of Music, Except Heavy Stuff…”

Q. “So, what kinda music are you into? :-)”

A. “Oh I like all kinds of music…except heavy music. :-)”

“:-|…”

How many times have you had this conversation?
For the sake of shits and giggles let’s conduct a thought experiment. Forget your biases of all kinds (please take a moment to do this as best you can) now tell me, if you were in the position of the person asking the question, why should the above conversation be continued at all?

Let’s examine:
For starters the person to whom you are speaking has just lied to you. No, you do not enjoy ALL music if you then admit that there exists an entire plethora of music which your ears avoid.

Anyone so prepared to display such ignorance, in my opinion, does not deserve the pleasure of the conversation. Anyone who today is still so closed minded as to believe that heavy music is something other than JUST music is, to be perfectly frank, a bit stupid. Why are people still so hesitant to accept music for what it is after 50 years and 3 generations of heavy music, in which time it has been at the heights of the mainstream on a number of occasions?

I think it is perhaps a more telling fact that anyone who says they don’t listen to heavy music but do attend gigs is either lying again or is confused and made ignorant by their prejudices (something tells me that more often than not, it’s the latter…). Any gig one attends in any medium sized venue is probably going to be using a PA system that runs on thousands of watts and reaches dangerous decibel levels. In be words of Tony Iommi (watch this space for a reference later) all that Black Sabbath were trying to achieve in their early days was an intensity of volume that meant the talking of the audience did not drown out the music. This is a given at gigs and even more so in clubs today. Why do you think in the late 60’s and early 70’s folk’s spoke of Blue Cheer and Deep Purple, not in terms of how ‘heavy’ they were but how loud they were?

It is both fortunate and unfortunate that today the term ‘heavy’ is interpreted so many different ways. Some will tell you it still refers to loudness and sheer intensity, others will maintain it means unforgiving lyrical content, still others will say its “just so heavy man” meaning they think something is heavy with no understanding of what the term is supposed to mean.

I’ll keep this experiment/rant to a reasonable shortness of length. Comments are very very welcome so let rip good people!

For Bornagainnihilist 2011
Edward Gerard Brophy

'2007- What A Year' by Edward Brophy

Allow me to set the scene:

Me, 2007.

17 year old long-haired Black Sabbath enthusiast (the latter is even more true today.)

In 5th year in an all-boy/all-jock rugby school in Dublin (no one reading this from outside Ireland will know the term “D4”, but to those Irish readers I need say no more...)

Still an expert in all things Metallica, but at this stage my interest was waning.

Similarly I had decided that Motorhead held little appeal for me despite all the opportunities I gave them.

No girlfriend.
No car.
A recently split band and the toughest school year still looming on the horizon the following year.

All in all, while I won't be so spoiled as to say a terrible situation, I can safely say, a boring one! Yet thinking back to that time I am always faced with an almost nostalgic feeling, a voice saying contentedly; “ya know, that was a fuckin' good year.” Yet you have already read the setting-the-scene portion of the article, so where is the joy?
The fact is that I can only pin down one thing as a suspect to account for the fond memories of that year; that is discovering that most colourful spectrum of music between Rock and Metal (two ancient terms that seem to become less meaningful everyday), the part of the spectrum that I like to refer to simply as 'Heavy'. The stonery, the psychedelic, the groovy, the droney, the sludgy, the weighty, the fuzzy, the terms go on and on precisely because the music does likewise!
I believe it began with Dave Grohl's under the radar 'Probot' project. On that record I came across names I had never heard of. There were the isolated few including Sepultura's Max Cavalera and Motorhead's Lemmy, but who the hell were The Obsessed, Cathedral, Trouble, DRI, Corrosion of Conformity???
A track called 'The Emerald Law' demonstrated an approach to riffing and soloing that were alien to me at the time. I was still convinced at that age that Kirk Hammet had a decent vibrato technique! I resolved to investigate.
My YouTube based inquiry yielded a few live videos all featuring this large shouldered man with hair down to his arse, tattoos down to his hands, (before Suicide Silence and Bring Me The Horizon made it 'in vogue'!) and armed with a black Les Paul. This is of course, you guessed it, Wino.
Saint Vitus videos linked me to Spirit Caravan, Caravan to The Obsessed, Obsessed to The Hidden Hand, then it grew wider; The Hidden Hand to The Sword, The Sword to High On Fire, High On Fire to Sleep, Sleep to OM, OM to Neurosis, on and on and on..... One of the videos that stick in my memory best have to be a fan-made video for The Hidden Hand's 'The Last Tree' made up of live footage from the late 'Emissions from the Monolith' festival and stock footage of hardy men cutting down Giant Redwood trees by hand. Another would have to be a the music video for Sleep's 'Dragonaut', a strangely edited black and white affair featuring a young Matt Pike with blonde dreadlocks.
I could continue on with videos, discoveries on Myspace, etc. etc. but it I think the point has been made that the ball had begun to roll. From here the bands came into my scope one by one like and endless parade of pure quality with no end in sight. Today my personal favourites are still as strong as they ever were, Mastodon, The Hidden Hand, Baroness, Melvins, The Obsessed, High on Fire and of course Black Sabbath, all occupying the ruling tier in my subjective hierarchy.
This was my 2007. What better way to begin maturity of taste? Turning on, tuning in and dropping out just in time to catch The Hidden Hand's last release 'The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote', Baroness' 'Red Album', and not forgetting the slick monster 'Death is This Communion' from High on Fire.
Freeing themselves from the limitations imposed by the Rock or Metal categories, the musicians are free to explore whatever they fuckin' want, (an attitude much advocated but rarely practised!) therein lies the beauty of this music that in an ideal world would be true of all music. Until that ideal is realised let us privileged few sit back, stick on the Sabbath LP, engage our inner Taoist and lose ourselves in Absorption................................

For Bornagainnihilist 2011
Edward Gerard Brophy