Don't Fear Change: In Flames Tap Into Music History For 'Siren Charms'
Some buildings are more than just bricks and mortar. The old CBGB, Fenway Park, Old Trafford...it’s subjective, but take your pick. Berlin’s Hansa is on the list. In the ‘70s, David Bowie recorded ‘Low’ and ‘Heroes’ at the studio, while Iggy Pop thrashed out ‘The Idiot’ and ‘Lust For Life’. During the following decade it was home, for varying lengths of time, to Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Pixies and Killing Joke. More recently, it played a role in the Manic Street Preachers’ twin reinventions on ‘Rewind The Film’ and ‘Futurology’.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 04 September 2014
There Will Be 'Blood': Pulled Apart By Horses Are Climbing The Ladder
Last weekend, Pulled Apart By Horses made their the Main Stage debut at Reading Festival, climbing another rung on rock’s ladder prior to the release of their new album, ‘Blood’.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 28 August 2014
Dragonforce: Six Albums, One Johnny Cash Cover
Everyone's got an opinion on Dragonforce. Whether you believe them to be musical mavericks or Guitar Hero sell-outs, the hyper-fast shredding machines recently put out their sixth album, 'Maximum Overload', and the title should tell you all you need to know. It’s packed with gloriously cheesy, over the top, zero-fucks-given power metal.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Refuse To Stand Still: Dennis Lyxzén Returns With INVSN
There’s a scene in High Fidelity where Barry, the portly music snob, tears a strip off an Echo And The Bunnymen fan. “How about the Jesus and Mary Chain?” he spits. “They picked up where your precious Echo left off and you’re sitting around complaining about no more Echo albums.”
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 14 August 2014
Rock's New Wave: Night By Night Will Do It Their Way
Never let it be said that Ben Christo is short of ambition. Night By Night have just put out their self-titled debut and completed a Swedish tour with hair metal titans Europe, with the guitarist currently delivering his band’s powerhouse brand of hard rock while still performing six string duties with the Sisters of Mercy.
Written by: Gemma Johnson | Date: Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Blues Pills: Old Is The New New
We have reached a point in time when, regrettably, just about everything has been done before. Every genre in the game has been manipulated, perverted and left broken on the floor.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 21 July 2014
Milky Chance: A Very Modern Success Story
Milky Chance. Recognise the name? If it’s a new one to you, you might also be surprised to know that 50 million people have tuned in to their videos on YouTube. ‘Sadnecessary’, their debut, is by extension a very modern success story.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 18 July 2014
Max Of All Trades: Cavalera Talks Soulfly, Killer Be Killed And A Life In Metal
There are very few metal musicians who live up to the larger-than-life, monstrously bonkers images they portray on stage. In the real world, Metallica listen to Kasabian, Devin Townsend loves a bit of Enya and Iron Maiden are mates with Lady Gaga.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Things Change: Tim Bowness Talks 'Abandoned Dancehall Dreams'
Photo: Charlotte Kinson Tim Bowness has been part of No-Man, a duo with prog superstar Steven Wilson, since 1987, but is only now releasing an album he can truly call his own. ‘Abandoned Dancehall Dreams’ contains songs originally written with No-Man in mind but, with Wilson as busy as busy can be, Bowness decided to release the songs as a solo record, with fantastic results. As an irregular interviewee, it was then a delight to secure time with Bowness to discuss both the new record and his career in a more general sense...
Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 08 July 2014
Tom Vek: Back With 'Luck' To Fight The Hits And Stats
Photo: Sonia Melot “I wake up thinking I’ve had enough, of lying around all day,” Tom Vek sings on Trying To Do Better, from his third album, ‘Luck’. “Not pushing for any one thing, just spinning these little plates.”
Written by: Tom Seymour | Date: Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Up For The Cup: Dexters Talk Football Soundtracks, Festival Season And The Future
With the World Cup on our doorstep, you’re about to hear a lot more from Dexters. Having released one of the best British debut albums this year in ‘Shimmer Gold’, the East London indie troupe have dipped their toes in the world of the football song with a cover of the Seekers’ I’ll Never Find Another You.
Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Young Rebel Set: 'Crocodile', Festival Season And 'Idea Referees'
Young Rebel Set have been steadily making a name for themselves in that most competitive of fields: English indie-rock. Duly, the five-piece, who hail from Stockton-on-Tees, were classed as "life affirming graft rock" by the NME back in their early days.
Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Thursday, 05 June 2014
Wednesday 13: An American Werewolf In Nottingham
Photo: Maureen Montgomery Deep in the murky catacombs of Nottingham Rock City, evil is at work. Wickedness weaves and contempt lurks. That’s the bouncer, but once you get past him, you’ll find something much more friendly: Wednesday 13 and a gaggle of hyperactive fans. He signs posters, poses for photos and succeeds at being a bloody nice bloke until he’s torn away from the horde by his tour manager.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 03 June 2014
Give Your Soul A Rest: AWOLNATION, Pressure And Album Two
Photos: Craig Thomas/Tallboy Images for Stereoboard.com (c) 2014 Perhaps it’s not stated enough, but it’s important to wear the right shoes. Stepping on stage at Bristol’s Trinity on Monday night, for the first date of a whistle-stop UK tour, AWOLNATION’s Aaron Bruno was struck by just that thought.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 28 May 2014
The Next Great Adventure: James Return With 'La Petite Mort'
Back in February, Jim Glennie announced that James would again break cover, this time to release ‘La Petite Mort’, the 13th album in a career that’s traversed brushes with pop stardom and a willingness to get experimental. He was, he wrote, “like a tired but excited father”.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Power Metal: Sabaton Are Here To Broaden Your Horizons
Power metal. Did your skin crawl as you read that? Did the breath rush from your lungs? Did your lip curl in disgust? If so, then relax. Please. Sabaton are here to change your mind about a publicly mocked, fantastically silly genre.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 19 May 2014
Web Gems: Pentatonix On UK Shows, YouTube And Covers
Spurred on by the mainstream success of Glee and after winning season three of The Sing Off, US TV channel NBC's a cappella competition, Pentatonix, are certainly doing their best to make their genre cool again.
Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Thursday, 15 May 2014
Songs Of Experience: Bear Trade Sound Just As They Intended On 'Blood And Sand'
The fire of youth is all well and good, but sometimes a little perspective is helpful. Bear Trade put out their debut, ‘Blood and Sand’, last week and it’s pretty clear that it’s a record by a band who understand what they’re doing.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Clutch: 'Earth Rocker' And Straight Up Rock 'N' Roll
So, you think you’ve got this beard thing mastered? Well, you haven’t unless your face furniture can go to-to-toe with Neil Fallon's, and the Clutch frontman’s facial hair makes even the best beards seem like wafer-thin clouds of smoke straddling a chin.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 12 May 2014
No Sleep Till Cardiff: The Wonder Years, Wrecked Vans And Time Capsules
Dan Campbell is really tired, and with good reason. To make the opening night of their UK and Ireland trek in Cardiff, the Wonder Years ploughed through a 20 hour drive across Europe, their former van’s wrecked axle leaving a 3 a.m breakdown call from the autobahn, a cancelled show with Bayside and a 10 hour stay at a Bavarian petrol station in its foul-smelling wake.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 07 May 2014
Live In The Moment: Brian 'Head' Welch On Korn Past, Present And Future
Let's be realistic here: Korn are still massive. Although they no longer scale the commercial heights that were theirs during the late ‘90s, the nu-metal behemoths still sell out gigs quicker than coyotes devour a fresh kill.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Wednesday, 07 May 2014
Her Name Is Calla: Navigating Dreams And Preparing For The Zombie Apocalypse
All the best interviews happen in pubs. If the pub in question is a Sam Smith’s then it’s all the better. The venue for my chat with Tom Morris, frontman of Her Name is Calla, about their superb new record ‘Navigator’, is The King’s Arms, on the banks of the River Ouse in York.
Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 06 May 2014
Back To Hitsville: Michael Bolton On Motown's Legacy And The Royal Albert Hall
Michael Bolton has taken a step back in time for his new record. ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ is a celebration of Motown and will form the backbone of his May UK and Ireland tour, which gets underway in Cardiff on May 6 and also includes a stop at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London.
Written by: Gavin Rees | Date: Tuesday, 06 May 2014
Do Not Engage: The Pack A.D. Bring Riffs And Hooks On Album Five
Becky Black and Maya Miller play the sort of unfussy rock ‘n’ roll that’ll never really go out of style. ‘Do Not Engage’, out next week, is their fifth album as The Pack A.D. in eight years and is another fine exercise in doing what you want, whenever the hell you want to do it.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 01 May 2014
American Interior: Gruff Rhys Looks To The Past For His Next Step
The day I was due to meet Gruff Rhys, a group of music journalists publicly discussed the most unwanted of tasks on Twitter. “Ever transcribed a Gruff Rhys interview?” one tweeted. “Omg.”
Written by: Tom Seymour | Date: Tuesday, 29 April 2014
That Philly Attitude: Restorations Making Up For Lost Time On UK Bow
Pulling the mic stand towards him and pointing into the crowd, Jon Loudon yelled: “I have no interest in that kind of competition.” Restorations were a few minutes into D, the first song of their first ever UK show, and it was a fitting sentiment from a band that have learned to take things in their stride, out of both design and necessity.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Pantera: Vinnie Paul Reflects On 'Far Beyond Driven' At 20
Ask any metal fan what their favourite Pantera song is, and they’ll probably be as hard-pressed to make a decision as a child in Build-A-Bear (we’ve all been there). Play the opening few seconds of Fucking Hostile in a rock club before pulling the power and you could listen to a cacophony of drunkards bellowing every word. Put simply, Pantera were one of the best bands on the planet.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Show Them How It's Done: H.E.A.T Out To Put Melodic Rock Back On The Map
Photo: Gustaf Sandholm Andersson At a time when Bon Jovi have become increasingly bland and the rest of the ‘80s brigade are approaching pensionable age, melodic rock badly needs a young band with killer tunes to carry the genre forward. Cue Swedish superstars in the making H.E.A.T.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 09 April 2014
This Is Eyehategod: Metal Legends Set For Long Awaited Return
Eyehategod have copped their fair share of shit over the years. Since forming in 1988, the band have battled with heroin addiction, vocalist Mike IX Williams' imprisonment in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and, last year, the tragic death of drummer Joey LaCaze. A lesser band would have just called it quits and trundled home.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 08 April 2014
'Great Players Play Like Who They Are': Marc Ford Returns With 'Holy Ghost'
You can count the number of genuinely gifted, soulful guitar players to emerge during the 1990s on one hand, and former Black Crowes man Marc Ford is definitely one of them. On his new solo album, 'Holy Ghost', he eschews noisy southern-fried rock to deliver a slice of timeless Americana that's comfortably one of the strongest releases of 2014 to date.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 07 April 2014
Lacuna Coil: Nothing Stands In Their Way
If you're on of those people who’s quick to dismiss Lacuna Coil as a pretty face and a bloke who can't find a key in a locksmith's, then maybe it's time for you to reevaluate. Even if the band just aren't your bag, you can't deny their success. Since forming in Italy some 20 years ago, they’ve toured with huge bands, shifted a lot of records and kicked many an arse.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Thursday, 20 March 2014
Stereoboard Speaks to Audio Ahead of Sounds of the Baskerville
Gareth Greenall - aka Audio - is without doubt one of the biggest names drum and bass has to offer right now, having shown in the past couple of years that his production is on par with the likes of Noisia and Black Sun Empire, and that his DJing ain’t too bad either.
Written by: Elliott Batte | Date: Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Stereboard Talks To Anton Newcombe Of Brian Jonestown Massacre
Anton Newcombe, mastermind behind psychedelic revivalists the Brian Jonestown Massacre, is currently enjoying one of the busiest years of his life.
Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Monday, 17 March 2014
Deadly Circus Fire: Your New Favourite Metal Band
There will come a day when there is no Iron Maiden, no Metallica, no Black Sabbath, no Tool and no Slipknot. Someone is going to have to carry the torch. So far, a few young bands are dawdling in the wake of the legends, which is a terrifying prospect. The metal community needs fresh ideas, new faces, and kick arse live shows. The metal community needs a band like Deadly Circus Fire.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Thursday, 13 March 2014
The Seattle Miracle: Bruce Pavitt, Sub Pop And Experiencing Nirvana
Photo: Bruce Pavitt Bruce Pavitt has been around. After spending the best part of a decade chronicling the vast landscape of American independent music as both radio DJ and writer, he eventually took the bull by the horns and, alongside Jonathan Poneman, started putting records out in the late '80s. Their label took its name from his DIY zine: Sub Pop.
Written by: Josh Adams | Date: Tuesday, 04 March 2014
Making Waves: Dan Bettridge Stepping Into The Unknown
“Bit worried, first ever tour, like,” Dan Bettridge admitted, his voice still a little heavy with sleep after being rudely awoken by his phone. If he really is nervous, though, he’s got a peculiarly relaxed way of showing it. ‘Darker Days’, his second EP, is a confident affair, one that displays hints of a songwriter maturing at his own pace.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Monday, 03 March 2014
Taking Requests: Black Stone Cherry Out To Express Themselves
It’s a pretty good time to be a follower of Kentucky rockers Black Stone Cherry. With a new album, 'Magic Mountain', on the horizon, their current UK tour offers a rare chance to interact with the band on the most sacred of things: the setlist.
Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Thursday, 27 February 2014
Behemoth: No Rest For The Wicked
In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, Adam 'Nergal' Darski, lead guitarist and vocalist of Behemoth, said: “I know that we are one of the most important bands in extreme metal in the world right now.” Such a bold statement could be seen as pretty obnoxious. But, when you’re talking Behemoth and ‘The Satanist’, their stunning new album, it starts to ring true in a big way.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Thursday, 13 February 2014
Thy Art Is Murder: Australian Metal's Finest Export
Australia may be more readily associated with cricket-related nightmares and its local cuisine than its metal scene but when they do turn their hand to it, it's fucking heavy. Thy Art Is Murder, who hail from Blacktown, New South Wales, have been laying waste to venues the world over off the back of their second album, 'Hate', a true masterclass in brutal, uncompromising death metal.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 10 February 2014
Adrenaline Shot: Killswitch Engage Alive And Flourishing
There are bands to define every generation. Take Black Sabbath, AC/DC or Metallica. Take Iron Maiden, Slipknot and Nirvana. These are bands that helped shape entire cultures, infiltrating the mainstream along the way.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Wednesday, 05 February 2014
Trivium: Suited, Booted And Letting The Music Do The Talking
If you like metal and don't like Trivium, then maybe it’s time for us to have a talk. Since their Roadrunner bow, 'Ascendancy', in 2005, the band have enjoyed their share of success and also battled against a dismissive tide from certain sections of the metal crowd.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 04 February 2014
Water It: Christina Martin Out To Grow On Debut UK Tour
Having meticulously honed her sound since the release of her debut, ‘Pretty Things’, back in 2002, Canadian singer-songwriter Christina Martin is now gearing up for a first UK tour, which gets underway on February 5 at the Slaughtered Lamb in London.
Written by: Mark Muggeridge | Date: Thursday, 30 January 2014
Skindred: Kill The Power, Conquer The World
Let's face it, if you're a band on the same festival bill as Skindred, you’d do well to call your mum, pack your bags and leave before they take the piss out of you for crying. The band's blend of reggae, punk, metal, dancehall and everything inbetween makes for an entertaining affair, yet their recorded output has never garnered the same hysteria as their flawless live show.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Start Absolutely From Scratch: Billy McCarthy, Augustines And The Bike
“So, it’s like two hours before the show and I have a cord running through my nostril and a camera going into my throat, shots in my bum and everything. I asked the doctor, ‘Does this mean I can’t have a whiskey?’ He said, ‘I don’t think that’s a problem.’ I love England.”
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Pillar Point: Dance Music To Mend Broken Hearts
The stated aim of Pillar Point’s self-titled debut, which is set for release through Polyvinyl on March 3, is to get you moving.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 23 January 2014
The New Voice Of Rock And Roll: Colleen Rennison And No Sinner
Long before Big Ben chimed to kick start the New Year, Canadian blues rockers No Sinner were being tipped for big things in 2014.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Lamb Of God: This Is What We Live For
Lamb Of God are not your run of the mill metal band. Since their debut album was released at the turn of the millennium the Richmond natives have stood apart from their contemporaries, feted by critics and held close to the hearts of a passionate set of fans.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 20 January 2014
Papa Roach: A Year On The Road, Festivals And Rocking The Boat
This year, Papa Roach have been firmly in their element: on the road. When we caught up with guitarist Jerry Horton prior to their recent Glasgow show, just one date of a tour that would culminate with a headline slot at Brixton Academy, the band were midway through bringing ‘The Connection’, their electronica-tinged new record, to the masses.
Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 16 December 2013
Won't Be Broken: Keane A Decade On
Back in 2004, Keane topped the BBC's influential ‘Sound of...’ poll, a victory that anointed them as the band most likely to succeed over the following 12 months.
Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Monday, 16 December 2013
Vulture Industries: The Best Metal Band You've Never Heard Of
Sometimes, you just get caught by surprise. You might step in a big pile of dog shit, or, in happier circumstances, you might accidentally stumble across the best band that no one's ever heard of.
Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 09 December 2013