HERE ARE THE ROCK MATRIX MAIN HEADLINES THIS WEEK
(click on headlines to read full story)
MONDAY 08 to SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY
BAND QUEST 2010
This week the following bands battle it out for a chance to win a place in the semi-finals of this years Band Quest! With chances to win places at Festivals, cash prizes, and more, as well as a chance to be on one of this years compilation CD's!
So come along and place your votes (alongside the 3 judges)!
THIS WEEKS BAND QUEST HEATS (all link to Facebook event):
------------------------------------------------------
08/02/10 - Event 1, Essex Metal Heat 1
Acts playing: ERADICATION, CYPHER16, REZINWOLF
Venue: Edge Bar, Romford, Essex
------------------------------------------------------
09/02/10 - Event 2, Kent Alt Heat 1
Acts playing: STRANGERS LANE, THE HOPELESS SONS, GHOST IN MIRRORS
Venue: Bull n Vic, Dartford, Kent
------------------------------------------------------
10/02/10 - Event 3, London Alt Heat 1
Acts playing: THE RECKONING, RED-FIRE DAWN, SHAUN GRIMSLEY
Venue: Dirty South, Lee, London
------------------------------------------------------
11/02/10 - Event 4, Kent Metal Heat 1
Acts playing: SEVEN, DYSTOLIC, CALLOUS
Venue: Beercart Arms, Canterbury, Kent
------------------------------------------------------
12/02/10 - Event 5, Kent Alt Heat 1
Acts playing: FACADE, INTERNAL SKARS, ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
Venue: Red Lion, Gravesend, Kent
------------------------------------------------------
Entry for all heats is just £3.00. Advanced tickets are available from the bands as well as WeGotTickets website (click on the buy ticket image to the left).
Buy a ticket in advance and arrive before 9.30pm and be in with the chance of winning a £10.00 bar voucher.
Please check the website for more details: www.bandquestuk.com.
MONDAY 08 to SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY
NON BAND QUEST EVENTS
With most of our live nights coming from the Band Quest side of things over the next 3-4 months don't expect this section to be that big. This doesn't mean we will only be running Band Quest events, as the event below shows....
THIS WEEKS NON BAND QUEST EVENTS (all link to Facebook event):
------------------------------------------------------
13/02/10 - The Twilight Zone
Acts playing: SUNRISE FALLING, CASINOS, ALCHEMISTS, FARADAY CAGE
Venue: St Michael's Community Centre, Welling, Kent
------------------------------------------------------
NEEDED
Want to be in a band?
Click on image above to go to the Rock Matrix home page
Band: FARADAY CAGE
Need: BASSIST
Details: Influences include Radiohead, DJ Shadow, Aphex Twin, Nick Drake to Jeff Buckley. We are 15 going on 16 we would prefer our bassist to be 14-16 (maybe 17). We also want someone who is devoted to practice quite frequently. We are from Welling and Abbey Wood and would prefer our bassist to be from around those areas.
Contact: faradaycageband@hotmail.com
Link: Faraday Cage Rock Matrix profile
------------------------------------------------------
Band: STORM THE GATES
Need: DRUMMER
Details: We are about to form a new band from the remaining members of Storm The Gates. The name will change.
Contact: stormthegates2008@googlemail.com
Link: www.myspace.com/stormthegatesuk
------------------------------------------------------
Band: TEMPEST LOVE
Need: GUITARIST
Contact: tempest-love@live.com
Link: www.myspace.com/tempestloveuk
------------------------------------------------------
Band: COMETH OF SOLACE
Need: DRUMMER
Contact: andylittlebritain@msn.com or ring 07941865704
Link: Cometh of Solace Rock Matrix profile
------------------------------------------------------
Band: PRINCE KATOCO
Need: DRUMMER
Contact: cmp5000@hotmail.co.uk or ring Chris on 07506 550 303 or spoek@tiscali.co.uk or ring Joe on 07738 820 290
Link: www.myspace.com/princekatoco
------------------------------------------------------
Musician available: TOM FITZGERALD
Plays: MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST / SONGWRITER
Details: Based in Dartford with own equipment and studio, looking for others. Influences: A Perfect Circle, Soundgarden, Tool, Muse, Radiohead etc.
Contact: ring 01322 284 009
------------------------------------------------------
Musician available: DARREN HOLMES
Plays: SINGER
Contact: dareneholmes@hotmail.co.uk
------------------------------------------------------
GIG REVIEW
Esoterica @ New Cross Inn - 13/01/10
With people staring into the personal black holes that make up half the countries bank accounts after the Christmas period and the threat of further snow it couldn't have been the easiest time to play a gig. Despite this Esoterica (8/10) treat this January crowd to a night of voluminously delicious music.
To start with the set from the altenative metal five-piece was somber, almost acting as both an introduction to the unaffiliated and a warm up for a band who hadn't played since before the expensive behemoth that is Christmas. The slowness of this opening allowed the individual elements of the band to shine. The bass lines crept around the venue, prodding anyone threatening to lose interest, while the Maynard James Keenan-esque vocal style from the shoeless and entertaining frontman draws you into the semi-complex song structures.
If the first half of the performance was slow and thoughtful, the second was nothing short of fascinating. It could have been a case of saving the best material for the latter part of the night, but these songs were glorius. Attentive but direct each and every note of the excellent 'Silence' made for a captivating three and a half minutes, especially since it contains one of the best choruses in recent memory. 'Don't rely on anyone' drags the crowd into the action thanks to its chanting melody while the Tool-isms of 'Watch this drive' press all the right buttons. The momentum is continued with the driving 'Tomorrow I won't remember' and a scrappy but fun version of 'Word up' to finish the night.
Tonight Esoterica show New Cross the best of UK alternative metal, converting a fair few people in the process. It's just a shame more people weren't here to witness it.
Review by Alan Hicks
GIG REVIEW
Live At The Lion @ Red Lion - 29/01/10
The evening started off with Rejected By Death (2/10) taking the main stage and performing a sadly disappointing series of covers. They set the bar with their opening song, 'The Downfall of us All' by A Day To Remember, which began with the drums and guitars failing to lock together and so creating a mess that confused both the audience and the band. Though the singer was neither in tune or in time, I felt that this was mainly due to nerves as his performance was very self-conscious. On the upside, the guitarist and bassist showed some promise, particularly the bassist, who brought some much needed energy to the stage. Despite their blunders, RBD received support from the merry crowd, clearly boosting the bands morale. At least they were brave enough to get up on stage and do their bit. Hopefully they will return well-rehearsed and win us all over in the near future.
Next we rushed downstairs to catch Fatality (7), who promptly got down to business with some serious metalcore. As well as their own technical material, they faithfully covered Dope's 'Die Motherfucker Die' as well as bringing Abandon Faith's frontman up for a violent rendition of Raining Blood. Even though the room was full, Fatality played right up against the crowd. Mosh pits rose and fell. If only the vocals had been louder, then the performance would surely have been as intense as it wanted to be.
After such a good turnout downstairs I was disappointed to find only perhaps fifteen people upstairs for Red 13 (9), a hard rock quartet hailing from the Medway Towns. And what a band all those people missed! Riffs that seem to snatch your ear and bend it forwards, action poses and random hopping from the guitars and those strong, lung-filled yells that Hard Rock demands. Red 13 gave an all round entertaining show and, had crowd been bigger, this would have been an awesome gig.
Abandon The Faith (8) closed the downstairs stage, opening with 'Laid to Rest' by Lamb of God, which was as precise as a well oiled bulldozer. From there they proceeded to play with an onslaught of their own death metal songs. Moshpits raged as the wall of noise weighed down on the audience. The vocals raged as the singer climbed the seats to oversee the crowd. The guitars shrieked and the drums frantically smashed their blast-beats through the set. The metallers left contented, which was a shame for the next band.
In The Red (8) opened to what must have been no more than 10 committed souls looking up at them, but played a decent set of Bluesy rock that I can only liken with The White Stripes. Though their music and performance were both very polished, it was a step down from the high-tempo performances of Red 13 and Abandon The Faith. Their redeeming feature, was their closing cover of the Metallica classic For Whom The Bell Tolls, which stomped along with a raw energy quite unlike their previous songs. Perhaps In The Red were stifling the metal in their veins, when really they should have let it flood into their music.
Review by Adam Evans
ALBUM REVIEW
Sondura - Live Before You Die
Being compared to Nickelback may not give a bands credibility much of a lift but London-based quartet Sondura have unleashed a melody-driven debut to be proud of.
The vocals from Tom Watson interlace with the guitars of brother Jack, providing the album a confident and effective spine throughout, ensuring every song belongs. The production is ripe and does its job, helping the album sound as good as it can.
Album opener 'Live before you die' mixes a driving Black Stone Cherry-style riff with a harder edged heaviness making it clear that this band do more than radio friendly. The songs on display here get straight to the point, with each chorus hitting home quicker than most albums, the likes of 'Scars' proving this early on.
The beautifully constructed and Alter Bridge inspired 'Falling free' is a standout track, its soaring chorus deserving to be all over the radio. You can hear a few thousand fans singing this back at the summer festivals already.
Sondura may have already planted the seeds with their earlier E.P and the sampler that went out with an issue of Metal Hammer, but it is this album that could see them begin a rise through the ranks. This is a solid enough debut which hints at a better future.
7.5/10
Review by Alan Hicks
METAL BLADE NEWS
AMON AMARTH confirmed for Sonisphere Switzerland!
Click on image above to go to the Metal Blade myspace page
Click on band links below for info:
Might Swedish Viking warriors AMON AMARTH have been confirmed for the Swiss edition of the Sonisphere festival where they will be sharing ranks with the mighty 4 of Thrash Metal – Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax – among others!
USEFUL LINKS/EMAILS
Get in contact or use the links
EMAILS:
Gig booking: annika@unifiedsounds.co.uk
Newsletter queries: alan@rockmatrix.co.uk
Reviews: alan@rockmatrix.co.uk
General: adam@unifiedsounds.co.uk
LINKS: