HERE ARE THE ROCK MATRIX MAIN HEADLINES THIS WEEK
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MONDAY 12 to SUNDAY 18 APRIL
BAND QUEST 2010 EVENTS
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:
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12/04/10 - Event 49, Essex Metal Semi Final 1
Acts playing: ERADICATION, PAGESEND, ECHOES FALL
Venue: Edge Bar, Romford, Essex
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13/04/10 - Event 50, Kent Alt Semi Final 1
Acts playing: TRASH MONROE, STRANGERS LANE, THIS BLANK PAGE
Venue: Bull n Vic, Dartford, Kent
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14/04/10 - Event 51, London Alt Semi Final 1
Acts playing: PASSION FOR CATS, FACADE, RED FIRE DAWN
Venue: Dirty South, Lee, London
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15/04/10 - Event 52, London Metal Semi Final 1
Acts playing: SILAS, SISTER KETAMINE, HELLBENT & HAMMERED
Venue: New Cross Inn, New Cross, London
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16/04/10 - Event 53, Kent Alt Semi Final 2
Acts playing: COLT.44, THE GRAFTERS, ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
Venue: Red Lion, Gravesend, Kent
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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.
For those with no access to Facebook all the above events and more can be seen in the eventmatrix gig guide.
MONDAY 12 APRIL and BEYOND
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:
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12/04/10 - Romford Roxx
Romford Roxx continues next week on the 19th April.
Venue: Edge Bar, Romford, Essex
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16/04/10 - Live At The Lion
Acts playing: THE REVELATORS + 2 more acts
Venue: Red Lion, Gravesend, Kent
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SELECTED EVENTS BY OTHER PROMOTORS:
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30/04/10 - Unholy Club
Acts playing: DJ 69, DJ SPUNKY LOBSTER + more
Venue: Scala, Kings Cross, London
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06/05/10 - METABOLIC - MAY MADNESS: 2nd night of New Massive Monthly Rock Night
DJs spinning: DJ KING STEVE (Original Rat n Parrot Rock Night) + 3 more TBC
After the success of the launch party on the 1st April, Metabolic is back on THURSDAY 6TH MAY for its second instalment.
Venue: Ivory Lounge, Bexleyheath
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23/05/10 - Bulletfest 3 (London Metal Fest)
Acts playing: MAN OF KIN, 9BLIND, KARYBDIS, MAXDMYZ, AFTER DEATH, GLASS ARTERY, HOSTILE THEORY, PHYREXIA
Venue: Scala, Kings Cross, London
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13/08/10 to 15/08/10 - Bloodstock Open Air
Acts playing: BAND QUEST BLOODSTOCK METAL TO MASSES WINNERS FOR KENT + ESSEX, HEAVEN AND HELL, SNAKEBITE, TWISTED SISTER, CHILDREN OF BODOM, FEAR FACTORY, BLOODBATH, DEVIN TOWNSEND, CANNIBAL CORPSE, BEHEMOTH, OBITUARY, KORPIKLANNI, DORO, GOJIRA, SONATA ARCTICA, EDGUY, GWAR, GORGOROTH, LEAVES EYES, SUFFOCATION, ROSS THE BOSS + many many more!
Venue: Catton Hall, Derby
Link to Eventmatrix event page
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NEEDED
Want to be in a band?
Click on image above to go to the Rock Matrix home page
Musician available: KEVIN EARDLEY
Plays: SINGER
Details: Classic rock singer looking to work with like minded musicians. Influences include everyone from Rush, AC/DC, Deep Purple to Mastodon, Alice In Chains and Dokken.
Contact: 07891584862
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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
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Band: COMETH OF SOLACE
Need: DRUMMER
Contact: andylittlebritain@msn.com or ring 07941865704
Link: Cometh of Solace Rock Matrix profile
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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
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Musician available: DARREN HOLMES
Plays: SINGER
Contact: dareneholmes@hotmail.co.uk
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GIG REVIEW
Band Quest Kent Metal Heat 10 @ Red Lion - 02/04/10
This week saw the return of the Tech-Metal Sextet Subversi0n (9/10), who's last venture to the venue showed their instruments blurred together into an inaudible sludge. Tonight their sound is much improved and while it isn't perfect the guitars have now found their space in the mix. Chaz and Spencer draw the crowd right up to the stage, before unleashing their relentless set upon them.The new material delves into an even more progressive sound, the brief punctuating stops allow the band to show off their incredibly tight playing. While initially the audience seem to have their faces blasted clean off, they soon find them, put them back on and get into the bands energy.
Second up tonight are the thrashy three-piece, Your Conspiracy (6). Their simple, yet catchy basslines are reminiscent of Steve Harris' style, while the lead guitar screams out some decent 80's thrash metal licks. The rough vocals are grunted out, but some harmonising brings out an interesting, almost Deicide-like sound. The drums thump out a fist-punching rhythm and, although the audience aren't too drawn in their music is quite catchy. The guitarist manages to strikes some poses, albeit quite awkwardly, but the bassist barely moves, his head hunched down over the microphone. Your Conspiracy need to work on their stage prescence, then they would surely make their gigs more memorable.
Shatterpoint (7) step up to close the evening with some crunchy blues metal. The singer languidly lumbers about, giving his groaning vocals a strong southern USA twang. The instruments all groove together, precise and catchy, solos chiming in at just the right time. However, this all just seems very familiar. It's as if these young men have all had a joint out-of-body experience and returned with the musical knowledge of Down. Make no mistake, their song-writing is very professional and Shatterpoint have certainly proved they can make infectious blues songs to match the best. Once they have carved their own niche in the genre, this band will be a force to be reckoned with.
Review by Adam Evans
ALBUM REVIEW
Finntroll - Nifelvind
Finntroll have always had a place in the hearts of the metal world. Their humppa black/death metal is at times irresistible, especially in the live arena where they tend to send crowds into a frenzied state. Their recorded output has sometimes been a little hit-and-miss though. Could they finally come up with a collection of songs which hit as hard on CD as they do in a muddy field or small, sweaty venue?
It appears the answer is yes, as 'Nifelvind', their sixth studio album is not only tightly packed with quality material it is also their best effort to date.
Crammed full of pit friendly choruses the album is bursting with energy. In fact it makes you want to poor beer over yourself and dive head first into a crowd of twenty thousand insane metal heads.
If 'Solsagan' drives home the bands' intent 'Den Frusna Munnen' advertises Finntroll's ability to craft wonderful musical moments, its unobtrusive keyboards allowing the listener to be carried along by the highly melodic verses. The death metal style aggression remains with the likes of 'Ett NorrskensdAYd' combining power and the traditional Finntroll humppa melody while 'I TrAOdens Sang' is like a cannon firing into the centre of an enemy army.
'Tiden Utan Tid' takes the albums epic nature and times it by ten, turning it into a movie soundtrack for a blockbuster war movie made especially for metal fans. By the time 'GalgasAYng' slows down proceedings you are already complentating giving the album another spin. 'Mot Skuggornas VAOrld' bounces along on a carpet of Rammstein-esque rhythms leaving the last four tracks to offer the album a more light-hearted ending, although the epic 7 minute 'DrAYp' shows how Finntroll have matured over the years.
Finntroll may come from Finland and sing in Swedish, but they have made an album that delivers their message in style.
8/10
Review by Alan Hicks
SINGLE REVIEW
Sound Of Guns - Alcatraz
Driving fuzzed up old style rock that coasts along courtesy of versatile vocalist Andy Metcalfe, is oozed out by this live-wire Liverpudlian troupe. Who seek to continue to leap and bound off from the momentum given by their Zane Lowe endorsed debut EP, 'Elementary of Youth'. 'Alcatraz', is a topsy-turvy three and a half minute release of bemusement and emotions, Metcalfe's demonstrative mid-tempo tone is backed up by interludes of calming, caressing backing. In impact only, they seem to mirror the ability of Nickelback to use grit and instrumental drive when needed, in order to draw you into their cause. 'Alcatraz', is a release of radio friendly rhythm rousing and honesty that will probably ensure that the city of Liverpool, still comes up in conversations concerning promising bands.
Rating: 3/5
Review by Dave Adair
METAL BLADE NEWS
GOD DETHRONED re-sign with Metal Blade Records!
Click on image above to go to the Metal Blade myspace page
Become a fan of Metal Blade on Facebbok
Click on band links below for info:
Highly distinguished Dutch death metal greats, GOD DETHRONED, have recently released what is being heralded as one of the best albums of their long career in Passiondale. On the heels of this release, Metal Blade has extended GOD DETHRONED's contract yet again to continue putting out some of the most intense and unique death metal albums from one of the genre's best bands.
GOD DETHRONED will be campaigning across North America once again. This time, they'll be supporting Overkills' 25th Anniversary Killfest tour throughout April. The tour starts April 1st in Philadelphia at the Trocadero.
Metal Blade CEO Brian Slagel comments, "We are very happy to continue our long and great relationship with God Dethroned. We've been working with the band and Henri for over a decade and we look forward to more great music from them in the future!"
Henri Sattler, GOD DETHRONED guitarist and vocalist adds, "Once you're in it, you're in it for life, the head of Metal Blade in Europe once said to me. It was already a dream come true to sign our first deal with the label back in '97, and now 13 years later we just put our signature on our third contract with them. It's just as exciting as it was back then and we're very proud of earning their trust and support after all these years."
"We are halfway through the writing process for a new album, which we will record starting end of May. First, we'll play on the Killfest tour in the U.S. supporting Overkill together with label mates Woe of Tyrants and many other great bands. Abigail Williams' axeman Ian Jekelis will take over touring duties for Susan, with whom we parted ways last January. We will announce the name of our new shredder right before we play our first European festival in May."
GOD DETHRONED's video for Poison Fog from the Passiondale album can be seen on now on MetalBlade.tv.
LOCAL BAND NEWS
Silent Descent aim for Download!
Click on image above to go to the Silent Descent myspace page
Click on band links below for info:
Local techno-metallers Silent Descent are participating in Red Bull Bedroom Jam and are currently in 1st place. Keeping first place could result in a slot at this year's Download Festival.
Click the link below and rate the video 5 stars. No registration is required so it's fast and easy.
Red Bull Bedroom Jam - Silent Descent
BIO:
Hailed by Metal Hammer magazine as 'the trance-metal juggernaut the world has been waiting for' and earning the title of Kerrang! Radio's top unsigned band in April 2008, British septet Silent Descent are well-established as a rising force in the British metal scene. 'Duplicity', the band's critically acclaimed 2008 release came as a breath of fresh air to listeners and has rapidly gained popularity in several countries worldwide. The music video for title track itself topped The Pit's viewer rated charts beating a number of worldwide metal heavyweights. With the ethos of an unsigned band, the self-produced album engineered by guitarist Tom Callahan presents both the massive sound of a modern metal record and the raw, edgy excitement of a band entering unchartered territory. The innovation displayed on their album is only equaled by their inimitable live performance. With strobes, lasers and sheer energy, Silent Descent provide a show that's not only intense and gripping, but also unforgettable. Having played at Bloodstock Festival 2008 and Download Festival 2009, they have proved their worth in today's metal scene and have gained countless fans along the way.
LINKS AND EMAILS
Podcasts, Links, Video and Emails
VIDEOS OF THE WEEK:
THE GLITTER BAND FEAT ADAM ANT - Ant Music live @ Scala - 09/04/10
SILENT DESCENT - Duplicity video
CLAN OF XYMOX - Emily live video
GOD DETHRONED - Poison Fog video
SKYFORGER - Studio update video
KARMA TO BURN - Teaser video clip
SLAVES TO GRAVITY - Album teaser video
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PODCASTS:
Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses:
Each week keep up-to-date with the build up to Bloodstock.
Click here for Bloodstock Podcast
Amped Rock:
At Amped Rock Sky London and Tazz Sander source the world to bring you the best of the best, in rock and metal. If you want to know before everyone else, or just keen to open your mind to new music be sure to listen every month. From the biggest bands to the best of unsigned it's all here.
On the 1st of each month we will release the next episode, so don't miss out on the podcast that the bands themselves listen to. Subscribe, follow, facebook and more importantly listen!
www.ampedrock.com
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EMAILS:
Gig booking: annika@unifiedsounds.co.uk
Newsletter queries: alan@rockmatrix.co.uk
Reviews: alan@rockmatrix.co.uk
General: adam@unifiedsounds.co.uk
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LINKS:
Facebook group - Band Quest/Unified Sounds
www.myspace.com/rockmatrixpromotions
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