Christmas Party with RATM tribute, Floors and Walls and Mad Dog!
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Goth, industrial, ebm upstairs at the Drayman this Thursday!
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Part 2 of the Christmas Party on Saturday!
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Heavvy Sundayz FREE this Sunday! It's gonna be packed!!

Things are a little lighter this week with CYPHAR, BRAIN ACHE, TYCE REMOVED and DAVE COTTHAM.

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Hevvy Sundays at OHM every Sunday.

FREE ENTRY everyone.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at Hevvy Sundays? – Email us a request now!

WIN VIP 8 person paint ball in crowd bingo!

All you need to do is turn up and get a number. A winning line gets a free drink and ONE lucky winner gets the VIP Paint Ball for 8 people!

Bull n Vic Alter-Tainment Nights at the Bull and Vic every Tuesday.

FREE ENTRY.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at Bull n Vic Alter-Tainment Nights? – Email us a request now!

Christmas is kicking off early this year on Thursday the 18th of December with Mad Dog and 2 very special guests playing live on the night. Also with DJ's playing rock/metal requests until the end of the nigt downstairs. Upstairs see's the return of Dark Desires, with DJ's playing only the best of Gothic, Industrial, EBM, Goth metal. Advance tickets available in advance from any of our events!

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UPSTAIRS will host a night of DARK DESIRES, playing the darkest and most gothic of music. DJs 69 and Cybertrash will spin the darkness!

Entry on the night is £5 on the door, £4 with a flyer, and £3 for Rock Matrix Gold Card Holders.

OR

Buy an advanced ticket from us at any of our events between now and then for just £4 (or £3 if you are a GCH) which will get you into both events! Plus, you get a free drink at event 2 if you turn up to event 1.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Double X-Mas Party Part 1 - Live at The Drayman? – Email us a request now!

Upstairs at the Drayman as part of the Xmas Party is Dark Desires.

A night of goth, industrial, EBM, gothic metal, 80s and dark alternative.

DJs 69 and Cybertrash playing the likes of Sisters of Mercy, VNV Nation, Paradise Lost, The Mission, Combichrist, The Birthday Massacre, Type O Negative, BlutEngel, Marilyn Manson, NFD, Colony 5, Ministry, The Ghost of Lemora, 69 Eyes, Nine Inch Nails, Fields of Nephilim, Lacuna Coil, Joy Division, The Cult, KMFDM, Dope Stars Inc, Siouxse, Lacimus Profundere, The Cure, Deathstars, Evanescence, Covenant, Specimen, Poisonblack, Star Industry, Adam Ant, Billy The Rebel, Killing Joke and much much more!

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Entry on the night is £5 on the door, £4 with a flyer, and £3 for Rock Matrix Gold Card Holders.

OR

Buy an advanced ticket from us at any of our events between now and then for just £4 (or £3 if you are a GCH) which will get you into both events! Plus, you get a free drink at event 2 if you turn up to event 1.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at Dark Desires? – Email us a request now!

And then, on Saturday the 20th of December the real party begins with a Winter Wanderland Dark Party night. The downstairs floor will see the biggest/the best/and the dancable rest of Rock/Alt/Metal History, while upstairs you'll have Cheesey Disco 70's/80's/90's! It's a Xmas themed, fancy dress (optional) party with a whole load of stuff going on to keep you entertained with competitions, prizes, give aways and much much more! Tickets are available in advance from us at any of our events!

Invite everyone you know to this event on Facebook

Entry on the night is £5 on the door, £4 with a flyer, and £3 for Rock Matrix Gold Card Holders.

OR

Buy an advanced ticket from us at any of our events between now and then for just £4 (or £3 if you are a GCH) which will get you into both events! Plus, you get a free drink at event 2 if you turn up to event 1.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Double X-Mas Party Part 2 - Winter Wanderland at The Drayman? – Email us a request now!

Bloodstock Open Air returns in 2009 and is set to increase in size for the 5th year running. Three days full of pure metal and a little bit more at Catton Hall!

Weekend tickets cost £85.00 (up to 15th December, after which they will increase) and can be ordered from the Bloodstock website - Order Bloodstock Open Air tickets.

Here are the bands confirmed so far:

• AMON AMARTH
• SATYRICON
• SAXON
• KATATONIA
• TURISAS
• THE HAUNTED
• CANDLEMASS
• WINTERSUN
• SABATON
• DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER

For more information on the festival visit the Bloodstock website.

CONQUEST need:

- Bass player
- Drummer

Contact this band here: leslie.clayden@ntlworld.com or admin@roystone.com or ring Les Clayden on 07832 235715.

ROY STONE needs:

- All musicians

Contact Roy Stone here: admin@roystone.com or www.myspace.com/roystonelink.

BRAND NEW BAND need:

- Guitarist

Contact this band here: aj.clash@googlemail.com or www.myspace.com/ajddk.

UNTIL I BLEED need:

- Guitarist (with some lead ability)
- Bassist
- Drummer
- Female vocalist

Contact this band here: tombwibble@yahoo.co.uk

With the popularity of this kind of metal, whether you choose to call it, experimental, progressive, technical or noise, at an all time high, it was no surprise to find the Empire sold out for this show. Whilst billed as an Opeth show, it was surprising to hear just how many people had bought their tickets purely to see Cynic, their name being uttered in an almost reverential manner by the assembled throngs outside. As popular as Opeth are, I was intrigued to see just how many of the crowd would leave before their set, as many were intending.

Openers The Ocean (7.5/10) took the stage to a half empty crowd, still filing in from the long queues around the block, and immediately set about the task of introducing London into 'The Collective'. The Germans were whittled down from their immense membership into a tight touring outfit of 6, including 2 vocalists, (previous incarnations have featured as many as 7 vocalists), which was probably wise taking into account the energy they showed on stage would have meant that several members would have had to have been hospitalized had any more turned up. The majority of the set came from the latest release, 'Precambian', engaging the audience fully with their mixture of crunching guitars and guttural roars interspersed with moments of slower technical virtuosity, reminiscent of early Isis and Pelican. This is music as accomplished in its complexity as it is unyielding in its brutality. By the time their 5 song set was completed with 'The City in the Sea', it would have been a harsh critic to suggest that he had not been sold on the intensity of their performance.

The highly anticipated arrival of Cynic (7) on stage was greeted with a crush at the front and all eyes fixated on the stage in apparent awe. After an almost (seeing as Chinese Democracy has finally gotten a release), unprecedented 15 year break between albums, fans were eager to sample follow up 'Traced in Air' in a live environment, and Cynic were not to disappoint. Opening with new tracks 'Nunc Fluens' and 'The Space For This', the crowd stood, seemingly hypnotised. It was easy to understand why after a few tracks. Singer Paul Masvidal, (playing what appears to be the world's smallest guitar), is a surprisingly engaging individual, given his clean vocal style and very technical guitar work. The energy on stage was provided by bassist Sean Malone, thrashing his head and guitar around in stark contrast to the diminutive and unassuming lead man. The overall package Cynic provides is something very unusual, almost unique and therein lies their appeal it would seem. Despite a slightly muddy sound set up, and a set of no more than 40 minutes, the crowd were without question satisfied, judging by the number of beaming smiles and the rush for Cynic merchandise.

The threatened exodus before Opeth (8.5) rather predictably never materialised, and as ever the Swedes arrival on stage felt like an event in itself. The crowd chanted their name wildly before a note had been played, prior to unleashing chaos at the opening strains of 'Heir Apparent'. If they were warmed up by now, they were ablaze by the time 'The Grand Conjuration' was over, a now almost indispensable crowd favourite. One of the joys of Opeth for me is the relaxed attitude and banter of Mikael Akerfeldt, who entertained us with a few bars of a disco classic, mocked the crowd for crying during 'Hope Leaves' and explained how the band had recently shaved off their pubes and glued them to the face of newly bearded keyboardist Per Wiberg. Tearing through a number of classics including 'Godhead's Lament', 'Bleak' and 'Deliverance', Opeth delivered a masterclass in progressive death, and by the time the closing notes of encore 'The Drapery Falls' arrived, it felt like it was all over too soon. That's the problem with a band like Opeth. The songs are just so damn long you never get enough songs into a set, but then if they were shorter they just wouldn't have the same impact. As Akerfeldt himself said, "Not too shabby!"

Review by Lee Kimber

British Metal heroes MALEFICE have set 'Dawn Of Reprisal' as title for their Metal Blade debut. 'Dawn Of Reprisal' features 10 hammering songs leaving any metalhead Worldwide nothing but satifsfied with a mischievous smile on his face!

Packed full of face-melting riffs, fret-shredding guitars and a sense of groove that will stand up against any name you care to mention, 'Dawn Of Reprisal' arrives in stores on February, 27th (D/A/CH/I), March, 2nd (rest of Europe). This is the date that the rest of the World shall follow Britain's lead in worshipping at the alter of MALEFICE! Consider this your warning! 'Dawn Of Reprisal' was recorded and mixed by Dan Weller and Justin Hill (ex SikTh) at Fortress Studios London and Timeless Studios London, mastered at 360 Mastering by Dick Beetham. Comments the band on the new album: “'Dawn of Reprisal' is a massive step forward for all of us as a band, and individuals. MALEFICE has matured a lot in a short space of time and one listen to this new record will show you that. We've crafted our sound into what we all missed about metal. Killer riffs, punishing drums, intense vocals and songs you can break your neck to!” Tracklisting 'Dawn Of Reprisal:

1. The Midas Effect
2. Abandon Hope
3. An Architect Of Your Demise
4. End Of Days
5. Human Portrait
6. As I Bleed
7. When Embers Ignite
8. Retribution
9. Hatred Justified
10. Sickened

'Dawn Of Reprisal' will be released on February, 27th (D/A/CH/I), March, 2nd (rest of Europe).

www.myspace.com/malefice

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