Zero Hour All-Dayer!
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BULLISH! Grunting, Snarling Meaty Metal - all day!
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Death to 2009 - Long live 2010!
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Band Quest 2010 website launched!

Band Quest 2010 IS The South East's most comprehensive set of opportunities for alternative music acts. A Free to Enter*, multi-faceted promotional platform which includes opportunities such as Live Recordings and Filming of live events for DVD production within a Battle of the Bands-esque format, 6 Finals where at least every finalist wins a prize valued at £100 upward, with up to 60 PRIZES, worth over £20K and extended high profile industry showcases with top acts. Your music could feature on an exciting brand new set of triple Promotional CD compilations going to industry addresses. You will appear in a full colour program covering all Band Quest acts and supporters. This platform also offers reduced studio costs, festival slots, local discounts, money saving merchandise deals and more.... so what you waiting for? You just can't lose?

* A deposit is required to ensure a place which is fully returnable at the end of the duration of the events undertaken in the battle of the bands period.

You can view more details at the Band Quest website by clicking on the flyer below:

If you are in a band and want to apply immediately click on the image below and you will be taken to the application form:

Starting at 4pm and running until late, we have an afternoon of great entertainment for you across 2 floors at Bexleyheath's Zero Bar in this Double Bank Holiday Evening.

The likes of IN THE RED, INTERNAL SCARS, SILAS, ABOUT YOUR BEAR, RED-FIRE DAWN and other acts will keep you entertained upstairs.

DJs downstairs will host the special finale Rock Night for the Zero Bar.

The Zero Hour All-Dayer at the Zero Bar this coming Sunday.

£2.00 for Loyalty Card Holders, £3.00 for everyone else.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Zero Hour All-Dayer? – Email us a request now!

Starting at 2pm and going through until midnight, we have some of the finest metal that you could want for Xmas.

Local metal titans INNER FIRE head up this all-dayer with the likes of the industrialised DYSTOLIC and groove metallers ZOCALO in close support. Also playing are AVENGE THEE, ORPHAN GEARS, who's mix of classic rock and grunge went down a storm at a recent Purple Turtle gig and classic metal four-piece CONQUEST. 2ND2NONE, BREAK NECK and additional bands also play.

Bullish Metal All-Dayer at the Bull and Vic next Monday.

£3.00 for Loyalty Card Holders and those with flyers, £4.00 for everyone else.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Bullish Metal All-Dayer? – Email us a request now!

Come along and bring in the new year at the Red Lion in Gravesend and enjoy which surely be a breathtaking headlining performance from SPLINTERED SOUL, who were not only one of the highlights at this years Red Roar Festival but they are one of THE bands to watch in 2010. MAN OF KIN, SEVEN and REJECTED BY DEATH also play, with DJ LAMINATOR spinning into 2010.

Old Years Death/New Years Eve at the Red Lion on New Years Eve.

£4.00 entry before 8.30pm, £5.00 after.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Old Years Death/New Years Eve? – Email us a request now!

PRINCE KATOCO needs:

- Drummer

Contact the band here: cmp5000@hotmail.co.uk or ring Chris on 07506 550 303 or spoek@tiscali.co.uk or ring Joe on 07738 820 290.

Singer available - Contact Darren Holmes here: dareneholmes@hotmail.co.uk.

Like the Islington Academy the Electric Ballroom has benefited from the destruction of the Astoria and LA2, as it was one of the obvious choices to host this and many other gigs which would have been held at the much missed Soho venue. The sound can sometimes be a bit muffled but tonight the soundman gets it spot on.

Having missed the opening act it was up to London mob RISE TO REMAIN (6.5/10) to open the night and show us that the breeding ground for metalcore isn't confined to the United States. They do well in warming the crowd but it's the joint headliners everyone is here to see.

You could feel a little sorry for SHADOWS FALL (8). They have constantly released quality material such as the recent ear shattering 'Retribution' album but have continuously been overlooked in favour of metalcore buddies Unearth and Killswitch Engage. One advantage of this is they still have this aura of an underground band which sits well in the metal scene, especially after the stage explodes to the sounds of proper opener 'My demise' after the 'The path to imminent ruin' intro. The crowd is greeted with the sight of frontman Brian Fair's 5ft long dreadlocks swinging insanely at 360 degrees, threatening death to anyone who dares to tread too close. Shadows Fall have always had the skill to pen some heavy but melody driven songs such as 'The light that blinds', which turns the circle pit into a whirlpool of arms and legs. The triple run of the chunky riffed 'The power of i and i', the belting new track 'Still i rise' and finally club dancefloor favourite 'What drives the weak' is enough to scrape the twenty year old paint from the Ballroom walls. Normally this ferocious beast of a set would be enough to please the crowd but there was still the second of the two headliners to come.

A little over a year ago hardly anyone in the UK had heard of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH (8) despite gradually raising their status in the US. This all changed after successful appearances at Download and supporting Lamb of God. Their sound is a mash up of a heavier Stone Sour and Pantera with a helpful smattering of mid-nineties nu-metal. This obviously appeals to the fist thumping fans of Machine Head, Lamb of God and Slipknot, but FFDP have more in their reserves than mere adrenaline filled aggressiveness. Tonight frontman Ivan Moody has more energy than the average power station, pacing from left to right, only stopping to unleash yet more venom from a set of lungs made for touring. His vocals have a 'Corey Taylor' quality, jumping from shouty aggression to melody with ease on the likes of 'Never enough'. The excellent 'The bleeding' sees guitarist Zoltan Bathory unleash technical solos and thick nu-metalish riffs in equal measure, leading to some of the crowd to play air guitars along with the usual headbanging. A cover of 'Bad company' leads to a mass sing-a-long while 'White knuckles' is a relief to those who wish to reignite the circle pit, so they can continue to smash the hell out of each other. Along with a set of songs that are fast becoming live and club favourites FFDP, or more specifically Ivan Moody has the ability to control a crowd with a simple word. This is seen when he makes two thirds of the floor jump in unison and again later when he encites everyone to surge to the front so he can shake their hands. Some may find this macho-American metal a little to much to stomach at times but the sheer melody and catchiness of FFDPs material will only see the number of fans grow. After playing through the ridiculous 9.45pm curfew FFDP send the crowd into the Camden night pumped up and ready for more death punches at the Download Festival in 2010.

Review by Alan Hicks

Band Quest 2009 finalists Silas have released an EP just in time for Christmas stockings everywhere.

Silas have always incorporated many influences into their sound, ranging from Gojira to Led Zeppelin and even reggae and they are all here in abundance. Opener 'In the grind' quietly creeps up on you before exploding into life after forty seconds, operating as the perfect start to the CD. 'Angels lie' contains a riff thicker than a nuclear bunkers outer door, a melodic chorus which has been stunning audiences in the live arena for the past year and 'that' reggae interlude, all of which makes it a standout track. 'Flip the script' reeks of 70s cool, its simple and laid back vibe recalls Free at times with a hint of Black Stone Cherry, but its the dual vocal chorus which provides the song with the strong spine it needs.

Dave Runham is no longer the 'new' member. The vocalist is now a natural part of the Silas entity, the gritty vocal style has developed an alternative smoother angel, enabling the melody within the songs to shine brighter than this time last year. The rough edges are still there though, such as on 'Rollin on' where they encompany the heaviest riffs so far in a ball breaking finish to the EP.

This EP is not just a perfect showcase of where the band are now but also a well deserved badge of quality for each member of Silas to pin on their shirts. This is the most complete Silas have ever sounded.

8/10

Review by Alan Hicks

It's been a huge year for England's MALEFICE. They've been to India to perform for thousands of insane Indian metalheads and documented the trip HERE and HERE, played at Bloodstock 09, toured Europe relentlessly and released their Metal Blade debut album, Dawn Of Reprisal. The Brits aren't quite done yet as they have finished work on the video for one of the best tracks from the record called Architect Of Your Demise.

Our friends over at www.metalinjection.net will be premiering this video exclusively now. The video was directed by Scott Fulton and Eyesmash Productions. Check it out HERE and enjoy MALEFICE's brand of quality, honest British metal!

In other news MALEFICE have been added to next year's Hammerfest II bill along with Rise to Remain, Warpath, Conquest of Steel, Echovirus, Man Must Die, Sondura, No Made Sense and Cars on Fire. They join a bill that already includes a spring exclusive performance from DevilDriver, a UK exclusive show Iced Earth, Skindred, Napalm Death, Epica, Dark Funeral, Akercocke, Orange Goblin, Panic Cell, Shining, Belligerence, Attica Rage, Godsized, Zico Chain, Huron, Hellfighter, Isolysis, More I see and Marshall Law.

Hammerfest II happens in Prestatyn, North Wales on March 11-13, 2010.

MALEFICE have also been in the studio to record a cover of Pantera's "I'm Broken" for a very special tribute to Dimebag CD which will come free with METAL HAMMER UK's upcoming 200th issue which is due to hit the racks on December 16, 2009.

They join UNEARTH, Machine Head, Chimaira, Zakk Wylde, 5 Finger Death Punch, Sylosis, Biohazard, Evile, Throwdown, This Is Hell, Kiuas and more contributing tracks in honor of Dimebag Darrell Abbott who was tragically shot dead on stage in December 2004.

MALEFICE will be touring Europe in January with KITTIE and IT DIES TODAY!

I am a photographer based in SE London who used to model myself but now prefer to be on the other side of the camera.

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