An Extra Punch – HAMMERFALL

28th February 2022

The Swedish saviors of heavy metal HAMMERFALL let the hammer strike again, radiating power on all artistic levels with their twelfth studio album, Hammer Of Dawn!

When HAMMERFALL released their debut album, Glory To The Brave, in 1997, they not only brought a breath of fresh air into the metal scene, but also managed to trigger a gargantuan boom for traditional heavy metal.

Up until today, HAMMERFALL has released several massive albums bursting with distinctive strength that assuredly won’t disappoint, just as can be expected of Hammer Of Dawn.

Hammer Of Dawn starts off with remarkable opener “Brotherhood”, a hymn echoing the deep friendship of bandleaders Joacim Cans and Oscar Dronjak, but also serving as a shout-out to their loyal Templars. Title track “Hammer Of Dawn” breaks through with mighty roaring choirs, tremoring, catchy riffs and a brilliant solo by Pontus Norgren that quakes the ground beneath. Both songs give a brief insight in the new studio album and exemplify that HAMMERFALL continue their way to the top of the Heavy Metal olympus even after almost 30 years of band history. The other tracks on the album are one smasher after another, with songs like “Reveries”, “No Son Of Odin” and “Venerate Me” – the latter featuring an appearance by none other than King Diamond – making sure it will go down as another milestone in the career of the Swedes.

HAMMERFALL are:
Joacim Cans – Vocals
Oscar Dronjak – Guitar
Pontus Norgren – Guitar
Fredrik Larsson – Bass
David Wallin – Drums

The new album was mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström (Arch Enemy, In Flames, Opeth, Powerwolf and others), who also recorded the drums. The vocals for Hammer Of Dawn were produced by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat and more), while guitars were recorded and produced by Pontus Norgren, with co-producers Oscar Dronjak and Fredrik Nordström.

Hammer Of Dawn presents the Swedish heavy metal spearhead in its brightest shining armor and is a proud adherence to their influential tradition. The album’s powerful production bristles with strength and gives its songs their hard-hitting extra punch!

HAMMERFALL live:
UNITED FORCES TOUR 2022
w/ Helloween
04.05.22 UK – Manchester / Manchester Academy
05.05.22 UK – London / Brixton Academy

28.06.22 HU – Budapest / Papp Laszlo Sportarena
29.06.22 AT – Vienna / Gasometer
30.06.22 CZ – Prague / O2
02.07.22 SK – Zvolenska Slatina / OLYMPIC Fields

08.09.22 DE – Berlin / Verti Music Hall
09.09.22 DE – Regensburg / Donau Arena
10.09.22 DE – Bamberg / Brose Arena
13.09.22 NL – Tilburg / 013
14.09.22 LU – Luxemburg / Rockhal
16.09.22 DE – Stuttgart / Schleyerhalle
18.09.22 PL – Katowice / MCK

13.10.22 BG – Sofia / Arena Armeec
09.12.22 DE – Frankfurt / Jahrhunderthalle
11.12.22 DE – Kempten / Big Box
13.12.22 CH – Zurich / Samsung Hall

03.02.23 ES – Barcelona / St. Jordi Club
04.02.23 ES – Madrid / Wizink Center

28.04.23 NO – Oslo / Sentrum Scene
29.04.23 SE – Gothenburg / Partille Arena
01.05.23 FI – Helsinki / Black Box
02.05.23 EE – Tallinn / Noblessneri Valukoda
05.05.23 DE – Bochum / Ruhrcongress
06.05.23 DE – Hamburg / Sporthalle

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The Water’s Lovely – THE SHIPBUILDERS

28th February 2022

Music News

Surf-rock Scousers THE SHIPBUILDERS share news of their latest single ‘The Moon, out NOW.

The Shipbuilders exist as a melting pot where the surreal meets the sublime. Since releasing their first EP, ‘Something in the Water’ in 2016, the band have continuously expanded their sound and scope of influences to create a world where sparkling pop wonders are nestled between Spanish Civil War laments, gypsy arias, and chaotic, shambolic odes to drinking, death and everything in between. All of this is done with added lashings of melody and the writings of Garcia Lorca and James Joyce, dictating that the wonder of the beauty of the world – and beyond – is never overlooked.

THE SHIPBUILDERS – NEW SINGLE – ‘THE MOON’ – OUT NOW

STREAM ON ALL SERVICES HERE

The Shipbuilders’ universe is one all are welcome to explore, as the band have also established their own ‘Shipwrecked’ club nights which over the past four years have played host to some of Merseyside’s finest bands and spoken word artists, while raising funds and food for local food banks and charities. Such is the success of Shipwrecked, Summer 2021 saw the inaugural Shipwrecked Festival, a sold out all-day multi-stage event in Birkenhead’s Future Yard, before the band took the event to Newport and Bristol in the autumn.

Naturally, all rivers have led to the ocean – that being the groups upcoming debut album, ‘Spring Tide’ (out 6 May 2022). But ahead of the full length release, The Shipbuilders will be unveiling their next single, ‘The Moon’, released digitally on Mai 68 Records on 25th February 2022. Recorded by Danny Whitewood (BC Camplight, Ladytron), the song is an urgent, fiercely passionate, chest-thumping song with a flamenco flavour that soars as it builds into a chaotic, all-conquering crescendo. It’s a prime example of the band’s frenzied, irresistible sound, the song is a staple of the band’s live shows, and has been cemented as a firm fan favourite.

Speaking of the track, singer Matty Loughlin-Day explains: "I've long been fascinated and drawn towards the concept of 'Cante Jondo', the folk music of Andalusia that literally translates to 'deep song'. Moon' came from a contemplation of all of this. It's a song written from the perspective of a soldier in the Spanish Civil War who, while standing underneath a haloed moon, can hear "the wailing of this life and the next collide" while lamenting his love's death and pondering if the same fate will fall on him..."

With ‘The Moon’ appearing, ‘Spring Tide’ starting to rise, and a UK wide tour in the works, The Shipbuilders are diving headfirst into new year, and making mighty waves. Come on in, the water’s lovely…

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For The Lonely Minds – Caroline Romano

28th February 2022

Music News

Nashville-based alt-pop trailblazer Caroline Romano reveals her highly-anticipated debut album, Oddities and Prodigies, out on all streaming platforms NOW.

From misty-eyed ballads to fiery pop-punk anthems, Oddities and Prodigies is a vivid snapshot of Caroline’s personal and musical journey — “this album is everything I know in 16 songs,” she says. From tackling what it’s like to struggle with depression and anxiety to examining first loves and first heartbreaks, Oddities and Prodigies is an all-encompassing look at Caroline’s personal growth and resilience.

Elaborating on the album, Caroline says: “I believe I’ve been writing bits and pieces of this album for my entire life, and as I sat down to summarize it in songs this past year, it fell together like the final pieces of a puzzle. It’s the beginning of the story I’ve been waiting to tell. This is chapter one. At heart, this album is a wrestling match with one’s self. It’s for anyone feeling so alone or feeling like such an oddity that they will never find a way to be themselves while simultaneously being happy. I have been one of those people, but I’ve learned that oddities and prodigies go hand in hand. This album is for those with impossible plans and lonely minds. I hope you find some of yourself in these songs. I have found all of me in them.“

Listen to Oddities and Prodigies on all streaming platforms:
https://onerpm.link/oddities-and-prodigies

At just 20-years-old, Caroline Romano has already written and performed into the hearts and ears of an anxious generation. She’s accrued millions of streams across her repertoire and has captured the attention of key tastemakers like Hollywood Life, Just Jared, EUPHORIA and American Songwriter. Her songwriting abilities showcase her witty, introspective and hopeful take on modernity, romanticism and the highs and lows of being young in today’s world. An exciting and honest young talent, Oddities and Prodigies introduces Caroline Romano as a pop powerhouse with a long career ahead.

Oddities and Prodigies Tracklist
1. Oddities and Prodigies
2. Panic Attack
3. Grocery Store
4. I’m Bad
5. Ireland In 2009
6. I Wish I Had It On Film
7. Perhaps It’s Mine
8. Hollister
9. Dizzy
10. Lonely Interlude
11. The Hypothetical
12. I Will Be
13. The Apocalypse Song
14. Dramatic
15. Leaving Wednesday
16. Arrivederci

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It’s Written In The Stars – The Spirit

28th February 2022

Mainly Metal

A warm September morning, 4:00 AM, and the final lyric has just been written.

Despite the song writing process having started one year earlier, it is completed only a few hours before the last day of the recording session, the band longing for a few final minutes of sleep. Yet, once you hear the complexity and virtuosity of the eight new tracks, you might understand why composer Matthias Trautes worked relentlessly for 12 months to forge this new chapter of Stellar Blackened Death Metal.

Two years after their sophomore “Cosmic Terror”, Germany’s THE SPIRIT once again delve into the vast nothingness of the universe, while capturing the fear of the unknown and humanity’s insignificance within our cosmos in their sound. On their upcoming third offering, “Of Clarity and Galactic Structures”, the duo, consisting of Matthias Trautes (vocals, guitars, bass) and Manuel Steitz (drums), hold on to their black/death metal roots yet take the progressive elements to a whole new level. Whilst the predecessor from 2019 already contained some prog elements, the brain twisting rhythm changes and virtuosic instrumental performance became an essential part of the band’s universe.

“You quite easily become a prisoner of your comfort zone as a musician”, Matthias explains. “To get out of my own comfort zone, I worked with a lot of odd time signatures during the song writing. I do listen to a lot of prog rock and most of my favourite bands are from within this genre. But still it was quite a challenge for me at the beginning, to write music beyond the standard of 4/4 and 3/4 and merge those prog elements into our sound. But damn, this was so much fun, and I definitely became a better musician during the song writing period. THE SPIRIT’s sound gained much more depth on this new album.”

Manuel Steitz once more shines on the drums, this album shows why his drumming is so important for the overall sound of THE SPIRIT. And the end track ‘Laniakea’ sees a synthesizer added, for first time ever in the band’s cosmic sound.

“Using a synth is something I had in mind for a long time. It was a small first step but let’s see where it goes and if this is something we use more often on future records. Depends on how we can implement it for live shows, as backing tracks are out of question for us (many bands see that very different nowadays) as well as a fifth member on stage.”

Once again recorded and mixed at the Woodshed Studio, Germany by V. Santura (with the drums being tracked at Iguana Studios by Christoph Brandes), THE SPIRIT’s lyrics usually mix a general misanthropic view on the world with cosmic metaphors and the call to see our often narrow-minded and egocentric existence in the larger context of our whole universe, where none of our daily struggles and vanities ever matter. To distance oneself from this attitude and see the bigger picture can often lead to new clarity, and this thought inspired the album title.

The cover artwork, painted by internationally renowned artist Eliran Kantor, adds to this overall concept: “I’m so happy that we reached out to him. What a great guy and so easy to work with. We wanted something a bit different to most of the work he did in the last years for other bands, and he totally nailed it.”

While the pandemic hit the duo as hard as any other band and only allowed them to play 12 shows, despite having planned several European tours within the past two years, Matthias and Manuel can’t wait to finally bring Cosmic Terror across the world with their two live musicians, and many tour dates will soon be revealed. The future of our world is still written in the stars, but THE SPIRIT has come to reach for them once more!

https://www.facebook.com/thespiritband/

https://www.instagram.com/thespirit_band

Parting The Waves – Ryan Meeking

28th February 2022

Music News

Hot on the heels of his rambunctious single “Better!”, London-based songwriter-producer Ryan Meeking presents his epic debut EP, Coalesce: a journeying tome of indie-pop mastery.

Written in the solace of his own studio, ‘Coalesce’ is a collection of sonic adventures and mood. Inspired by the complexity of friendships, infatuation, deceit and despondence; the thoughtfully curated six-track EP evokes hope and acute awareness of the life around us, with every song presented in its most raw and heightened state. Playing with these concepts, Meeking concocts a one-of-a-kind space for each of his songs.

He shares, “Every song is its own environment, its own conversation, its own emotion, its own world for exploring. Each of them captures one moment in time - one chance to connect.”

Meeking’s unique brand of catchy and cutting-edge indie-pop – evoking comparisons to Beck, Jack Garrat and Alt-J – is boldly on show throughout the EP, demonstrating his wide-ranging skills and influences. Co-produced and engineered with fellow Australian Sam Swain (Obscura Hail, Josh Cashman, RAT!hammock) and mastered by Randy Merrill (Beck, Nirvana, Silk Sonic, Mark Ronson), Coalesce hits hard, diligently and purposefully nailing its every target. From the playful flairs of the up-beat “Endless Run” to the conflicted frustration of “Jealous” and towering synths of “Mind Reader”, the EP is an amalgamation of emotion and realism. “Ordinary” embodies the twilight of anguish. Modestly clean, yet stirring, with a subtle glimmer of hope, the track captures a seductively dire warmth, urging you to engage in life’s darker moments and truly see life for all its beauty. Finally, “Golden Boy”, defined by Meeking as, “A contemplation on the end of oneself,” echoes with the styling of a cinematic score before breaking like a wave into an unstoppable, ocean-parting groove.

After his work with artists such as Gossling and Whitaker touring Australia, the US and UK, Meeking’s solo music emerged in 2021, quickly gaining recognition from playlisting tastemakers and major publications like Rolling Stone, PileRats, Variance and Atwood Magazine. It’s no wonder given his experience – his songwriting racking up millions of streams as well as featuring in a slew of global television series. Now, Meeking’s Coalesce EP brings his talent to the forefront with a carved initial in the stone: “RM ‘22”.

https://www.ryanmeeking.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ryanmeekingmusic

A New Level – KVAEN

27th February 2022

Mainly Metal

March 25th will see the release of The Great Below, the sophomore studio album by Sweden based solo-project KVAEN.

Founded and led by Jacob Björnfot, this time accompanied by drummer Tommi Tuhkala while Fredrik Andersson (ex Amon Amarth) serves as the live drummer for the band, KVAEN has taken everything to the max and created a successor even more grand than its debut. In support of the new album, KVAEN has released the brand new track “Sulphur Fire”.

Featuring eight brand new songs packed with the band’s unique blend of Black Thrash, Pagan and Speed Metal, The Great Below picks up where its predecessor left off, with going even further in every aspect. But taking everything to new levels, the upcoming album dosen’t stop surpassing there: KVAEN‘s forthcoming full-length features some high class, special guests on both solos and vocal duets such as Mike Wead, Jeff Loomis, Sebastian Ramstedt, Angus Norder, Nephente Fridell as well as a guest appearance by Finnish folk metal vocalist Vreth of Finntroll for the album closing track The Fire Within Him Burns.

The Great Below will be coming out on March 25th via Black Lion Records and is available for pre-order at THIS LOCATION

Tracklist:

01. Cauldron Of Plagues

02. The Great Below

03. In Silence

04. Damnations Jaw

05. Sulphur Fire

06. Ensamvarg

07. Your Mighty Has Fallen

08. The Fire Within Him Burns

www.facebook.com/OFFICIALKVAEN

www.instagram.com/officialkvaen

www.blacklionrecords.bandcamp.com

Going The Extra Mile – GUISE

27th February 2022

Music News

London quartet GUISE return with the stirring new single ‘Don’t Come Back’ + announce the new album Youngest Daughter (out 29 April 2022).

The new releases arrive as GUISE prepare to hit the road with Will Varley for a series of UK shows throughout May.

Released on Friday 25th February, ‘Don’t Come Back’ is the first instalment of what will be their debut studio album and it sees frontwoman Jess Guise tackling a complicated love affair with uptempo chord progressions, and emotive lyricism to stop you in your tracks.

Talking about the single, Jess says: “This isn’t a song about one particular person so much as a string of disastrous decisions. It’s about the brutal transience and sheer depressing turnover of romantic entanglements I found myself in living in London during my 20s, and about crashing headlong into people who just bounce off and bounce along like dodgems. It’s also about sometimes being the dodgem myself, and not giving myself too much of a hard time about it.”

‘Don’t Come Back’ sees GUISE hone down their staple acoustic sounds, with a touch of nonchalance. Having initially had plans to leave ‘Don’t Come Back’ out of the album, Jess teases that collaborator and husband Frank Turner, “told me I was an idiot,” for not considering it in the album. “And into the record it went” she says. With a country/pop hybrid in mind, Jess enlisted a cast of friends to bring her vision to life, with Callum Green thrashing out the drums in just two-takes, Lukas Drinkwater bringing his upright bass to the party (plus its stunning acoustic guitar solo), enlivening guitar licks courtesy of Titas Halder, and all underpinned with the deliriously catchy “bababa” backing vocals from Laura Hanna.

Praised for their 2020 EP ‘The Fun Part’ which saw the group do a UK tour with Frank Turner, this year GUISE will enter a new chapter with a debut studio album two years after their last project and all the mania that has passed in the interim. Released on 29 April, ‘Youngest Daughter’ is a record filled with affecting singer-songwriter tunes written from the heart, during a particularly poignant passage of personal reflection, self-love and more. As Jess says:

“Youngest Daughter is a (mostly) autobiographical, story-so-far record. It’s home to memories and moments spanning decades of my life; it includes some songs I’ve been carrying around safely in my back pocket for years, and others that I’ve recently finished and am throwing straight out into the world. It’s an honest, personal, and self-deprecating wander through the various ways I’ve tried to follow my heart over the years.”

GUISE WILL RELEASE – YOUNGEST DAUGHTER ON FRIDAY 29TH APRIL, VIA XTRA MILE RECORDINGS
PRE-SAVE HERE

Across its 13 tracks, Youngest Daughter takes the listener on a voyage of love, loss, hope and personal growth; offering tender reflections on music, friends, family and all the twists and turns life can throw at you.

Produced by Frank Turner and recorded, mixed and mastered in his and Jess’s garden studio, reflective of its songs, Youngest Daughter is an album literally years in the making. With some songs dating back nearly seven years, they have been given a fresh lease of life and contemporary feel for 2022. While taking inspiration from the likes of Dar Williams and Stevie Nicks, the various backgrounds of Guise’s band members in funk, soul and jazz also give the record an eclectic feel that will endure repeated listens. As fiddles and flutes pipe up amongst songs centred around Jess’s cooing vocals and layered harmonies, its lush arrangements are married to a production that’s as sweet and soulful as the characters of the songs themselves.

Youngest Daughter tracklist:
1.The Boy and the Thief
2. The Right Track
3. I Know When You Leave
4. High Enough
5. The Crying kind
6. Don’t Come Back
7. Faith
8. Boychild
9. Eiderdown
10. Mine
11. The Year You Learned to Cry
12. Where I’ve Been
13. Brother in Arms

Working on this project across the pandemic GUISE ran into unexpected complications due to the restrictions of lockdown. With bassist Titas seemingly stuck in Germany without his bass for just short of a year, and mixing households still forbidden, it wasn’t the easiest of processes for the group. Despite this, GUISE have still managed to curate a perfectly translucent album, with a unique origin story. Jess tells: “It seems appropriate that a record about fumbling towards the good things was a bit of a fumble to make itself, and holds little pieces of our musical journey in its nooks and crannies.”

Youngest Daughter is a beautiful accumulation of GUISE’s work so far and the summation of Jess’ own personal journey to date. An ode to acknowledging past pain and using it in your stride to celebrate new beginnings and richer memories to make, their debut album finally arrives in 2022.

This Spring. Guise will be heading out a UK tour in support of Will Varley, with shows including London, Liverpool, Newcastle and more. Full dates listed below…

YOUNGEST DAUGHTER TOUR 2022

May 4th Derby // The Venue*
May 5th Leeds // Brudenell*
May 6th Liverpool // Arts Club (loft)*
May 11th Newcastle // The Cluny*
May 12th Edinburgh // Voodoo Rooms*
May 21st London // Lafyette(

*w/ WILL VARLEY

GUISE are:

Jess Guise (singer), Laura Hanna, (co-vocalist), Titas Halder (bassist), Keith Barry (drums)

Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / Bandcamp

Sonically Special – Kenny Foster

27th February 2022

Country News

Nashville singer-songwriter, Kenny Foster, has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation globally. Foster is represented by Lance Roberts in the U.S. and Christina Austin in London.

The exciting partnership adds to the momentum of Kenny’s career ahead of his second full album release later this year – produced and engineered by GRAMMY-winner Mitch Dane, and mastered by GRAMMY-winner Vance Powell at their legendary studio Sputnik Sound.

"I'm so happy to make my partnership with UTA official," says Foster. "Lance and Christina have been champions from the beginning in ways that are really important to me. They haven't forgotten what the point of all of this is: making and sharing real human moments. Honored to be a small part of such a storied roster, and I look forward to seeing us make and share many more moments to come."

Recently, Foster released his latest single and title track off his upcoming full-length album, ‘Somewhere In Middle America‘ a stirring examination of the unpolished and overlooked way of life that makes America’s heartland a humble, yet wonderfully colourful tapestry of life. The song received its international debut on BBC Radio 2 with acclaimed radio presenter, Bob Harris.

The studio version production transports the listener to a place they may never see, but that Kenny calls home. Releasing today, is the stripped-down one-take acoustic music video for the track. Dubbed the ‘Bonfire Edition,’ this version of the song strips back the production to emphasize the heart-filled storytelling, because as Kenny says “it’s the heart that matters more.”

I love the production that we brought to 'Somewhere in Middle America' in its entirety. I think what it did sonically was something really special and I think the response we're getting is only validating what our hopes were longing for. And in its dreamiest, loftiest state, I'm glad we achieved that," says Foster. "But a song about Middle America should also feel like where it's from. Gritty, raw, honest, earnest. Not too flashy, not trying too hard, stalwart, true. And when there's nothing to hide behind, what is it that's actually being said."

Stay tuned for even more new music from Kenny this year as he prepares to release his album due out this summer.

The Fin De Siècle – ESPRIT D’AIR

27th February 2022

Mainly Metal, Music News, Music Reviews

If the apocolyptic rainfall hadn’t done so already, opening up for Esprit D’Air, Jordan Red shook everyone out of their Sunday slumber with a balls-out, big-boots-on-the-monitor kind of a show.

As lead singer Dan Leigh flicked his long wavy tresses and joined the others onstage, we all thought, ‘Blimey, Keith Lemon has been pumping iron during the pandemic’. This is a band who Rock with a capital R. Beautiful Monsters built up in textbook style to a strong bouncy chorus but new single, Spillling My Blood was, in our own book, the standout song of the set with all the makings of an alt-rock dancefloor classic.

JORDAN RED

Second on the bill and with a fast and frenetic, eye-liner and adrenaline filled performance, South of Salem appeared to have fitted in a quick gig between carrying out a ritual killing and burying the body, no doubt to give themselves an alibi. Actually hailing from Bournemouth, so more like south of Salisbury, they were an emo girl’s bloodied wet dream of a band, who no doubt lurk around the seafront pretending that they’re in The Lost Boys. (Haven’t we all?)

South Of Salem

Musically they were more singalong chugging hard rock than death metal or goth. Despite the extensive horror film tattoos, evil sneers and Satanic imagery, they clearly liked a good pun and slipped them in hard and fast with song titles including No Plague Like Home and anthemic mental health power ballad, Demons Are Forever, which came with a heartfelt dedication to friends who had taken their own lives.

South Of Salem

However, with that said, the lyrical content of Cold Day in Hell suggested that they will stalk and kidnap you if you refuse their advances, so don’t be lulled into a false sense of security, they’re possibly not that nice. They don’t want you to commit suicide, but they might want to torture and murder you. Still, they had a very marketable ‘coffin with bat wings’ logo and having a strange boy called Joey fronting a band never did The Ramones any harm, so you never know, greater things surely beckon for this black-clad gang.

Last seen by yours truly in 2017 whilst they supported The Birthday Massacre ( REVIEW HERE), headliners Esprit D’air bounded onstage promoting their second album, Oceans, with a post-pandemic vitality. The welcome back can only be described as rapturous as all eyes were on Kai, who emerged from the smoke as a kimono-clad high-kicking nu-metal super hero, wielding the mic’ stand like a Katana.

Effortlessly switching between death-like growls, semi-spoken poetic imploring, power pop blasts and impassioned falsetto shrieks, Kai possesses the rare ability to deliver songs with nuance and sensitivity against a wall of full metal assault.

It didn’t matter that we couldn’t understand every word of it, the music spoke for itself"

Leviathan was a thundering explosion of industrial energy, drawing you into a fantasy world that seamlessly blends the traditional grace of Japanese arts with metal aggression and cyberpunk grooves into a hypnotic post-apocalyptic realm of noise.

Esprit D'air

Nebulae was an ecstatic bolt of vigour and intensity that found euphoria within the chaos, like Dr Strangelove cruising into the end times. With drums pounding like approaching gun fire, guitars alternating between savage thrashes and chiming riffs, searing electric bleeps ringing out, and a supremely charismatic vocalist, Esprit D’air took us on a boot-stomping Bladerunner-like journey across the broken skies, breathed new life into fading metal, and captured the fin de siècle of these troubled times.

ESPRIT D’AIR – SOUTH OF SALEM – JORDAN RED

PLAYED O2 ISLINGTON, 20 FEBRUARY 2022

https://www.espritdair.com

https://www.southofsalem.com

https://www.jordan-red.com

Words and photography copyright of 1st 3 Magazine.

Not to be reproduced without written permissions.

A NO-NONSENSE WHITE KNUCKLE RIDE – CAT SFX

25th February 2022

Music News

CAT SFX are back with the ferocious new single: “Rodeo”, out today via Alan McGee’s tastemaker label It’s Creation Baby.

As their fifth release, this ain’t their first “Rodeo” by any means. But for those who’ve been following Cat SFX’s evolution to date, their latest is perhaps Cat’s most exhilarating and outspoken instalment yet.

A track that breaks conventions like Bikini Kill, seethes like Veruca Salt and slams like Sleater-Kinney in full-flight; “Rodeo” is a white-knuckle ride of no-nonsense punk rock and nihilistic rage.

As allegations of corruption flood our news feeds day-in/day-out with endless predictability, “Rodeo” sees Cat SFX getting on their soapbox to say: enough is enough. As Cat states:

There’s one thing you should know, this ain't my first Rodeo” - is my way of saying: we’ve seen and heard it all before mate, we won't be fooled this time round.”

Both lacerating political lambast and seismic state-of-the-nation address; lyrics like “Too brainwashed to be offended // they’re all the same they’re bent and rotten // We were made to be undefined // I won’t be another number forgotten” ring out like the clarion call of a country that deserves better”.

Chiming with the themes of change and revolution, the striking cover art for “Rodeo” was shot by Alun Davies at The Onllwyn Miners Welfare in South Wales. A pivotal location in the Miners’ Strike of 1984, the venue became famous for the funds it raised as the “Lesbians and Gays support Miners” group’s HQ (also prominently featured in the Matthew Warchus film ‘Pride’).

“We wanted to create an image that celebrates queer identity, as well as my family’s mining background on my Mothers side” explains Cat.

The latest in a formidable run of singles, “Rodeo” follows on from the sassy punk-rock strut of “Upside Down”, the electrifying post-punk thrash of the NME-praised “Reunite”, the electronic skewered fizz of debut single “Doom Generation”, plus the stadium-sized: “All The Money In The World” which received critical acclaim from The Times, a 3-page feature in Rolling Stone Italia and airplay from Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1.

Recalling the outspoken punk rock spirit of X-Ray Spex to The Pretenders to Garbage, Cat SFX is the joint band and brainchild of Anglo-Italian artist Caterina Speranza and Gordon Mills. Forming her first band at the age of sixteen, The Vincent Fiasco in the midst of the 00’s band boom, Speranza cut her teeth playing high-profile support slots with Interpol and notably caught the ear of Alan McGee who staged the band at his legendary Death Disco Club. After the band’s split, Cat moved to Milan to pursue a career as a professional songwriter with Sony ATV. Using her budding talents to instead work behind the scenes, Cat scored hits for an array of rising stars, most notably including Italian sensations: The Kolors who achieved meteoric success in their home country with a clutch of smash singles and a 4x platinum selling album. Unbeknown to the world then, Cat also coached Eurovison winning megastars Maneskin as they cut their teeth on X-Factor Italia.

STREAM ON ALL SERVICES HERE

Back in London, a little older, wiser, and angrier, Cat is ready to take centre-stage again and make her voice heard loud and clear with her own new project: Cat SFX. Reconnecting with Alan McGee during the filming for his “Creation Stories” film, McGee was suitably impressed with her new material and the pair struck a deal for a string of releases on his Creation 23 imprint, before signing up to his new label venture It’s Creation Baby in 2021.

LIVE DATES 8 March - Death Disco, NHA

CAT SFX @ SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE

Expanding to a four-piece band based last year, CAT SFX are: Caterina Speranza (Vox), Giancarlo Mariani (guitar), Jacob Morris (bass), and Gordon Mills (drums). No strangers to the London rock and roll scene, Cat SFX are establishing themselves as one of London’s must-see live acts, letting-rip at various ‘Alan McGee presents’ showcases and going down a storm at major venues in support of CAST earlier this month. With more shows in the pipeline, catch the band performing at a venue near you very soon.

CAT SFX - RELEASE “RODEO” OUT NOW VIA 'IT’S CREATION BABY'

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Monthly Archives: February 2022

An Extra Punch – HAMMERFALL

The Swedish saviors of heavy metal HAMMERFALL let the hammer strike again, radiating power on all artistic levels with their twelfth studio album, Hammer Of Dawn!

The Water’s Lovely – THE SHIPBUILDERS

Surf-rock Scousers THE SHIPBUILDERS share news of their latest single ‘The Moon, out NOW.

THE SHIPBUILDERS – NEW SINGLE – ‘THE MOON’ – OUT NOW

For The Lonely Minds – Caroline Romano

Nashville-based alt-pop trailblazer Caroline Romano reveals her highly-anticipated debut album, Oddities and Prodigies, out on all streaming platforms NOW.

Listen to Oddities and Prodigies on all streaming platforms:https://onerpm.link/oddities-and-prodigies

It’s Written In The Stars – The Spirit

A warm September morning, 4:00 AM, and the final lyric has just been written.

Parting The Waves – Ryan Meeking

Hot on the heels of his rambunctious single “Better!”, London-based songwriter-producer Ryan Meeking presents his epic debut EP, Coalesce: a journeying tome of indie-pop mastery.

A New Level – KVAEN

March 25th will see the release of The Great Below, the sophomore studio album by Sweden based solo-project KVAEN.

Going The Extra Mile – GUISE

London quartet GUISE return with the stirring new single ‘Don’t Come Back’ + announce the new album Youngest Daughter (out 29 April 2022).

Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / Bandcamp

Sonically Special – Kenny Foster

Nashville singer-songwriter, Kenny Foster, has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation globally. Foster is represented by Lance Roberts in the U.S. and Christina Austin in London.

Stay tuned for even more new music from Kenny this year as he prepares to release his album due out this summer.

The Fin De Siècle – ESPRIT D’AIR

If the apocolyptic rainfall hadn’t done so already, opening up for Esprit D’Air, Jordan Red shook everyone out of their Sunday slumber with a balls-out, big-boots-on-the-monitor kind of a show.

A NO-NONSENSE WHITE KNUCKLE RIDE – CAT SFX

CAT SFX are back with the ferocious new single: “Rodeo”, out today via Alan McGee’s tastemaker label It’s Creation Baby.

LIVE DATES 8 March - Death Disco, NHA

CAT SFX - RELEASE “RODEO” OUT NOW VIA 'IT’S CREATION BABY'

Newsletter

Listen to Oddities and Prodigies on all streaming platforms:
https://onerpm.link/oddities-and-prodigies