"The band name reflected how Orion feeling about 'the big city' life and the way it can really crush you creatively and artistically". Following the recent review we gave to uprising East Sussex quartet City of Ashes in regards to their groundbreaking new EP "Then There Was A Hand In The Darkness", it was time to crawl beneath the skin of this fortified monster and excavate the truth behind why this band is one to watch for 2013. The band has just released a new music video and can be seen after the interview. So guys how long has the band been going, how did it form and what does the band name mean? We had a couple of line up changes early on but in it's current form the band has been going since beginning of last year. The name is something that Orion wrote whilst he was living in the London. It reflected how he was feeling about 'the big city' life and the way it can really crush you creatively and artistically. When the band formed shortly after that in it's original form in 2009, it seemed like a very appropriate name. Who or what inspired you to play the style of music you play? We never really tried to play a particular 'style' of music, but we really just write music which feels natural to us whenever we are in the writing stage. That being said, each of us has extremely wide ranging influences from punk to classical to acoustic to rock and everything in between, and I think these styles have all come through in our music at different times. What is your local town / city scene like? We're based in Sussex which has always had a pretty decent rock scene. Over the past two or so years it has seemed to lull slightly, but recent times have seen it beginning to come back in a big way, with more people than becoming excited that about live music again, and we're thrilled to be one of the bands representing this. Have you played alongside any big bands, if so who? If not who would you like to play alongside? We've been fortunate enough to play alongside some great bands which have and still are making a huge impact in UK Rock, and further afield! Highlights for us include the shows we've played with our friends Hildamay, Polar and Fei Comodo, while others include Young Guns, Skindred, Exit Ten, Verses, Attention Thieves, SCG and more! Has the band got any plans for 2013? We've got some pretty huge plans for this year actually, which have already seen the launch of a brand new Merch Line! The E.P. we recorded with Matt O'Grady (You Me At Six, Deaf Havana, Architects, etc) has just been released in all online stores today, and we're hitting the studio again with Matty through a bit part of March to record the next record! Right off the back of that session, we hit the road for a 2 week UK Headline Tour and are already sorting tour plans for the summer! It never stops over here, but we wouldn't have it any other way! Finally any thank you's, hello's and any other messages you wish to say? We'd like to give a huge shout out to all the people who have taken such a big interest in the band. A big cyber hug goes to anyone who has grabbed a copy of the E.P or a tee, come hung out with us or put us up on the road. To name you all individually would take an eternity but know that we love you for it! "Then There Was A Hand In The Darkness" is out now and can be bought from the band https://www.facebook.com/cityofashesband http://www.cityofashes.co.uk/ Below you can watch the bands latest and new music video, "Falling Star"
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Global Metal Apocalypse caught up with James, vocalist of Welsh rockers Kyshera on their past, present and future whilst we interrogated them with our pincers and Katherine Jenkins bondage restraint.
First off what does Kyshera mean, who came up with it and were there any other band names drafted? Kyshera is a word that I created out of thin air to be unique only to us. It doesn't have a meaning as such, as it was only created to be a name - turns out that there are actually quite a few real Kyshera's around the world! Is the album going to be released independently or via a label (if label how did you managed to achieve this?) Sensitive subject haha! The album will be released independently through our own Konic Records & will be available in all the main stores. It was originally to be put out through Rising Records. But after our brief experience with a record label, we will most definitely be staying independent for a long time to come. (P.s. James was referring to a record label we know well and for the purpose of the interview we removed the label name). Your upcoming album 'Made In China', what is the concept behind it and why that particular album title? Each song deals with one of what I consider to be the things making our world a worse place - such as political corruption, organised religion, celebrity culture, media, consumerism, prejudice etc etc & on the last song 'Ants', I try to convey the positive message that all of these things can be changed if we want to, as all power really lies with us. The title & the title track is to do with how in this age of mass produced, cheap, plastic rubbish that no-one really needs but that we keep ourselves in a constant tail chase to acquire - that even we, the consumers & producers of those products, are actually products ourselves, bred to work, spend, buy, sell & serve a purpose for the masters of the world. It seems that South Wales is becoming a breeding ground for acts from Wales, but North Wales seems quiet, what can you say about this? Hmmm, I can't say really. We're pretty detached from the Welsh scene, we've always had a lot more love from everywhere else, so we tend to play away a lot. There's quite a rigid criteria for what makes an 'acceptable band', in Cardiff most definitely & it has more to do with clothing & how friendly you are with any of the 2 promoters there, than the music. What makes 'Made In China' different to your past releases? Its bigger in scope, bigger in ambition & better produced haha. I'm really proud of it but it was a bitch to put together, 4 months of hard labour which resulted in me losing several stone in weight & having black outs, where I would just pass out randomly ha ha. What plans do you have for 2012 and beyond and are there any special announcements coming soon? We've got a UK & EU tour through November & December, plus a new, free song, not on the album, a new video in the works & possibly a special 'unplugged' event if we get the time! Are there any young bands in your area you wish to give shout outs too? Ha ha, I'm definitely going to get in trouble whoever I mention as there will always be someone I haven't, so I'm gonna play it safe & just say Colours of One, great band, lovely guys, go check them out. You call your music 'Konic', why is this and what does it mean without using genre-tagging or cliches? Konic is another word that I made up out of thin air, like Kyshera. It begun as just being a name for our 'sound' that was unique to us, but has grown into something much more - we now have a Konic manifesto which promotes rebellion to the mainstream in all of its forms, whether it is mainstream music, art, fashion or whether it's mainstream media politics or mainstream small mindedness. We want to see a Konic movement where the mainstream is challenged & the alternative celebrated across the board. Finally do you have anything to say to your fans? Come & join our pages on Facebook & Twitter. They're the best way to keep up to date with what the band is doing - and always challenge the mainstream / celebrate the alternative, in all forms :) https://www.facebook.com/kyshera/info _Hyvää päivän Suomessa, tämä on Englanti kutsumus!
(Good Day Finland, this is England calling!) Barbe-Q-Barbies, the Finnish quartet have recently been racking up untolled attention across Europe and are establishing themselves as the next big thing since The 69 eyes and The Rasmus, but what lies beneath these red-hot beauties is nothing near as powerful as their music, they aren't your average girls either as Niki (vocalist) and Kaisa (guitars) explain. How did you girls form and did you instantaneously feel that you personally wanted to be a musician? Kaisa: I joined the band in 2003, actually by then we didn’t have a vocalist. I also witnessed BQB’s first gig from the audience: Niina was doing the vocals and a guy was playing the drums. I have played some instruments since I was three so basically that’s nothing new to me. Being in a band was though, and it turned out to be a blast with four of my friends… Niki: I have always been into music since I was a kid, but I started singing at the age of 19, I was doing a solo project but in 2007 i dropped it and became the singer of BQB instead. Hailing from Helsinki, the local scene itself - is the rock/metal scene big there and what are the best venues to play at? Kaisa: There are a lot of bands in Helsinki, and also across the whole of Finland. Also there are a great number of “bubbling under” bands who try to make it big. I would say the metal scene is bigger than the basic rock scene, especially the kind of classic rock that we play. I think the best venues in Helsinki are definitely Tavastia, On The Rocks, Nosturi, Loose and The Circus (we haven’t played in the Circus yet). There also are a few number of smaller venues which are great for the newcomers. Niki: I think Finland is pretty famous for their Heavy metal bands and there is lots of festivals over here for that type of music like Tuska, Sonisphere and many more, there are not as many festivals that are only for rock / classic rock, but then again there are a lot of venues for Rock Concerts. What was your reaction when Lordi did the unimaginable and win the Eurovision? Niki: I was like Holy S#it! It can’t be true, but it was and then there was a big party all around Helsinki so it was pretty cool ;) Kaisa: Well, what can you say… it was unbelievable. We were at Nosturi’s “Eurovision studio” drinking beer and watching the show. You could say it was a hell of a party after it turned out Finland won the contest… Do you feel in recent times, Metal and Rock music alike is breaking down the gender biasness in that only males can play such a genre? Do you feel that more and more females are being attracted to the genres? Kaisa: I think it takes time to break down those prejudices, and to prove that women can play rock just as well as men. It still is a bit of an odd phenomenon, especially in metal and rock. Niki: Nowadays there are definitely more girls into playing rock and metal, I guess there is also more music schools, more possibilities and more girls in general that have realized it is okay to be a Female Rockstar! You got quoted by Bam Margera and The 69 Eyes, are they friends of the band and/or have you met them? Kaisa: Well, you could say that ;) I meet Bazie every day since we’ve lived together for 5 years now… We met Bam through The 69 Eyes and it’s so cool he digs our band. Niki: Yes we are good friends with The 69 Eyes and I met Bam through Andy McCoy (Hanoi Rocks) many years ago and became good friends. Since your first release in 2003, how (if) would you say the band has changed and describe the band's current style of music? Kaisa: I would say the band has changed a great deal since those days. There have been changes in the line-up (vocals and bass) and it also took time to find out our style of music, or the common thread, so to say. We are also ten years older but still forever kids who love rock ’n’ roll, I think that’s a thing that never changes. Was your gig at The Borderline in London on the May 30th 2012 the first time you played in the UK? How was the gig for you? Kaisa: Yeah, that was our first trip to UK as a band. It was a great experience to play there and we would love to go back to UK soon. A big hello to everybody who was there, and thanks for the rocking evening! Niki: It was Awesome!! Hopefully we can come back there soon, and we have talked about still coming this year so let’s hope so. As far as band influences go, do they come from just rock bands or are there any other influences in other genres? Niki: I’m influenced by all genres and I still listen to all kind of music, it depends on the day and my mood, I might listen to heavy metal,r&b or pop. Kaisa: For me rock music has always been a passion, actually since I was a little kid. I would listen to my older brother’s KISS albums and a great Finnish band called Smack. My influences basically come from rock music. What plans do Barbe-Q-Barbies have for 2012 and beyond and what has already been done this year? Kaisa: We’re going to the studio in October to record our next album, besides that we so far have a few gigs booked in Finland and possibly we’re doing some gigs outside Finland after our studio time. Niki: We are mostly working on our new songs, but also preparing at rehersal for upcoming gigs, i think 2013 will be our year. We are releasing the album some time in February and then we are hoping to really start touring, this year has been great as we made a deal with Plastic Heads and got our album realised in Europe, we have had super good press and great feedback, so we are really excited for what the future shall bring. Finally, what would you say is the best music festival in Finland is? Kaisa: In my opinion there are three: Ruisrock (in Turku), Provinssirock (in Seinäjoki) and Tammerfest (in Tampere). Actually so far we have only played in Tammerfest, but we’re looking forward to going also to Ruisrock and Provinssirock maybe already next summer. There also are a lot of great smaller summer festivals in Finland, there is something to do for every weekend in the summer. Niki: Last year we played in Oulu Qstock and that was a really nice festival but there are many good festivals all around Finland so I do recommend anyone that hasn’t been here yet to come over cause you´ll have a blast! Global Metal Apocalypse has asked the girls a question we are keeping under wraps as a future project, but it will be the biggest ever taken on and let's just say the girls said yes to it. https://www.facebook.com/barbeqbarbies I interviewed Jason Danzelman of Brighton Rockers Verses @ The Rayleigh Mill when they were on tour last April. Enjoy.
_BAND: MALLORY KNOX MUSICIAN: JOE SAVINS (GUITARS/VOX) & SAM DOUGLAS (BASS/VOX) COUNTRY: ENGLAND GENRE: POP/ALT ROCK I caught up with Mallory Knox when they were playing at the Rayleigh Mill last year and were supported by Brighton Rockers Verses. Mallory Knox who are based in Ely but are from Cambridge are a quintet focusing on playing pure pop/alt rock and are signed to Wolf At Your Door Records (Deaf Havana, Polar, Lower Than Atlantis, etc), the guys are causing media to be hungry for more and are sure to make noise in the next few coming years, let alone playing Download Festival 2012 this year. For the Mallory Knox boys this is just the beginning, check it out. Check out the interview and support the band :) https://www.facebook.com/malloryknoxuk RHYS STEVENSON
_Global Metal Network caught up with the French entry of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest which is to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Although Anggun Cipta Sasmi is originally from Indonesia, she has made a name for herself, having started singing at the age of 7 and recorded her first ever album two years later. 1986 saw the release of her first rock album 'Dunia Aku Punya' and having dueted with Ronan Keating and Julio Iglesias amongst others whilst also having released around 18 albums in French, English and Indonesian respectively and even more becoming the first Indonesian artist to break into the European and American record charts, even leading to her receiving the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French Minister of Culture. 2012 promises to be a big year for Anggun and is sure to make a massive impression at the Eurovision Song Contest.
1. First off, how does it feel representing France at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan? I feel greatly honoured and proud of course, I know my name has been circulating over the last few years at France Televisions and in the Eurovision fan-sphere but I was never approached officially until last winter. It was a great surprise for me to be called and asked to represent France at this year’s Eurovision song contest. 2. Who are your music influences and what music do you tend to listen to, how does this influence you? I have been raised in the love of rock music! I’ve always been a huge fan of metal and Industrial rock. I know this will probably surprise lots of people considering that my music identity is more into pop music, but when I was a teenager star in Indonesia, I was called ‘Lady Rock’. 3. Coming from Indonesia, what can you say about the Indonesian music scene including the Indonesian Metal scene (if you can)? Indonesia is definitely a country of music. Children at an early age are raised through music and it is very common for Indonesian kids to be part of bands or to sing as a hobby. Music is something that is extremely present on Indonesian TV for example, to the contrary of other countries such as France, where it is very difficult to find TV programs specially dedicated to music and live performances. Indonesia is probably the most Rock-orientated country in Eastern Asia. Some very influential Rock and Metal bands are from Indonesia such as Jamrud, Rotor or Kota. I think Indonesia is in Asia what UK is in Europe in terms of music: people love music and live through music; it’s something in the genes. 4. You recently had a duet with Ronan Keating, how was this for you? It was a great moment. Ronan is a delightful person and most of all an extremely talented & charismatic performer. I have always been impressed by Ronan’s career. He has been able to build his own musical identity and success after being part of a top-selling boys band. He has been able to evolve and became an influential artist in the pop music scene. 5. From your fifth English album 'Echoes' what is your most favourite song, why and what inspired you to create it? I love ‘Buy Me Happiness’ because it deals with something very sensitive right now in our over-consumerist societies. The quest for happiness and personal balance is not something you will find in consumption frenzy or in hyper social networking. You do not buy happiness. It’s something you build first of all in your own self and in your inner circle (your family, your love and your closed ones). 6. Your signed to Warner Music / Sony Music, when you were signing to the labels, how did you feel emotionally and musically? I have been lucky to be supported by major actors in the music industry throughout my career. And when I am not happy I’m leaving. This is what happened a few years ago when I left Sony Music in France. I am very happy with my Warner Music France team. They are working closely with me and we are sharing the same vision, which is I must admit a great chance for any artist. 7. Referring back to the Eurovision, what are you mostly looking forward to and will this be your first European concert? The Eurovision show will be a few days before the launch of my European tour, with dates planned in France, Belgium, Switzerland but also Poland, Russia, Italy, etc. The contest is the occasion of meeting people across Europe and it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet amazing artists, to listen to great music from lots of countries, and more importantly to share our passion for songs and music with more than 200 million viewers worldwide. It’s an experience not-to-miss! 8. Also on the topic of the Eurovision, how are you preparing for it and will there be anything viewers should be looking out for when your performing? I am working on proposing something surprising for the Eurovision performance so I can’t tell much details for now but It will be very different from what France has proposed over the last few years. I want something new, entertaining and fresh. It’s Eurovision: people want to have fun and be happy. There will be fantastic dancers and we are working on a stage performance routine that will enlighten the song. 9. What advice do you have for those wanting to develop their singing voice, whatever the genre? To follow their dream and expectations and never give up. And to work hard. Music industry is a tough business. You have to deal with pressure 24/7. This is not always as shiny as it appears. 10. Finally do you have anything to say to the people of the UK, France and in general Europe? I hope to come to London and visit you very soon. I hope the UK will give me lots of points (lol). I have a good memory of my first promotional visit to the UK a few years ago when my single ‘Snow On the Sahara’, remixed by Trousers Enthusiasts was Top 5 in the UK Club Breaker Charts. Hope my Eurovision song Echo (You and I). The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 will be broadcasted on:
RHYS STEVENSON |
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