'XXXVII' Deference EP Review

Release Date: 17^th March 2015

Bandcamp can be a brilliant way to find new and exciting bands to listen to, and one of its best features is the ‘name your price’ option, where you can either download music for free or contribute your own desired amount towards the band. Southampton-based metal band Deference have chosen to release their debut EP ‘XXXVII’ this way, so there really is no excuse not to give it a listen!

Opening track ‘I, Creator’ instantly shows exactly what Deference are all about: brutal riffs, heavy breakdowns and intense screaming vocals. Despite managing to completely nail all key elements of the metal genre in a song that is less than two minutes long there is nothing generic about the Hampshire five piece: their pure energy and talent shines through perfectly like a breath of fresh air to an often monotonous music scene.

One of the most impressive songs on the EP is ‘The Weathering’, a fast-paced and hard-hitting metalcore track. The heavy riffs blow you away from the first second and the melodic chorus fuses perfectly. If you had to compare Deference to any other band then it would definitely have to be Architects due to the slight similarity in song structure and vocals.

Final song ‘The Tribunal’ is the perfect way to end such an impressive debut EP: Rob Lea’s vocals are fierce, powerful and unforgettable. The energetic and hard-hitting drumbeats and technical guitar riffs prove that all five members of Deference are extremely talented. If you are one of those people who complain that the UK metal scene is boring then you definitely have not checked out ‘XXXVII’.

Rating: 8.5/10

www.facebook.com/WeAreDeference
Download the EP: www.deference.bandcamp.com/releases

Our Hollow, Our Home Interview

I spoke to local metalcore band Our Hollow, Our Home before their set at Takedown Festival about the Hampshire metal scene, Facebook fans and the reaction to their latest EP.

How does it feel to be back at Takedown Festival?
Josh: Amazing! We love this festival, since it is our hometown… Apart from Tim, Pompey, wahey! Yeah, it is great! So many sick bands, shout out to Advanced Promotions for putting it on every year.
It is the best day out and the start of summer!

What has changed since you played Takedown last year?
Tim: We are more unfit!
Toby: We have released a CD! That is a little bit more important!
Josh: We have released a CD! We are concentrating on the summer, getting touring and we have a lot of things planned. It is probably just taking it that step up, just being a bit more serious about it.
Tim: We’ve had summer festivals and touring. We have to push the EP a bit, but we have a new video coming out. Yeah, just having fun.

What bands are you planning to see today?
Tim: I’m going to see the boys in Create To Inspire, they are good lads. We have already seen Prolong The Agony, they are good mates of ours. I want to go see Moose Blood and Blood Youth. There are so many bands at the moment, there are too many to choose from!
Josh: For me it is Mallory Knox, I don’t really listen to Charlie Simpson but it would be interesting to see him.
Tim?: We are majorly gutted because we clash with Creeper! And they are like the band of the weekend for us and we can’t see them, but hey ho! Come see us, not them! (laughs)

In the time that you have been together you have gained over 10,000 fans on Facebook, how does it feel knowing that you have reached out to so many people?
Tim: It’s amazing! We are used to growing up in bands where you get 2000 fans and you are really excited. You have to take a step back and just be like ‘wow’. We have done nothing to warrant that many people paying an interest in us, so it is pretty special.
Josh: It is awesome! When we struggle, when we are like ‘god we have put so much money into this band’ it makes it all worthwhile, it really does.

What are your views on the Hampshire metal scene?
Josh: At the minute it is going really well, we have got local bands that are killing it! Creeper, Bury Tomorrow. Obviously they are getting places! But then you have got other bands such as Prolong The Agony who are doing really well and it is just really good to see. A few years ago there wasn’t the community in my eyes that there is now.
Tim: It is like the local bands coming through, there was sort of a gap there for a while and now you have got the boys in Gone By Tomorrow and Saint[the]Sinner. We supported their last show and all of them just make the scene a community, instead of just being bands that occasionally play together.

What has been the reaction to the //Redefine EP?
Josh: From what I can tell from the reviews that we have been reading it has done really well. It has been a long time coming and it has been painful for us to get that EP out. I cannot stress how hard it has been for us, but it is out! Download it on iTunes, Band Camp, come buy it at a show, illegally download it in some way, shape or form!
Tim: It has been a labour of love to get it out, but it has been worth it just to see people say that they are going to listen to it, people checking it out… It is worth it, all of the way!

How would you describe your music to someone who has not heard it before?
Both: Cheesy metalcore!
Josh: We don’t think that we are that heavy, but when we play live we are pretty heavy! Catchy heaviness! We could play any stage of this festival! (laughs)

What inspires you to keep writing music and performing?
Toby: Well I am the only one who writes anything! I don’t know, I watch a lot of classic films. I get a lot of electronic bars from soundtracks like Gladiator and Lord of the Rings. Things of an epic scale I don’t like can be limited to a single genre. I will take elements from all sorts of things in life and focus and channel it through music.

What advice would you give to any aspiring musicians?
James: Don’t act like us! (laughs)
Toby: I would say that the best thing to do is to get into a practice room together and write a good couple of songs, maybe four or five, and when you have got those five choose one that you think is your strongest song and don’t skimp on recording. If it means that you save and work a Saturday job or whatever, try and raise £800 and go to a professional studio because in this day and age the internet is everything, so people will judge you and merit you on your online presence. So by having a good track online for people to listen to is the best way I’d say to start anything.
Josh: Just to add onto that any Tom, Dick and Harry can get a MacBook and record something, so the quality of that recording is so important!
Tim: I think that the work never stops as well, you can’t stop pushing yourself and you can’t stop pushing your band name. Just try and get people to listen to it, you can’t just take a break from that or it won’t be worth it.

What should people expect from a live show from Our Hollow, Our Home?
Toby: A bit of a party, I suppose! We play heavy music but we don’t necessarily come across as big bruiser guys who are like ‘YEAH!’
Josh: We like everyone when we play live to have a great time. We played at The Joiners a few weeks ago and it was a party! We don’t take ourselves too seriously.
Toby: You have got to understand that a lot of people forget that when you pay to go and see a show that it is a show. So like you wouldn’t pay to go and see West Side Story just standing there would you, you expect an act. We try and put on a show, that is what we do.

What else do you have planned for the rest of this year?
Josh: We can’t say… Festivals! We have got a couple of things that we can’t say but that makes it exciting. We have got touring, festivals, we want to push the new video as we said earlier. We are going to try and build up what we have done last year and cement ourselves a little bit more.
Toby: Along with continuing write the new release I suppose. We have made some headway with it, but I would like to get a lot more nailed in on the pre-production side so I can expect where to shape the record.

www.facebook.com/ourhollowourhome
Photography by Rob Campion 

Miss Vincent Interview

I spoke to Miss Vincent at Takedown Festival about death, vomit and their new EP.

How do you feel your set went today?
All: Really well!
Alex: We were first on so when we were getting ready to go on there was almost nobody in there, there was a load of people at the front and that was cool but we got our stuff together, turned around to get ready to play and it was rammed!
Lawrie: I was actually really nervous about playing this morning because this was our first time playing Takedown so I was super nervous this morning. But yeah, we were really happy with it.

Do you plan on checking out any of the other bands?
All: Definitely, so many!
Lawrie: Definitely Creeper! We will probably check out Milk Teeth as well, I don’t know what  time they are on.
Alex: I think there are loads of good bands on the Obsidian Stage as well, which is where we were. We are actually missing Ugly Love right now which sucks, but we will make it up to them some other way. But there are so many cool bands, there is almost too many to list.
Lawrie: We will definitely be watching Dead because they are on the same stage as us and they are good friends of ours, so we will definitely be watching them as well.
Alex: Ashestoangels, even though they clash with InMe! I will have to split my time between those two. Yeah man, today is going to be amazing!

How would you describe your music to someone who has not heard it before?
Lawrie: I guess I would say moody punk rock. We have a new EP coming out in a couple of months’ time and we have gone down a much darker direction with it, so the first EP is a little bit lighter, but it still has its dark parts so I guess I would say moody punk rock.
Alex: Yeah, I mean fast and dark, that is kind of it. It is not like… It’s hard! I don’t want to say we are like a goth band, I want to say we are like a pop punk band but…

Lawrie: …We kind of are! We are kind of everything, let’s just go with moody punk rock.

You mentioned the new EP, have you finished that or is there still work to do on it?
Lawrie: Yeah, it is pretty much there. It is all recorded, we have got artwork, we are just kind of finalising everything with the label that we are working with. Just kind of in the final stages of preparation really just to get it out there basically.

What inspired your band name?
Alex: So I am a massive Alkaline Trio fan and there is a line in one of their songs which references Miss Vincent, so I Googled it thinking that there must be a really cool story behind it. I actually stumbled on a completely separate ‘nothing to do with it’ article about a woman in London who was late thirties/early forties, she had a family…
Lawrie: She wasn’t a recluse or anything.
Alex: No, she was just a normal person and she died watching TV one night, wrapping Christmas presents for her family. And nobody found her for two years. It inspired me to write a song about it first of all…
Lawrie: Very morbid but very interesting and quite sad at the same time, because this was in London. It wasn’t sort of out in the middle of nowhere kind of thing. It was just in a London flat, a middle-aged woman who wasn’t found for two years, which was a long time to be dead and for no one to notice.
Alex: Our first single that we ever released was actually going to be called Miss Vincent before we had a band name, and then we sort of just adopted it for our band name.
Lawrie: We just decided we liked it!
Alex: And that was kind of it!

Who would you say your major influences are?

Lawrie: Well two of us are wearing Bayside t-shirts right now, so I’m going to have to say Bayside!
Jack: Definitely Alkaline Trio, obviously. We all love Alkaline Trio! Then it is kind of a mixture after that.
Lawrie:  There are a few bands that we all absolutely love, for example Bayside and Alkaline Trio, and then we have all got our separate influences. I absolutely love Brand New!
Alex: He is a massive Brand New fan!
Lawrie: Yeah! Nirvana, and then we all like stuff like Bad Religion and A.F.I.
Alex: Yeah, just mix all those bands up, throw it and then that’s what you get.
Lawrie: If all those bands were sick into a bucket and we drank it…
Jack: But why would you drink it?!
Lawrie: I’m not really sure where I was going with that…

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Jack: Practice! And don’t give up, just keep trying.
Lawrie: Just work super fucking hard and gig as much as you can. Just really, really try and don’t expect anything for nothing! You have just got to bust your balls and work as hard as you can.
Alex: Also get an instrument, get good at it and then join a band, or just get to a certain level. You need to be able to have confidence in yourself to work with other people, and then once you are in a band practice, practice, practice! And never stop practicing, ever!
Lawrie: I think part of it is just pinpointing what you want to do as a band, because a fair few bands that are around at the moment, no names in particular, but we have played with some bands who go a bit this way with one song and a bit that way and they don’t pinpoint who they really are, so you’re not quite sure what they are about. It is about really pinpointing what you want to do and what you want to sound like and just go straight towards that.

What inspires you to continue to write music?
Alex: Whatever happens around me! I find writing really cathartic so essentially I just can’t stop writing songs, I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t write songs. I write hundreds… Well not hundreds and hundreds, but I think at the moment we have a bank of almost a hundred tracks. Most of which we will never ever use! Most of them are no good at all, but the process of writing really helps me a lot and it is just something that I feel like I need to do all the time. And if I don’t write for a while I get really, really sad and really down about it!
Lawrie: Yeah and for all of us as well this is really our kind of sole creative outlet, like none of us do anything else musically really. I teach, but that is not so much creative. So collectively it is our sole creative outlet.
Alex: So we have to do it, essentially!

What else have you got planned for this year?
Alex: So much! But we can’t talk about any of it yet. New EP, tours and more tours!
Lawrie: New music and gigs. We recorded a new video last weekend which will be out in a months’ time. New everything!

Photography by Rob Campion
www.facebook.com/missvincentband 

Ashestoangels Interview

I spoke to Crilly from Ashestoangels at Takedown Festival about damaged knees, internet piracy and Johnny Cash.

How do you think your set went today?
Pretty good, nothing broke! I stood on the audience and they seemed to like it! I had a good time, it was really exciting and it is nice to play to a full room during the day.

Are you planning on checking out any of the other bands on today?
Creeper, 5.35pm! I have got the time tattooed on my inner arm like the guy from Les Misérables, except instead of the number from a time that I was in a French prison for stealing bread to feed my family it is just the time to see Creeper! They are going to be good.

How would you describe your music to someone who has not heard it before?
A goth punk explosion!

How has the reception to Horror Cult been?
Pretty good, people seem to like it! They seem to love stealing it from the internet, which I am actually fine with. I would rather people stole it, enjoyed it and came to see us play it. I don’t care about online sales, which is lucky so we gave half of them to Music For Good to put houses somewhere. Somewhere nice, I hope!

What inspired the band name?
David Bowie! Ashes To Ashes is my third favourite David Bowie song, we couldn’t call ourselves Ziggy Stardust or Spiders From Mars, that is a thing!

What made you want to become a musician?
Well I wanted to be a fighter pilot, but that didn’t work out. So I went for the second best of not killing anybody! Also I started going to local gigs and being like ‘yup, that is what I want! I want to be on that stage!’

Who would you say that your major influences are?
It started out as A.F.I and Aiden, and now…  I don’t know, I still love those bands, but I don’t really think about anyone else when I am writing, I just try and write the best songs that I can, the only way I know how… Like Johnny Cash! Three points for the Johnny Cash reference, number three!

What advice would you give to anyone that wants to become a musician or a singer?
Look after your knees! I left my knee brace at home, I made this one out of duct tape and it is pretty bad… I am going to pay for this one tomorrow! When I started out first of all I fucking sucked, and that is fine! You don’t have to be good to begin with; in fact it is good to have to improve because it teaches you valuable lessons. But I really wish that I had learnt how to sing a little bit better than I did in the beginning, like I never used to warm up and because of that I get vocal problems. But yeah: warm up, tune up, play and make sure that you practice and you will be alright!

What inspires you to keep playing songs and writing music?
Stuff like today! I think we are the kind of band that people… There are no like casual fans, people don’t just check us out. People either don’t like us, don’t know us or they are really into it and they are the people that like music the way that I like music. I am an old man compared to most of the people in this venue and to see people who have the same passion that I do is just amazing and I hope that they keep it up, because I have and I am still here.

What do you think that people should expect from a live show?
Well… They are going to get involved! I don’t stand for any of that standing still! And also people have stopped videoing us, there is no video evidence of us playing for the past two years. I don’t take a stand against it, we are not one of those bands who are like ‘fuck your camera!’ or any of that shit, I just think that you are going to have more fun if you are actually involved.

What else do you have planned for 2015?
Got to record another album, because I get bored! We are going to go on tour some more. I really like being on tour and our new van is more reliable so… Cool!

Is there anywhere that you want to play that you haven’t before?
Festivals! I want to start doing the festivals! We are doing D.I.Y tours, and that is fine. We have been doing them forever but now like our last one, half of it is sold out which is fucking crazy! So we are going to keep doing that and building on that. We’d really love to play some festivals! I have such a good time at them!

Ashestoangels head out on tour again later this month with 48Hours. Catch them at a date near you:

March
26 HARLOW - Square
28 MANCHESTER - Satans Hollow
29 NEWCASTLE - Think Tank
30 BIRMINGHAM - Asylum
31 BRIDGWATER - Tiki Beach 

April 
01 LONDON - Barfly

www.facebook.com/ashestoangels

Takedown Festival at Southampton University 7/3/15

Punk rockers Miss Vincent (8/10) were the first band to grace the Obsidian Stage, and it is safe to say that they managed to warm up the crowd well: “Takedown is a long day and you’re going to be here until 11pm… It’s important to stretch and warm up for the amazing bands, and that is our job!” The local four-piece managed to entertain everyone with their fusion of harmonious vocals and bass-filled riffs, and they even had more people joining the crowd as they played. 

Progressive rock legends InMe (9/10) managed to appeal to both young and old fans with the performance of their debut 2003 album ‘Overgrown Eden’. Despite being out for over fifteen years, the Essex trio were able to mesmerise the crowd with their passionate and energetic performance. Dave McPherson’s vocals were both harmonious and heavy, truly reflecting the theme of InMe’s performance style. They were also able to excite fans by announcing the release of a new triple album in May. For their final song ‘Faster The Chase’ they invited Mikey Chapman from Mallory Knox to join them on stage, resulting in mass amounts of mosh pits and beach balls flying everywhere.

Bristol-based goth punk band Ashestoangels (7.5/10) were a sure-fire hit on the Obsidian Stage, appealing to fans of bands such as Fearless Vampire Killers and Black Veil Brides. Lead singer Crilly was no stranger to getting involved with the crowd, constantly jumping into the mosh pit and engaging with excitable fans.

Local metalcore five-piece Our Hollow, Our Home (9/10) drew in a huge crowd for their set on the Uprawr Stage, proving exactly how many fans their hard work and persistence has gained them. They definitely have the stage presence of a much bigger band, as they were constantly able to encourage fans to create mosh pits and circle pits. Despite having technical difficulties at numerous points during their set, their professionalism and talent allowed them to continue performing one of their best shows to date.

Metal loudmouths The Hell (8/10) managed to insult the crowd numerous times during their set, but their fans seemed to love it. Their offensive yet humorous act proved that metal music does not always need to be serious. With lead singer Nail$ hurling insults left, right and centre, it is safe to say that if you are easily offended then you should steer well-clear of the bandana-wearing five-piece: “It is international women’s day tomorrow, so I want every woman in here to kick a man in the face!” Playing songs such as ‘Bangers And Mosh’, ‘Deal With It’ and ‘Everybody Dies’ The Hell managed to engage with a rowdy yet passionate crowd.

Forming from the ashes of electronic rock band My Passion, British rock trio Fort Hope (8/10) managed to impress Takedown-goers with their beautiful lyrics and harmony-filled vocals. Sounding much heavier than they do on record, Fort Hope rocked the crowd with songs such as ‘Control’, ‘The Rapture’ and ‘Sick’.

Uprawr Stage headliners Heart Of A Coward (10/10) proved exactly why they were so high up on the bill with their energetic and exciting performance. The Milton Keynes based metal five-piece rocked the crowd with their heavy riffs and fast-paced songs. Lead singer Jamie Graham’s vocals were on top form, filling the arena with harsh screams and angry lyrics. Jamie also proved that Heart Of A Coward were all about the music and not violence as he stopped their set due to violent people in the crowd and refused to continue until they had left. They also performed a new song for the first time ever, ‘Hollow’, which sounded even heavier than their previous material. Ending their set with fan favourites ‘Deadweight’ and ‘Around A Girl In 80 Days’, Heart Of A Coward were able to entertain fans from start to finish, providing a fitting end to an incredible day of live music.  

Photography by Rob Campion. 

Our Hollow, Our Home at The Joiners, Southampton

Support: Gone By Tomorrow, Deference, Tonight We Fall
11/02/15

Andover-based youngsters Tonight We Fall (7/10) were the first band to grace the stage, and it is safe to say that they warmed the crowd up well. Despite being ill, vocalist Sam Culverwell was able to impress the crowd with his heavy vocals and energetic stage performance. Although they are teenagers, Tonight We Fall are talented musicians who seem to improve with every performance that they do. Their confidence and ambition is almost infectious and it is clear that they already have a strong fan-base in the Hampshire area.

Deference (8/10), a Southampton-based metal band were next on the stage, and it is safe to say that they opened with a bang. Rob Lea's heavy vocals were incredible and merged well with the fast-paced guitar riffs. Once of the easiest bands to compare them to would be Architects as their musical style is very similar, which was demonstrated during their more melodic songs. Despite not having any released material yet they certainly knew how to entertain a crowd and left everyone wanting more.

The final support act was Gone By Tomorrow (6/10), a five-piece metalcore band from Southampton. With similarities to bands such as Yashin, Asking Alexandria and With One Last Breath they definitely appealed more to the younger fans in the audience. Despite being energetic and entertaining their set was much more slower-paced and gentle compared to the heavier bands on the line-up, which made some of the crowd disengage with their performance. Their mixture of screaming vocals and harmonies worked well, however, there was definitely something missing from their set.

After recently releasing their EP '//Redefine', local metalcore heroes Our Hollow, Our Home (9/10) returned to Southampton for their home show. With a crowd full of family, fans and friends, it was easy to see how popular the five-piece have become since their formation in 2013. Known locally as energetic and hard-working musicians, it is exciting to see their career progress further and their talent become recognised by record labels and publications around the world. One of the most well-received songs was 'If Those Were Guns, Reggie Be Dead', which was played twice during their set: once as a band, and once as an acoustic song for the encore. Every song that was played sounded unique and fresh, and Connor Hallisey's harsh vocals were on top form, merging well with Tobias Young's clean singing. Our Hollow, Our Home engaged well with the crowd and they even brought an inflatable boat with them (called 'H.M.S Heisenberg') for fans to crowdsurf in. It is safe to say that Our Hollow, Our Home are one of the best bands to come out of Southampton, and if you haven't listened to them yet then you are definitely missing out.

www.facebook.com/ourhollowourhome

www.facebook.com/gonebytomorrowuk

www.facebook.com/WeAreDeference

www.facebook.com/tonightwefallofficial

INTERVIEW: Jill Janus from Huntress

On the final night of their UK tour I spoke to Jill Janus, lead singer of Huntress, about her classical music training, dogs and the theme of Huntress' new album!

How has the tour been going so far?
It has been fantastic! What a great bill, and we are just so excited to be on the road with Amon Amarth. Savage Messiah kicks ass too!

What is it like being on the road with them?
Well, you know, it feels like family. We have known Amon Amarth since we toured together on Mayhem Festival in the States back in 2013, so everyone just feels like family and we are very supportive.

Awesome! How does it feel to be playing in Southampton tonight?
You know, I hear it is a real rager! I heard you guys know how to party so you had better freaking bring it!

How do crowds in England compare to crowds in America and other countries around the world?

It really depends on what the cities are like, y'know. They vary from city to city, but metalheads, true metalheads, all over the world are very much the same. They all have the same type of passion and you can see throughout the world, as long as they love heavy metal you know they are going to love true heavy metal.

How would you describe your music to someone who has not heard it before?

We are melodic heavy metal. I'm not easy listening heavy metal, you won't see me in a god damn corset or singing faux-opera, y'know. My background and my training is classical, which is the foundation for my screams. We are melodic, through and through. True, old school heavy metal, we have some of that in there. A little element of doom and thrash and even black metal and some death vocals. But y'know it is also tinged with theatre. Y'know I grew up on theatre, so you are going to see elements of theatrical in there and that is kind of a little bit of a hat-tip to Alice Cooper and King Diamond, and even Rob Halford and Judas Priest.

If you were trained in opera then what made you want to be in a metal band?

I have always wanted to be in metal or rock! I mean from the time I was thirteen years old I was obsessed with Suicidal Tendencies and Danzig and The Misfits and King Diamond. So my mother was the one who really encouraged me to stay true to opera and musical theatre because that is what was just occurring then in the small town I lived in. That is what I was doing and I won a scholarship to go to a school to study opera and performing arts. It has just been a really interesting journey for me. I have always wanted to sing, but now that I created this world for myself and following my purpose. I could not be happier!

What do you think that people should expect from a live show from you?

To be entertained! We are entertainment through and through.

What inspires you to continue writing and keep performing?

Music owns me! Ever since I was a very small child. Like I said, there has never been anything else but music. So that is my purpose and there is nothing else. And especially when Huntress started to gain momentum and we started ascending within the ranks of metal it became very clear that other ambitions would have to be abolished, so I am a slave!

Have you had to deal with much sexism in the music industry or do you believe that the metal community is more accepting?

I don't really pay attention! Again, part of living for your purpose is that you don't really participate in outside opinions. I don't read reviews, I don't ever allow myself to go on the internet to see what the trolls are up to. So I am very, very careful about what other people think. So I really do keep a very strict distance from all of that noise, positive or negative so that it won't affect my path.

What are your favourite and least favourite things about touring?

My least favourite is leaving my dogs at home! If we are touring in America then I can bring them with me, I can bring my little Annie with my Anubis. She is a rescue, well all of my animals are rescues and I am very involved in animal welfare and adoption and I just love critters! And then the best thing is just feeling like you really are achieving your goals in life. It is very rewarding to be here and sometimes you can get wrapped up in this strange loneliness. Every day kind of blends together and you just have to kind of step back and see the big picture and realise that we are really fortunate to be on the road with all the bands that choose us. So it is quite a blessing!

What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to become a musician?

Lessons! Train yourself! Just don't go in blind, especially with vocals if you want to be a metal vocalist. I am asked over and over again how do I do it every night, night after night without losing my voice with the rapid screaming, back into a clean voice, back and forth. It really begins with training so get yourself in some serious vocal lessons and even if you want to be a musician, get guitar lessons! It is just about discipline. You have to be disciplined. You are not going to achieve anything if you are not really focussed. I mean, that is really the main rule for Huntress, it is vital to our existence, is discipline.

What else do you have planned for 2015?

Releasing that next album! Our new record will be out this summer and we are touring, touring, touring! We are writing and we are just having fun. Staying sane! It is really important that I don't go crazy!

Have you finished writing the album?

Yeah, we are recording it. Actually, we are heading back after Amon Amarth just to finish up a few things on it and then it will be handed over to Napalm Records and to the masses.

Does it have a specific theme?

Well, the first three albums for Huntress, if anyone is a Huntress fan, they would know that I talk about this a lot. It is dedicated to the triple goddess. So the first three albums are a bit of a spiritual journey for myself and a trilogy I would say. The first album 'Spell Eater' is in the Maiden phase and the second album 'Starbound Beast' is the Mother phase. So we are moving into the Crone phase and I always say that she is evil and old and horny. So you are going to get that viciousness on this third album with elements of doom and it is the death phase. It is the dying phase, so you will feel that. It is going to be heavy!

Listen to the interview here: https://soundcloud.com/juliaconopo/interview-with-jill-janus-from-huntress

www.facebook.com/HuntressKills
www.twitter.com/HuntressKills

INTERVIEW: Johan Söderberg from Amon Amarth

On the final night of Amon Amarth's UK tour, I spoke to guitarist Johan Söderberg about what it is like to tour in England, covers and the possibility of a new album.

How has the tour been going so far?
Good! It has been sold out almost every show.

How does it feel to be playing in Southampton tonight?
I'm sure it is going to be good! But it's cold in here, I hope it warms up when the people come.

How would you say that crowds in England compare to other countries that you have played in?
I would say that it's not a huge difference. Everywhere that we play is all the same, except for maybe South America. People are a little more crazy over there!

How would you describe your music to someone who has not heard it before?
It is kind of like traditional heavy metal, but it's more dorky-sounding and a little more aggressive.

What should people expect from a live show from Amon Amarth?
It's just a well-played, tight band with lots of power.

What inspires you to continue to write music and keep performing?
I'd say it's my biggest interest. From the beginning it was like a hobby and now it has turned into work but it's still one of my biggest, like, what I do in my spare time as well.

Have you hear the cover that Sabaton did of 'Twilight of the Thunder God' and what are your thoughts on it? Would you ever think of covering one of their songs in return?
I thought they did a good cover of it, but we are not going to do any covers. I also heard they play it live when we had them as an opening band in the US.

What made you want to become a musician?
I guess it was when I was a kid and I saw Iron Maiden and bands like that play. It felt like something that I wanted to do.

What are your favourite and least favourite things about touring?
I mean, the least favourite thing is that you can never really be by yourself. You are always surrounded by people. The good thing is that you get to see lots of places in the world that you would never see otherwise.

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Just play the kind of music that you like to listen to yourself and keep on doing what you like to do. I guess that is the best recipe for success.

Do you have much planned for the rest of this year?

This is the last tour for this album, so after this we are going to go back home and start working on new material.

Have you already got the new material planned out or are you waiting until you have finished the tour?
Not really! Just some small, small ideas.

Listen to the interview here: https://soundcloud.com/juliaconopo/interview-johan-soderberg-from-amon-amarth

www.facebook.com/OfficialAmonAmarth www.twitter.com/AmonAmarthBand

Headstone Down, In The Absence Of Light, Nervous Endings and Spytfyre at The Firehouse 8/3/14

Southampton-based progressive rock band Spytfyre were the first band on, and they certainly did not disappoint. Instantly grabbing the crowd’s attention with their mellow yet powerful music, they were able to set a high standard of music for the other bands to compete with. Spytfyre’s live performance proved that they are an extremely versatile band: singer Peter Aubrey’s vocals worked well with both fast-paced and slower songs. Their performance of ‘Cry of the Innocent’ worked well with the tone of the concert as it related well with the charity message of the evening. Despite stepping in at the last minute, they managed to keep the crowd entertained and happy.

Hardcore/metal band Nervous Endings made a huge impact with the audience the second that they burst onto stage: their bass-heavy and fast-paced songs instantly made the crowd go crazy. Their energetic and intense performance demonstrated that metal music is still alive and kicking in the South Coast.  Performing songs such as ‘Larcenists in Authority’ and ‘No Lesser Evil’ from their recently released EP, ‘Heavyweight’, it’s easy to see why they are quickly gaining fans across the UK. They certainly made a huge impression on everyone who attended The Firehouse and it’s highly unlikely that this will be the last you hear of them.

The penultimate band, In The Absence Of Light, provided the crowd with incredibly catchy songs and heavy screaming vocals. They interacted with the crowd well, taking full advantage of the intimate venue. Forming in 2007, the Swindon-based metal band have previously toured with Malefice, Exit Ten and Trigger The Bloodshed. The fast-paced thrash-like riffs and impressive guitar solos had the crowd hanging off their every move. The amount of energy put into their live performance was easy to see, and their sound matched their efforts.

Headstone Down are one of the most exciting metal bands in the South, and their performance definitely proved this. The crowd instantly took a shine to them, starting to mosh the exact second that the heavy guitar riffs started. Lead singer Robin Evans impressed Southampton with his aggressive and hard-hitting vocals, putting pure energy into every scream and growl. Keeping with the charity vibe of the evening, they offered
to donate money to charity if a member of the audience came up on stage and head-banged with them, which they did. Headstone Down also proved their professionalism: before the last song there were some technical difficulties, and instead of an awkward silence bassist Joss played a funky bass-line to keep the crowd entertained. Despite their wild and frenzied playing style, they managed to sound both tight and well-rehearsed, proving exactly why they were chosen to headline this impressive metal-filled show.

As well as it being a fantastic evening showcasing musical talent, it was also a successful night for charity. With a staggering £305 being raised for Warchild, the proceeds of this concert will go towards transforming the lives of tens of thousands of children. Tonight was proof that metal music and concert-goers can help to change the world.

Check out Spytfyre here: https://www.facebook.com/spytfyreband 
Check out Nervous Endings here: https://www.facebook.com/NERVOUSENDINGSUK 
Check out In The Absence Of Light here: https://www.facebook.com/ITAOL 
Check out Headstone Down here: https://www.facebook.com/Headstonedown 

Our Hollow, Our Home, In Hearts Wake, Landscapes and The Amity Affliction at The Cellar Southampton 8/9/13

Southampton-based band Our Hollow, Our Home opened up the first night of this metalcore-filled tour in the United Kingdom. It’s rare that the first band on at a concert get a good reception, however, the local group managed to quickly engage the crowd with their catchy riffs and energetic stage presence. Formed in 2012 by some of the former members of Deadlines, Our Hollow, Our Home’s melodic songs make them both memorable and enjoyable to watch perform. Their most recent single ‘Rest Assured’ was well-received by the audience. Connor Hallisey’s screaming vocals sounded strong live, and mixed with Tobias Young’s harmonious backing vocals, they were able to create a sound that pleases fans all across the metalcore genre. Despite missing one of their members, guitarist Josh White, they were able to perform an unforgettable set and it’s obvious that they have got a strong Hampshire fan base. They seemed very grateful to be on the stage alongside the huge bands on the line-up and reminded the crowd to support their local scene, making them both humble and a great live band to watch.

Byron Bay in Australia seems like a hot-spot for impressive metal bands recently, as it is home to bands such as Parkway Drive and 50 Lions. Adding to the thriving metal scene there is In Hearts Wake, who formed in 2006. Opening their killer set with ‘The Unknown (Strength)’, their brutal metalcore sound made the crowd instantly descend into mosh pits and throwdown pits. Near the end of the set the spotlight and vocal duties descended onto bassist Kyle Erich for a beautifully slow rendition of ‘Inertia’, which prompted many fans to get their lighters up and sway their arms in the air. The blue stage lights added to the mellow atmosphere and despite it being very different from their usual heavy sound, it was very well-received by the audience and it proved that as musicians they are all very versatile and talented. Ending their seven song set with ‘Departure (Death)’, In Hearts Wake definitely gained many more fans during their impressive performance.

Modern hardcore punk band Landscapes kept the fast-paced vibe going with their rebellious and angst-filled songs. The Somerset-based band were full of energy and it reflected well onto the crowd. The drumming was particularly impressive and it worked extremely well with the bass-filled songs on their short but sweet set. The technical guitaring was another strong point for Landscapes, especially the catchy riffs which kept the crowd wanting more. The crowd was full of people hardcore dancing along to the rhythm of the songs and enjoying themselves listening to the original hardcore punk sound which filled the venue. The heavy vocals merged well with the strong breakdowns and the lyrics were both heart-felt and impressively performed.

Headlining band The Amity Affliction are one of the biggest Australian metalcore bands around at the moment, and their show tonight in Southampton definitely proved why. The crowd anticipation before the Brisbane-based quartet arrived on stage was almost overwhelming and they were definitely worth the wait. Opening their set with their latest single ‘Greens Avenue’, the crowd were instantly engrossed into The Amity Affliction’s stellar performance. Lead singer Joel Birch’s harsh vocals filled The Cellar perfectly. The contrast between his and bassist Ahren Stringer’s clean vocals created a perfect harmony that is only found in metalcore music.  ‘Anchors’ was definitely a crowd favourite and Ahren’s clean vocals were particularly strong during this song. During ‘I Hate Hartly’ a fan climbed on stage and screamed the vocals to the whole of the final verse, proving how much The Amity Affliction respect their fans (it also probably helped that he was really good at screaming). One of the strangest parts of the set was definitely the cover that The Amity Affliction chose to perform: ‘Born To Die’ by Lana Del Ray. Although it seems like an unlikely song for an Australian metal band to cover, surprisingly they were able to perform it with ease and it honestly sounded incredible. Joel screamed the verse and Ahren sang the chorus and it worked well; the crowd definitely loved it. Joel even joked that Lana Del Ray refuses to let them release it as a single. Members of the crowd got up on stage with the band, and unlike most concerts, the band loved it. They complimented how involved the audience were getting with the performance and Joel even let some very persistent fans scream and sing into the microphone during the songs. For their encore they chose to perform possibly one of their most popular songs, ‘Open Letter’. Almost every fan was singing along and when The Amity Affliction left the stage it was easy to see that everyone had an incredible evening. If I had to recommend that you only see one metalcore band this year, it should definitely be The Amity Affliction. 

Check out Our Hollow, Our Home here: https://www.facebook.com/ourhollowourhome/
Check out In Hearts Wake here: https://www.facebook.com/inheartswake/ Check out Landscapes here: https://www.facebook.com/LANDSCAPESUK 
Check out The Amity Affliction here: https://www.facebook.com/theamityafflictionofficial/ 

Dance Gavin Dance at Takedown Festival 11/5/13

Post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance are well renowned for their line-up changes, but they have definitely found a great new lead singer in the form of Tilian Pearson. The crowd hesitation before Dance Gavin Dance started their performance was immediately wiped away when Tilian started singing ‘Tree Village’; his voice sounded incredible and full of emotion. It takes a lot for a new lead singer to perform songs that they haven’t written, but Tillian was able to sing them in a unique yet familiar way. Their new song ‘The Robot With Human Hair Part 4’ gained a great crowd reaction, proving that there is a lot of excitement for their upcoming album release ‘Acceptance Speech’ later this year. Dance Gavin Dance gave one of the best performances at Takedown Festival and proved that they’re still here and stronger than ever.

Check out Dance Gavin Dance here: https://www.facebook.com/DanceGavinDance

Tesseract at Takedown Festival 11/5/13

Progressive metal band Tesseract are renowned for putting on an incredible live show, and at Takedown Festival they did just that. Ashe O’Hara’s vocals are possibly some of the best in the progressive metal scene, giving chills to the crowd. His astounding voice merges well with the highly impressive technical guitar riffs found in all of Tesseract’s songs. Despite playing a short set which consisted of about four songs, Tesseract managed to get the crowd going and performed an unforgettable set.

Check out Tesseract here: https://www.facebook.com/tesseractband

We Are Fiction at Takedown Festival 11/5/13

Peterborough rock band We Are Fiction were the second band on the Big Deal Clothing Stage at Takedown Festival, and they definitely set the atmosphere of the day right. Phil Barker’s vocals are amazing and merge well with the harmonic backing vocals of Marc Kucharski. We Are Fiction’s songs are the perfect mix of mellow rock and harsh screaming vocals, making them a band accessible to rock fans across the spectrum. ‘Sail On’ was especially well received by the crowd and it was a great ending to an incredibly strong and impressive performance. With their songs appearing on Scuzz and Kerrang, We Are Fiction are growing in fans rapidly, and if you haven’t checked them out yet then you’re missing out!

Check out We Are Fiction here: https://www.facebook.com/wearefiction

Seven Deadly, For The Imperium, Left Unscarred and Breed 77 at The Cellar in Southampton 14/3/13

The first band on stage to kick off an evening of metal was Seven Deadly, a melodic/thrash metal band from the UK. Their songs were packed full of strong riffs and fast drum beats, alongside impressive clean and harsh vocals from lead singer Archie Wilson. Closing their set with ‘From This Darkness’, an exciting song which is fast-paced and features an impressive guitar solo, Seven Deadly definitely gained themselves many new fans from their short but sweet set.

Finish metal band For The Imperium’s energy filled the room the second they got on stage and they were certainly anything but boring live. Every song that they played sounded unique and lead singer Hakim Hietikko’s harsh vocals were both brutal and powerful. For The Imperium managed to run around on stage whilst still playing incredibly well, making them a great band to watch live.

Five-piece metalcore band Left Unscarred stood out well due to their ability to interact with the crowd well and very heavy breakdowns.  Lead singer Duane Oakes’ harsh vocals blended well with bassist Spike’s clean vocals, adding a melodic vibe to their metalcore sound. 

Breed 77 stole the show with their unique fusion of metal and flamenco music. They had a great crowd reception, with most of the audience singing along to every song. Playing songs from their brand new album ‘The Evil Inside’, such as ‘Broken Pieces’, which features strong riffs and well-written lyrics, and old classics such as ‘The River’, they managed to please both old and new fans. Their cover of Alice Cooper’s ‘Poison’ was amazing and definitely a crowd-pleaser. Paul Isola’s vocals are incredible and captivated the crowd well. If you’re looking for an outstanding and unique metal band, Breed 77 are definitely the band for you. 

Check out Seven Deadly here: http://www.facebook.com/sevendeadly1
Check out For The Imperium here: http://www.facebook.com/fortheimperium
Check out Left Unscarred here: http://www.facebook.com/LeftUnscarred
Check out Breed 77 here: http://www.facebook.com/breed77
Photography by Rob Campion: http://www.facebook.com/RobCampionPhotography

Interview with Danny Felice from Breed 77 14/3/13

Danny Felice is a guitarist from the band Breed 77. I caught up with him before the band’s show at The Cellar in Southampton.

Julia: How would you describe your musical style to people who haven't heard it before?
Danny: Well, I think it is quite a unique sound mix. We are a rock/metal band, but we mix it with a bit of flamenco and Eastern kind of sound. We are from Gibraltar and we have all this influx over music from Africa and Spain which is flamenco, rapid rhythms. So we incorporate this into our style.

Julia: Who would you say are your major influences?
Danny: I think as a person more like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Maiden. I’m a big fan of Maiden. In the band, mixed with something like Paco de Lucía, he’s one of the famous Spanish guitarists. So that’s more or less the influences of where we come from.

Julia: How does it feel to be in Southampton tonight?
Danny: Yeah, it’s cool! It’s a while since we’ve played around here. It’s the first time we don’t play in a place, you know The Joiners? We always played there. So this is the first time in town and it’s a nice city.

Julia: How has the tour been going so far?
Danny: Very good! I mean the response has been really good from people coming to see the new album. This is the first of many, we hope. It’s just the beginning. The album comes out on the 25^th March, but it was already out on the 11^th on iTunes, but we are selling it on the road so we’re excited. This is the first tour of the album.

Julia: Have you got much planned for the rest of the year?
Danny: Yeah, I mean we are going to try to play as much as we can. Anywhere that will have us! So it will be like ‘tour, tour!’ Hopefully we will be playing everywhere.

Julia: What would you say is your favourite song that you have written and why?
Danny: That’s a very difficult question! I don’t think I have a favourite, but I think on this album ‘Motionless’ is a very unique and very epic song, and we are proud of that song.

Julia: What inspired you to start a band?
Danny: Music, I was a very big fan of Maiden since I was a kid and, I don’t know, it just happened. You start playing an instrument and then you just want to be doing music around and being taken more serious and that’s it.

Check out Breed 77 here: http://www.facebook.com/breed77
Listen to the interview here: https://soundcloud.com/juliaconopo/interview-with-danny-felice
Photo by Rob Campion: http://www.facebook.com/RobCampionPhotography

Hey Vanity, Mallory Knox and Don Broco at The Joiners in Southampton 20/2/13

“We’re Hey Vanity from Essex and it’s a pleasure to be in you, Southampton!” Rock band Hey Vanity definitely captured the audience’s attention, especially with their up-beat cover of ‘Hey Ya’ by Outkast. They also played a song called ‘Terry Tibbs’, which was inspired by the popular television show Fonejacker. Hey Vanity interacted with the crowd well and put on a pleasant performance in Southampton. 

Mallory Knox definitely exceeded everyone’s expectations, and the band sounded even better live than on CD. Mikey Chapman’s vocals were astounding and there were some beautiful harmonies from the rest of the band. The energy that the band put into their performance was amazing, and it was easily apparent that Mallory Knox felt comfortable and happy on stage. Playing songs such as ‘Lighthouse’ and ‘Wake Up’, they definitely got the crowd warmed up for Don Broco.  

Opening with the title track to their latest album, ‘Priorities’, Don Broco instantly made the crowd go wild. Rob Damiani has an incredible stage presence and an incredible vocal range. Don Broco’s setlist was varied, and included lots of songs from their latest album, but also older songs, such as ‘Beautiful Morning’ and ‘I’m Good’. ‘Thug Workout’ was definitely a crowd favourite, and despite their music style changing since then, it was a highlight of the set for many. Simon Delaney is an amazing guitarist and all of the band are very energetic whilst performing on stage. Ending their set with ‘Fancy Dress’, Don Broco definitely rocked Southampton tonight, and they’re one of the hottest rock bands for 2013! 

Check out Hey Vanity here: http://www.facebook.com/heyvanityuk/
Check out Mallory Knox here: http://www.facebook.com/malloryknoxuk/
Check out Don Broco here: http://www.facebook.com/donbroco/

Photography by Rob Campion