Has there ever been a more fitting front sleeve? The photo shoot of A Vulgar Display of Power‘s cover-art apparently consisted of some lucky extra getting punched around thirty times in the face for $10 a whack. Even after having gazed upon this photo on my iPod screen for what must have been a hundred times…
The year was 1976. David Bowie had recently starred in his first feature length film, The Man Who Fell To Earth, a weird cross between Doctor Who and Citizen Kane with the surrealism cranked to eleven. It’s not hard to look back at the film’s themes of decadence and disconnection and not see a link to the star’s…
Which bands were more important than good? Joe Moor presents five bands that had little talent, but pioneered a sound for more skilled imitators.
Considering The Jezabels debut full-length has been out since September and reached the No. 2 spot in their native Australia, it can probably be assumed they are a lot bigger back home in the land of Oz than the rest of the world. That could very easily be about to change though, as this record…
AIM, Livesoc and Rocksoc came together once again for the annual Roc Party at The Cube, with a lineup that ranged from national major label artists to local indie talent. First up were the university band and unsigned act Ideawake, who mixed bouncing rhythms, tight musicianship and charming vocals into a concoction that did a rather…
Joe Moor has a word with legendary metal Brummies Napalm Death
While Lamb of God’s first four albums have served mostly as catharsis for frustration, 2009’s Wrath and and now their most recent release Resolution have been exercises in creating it. For while they’ve clearly shown they have considerable capacity for artistic growth, their uncharacteristic timidness in embracing it will have the listener bellowing back at their…
After skipping a year, Metal Hammer‘s Defenders of the Faith tour returned to Southampton; and you’ve got to hand it to the organisers, every year so far they’ve done a pretty good job of getting together a sweet lineup that offers something to tattooed oldies and swoopy-haired younglings alike. Rise to Remain are currently being…
The musical movement of dubstep: where has it come from, what’s so good about it, and how has it grown from underground to mainstream so quickly? Joe Moor discusses.
In these dark, gloomy times there’s nothing like a bit of upbeat, happy pop-punk to lift you up. Which is why it’s a bit of a drag that former party rockers like You Me at Six, Blink-182 and Four Year Strong have chosen 2011 to start getting serious and release darker, more ‘mature’ albums. It’s…
Now officially an annual event, the Metal Hammer-sponsored Defenders of the Faith tour kicks off in Southampton on the first of December. With a mixture of old and new metal acts, there’s something for every headbanger this year. Solely flying the flag for British metal are newcomers Rise to Remain, while the mysterious Ghost bring…