F.O.E.S. are a mix of Deftones, Karnivool, and Arcane Roots – and if that doesn’t sound like a sick combo to you, then go take a long hard look in the mirror and think about how badly society has failed you. F.O.E.S.’ new EP Antecedence is absolutely stunning – and with just less than a month to go before it’s out, TMMP got talking to guitarist Joe Danher about the new release, hunger, and hat disasters… Read more…
Since 2007, 2000 Trees has evolved into one of the UK alternative music scene’s most treasured institutions. Combining a fiercely independent ethos with a super-positive DIY attitude and the backing of many brilliant musicians, this festival is not one to miss. For TMMP, the lineup alone is absolutely mouth-watering.
Eclectically-minded music buffs are guaranteed to find themselves satiated at 2000 Trees. Diversity is key at big events, and Read more…
Show me a band who are one third Deftones, one third Karnivool, and one third Arcane Roots, and I’ll show you a band I’ll happily rave about until the end of time. F.O.E.S. (aka Fall Of Every Sparrow) may have an awkward name, but their music is fucking incredible. They’ve definitely found the fast track to instant approval at this end.
Antecedence kicks in in style with Rival Thrones – an immediate and crystal-clear nod in the direction of Chino Moreno & co. that merges massive, churning riffs with epic Read more…
Muse have done it all. They’ve stuck together for over two decades, released seven albums, toured the world, dominated festivals and stadiums, sold some 17m long-playing units – you name it, they’ve done it. Now, their latest effort is out there exploring now-familiar themes (global conspiracies, alienation, disconnection, etc) from the perspective of an individual who becomes indoctrinated into (and eventually rebels against) the modern Western military system.
Undeniably proggy (a good thing here at TMMP), expansive, and entertaining, Drones mainly wins during Read more…
For regular TMMP readers, drum legend Marco Minnemann will need little introduction by now! Creator of EEPS (TMMP’s second-favourite album of 2014) and brand new album Celebration (reviewed on TMMP here); the skin-beater currently backing up Joe Satriani and Steven Wilson; and one third of globally notorious fusion heavyweights the Aristocrats (alongside Guthrie Govan and Bryan Beller), Marco Minnemann is, to say the least, a truly rare talent and artist.
Here, Marco talks about his brand new album, creativity, darkness, and rubber animals. Enjoy!
Your new solo album Celebration is out now, less than a year after your last one, EEPS. How do you manage to maintain such restless creativity?
Well, I’m enjoying the writing and playing music world and ideas sort of sometimes fall from the sky or get triggered by experiences. So inspiration is present if you walk through the world with an open mind and a lot of imagination.
Plus, portable studio equipment makes things really easy on the road. So, there are virtually no Read more…
UPDATE: TMMP has been reborn! This video has the full story:
Click here to subscribe for free on YouTube!
Considering Marco Minnemann’s EEPS was TMMP’s second-favourite album of 2014, expecting its successor to top it might seem somewhat unreasonable on paper. Still, with Celebration Marco has done just that. For this 18-track (very) long player, the lighthearted quirky-playful approach which permeated EEPS has been largely set aside in favour of grim, determined seriousness.
Opening tune Miami sets the tone with thrashy guitar, ominous brass, the occasional spy movie chord, and some cheeky synths to remind us that behind it all, Marco Minnemann’s sense of the tongue-in-cheek is Read more…
Pat Mastelotto is a busy guy. His CV is a mile long, including his current position as King Crimson’s drumming lynchpin; one third of acclaimed virtuoso trio Stick Men (alongside Tony Levin and Markus Reuter); and a huge range of additional projects including KoMaRa (whose self-titled album was reviewed on TMMP here), and O.R.k. (whose album Inflamed Rides received the TMMP treatment here). This is an epic-length interview Pat Mastelotto treated with the same generous attitude as anything with which he becomes involved.
Whether you’re a fan of King Crimson, Stick Men, KoMaRa, O.R.k., the man himself, or any of his other innumerable projects, you’ll find a ton of fascinating info here. Read on… Read more…
If you’re looking for something unique, you’ve come to the right place. O.R.k. could be described using the often-derided term “supergroup” (its members hailing from bands as diverse as Obake, King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, and Marta Sui Tubi), but its music will appeal to anyone with a taste for diverse and differentiated rock. This is not so much a novelty project as one with the potential to go any distance under its own steam.
Inflamed Rides takes in everything from Tool-esque textures (opener Jellyfish) to Rage Against Read more…
From the outside, alternative music festivals can seem intimidating. Certain corners of the media choose to portray alternative music fans as universally antisocial and self destructive. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
Festivals are full of people out for nothing more than a good time. Great bands, passionate fans, and meticulous organisation are all essential pieces of the puzzle – and Slam Dunk’s organisers provided the former and latter. In Wolverhampton, everybody won.
Behind black t-shirts and often morbid iconography, the themes of the day were love, respect, and gratitude. Second stage openers Shvpes set the tone with a rapturously received hometown set packed full of Read more…
Sometimes a new discovery blows your mind in the best way possible. Welsh prog mentalists the Decoy certainly did that with their new EP Parasites, due out on May 25 via Ghoulish Records and sure to get you wondering what the fuck just happened when it finally beats on your eardrums. For this interview, there was only one way to begin…
Your new EP Parasites is a real mindfuck – so I have to open with a horribly clichéd question: Who are your influences? Where do those ideas come from?!
Joel (Williams, bass/vocals): Difficult question! We all have Read more…