Aliases [The Derangeable Interview]

Aliases - Derangeable - Album Review 2016 - Interview Leah Woodward - Basick Records Release Date

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Aliases are sitting on a one-of-a-kind album right now. Derangeable – due out on April 15 – is everything existing Aliases fans could possibly hope for, and more. It’s also guaranteed to bend the ears of many a future follower, provided they’re enamored of prime-cut techy metallic goodness.

Click here to read about how blown my mind was on first hearing Derangeable, and read on for a short but appropriately intense chat with Aliases guitarist Leah Woodward… Read more…

Posted on 31 March 2016

Aliases – ‘Derangeable’ [Review]

Aliases - Derangeable - Album Review 2016 - Interview Leah Woodward - Basick Records Release Date

UPDATE: TMMP has been reborn! This video has the full story:

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According to the press release that accompanied my review copy of Derangeable, Aliases are “for fans of tech-progressive metal and heavy bendy guitars that go WEEAAAAOORGGHHH CHUG CHUG”.

I can’t argue with that – but I would hasten to add that Derangeable will also satisfy your cravings for guitars that go “BEEADOODLEBEEP,” time changes that would give Stephen Hawking a migraine, and the kind of screams you’d normally associate with Read more…

Posted on 12 March 2016

The Colour Line – ‘The Long Awaited Seal Of Disapproval’ [Review]

The Colour Line - The Long Awaited Seal Of Disapproval (Review)

Visualise Steve Vai and Guthrie Govan jamming with The Dillinger Escape Plan, and you’ll come close to the core of The Colour Line’s sound throughout E=MC Hammered and Usama’s Bin Liners. Marrying playful guitars with hectic drums and an impressively versatile vocal courtesy of frontman Sam Rudderforth, these guys have managed to take a well-established style and twist the mathcore kaleidoscope to a unique position. Nice.

R.E.D. almost brings The Knack’s My Sharona to mind, fucking with Read more…

Posted on 26 February 2016

Monuments / No Consequence / Toska [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 12/8/2015]

Monuments

Progressive Promotions have great taste in bands. The lineup for this show was absolutely immense, kicking off with TMMP favourites Toska (92%). Regular readers will have already read many evangelical words about these guys – but they fucking deserve it. This time out, performance was prioritised over precision, resulting in one of the most intense, borderline apocalyptic Toska sets yet. A couple of mistakes were made, but who the fuck cares when the music is that epic?

Following Toska’s opening barrages has proven tough for some, but local legends No Consequence (88%) Read more…

Posted on 13 August 2015

Heights / Throatpunch City / Eschar / Toska [Live Review – The Star, Guildford, 27/6/2015]

Heights

This lineup was unmissable.

Regular readers will already know how much I love talking about Toska. These guys are beyond insane, boasting telepathic tightness and currently-instrumental tunes heavier than the Terminator’s ballsack. Over their last few shows, Toska have been experimenting with a variety of dynamic approaches, and seem to have settled on a rawer, more focussed, and emotionally immersive sound than ever before.

Level Up: Achieved.

Having followed Eschar for so long they’re probably considering a restraining order, it’s safe to say that I think they’re alright – maybe even pretty good. The only thing Eschar seem to struggle with is Read more…

Posted on 28 June 2015

No Consequence [Interview]

No Consequence

Surrey-based tech metal outfit No Consequence are on the rise for a reason. These guys embody everything a modern metal fan could reasonably ask for: flawless technique, dense and intense tracks, and intelligent messages behind it all. With NC’s third album Vimana out as of yesterday, TMMP talked to vocalist Kaan Tasan about his band’s latest effort, grooves, and change…

Your new album Vimana is due out soon. What thoughts/feelings are going through your heads right now?

Well, we’re obviously excited and very proud of what we’ve accomplished with Vimana. But it’s always a stressful time having spent so long creating something, then releasing it to the world. You always want a positive response, but that doesn’t always happen [laughs]!

Your lyrics are very socially aware. Did any specific experiences and/or people first inspire you to address social issues/politics/religion/etc?

I guess for me personally, it’s just life. That’s what inspires me the most, the Read more…

Posted on 09 June 2015

No Consequence – ‘Vimana’ [Review]

No Consequence

No Consequence are known as purveyors of top-notch tech metal. Their instrumental skill is indisputable – as is the level of social awareness amplified through past classics such as Coerce:Conform and Enemy of Logic. Beyond that point, you still have to take pristine production, ball-bursting heaviness, and shattered-mirror riffage into account before you get the whole picture.

Vimana sees the introduction of a new side to No Consequence. Their signature blend of fragmented riffs, disjointed melodies, and Read more…

Posted on 21 May 2015

Employed To Serve [Interview]

Employed To Serve

Having had my ears blown by Employed To Serve’s debut long-player Greyer Than You Remember and seen the Woking-based post-hardcore upstarts tear through a riotous Palm Reader support slot, I can safely say that if you love hardcore-related shenanigans and haven’t checked these guys out yet, you need to fix that ASAP.

A bleak and brutal whirlwind of off-kilter riffs, hectic drum abuse, and scorching vocals, Greyer Than You Remember represents pure, no-shortcut quality; over the course of every track, Employed To Serve push themselves past their own limits and into the previously unknowable. Here, ETS vocalist Justine Jones chats about her band’s origin story, self-worth, onstage nerves, and some sick future tour plans…

Your album Greyer Than You Remember is dropping on May 25th. How do you feel right now?

Really excited! We’ve had some of these songs written for a year, so we’re really happy to finally be playing them live and for people to be able to listen to them!

How would you describe your creative evolution over the course of your last few releases and the creation of Greyer Than You Remember?

Pretty drastic! I feel like we’ve forced Read more…

Posted on 17 May 2015

Cyclamen – ‘Departure (Feat. Yuuri)’ [Review]

Cyclamen

Imagine a Japanese tech-metal band distantly orbiting Planet SikTh, and augmented by Yuuri of Outside The Coma. Think grim post-rock atmospherics, tangled and tortured riffs, and frenetic beats.

Sounds sick? You bet. And below, you’ll find Read more…

Posted on 10 May 2015

No Consequence – ‘Speechless’ [Review]

No Consequence

No Consequence have made a name for themselves on the back of fragmented metalcore melodies and twisted tech riffs – and Speechless marks their ascension to a new evolutionary level.

Drawing influence from the likes of Read more…

Posted on 30 April 2015

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