Not only is Donnay Clancy, publicist at The Noise Cartel, one of the friendliest (and most patient with us!) going, she also sends us great music from Century Media and Sumerian Records (amongst other labels), including acts such as Asking Alexandria, and Ghost Cult favourites At The Gates, and Between The Buried And Me. She also, as you will see, continues the theme of the UK’s metal PR people have THE best taste in music…

 

You’ve worked with a host of great bands and labels this year, but which have been your favourite and most memorable campaigns (and why)?

I absolutely loved working with Press to MECO on their second album Here’s To The Fatigue (Marshall). Not only is it a brilliant album that you should listen to IMMEDIATELY, they are some of the most hilarious, lovely and hard-working guys I’ve worked with. Watching everything fall into place for them over the past year has been awesome and they deserve it so much.

Working with At The Gates and Jonathan Davis on their new albums was incredible, and I feel very lucky to have worked with and met such legends. There were a couple of moments where I thought to myself “I’m here at a festival, telling AT THE FUCKING GATES what to do” and “Just taking JONATHAN FRICKIN’ DAVIS to his promo” yeah, cool…totally casual…(!?!)

Another highlight was working with hardcore newcomers MSRY on their second EP, Safety First (self-released), which had a great response from press. A friend of mine sent me one of their videos at the end of last year and immediately I thought “I have to work with these guys!” The boys are an absolute pleasure to work with and have so much potential. Watch out for them in 2019!

 

What have you got coming up in the first half of next year that we should all be getting excited about?

Blood Youth‘s new album Starve (Rude Records) comes out in February; very excited to see where it takes them. There are also new albums from Swallow The Sun, Born Of Osiris and Lovebites coming out in January so it’ll be a busy start to the year!

As for shows, I have Sick Of It All, Napalm Death and Ignite topping the bill at the Persistence Tour at the end of January – I genuinely fear for the Forum’s foundations, it’s going to be SICK.

Also can’t wait to see At The Gates supporting Behemoth, it’ll make up for missing them at Bloodstock this year (I was stuck in the press area when they were on, booo)

 

What have been your favourite albums this year?

I am far too indecisive to do a numbered list but these are a few of my faves:

Ghost – Prequelle (Loma Vista)

Rolo Tomassi – Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It (Holy Roar)

Turnstile – Time & Space (Roadrunner)

Bleeding Through – Love Will Kill All (Sharptone ) – hurry up and come to the UK already!

Pale Waves – My Mind Makes Noises (Dirty Hit/Interscope)

Black Peaks – All That Divides (Rise/BMG)

Architects – Holy Hell (Epitaph)

Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit (MVKA)

You Me At Six – VI (Underdog/AWAL)

Judas Priest – Firepower (Columbia)

 

 …and finally, any New Years resolutions this year?

Aside from the usual “get fit and stop eating/drinking so much”, next year I want to see more of the world, join a choir, get back into playing piano, spend more time with my family and stop spending so much time on my bloody phone!

Let’s see how that goes…

 

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