Tramlines Fringe Festival Live at Sheffield City Hall


I arrive to find Trigger Thumb just on stage, with a quite busy and appreciative crowd in front of them. The room is already warm and echoing, though neither of these things seems to put off either audience nor band, despite the slight disservice done to Trigger Thumb by this. Even from the third song in, there are noticeably more heads nodding along and more movement in the crowd from earlier, as the Bradford 3-piece start to quickly work over the crowd, with vocalist/guitarist Arron’s self-deprecation between songs raising a number of smiles around the room, as he says, We are Trigger Thumb and we are losers”. Musically, they veer between noisy Math Rock and some quite delicate guitar and vocals, showing an homage, at least, to The Mars Volta, whilst nods to the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Faith No More pop through at various times. They perform their set with a minimum of fuss and thoroughly earned the loud applause they garner at the end of their set.

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Charity Compilation “Riffs for Reproductive Justice” Surpasses $10K USD in the First 48 Hours


A charity compilation aimed at donating 100% of proceeds to the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAH: https://www.abortionfunds.org) and the Yellowhammer Fund (https://www.yellowhammerfund.org) has been a big success in just the first 48 hours. Riffs for Reproductive Justice is 33-track set includes artists from Hether Fortune, Closet Witch, Vile Creature, Sunrot, Dawn Ray’d and Racetraitor, Twin Temple, Svalbard, and special tracks include Cliterati’s cover of L7’s ‘Fast and Frightening,’ Fucked and Bound’s cover of Sonic Youth’s ‘Kool Thang’ and Thou’s cover of the Leadbelly classic, ‘In the Pines’, which they teased on social media earlier in the week. Organized by Activist and metal journalist Kim Kelly (ex-Noisey, Rolling Stone) who recently launched the Black Flags Over Brooklyn anti-facist music festival in Brooklyn, sees many of these acts who participated in the fest. Donation receipts will be posted in a Dropbox folder which will be shared with the bands and with anyone who requests access. Kudos to a great job fighting for this crucial cause and the fight is just beginning. Continue reading


Mono Books Exclusive London 20th Anniversary Show with Orchestra and Special Guests


Avant-garde Metal legends Mono will invade London this December to celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary. The band will curate the “Beyond The Past” event, headline the Barbican in London on 14th December with an orchestra and they’ll be joined by specials guests Alcest. As part of the anniversary, they are also curating two other shows that weekend with Boris, envy, Arabrot, and Svalbard playing Oval Space on the 13th and then a matinee show on the 14th featuring Nordic Giants, Jo Quail, A.A Williams, and Floating Spectrum at the Underground. In 2019, the band released Nowhere Now Here – their 10th studio album in 20 years.Continue reading


Ithaca – The Language Of Injury


Those of you with a keen ear to the underground Metal scene will doubtless already be familiar with Metallic Hardcore outfit Ithaca. Whilst it has been several years in its genesis, The Language Of Injury (Holy Roar) is the band’s full-length debut and, if the cliché that good things come to those who wait still has any relevance and cache at the start of 2019, then it most assuredly can be used here to welcome this record of brutal, uncompromising beauty.Continue reading


GUEST POST: Becky Laverty of Pioneer Music Press – 2018 in Review


 

Concluding our 2018 In Review guest posts from some of the UK’s rock/metal/alternative music publicists is Becky Laverty of Pioneer Music Press and Cappio Records. Not only does Becky work with a fine selection of the finest alternative, progressive, dark, occult, doomy and, primarily, artistic bands, her work with Damnation and The Roadburn Festival are the stuff of legends. In addition, she also takes time to write advice pieces for bands and others involved in the music industry. She is, indeed, the goodest of eggs and future pub quiz champion of the UK (2019)… Continue reading


Damnation Festival 2016 Promises Greatness With Electric Wizard, Enslaved, Abbath And More


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Although all metalheads seem to love Halloween, I’m sure our friends in the UK and beyond can’t wait for next weekend to get here. That’s because Damnation Festival 2016 s is coming next Saturday November 5th to Leeds University Union, and it’s sure to be a banger. Get prepared with our preview:Continue reading