July 2012
9 posts
10 tags
WatchLatest edition of Sonic Shocks featuring reviews of Shining, Fukpig, Acephalix and Necro Deathmort
7 tags
WatchApril edition of Sonic Shocks with a Hammerfest review, interview with Dripback and a Dope Body review
5 tags
WatchJanuary/Feb issue of Sonic Shocks with a review of Run, WALK!
7 tags
WatchDecember issue of Sonic Shocks with reviews of Asking Alexandria, Retox and Nick Stutsman
6 tags
WatchNovember issue of Sonic Shocks with reviews of Supersonic Festival and a retrospective look at Breaking the Waves
8 tags
WatchOctober issue of Sonic Shocks containing interviews with Slabdragger and Zombi in the run up to Supersonic Festival and an article on Extreme Cinema
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WatchIssue 3 of Sonic Shocks, containing an interview with Gold Kids and a review of Hevy Fest
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WatchIssue 2 of Sonic Shocks, containing a nifty review of Antares
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WatchFirst issue of Sonic Shocks, featuring several reviews by yours truly and a feature on Holy Roar Records
June 2012
1 post
7 tags
Harvey Milk @ The Hare and Hounds (Originally...
HARVEY MILK
Birmingham Hare And Hounds - 22nd May 2012
Review by Matthew Tilt
It’s a rare enough event to catch the incredible Harvey Milk live in the UK; to catch them on Harvey Milk Day is something that puts the average mind at the risk of exploding. It seems pointless discussing and debating what genre these Georgian boys fall into because in the live setting they fit neatly into some heavy,...
April 2012
27 posts
4 tags
God is an Astronaut feature...
Interview with Torsten Kinsella (God Is An Astronaut)
Having just toured the U.S., and sold out most of their 13 shows, God Is An Astronaut’s vocalist/guitarist Torsten Kinsella is clearly in a good mood. He jokes about mosh pits in New York, which at their shows are “a little bit rare”, and talks about the more “youthful feel” they’re currently bringing to the stage since the inclusion of...
7 tags
Ulver feature...
Interview with Kristoffer Rygg
It was no doubt a shock, despite the eclectic nature of Damnation Festival, when Ulver were announced; considering the band’s outspoken stance on the metal world and their distinctly non-metal output over recent years coupled with the fact that they only started playing select shows two years ago. Talking on the phone with frontman Kristoffer he brings up the fact...
6 tags
Shining feature...
Starting out as an acoustic jazz quartet twelve years ago, it would be hard for anyone to predict that Shining, (not to be confused with the Swedish black metal band) would be playing the diverse, yet definitely metal orientated, Damnation Festival. Luckily multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jørgen Munkeby was on the phone to talk us through how the band ended up here. “We were into metal before...
6 tags
Decapitated feature...
Decaptited’s Damnation set will be a special one. It’s a 2011 U.K. exclusive and therefore their first show on these shores since releasing the awesome Carnival Is Forever. A furious comeback from a band who have suffered enough tragedy to rightly hang up their hats, and yet with a new line up and the aforementioned crushing album under their belts, this Polish behemoth is back on track and ready...
5 tags
Xerath interview...
Interview with Rich Thomson
We thought that it would be a good idea to grab Xerath for a few questions about their upcoming Damnation appearance, but they proved harder to pin down than initially thought. We eventually tracked them down to China, and gave them a good probing.
First off, if you could describe your sound and give a little background to the band for the Damnation-goers who may not...
6 tags
Decapitated feature...
Decaptited’s Damnation set will be a special one. It’s a 2011 U.K. exclusive and therefore their first show on these shores since releasing the awesome Carnival Is Forever. A furious comeback from a band who have suffered enough tragedy to rightly hang up their hats, and yet with a new line up and the aforementioned crushing album under their belts, this Polish behemoth is back on track and ready...
6 tags
Chthonic feature...
Chthonic are one of the rising stars in black metal. Their latest album Takasago Army has been both critically and commercially successful and their aggressive shows have ensured that they are a live favourite across the world. Catching up with bassist Doris she’s full of excitement for Damnation Festival and praise for the U.K. fans that have supported Chthonic.
“We love to play the U.K! the...
4 tags
Amplifier feature...
Amplifier were one of the first bands announced this year and, as such, have watched the line up grow to include massively respected and eclectic bands. A lot of pressure you’d assume, but this Manchester three piece are walking into Damnation with three excellent genre bending albums under their belts and a huge amount of acclaim for their live shows. Catching up with bassist Neil Mahoney he...
4 tags
Astrohenge feature...
There’s something very real about Matthew Rozeik, guitarist for Astrohenge. He doesn’t talk about big ideas; he talks about his band playing music because that’s what they do, without the pretentious that seems to come with a lot of bands who build up pieces of music without the double edged sword of lyrics. He is honest, witty and blunt..
Asking about his music he admits that there’s a certain...
5 tags
Interview with A Forest of Stars...
Interview with The Gentleman from A Forest of Stars
For the people who are coming to Damnation could you please describe you’re sound and give a little background to the band?
Certainly! According to the incredibly pretentious/vacuous press release I’ve just cut and pasted, we are apparently a collection of 19th century vaudeville, classical and burlesque musicians, inspired by the teachings of...
6 tags
Evile feature (published on...
Evile step into Damnation with a double edged sword. Having played Damnation back in 06 when it was still held at Jilly’s in Manchester they come with an experience which none of the bands this year hold, but, also with a pressure for them to perform the way they did five years ago. Of course this shouldn’t be an issue, three albums down the line and the thrash saviours of the U.K. aren’t exactly...
9 tags
Carry on Moshing (published on...
CARRY ON MOSHING
The Purple Turtle, London - 13th February 2011
The first band haven’t even take the stage and the Purple Turtle is filling up nicely, a rarity for an all dayer as most will just turn up for the bands they want to see, which in nearly everyone’s case is Throats. We’ve got a long day ahead before they hit the stage one last time, and it all starts with No Reality.
Now the key to...
6 tags
Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Despise You - And On and On...
AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED/DESPISE YOU - And on and on… (Split)
Relapse Records - 26th April 2011
To say people were excited about this split is like saying people were mildly annoyed at Hitler. Agoraphobic Nosebleed, who have established themselves as having a chameleon-esque ability to master various styles from grind to power violence, sludge and death metal, and partners in crime Despise You...
5 tags
Interview with James from Rolo Tomassi (published...
ROLO TOMASSI: time to draw a line
James Spence on the band’s latest nostalgia trip
Sonic Shocks: So you’ve just released Eternal Youth. A discography album seems strange for a band who has only released two albums, how did the idea come about?
James: Well we’ve been around for six years, and it took us three years to release a full length because of school and education commitments. We’d...
8 tags
Last of the Summer Grind @ Eddies, Birmingham...
LAST OF THE SUMMER GRIND @ Eddie’s Rock Club
Birmingham - 29th August 2010
You don’t have to be the best promoter out to realise that Eddies isn’t the best venue for today’s musical feast. Being one of the biggest little venues in Brum, it’s a place that can suck all the atmosphere out of a gig if less than a hundred or so turn up, and with the aggressive, anti-scene style on offer...
7 tags
Hang the Bastard - Hellfire Reign (published on...
HANG THE BASTARD - Hellfire Reign (Album)
Holy Roar Records - 6th December 2010
Sludge = slow, heavy with a fairly depressive atmosphere and riffs so blunt you could bludgeon an elephant.
Hardcore = tight, moderate to fast paced with massive beatdowns and circle pit fodder. Can be positive or negative.
Stereotypes I know, but for the majority there is no smoke without fire and most bands will,...
5 tags
Interview with Jade from Decapitated (published on...
Just like a Phoenix Amongst The Ashes: HATE ETERNAL fight back
Tilt chats to Jade about past bad luck and future hopes
Sonic Shocks: You’ve just released the new album Phoenix amongst the Ashes and the response has been amazing. You must be really happy?
Jade: Oh yeah. We put so much effort into this thing and when you finally go out there and play the new songs, and you see the crowd’s reaction...
6 tags
Weekend Nachos - Worthless (published on...
WEEKEND NACHOS - Worthless (Album)
Relapse Records - 27th May 2011
Holy shit I feel angry. Like really angry. After hearing an album that ends on a six minute breakdown you can’t help but want to do some serious damage to something. This is without a doubt the most furious record I have ever come across. Pretty much ignoring the doom/sludge root they took for the awesome Bleed E.P. last year...
5 tags
Interview with Entombed (published on...
Hammerfest ends the long wait for ENTOMBED U.K. fans
Tilt talks to Lars and Victor during their exclusive appearance
Sonic: Your appearance at Hammerfest is a U.K. exclusive, what made you decide Hammerfest would be the only U.K. show?
Lars: It was the only offer! We got the offer and we haven’t played the U.K. in something like two years so the answer was easy.
Victor: We like the U.K.; good...
9 tags
Maths - Descent (published on www.sonicshocks.com)
MATHS - Descent Dog Knights Productions (originally released on Holy Roar Records)
So with the Ascent E.P. doing the rounds, it seemed right that Maths’ debut album, Descent, be aired out, on stunning brown vinyl from Dog Knights Productions. It’s a suitably gorgeous package to match the contents, including a newly added bonus cover of Change (In the House of Flies).
Much in the same vein as its...
7 tags
Make Do and Mend (published on...
MAKE DO AND MEND- Self titled
Out now on Holy Roar Records
Review by Matthew Tilt
They weren’t the most obvious choice for Holy Roar, who normally supply crush of the finest quality, but Make Do and Mend might be responsible for the labels best release. Combining their full length with the two E.P.s that preceded it; this is unpretentious punk rock at its very finest. It’s so easy to get lost...
7 tags
Maths - Ascent (published on www.sonicshocks.com)
MATHS- Ascent
Out now
Holy Roar Records/Dog Knights Productions
Someone ring my girlfriend and tell her I’ve found love elsewhere. Tell her it’s not her; tell her it’s no one’s fault, and that it was sheer chance this E.P. would fall into my lap.
The E.P. in question is Ascent, by three of the most promising Converge followers to have graced the hardcore scene: Maths.
By taking as much...
7 tags
Jackals/No Coast Split (published on...
NO COAST/JACKALS -SPLIT
Out now On Dog Knights Productions
Review by Matthew Tilt
No Coast are the thrashcore, bastard babies of the U.K. scene. Their insane sound, complete with spazzy time signatures and strained vocals is caustic and violent to say the least, and they quickly prove their worth on their side of this split with Jackals, a band with a fairly decent fanbase in the U.K....
6 tags
Drugzilla - Siamese Beashts (published on...
DRUGZILLA - Siamese Beashts (Album)
Human Jigsaw Records - 21st March 2011
Does anyone remember Bile? Not the goregrind band, but the extreme gabba electronics outfit that were around a while back. I remember picking up one of their albums, accidently because I thought it was the aforementioned goregrind band, and been totally blown away by the contents. Well as extreme as they were, it’s...
8 tags
Extreme Cinema (published on www.sonicshocks.com)
EXTREME CINEMA
by Matthew Tilt
Extreme cinema has always been a part of film. Tod Browning shocked audiences in 1932 with Freaks; a mere seven years after audience members had fainted at the very sight of Lon Chaney Jr.’s face in The Phantom of the Opera. Already, in the early age of cinema, directors were pushing the boundaries of what an audience could withstand.
Fast forward 30 years and...
7 tags
WWWW - Contraception (published on...
WHEELCHAIR X4 - Contraception
Out now via www.grindcorekaraoke.com
Review by Matthew Tilt
Romantic grindcore isn’t really something you’d expect. Anal Cunt did it with Picnic of Love, but that wasn’t really grindcore, it was Seth Putnam, singing out of tune while playing an acoustic guitar. What Wheelchair x 4 have done here is take the spirit of Picnic of Love and actually put it to a...
7 tags
Manbearpig Review (published on...
MANBEARPIG - Ruined Emo (Album)
Party Wounds Productions - 1st January 2011
The record is called Ruined Emo for a reason. Fuck your popular perception of emo because it’s bullshit. Bunch of overproduced bands whining about how shit their lives are then going off on multi million pound tours, and if they’re not getting laid it’s because they choose not, because the fucking groupies are falling at...
