Live4MusiC

Worrying research from Melbourne University has today suggested that fans of heavy metal music could be at higher risk of suicide. According to RND, the study shows that 13-18 year olds who listen to one track or album on continuous repeat are in danger of developing mental illness. Dr. Katrina McFadden, who carried out the study offered the following explanation for the findings:

"The MP3 revolution means that young people are accessing music more than ever before, and it’s not uncommon for some to listen to music for seven or eight hours a day. Most listen to a range of music in positive ways: to block out crowds, to lift their mood or to give them energy when exercising.

"But young people at risk of depression are more likely to be listening to music, particularly heavy metal music, in a negative way. Examples of this are when someone listens to the same song or album of heavy metal music over and over again, and doesn’t listen to anything else. They do this to isolate themselves or escape from reality. If this behaviour continues over a period of time it might indicate that this young person is suffering from depression or anxiety, and at worst, might suggest suicidal tendencies."

Dr. McFadden has encouraged parents to take an interest in their children’s’ listening habits to combat this issue:

"They should ask their children questions like, ‘How does that music make you feel?’ If children say the music reflects or mirrors the way they feel, then ask more about what the music is saying. If listening doesn’t make them feel good about themselves, this should ring alarm bells. Alternatively, if parents notice a downturn in their child’s mood after listening to music, this is also a cause for showing interest and getting involved."

This study is not the first time that heavy metal music has been associated with suicide. The records of both Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest were cited in the 1980s as being responsible for teen suicides. Both of these accusations were ultimately dismissed in court. 

- Ultimate-Guitar 

Rock & Pop

• Joss Stone - Best of
• Feist - Metals
• Mastodon - Hunter
• Lady Gaga - Born This Way (USB)
• Siti Nurhaliza - All Your Love

OST

• Ost - One Day

Classical & Jazz

• Lady Antebellum - Own The Night
• George Benson - Guitar Man
• Acoustic Alchemy - Roseland

Dance & Soul

• DJ Shadow - Less You Know The Better 

Asian

• Mo Wen Wei (Karen Mok) - Johannes & Karen (Best of)
• Wang Li Hong (Lee Hom) - Open Fire: New + Best Selections
• FT Island - Five Treasure Island (Version B)

Author: Jingjie (Heavy Metal Tribune)



This reviewer’s last remotely hardcore/punk gig was all the way back in March for Between the Buried and Me. This year, Reconstrux Bookings brought in the king of the hill that defined and still shapes the grindcore genre, the inimitable Napalm Death. Held on 29th June 2011, at *Scape Lab, Orchard, the anticipation had been electric amongst all old school fans from the get-go.

True to its hardcore roots, the gig was close and intimate, with no barriers to the band, no security, and minimal fuss. Being right up front, you could instantly shake hands with Mark “Barney” Greenyway, and if you are lucky enough, and know the lyrics well, he might even pass you the mic occasionally for a bit of a shout-along.

The band picked various songs throughout their extensive discography: from the newer albums came On the Brink of Extinction and When All Is Said and Done, to the really old stuff, such as Scum. They even snuck in You Suffer immediately after the end of another song, just when no one was paying attention. A large dose of Napalm humor there, with Barney saying there will be no repeats, if you did not catch it then that’s just too bad. Good thing I was paying attention. Napalm also covered a few other bands which, unfortunately, this reviewer was not very familiar with.

The band never slowed down and neither did the crowd. Crowdsurfing was the order of the day, with quite a large number of people clambering on stage, and some managed to land right flat on their faces. Barney very nicely helped to hold on to somebody’s lost shoe till the fella’s body could be shoveled up from the floor. The sound was tight and not loud as some gigs have a tendency to be, thanks to the masterful hand of TNT’s Ah Boy. All in, it’s a great gig with a great atmosphere, and the band mingled with the crowd after show for some pictures and signatures. Incredibly friendly bunch of people, nevermind their ideologies.

Source: http://heavymetaltribune.blogspot.com/2011/07/views-from-pit-napalm-death-live-in.html 

The Big 4, together on one single stage. This is the 2nd consecutive year this has happened and it's the very first time the 4 legendary bands performed as one in the U.S. Not just anywhere in the U.S. but in Southern California where 3 of the 4 bands originated from. Apt indeed!

Travelling to a land 9,000 miles away in the heart of the desert certainly makes the trip pretty challenging (especially financially). But who's complaining? =) 

It turns out, as expected, to be THE best gig experience ever! Never have I imagined to be able to see the 4 legendary bands together right in front of my eyes.  Slayer and Megadeth I've seen in Singapore but not Anthrax and definitely not the almighty Metallica! 

Metallica had good news and bad news on Tuesday. Good news for fans in New Zealand, they are getting a new tour date. The bad news is for everyone else in the world that was holding out hope that the band would be visiting you. Here is what they had to say: Dear Friends: We are so psyched to add a second show in Christchurch, New Zealand at CBS Canterbury Arena on September 21...thanks again for demanding that we visit you there!

Now to the real reason we're here taking up space on this site...we also want to announce that all of our play dates have now filled up with the addition of this show...that's right boys and girls, this will be the last date added to the World Magnetic Tour! So if you're waiting for us to come to the Polar Ice Caps, your undiscovered planet or even your basement, sorry, this is as good at it gets.

It has been a very long, and most amazing run. The number of shows played depends on when you start counting. We are gonna go with what the boys in the band say, 'cuz they have been out on the road more or less continuously since May of 2008 and that brings us up to a total of 212 shows in 153 cities. Each and every one of them has been memorable and special and we thank you for that. This is where we could spew a bunch of crazy numbers at you...you know the 2.3 million tickets sold, 300 million miles traveled, 3,000 pounds of bacon consumed "shtick," but you don't care about that stuff and frankly neither do we. What we DO care about is letting you know the immense gratitude we feel for all of your love and support over these past two and half years. When we embarked on this "magnetic" journey, none of us ever, in our wildest dreams, imagined how truly incredible it would be and it's all because of hanging out with YOU!

It's obviously not over just yet, so let's not get too sappy here...we're off to Australia, New Zealand and Japan in the Fall for what promises to be some of the loudest, craziest, most rocking shows!

09/15/2010 Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena
09/16/2010 Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena
09/18/2010 Sydney, Australia Acer Arena
09/21/2010 Christchurch, New Zealand CBS Canterbury Arena
09/22/2010 Christchurch, New Zealand CBS Canterbury Arena
09/25/2010 Tokyo, Japan Saitama Super Arena 
09/26/2010 Tokyo, Japan Saitama Super Arena 
10/13/2010 Auckland, New Zealand Vector Arena
10/14/2010 Auckland, New Zealand Vector Arena
10/16/2010 Brisbane, Australia Entertainment Centre
10/18/2010 Brisbane, Australia Entertainment Centre
10/19/2010 Brisbane, Australia Entertainment Centre
10/22/2010 Perth, Australia Burswood Dome
10/23/2010 Perth, Australia Burswood Dome
11/10/2010 Sydney, Australia Acer Arena
11/11/2010 Sydney, Australia Acer Arena
11/13/2010 Sydney, Australia Acer Arena
11/15/2010 Adelaide, Australia Entertainment Centre
11/16/2010 Adelaide, Australia Entertainment Centre
11/18/2010 Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena
11/20/2010 Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena
11/21/2010 Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena

Thanks for the report to Antimusic.com. 

Meltgsnow [Singapore]
Black Penance
2010
Full Length
Gothic Metal

Finally having a stable lineup, Meltgsnow is ready to unleash their masterpiece, an album 7 years in the making, Black Penance. With a 7 year gap (and a delay in 2009) in between the first album, Greed for Insanity and this release, expectations are high among fans, especially those who have been following the band since their beginnings. Fortunately, for fans of Meltgsnow since the Greed for Insanity days, be prepared to be blown away by Black Penance.

Right from the opening track, Through the Ashes of Providence (which is a spoken track), Meltgsnow lays down and introduces the haunting atmosphere throughout the entire album.

The versatility of the band cannot be overstated, as the band displays their various influences throughout the entire album. From Lord Insanity’s insane vocal range (from clean melodious singing, to sinister baritone scales, to growls, to high pitched shriek, you name it), to the guitarist’s (Zach) display of their love for harmonics on certain tracks (Betrayal and Devil’s Mind Ride), to Adrian’s insane double pedal-fuelled drumming and (ex) bassist Haiku's heavy bass tone (Black Penance) and melodic bass lines, Meltgsnow is a tight unit, never leaving a single hanging and making sure every detail is attended to.

Slow and fast songs are intertwined. Even on slow tracks such as Lost Your Messiah and Black Penance, a dark atmosphere is always present, giving the listener a foreboding and haunting feeling. For example, on Black Penance the heavy palm-muting, the fuzzy bass tone, the slow and heavy drumming provides a nice and heavy atmosphere. Even Lord Insanity’s screaming towards the end of the track is infused with emotions, every note picked out carefully.

The album ends of with Love for My Seraph, with a short duet towards the end of the track between Lord Insanity and a female vocalist (Candice de Rozario) after the break, following the madness in the first part of the song, letting the album finally end beautifully after a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

The influences from fellow gothic acts are obvious but, infused with Meltgsnow’s personal touch to the music, it makes Black Penance an exciting and interesting journey even for the average rock music listener. Listeners who are looking for a shred-fest take note though; Black Penance is anything but one. Guitar solos while tastefully added into the songs does not boast mindless wankery by the guitarists. Instead, they choose to play with their effects (ranging from chorus to reverbs during the mastering process, and of course also thanks to guitarist Zach’s perfectionist instincts kicking in!)

While the overall sound of Meltgsnow has matured, fans of their insanity fret not, as their insanity level has definitely intensified as well. Can’t wait to hear what this album sounds like already? Catch Meltgsnow at Baybeats this August then!

My picks: Betrayal, Empty Sky, Lost Your Messiah

Thanks to Pulverised Records and Meltgsnow for giving us this exclusive early preview!

(c) Heavy Metal Tribune 2010

For the fourth year in a row, fans of heavy metal music unite on June 6 for the International Day of Slayer, a holiday to celebrate heavy metal. Metal fans are hoping for recognition of their culture and way of life as an elective culture of equal footing to other cultures and religions in our pluralistic society.

Growing up as a fan of heavy metal in Los Angeles, teenager Dag Hansen became frustrated with holidays. "Every time a holiday came around, it was culture this or culture that," he said. "I wanted one to reflect my culture, because in the land of malls and triplicate forms, I found more cultural value in heavy metal than any of the stuff other people called culture."

Fast forward almost two decades andHansen is part of a small group trying to get an "International Day of Slayer" accepted as a public holiday. Originally theNational Day of Slayer, formed in response to the American "National Day of Prayer," the holiday has gained momentum over the last four years. Its message that heavy metal is a culture and deserves recognition alongside other cultures in our diverse world, while at first unorthodox, is gaining momentum.

In the past year, movements have gained momentum to make Vulcan (of "Star Trek" fame) a legitimate category on the census form and to declare heavy metal an official religion in the U.K. The International Day of Slayer is no different, but perhaps more focused. "We wanted a way to pay tribute to metal as a culture that didn't interfere with anything else," Hansen said. "A holiday is one day and while very symbolic, isn't going to break anything."

The International Day of Slayer as proposed occurs on June 6 of every year starting at 6:00 AM (6/6/6 - get it?). Participants are urged to listen to Slayer at top volume, and not go to work or school so they can keep listening to Slayer. Those interested in celebrating can join the like-minded at nationaldayofslayer.org.

Thanks for the report to Blabbermouth.net. 

Xanadoo [SINGAPORE]
Black. Death. Grind. Shit!
2010
Full Length
Thrash Metal/Crossover

Black. Death. Grind. Shit! is Xanadoo’s latest output and the band’s debut full-length album. Consisting of 8 tracks, this album clocks under 30 minutes, of which 6 are tracks that are re-recorded versions of their previous 2 demos, Blood is Dirt and This Demo is Shit.

The album opens with an instrumental track, World of Xanadoo, which is one of the 2 new tracks on this album. The other new song is Subterranean Hemorrhoid which begins with a slick guitar solo, somehow the riffs after that reminds me of some of Iron Maiden’s riffs (something like 2 Minutes to Midnight) with Xanadoo’s own touch.

As with the previous albums, their lyrics are tongue-in-cheek, often having other meanings behind what may seem to be random ramblings. Production quality is very polished, if you are a fan of the previous 2 demos mentioned (Blood is Dirt, This Demo is Shit), it might take a bit of getting used to. Personally, on first listen the guitars sounded too loud, almost drowning out the vocals compared to the previous recordings where everything was loud, but just nice.

Zak’s vocals are reminiscent of Kreator’s Mille Petrozza (at least to me!). If you have already heard This Demo is Shit, the performance on this album is an advancement of his vocal styling, on some songs it sounds almost like he’s spitting out the words in fury! Some of the solos on the songs are also changed and improvised, adding a different touch compared to the originals.

Another thing that was noted as well was how the re-recorded songs sounded like sped up versions of the original songs (most almost shortened by half a minute!). For example, Blood is Dirt’s original run length was 4:06 but on the album it clocks at only 3:36. The speedy guitar solos, bass lines and drumming all blend into a fury of music that is this Black. Death. Grind. Shit!

I particularly loved the album art and visual concepts, which was a cut-and-paste one; somewhat similar to the album art concept of This Demo is Shit, only taken to another level. Throughout the album, lyrics written by the band were torn out and pasted on a black background, such as Shiva’s trademark Death logo on the Plague of Mankind’s lyrics, sometimes making it hard to find each of the band member’s mark on my copy of the album (signed in silver marker)!

Overall a fun and enjoyable listen, highly recommended for fans of crossover/thrash metal and of course fans of Xanadoo’s previous outputs. If you haven’t heard of Xanadoo, then as the band mentions, "Get this album because it contains songs from both our previous demos!" But if you want to hear for yourself how they have progressed, grab both their previous demos as well!

Xanadoo on MySpace.

Originally written for Heavy Metal Tribune

(c) Heavy Metal Tribune 2010

Members of Testament and Pantera have slammed Metallica's 1996 album Load in a new book about the thrash giants' frontmanJames Hetfield.

In James Hetfield: The Wolf at Metallica's Door by Mark Eglinton, Chuck Billy of Testament and Rex Brown of Panteraand Down criticise an album which Hetfield himself recently admitted to having been uncomfortable with.

Load represented a departure from Metallica's earlier straight-ahead thrash construction and featured simplified, more bluesy stylings in its place. And while it propelled them to the stature of one of the world's biggest bands, many fans found the release a disappointment.

Rex Brown observes that Metallica's movement away from thrash was good forPantera: "All that make-up and sh-t? I really didn’t know what to think. I didn’t even care. It wasn’t the brand of sh-t we were doing, and we kind of took over that spot where they left off.

"We only saw them spasmodically, but when we did, Lars would come in with f--kin John McEnroe! It was crazy. I don’t think James was hanging out with all these artsy dudes though. He’s not that kind of guy."

Last year Hetfield himself told Classic Rock Magazine: "Lars and Kirk were into abstract art, pretending they were gay. I think they knew it bugged me. I think the cover of Load was just a piss-take. I just went along with the make-up and all the stupid, crazy sh-t they felt they needed to to.

"The whole 'We need to reinvent ourselves' topic was up. Image is not an evil thing, but if the image is not you then it doesn't make much sense. I yanked at least half of the pictures that were to be in the booklet. It all went against what I was feeling."

Thanks for the report to RockRadio. 

It’s often difficult to write reviews for gigs where there are bands that are perhaps not up to par with the rest of the lineup, but fortunately this one is going to be easy for me.

Black Revelations 2010 was held yesterday at Home Club, organized by Trippy Factory, a gig organizer for indie and metal music.

The crew was there around 3.30pm, had a nice little chat with people from the Thai black metal band Dei Tetra and subsequently headed down for a round of coffee and BAK CHOR MEE! (Which they found pretty good!)

At 6:30pm, doors were finally open and the first band was up, after a 1 hour delay. But it was all worth it as opener Hallow were all prepared to rock the house. Playing a style of hard rock/heavy metal, they were just a taste of what was to come after them. I particular liked how the vocalist utilized a harmonizer to create harmonizing for his vocals at certain parts of the song, though it provided somewhat of a comical relief when he forgot to turn it off when talking to the crowd (which definitely wasn’t a bad thing!). One thing that I noticed though was how much gain there was on the guitarist’s tone while on rhythm and it made their songs pretty hard to follow (since I’m pretty much a guitar person), though the solos were extremely clear and addictive!

Evil Singing Pandas were up after Hallow, featuring gig organizer Remy. ESP got me especially curious after the first few songs that I heard from them, their Year of the Metal Tiger MCD (which is unfortunately not for sale according to Remy, for the physical edition). They played music in the vein of old school rock and heavy metal, including a cover from Led Zeppelin. I loved how Remy moved to the music he was playing, displaying his enthusiasm and his passion throughout his set. The drummer also showed his versatility through fusing Bossanova beats into one of the songs. They ended their set with another (instrumental) cover from viking/death metal band, Mithotyn. To the blank faces when Remy announced that it was going to be a cover from Mithotyn, Remy says, "well, screw you very much!"”

Right after ESP, G.O.D. was up. Having been in existence for around 5 years, G.O.D. definitely had the charisma to pull off a good show. This was when the first signs of life among the crowd became apparent, with people starting to move to the front of the stage as the band was setting up. With the first note struck, heads started banging and hair started flying all over the place. Have to say that I was impressed with vocalist and guitarist Calvin’s vocals, who’s growls and shrieks stayed very constant throughout the set.

At the end of G.O.D.’s set, we spied a silver man going up on stage, who turned out to be axe-wielder for Deus ex Machina, Ryan. With Mithun not in Singapore, they had a session vocalist to stand in. Ryan’s stage (or off-stage?) antics certainly raised many eyebrows (or perhaps I just haven’t been to enough DEM gigs). Halfway through the set, he asked the audience in front of him to “siam”, leaving us to wonder what was going on. He then proceeded to jump into the audience and pretty much stayed there for most of the set. Though his constantly unpredictably swinging headstock certainly posed a threat to the audiences’ faces, the crowd certainly enjoyed what they saw.

Finally, Thai black metal band Dei Tetra took the stage. I have to say the band looks totally different on-stage with their corpse paint and off-stage. Emperor Viperon and King Aboroth had blood constantly spewing out of their mouths throughout their set, while vocalist Countess Asithara charms the audience with her shrieky vocals and headbanging, and her reminder for the crowd that “if your heads are still on your shoulders, I want you to all headbang till they are not on your shoulders anymore!” Perhaps the highest point of their set was their cover of One by One, when King Aboroth and Countess Asithara switched roles, him taking over vocals and her taking over bass (which definitely reminded me of ChthoniC’s Doris!). It was overheard that this song is a special one, just for the crowd at Singapore!

Rudra took the stage next. Starting with the crowd favourite, Aryaputra, was definitely a right choice as the instant the first note was struck, heads once again started banging. They played a selection of songs throughout their discography, including an as-of-yet titled track from their upcoming album, Brahmavidya: Immortal I. When it was drawing to a close frontman Kathir asked the soundman if they had time for more than 1 last song. The exchange was hilarious and provided much entertainment to the crowd:

Kathir: “Soundman, how many songs do we have left to play?”
Soundman shows a single finger, showing that they only had time for 1 last song.
Crowd: “NOOOOOOOO!”
Kathir to soundman: “Are you sure we only have 1 song left?”
Soundman nods his head.
Crowd: “NOOOOOOOO!”
Kathir to soundman: “Can we negotiate?”
Soundman shakes his head.

Kathir bargains anyway, asking for 3 more songs with the soundman initially insisting that they could play 2 songs at max, but finally gave in for them to play 3 last songs. The highlight was probably the last track, where Kathir gave the crowd a choice between The Pathless Path to the Knowable Unknown or Aham Brahmasmi (to which the crowd picked Pathless Path, of course!).

Lastly, we had death metal band Absence of the Sacred take the stage. Initially it was a shitty turnout since it was already getting late and the crowds went out after Rudra’s set. But when they launched into their first song, Era of the Apostate, crowds started pouring in from the outside. Let’s face it, their set wasn’t exactly excellent though the musicians on stage were definitely good. Somehow frontman Mike almost always faces technical problems for the gigs that I attend (the last time it was at the Soundcrusher gig at House of Rock). Towards the end of their second song and halfway through their third song, his guitar suddenly went off. However, the crowd response was extremely supportive, headbanging and throwing horns throughout to show their support. I have to say though, I preferred it when the vocals on the track which he had to only do vocals when the guitar was down. They played 2 new songs and also threw in a cover which the crowd thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall this gig has been a pleasant experience, one of the better ones at a nice and decent pub venue. Special thanks to Dei Tetra who were extremely nice people and for the nice chat and complimentary autographed copies of the El Fuego EP to the crew.

©2010 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui