Review - Capsule Promotions - Supersonic 2010

Capsule Promotions - Supersonic 2010

View The Review

8 out of 10

Supersonic 2010

As a long time follower and customer of the myriad of music that Capsule (http://www.capsule.org.uk/supersonic) promote with Birmingham, I must admit this is the first time I’ve actually attended Supersonic. Now in it’s 8th year, the festival has grown again bringing us some particularly exciting bands this year. More of those in a few moments though.

I think it’s worth noting that this is one of the most friendly festivals I’ve ever been to. As an outsider, the mix of extreme music, beards and alcohol could paint a rather scary picture but I do honestly believe that on the whole this festival (although catering for the more ’alternative’ end of the musical spectrum) would have something for everyone amongst the approximately 40-50 bands playing over the 3 days.

Another noteworthy point is the location and layout of the festival. Held in Birmingham’s Custard Factory (http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/) you get the run of the whole place with venues including not only the warehouse down the road but an outside marquee, smaller indoor hall and a theatre for films, discussions and various other musical themed media. There is also 2 areas (maybe more?) selling merch from various local and national (Rough Trade) record shops, sweets, cupcakes and there was even a collectors card stall. I was quite a fan of the Cyndi Lauper cards complete with interestings facts such as: "Other kids used to throw stones at Cyndi as a child because she liked to look different".

The main reason we were all attending though was obviously the music. Napalm Death, Swans, Hallogallo and Melt Banana headlined along with the exciting news of the reformation of Birmingham’s own Godflesh as the final headliner. As a follower of newer band Jesu, I was quite interested to see Godflesh perform live on the 2nd night.

So, with the scene set and myself and a friend headed into the festival. The first band we saw were "Gum Takes Tooth" (http://www.myspace.com/gumtakestooth) mid-set as we walked into the outside marquee. The duo consist of a drummer and singer/electronics/keyboard player who are wired together via the various effects and drum kit. This results in a sound where every beat played on the kit can be manipulated into something else. Ingenious stuff. They blasted out noise one minute to absolutely blinding bass driven grooves and beats the next. Extremely catchy music and I was impressed enough to buy a CD straight away after. Following on from this was Birmingham grind metallers "Fukpig" (http://www.myspace.com/fukpig13). Playing a non-stop blast of crust/grind/punk in the late 80’s style, they feature members of the acclaimed Mistress and Anaal Nathrakh. A truly extreme slice of music which got the crowd riled up into a rather large group of happily grimacing faces nodding along in appreciative unison not to mention the obligatory "pit" breakout during several of their songs. After Fukpig, we popped over to "The Old Library" to catch "Demons" and were greeted with the Purity Ales bar allowing me to get a pint of "UBU" (http://www.puritybrewing.com). Things are going from good to better I think! Demons play a particularly dark brand of noise which I have to admit wasn’t for me. I finished my UBU and we wandered outside. It was at this point I realised the time and regrettably had to call it a night as my last bus home was due very soon. This of course meant I missed Napalm Death who I hear were very good.

Saturday’s line up brought a few more gems our way. The music was spread over a longer amount of time so we took a more leisurely approach to seeing bands. On the flip side, this unfortunately meant our intake of alcohol was far greater resulting in very hazy memories and illegible notes! First up for us were "Stinky Wizzleteat" (http://myspace.com/stinkywizzleteat), a local band I’d been lucky enough to see before opening up for Eyehategod. These guys were very good indeed and dished out some heavy, heavy riffs supported by a guttural vocal and some rather nice grooves. One of my bands of the weekend I think. Another gem of the weekend for me was "Tweak Bird" (http://www.myspace.com/tweakbird). These Illinois, USA based brothers play some amazingly catchy music using only a guitar and drums with the odd vocal melody thrown in for good measure along with a spot of saxophone here and there. A strange combination you might thinking but the result was one of the most fun and interesting things I saw all weekend. They were very ’stoner rock’ in places I thought and I liked them so much I bought their latest album!
Next up were "OvO" (http://www.myspace.com/ovobarlamuerte). This for me was one of the weirdest yet strangely drawing bands of the weekend. The Italian duo consist of a female guitarist/vocalist and percussionist. The music was....well...it’s hard to describe. In places the drumming felt like it was going to floor me (which is a good thing) and the heavy almost droning riffery accompanying it had my head nodding along. At the same time though, it was completley baffling in places....especially when singer Stefania Pedrett started playing her dreadlocks with a bow. On the whole I enjoyed what I saw (especially the drumming!) it but I came to the conclusion this was something I’d watch live but probably never ever listen to outside of that format.
On to headline band of the day "Godflesh" (http://www.myspace.com/godsflesh). The influence of this band spread far throughout the metal scene and this would be their first appearance on stage in over 10 years. As I stated above, I myself have seen mainman Justin Broadrick perform on a number of occasions in his later incarnation "Jesu" but this is my first encounter with Godflesh. Playing in the vast hanger space, this seemed to me to be the perfect setting for their industrial tinged metal. The stripped down riffs, played at a leisurley pace had me nodding along with a smile on my face. This is crushing music which was raising the bar when the likes of album "Streetcleaner" was released all those years ago. A real treat for fans old and new I think. With that it was time to run for the bus again.

My friend and I met up on Sunday mid-afternoon for the final instalment of the festival. It saw us return with a little less sleep and some mild hangovers but that wasn’t going to stop us grabbing one final slice of music. That said, we did seem to spend our time just wandering around without any real agenda on this day. My personal main aim was to see Swans play but on inspecting the timetable it wasn’t to be. My last bus was over an hour before they would even set foot on stage. This I think was my only ’gripe’ of the festival. If you are bound by work or public transport timetables, it makes it very difficult to see some of the headlining bands. A tad frustrating as Swans latest album is something I listen to regularly and tales of their crushingly loud live sound was something that I really wanted to experience. Reviews I have read do seem to indicate I missed out not seeing them. Oh well. With a dip into Mugstar’s (http://www.myspace.com/mugstar) great blend of building riff/electronic laden rock and Hallogallo 2010’s (http://www.michaelrother.de/en/) treat of the music of "Neu!" it was time to head home and gear up for another week at work. It all went so fast.

As a first time visit to Supersonic, this was for me one of the most varied and interesting festival experiences I’ve had outside of All Tomorrow’s Parties and all in my own home town as well. Definitely not for everyone’s tastes but then with so much music to choose from you’re bound to find something new you like. I’d recommend the festival to anyone wanting to broaden their horizons musically. Capsule have created and maintained something which brings together a number of music communities and fans alike all under ’one roof’. A one of a kind achievement.

Tracklist:
FRIDAY 22ND OCTOBER
NAPALM DEATH
DEAD FADER / DEMONS (W/SICK LLAMA) / DEVILMAN (W/DJ SCOTCH EGG) / DRUMCORPS / FUKPIG / GUM TAKES TOOTH / NECRO DEATHMORT / PCM

SATURDAY 23RD OCTOBER
GODFLESH + MELT BANANA
BLUE SABBATH BLACK FIJI / CAVE / CLOAKS (exclusive solo DJ set) / DOSH / EAGLE TWIN / GNAW / GNOD / KING MIDAS SOUND / LASH FRENZY vs KK NULL / LICHENS / OvO / PART WILD HORSES MANE ON BOTH SIDES / PEOPLE LIKE US / STEVE TROMAN & DAN NICHOLLS DUO / STINKY WIZZLETEAT / TWEAK BIRD

SUNDAY 24TH OCTOBER
SWANS + HALLOGALLO
BARN OWL / BLACK SUN DRUM CORPS / CHROME HOOF / DETHSCALATOR / BONG / FACTORY FLOOR / HEALTH & EFFICIENCY / JAILBREAK FEAT. CHRIS CORSANO + HEATHER LEIGH / JAMES BLACKSHAW / KHYAM ALLAMI AND MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE / MOTH LITE / MUGSTAR / NISENNENMONDAI / PETER BRODERICK / PIERRE BASTIEN + MALE INSTRUMENTY / RUINS / VOICE OF THE SEVEN THUNDERS / ZENI GEVA

News - AARON’S AGONY

View The Article

Italian High-octane Rocksters drop their hugely impressive debut offering through Ant Street Records on 7th March 2011.

Hailing from Northern Italy, from the quaint seaside town of Savona, Italian riff merchants Aaron’s Agony were formed in 2008 after the demise of their previous band, The Choice. Members Gabry (drums), Max (guitar/backing vocals) and Zack(bass/lead vocals) joined forces with Eros Pedone, aka "Diè" (lead vocals) and Gionata Damele (guitar/lead vocals), to form Aaron's Agony. Tied by a long time friendship stretching back to school and in brothers Gabry and Max, by blood, the posse have grown up together sharing the highs and lows of life's challenges. Last year, the up-and-coming rock combo locked down management with established Italian management agency, Alkemist Fanatix Europe. After securing management, the vigorous five piece soon penned an album deal with German label Antstreet Records. Aided by a melting pot of influences ranging from the hardcore through to electronica, and from punk to metal, Aaron's Agony have sculptured a sound that is rammed with melody and riff stomping ingenuity.

Aaron's Agony are now all set to drop their eagerly awaited debut album entitled "Lost Inside Myself". Blasting from your speakers with soaring sing-a-long choruses and super-charged riffs, the record unleashes a hefty blow to the senses and promises to please, from the hugely infectious up-tempo rhythms and shout-out refine of 'We Are Back' through to the two-prong vocal attacks and beefy jack hammer guitar slams of 'It’s Manna From Heaven' (which features Parachutes' vocalist Stefan Kinn), the record is stuffed full of innovative hooks and driving beatdowns. There's no letting up as the album draws to a dramatic close with the brutally dynamic 'Voices From Inside Call For Valkyria' where voice-box Diè scrapes the bile from the guts of his soul with a hearty performance. Mastered in New York by Alan Douches (A Day to Remember, Atreyu), the record is all primed and ready for your consumption. Load up and soak it in!

News - KILL THE CAPTAIN - NORTHERN HARDCORE SCAMPS DROP ROUSING DEBUT ALBUM THIS SPRING!

View The Article

Unstoppable Yorkshire quintet unleash self-titled debut ready for public consumption from 14th March 2011.

Sparking glowing comparisons to the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and The Devil Wears Prada, Kill The Captain spring from the traps with ferocious pace, bonecrushing riffs and earnest intent. KTC are rapidly picking up speed throughout the underground and are set to crank up velocity with their impressive self-titled debut mini-album, out this March.

Kill The Captain were initially conceived back in 2007, originally featuring vocalist Danny and bassist Sam from highly rated metalcore crew 'Asking Alexandria'. In 2008, both Danny and Sam left Kill The Captain to forge Asking Alexandria, and the remaining members Edd and Andy commenced with the dubious task of gathering new recruits to allow Kill The Captain to continue. After an eventful search, the dynamic duo enlisted Abram, Ryan and beatmaster Robbie to form a brand new line-up and chapter for KTC. After numerous rehearsals and a series of sweat-drenched shows in their hometown of York, the fiery five-piece pressed forward and began work on penning new tunes for their eagerly awaited debut record. During this time, the Yorkshire Terriers also extensively toured throughout England and Wales and racked up supports with Bury Tomorrow, Asking Alexandria, Postmortem Promises, Sylosis, Viatrophy, Exit Ten, The Casino Brawl, Fei Comodo, Trigger The Bloodshed, Empires Fade, and many more.

The band's self-titled debut features seven blistering beefy slabs of hardcore infused metal. Kill The Captain have broken down their influences and meshed together their own unique take on hardcore metal and in turn have produced a record that is genuinely compelling and sure to pull new fans from all quarters.

The metalcore crew are now all geared to nationally stamp their mark on proceedings with their debut mini-album and full blown touring onslaught set for the Spring of 2011. Hit up http://www.myspace.com/killthecaptainktc for tour updates.

---KILL THE CAPTAIN IS RELEASED THROUGH DIGITAL STORES ON 14th MARCH 2011---

News - THOUSAND AUTUMNS - UK NEWCOMERS UNLEASH DEBUT EP AND INK MANAGEMENT DEAL!

View The Article

THOUSAND AUTUMNS

UK NEWCOMERS UNLEASH DEBUT EP AND INK MANAGEMENT DEAL!

Brit-Rock tunesmiths Thousand Autumns release a fiercely melodic debut offering in the shape of their brand new EP "City of Sun" on 28th February 2011 through all digital outlets.

Hailing from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, freshly formed five-piece Thousand Autumns are fast gaining national recognition. The boisterous combo have recently snagged an esteemed spot in the highly-touted 'Local Heroes' section of Kerrang magazine, recently signed a deal with Frontline Management, and have extensively toured throughout Southern England, chalking up shows with the likes of Ispystrangers, Never Means Maybe, The Elijah, and Broadway along the way.

Thousand Autumns have fashioned a hugely melodic and highly energetic sound comparable to such bands as Story Of The Year, Funeral For A Friend, and The Blackout. Cleverly weaving the diverse influences of each band member, Thousand Autumns serve up addictive choruses, upbeat guitar structures, and stompdown hardcore shout-outs, all marinated with an unswerving melody that separate them from the typical sing/scream bands of today.

In February 2011, Thousand Autumns officially release their debut four-track EP 'City of Sun', to be supported with an extensive UK tour schedule for Spring 2011. From the get-go, the quintet opens with the punchy riffage of 'In The City of the Sun', spiked with captivating vocal melodies and thoughtful dynamism. 'Terrified' amps up the gritty intensity of the record, while still threading the bands' trademark rhythms and driving hooks. Lastly, the instantly appealing 'I Chose Not To Remember' calls the EP to a fitting close with its up-tempo arrangements and memorably sing-along refrain.

News - TEMPLETON PEK: NEW KILLER ALBUM!

View The Article

Highly-rated UK Punk-rock trio 'Templeton Pek', serve up their explosive second album 'Scratches & Scars', out through Smalltown Records on 21st Feb, and prepare for an epic touring onslaught for the duration of 2011!

Since this industrious unit's inception back in early 2008, Templeton Pek have certainly made a name for themselves as a seasoned touring outfit, racking up impressive supports with the likes of Mindless Self Indulgence, Pennywise, Bad Religion, Rise Against, Funeral For A Friend, Killswitch Engage, Taking Back Sunday, No Use For A Name, All Time Low, Zebrahead, Millencolin, and Story Of The Year. In a little over two years, they've bagged arena shows on Taste Of Chaos and Give It A Name Tours and relentlessly headlined shows throughout the UK and Europe. Last year they also toured with Epitaph's Welsh crew The Blackout, spanning the depths of Luxembourg, France, Germany, Austria, Czech Rep, Switzerland and Belgium.

Templeton Pek's debut album 'No Association', unleashed during the winter of 2008, garnered much critical acclaim, gathering famous fans along the way including Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and expansive media coverage from the likes of MTV2, Scuzz, Kerrang! Radio, XFM, BBC 6music, Rocksound, Big Cheese, SLAM! and Kerrang! Magazine.

The band's eagerly awaited second album, ’Scratches & Scars,' raises the bar both musically and lyrically. With driving rhythms and almost effortlessly woven punk-rock melodies, the three-piece have produced an album of boundless sincerity packed with punchy riffs and peppered with alluring hooks, all set against a modern-day backdrop. From the anthemic and fiercely rhythmic first single 'Barriers’, (available for free at www.freebarriers.co.uk) which racked up Record Of The Week on Kerrang! Radio, to the bonecrushing melodic hardcore beatings of 'Made To Waste', through to the innovate dynamism and astute guile of 'Red_Lights_Flash' (which is also featured on the Colin McCrae: The Dirt 2' games console soundtrack alongside the likes of Biffy Clyro, QOTSA and You Me At Six), 'Scratches & Scars' is a clear statement of intent fueled by a candid and earnest driving DIY ethos. Recorded, written and solely produced by the band, it's evident that the progressive trio are not manufactured, are not dictated by how they should sound, and strive with integrity towards uncharted pathways.

This January, in an attempt to chart the shortest song officially released ever, the forward-thinking trio are set to release a 30 second single entitled 'Thirty Seconds Too Far'. A full blown music video will also accompany the single.

News - OVERWEIGHT - DEBUT ALBUM RELEASE AND MORE SHOWS

View The Article

Belgian ska-punk quintet set loose debut full length album 'The World For Sale' on 14th February 2011 through all digital stores and independent record shops. The lively mobsters also undertake further Euro shows in support of the record launch.

Possessing a healthy knack for crafting addictive melody, party-time vibes, and up-tempo song structures, Overweight are gathering new friends, and fast picking up fans right throughout the whole of Europe. The energetic upstarts have built a sturdy reputation for their upbeat attitudes and fantastic live shows, having already racked up shows throughout France, Belgium, Holland and the UK. Along the way, the animated punksters have tagged gigs with the likes of Janez Detd, P.O. Box, The Maple Room, The Hicky Underworld, Big D And The Kid's Table, and Jesse James.

Back in 2001 in Vilvoorde, Belgium, school friends Ralle (Trumpet / Backing vocals), Wannes (Drums), Boone (Guitar / Backing Vocals), and Tiele (Vocals / Trombone) began to hash out punk covers in the local (and debilitated) rehearsal room. Conquering their growing pains and settling into their skin, Overweight was born. With a mutual affection for Fat Wreck artists and Three wave Ska bands (ala Mad Caddies, Less than Jake), the punksters soon found their footing and began to cultivate their own sound and songwriting prowess. As the band evolved, they recruited their final permanent member by drafting in long time friend, Willem (Bass). The enthused quintet then began to demo tracks for their eagerly awaited debut album, entitled 'The World for Sale'.

The lively journeymen continued throughout the whole of 2010 with extensive touring and tentatively planning for the debut album. During this time, original founder and beatmaster Wannes surprisingly left the band to pursue personal endeavors, and after a lengthy search, the hard-working ska-punksters managed to excavate the promising Julien, who's perfect fit in the band has helped to enhance the group sound and add further shifting dynamics.

Now armed with their debut album 'The World For Sale', which features ten neatly-knitted cuts stuffed with killer hooks, unruly good-time energy, and sporadic sonic guitar avalanches, the rambunctious crew are all primed and ready to bring the party to your doorstep!

News - KILL ’EM DEAD COWBOY - ASCENDING UK NEWCOMERS UNVEIL DEBUT ALBUM AND ANNOUNCE EPIC EURO TOUR!

View The Article

UK Metalcore combo 'Kill 'Em Dead Cowboy' nationally release their debut album 'I Am Salvation' through Lockjaw Records / PHD on 14th February 2011 and prepare for extensive touring.

Born out of the southern port of Portsmouth and originally formed in late 2008, Kill 'em Dead Cowboy feature brothers Olie (Drums) and Jim (Guitar) and are deftly abetted by long time friends Sam aka 'Mugsy' (Vocals), Bloomie (Bass) and Joedy (Guitar). Like many of their contemporary counterparts, Kill ’em Dead Cowboy have suffered their own obligatory moments of adversity, from a cluster of initial line-up changes to a series of financial setbacks; rather than breaking them though, the struggle has only helped to galvanise the spirited five-piece.

Having already widely toured throughout the whole of the UK and sections of mainland Europe, where the band chalked up shows with the likes of Attack Attack!, We Are The Ocean, Forever Never, Remembering Never, Marionette, and Bury Tomorrow, the sprightly quintet are now all set to announce their most extensive European tour to date. This gargantuan jaunt coincides with the band's album launch and will see KEDC hit the highways and byways of the UK, Italy, Croatia, Portugal and beyond. For a full list, check out - www.myspace.com/killemdeadcowboy

The South-Coast Metalheads have rendered influence from a host of areas, from the groove of Parkway Drive, to the power of Bury Your Dead, right through to the technical proficiency of I Killed the Prom Queen; KEDC have managed to harness the engaging elements of thrash, post-hardcore and metalcore, and modify and compress them down to tailor their own hybrid sound.

Kill 'em Dead Cowboy's sound merges driving rhythmic patterns fused with engaging guitar harmonies and captivating vocal melodies, all tightly woven together with stompdown hooks and breakdowns. Their hearty sound has been honed during the past 12 months as the southern metallers perpetually toured throughout the UK and extensively demoed tracks for their debut long play. During this time the band also racked up critical praise for their debut EP 'Darkened Dreams' and debut single 'Lust & Lies Spell Flashing Lights', both unleashed late 2009.

After much anticipation, the fast-rising metalcore crew now release their debut album 'I Am Salvation' through hip indie label, Lockjaw Records. Stacked to the rafters with brutal riffs and jack hammer beats, Kill 'em Dead Cowboy have locked down their live energy to tape and have recorded the record just the way they wanted. The album manages to capture the band as they are best heard, live and in your face. From the rampant energy of 'Knife Fights & Butterflies' through to the ferocious drive of 'Lust & Lies Spell Flashing Lights', 'I Am Salvation' is an album that truly reflects a band that will be, without doubt, a prominent force in the UK metal scene!