Dirt Track Records 2014 Included free with the March 2014 issue of Metal Hammer, “Movement” (which may have initially been released back in 2013) looks to be the latest from Exeter-based “alternative metal” band Idiom. I say “looks” because there are no other references to other recordings on the group’s Facebook page. Online, and indeed on iTunes, the album “We Can’t All Be Superheroes” (from November of 2010) is shown, but beyond that it’s anybody’s guess as to what else this band has done since first forming back in 2005. As for the second phrase in quotation there (“alternative metal”) that’s their description and not mine. For this lot (and this is none too surprising given Metal Hammer’s containing obsession with the better left dead genre!) is prime-time nu metal with just the faint hint of metalcore. Said to be influenced by the likes of Faith No More, Korn and Deftones the band comes across as more of the later and not more of the former. Descriptions have been made to the likes of Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down and both tags are more then a bit fair. Admittedly this English metal band has a solid front-man in Matt Sharland and his companions (guitarist Kris Gibbs, bassist Grant Knight and drummer Dan Harrison) are none-too-shabby. The problem is music like this has been played to death and really it should remain DEAD and BURIED! There is nothing worse they hearing bands like this that have the HEAVY part down, but then are extremely limited because they refuse to allow their guitarist to let loose. That’s always been a issue for me when it comes to both nu metal and metalcore (the lack of solos) as you end up with (essentially) nothing more then a HEAVY rhythm guitarist! That said the band does have potential. You can sense that. But why restrain yourself? Why settle for being a second rate nu metal/metalcore band when you could easily take your influences (which would also seem to be the likes of Papa Roach, Korn, Ill Niño, P.O.D., DevilDriver and even Pantera) and with a few twists and turns of the dial turn them upside down and inside out creating something truly wicked and fresh? If that were to happen, and this band suddenly developed the urge to thrash their heads straight off(!), then I would ENTHUSIASTICALLY endorse this English act. For now though I just feel like shrugging my shoulders and saying “Eh”….
Posts Tagged ‘metal-hammer-’
Idiom-Movement
March 2nd, 2014 
Posted in News 
Tags: 2013, 2014, a-few-twists, band, devildriver-, english rock, Exeter, facebook, ill-nino, influences, itunes, korn, likes, metal-hammer-, nu metal, papa roach, rage against the machine, track-records 
No Comments »Guns N’ Roses’ Bumblefoot: Words of Advice Were Twisted Into Axl Rose Attack
January 3rd, 2013 Metalkult Ethan Miller, Getty Images What started off as an interview with Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal offering advice to young musicians turned into an attack on Axl Rose by the time it was retold by British music magazine NME and the musician isn’t happy about it. The guitarist initially spoke with Ryze-Up magazine offering a few tips on how to succeed in the music industry. His official comment stated, “1. Be on time. By ‘on time’ I mean ‘be early.’ Make sure you’re there for when you need to be — wait in your car, communicate, let them know 10 minutes early that you’ll be there in five minutes and walk in five minutes later.” He went on to list items like “be prepared” and ‘be cool,’ but it was the “on time” comment that got twisted. Metal Hammer picked up the story and ran it with their own commentary about Axl Rose’s notorious tardiness, which NME then picked up and attributed to Bumblefoot. The offending line that raised Bumblefoot’s ire read, “Remember kids, only massive goobers make a habit of not being on time.” After reading the NME version of the story, Bumblefoot took to his Facebook page with a response. He stated in his posting: Some ‘info’ sites will twist anything into an attack on Axl [Rose], LOL (only way to get more readers and hike up rates on advertisers, I guess … ) NME is ‘not’ a legit source of music info by any stretch. Not only do they make up quotes that aren’t true (I’ve NEVER used the term ‘massive goobers’ in my life, LOL). I also didn’t speak to Metal Hammer. NME is using a piece of an interview I did with Ryze-Up magazine. If NME is going to point fingers, they should have more integrity and class in what ‘they’ do, yes?” I’m at the venue early, I’ll have dinner with the crew, watch opening acts, get warmed up, I’m at every meet-n-greet, and I’m ready to get on stage at show time. That’s me. My advice was for musicians starting out, hopefully it served its positive purpose ?. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/axl-rose-feud-slash-duff-mckagan-im-surviving-this-war-not-the-one-who-created-it/” title=”Next: Axl Rose Discusses War With Slash + Duff McKagan” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: a-few-tips, a-legit-source, being-on-time, british, getty-images, massive-goobers, metal-hammer-, musician, reading-the-nme, used-the-term No Comments »Lars Ulrich Ponders Future of Metallica
December 21st, 2012 Metalkult Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Metallica just keep rocking along, year after year, becoming one of metal’s most enduring acts. But with that longevity comes the possibility of complacency, which is something that drummer Lars Ulrich says he doesn’t think will ever happen. The drummer tells Metal Hammer that the band’s drive and ambition will keep them from ever breaking up, as long as they’re fit enough to keep on going. He explains, “I don’t think I’ll ever be bored of being in Metallica. I think that one of two things can happen. One, is the physicality of what we do — if we don’t have the strength to do it physically anymore. We will always have the strength to do it mentally, so I’m not worried about that. But if there ever comes a time when we feel that it’s not going on all 12 cylinders, then I hope that we have the guts to walk away from it.” Ulrich says the other thing that could happen is the evolution of outside interests. He ponders, “Is there a chance that when I’m 55, I’ll want to write a movie? Or that James Hetfield will want to make a country record? Or that Kirk Hammett will want to go surfing for a year?” While that is a possibility, Ulrich says he feels the band members will always find their way back to Metallica. He adds, “I don’t think I’ll ever wake up and go, ‘I’m bored of being in Metallica,’ because of the nature of who we are as people and the dynamics in our personalities. We always make it interesting for ourselves. That’s why we do crazy s— like ‘Some Kind of Monster’ and the 3D movies. We throw ourselves these challenges. It’s to make sure that boredom never sets in.” When asked what he thinks his 18-year-old self would think about what he’s doing now, the drummer explained, “I think he’d think that he’s alright. He does a pretty good job of keeping it real and dealing with all the things he does. I realized that I say one phrase quite often: ‘I’m doing the best I can.’ I think the 18-year-old would look at the 48-year-old and go, ‘He’s doing the best he can.’” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/many-faces-metallica-lars-ulrich/” title=”Next: The Many Faces of Lars Ulrich” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: best, evolution, james-hetfield, metal, metal-hammer-, physicality, possibility, strength No Comments »90-Year-Old Actor Christopher Lee Releases Heavy Metal Versions of Classic Christmas Songs
December 19th, 2012 Metalkult Charlemange Productions Love metal? Dig Christmas? Then let legendary actor Christopher Lee entertain you with heavy metal versions of classic Christmas songs. The 90-year-old Lee is famous for his roles in ’Dracula’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ among countless other films. He has been crafting his voice for many years, having famously lent his pipes to the soundtrack for horror flick ‘The Wicker Man,’ released in 1973. Although Lee is a classically trained singer, the ‘Dracula’ icon released his first metal album, ‘Charlemange: By the Sword and the Cross,’ in 2010, receiving Metal Hammer’s Spirit of Metal award at their 2010 Golden Gods ceremony. Lee’s ‘Charlemange’ sequel, ‘The Omens of Death,’ is expected to see a 2013 release. “I was first introduced to metal when I sang with a [band] called Rhapsody,” Lee tells BBC Radio. “But what I sang was not heavy metal; I sang with a tenor. Then I worked with Manowar as a narrator, I think it was in Germany, and again, that was not me singing metal. I became rather fascinated by this, ’cause in terms of history of music, it’s fairly recent, really. And if it’s properly done and you can understand the story and you can understand what the people are singing and you have the right bands and the right singers, I think it’s rather exciting.” Christopher Lee’s surprisingly crushing renditions of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ and ‘Silent Night’ are now available to purchase via iTunes and Amazon . Check out a preview of both tracks in the player below. Christopher Lee, ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ + ‘Silent Night’ (Teaser) [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lord-of-the-rings-actor-christopher-lee-recording-metal-album-at-90-years-old/” title=”Next: More on Christopher Lee’s Upcoming Metal Album” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: christmas, christopher, christopher lee, metal-hammer-, new-albums, news, pipes, right, rings, silent-night, songs, soundtrack, upcoming-metal, voice, what-the-people No Comments »Rob Zombie Says He’ll Stop Making Music When It’s No Longer Fun
November 24th, 2012 Metalkult Kevin Winter, Getty Images Rob Zombie has two passions he’s been able to balance equally well in recent years — heading up his own rock band and growing his burgeoning career as a movie director. But Zombie is very aware of the burnout factor that may set in at some point in his life and has a plan in place if and when that happens. The rocker told Metal Hammer that there’s not any fear of having a period where he’s “going through the motions” because if that starts happening, he’ll just shut down whatever he’s doing. He explains, “I always stopped, like when White Zombie was miserable, when we were at the height of our fame, the shows were huge, it was a big arena tour, and I was just like, ‘I’m done. I can’t go onstage anymore and pretend like this is awesome.’” Zombie says of the potential for that happening in the future, “If I’m having fun, I’ll dedicate myself around the clock, but as soon as it’s not, I’m out. Kids think you’re doing things for money, but money became irrelevant a long time ago. It might be why a lot of people do it, but it’s not why I do anything.” Rob Zombie spent the fall touring with Marilyn Manson on the excellent ‘Twins of Evil’ tour , which now makes its way to the U.K. for the remainder of November before exploring the rest of Europe in December. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rob-zombie-stage-name-origins/” title=”Next: Rob Zombie – Stage Name Origins” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: a-long-time, getty-images, marilyn manson, metal-hammer-, remainder, rob zombie, white-zombie, winter No Comments »Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows Says Upcoming Album Has ‘Sabbath / Zeppelin’ Feel
November 20th, 2012 Metalkult Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com After revealing recently that Avenged Sevenfold were about six songs into a writing their upcoming album. M. Shadows has now given a big hint as to what direction the band will be taking on the disc. He also has laid out a timetable for the album’s release. He explains to Metal Hammer that the new disc will not sound very much like ‘Carry On,’ the band’s recent release for the video game ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II.’ ”The new album has a lot more of a [Black] Sabbath / [Led] Zeppelin feel to it than ‘Carry On’,” says Shadows. “There’s definitely more Sabbath in what we’re writing, and we’re proud of ‘Carry On,’ but this album is going to be on a whole new level.” As to when the new album will be released, Shadows revealed, “We’re halfway through [writing the new album]. We’re shooting for late January-early February [to head into the studio] and to have the album out in the Summer. I’m pretty sure, with what I’ve been told already, we’re looking to go overseas first, so you guys will be seeing it before everyone else!” As for the band appearing as characters in the closing credits of the ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II’ video game, Shadows remarks, “It’s a trip! It’s crazy! We had to do all this motion-capture and play a gig to nobody, but we didn’t get to see anything until the game came out. You saw it when I saw it!” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/avenged-sevenfold-perform-carry-on-as-characters-in-call-of-duty-black-ops-ii/” title=”Next: Watch Avenged Sevenfold in ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: a-big-hint, a-writing-their, avenged sevenfold, game, have-the-album, metal-hammer-, news, video-game, watch-avenged, writing-the-new No Comments »Randy Blythe on Czech Arrest: ‘They Looked Like They Were There to Apprehend a Terrorist’
September 20th, 2012 Metalkult Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe has been selective in the amount of interviews he’s done since being released from Czech jail earlier this summer. Blythe was incarcerated for five weeks after being arrested on alleged manslaughter charges stemming from a 2010 concert incident. Now, in a new Q&A, Blythe reveals some incredible details about the incident. Focusing heavily on the initial arrest of Blythe, along with details on being transported to lockdown, Metal Hammer is set to release an in-depth interview within their latest issue. Blythe described the scene of the airport only a few seconds before he was arrested, “It still didn’t sink in that something weird was happening with my band,” describes Blythe, “but as soon as I got to the top of the ramp, the first thing I noticed was four or five really large men with guns and great pig pointy knives, pistols and facemasks. All you could see was their eyes and their mouths and they looked like they were there to apprehend a terrorist.” Blythe continues, “I was in the car with three plain-clothes homicide detectives, and one of them sort of spoke English, but not very well, and he started asking me, ‘So, what do you remember of this incident?’ Very conversationally, I was like, ‘You know, I really don’t know what’s happening right now so I want a lawyer’. When they hand you a piece of paper that says you’re being charged with manslaughter you know you aren’t just going to answer a few questions then walk out the door.” Blythe even shares about being driven to the jail by a metal fan who knew who Blythe was. “One of the guards who drove me was a metalhead. He knew who I was. He was like, ‘I’m sorry you have to be here. I like Finntroll and Rammstein.’” Pick up the latest issue of Metal Hammer to read about Blythe’s incident in immense detail. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/lamb-of-god-chris-adler-mix-of-emotions-randy-blythe-arrest/” title=”Lamb of God’s Chris Adler Recalls Randy Blythe Arrest” align=”center”]
Posted in News Tags: a-few-questions-, airport, band, blythe, blythe-arrest, czech, described-, happening-right, heavily-on-the, lamb of god, metal-hammer-, randy-blythe, recalls-randy, summer, walk-out-the No Comments »
