For those of you who regularly read this blog, you should know that in all fairness, I will listen to practically anything with an open mind...I mean Jesus Christ I actually own a copy of "Undiscovered" by BROOKE HOGAN because I thought her dad would drop the leg on me if I didn't buy it...(I have absolutely zero connections with HULK HOGAN, let that be known) but my point is, I will listen to anything at least once and, if a PR company or band emails me to work alongside them, well I'm not ignorant, I will give them the time of day. I'm not for one minute suggesting I'm elitist, I try my best to get through everything sent my way with often varying degrees of appreciation (BANKRUPT PUG anyone?) and I always voice my opinion fairly. Granted, the amount of fucks given will vary depending on what you send me...but...I will always weigh up pro's and cons. Right now you are wondering why I'm spending so much time elaborating on this when I could just go straight into my review...well...it's fairly simple...I'm forewarning you...tonight's article is about a band called NOO5E...an Aberdare-born trio of old-school rockers, who recently released a record by the name of "Blood Rose". I hate bashing local talent but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind...

Before I touch on any music...I have to vent on something...when I received the email requesting a write-up on this material, Mick Roach (vocalist/bassist) included the album artwork as a downloadable file...it was a mobile phone full screen-shot...what do you want me to do? Crop the image myself? No...I'm not doing that...you are trying to promote your band man! SURELY you have a proper jpg. file of the artwork? A screenshot...dude you may as well have drawn it using fucking crayon and sent it by post...I'm not going to use that, you need to work on that honestly...now that that's out of the way let's get this mini-album going with opening track "Death And The Angel"...by name it sounds a little prog-ish to say the least but oh no...all of the no...while the guitar work leans towards classic metal in style, the riffs here are simple but effective in an old-school sense, but, it's really quite repetitive...there's a decent bridge towards the two-minute mark that works well, almost a mid-song crescendo that gets you hyped up but it's literally the only positive point of the track...it's quite underwhelming...and it drags.

"Fear" while starting promisingly, albeit slowly with it's bass driven intro for some reason it sounds like an out-take from an unofficial soundtrack to Team America...I don't know what it is but there is a certain twang to the vocals here that make me immediately think of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!)...with an almost forced METALLICA-esque quality to proceedings. "Useless" without me wanting to be too literal, is a bit that...there are moment's of this track where you simply can't help but imagine the ULTIMATE WARRIOR in slow motion...at over six minutes here it's too much of too little and it burns out pretty quickly, just like James Hellwig really...It's the Wrestlemania XII of tracks...and lyrically? Lyrically it's just incredible...

"Driving The Dead" has initial blue's tones to it but quickly embraces more of a brash, low quality punk rock vibe...personally I don't know if the vocals have been recorded through a pillow or from outside the building from the other end of the fucking street...but seriously these are the poorest quality vocals you could expect and I don't care what your genre is, if you listen to this and think that it's good enough, then you need to stop being in a band...sadly however it doesn't end there...tortured APOCALYPTICA-esque number "The Haunting" is guilty by association here with the pained string elements but it's the vocals that shit all over this song...honestly, this isn't a climax, this is more a case of I need a mortician to clean this shit up...for a band that likes KISS, W.A.S.P. and SLIPKNOT there's virtually no substance to them...if you are a blood rose, then you must have anemia. If you see ANYBODY with this album, get up B&Q and sort them out some weed killer, seriously...or they'll end up in a noose themselves. [1]  

If you click on the image below, yes, the screenshot I mentioned earlier (as the band have no YouTube content) you'll be taken to Spotify, where you can stream "Blood Rose" for yourself...if you dare.

It's the year 2017 and even though the world as we know it seems to be cartwheeling backwards like some psychotic, politically charged delinquent, with society falling apart and issues on race, sexuality and gender STILL being a problem for some, it's good to know the world of rock music is still very much a haven...(if you can excuse the recent comments of certain Kerrang! editorial staff)...and one of the things frowned upon is the term "female-fronted"...to point out the obvious, when you specifically feel the need to say a bands vocalist is female, as if that may automatically deem the band inferior, or that you feel the need to declare it as some kind of warning, as if to say the listener might go on some sort of fucking medieval witch hunt upon not hearing some dude doing the singing, then you're a bit of a bastard...the ladies can rock just as hard as the dudes. With the likes of Lynn Gunn of PVRIS and Laura Jane Grace of AGAINST ME! openly and rightfully celebrating their sexuality and/or gender, rock 'n' roll has never been so accessible and encouraging for ladies of any and all backgrounds. Part of the ever growing, ever flourishing scene of great bands lead by female members is HALFLIVES...hailing from Modena, Italy, they've just released their debut album "Empty Rooms" after a staggering amount of support through pledge campaign...let's see what the hype is about...

We open up with "Lone Wolf" and immediately we can see the influence of PVRIS on the five-piece...the electronic tones coupled with the up-beat alternative rock, layered well over Linda Battilani's passionate vocals, it speaks of integrity and independence...it's got some brilliantly catchy pop-hooks and this is a superb intro. The party doesn't stop there either, with "Mayday" providing another infectious track with elements of YOU ME AT SIX at it's core, it's got pop-rock anthem written all over it and quite frankly Josh Francheschi wishes the latest YMAS album has something this enjoyable anywhere near it. Sort of, sharing title-track duty to some degree; "Half Alive" and "Empty Room" are both fine examples of more melodic, catchy alternative pop-rock giving the listener plenty to dance along with...the former will easily appeal to fans of AGAINST THE CURRENT.

The band aren't always full throttle however, with tracks such as "Echo" and the closing number "Collide" having characteristics of all the aforementioned artists but with also a slight touch of ANAVAE for a more a subdued listen; not breaking away too far from their own sound but diversifying just enough to add a different dynamic to the album, finding the right balance between highs and lows, light and dark etc...it shows a touch more depth in their song writing qualities that can appeal to even more listeners which would go towards explaining their pledge campaign success, they have a broad market and to be perfectly honest, that's fantastic; the more bridges you can gap the more likely you are to find success in today's cut-throat industry. At eight tracks in length, this debut is essentially a lengthy EP but not quite confident enough to be a fully committed album, so we'll settle for a mini-album here, but while in limbo in regards to what it falls under, we can't overlook the fact it's an incredible debut...Halflives by name but certainly not by nature, they're really going for this and it shows in the sheer enjoyment of this record from start to finish...the rooms aren't empty at all, they are full of tunes. [7]

So often in life we are faced with tough questions...What came first; the chicken or the egg?...What's the meaning of life? Why do waitresses always ask you if your meal is OK when you have a mouth full of food? (Did you wait on purpose to see me stuffing my face like some kind of starved hamster?) But more importantly...who is the biggest metal band in the world? While debatable to some, many will argue that, without a shadow of a doubt there is only one winner here; IRON MAIDEN. Yes for 40 years now Iron Maiden have grown into not only a British institution, but for many they have set the standard for all things metal with VERY few contenders to their throne. Sold out arena and stadium tours ALL around the world (which by the way, Bruce Dickinson HIMSELF pilots the band to on their own private Boeing 747; ED FORCE ONE) number 1 albums including "The Book Of Souls" which they are currently promoting...90 million record sales in total...they have their own beer, "Trooper" which is a wonderful ale I must add...is there anything they can't do from a business stand point? Well apparently not as in the Summer of 2016, they released their own free to play mobile App game by the name of "Legacy Of The Beast"...to coincide with "The Book Of Souls" tour they have just released additional in-game content...let's see if they can rock'ya Nokia...

Firstly, how exactly do you turn the biggest metal band on the planet into a game? Well this is how it works...essentially it's a combination of gaming elements that can and should appeal to gamer's of varied styles, the main resemblance here would be that of the FINAL FANTASY series. It's primarily turn based for the story mode but instead of say, Zidane or Noctis, you control EDDIE, Iron Maiden's iconic mascot. Each world you progress through is based on one of Eddie's many concept gimmicks we've all seen over Maiden's back catalog of albums (for example world 1 is based on the "Wicker Man", with sleek and attractive 3D graphics, it does each character and theme justice, sticking closely to the resource material and styles, with the music for each world  representative of it's corresponding album too during game play) and you fight your way through wave after wave of enemies in turn based battle with pin-point touch screen control, which means you have to time your attacks for optimum damage. The more you go through the game, you'll find yourself finding items such as "Talismans" and "Runes" which you can equip and power up to boost your attack, defense or magic status, much like you would in the FF franchise...but on mobile...to get an idea of it it's like a cooler version of ANGRY BIRDS: EPIC...instead of fighting off green pigs, you fight members of a cult who are trying to take Eddie's soul which you can collect as shards that have been scattered through realms, each one guarded by a boss fight, such as the Wicker Man Eddie mentioned above...

Speaking of turn-based combat you can't ignore that there are elements of POKEMON in "Legacy..." too...as while you venture through the game, you are assisted by numerous characters based on the different Iron Maiden album themes...for example there are armed Eddie soldiers from the "A Matter Of Life And Death" album and Pharaoh heads from "Powerslave" that can support your team with additional abilities on a 1 to 5 star power rating. Throughout the game you will come across "Souls" in the form of stones which you can extract characters from, enhancing your team, allowing you to freely switch between characters depending on strengths and weaknesses, with the higher the star value, the stronger the character...essentially it's the perfect combination of strategy, timing and collecting, with the higher value characters being highly sought after for battle. There is a menu for in-game purchases too, with real money micro transactions to pay for special bundles and rare items but this isn't essential to the game and you can play freely without any obligation to pay for anything, it's all additional content should you want to use it (kids...please ask the bill payers permission, don't rack up ridiculous bills for mum and dad, love Iron Maiden in sensible financial moderation!)

As of April 19th, the servers updated the game with the inclusion of SHAMAN EDDIE from the cover of "Book Of Souls"...a 5-Star rated character that inflicts physical and magical damage, also utilizing negative status effects during combat...aside from his inclusion, all PVP battles online are taking place atop a Mayan step-pyramid in conjunction with the albums theme, and also you are able to obtain further souls from sacrificing party members in the hope of strengthening your team. Also, as with all online app games you can log in via Facebook and search for friends online, with the option of becoming fellow troopers, or facing each other in battle via the PVP server. If you have an Android or iPhone app store on your smart phone or tablet, you like RPG's and you love a spot of heavy metal, this game is simple yet addictive and ticks all the right boxes...Iron Maiden's "Legacy Of The Beast" is the game for you...download it for free and play via the website / app store link below now!

When most aspiring bands start off on their rock 'n' roll journey you'll find that, band practice was either in a hired (often cheap) practice pad or, whichever mate's house had the biggest garage...well not for THE KING'S PARADE, nah fuck that, how about a cruise ship around Hawaii?! I shit you not...despite hailing from York, the four piece (consisting of Olly Corpe, Sam Rooney, Tom English and Chris Brent) found themselves sailing around the west coast of the States' for three months, playing five 45 minute sets a day, seven days a week just to save up a little cash post-university...whether that's ingenious or insane, you can be the judge but it worked; they tightened quickly as a band and now back on home soil they have been doing increasingly well for themselves. With backing from BBC6 Music and sold-out shows in London via word of mouth alone, there's a level of hype surrounding TKP and on May 12th they release their brand new EP "Haze"...let's check it out.

We begin with "Not Yet" and what's obvious from the word go is that this is natural, this is organic...there are hypnotic qualities to this opening track; the softly plucked, simplistic yet simultaneously intricate acoustic guitar, the drums, steady and smooth...the vocals, delicate and harmonious...it's a perfect combination of blues inspired soulful soft-rock, with subtle pop elements adding a level of melody to the track and it works beautifully...the chorus is passionate but everything is in moderation, you can tell these guys have practiced their asses off to be who they are today; a great introduction.

"Of Stone" follows on and quite appropriately in regards to it's name at least  it's a slower number, very paced, very methodical...the guitar tone here is rich in a southern-style of blues rock that would easily please fans of the likes of ALABAMA SHAKES and THE BLACK KEYS...it's almost lethargic, but again it carries with it a sense of soul that you simply have to appreciate. "Mother Tongue" again utilizes a restrained approach, another slow-burner but with a seriousness in it's tone, similar too to the overall vibe of the EP's closing title track "Haze", the latter's story being told via a video of interpretive dancers, rich in subtle tension and emotion equally, it's very artsy in it's own right but it's enjoyable despite it's sense of melancholy.

The UK may not be really renowned for it's soul music but there are artists that use the influence to their advantage...James Veck-Gilodi of DEAF HAVANA is a prime example in his story telling and the recent success of RAG 'N' BONE MAN shows there is a clear market for it...if TKP can strike while the iron is hot I'm sure they'll at least get themselves noticed on a larger scale. I'm sure they'd rather be cruising up the charts than around Hawaii...saying that...*phones P&O Cruises*...[6]

Apposite to the current situation regarding Womanby Street and the threats to South Wales' live music scene, it's only right that I focus my attention closer to home and remind everyone exactly why we need to stand up not only for our venues, but for the local bands that ply their trade within them. If you're a regular punter at FUEL rock bar and if you pay attention to local metal there is no doubt you have heard of CHAOS TRIGGER...for several years now they have been honing their craft having tried out numerous line-up changes but things are finally looking strong and steady for the Merthyr-based quintet...with performances at BLOODSTOCK festival and support slots with EXODUS under their belt, they look to hit the ground running with their brand new album "Degenerate Matter", hoping to bring Welsh metal out of the mines and into the minds of many...

We begin with "Skineaters" and as it's title suggests, it's rather chilling...at under two minutes it's essentially another case of the tried and tested intro spot, but it's effective here in the way it's very cold and machine-like; like something out of a Sci-Fi movie it drones on, heartless, non-organic...you can't help but picture yourself quietly stalking the decks of the Nostromo desperately trying to avoid being eaten by a Xenomorph while this plays...unsettling stuff, but my god it calls your bluff. When first track proper "Binary" kicks in, it really does kick in! It kicks your fucking teeth in! After a brief drum-fill the listener is subject to a battering-ram of riffs and raw power...the aggression here is such a swivel in tone it's all the more impressive with it's GOJIRA-esque brutality... (that bass!)

There's a smooth transition into "Rust" which allows the listener very little time to recover here and the continuation is on point, slightly slower in tempo but no less lacerating;  there's more melody in the guitar work and over all it's a touch more methodical throughout it's near six-minute run time but where it lacks pace, with sheer weight it still pummels you. The same can be said for "Gluttonizer", with it's doom-metal inspired introduction, while "Fucking Machines" with it's djent qualities finds itself slotted somewhere between the likes of CHIMAIRA and MESHUGGAH in overall sound.

The slight thrash-metal elements of "Snakes In Suits" inject a flurry of life into the album musically, and so too on tracks like "Release The Hounds"; the increased tempo giving the record momentum going forward, before we round it all off with "Use Of Weapons"...after trolling you with a gentle opening segment, it abruptly rips into more of the ferocious, unforgiving metal we've become accustomed to over the course of these eleven songs. While musically, instrumentally the band are solid, from the drumming of Jay Roberts, to the guitar work of Paul Cremin and I've already touched upon the impressive weight of Bradley Kaler's bass playing; vocally...in reality it's, a little too monotone...front-man Ben Jones does an incredible job as a heavy/death metal vocalist don't get me wrong, he kills it, but he doesn't change his approach at all throughout this record and it get's to a point where you can't help but crave a little more diversity. Yes this is purposefully heavy but SOME clean vocals aren't going to damage your product, and will prevent tracks from coming across as one dimensional at times. For the most part this is a strong release mind you and while there is room for improvement, they have their finger firmly on the trigger and they certainly aren't firing blanks. [6]

If there are any things that I love in this world as much as music, from a hobbies and interests point of view that is...I could list numerous things such as stand up comedy, classic horror movies, Jack Daniel's (endorse me, please!) and...panda's. Yes...I absolutely adore the fluffy bastards! I'm nearly 30 years of age and I will still want to cuddle a panda soft toy because it's as damn near as I will ever get to being near one...god they're adorable...so ultimately when I get an email regarding a band or project by the name of PANDA PANDA! my interest is already peaked...seriously I'm like a fucking meerkat...What? Panda's? Where?!?!? Yes Panda Panda! is an electronic music project by core member Caleb Ray, based in Oregon and he's just released a brand new album by the name "Cherry Blossoms"...let's see if his music is worthy of conservation alongside the bamboo-guzzling beauties...

We make acquaintances with "Well, Hello" and well, hello to you too sir! It's a brief little piece of music, very ambient, very charming and ultimately very peaceful...it acts as a nice introduction but really it doesn't gear you up for anything in particular, it's just a nice instrumental segment acting as an album opener which, can be appreciated in it's own right, nothing bad going on here, as first impressions go it's...nice..."Nacho" follows on immediately and it's safe to say that, despite it's name it's about as Mexican as haggis...but cultural cliches aside it's a solid, up-beat, synth-driven, electronic pop number and it flows with positive vibes. There's more energy and melody here but it's still an instrumental track and here we realize that this is more of a score than an album in the regular sense...if you're a fan of lyrics this might not be the album for you...

The title track has more of the same really, it's really delicate with the way it uses pop hooks alongside subtle cultural characteristics, combining wood-effect instruments and again, electronica, bridging a gap between classical and modern Japan (the cherry blossoms and panda are reference enough you don't need words) and it's been done very well...while "Lemonade" is pleasant, it may as well have been called vanilla...or ready salted. It's plain essentially, really quite run of the mill, despite it's inclusion of acoustic guitar, the same which can be said of "Sunset" really, which also includes a random spoken word intro with some, faux variety show feel to it, with no real explanation, likewise with the end of "The Undo Button", breaking the 4th wall if you will and, that's about as much there is to this record...

The sound quality is nice, this is lovely Summer afternoon chill-out music to be enjoyed in the garden with a cold glass of Pinot Grigio, perfect for unwinding with, not challenging, not abrasive or complicated in any way, this is 30 minutes of relaxation under blue skies and sunshine, while those little pink flowers sway in the breeze...however, panda's may be cute and cuddly but using the word twice doesn't score you double points, as no more than background music, this record can easily be forgotten and is more catered for a specific market. Still though...panda's....awwwwww (^_^) [3]

People do this on purpose I swear...they decide to form bands with the sole intention of being so utterly terrible it hurts...I'm not exaggerating, I would rather listen to a rap battle between Prof. Stephen Hawking and Microsoft Sam in real time...speaking of rap, I would rather personally fund a new STEVE-O album...I would rather name my first born daughter ROMAN REIGNS than have to go through any more of this, but, alas...it is my duty to you all to share such a monstrosity.

​Allow me to elaborate; I was sent an email containing a link to an EP, with a request to check it out and review, non-PR related, a personal email. The person in question stated that they were a casual reader of this blog, and wanted to know what I thought about their "comedy / punk" band; BANKRUPT PUG. Alarm bells are already ringing in my ears, are they baiting me?...With influences including "Music, sound effects, cartoons, alcohol and pugs", they created (they didn't write this EP, they created it, like a fucking FRANKENSTEIN monster) the "I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing" EP....did I spare myself the loss of sanity and send this to the spam folder? Of course not...I wasted ten minutes of my sense of hearing only to find myself raging harder than a Red Gyarados flipping it's shit in Johto...here's what I found.

We open up with "Adopt / Adapt / Improve" and all I can say is that initially, it begins with a semi-retro vibe with it's guitar tone taking you back to the likes of THE B52's or MINUTEMEN...musically it's straightforward enough, it's upbeat, generally quirky but vocally, Pablo or Tetley, whichever one it is (Yes, they go by these names, other members include Captain Zilchio, Vlad The Creator and wait for it...Strangey McStrange) it sounds awful. There's barely any tune vocally, it's flat and, lyrics that include two boys burning a bag of dogs is just...what?! It get's worse...we follow up with "Why So Seagullrious?" (I'm not even joking) and it is beyond ridiculous. It's a softer song, it's got subtle keyboard elements that aid with the tracks melody and really it falls under pop-rock more than punk, if you took out all the words this could actually make a decent demo track for a proper band...but those words...I thought I'd heard it all but I was clearly wrong. If you spend three minutes singing about wanting to cause physical harm to a seagull while trying to feed ducks, by sticking dynamite up it's arse, you need help, you really do. I get that this is comedy punk but use that term loosely, very loosely. I hope a seagull shit's in his chips for this song...

What's next? "Golf, Strangling Animals & Masturbation"...OK you know what, I'm not even going there. It's getting to a point now where I'm unsure if I should stop writing this review right now and contact someone...like, the police, or, the RSPCA or, Jeremy Kyle, anyone! I'M going to need counselling let alone this lot! Finally we finish up then on "Marshmallow" and it's another two minutes of up-beat punk-inspired noise akin to our first track and really it's nothing special, ending rather abruptly too which quite frankly is the most merciful thing they've done here...the line "sweat out your sickness" closing the song and really, they should take their own advice, I mean, who recorded this?! Now, I can appreciate artistic merit, freedom of creativity, alternative comedy, freedom of expression and all of that, and even more so I do appreciate being personally contacted and requested, but if you're going to call yourself a comedy act please make sure there's something worth laughing at that ISN'T the fact you submitted this EP, unless, that was the whole point all along? There are other bands from Wales that utilize a comedy twist, NIGHTMARES FROM THE DISCOTHEQUE do it so much better and even BREAKDOWN FACE have found their purposefully low-quality niche...this on the other hand is just bad. Bankrupt is least of their worries, I'd put this pug down myself...[1]

Let's not beat around the bush here...people are dicks. Now if you are aware of FUEL ROCK CLUB, situated in the heart of Cardiff you'll be all too aware that very recently things have gotten a little bit awkward for not only this award winning establishment, but the whole spirit of the place it calls home; Womanby Street. Since 2013 when proprietor ROB TOOGOOD first opened the doors to Fuel, it's established itself as THE rock and metal bar of the Welsh capital, the only truly designated rock an metal venue the city has to offer...it attracts established bands (THE QUIREBOYS have played here, as has BLAZE BAILEY and even IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson has pulled a pint or two) and does a marvelous job putting on gig nights not only supporting up and coming bands, but underground, less mainstream genre's too, allowing artistic freedom to flourish, giving artists a place to thrive, to grow...now, Rob has ALWAYS adhered to the law as a licence holder...he is fully aware of laws regarding noise pollution, implementing curfews, installing soundproofing, everything is advertised and promoted clearly and is all above board and since opening, Fuel and the residents of Cardiff have gotten along just fine...until now.


Call me cynical but several incidents of late have raised more than a few eyebrows regarding certain integrities...and quite honestly, something reeks of foul play here. Forget conspiracy theories or, forget coincidence...a series of issues have popped up all too conveniently within a short space of time to even humour that notion...and it's not only Fuel, but Womanby Street as a whole that stands to suffer. It all started a short while ago when the nearby J.D. WETHERSPOON owned pub THE GATEKEEPER was in talks to develop part of it's 3-story building into a hotel, cashing in on a new expansion the chain as a whole is marketing. First of all, there are plenty of hotels in Cardiff, there really are, we don't need another, secondly, they KNEW it was in a street FULL of bars and music venues...there were always going to be issues and people saw this. Not wanting this hotbed of live entertainment jeopardized by more noise restrictions, a petition was set up getting signatures against J.D. Wetherspoons basically stating that, it was a poor location for such an idea and it shouldn't go through, polite enough...apparently this didn't go down well...


Shortly after it had emerged that a NEW resident to the nearby area...had filed an official noise complaint against Fuel. This has people scratching heads for a couple of reasons. Firstly, when you look into moving into a new property and area, you do your research...the person in question WOULD HAVE KNOWN that there was not one but THREE live music establishments in Womanby Street, not to mention THE PRINCIPALITY STADIUM across the road...this wasn't going to be some quiet secluded part of town, you're in the heart of the city, there will be noise! Rob met with the resident, gave all his contact details and explained how they operated, everything was legit, but, the complaint still went through. Whats more, it was stated that Fuel had received a notice from the Council and that they were satisfied with the complaint upon investigation and if the issue isn't resolved, large financial penalties would follow. Fuel now faces paying for specialist advice and further soundproofing, until the council is happy that there is no longer a "nuisance".


Further more, to add to that, on top of sudden complaints and questionable attitudes from the local council, it's since emerged that, ironically enough, there is proposed planing permission to build a block of flats / apartment complex right next door to CLWB IFOR BACH, which is where? In Womanby Street...which part? RIGHT. OPPOSITE. FUEL. Now call me a theorist, proclaim I have a vivid imagination but all this has emerged within the time frame of just over a month. ONE MONTH. Whatever ultimately happens, this has more than a whiff of corruption and quite frankly I am both bemused at how property developers would think this is a good idea and more importantly, I'm worried for the future of Womanby Street and it's existence as a cultural hub in not only Cardiff, but what it represents for the South Wales live music scene. As I've stated, Fuel is an award winning club which supports a minority, Clwb is an iconic venue in it's own right...people come to these venues to spend money strengthening Cardiff's economy, bands, artists choose to play these venues, they bring in revenue and culture...a culture that is far, far more important that another hotel or yet more housing. If it goes ahead, these venues risk being victimized by further restrictions on trading, promotions and curfews and it will damage what some see as a sanctuary away from your regular night clubs and bars...there's character here, there is a uniqueness to Womanby Street and it must be cherished. 


Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson has only recently been quoted championing local / small music venues...the arts need them, whether you are a solo singer/songwriter with an acoustic guitar, a stand-up comedian in development, an underground death metal band or even a promoter, we NEED these venues, venues like Fuel, venues like Clwb Ifor to stay and to flourish, they need to be protected and encouraged, not disheartened by other companies financial bullying or greedy businesses heartless commercial gain...this area of Cardiff needs your support and we need to show people that, it's not a case of "Oh but there are other clubs" or "go elsewhere"...no...Womanby Street is, in more ways than one, home. Stand up for Womanby Street...save YOUR scene.

Click on the image below to follow a link to the official "Save Womanby Street" Facebook Group.

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As a music reviewer, every so often you have have to roll with the punches so to speak, you have to expect the bad as well as the good; be it a badly produced record or, utterly dire song writing or sometimes, something will just make you put down your pen, pour a glass of whisky and make you go "OK, it's one of those days is it? Here we go then...". Allow me to introduce to you KNOW YOUR NEMESIS...formed in the town of Kongsvinger, Norway, these four metal-head's are signed to those lovely people over at WORMHOLE DEATH records and upon opening their recent press package, I discovered the album "Break The Chain". Not knowing anything about the band whatsoever I quickly checked out their social media, chucked on the CD and proceeded to review. The following article is based on true events...

Before we go anywhere I'd just like to point out the album artwork...I don't go out of my way to look for faults but this one caused my eyes actual discomfort, I mean look at it! What the fuck IS it? It's like a dyslexic Rubik's Cube...a colorblind dyslexic Rubik's Cube...it's quite possibly the ugliest looking album I've seen this year so far. HOWEVER, not wanting to be superficial, I continue and look-up the bands biography on Facebook. Oh boy. "Know Your Nemesis started out after a concert at the Audunbakken festival." ...Wait, what? They played a show THEN started? They met at the festival? Their formation was vague and coincidentally timed but had no actual connection to said festival? This is useless information at best..."Since then we have produced a bunch of songs, recorded some of them, and most important of all, played a lot of gigs"...this is riveting...their lack of enthusiasm actually impresses me...I'm beginning to feel that If I proceed further then the ghost of Jeremy Beadle will turn up to say this is an elaborate yet pointless prank...and I haven't even gotten to any music yet!

The album opens up with "Fade Away" and for what it's worth the introduction here is actually really promising, guitarist Marius Haugen does a superb job getting things underway; his playing is slick and oh so melodic, the riff-work on the bridge leads through perfectly and on first impressions this makes up for everything so far, that is until lead vocalist Ole Petter Bjørnseth enters the fray and things go a little bit downhill. Dual vocals switching between clean and aggressive can work but they have to complement each other, and while his snarls find themselves sounding somewhere between Anders Friden of IN FLAMES and Angela Gossow, formerly of ARCH ENEMY, his clean vocals tend to fall a little flat and really this issue plagues the album as a whole.

Despite it's jerky start, "Metaphor Of Broken Dreams" tries to improve upon this with a more metal-lead track, and "Are We Alone (Unholy War)" benefits from being politically charged, it's message is something we can get behind in today's socio-political climate all too realistically, and the solo here is on point, while tracks like "So Be It" and "End Of Me" do house some quality musical moments, providing brief highlights, but the all-too consistent tedium of the clean vocals and the undeniable feeling that, these tracks seem to drag on results in an annoyingly boring listen; there's no real life here and for a metal band, that's really quite disappointing. For a band who cite IRON MAIDEN as an influence, they certainly should be a bit more vibrant and energetic...know your nemesis? Sadly, you need to look in the mirror, you are holding yourselves back here. [4]