Great names of the Finnish music scene were the guests of honor in the party that celebrated the 10thedition of SmugglerRok in Lieto, Finland.
SmugglerRok 2024 in Lieto, Finland, was a true celebration of Finnish music and culture, marking a milestone with its 10th edition. Held over two days on August 2nd and 3rd, the festival brought together some of Finland’s most beloved artists and bands, offering an eclectic mix of genres from blues and rock to heavy metal. The event highlighted the rich musical heritage of the country and created an unforgettable experience for fans, with performances that ranged from intimate and soulful to electrifying and high-energy.
DAY 1: August 2nd, Friday
ARTTU WISKARI Arttu Wiskari opened the festival with his signature blend of blues, pop, and rock, showcasing his nearly 20-year career in the Finnish music scene. One of the mentors on The Voice of Finland, Arttu brought his experience and charisma to the stage, surprising the crowd with a special guest appearance by Anssi Kela during the final song, creating a memorable moment for all in attendance.
ANSSI KELA
Anssi is a celebrated figure in Finnish rock and folkrock and continued the afternoon with a setlist that spanned his long career, including his solo albums. His performance of songs from the iconic Nummela album, one of Finland’s best-selling records, resonated deeply with the crowd. Kela‘s soulful guitar work and emotive vocals were a highlight of the festival.
JUHA TAPIO Juha Tapio brought a jazzy twist to the festival, supported by a brass section that added depth to his pop-rock set. Juha’s engaging performance reached a peak when he ventured into the crowd, connecting with fans in a heartfelt way. His interaction with Brazilian fans, even greeting them in Portuguese, was a delightful surprise, adding a personal touch to his show.
MAIJA VILKKUMAA Maija Vilkkumaa, often hailed as the Queen of Finnish Rock, delivered a high-energy performance packed with her greatest hits. With a career spanning nearly 35 years, Maija’s stage presence was undeniable, and the audience’s enthusiasm reflected their appreciation for her timeless rock anthems. Her band was tight, enhancing the powerful vibe of her set.
KOTITEOLLISUUS
The first day of Smugglerrok ended with a heavy dose of hard rock from Kotiteollisuus. The band, hailing from Lappeenranta and known for their intense sound, delivered a robust performance. Frontman Jouni Hynynen led the charge with powerful vocals and guitar riffs, leaving the crowd exhilarated.
DAY 2: August 3rd, Saturday
UNIKLUBI
The second day of SmugglerRok kicked off with Uniklubi, who brought their alternative rock sound to the festival. This year is also a special one to the band as they are celebrating 20 years since the release of the album “Rakkautta ja piikkilankaa”. The set was nostalgic and powerful, with “Huomenna” standing out as an emotional high point that united the crowd in a collective moment of reflection and connection.
ERJA LYYTINEN Erja Lyytinen, the reigning Queen of Finnish Blues, dazzled with her exceptional guitar skills and commanding stage presence. Known internationally and acclaimed as “The Best Guitarist of the Year” by the European Blues Awards in 2017, Lyytinen delivered a masterclass in blues, seamlessly blending technical prowess with soulful performances, leaving the audience in awe.
MICHAEL MONROE
The legendary frontman of Hanoi Rocks brought some great energy to the festival! At 62, Monroe’s boundless energy was infectious, as he performed both classics and tracks from his solo career, including his latest album “I Live Too Fast to Die Young”. His dynamic performance included climbing the stage structure and mingling with fans, proving his status as a rock icon. Kudos to his roadie who didn’t have a moment of rest – in a blink of an eye, Michael can be anywhere on stage or in the middle of the crowd!
JARKKO AHOLA Jarkko Ahola offered a diverse set, blending covers of classic hits with his own material. Known for his powerful vocals, Ahola revisited his metal roots with two of Teräsbetoni favorites, “Orjatar” and “Taivas Lyö Tulta”, and performed some undeniable rock classics songs from Queen, Scorpions, Whitesnake and Pet Shop Boys, and more, showcasing his versatility and range.
BATTLE BEAST
Closing the festival was Battle Beast, one of Finland’s leading contemporary metal bands. They delivered a powerhouse performance that had the audience chanting along to hits like “Circus of Doom” and “King for a Day”. Their set was the perfect ending to a festival that celebrated Finnish music in all its glory, leaving fans energized and asking for more metal.
WHOLE LOTTA 70’S & ULLANLINNAN ELVIS
In addition to the main stage performances, the secondary stage at Smugglerrok Festival also buzzed with excitement thanks to the local bands Whole Lotta 70’s and Ullanlinnan Elvis. These bands kept the energy high during breaks from the main stage, entertaining the crowd with timeless rock classics from around the world and Finland. Their sets were a perfect complement to the festival’s atmosphere, ensuring there was never a dull moment between the acts.
The 10th edition of SmugglerRok was nothing short of legendary. Once again the festival brought life, rhythms, lights and smiles to the little city of Lieto. The blend of legendary artists, rising stars, and local talents created an atmosphere of unity and celebration. As the final notes faded and the crowd dispersed, there was a shared feeling of fulfillment and anticipation for what next year’s festival might bring.
Cover your heads… No one escapes my hell… On all you know!
It’s time to make a lot of noise here at The Headbanging Moose, courtesy of our multitalented, unstoppable metal lady of this month of November. Pulling triple duty for Chicago, Illinois-based Noise Rock duo Djunah, simultaneously singing, playing the guitar, and playing a Moog bass organ with her feet (which is the reason why they like to say that they have “a leg for a bassist”), she will blow your mind with her undeniable charisma and skills, in special her powerful, unrestrained vocal style, channeling all her mental health issues through her music in the best way imaginable. Get ready to be absolutely stunned by the one and only Donna Diane, letting her music penetrate deep inside your soul and touch your heart in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll.
Drawing a broad range of comparisons from PJ Harvey and Diamanda Galás to Melvins, the independent Noise Rock project Djunah (pronounced “JUNE-uh”) pairs Donna’s powerful, unrestrained vocal style with crashing guitar riffs and heavy, punishing drums courtesy of drummer Jared Karns (Their/They’re/There, Hidden Hospitals), blending elements from Noise Rock with Post-Metal, Post-Doom, Post-Hardcore and so on to give their sound a very unique taste. Known for their massive, intense live sound, the duo was formed back in 2018 fueled as much by big emotions as it is by love of gear. Donna and Jared have already released the singles Built and Brother, both in 2018 (and both also available as amazing videos on YouTube by clicking HERE and HERE, respectively), followed by their debut full-length album Ex Voto, in 2019, and more recently their sophomore effort Femina Furens, in the first quarter of 2023. For instance, you can find all of their noisy creations on BandCamp and on Spotify, and some of their wicked songs also on YouTube, including the excellent Animal Kingdom and Seven Winds of Sekhmet, or click HERE for all things Djunah.
Speaking about the single Brother, it’s important to say that the song not only features the voices of Anita Hill, Ana Maria Archila, Maria Gallagher and Christine Blasey Ford, but even more important than that, 100% of all sales are donated to Brave Space Alliance, the first Black-led, Trans-led LGBTQ+ center located on the South Side of Chicago. This is a very strong statement of the political and social aspect of the music by Djunah and the importance of discussing such themes to Donna, which means if you want to join her in her everyday fight against prejudice and inequality, you should definitely purchase the single from Djunah’s own BandCamp page. That’s a very good example of exactly how music can have a strong and lasting positive impact in our lives.
Their most recent opus, titled Femina Furens, also has a deep, emotional meaning to Donna. Femina Furens, which is Latin for “furious woman”, fuses influences from poetry the likes of Gerard Manley Hopkins, Sylvia Plath and John Donne, and heavy music such as PJ Harvey, Hum and Neurosis to tell the story of diagnosis and continuing recovery from complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD, with its artwork being inspired by representations of the divine feminine in 1970’s Sci-Fi Metal art, particularly the work of French artist Philippe Caza for “Métal hurlant” (later republished in the United States as “Heavy Metal” magazine). Animals, chariots or sleighs, and mythological figures appear prominently on the album as a way of exploring themes of emotional regulation, power and control, some of the core features of trauma disorders.
“We’re heavy, noisy, and still fairly melodic. If you like aggressive guitar, big drum fills, and an even ratio of singing to shouting, you’ll probably like us,” commented Donna, and you can easily sense the impact of all of her main idols influences in the music by her beast Djunah. For instance, she listens to a lot of early and pre-war Blues, Soul and R&B, with some of her favourite singers being Tina Turner and Lou Rawls, while she also loves Bo Diddley. However, it’s not just music that inspires her. “I’d say the majority of my influences are nonmusical because it makes for more interesting art that way. Some influences are related to the gear I use and building songs around those sounds. Politics had an incredibly strong influence on the album – songs like Built, Bless Your Money, and Mirrors for Narcissists are good examples of that. Messing around with poetry and meter is also a big source of inspiration for me. The name Djunah actually derives from one of my favorite writers, Djuna Barnes, eternal queen of the ungodly long sentence.”
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Donna is (or was) also part of a Chicago-based slashy, bass-Heavy Rock trio named Beat Drun Juel, where she’s responsible for the vocal and guitar duties while Jesse Giallombardo takes care of bass and Mat Haywood of drums. This project came before the creation of Djunah, having released so far a demo EP titled Off Your Face, back in 2014, followed by the two-track EP This Is How I Get Over You / That Boy Musta Stole Something of Mine, in 2015, and the full-length album Suppressor, in 2016, all available on their BandCamp page. Furthermore, you can also go to the project’s official YouTube channel and enjoy their videos for the songs That Boy Musta Stole Something of Mine, Hugger, and Die Unknown. I believe the band is either done or on hold due to Djunah, but you never know if or when Donna will revisit it in the near future.
Donna was also featured on Premier Guitar’s Rig Rundown back in 2020, where she talked about how she managed to learn how to play two instruments at the same time live, plus of course singing. “I actually dove right into it. The most time-consuming part was learning about synthesis because I’d never used an analog synthesizer before. I played a few solo shows with the bass organ first to see if it was something viable to do on stage. Then Nick and I started playing together, and it took us just a couple months to get a set together. I will say I’ve improved a lot over the two years I’ve been doing it. I’m constantly developing technique and changing my setup to help me to do more complex things. So, it’s always a work in progress,” commented our multi-talented diva, also saying that she believes people enjoy the show a lot in intimate settings when they can see what she’s doing up close. “It was definitely a case of necessity being the mother of invention. My old band had ground to a halt, and I wanted a way to play solo without sacrificing the bass. I don’t like using prerecorded sounds or loops, so I decided to try playing guitar and a bass synth simultaneously. It’s such a mindfuck – I love it!”
In April 2021, Donna opened up about being diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD, a disorder caused by complex trauma, or multiple traumas sustained and repeated over time. “Complex trauma can take many forms, such as domestic violence or abuse in childhood (as in my case), and it can have painful, lifelong consequences,” commented Donna, who believes it’s extremely important for anyone suffering from their own sicknesses and traumas to search for help and support, also pointing out the importance of music in that process. “Every day, people come forward with personal stories about sexual assault or opioid addiction or mental illness, and we’re slowly learning as a society to embrace that vulnerability instead of shaming it and telling it to shut up. I want to make music that represents the power of that vulnerability. A lot of my life, I was told I was too sensitive and that being sensitive is weak. So, I killed off a lot of the feeling, in my heart and in my body, just to make it through the day. Reclaiming it and finding power in it has been incredibly healing for me. I think that’s why there’s a lot of sexuality in the music. Sex, to me, is the ultimate in combining sensitivity and power. I sometimes think of it as feminine power, but really it has no gender.” Hence, if you or someone you know need help, you can call the suicide crisis line at 1-800-273-8255 or text 741741, and also search for valuable resources at the No Shame On U website (Chicago only or nationwide).
There are several online interviews with Donna that will show you how amazing she is, and everything she’s doing to take the name of Djunah to new heights. In this one to Car Con Carne Podcast, for example, she talks about her journey and her fight against her personal issues and struggles with C-PTSD; then two years later, she joined Car Con Carne Podcast again in an episode called ‘she who is powerful’ to talk about Djunah’s newest album Femina Furens. There’s also a podcast named Conversations With Dwyer where Donna talks about playing in Chicago dive bars at 17, how she went from writing a novel to music, the DIY ascent of her band and her struggles with C-PTSD; and another one called Mid-Riff where Donna discusses inventing bass organ techniques, dressing like Steve Albini, mentorship, the impact of trauma therapy on music, and much more. Having said all that, what are you waiting for to know more about the unstoppable Donna Diane and her Djunah? Let there be rock, and let there be noise.
“Music is a physical, full-body experience for me anyway, so playing with my whole body – and controlling so much of the frequency spectrum – only deepens that.” – Donna Diane
Attention, guitarists and shredders of the world! Summer is just around the corner, and here at The Headbanging Moose it’s time to pay a short and sweet tribute to a metal lady that knows how to extract pure fire and heat from her guitar. She might be currently working as a stock investor and real state agent, even saying she’s a “retired pro guitarist”, but we all know once you let Rock N’ Roll and Heavy Metal run through your veins there’s no turning back, you become a metalhead forever. I’m talking about Gia Federico, also referred to as simply Gia G, a well-known guitarist from the Boston, Massachusetts area who will certainly blow your mind with her undeniable talent and electrifying style. Having said that, are you ready to rock with such talented American guitarist?
Born and raised with her middle-class Italian family in Somerville, a suburban city located directly to the northwest of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, Gia mentioned in one of her interviews that she started late in the world of rock and metal music, only when she was around 17 years old by listening to her parents’ collection of albums, taking lessons with Boston-based shredder Joe Stump (Alcatrazz, HolyHell, Raven Lord) for three and a half years before continuing on her own and developing her own style, focusing mainly on instrumental rock and metal while also having her Alternative Metal band Devil In The Mist, plus doing studio work for various projects and owning her own commercial home studio. In addition, she mentioned that she bought her first guitar at a music store a long time ago for only 90 US dollars, a remake of a Fender Telecaster, but that she doesn’t have that guitar anymore.
Regarding her solo project Gia G, which is obviously her moniker when playing with that project, Gia explained that her middle initial is actually G (as her legal name is Gia G Federico), and that Gia G sounds and feels catchy. Managing to elevate her sound and show distinction from her prior projects, she has infused “jazz modal and scalar legato” into the mix, adding an extra kick to her instrumental creations while also presenting elements from metal, shred, rock, alternative, experimental, indie, blues, jazz, classical and acoustic pop, among others, representing all her freedom as a musician. With the project’s most recent lineup being formed of Gia on the guitars and keyboards, Mark George on drums, and Paul Angle on bass, and by the way they didn’t know each other before (having met through Gia’s sound engineer), she released the singles The Chase (2013), Interwoven (2015), Spontaneous (2017) and The Ladder (2019), as well as the three-track EP Cosmic Wave (2022), which can be appreciated in full on Spotify, on YouTube and on BandCamp. Furthermore, Cosmic Wave can be considered her most successful release to date, reaching number 1 for one week on KB Radio in Canada on their Top 25 International chart and on Paramount FM 94.5 Radio, number 3 on Radio Guitar One Top 30 Rock, and number 6 on Holy Noise Radio.
Speaking of her Alternative Metal/Grunge band, named Devil In The Mist, despite the fact the band released their debut self-titled EP in 2018 and the full-length album Hidden In Plain Sight in 2022, via Sliptrick Records, the band formed of Gia Federico on the guitars and keyboards, Mark George on drums and Paul Engle on bass seems to be on a hiatus or defunct, as all of their social media doesn’t work anymore, plus the fact that Katy Reign is no longer their vocalist (and therefore Gia decided to focus on her solo project instead). More open to every style including jazz, blues, classical, acoustic, pop, country and so on, the project looked very promising if it wasn’t for the lineup changes (and for Gia’s career change, of course), but you can still enjoy some of their songs on YouTube including Mercy, Far Gone, and Severed Ties. And on a side note, you can also find her lending her guitar abilities to Lakes Region, New Hampshire-based Heavy/Groove Metal band Infinite Sin, playing the guitar solo on the song Temple of Darkness as a guest musician.
Highly influenced by guitar heroes such as Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhoads, Allan Holdsworth, Scotty Moore, Ritchie Blackmore, Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, as well as renowned rock and metal giants the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, The Police, Tool, Metallica, Van Halen, Led Zepplin, Queen and Alter Bridge, just to name a few, Gia writes her music by going over scales and modes, by listening to other artists (including all types of music from pop to blues, from shred guitar to old metal music, and so on), and inspired by things going on in her life, her past, her present, and even her future. In addition, when asked which band in the world she would love to play with, she mentioned some big names including Judas Priest, Ozzy and Dio, also saying she would enjoy doing something like what Nita Strauss did with Alice Cooper, but not forever, as she likes to create her own music. Moreover, when asked to pick three people in history (dead or alive) she would love to sit down and have dinner with, Gia curiously didn’t mention any musicians, but people in business who invented something relevant, such as Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Warren Buffet.
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Endorsed by several companies the likes of Seymour Duncan, Fishman, SKB Cases, SIT Strings, Coffin Gear, FU -Tone Copper Sound Pedals Emperor Cabinets, Revv Amplification, ZT Amplifier, and WB Gear, among others, and known for her tap harmonic style, Gia loves her custom shop Fender Stratocasters, having custom ones from 2005, 2015 and 2022, and also having four custom shop Jacksons, among others, to a total of around 27 guitars. In addition, she also mentioned in one of her interviews that she wants to get a custom shop Les Paul to be able to compare it to the other guitars. When asked about her favorite guitar setup, she said it’s tough to say it exactly because it always depends on which song she’s playing or writing, although she mentioned that during her live performances she was using her custom red Fender Stratocaster with a Marshall JVM. Having played for a very small crowd on her first ever concert in a small club in Somerville, but of course feeling nervous just because it was her first live show, Gia said the best way to overcome stage fright is by pretending you’re jamming in your room when it’s time to hit the stage. Furthermore, she said she would love to play in big festivals like the ones in Europe alongside some of her favorite bands like Metallica; however, due to the significant change in her career now, I guess that, unfortunately, we might not see Gia playing anytime soon in any festival or small venue.
Gia has already won many prizes and was featured in different charts in her career as a guitarist, such as for example being ranked in 4th place in the “Top 15 Hard Rock & Metal Female Guitar Shredders” chart by Metalholic.com in 2014; winning 1st round, being 3rd place in the 2nd round, and advancing to the finals at Emergenza Festival in 2004; seeing her EP Cosmic Wave reaching position #1 for one week on KB Radio in Canada on their Top 25 International chart, position #3 on Radio Guitar One Rock Top 30, and position #6 on Holy Noise Radio (as already mentioned); being ranked #1 in local charts for instrumental artists in Boston, and also on ReverbNation in their national and global charts for instrumental artists many times; among several other awards. That’s not just amazing for her as a guitarist, but also as a woman, as Gia herself mentioned already that female guitarists do not get the same respect as male ones, also saying it can be really hard for a woman who plays the guitar in the United States to have the same support as a man.
Having already reached over 100,000 unique views on YouTube in one month for one of her videos (and that number went up to 500,000 views later), and with around 6 million views in total on her channel plus almost 70,000 subscribers, Gia thinks that at the same time that streaming is great, many musicians can get screwed up with that due to the insignificant amount of money made. In addition, she obviously prefer buying vinyl over digital music, as she believes vinyl has a much more organic (and therefore less mechanical) feel to it. She also mentioned she would certainly sell her back catalog if a big label such as Sony or Universal offered to buy everything, but of course she said she’s not even close to the size or level of the artists managed by those labels.
As aforementioned, Gia considers herself now a “retired pro guitarist”, focusing now on her career in the investing and real state market, something she has actually been doing for quite a while (even when she was still playing the guitar on a professional level). However, our talented guitarist/businesswoman still has some advice to give to young musicians who are just starting to learn how to play the guitar. She said new musicians should look at it as a hobby and with an open mind, playing mainly for their personal enjoyment, and never thinking they’ll become the next big thing in music because that’s not the reality for most people in such competitive market. Wise words by a seasoned guitarist, I might say, and you can find a lot more information about Gia and her work as a musician online, such as this nice interview to ROX TV in the beginning of 2022. Good luck to Gia on her not-so-new endeavors in the business world, but of course we’ll all receive her back to the rock and metal community with open arms anytime her mind, heart and soul feel the need for the riff again.
You better watch out as these Swedish girls are the light in the sky that turns black into gold in their new album, always loud and free in the name of Rock N’ Roll.
Two years after their highly acclaimed album Heat Wave, the unstoppable Stockholm, Sweden-based Hard Rock brigade Thundermother is back with a fantastic new album titled Black and Gold, a roar for all it’s worth. Not only musically rough and loud, but also controversial and honest, the band currently formed of the ass-kicking Guernica Mancini on vocals, Filippa Nässil on the guitar, newcomer Mona “Demona” Lindgren on bass, and Emlee Johansson on drums sounds beyond sharp and flammable throughout their entire new album, proving why they’ve become one of the most admired and respected bands of the current Hard Rock scene and, therefore, attracting the attention of diehard fans of renowned acts the likes of AC/DC, Airbourne and Rose Tattoo, among others.
Just hit play and be stunned by The Light In The Sky, a Rock N’ Roll anthem perfect to be played at the biggest stadiums in the world where Guernica is simply flawless on vocals while Emlee dictates the pace with her pounding beats; whereas the title-track Black And Gold is just as electrifying and vibrant, with Filippa delivering her usual rockin’ riffs and, therefore, resulting in another hymn for hitting the road. Raise Your Hands is a more rhythmic, headbanging tune by Thundermother paying a tribute to our beloved rock music, with some Jazz-ish influences showcasing the classy kitchen by Mona and Emlee, and after three breathtaking songs the quartet slows things down and offer us the Blues-infused ballad Hot Mess, with Guernica melting the hearts of her fans with her beautiful vocals. Getting back to a more incendiary mode it’s time for Wasted, a beer-drinking extravaganza where those four rockers are in absolute sync until the very last second, with Filippa kicking some serious ass with her riffs and solos, followed by Watch Out, where Guernica sends a fun message through the lyrics (“I’m beautiful with looks that kill / You better watch your words / You run around and talking shit /At least that’s what I heard”) while her bandmates smash their instruments in the name of Rock N’ Roll.
I Don’t Know You offers to our avid ears more of their classic lyrics (“I met you, a rainy day / In June, I met you / With a backstage pass / Like a fool / Drinking all our booze / With the crew / But who the fuck are you”) spiced up by an AC/DC-like sound and vibe, while All Looks No Hooks brings forward their usual fusion of Hard Rock and Rock N’ Roll where Filippa and Mona deliver pure melody and groove from their stringed axes. Then it’s time for an AC/DC and Airbourne-inspired hurricane titled Loud And Free, one of the most exciting of all tracks with Guernica and Filippa kicking us hard in the head with their superb performances; and it’s pedal to the metal as those Swedish girls won’t stop rockin’ our world in Try With Love, where Emlee once again speeds things up with her incendiary beats. Stratosphere keeps the album at a high level of adrenaline, with Guernica leading her bandmates with her undisputed soaring vocals, whereas the closing song Borrowed Time is a ballad that feels more like a bonus track. It’s not bad at all, but they could have ended the album in a much more exciting way with the previous song.
Thundermother Black and Gold Limited Boxset
When Black and Gold was released just a week before I was going to see Thundermother live for the first time ever in Montreal, I already knew their concert was going to be fantastic (and, of course, they lived up to the hype). All of the songs from Black and Gold, which is by the way available for a full listen on Spotify, are pure gold, with the girls always playing loud and free wherever they go. Hence, don’t forget to give them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and above all that, to purchase Black and Gold from their official webstore or by clicking HERE, and if you consider yourself a true servant of rock music you should definitely go for the limited boxset (limited to a thousand units) packaged in a backpack, containing a digipak CD, a 100x150cm flag, a pair of socks, a DIN A5 fake tattoo, a sweat band, an autograph and a certificate of authenticity. Thundermother are the light in the sky of rock music, and their new album will undoubtedly help them strike fast and hard all four corner of the earth for our total delight.
Best moments of the album:The Light In The Sky, Black And Gold, Watch Out and Loud And Free.
Worst moments of the album:Borrowed Time.
Released in 2022 AFM Records
Track listing 1. The Light In The Sky 3:34
2. Black And Gold 3:19
3. Raise Your Hands 3:40
4. Hot Mess 4:25
5. Wasted 3:24
6. Watch Out 3:11
7. I Don’t Know You 3:35
8. All Looks No Hooks 3:41
9. Loud And Free 2:50
10. Try With Love 3:29
11. Stratosphere 3:21
12. Borrowed Time 4:08
Band members Guernica Mancini – vocals
Filippa Nässil – guitar
Mona “Demona” Lindgren – bass
Emlee Johansson – drums
Let’s turn up the heat here at The Headbanging Moose in this month of June and properly kick off the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere with a metal lady that will absolutely stun you with her powerful vocals and onstage presence. A metal singer and vocal coach known for her work with bands the likes of Born In Exile, SerapiS, and Cobra Spell, she has a fantastic vocal range that allows her to sing not only metal but pretty much any music style, which explains why she’s becoming more and more famous, respected and admired in the current music scene. I’m talking about the multi-talented Kristina Vega, also known as Kris Vega, carrying the flag of Catalan metal wherever she goes armed with her fulminating voice. I bet you’re eager to know more about such skillful musician as much as Kris is waiting for you to join her in her quest for heavy music.
Born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, Kris had her first contact with metal music when she was only eight years old, more specifically a Rammstein song which she has tattooed on her arm (which we’ll talk about shortly). When she was 16 she had a band called MOTH (which didn’t last for too long according to Kris herself), she also spent five years with a Japanese music group where she used to write music and do the guttural vocals, then three more years with a Blues band, and another metal group called Lunes 12. However, Kris had to take a break from music for a while, getting back in action in the metal scene after seeing an ad asking for a vocalist for a local band. It didn’t take long for Born In Exile to take its desired shape and form, catapulting our diva to stardom right after the band’s first release. Furthermore, growing up in the golden years of Nu Metal helped her to detect all her registers, to play with different techniques of singing and to find her way as a vocalist, having also thoroughly studied how harsh vocals, textured voice and hyper-compression techniques work in order to reach different types of sound. A formed vocal coach by Rodrigo Llamazares at Vocal Studio (a specialist in vocal coaching for teachers), she actually started studying electric bass at the age of 14, and two years later she recorded her first album as a bass player and a guttural vocalist.
Formed in 2012 in Barcelona by drummer JuanMa Ávila and guitarists Carlos Castillo and Rodrigo Baez (all from the band Corelyn) with the goal of creating a project with progressive influences inside Heavy Metal that would please fans of bands the likes of Symphony X, Opeth, Dream Theater, Rush, Myrath, Leprous and Circus Maximus, among others, the unstoppable Melodic Progressive Metal outfit known as Born In Exile has been on a roll since its inception, all of course multiplied by one thousand after Kris joined the band in August 2015 with her melodic, raspy and soaring vocals, having recorded with the band their debut opus Drizzle of Cosmos, in 2017, which by the way led the band to play at Barcelona Rock Fest in 2018, their sophomore album Transcendence, in 2020, and an EP titled Live at Vampire Fest, in 2021. Kris mentioned in one of her interviews that she recorded a cover version for Queen’s “The Show Must go On” as a reply to the band’s ad where they were searching for a new vocalist, followed by a short meeting with JuanMa and Carlos, and both were absolutely mesmerized by her vocals, which you can enjoy in all its glory in songs such as Fields On Fire, The Lighthouse of the Haunted Keeper, Enchantress, One More Line, Ziggurat, Revenant and Torch.
Apart from her career with Born In Exile, our talented diva can also be seen blasting her unparalleled vocals with the bands Cobra Spell, Uneven Frame and SerapiS, as aforementioned. As a matter of fact, Kris has just started her stint with Cobra Spell, the Dutch Heavy Metal/Hard Rock outfit led by guitarist Sonia Anubis (Burning Witches, Crypta), having replaced the band’s original vocalist Alexx Panza about a month ago, and although she hasn’t recorded anything in the studio yet with the band you can already enjoy her visceral vocals with Cobra Spell on the road, as she’s now touring with the band despite the extremely short time to rehearse with them. It’s not clear if Barcelona-based Nu Metal project Uneven Frame is still active as there are no news from the band since 2020, but it would definitely be interesting to see what Kris can do in a more alternative style (and you can take a listen at their demos on their YouTube channel); and regarding Progressive Metal project SerapiS, recently formed by Kris together with guitarist Joaco Luís (Mollitiam, Born In Exile), you can enjoy the band’s first three singles on Spotify, or go to YouTube to be stunned by Act I: Defiance, Act II: Dissidence, and Act III: Wistfulness, pointing to a very interesting future ahead of them.
Our multi-talented Kris can also be seen as a guest vocalist for the songs Our Demise, from the 2021 album The Harbour in Me, by Spanish Symphonic Power Metal act Embersland, and The Breathless Season Bane, from the 2021 album Portraits, by Spanish Atmospheric Black Metal horde Perennial Isolation; and as a metal vocal coach at the Metal Academy School of Music, the first school completely devoted to Heavy Metal and Hard Rock founded in 2017 in Barcelona, and as a voice actress for The Monster Factory, a Montreal, Canada-based company specialized in the conception of voices for monsters, zombies, aliens and many more creatures in the video game and film industries provided by metal vocalists the likes of our unstoppable diva.
Highly influenced by a wide variety of styles, from bands like Tool, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Leprous, Slipknot and Jinjer to vocalists like Freddie Mercury and Mónica Naranjo, Kris has already performed in over 500 concerts, singing not only Heavy Metal and Hard rock, but also Blues, Soul, Death, Progressive and Experimental Metal, proving not only how skillful she is, but also how experienced she already is in the music industry. As mentioned, having listened to her first metal song at the young age of eight, more specifically the song Klavier, from the album Sehnchust by Rammstein, thanks to the father of one of her neighbours, Kris quickly moved on to other bands and artists such as Linkin Park, Slipknot, Machine Head, System of a Down, Otep and Arch Enemy, being right now a huge fan of Jinjer, In This Moment, Gojira, Opeth, Devin Townsend, Myrath and Twelve Foot Ninja. When asked if she listens to any bands that she considers some sort of “guilty pleasure”, Kris mentioned Nino Bravo, from her childhood years, Azul y Negro, from her teens, and Evanescence, when she was in her 20’s. In addition, when questioned if she prefers Nightwish or Epica, she said she doesn’t really enjoy their voices, being a much bigger fan of stronger vocals the likes of Jinjer and Battle Beast.
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An avid reader of everything surrounding the voice anatomy, Kris is also writing a book to help singers who are just starting their careers and trying to find their own voice, focusing on all obstacles a vocalist might find along the way as for example not being told what’s working and what’s not, which by the way happened to her in the beginning of her career. She believes anyone can sing as long as it represents your own voice and delivers the desired message, always working not only her students’ voices but also their fears, their landscapes and so on, trying to transfer as much courage and strength to all of them during her classes.
It was right after the release of Drizzle of Cosmos that Kris and her bandmates from Born In Exile began touring on a more professional level, having played in different countries and festivals, such as Barcelona Rock Fest. She mentioned that when the band received an email informing they were selected to open that festival she almost cried of pure joy, also saying their performance at the festival was one of the most memorable moments of her life so far. She mentioned in one of her interviews how difficult it is to perform onstage for a massive festival crowd, the importance of being mentally prepared, and the energy shared with the crowd. Still talking about touring, Kris said that she loves to play alongside renowned bands as everything feels a lot more professional, and that although organizing tours (especially outside of Spain) is a lot of work, all that effort is definitely worth it.
As a prominent woman in Heavy Metal, Kris commented on how she sees the role of women in the current metal scene and the type of treatment she receives from men. She mentioned that despite a few bad experiences and situations in her career, one of the most beautiful things in her life is the fact she’s extremely well treated by her bandmates, who support her in everything and the whole feminist movement. However, she believes women in metal should stop fighting against each other for different reasons and realize that they’re stronger when united, saying it’s important to stop thinking like a man and avoid at all costs using sexist words and expressions that are stuck inside our minds thanks to the way we’re taught those things by our society. Moreover, Kris also faced some criticism and sexism when she decided to move from her hairdresser job (which she had been doing since she was 15) to pursue her career in music. She used to listen to things such as being a vocalist or working with music doesn’t pay your bills, doesn’t put food on the table, that she should get a “real” job, and so on, but that didn’t stop her from becoming the awesome vocalist she is today.
Regarding the metal scene these days, she said she thinks the musical landscape is unfair, complaining about an empty venue for an excellent band that goes all the way from Australia to Spain, for example, which is frustrating for the musicians involved. In addition, she said she would like to encourage all bands to have more respect and companionship among themselves, and to see more support to local bands by inviting them to open for the foreign headliners, just like what happened to Born In Exile during Barcelona Rock Fest where the band might have played for only 30 minutes, but according to Kris herself it was good enough to show the crowd what they got. And to be honest, even if they had played for only five minutes that would have been more than enough for the metalheads at the festival to witness how amazing the music by Born In Exile is and how powerful Kris’ vocals are, always singing about love, pain, real-life experiences and other related topics, therefore adding an extra personal touch to her thrilling performance.
As aforementioned, Kris is an accomplished vocal coach, offering vocalists not only from Barcelona but from all around the world different options to work with her, including more basic, free courses through the Metal Academy School of Music, or intensive online and in-person courses (which you can get more details by contacting her by email), and she’s waiting for you to begin a very productive and fun partnership in the name of rock and metal music. By the way, you can also click HERE to check all of her official links where you can get to know more about Kris and her career. Lastly, in case you decide to take vocal classes with Kris and it starts to rain, that might be a very good sign, and the reason for that is quite funny. When she was asked about something curious that has already happened with Born In Exile, she said that every time the band is about to do something important, it rains, it doesn’t matter if it’s the recording of a new album, signing with a record label, playing at a famous venue, or anything else. In other words, let’s join the incendiary Kristina Vega in her quest for heavy music, and may the rain fall down on us for many decades to come together with such inspiring musician.
How to open your heart in the chaos of life? Learn to give and to share, to hustle and strive…
If you consider yourself a diehard fan of both old school and modern-day Death Metal, I’m certain you’ll have a very good time with our metal chick of the month of September. Not only she’s the owner of a potent and visceral voice, but her charisma, together with her onstage (and onscreen) performance, turn her into a must-listen and see for any admirer of first-class extreme music. I’m talking about the unstoppable Russian growler Ira Sidenko, also known as Irina Sidenko (or even Ирина Сиденко in Russian), the frontwoman for Tomsk, Russia-based Death Metal brigade Dehydrated, and a metalhead who is always expressing her passion for Heavy Metal through her music and art.
Born in the city of Tomsk, in Tomsk Oblast, a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) that lies in the southeastern West Siberian Plain, Ira studied at Tomsk State University, or TSU, known in her mother tongue as Томский Государственный Университет, or ТГУ, but it’s not clear exactly what course or courses she took at TSU. It was in 2008 when she founded Dehydrated (being named Dehydrated Entrails from 2008 until 2009, when they changed their name to the current one) together with guitarist Evgen Tsibulin, bassist Evgeny Zimin and drummer Alexey Ablayev, with only Ira and Evgen being still in the band from its original formation. Playing a fusion of classic Death Metal with other styles such as Deathcore, Grindcore, Groove Metal and even Progressive Metal, among others, the band didn’t know exactly what they wanted to play at first, but they knew it was going to be hard and aggressive, experimenting with several genres and subgenres of heavy music as aforementioned. By the way, when asked about the origin of the band’s name, Ira explained that’s how you feel after a concert, feeling dehydrated both physically and mentally after all the exchange of energy between the band and the crowd.
Having already played in several international festivals including Metal Head’s Mission (Ukraine), Metal Crowd (Belarus), Petrogrind (St. Petersburg), Metal Maidens (Kaluga), and Cieszanów Rock Festiwal (Poland), as well as tours around Russia and Eastern Europe, the band has unleashed upon humanity an array of high-quality albums and EP’s, those being the 2009 demo Suffering from Mummification, the full-lengths Duality of Existence (2011), Zone Beneath the Skin (2012) and Awake in Era (2012), the EP’s Mind Extract (2011), Piranha or Whale? (2019) and Piranha or Whale (Part II) (2020), and a 2011 split with the bands PureFilth, Grace Disgraced and Redrvm. Furthermore, in one of her interviews, Ira mentioned that her favorite Dehydrated album to date is Awake in Era, as she considers it more professional and more atmospheric than the other releases, with each of its songs representing a different story, but I’m sure that opinion will change with each of their releases just like what happens with any musician. And when asked about what Dehidrated means to her, she said that as music is her life, the band represents life to her, always showing a lot of love for her own work.
Dehydrated are a DIY band, doing everything themselves and relying a lot on the internet for sales and promotional activities just like countless underground bands worldwide. Ira mentioned that services like BandCamp, Spotify, Patreon and YouTube have been helping the band a lot with their promotion, but that at the same time they still have a hard time trying to organize tours all by themselves. Hence, if you want to give the music by Dehydrated a try, you can stream all of their creations on BandCamp, on Spotify and on YouTube, where you can have an absolute blast with songs the likes of Hell Doesn’t Exist, Parallels, Sickness, Outlaws, Thirst of Dose, Werewolf, Alive Underground, Piranha or Whale, and their excellent covers for Motörhead’s Ace of Spades and Lake of Tears’ U.N.S.A.N.E.
Apart from her career with Dehydrated, you can also find Ira kicking some ass with a female-fronted metal band from Saint Petersburg, Russia named Fallcie for a while, and she can also be seen as a guest vocalist in the song А Время Шло, from the 2020 EP А Время Шло (or “time went on”) by Kaluga, Russia-based Melodic Death Metal band Last Trial. In addition, Ira is also an amazing online vocal coach as you can see on her own YouTube channel, not only providing some great tips to growlers worldwide, but also uploading to her channel cover versions for countless songs the likes of Slaughter to Prevail’s Hell, Rammstein’s Sonne, Linkin Park’s From the Inside, Decapitated’s Homo Sum, Death’s Without Judgement, Vader’s Hexenkessel, and Whitchapel’s I Dementia.
All those top-notch cover versions are not in vain, as all of those bands are also part of Ira’s idols and influences list. As a matter of fact, when asked about how she would define the sound by Dehydrated, she mentioned it’s a fusion of different styles from bands such as Death, Gojira, Animal as Leaders, and so on. Regarding her personal preferences, our beloved growler mentioned the first bands she fell in love with were Rammstein and Slipknot, later moving on to Black and Death Metal and getting absolutely addicted to that. Furthermore, the first time she heard a Death Metal band was when she got to know the music by Aborted, also getting hooked to the music by Whitechapel, Deicide and Vital Remains. However, Ira said she doesn’t have any limits when listening to music, being also a fan of Jazz, Blues, Grindcore and many other distinct styles, but of course always praising metal behemoths the likes of Motörhead, Manowar and Metallica.
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Ira also provided her view on how to become a metal vocalist in one of her interviews, saying that there’s no secret to that but several years of practice and studies (and tons of mistakes) and a never-ending desire to grow, always searching for the right sound and for professional development. Although she mentioned she hadn’t had an older brother to show her metal music, Ira mentioned she had a friend with whom she used to listen to Rammstein together, which inspired her to form a band and, later, as her taste for music became heavier and heavier, she naturally decided to learn how to do guttural by herself. Having the flexibility to sing in English, Russian and German, Ira believes her vocal performance and her confidence have improved a lot since the band’s 2009 debut demo Suffering from Mummification, again pointing out to the importance of constant learning to become a better vocalist.
When asked about the metal scene in Russia (and in Eastern Europe in general), she thinks the bands in Russia need to show more of their own culture and ideas when creating music instead of trying to mimic famous European or American bands, but of course she acknowledges there are tons of fantastic bands in her homeland such as Katalepsy and Arkona. Moreover, in regards to her hometown Tomsk, she said that there was a time when Siberia, where Tomsk is located, once had a very strong metal scene, but that has changed over time and today the scene is not as powerful and the attendance to metal concerts has dropped significantly. She complemented by saying that not only in Tomsk, but in the entire Russia (and maybe we can also add the rest of the world to the mix), you can only get in contact with metal music through the internet, as the radio and TV do not offer any space to bands like Dehydrated, and there aren’t any major festivals either to promote the bands. She still thinks that there are great bands coming from her hometown, though, such as Apokefale and Dark Revenge, which needless to say need our total support to avoid getting extinct.
Last but not least, our Russian growler believes that becoming a Death Metal vocalist isn’t easy at all, it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, but of course it can be a little bit tougher to girls depending on the situation due to the sexism that still happens in the metal community all over the world. She said that once in a while she’s the target of that sexism, but she doesn’t really care about it and keeps working hard to make Dehydrated a better band and to make herself a better vocalist. When asked about how she responds to those attacks, she said she simply doesn’t answer back to the haters, ignoring them on social media and focusing on what really matters, which is the opinion and support of her fans, her friends and her family. And to be fair, she’s more than right in doing so, avoiding bringing that negativity to her work as a musician, therefore keeping her haters screaming in anger (but not as greatly as her) for not engaging in a virtual battle with her. That’s how you recognize a true musician, and let’s hope Ira keeps growling in our faces for many years to come with her ass-kicking band.
“We are very pleased to be able to create and do what we like, we do not know for how long but the only certainty is that there is only one here and now. We look to the future positively.” – Ira Sidenko
All aboard the Rock N’ Roll vessel captained by a talented five-piece Belgian crew, taking you on a trip through the unruly waters of rock and metal music to the sound of their self-titled debut EP.
Starting as a wet dream of guitarist Daan and drummer Evert from a Belgian rock band named The DeVilles, Keerbergen, Belgium-based Rock N’ Roll/Hard Rock act Captain Naysayer are ready to rock your world to the sound of their self-titled debut EP, bringing to the table a fun and vibrant sound inspired by 70’s Rock N’ Roll. Comprised of the aforementioned Daan and Evert together with their countrymen Tom on keyboards and Bert on bass, as well as Brazilian vocalist Arthur, who by the way joined the band from overseas after seeing their online post to lure some candidates for the job, Captain Naysayer take no prisoners in their quest for classic rock and metal, offering to us all six undisputed songs that go from the most classic form of Rock N’ Roll to heavier and more melodic passages, and the final result will certainly put you to dance and bang your heads together with the boys like there’s no tomorrow.
Arising from the bottom of the ocean like a true kraken, Captain Naysayer start blasting their 70’s Rock N’ Roll in Black Silhouette, spearheaded by the smashing beats by Evert and the classic vocals by Arthur, with the Axel Rudi Pell-inspired keys by Tom being the icing on the cake. And more of their old school rock music is offered in the form of Changes, where Daan’s soulful riffs and Bert’s low-tuned bass add an extra touch of nostalgia to the overall result, not to mention how rhythmic and pleasant the drumming by Evert sounds; followed by Voodoo Lovin’, an amazing display of Psychedelic Rock with a Southern Rock twist where the lyrics declaimed by Arthur couldn’t have been more Hard Rock than this (“Since we first met you put me through a test / Going through the ringer on the tip of your finger / It was hard each day just to get a little closer to you / It was like a spell, it was like a trance / Nothing in my mind except for the desire / For the fire that was burning in between your legs”).
After such powerful start, the second half of the EP kicks off with I See Danger, showcasing a Placebo-like vibe in Arthur’s strident vocals accompanied by some tribalistic elements and the Rock N’ Roll riffage by Daan. In addition, tons of progressiveness flows from all instruments, with Tom’s keys bringing electricity and epicness to their core sound in another ode to rock and metal music. Then smooth keys and a whimsical atmosphere suddenly explode into a Jethro Tull-like sonority in Blue Eyed Mask, a delicate ballad by Captain Naysayer where the vocals by Arthur exhale poetry and melancholy from start to finish, whereas they showcase their Deep Purple vein and passion for classic Progressive Rock and Metal in the closing tune Living Again, where Tom is on fire with his ass-kicking keys while Evert and Bert bring the Blues to the music, all spiced up by an incendiary performance by Arthur on vocals while ending in the most vibrant way imaginable.
If you want to know more about Captain Naysayer before boarding their Rock N’ Roll vessel, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and plans for the future, subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their music and videos, and of course purchase their thrilling EP from BandCamp and stream it on Spotify (or simply click HERE to choose your favorite version of the album). I’m sure those Belgian musicians (and of course their Brazilian vocalist) will love to hear from you, keeping their inner rockin’ fire burning and, therefore, inspiring them to move forward in their career and continue to embellish the airwaves with their great fusion of old school Rock N’ Roll, Hard Rock and Blues, carving their names in the small but always prolific underground Belgian scene.
Best moments of the album: Voodoo Lovin’ and Living Again.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2021 Independent
Track listing 1. Black Silhouette 4:27
2. Changes 3:53
3. Voodoo Lovin’ 4:18
4. I See Danger 3:33
5. Blue Eyed Mask 4:23
6. Living Again 5:09
Band members Arthur – vocals
Daan – guitar
Tom – keys
Bert – bass
Evert – drums
Rawer, heavier and harder, the sophomore album by these sensational Swedish roots rockers ooze with a 70’s sound and feel, filled with attitude, raw vocals and roaring guitar riffs.
Two years after the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Débris & Rubble, vocalist Lisa Lystam, guitarist Matte Gustavsson, bassist Morgan Korsmoe and drummer Ola Göransson, collectively known as Stockholm, Sweden-based Roots Rock outfit Heavy Feather, are ready to stun us all once again with their sophomore effort entitled Mountain of Sugar, an even rawer, heavier and harder album than their previous one, but still with the Roots and Psychedelic Rock touch holding it all together. Recorded by Erik “Errka” Petersson at No Regrets Fonogram in Stockholm and mastered by Magnus Lindberg (Lucifer, Imperial State Electric), Mountain of Sugar consists of 11 tracks oozing with a 70’s sound and feel, filled with attitude, raw vocals and roaring guitar riffs, therefore being once again highly recommended for fans of iconic bands like Free, Cream and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Let’s take a journey back to the 70’s to the magical riffs by Matte in 30 Days, and Lisa doesn’t take too long to begin mesmerizing us with her powerful voice accompanied by her bandmates’ classic backing vocals in an awesome way to properly kick off the album, whereas singing about the eternal fight between time and love (“When I get old / Start counting my days / Living them slow / Living in haze / There’s one thing that’s clear / And that is your grace”), Bright in My Mind is another solid Rock N’ Roll tune with Morgan carefully slamming his bass from start to finish. Love Will Come Easy brings forward more of their fusion of 70’s rock music with contemporary Hard Rock and Blues, with Ola dictating the pace while Lisa shines as usual with her piercing vocal lines; and catchy lyrics (“Yes I’m relentless, a mountain of sugar / And I keep on rising, the mountain of sugar / I am mesmerizing, a mountain of sugar / But don’t get me feisty, the mountain of sugar”) and an upbeat vibe are the main ingredients in the vibrant Mountain of Sugar, not to mention Lisa’s kick-ass harmonica. Then a Deep Purple-inspired riff by Matte is boosted by the classy kitchen blasted by Morgan and Ola in Too Many Times, where Matte also adds tons of electricity to the music with his soulful riffs. And did I mention there’s also some cowbell for our total delight?
It’s time for a classic ballad by Heavy Feather titled Let It Shine, where Lisa steals the spotlight with a very passionate vocal performance while her bandmates deliver smoothness and love through their refined instruments, whereas Come We Can Go is old school Rock N’ Roll for admires of the genre, keeping the album at a high level of adrenaline and showcasing an amazing job done by Ola on drums. In Sometimes I Feel we’re introduced to a male vocalist (perhaps Matte?) instead of Lisa’s usual vocals, with Matte and Morgan being in total sync with their stringed weapons, generating a gentle but at the same time heavy ambience. Lisa is then back on vocals to hypnotize our senses in Lovely Lovely Lovely, while Ola fires classic beats and fills and Matte continues to shine with his electrifying solos; and a high dosage of Rock N’ Roll riffs and beats permeate the air in the awesome Rubble & Débris, a wordplay with the title of their previous album, inspiring you to sing, drink and bang your head together with the quartet while Lisa steals the show once again with her visceral vocals. Finally, ending the album the band delivers a delicate and beautiful ballad titled Asking in Need, perfect for listening to it while embracing your loved ones, all spiced up by the whimsical riffs and solos by Matte.
Those Swedish rockers are definitely making a name for themselves in the worldwide Rock N’ Roll scene, first with Débris & Rubble and now with Mountain of Sugar, two albums that can already be considered a must-have for anyone who enjoys old school rock music. You can get to know more about Heavy Feather on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their official YouTube channel, stream all of their awesome creations on Spotify, and grab your copy of Mountain of Sugar from their own BandCamp page, from Apple Music, and soon from other locations. It’s a pleasure seeing how Heavy Feather took a step forward in their career with Mountain of Sugar without giving up their passion for the past, which only proves Rock N’ Roll is not only timeless, but also as sweet and delicious as sugar.
Best moments of the album: 30 Days, Mountain of Sugar and Rubble & Débris.
Worst moments of the album:Sometimes I Feel.
Released in 2021 The Sign Records
Track listing 1. 30 Days 3:41
2. Bright in My Mind 3:27
3. Love Will Come Easy 4:07
4. Mountain of Sugar 2:23
5. Too Many Times 2:46
6. Let It Shine 2:52
7. Come We Can Go 3:44
8. Sometimes I Feel 3:59
9. Lovely Lovely Lovely 4:13
10. Rubble & Débris 3:15
11. Asking in Need 3:40
Band members Lisa Lystam – vocals, harmonica
Matte Gustavsson – guitars
Morgan Korsmoe – bass
Ola Göransson – drums
Four distinct musicians from four different countries united in the name of metal, bringing to us all a truly unique sound, unmistakably heavy and angry, yet refreshingly different and unpredictable.
Originally founded by Greek-Kiwi vocalist and lyricist Aliki Katriou in 2016 together with British guitarist James Scott (replaced by French guitarist Paul Allain in 2017), bassist Marcin Orczyk from Poland, and Brazilian drummer Rodrigo Moraes Cruz, London, UK-based Extreme Metal act Eight Lives Down has its roots in Groove and Thrash Metal, but constantly branches out stylistically incorporating influences from Progressive, Death and Black Metal, as well as various other musical genres such as Punk Rock, Blues, and traditional folk music, while vocals range from low growls and high screams to clean and even operatic phrases, creating a truly unique sound, unmistakably heavy and angry, yet refreshingly different and unpredictable. Now in 2020 the quartet is ready to invade our senses with their debut full-length opus, entitled Humans, showcasing all their versatility, dynamism, creativity and rage, all enhanced by the album’s top-notch mixing and mastering done by Dan Baune at Noise Foundry Productions, while embraced by a modern, stylish artwork by Dylan Sutton.
The blazing guitar riffs by Paul kick off the sick and groovy Opening Shots, bringing forward a fusion of Melodic Death Metal with more modern and alternative styles, with Aliki growling like a true she-demon for our total delight, followed by Misguided, where the metallic bass jabs by Marcin will hit you in the face while Aliki blasts her wicked mix of clean vocals and harsh gnarls, leaning towards contemporary Thrash and Groove Metal while Rodrigo dictates the pace with his classy beats. Then the mesmerizing vocalizations by Aliki accompanied by tribalistic sounds and tones ignite the heavy and experimental Angela, with Paul, Marcin and Rodrigo bringing sheer progressiveness to the music with their refined techniques, whereas From The Cradle is a lot more introspective, grim and atmospheric than its predecessors, starting in a semi-acoustic manner while Aliki declaims the song’s dark lyrics, sounding at the same time like a 90’s Groove and Funk Metal tune and a modern-day thrashing tune, something a wicked band like Faith No More would definitely do.
More of their rumbling sounds permeate the air in the also heavy and furious Sacrifice, a lecture in Groove Metal by Eight Lives Down where Aliki’s roars get deeper and more enraged while Rodrigo sounds pulverizing on drums, supported by Marcin’s menacing bass; and in Organize Your Mind the quartet offers us all a hybrid of the rebelliousness of Alternative Metal with the intricacy of Progressive Metal, with Paul being on absolute fire with his demented riffage, while also presenting interesting atmospheric passages and endless heaviness. After that it’s time to break our necks headbanging together with Aliki and the boys in Colder, adding hints of Heavy Rock to their already crushing sonority while Paul and Marcin have a fun duel with their strident riffs and solos and low-tuned bass punches, respectively. Lastly, you better get ready for nine minutes of introspection, groove and heaviness in the form of Why, starting in a serene way with Aliki declaiming the song’s cryptic words, evolving into a thunderous metal feast led by Rodrigo’s visceral beats, not to mention the incendiary solos by Paul as the icing on the cake.
This precious gem of Extreme and Experimental Metal can be enjoyed in its entirety on YouTube, but of course in order to show your support to Aliki and her loyal henchmen you should definitely buy a copy of Humans from their own BandCamp page, from their webstore or from Amazon, as well as follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about such up-and-coming metal band, and subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their idiosyncratic creations. It will certainly be more than just interesting to see what the future holds for Eight Lives Down with their upcoming releases, if they’ll keep experimenting like crazy or if they’ll set a defined shape and style for their music. Until then, while we wait for the creative mind of Aliki to provide us more insanity in the form of music, we can keep banging our heads nonstop to Humans, by far one of the best alternative albums of the year.
Best moments of the album: Opening Shots and Sacrifice.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2020 Cult Of Parthenope
Track listing 1. Opening Shots 3:50
2. Misguided 4:01
3. Angela 3:56
4. From The Cradle 7:40
5. Sacrifice 3:52
6. Organize Your Mind 4:21
7. Colder 4:20
8. Why 9:02
Band members
Aliki Katriou – vocals
Paul Allain – guitar
Marcin Orczyk – bass
Rodrigo Moraes Cruz – drums
A free-flowing 30-minute long composition ebbing and flowing between heavy syncopated grooves, Jazz fusion flourishes, ethereal synth-layered passages and cybernetic Death Metal.
Formed in 2016 in the city of Berlin, Germany, a distinguished Progressive Metal unity known as Intercepting Pattern is comprised of vocalist Daniel Sander, guitarist and keyboardist Marte Auer, bassist Clemens Engert and drummer Lille Gruber, all seasoned musicians known for their time in projects such as Defeated Sanity, Infecting the Swarm and Cerebric Turmoil. Produced, mixed & mastered by Tom ‘Fountainhead’ Geldschläger at FountainheadHQ and featuring a stunning artwork by Niklas Sundin (Mitochondrial Sun, Dark Tranquillity), Intercepting Pattern’s debut effort, entitled The Encounter, was created and designed as one free-flowing 30-minute long genre-bending composition, ebbing and flowing between heavy syncopated grooves, Jazz fusion flourishes, ethereal synth-layered passages and cybernetic Death Metal with seamless ease, appealing to fans of groups such as Meshuggah, Cynic and Panzerballett, among others. For release purposes, The Encounter is split into 10 “song” sections, although it is strongly suggested to listen to it in one session as it was intended when being created.
Clearly inspired by classic TV shows and movies that dealt with alien forms of life, the opening track Extragalactic Radio presents Lille and Clemens bringing endless groove and intricacy to the music with their beats and bass punches while Marte adds a touch of finesse to the overall result with his riffs and solos, flowing into the Progressive Death Metal feast titled Signal-to-Noise, where Daniel fires anguished, raspy roars accompanied by the always blazing guitars by Marte, resulting in an excellent option for breaking your neck headbanging. And their mysterious, otherworldly story goes on in Interlude I, an atmospheric and futuristic creation by Intercepting Pattern that will certainly send shivers down your spine before Eigenlicht offers us all Jazz and Blues united with the band’s hybrid of Progressive and Groove Metal, or in other words, a complex and extremely enjoyable tune where Marte and Lille are in absolute sync with their incendiary riffs and beats, whereas Hypnagogia is another wicked instrumental creation by the quartet with Clemens’ bass jabs making your head tremble in awe, all spiced up by background voices and ethereal keys, and running smoothly until its whimsical conclusion.
Interlude II is a cinematic bridge created to keep the listener hypnotized and eager for what’s next, as Daniel returns in full force with his rabid growls in Rebiogenesis, with the band’s razor-edged guitars and rumbling bass together with the sick drums by Lille generating a multi-layered wall of sounds for our total delectation. Then featuring guest Jimmy Pitts (Eternity’s End, Eynomia, NorthTale, NYN, The Fractured Dimension) on keyboards we have Fuga Finalis, an explosion of Progressive Groove Metal infused with Jazz and other idiosyncratic sounds and tones. Not only that, can you feel the anger bursting from Daniel’s roars? It’s sick and amazing at the same time, of course. And the music makes an instant bridge with the also demented and progressive Asmodeus, sounding as bold and weird as possible while led by the jamming beats by Lille, being therefore highly recommended for musicians who love the fusion of metal and Jazz, before the outro Epilogue ends the album in a cryptic and again atmospheric manner, with its instrumental pieces exhaling melancholy and heaviness until all is said and done.
“Having played in various metal bands before, we were kind of drawn to modern jazz and fusion records at the time and wanted to challenge ourselves with a more complex and improvisational approach to music. Of course, being the metal kids that we are, we couldn’t totally hide from our roots, but overall we tried to emphasize extended harmonic concepts and recurring rhythmic motives common to a Jazz/Fusion context”, commented the band about their newborn spawn, and after listening to the album in its entirety it’s easy to understand exactly what they wanted to accomplish in The Encounter. Needless to say, they more than succeeded in their quest, and if you want to give Intercepting Pattern a try you can grab your copy of The Encounter from the Rising Nemesis Records’ BandCamp page, and soon also from the Rising Nemesis Records’ Big Cartel and from IndieMerchstore. You can also get to know more about the band by following them on Facebook, showing your appreciation for their wicked hybrid of Heavy Metal and Jazz, and inspiring them to keep exploring the outer space and alien life with their refined music for many years to come.
Best moments of the album: Signal-to-Noise, Rebiogenesis and Fuga Finalis.
SmugglerRok 2024 in Lieto, Finland, was a true celebration of Finnish music and culture, marking a milestone with its 10th edition. Held over two days on August 2nd and 3rd, the festival brought together some of Finland’s most beloved artists and bands, offering an eclectic mix of genres from blues and rock to heavy metal. The event highlighted the rich musical heritage of the country and created an unforgettable experience for fans, with performances that ranged from intimate and soulful to electrifying and high-energy.
ANSSI KELA
MAIJA VILKKUMAA
UNIKLUBI
MICHAEL MONROE
BATTLE BEAST
The 10th edition of SmugglerRok was nothing short of legendary. Once again the festival brought life, rhythms, lights and smiles to the little city of Lieto. The blend of legendary artists, rising stars, and local talents created an atmosphere of unity and celebration. As the final notes faded and the crowd dispersed, there was a shared feeling of fulfillment and anticipation for what next year’s festival might bring.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 