Hold Tight! PR

INTRODUCING: The Sun Explodes (Progressive Metal)

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:48:10 +0100

Band name: The Sun Explodes

Location: Carlisle, UK

Genre: Prog/Alt/Metal

Links: http://www.thesunexplodes.com || http://www.facebook.com/thesunexplodes

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

We’ve been going almost 4 years in total now. The band started as a result of 2 local bands splitting up (both of which Al was in at one point) and we’ve always made it our mission to write original, creative music and enjoy the shit out of playing it live. Although we put a lot of effort and as much capital as we can into recording, live is where we feel we shine, our gigs are full of energy, sweat, blood, and many other fluids.

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

We always try to ensure no two tracks on one of our releases sound the same. With that being said however we felt our lead single “SevenThreeOne” just about managed to represent all the elements we feel make up most of the music, that is: Frenetic techy sections, epic/large sections, lots of time signatures, lots of key changes, and some quiet bits so you don’t get too much of a headache.

Plans for the next 12 months.

After recently signing on with Possessive Management for management and booking, we plan to tour the shit out of “We Build Mountains”. We’d love to make a progression from the toilet circuit gigging wise, although we realise it’s going to take time. Maybe in 12 months we could progress to the sink circuit. (It’s not the toilet, but adjacent to it. Same room though)

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

Its loud, energetic, depending on what sort of mood Dave’s in you might experience any number of things you probably wouldn’t expect to experience when you thought to yourself “hey theres a gig on tonight, I’ll go to that why not”.

We DO get described as “tight” but honestly, it doesn’t feel like that on stage, it feels like chaos. We generally take “tight” to mean: “I’m surprised you guys managed to still make a noise that sounded like a band whilst behaving like you did on stage, well done”.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

Sacrifice a virgin. Just kidding. Anyone who looks at a member of TSE instantly loses their virginity. And if you’ve lost it already it grows back, and then you lose it again. What was the question again. Oh yeah, usually what happens is Al attempts to organise everyone, Jamie attempts to unorganise everyone, Dave panics a bit, Mike and Alex play it cool.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

Oh shiiiiiit this is hard. Let’s start with:

Arcane Roots, we played with them a year or so when they were on the up, they’re creating some ace original music and they’re spot on guys. Also their engineer Chris Coulter mixed our album and did a fucking excellent job of it.

TesseracT. Because James might read this…Also they are exceptionally good and would teach us a thing or two.

Andrew WK. Because he likes to party hard.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

Our friends from Blackburn called “Falter”. If you see that name on a poster, give the doorman whatever amount of sterlings he wants and we guarantee you’ll have a good time.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

It’s difficult to say, the internet/social media has been ubiquitous pretty much since the inception of the band. So it’s difficult to imagine life without it, all I can really say is it’s definitely part of our daily lives and part of the routine in terms of promotion. It’s certainly very easy to get yourself “out there” these days, but as a result of this, there is a veritable sea of mediocrity “out there”. So in order to get noticed you still have to be captaining a very big and shiny ship. These aquatic metaphors doing anything for ya?

What’s in your cd player right now?

Honestly we all listen to such different stuff it’s a really hard question. (And by hard, I mean, its 8 o clock in the morning and none of the others are out of bed yet and won’t be for hours). Some of us are really digging Mallory Knox’s new album, we love what Aliases are doing, Queen greatest hits never leaves the CD player, debut album from our friends in 22, amazing.

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

If you made it to the end of my shit interview then you surely have time to click a YouTube link and find out if we’re shit or not?! Honestly as long as your favourite band doesn’t have “bieber” or “brides” in the name you should be fine…

For press opportunities, interviews or muffins contact lisa@HoldTight!PR

INTRODUCING: The Rocket Dolls (Alt Rock/Metal)

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:03:31 +0100

Band name: The Rocket Dolls

Location: Brighton, UK

Genre: Alternative Rock/Metal

Links: http://www.facebook.com/therocketdolls || http://www.youtube.com/therocketdolls

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

We got together in 2008. All we’ve wanted to do is simply tour loads, and create a ‘less is more’ type vibe live as we’re a 3 piece. People have been blown away by how big we sound for just 3 of us. Also people have always struggled to lump us in any one specific category, just because we incorporate many different sub genres in our sound. The most important thing is that we’re very humble guys, and are just very happy and grateful to be in a position to be recording, and playing music - as its the coolest thing in the world. So because of this we try to have as much fun as possible, and appreciate every minute of it.

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

We have our debut album out soon called ‘Eyes’. When people listen to it I think they’ll love it, and be blown away at the production, the tones, and because of the fact that there are a handful of different sub genres within the music. The album has all kinds of influences in it it from Grunge, to Punk, to Metal, to Pop Rock, to Southern Rock, to Doom. What we really want to achieve on this album is not to be pigeon holed into one genre, because I don’t think people can :D

Plans for the next 12 months.

For the next 12 months we just want to be in a good position where a lot of people have heard our record, and we can do good tours etc. We want to have had good reviews, and good radio play, and we hope that in the next 12 months a lot of people are enjoying our album :D

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

In our live shows we want to create a ‘less is more’ feel to it all. We’ve done our homework with tones and things because it’s vital in a 3 piece that your tones are on the money. People who’ve seen us live have always said how huge we sound for just 3 of us.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

3 bands we’d love to tour with would be:

KING’S X - because they’re our 3 piece piers, they’ve done 15 albums, and just keep plugging away through thick and thin - and we find that very inspiring….also they have heaps of groove - and we’re groove guys.

SEVENDUST - because very imply put - they were one of our main metal influences growing up.

ALICE IN CHAINS - because we love their desert rock/evil sounding grunge, as we feel that we have a strong influence there. We feel we’d go down really well with them!

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

One band we’d love to give a shout out to would be SWORN TO OATH. They’re good friends of ours, work unbelievably hard, and are absolutely incredible live.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

The internet has been everything to us to be honest! Without it we’d be stuffed.

What’s in your cd player right now?

In my CD player right now its ‘16 Stone’ by BUSH.

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

To summarise: People should listen to our band because we’re not just one genre, we’re a huge sounding 3 piece, we have heaps of groove, and evil riffs! ;)

For press opportunities, interviews or muffins contact lisa@HoldTight!PR

INTRODUCING: Sleepers Awake (ProgSludgeDoomKitchenSinkMetal)

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:19:08 +0100

Band name: Sleepers Awake

Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Genre: Prog/Sludge/Melodic Doom… dunno… Metal works…

Links: www.sleeperrock.com || http://www.facebook.com/SleeperRock

<a href=”http://sleepersawake.bandcamp.com/track/the-fulcrum-2” data-mce-href=”http://sleepersawake.bandcamp.com/track/the-fulcrum-2”>The Fulcrum by Sleepers Awake</a>

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

Rob and Chris (Thompson) started Sleepers Awake years ago, with roots going back near a decade. The current permutation started in 2008 with the addition of Chris (Burnsides), on drums (also referred to as Ambrose for sake of avoiding the two Chris issue). The first album, Priests of the Fire was released in November 2009. After brief regional touring, our then bassist left the band. Ambrose having played in other musical projects with Kedar asked him to join at bass and from there we spent the next 2 years performing regionally and working on Transcension in one stage or another.

Our music has been an effort to merge many of our different influences into a unified sound. We’ve sought to create a wholly new amalgam of rock and metal stylings, taking nods at Opeth, Mastodon, Queen, QOTSA, and Tool. Lately our writing has leaned a little more towards a variety of technical metal bands, from Uneven Structure and Meshuggah to Intronaut, while also incorporating more of the dramatic, doomy atmospheres of bands like Katatonia. Basically we’re all huge metal wonks and doing our best to fuse together a new and interesting sound.

As far as why we do it, well, we can’t really imagine not doing it. That would be horrible. It’s a multifaceted answer. We do it for all the reasons above but I suppose from a personal perspective it’s just a pure love of performing, creating, and sharing and performing those creations with other people that understand us. We’d be mentally unhealthy without that pursuit. One of the feelings that we live for is that feeling when we hear from someone on the other side of the planet who loves the record. So as far as what we want to achieve it’s a simple extension of why we’re doing it: to communicate our art with others.

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

A highly crafted metal epic meant to be played from start to finish that is, at its core, a nod to the grand tradition of concept records. It may be commercially foolish to write “an album” anymore in the age of the single but this is really what we’ve all been fed on and we sought to write a record whose full weight is appreciated when listened to as a whole.

Plans for the next 12 months.

Right now we’re planning a music video for one of the songs on Transcension, setting up Spring tour dates in the US, and continuing to write new material and perform regionally. And then of course world domination shortly thereafter… just as soon as our death ray arrives from Sky Mall Magazine.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

Four sweaty meat golems demolishing your favorite club

How does the band prepare for a gig?

Well the first step is practice, practice, practice! After that the next most important element in show preparation is not getting shitfaced before going on the stage. We don’t have any magical incantations or anything awesome along those lines unfortunately. Ambrose seems to have to pee every five seconds right before going on stage, so there is that too.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

1.) Opeth: Mikael Akerfeldt is fairly high on our list of idols and at the same time he doesn’t seem like he’d be a complete dick to a smaller band. He’s been hilarious and seems pretty down to earth every time we’ve seen them play but at the same time he is probably one of the most musically intimidating people I can imagine meeting. They’re respectable on a lot of levels I think.

2.) Intronaut: They have a really awesome blend of intricate musicianship and raw organic emotionality which, over the course of their career, they’ve found how to do in a way that is wholly their own, and I suppose that is in essence what we’re really aiming for with Sleepers Awake.

3.) Castle: We just played with them the other week when they came through town and they were awesome musicians and awesome people to boot. They have this really cool sort of doom/thrash hybrid with these fantastic image inducing lyrics and Liz has this really haunting voice and stage presence. I think the latent motif here is that we really respect metal bands that have unique structures and musical identities. We like to see devotion to authenticity and experimentation in full stride.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

Ohio is literally overflowing with talent across the board but as far as metal and rock bands I’d highly suggest people check out Neon Warship, Bringers of Disease, The Black Antler, Red Sun, and Megachurch. As far as we’re concerned these guys have all absolutely achieved what they’re going for and deliver an awesome show every time.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

A lot of the motivation we have comes from all the support we’ve gotten from around the world. We once had two guys from Florida fly up to see us play a show in a dingy little rock club in Columbus, just for the hell of it. Things like that are all but impossible without the internet and while we love the home town support it really is a crucial factor in our motivation for share our music with a wider audience. After all, the internet is how we met you lovely people at Hold Tight!

What’s in your cd player right now?

Right now I am spinning Castle’s latest album Blacklands. Heavy drums, spooky vocals, sweet riffs. Just a fantastic metal record start to finish.

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

Why should you listen to our band? To paraphrase some famous dead guy “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to see it, then they’ll probably miss out on a really fucking sweet metal band.”

For press opportunities, interviews or muffins contact lisa@HoldTight!PR

INTRODUCING: Enochian Theory (Prog)

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:20:50 +0100

Band name: Enochian Theory

Location: Portsmouth / Brighton, UK

Genre: Progressive / Rock / Alternative

Links: www.enochiantheory.co.uk || www.facebook.com/enochiantheoryband

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

Greetings and salutations, thanks for this little chance to chat about the band and the mechanics of it.

We formed in late 2004 as a 4 piece, recording our debut E.P (A Monument To The Death Of An Idea) with that line up before ‘shedding skin’ and slimming down to a lean, mean rock trio and we haven’t looked back.  I’d hazard things really started moving forward after we lost said member of the band in December 2007 as things really weren’t moving forward for the previous couple of years.  We wrote and recorded our debut record (Evolution: Creatio Ex Nihilio) within the following 5 months of this upheaval happening and that secured attention from various record labels…but being as the industry is, they took their own sweet time and we didn’t want to wait about for them to pull their fingers out…so we released the record ourselves on our own label (Anomalousz Music Records) and kept complete control, securing some great press and feedback, including radio play.

This got it noticed once more and eventually Mascot Records signed the band up for a few albums and this is where you find us right now in 2013, promoting our second record, ‘Life…And All It Entails’…which you should all listen to…you may like it. 

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

Well, without giving too much away…it’s certainly a ‘progression’ (har har) from our debut record and I’d like to think we’ve evolved within our own sphere of writing music.

I’m not big on explaining what, when , how and why with our music and simply suggest that people keep an eye out for the ‘Inversions’ video and the single…or go straight for listening to the new album.

Plans for the next 12 months.

What do we do for a living, gentlemen?

TOUR, TOUR, TOUR!

We’ve had some great tours already this year, starting with dates across Europe with Nuclear Blast records act, Threshold.

We were out in Europe with them in March, and we’ve just played a festival slot at Hard Rock Hell: Prog, alongside some truly great bands.

The odd single show here and there in Southampton and Cardiff, before heading out for some dates with 70’s symphonic rock band, The Enid in April and May and then back out again for more dates in may with TesseracT!

We’re simply looking to really get on the road this year and do what we couldn’t quite do last year…and that was get damn shows that are good!

During any ‘downtime’ we have in-between shows, we’ll continue to write music for the 3rd album and that will all slowly come together as and when it does.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

Well, I wouldn’t know personally as I’m usually onstage playing and thus wouldn’t know what it was like to watch us! haha

But I’ve been informed by many people that it’s a good show and the records translate well live, as we tend to play them very close to the originals, but only with a little bit of ad-libbing and ‘jazz’ just to make it more interesting for us onstage.

We love playing live, as it’s a chance to simply rock out…and everyone needs to let things go once in a while…it’s where we truly come alive…

How does the band prepare for a gig?

We prepare by gathering in the shape of a triumvirate, sacrificing some small metal-core inclined teenager and then summoning the absolute power of Shub-Neggurath and other ‘ancients’ as part of rituals to fuel our beings…

Nah…not really.

We warm up on our instruments, ensure the plethora of equipment we have to set-up is working correctly and getting ourselves in the right frame of mind to perform for people.

As I said earlier, we love playing and try to ensure that our live show is a heartfelt and entertaining performance.

I guess for us, it’s as much about being entertaining as it is being technically precise…we like to have fun onstage…usually at the crowd or ourselves expense!

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

Oooo…a tough one.

I guess I would have to stick to the same 3 acts I’ve always wanted to tour with…3 acts that have shaped my own music journey and thus shaped the bands music in it’s own way.

Mr Devin Townsend would be a top chap to tour with, been a fan since…well…before ‘Ocean Machine’ came out and his work has continued to move forward.

Had the pleasure of opening for Strapping Young Lad once in Portsmouth with my old band…that was amazing…but not enough!

American Grammy slamming ‘prog’ band, Tool would be another band we’d like to play with, as we’re big fans of their material throughout their career.

As for the third band, I’d love to hit the road with Meshuggah…they are perhaps my favourite band of all time…to date.

Their music taught me so much about music generally and namely the wonder that is rhythm.

But in summation, we’d tour with anyone, anywhere, at anytime.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

Shout outs, ay?

Bands we like, ay?

Simpson, ay?

☺

Well, I like bands/acts that work hard and try their best to be better…coming through adversity all the much better for it.

We’ve come across some good bands on the road or through friends.

I’ll simply say, have a listen to these acts…they all work hard:

Dragon Eye Morrison, Bloodshot Dawn, Jurojin, Dead Pin-Ups, Tony Haven, Raiden, Joe Black and Dakesis.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

It’s certainly given many bands a voice where they’d never have had a snowballs chance in hell before.

Getting any audio recorded used to mean having to go to an expensive studio where they had the ability to use large desks and reel-to-reel equipment…but now, it’s the age of the ‘bedroom producer’.

Powerful home computers with cheap or free DAW’s installed on them ensure that anybody with a modest budget can get music recorded…and I think it’s great that this has become available to pretty much everyone.

For us, we use a lot of the social media networks to promote the band…I’d hazard that it’s practically a modern day from of ‘word of mouth’.

Some guy in U.K shares a link, someone in U.S who is a friend of that person hears it and passes it on…and so on and so forth.

For the cost of a large PR campaign via magazines and such, you can take out a targeted advert on sites and really spread your music to people who perhaps would like it.

We embrace technology, it’s a tool to be used and something to be respected in a way.

What’s in your cd player right now?

CD player, dear?

How frightfully archaic!

haha

I think it’s sitting in my pile of audio junk in the corner of my home studio at the moment! Haha

But thanks to the wonders of online music packages like Spotify, Grooveshark and such, I’ve been digging the last Efterklang record as I’m a fan, as well as various music from across the last 100 years, ranging from Alice In Chains to The Algorithm to Cookie Monster…Pachelbel to Michael Nyman…Infected Mushroom to LTJ Bukem…Axis Of Perdition to…ermm…Tesseract…

Whatever generally comes on to the playlists I’ve put together.

Sometimes people share some good stuff with me, but most of it hurts my ears if I’m honest!

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

Do a few lines and listen to our music…

Oh…sorry!

I just re-read the question…haha

As I said before, I’m not good at this sort of thing but I’ve found through the various responses to our music that most people have found something they’ve enjoyed about it.

I believe one of the funnier things I’ve come across was a whole message board of cliquey teenage guys who’d taken to disliking us immensely for whatever puerile reason they’d created and were doing their best discredit our music to other people.

Those other people invariably checked us out to see why we were SOOOOO bad and came away going thinking “Actually, I liked that…what are those guys on about?”

☺

Have a listen…you may like it.

For press opportunities, tour press, interviews or muffins contact James@HoldTight!PR

INTRODUCING: Damned Spring Fragrantia (Progressive Metalcore)

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:32:00 +0100

Band name: Damned Spring Fragrantia

Location: Parma, Italy

Genre: Progressive metalcore

Links: www.facebook.com/damnedspringfragrantia || www.soundcloud.com/damnedspringfragrantia || http://damnedspringfragrantia.bandcamp.com

&amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://damnedspringfragrantia.bandcamp.com/track/d-m-z” data-mce-href=”http://damnedspringfragrantia.bandcamp.com/track/d-m-z”&amp;amp;gt;D.M.Z. by Damned Spring Fragrantia&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

We started in 2006 as a metalcore band when we were just adolescents. Some lineup change all over the years helped us to get the sound we always wanted for our music. We do it mostly for passion and to spread our music as much as possible, so we can say we’d like to be in everyone’s cd player and do gigs everywhere.

You have a new release coming out soon on Basick Records – without giving too much away, tell us what listeners can expect from it.

A massive, groovy sound. The songs flow one by another without any pause, we’d like the listeners feel like being under an overwhelming current while listening to it.

Plans for the next 12 months.

Have our debut album “Divergences” out (via Basick Records) and hopefully to promote it on stage as much as possible.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

Someone told us recently we’re like a big fist in the face! We just try to play as well as we can and to give back the same groove we put on the songs.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

Rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing…

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

Meshuggah, for the great inspiration they gave us.

War from a Harlots Mouth, for the same reason and because we’ve been listening to them from their first records.

Vildhajarta, because of thall.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

Amia Venera Landscape, a great band from our country.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

We can say that “Lost Shores” official video, uploaded into a youtube channel, helped us to sign with Basick Records and since we’ve posted “D.M.Z.” we gained a bit more popularity on the net. Internet helped us so much till now, we hope it’ll help us even in the future!

What’s in your cd player right now?

Fallujah - The harvest wombs

Intronaut - Habitual levitations

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

We believe that people could listen to us for the variety of sounds that can be found in our album.

Our sound comes from a combination of all kinds of music that we love to hear and for this reason we think that all the people who listen metal sounds might find interesting ideas in our album.

In fact, our music could be listened by people who love mainly hardcore/metalcore sounds or more melodic riffs but also by people who love progressive/mathcore sounds.

DAMNED SPRING FRAGRANTIA will release their album through Basick Records this summer. Keep an eye out for more news, coming soon.

For press opportunities, tour press, interviews or muffins contact Lisa@HoldTight!PR

Loki, the Pink Floyd loving Persian. Sitting on our tour...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:26:22 +0000

Loki, the Pink Floyd loving Persian. Sitting on our tour schedules.

Double page spread for Hacktivist in this issue of Metal Hammer

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:58:02 +0000

Double page spread for Hacktivist in this issue of Metal Hammer

The Algorithm @basickrecords is up for best underground act at...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:57:37 +0000

The Algorithm @basickrecords is up for best underground act at the Metal Hammer Golden God awards. VOTE HERE: http://golden gods.metalhammer.co.uk/awards/best-underground

Introducing - Godsized (Hard Rock)

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:51:21 +0000

Band name: Godsized

Location: South London / South England

Genre: Hard Rock

Links: http://www.facebook.com/Godsizedband

Godsized - Moving On by Godsizedband

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

The band formed in name only in 2005 in Croydon, South London, adding various different band members from further and further away from this initial starting point as time has gone on. Now we have band members who live in different countries! We continue to push Godsized because we love it – anybody trying to make it in the music industry these days has to love it because there is less money out there and more competition for opportunites than ever before. Basically what we want to achieve is to be doing this thing full time and be out on tour pretty much permanently. This is a band that thrives on the thrill of the live experience.

You have a new single out – for anyone who hasn’t heard it yet, tell us what listeners can expect from it.

We’ve been lucky enough to tour all around the UK and Europe pretty extensively over the last couple of years and we often hear, “You guys are awesome but you sound so much bigger live than you do on the record”. So we’re aiming for a more live feeling record with “Time” – not to take anything away from any previous productions as we are extremely proud of everything we’ve done before. Godsized is a band out there making music that not a million other bands are doing right now – and our production will mirror that. While lots of rock & metal bands are going for multi-layered, highly polished productions we wanna get away from that a bit by building a record based around live takes and the energy that comes when musicians are all in a band playing together.

Plans for the next 12 months.

Tour, tour, tour, festivals and tour. We really wanna get out there and promote this new CD and will be trying hard to get to places we’ve never been to before or places we’ve loved playing but due to scheduling, etc haven’t been able to get back to for a couple of years.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

I think it’s a high energy show, we always try to give it 100% everytime no matter what happens before, after or during the show. I have a sticker taped to my pedal board that says “What the fuck, fuck shit up” which is Chuck Dukowski/Black Flag quote – basically we wanna make sure if you come see us play you’ll leave with your ears ringing, your voice gone and probably drunk. Pretty much the same state the band will be in.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

The pre-show dressing room rehearsal is, I guess, a standard rock band ritual. We’ll listen to some cool tunes backstage, warm up a bit and then have a round of macho-handshakes/back slaps and a couple of shots of Jagermeister. Our intro music is Stranglehold by Ted Nugent – as soon as I hear that the first shot of adrenaline kicks in.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

Alice in Chains but I think we’d be a good musical mix and we’re all Jerry Cantrell nuts, Down for pretty much the same reasons and Metallica because basically what rock band wouldn’t want to?

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

A very cool band we’ve recently done a couple of shows with: Welcome the Howling Tones – clutch-y, bluesy rock.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

I don’t think we could have done it without the internet and social media! We’re a DIY band with no deal and we handle as much as we can ‘in-house’ this make our fan-base and being able to interact with them absolutely crucial. I think the days of bands and rock stars being un-touchable and aloof is rapidly diminishing. We really appreciate every single person who comes to a show, buys a CD or T-shirt or just pops up on our facebook wall to say hello. We want them to know without them we couldn’t carry on doing what we’re doing.

What’s in your cd player right now?

Orange Goblin – Eulogy for the Damned

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

If you like your rock music chunky, loud and with seriously hooky vocal melodies, we’re your boys. We’re not re-inventing the wheel and we are not trying to, classic style rock with modern sounds and attitude. We are making music we are 100% passionate about and we always give it everything we’ve got onstage. See you on the road!

GODSIZED have readied their much anticipated debut album ‘Time’, to be released in Apriland are giving away the first single ‘Heavy Load’ for FREE on the 25 February, as well as releasing a new video, the day before they head off on their UK / European headline tour.

Catch them live throughout the UK and Europe in March and April on their 11th Hour tour:

26 Feb - Asylum 2, Birmingham

28 Feb - Trillians, Newcastle

1 March - Bannermans, Edinburgh

2 March - Riverside, Selby

4 March - Yardbirds, Grimsby

5 March - Scream Lounge, Croydon

6 March - The Haunt, Brighton

8 March - Le Klub, Paris, France

9 March - T.O.T.E.M, Nancy, France

10 March - Rockbox, Luxembourg

11 March - Mudd Club, Strasbourg, France

13 March - Underground, Cologne, Germany

14 March - Hafenklang, Hamburg, Germany

15 March - Crystal, Berlin, Germany

16 March - Backstage, Munich, Germany

18 March - Qwest, Kufstein, Austria

24 April The Witchwood, Manchester

25 April - Barfly, London

26 April - Boileroom, Guildford

http://www.facebook.com/Godsizedband/events

For press opportunities, tour press, interviews or muffins contact Lisa@HoldTight!PR

INTRODUCING - Napoleon (Melodic Hardcore)

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:55:00 +0000

Band name: Napoleon

Location: Exeter, UK

Genre: Melodic Hardcore / Metalcore

Links: https://www.facebook.com/Napoleon.Devon

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

We’re a 4 piece band based in Exeter, Devon UK and we don’t really know what genre we are. We started in December 2010 and put out a 7 track EP called Cinderella in 2011. Since then we’ve gone through several line up changes and in May 2012 we released a 4 track EP called What We See, which has had around 20,000 downloads. We try to write and play music thats an exciting mix and a little bit different to most things that around at the moment. We want to keep playing as many shows as possible in as many new places as possible and take this as far as we can.

You have a new single out – for anyone who hasn’t heard it yet, tell us what listeners can expect from it.

The new single is a fast one!

Plans for the next 12 months.

Throughout March we will tour the UK and Europe with our American buddies in Being As An Ocean. Shortly after that we will write and record a new single/video. Then this summer we’ll finish writing and record our debut full length album and any chance we can we’ll tour the UK and Europe and hopefully some new places like Russia, South East Asia and Australia.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

Thats a tough question, we never really plan whats going to happen at our shows. We just try to be ourselves and have a laugh whilst still being professional musicians and play the songs to the best of our ability. We’ve definitely gone into this year with 10x as much energy, and we’ll constantly be trying to up our game.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

We just chill out and go with the flow really. On tour we just seem to get into autopilot mode. A good dinner always helps and we always make sure we get our greens.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

Counterparts, Hundredth and Architects because they’ve been the biggest inspiration to us! It would be a dream to hang/play with them every night and we think we’d suit a similar crowd to them!

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

If you dig bands like Volumes and Structures etc then go check out Shields. Extremely talented up and coming UK band!

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

The internet has been a huge help to us as a band! We put our EP up for free download which meant the Internet was the only place you could get it. This meant that it was easily shared around on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and it helped us to reach a new, much wider audience that wouldn’t have heard us otherwise and wouldn’t have bought a cd. We update our Facebook daily and it’s the only way people can hear and see what we’re up too and find out about shows or new merch. We’ve even found new members for the band and our driver just by posting off of our Facebook page. We also tab all our songs on Guitar Pro. Ryan lives in Manchester and the rest of us live down in Exeter so he uses guitar pro to learn the songs from home so he doesn’t need to be down with us every time we write. Without internet and technology we probably wouldn’t be a band!

What’s in your cd player right now?

Stick To Your Guns - Diamond. We think it was the best release of last year, along with The Ghost Inside -Get What You Give and Architects - Daybreaker.

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

We love to experiment and try to write and play music thats a bit different to everything else out there. We like to think theres something in it for everyone and we’re always going to be pushing ourselves as hard as we can!

Head over to https://www.facebook.com/Napoleon.Devon to check out the band further. Their single ‘Brought Here To Suffer’ is out NOW, pick it up on iTunes here.

The band are also on tour throughout March - check tour dates here » http://www.facebook.com/Napoleon.Devon/app_123966167614127

For press opportunities contact Lisa@HoldTight!PR

Introducing: The Omega Experiment (prog metal)

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:36:59 +0000

Band name: The Omega Experiment

Location: Michigan, USA

Genre: Progressive Metal

Links: http://www.facebook.com/theomegaexperiment

<a href=”http://theomegaexperiment.bandcamp.com/track/gift-teaser” data-mce-href=”http://theomegaexperiment.bandcamp.com/track/gift-teaser”>Gift (teaser) by The Omega Experiment</a>

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

We formed in the winter of 2009, but the basic idea and concept has been floating around since 2007. It started as just Ryan (Aldridge, keys) and I needing something to do with our time after getting clean from a very rough bout with addiction. I had a concept laying around and we started to jam, and it all fit perfectly to address what we had both just gone through. After it caught on with the internet community, we figured we owed to ourselves to push it as far as it can go; to bring it to the live environment, and to release it worldwide. We want to be able to bring our music to the people that want it through touring, and continue pushing ourselves in the studio to make the most epic audio experience imaginable to us and our fans.

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

They can expect to be flung into an emotional rollercoaster on a grand scale that is simultaneously joyous, demanding, tragic, and hopeful.

Plans for the next 12 months.

We hope to get back out into the live setting, both locally and to Europe near the end of the year. We also eagerly anticipate the re-release of our debut through Listenable Records in February.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

We don’t leave much room for contemplation. It’s a sonic shower from note one; where the music does the majority of the talking. It’s an uplifting experience for sure.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

Practice, practice, practice…warmup, warmup, warmup.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

Devin Townsend Project because they are all super guys and it’s been a dream for some time; Dream Theater because they are the kings of prog and the exposure would be great for us; Stealing Axion because we are all really good friends and the laughs would be neverending.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

The guys we hired to tour with us last summer have a band called Aviations that are all Berklee musicians, and are extremely talented…especially for their age. You can find them on Facebook.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

Internet and technology are entirely responsible for where we are, along with the hard work of a lot of good and dedicated people. We wouldn’t have a fan base without the internet.

What’s in your cd player right now?

God Forbid- Equilibrium

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

We have a fresh perspective on the genre, and we don’t limit ourselves to the typical influences you hear in most of progressive metal. If you like your music epic and emotionally demanding with an open-minded approach, give us a listen. It’s very honest stuff.

Head over to www.facebook/theomegaexperiment to check out the band further. Their self titled debut album will be released by Listenable Records on February 25 2013. Order from here.

For press opportunities contact Lisa@HoldTight!PR

INTRODUCING: ODESSA

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:27:15 +0000

BAND: ODESSA

LOCATION: BIRMINGHAM UK

GENRE: METAL / HARDCORE

LINK: www.facebook.com/ukodessa || http://www.odessaofficial.co.uk/

Tell us a bit about your band how long have you been going, why you do
what you do, what you want to achieve.

We’ve been going since 2010, our aim as a band is to get as many people hearing our music as possible and checking out what it is we do.

You have a new release out – for anyone who hasn’t yet heard it, can you tell us what listeners can expect from it.?

Carry The Weight is fast, heavy, melodic with lots of aggression. We’re so excited for everyone to hear it, let us know what you think.

Plans for the next 12 months?

For 2013 we are aiming to step things up a lot, this means bigger and better performance live, we are aiming for bigger tours, and really using this year as our year to prove ourselves within the UK/European metal scene.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

From the first chord it’s packed full of energy and carnage, one thing we always do is interact with the crowd because in my opinion it’s more than 5 guys playing a song, we connect with the audience and do our best to make sure the people watching remember us.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

Relentless practicing, but generally as a rule at shows we all have our own rituals. I myself (Rich) tend to do my warm ups away from the rest of the band and get in the ‘zone’ I guess. After I’ve done this we have a little prep talk and set our gear up and begin the set.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why.

While She Sleeps - These guys are great, and have worked so hard to get everything that have right now. They are a band who we look up to and admire there work ethic.

Stick To Your Guns -One of my personal favourite bands, a real inspiration and put on a great live show. Would be great to share the stage let alone tour with these guys.

Parkway Drive - Possibly the biggest metalcore band to day, and have helped pave the way for up and coming bands and opened doors for a lot of bands. I think anyone that plays some sort of heavy appreciates what they have done for the music scene.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

Napoleon - We’ve toured with these guys in 2012, they are the sickest band live. Put on such a great show and such genuine guys. If you’ve not checked them out make sure you do!

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

The internet is such a crazy thing, you can be anything you want to be. In this day and age who isn’t on the internet, who isn’t on facebook, who isn’t watching videos on youtube? We owe a lot to the use of the internet, we released a video for a song called All I Have in September 2011, which has gained over 160,000 views in the space of just over a year. This has opened so many doors for us, and without the use of the internet I’m unsure if we would have had the same response. Technology has made everything so much more accessible, it makes us able to write demos with nothing more than a computer a microphone and a guitar, it’s nuts.

What’s in your cd player right now?

Emmure - Slave To The Game

Counterparts - The Current Will Carry Us

Major League - Hard Feelings

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

We’re so passionate about what we do and always put everything we have into our music. Weather you like you your stuff heavy or melodic, we’ve got music you will enjoy.

ODESSA WILL BE TOURING FROM THE END OF FEBRUARY THROUGH MARCH WITH SUPPORT FROM NO CONSEQUENCE.

CHECK OUT THE TOUR DATES - HERE » http://www.facebook.com/ukodessa/app_123966167614127

Introducing new client: ALAYA

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:27:00 +0000

photo credit: Kirsten Miccoli

Band name: ALAYA

Location: Chicago

Genre: Metal

Links: www.facebook/alayaofficial

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.

We had been self producing a debut full length for 18 months when BASICK told us they were interested in releasing it. In talking with them it became clear that they were the right label for us, and that the timing was perfect. We’re very excited to announce and see what the future holds. You can expect us to not slow down once the momentum picks up, because writing and performing are what we love.

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

It has thirteen tracks that are strategically placed in order. The first three tracks are high energy, followed by three tracks that change the pace significantly. After that the album wakes up again and the tension and energy build toward the final two tracks. We felt the end of the album should give the listener a sense of closure.

Plans for the next 12 months

We are going to be writing for our next releases immediately while planning our strategy for the release of THRONES in 2013. After that we would love to play shows and tour in support of it. Until then we will be playing shows around Chicago.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

We definitely rehearse a lot for our live shows, because it’s hard to engage the crowd if you have to concentrate too hard on playing your parts correctly. We enjoy putting on an energetic show, so you can expect sweat flying around and head banging during key moments. We often run samples between songs to give the show an consistent vibe and flow.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

We rehearse morning and night, and often run multiple sets in a row. As a group we focus on creating the energy of a live environment in our practice space.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

1. Destrage – they are a great band and their shows are insane.

2. Muse - one of our biggest influences for melody.

3. Between the Buried and Me – they’re just awesome.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

Destrage from Italy. Whoa these guys are good.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

The internet is our main access point to the public besides live shows. It offers our music to someone instantly, and allows our team at BASICK to connect us to thousands. Shows are the best way for an individual to connect with us, but until we come to your town you can grab our album and merch online.

What’s in your cd player right now?

Yanni : Live at the Acropolis!!

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

These songs were written over and over until we were happy with the finished product. We put having fun and loving what we do first, but we also take the listener carefully into consideration when writing. The album is meant to offer a new interpretation of the heavy and melodic music that has influenced us for years.

Head over to www.facebook/alayaofficial to check out the band further. Debut album, Thrones, will be released by Basick Records in 2013.

For press opportunities contact Lisa@HoldTight!PR

INTRODUCING: The First

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:53:02 +0100

BAND: THE FIRST

LOCATION: WISBECH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

GENRE: MELODIC ROCK

LINK: www.facebook.com/thefirstuk || http://www.thefirstmusic.co.uk

Tell us a bit about your band how long have you been going, why you do
what you do, what you want to achieve.

We’ve been around a while, five or six years I think with various line-ups, Benny joined in 2010 and thats when things really started to kick off for us. We all just love playing music, we’re not in it to make the scene or change lives, we’re just five boys playing music we enjoy! Everything we achieve we’re grateful for, but we don’t expect anything, we work hard writing songs and hopefully people enjoy listening to them.

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.?

I think people can expect a harder edge and a softer edge from us, we’ve really been working on dynamics and progression with the newest stuff. We’re always going to have those bouncy sing-a-long chorus parts, but we’re definitely bringing in some more challenging parts. We’re using a lot more vocal variation now too, four of us in the band sing which just helps bring a different edge to each song.

Plans for the next 12 months?

Record our second album, hopefully it will be our best material to date! Really looking forward to getting out on the road again with some new tracks, we’ve been playing the same songs for over 2 years now, so as you could imagine, we’re eager to show off some of the new stuff!

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

We’re always energetic, but we also like to banter a bit with our audiences. We try to get the crowd involved as much as possible, we also get other bands involved, there’s nothing we love more than bringing on a guest vocalist or guitarist for a song.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

We’re usually in the van, drinking, listening to bands and just having a laugh, we dont have any particular routines we go through. You’ll sometimes catch us backstage doing vocal warm ups, they mostly sound like we’re either in pain or part of some West End musical.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why.

Life On Repeat – We were all blown away by the bands debut album, they’re just an awesome band with awesome songs.

Lower Than Atlantis – We’ve done a few shows with these guys and they’re consistently brilliant. Over the past few years they’ve really shown the UK scene that you can do your own thing and still be successful.

Reckless Love – They’re so cheesy its unreal, but at least they know how to party. They’ve got great songs too!

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

Mallory Knox, we’re from the same area so we all know each other pretty well. We’ve spent a lot of good nights with those guys, they’re always out watching other bands, they’re really good for the scene I think.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

The internet has made it so simple to put music out, but its made it super competitive, which in a genre like ours becomes very hard work. Being able to connect with so many people in “real time” is a good thing for sure, staying on top of the bands social networking is very difficult though, twitter, facebook, youtube, instagram, myspace, they all have to be updated and we’ve always handled all that ourselves.

What’s in your cd player right now?

Glass Cloud, Write This Down, Deaf Havana and the latest Your Demise album too!

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

Listen to The First, if you have as much fun listening to our music as we do making it, you’re in for a blast!

THE FIRST WILL BE RELEASING THEIR NEW VIDEO ‘TAKE IT BACK’ ON PUNKTASTIC AT 12 NOON (GMT) ON TUE 7TH AUG. Visit the site to see the vid when it’s released. http://punktastic.com

INTRODUCING: DreamCatcher

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:32:00 +0100

BAND: DREAMCATCHER

LOCATION: LEEDS, UK

GENRE: MELODIC METAL

LINK: http://www.dreamcatcherofficial.com || http://www.facebook.com/dreamcatcheruk ||

http://www.twitter.com/dreamcatcheruk || http://dreamcatchermerch.bigcartel.com/

Tell us a bit about your band how long have you been going, why you do
what you do, what you want to achieve.

[Alex/Guitars] Well it’s been a long time! Rossi and I have been playing together since we were 16/17 (We’re 22/23 now! So around 6 years) just jamming and enjoying playing together and I guess that was the first kind of proto-inception of the band. The time we like to say that we first started making everything serious and writing music we felt good about was around 2 to three years ago, so I guess you can say anywhere between 2 and 6 years.   

[Adele/Keyboards] We do what we do because we’re not really out to fit a mold, we obviously have our influences, they’re pretty clear and that’s cool but what we’re trying to do above everything is write honest, genuine and powerful music that’s relevant to the world around us and reach out to people with it, and I guess we do that because we all pretty much believe music is one of the last real way of reaching out to people and we think that’s really important. That kinda ties in with what we want to achieve too, we all want to do something special, make this powerful music we can imagine in our minds and be able to deliver that power and feeling live as well!

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.?

[Ross/Drums] Well our debut E.P. SoulDesign is out now and we’ve had such an incredible response from the fans and without any real help or favours from outside the band we are really proud to see that this response is generated solely by the music itself! Upcoming on August 13th is the single ‘Never Look Back’ from the E.P. And this release is a thank you to the fans is going to be backed up by a Music Video too!

We have also included a one-off, never-before-heard track that won’t be available anywhere else and hopefully will give the fans a little “foresight” into the what will eventually become our full length album!

Plans for the next 12 months?

[Matt] The future is looking really exciting for us, we have got so many new aspects to Dreamcatcher currently being finalised that we are going to be very, very busy! Some of which we must keep secret for a little while longer and others we shall announce very soon. Our main aim for the next 12 months shall be to split our time between getting out there touring and performing for the fans and writing the material for our new record. We currently have several new songs written, some of which we are now including in our live set so we cant wait to show them to the fans! We can promise that the near future is going to be really special and we invite all music lovers to take the journey with us!

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

[Ben/Guitars] We’ve really strived to make our shows look as impressive and professional as we possibly can with what we have. We always put 110% into our performances, regardless of whether you’re playing to 5 people or a hundred people. That sounds quite cliché but it really is true. We’re there to play our music and entertain the audience and we damn well make sure we bring it each and every gig we play. With 6 people in the band it can be hard to make it work with small stages, but when that happens, we make the entire venue our stage and rock the fuck out as hard as we possibly can.

The sound is the most important aspect for us and we’ve tried to tailor our gear to provide as consistent a sound as possible across multiple venues. You’ll always get the massive kick in the chest from our kick drums, and the punch in the face from our guitars and bass.

Summing up our live show is pretty simple: Above anything else, its unmissable.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

[Lukas/Vocals] Warming up is essential. I disappear about an hour before show time to do a variety of warm up exercises and generally try to put myself in the right frame of mind. The rest of the band like to be together and do warm ups but mainly to bring each other up so they are ready to rock on stage. Music like this is so demanding on all levels that we can’t afford to drink before the show, but of course we do afterwards!

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why.

[Alex] I think the whole band would agree that it would be a dream come true to tour with Sonata Arctica, they’re heroes to us all! We all love Pagans Mind so just to listen to them play music every night would be awesome! I think finally we would have to choose Nightwish as again we love their music and we think we would go down really well with their fans.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

[Ben] We have made some good friends in the band Midnight Realm from Newcastle! Their music is awesome to go check them out!

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

[Ross] This subject is really a double edged sword. The positive view is the internet allows anyone to share their music but at the same time it can make it even harder for fans to find the music they are really looking for.

[Matt] I think the biggest shame about about the affect of the internet upon music is the loss of the personal connection between the listener and the band they are discovering. When music can be illegally downloaded from the internet it removes the consumer from the process of saving their money, traveling to the music shop, purchasing the album and then taking the physical reward home and indulging in the artwork and the achievement of all the people involved in the making of the complete package. It reduces the value of the experience by placing music within the same ‘throw-away’ culture box that is currently eating up all aspects of modern art, culture and general processes.

What’s in your cd player right now?

[Matt] We are all so eclectic that no two members of the band is ever listening to the same thing at the same time though I do keep going back to listening to the new Architects album and of course Dimmu Borgir!

[Ross] I listen to a lot of different genres all the time but right now I am really enjoying Skyharbor, Evergrey, Myrath and Textures!

[Alex] Currently I’m listening to a lot of Tesseract’s ‘One’, Regina Spektor’s ‘Far’ and Circus Maximus brilliant new album ‘Nine’.

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

[Alex] I think all of us share the same opinion that anyone should listen to music because they love it, because it makes them feel something; sad, happy, strong etc and that’s what we’re trying to do. So if someone listens to the music we’ve made and bonded with it because it’s made them feel something then I think we’d feel incredibly humbled and accomplished what we set out to like we said earlier.

DON’T MISS DREAMCATCHER AT BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND. To celebrate their dual appearance on the New Blood Stage and the Jagermeister stage, DreamCatcher will be releasing their single, Never Look Back for FREE! The single will be released on August 13th along with the official Music Video for the track. For more info visit their Facebook page.

INTRODUCING: Anuryzm - Progressive metal from Dubai

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:45:40 +0100

BAND: ANURYZM

LOCATION: DUBAI, UAE

GENRE: PROGRESSIVE METAL

ALBUM: WORM’S EYE VIEW

LINK: www.facebook.com/anuryzm || www.anuryzm.com

FOR FANS OF: Opeth, Textures, Obscura

<a href=”http://anuryzm.bandcamp.com/track/fragmenting-the-soul” data-mce-href=”http://anuryzm.bandcamp.com/track/fragmenting-the-soul”>Fragmenting The Soul by ANURYZM</a>

Tell us a bit about your band how long have you been going, why you do
what you do, what you want to achieve.

We started out in 2003 in Lebanon. All the guys lived in close proximity to each other up in the mountains except me. I was the only one that had to drive there all the time, but it was worth it. We’d just jam on tunes and hang out, and we also loved creating music and listening to albums together. Then we started playing shows and recording the album, but at some point I had to move overseas to Turkey. And in 2005 while I was away, Berni who was the rhythm guitar player had passed away and we immediately called it quits. I kept at it because I wanted to finish off the album and release it in his memory. I eventually found myself in Toronto where I reformed the band with some good musicians. But after building a studio and played a few shows in the area, I had to leave again and go back to the U.A.E. where I grew up as a kid. It was here that I re-united with my old high school buddy and ex-band mate Nadeem. We talked and decided to create a complete band to record the album and play live. And now, 2 years later, we have an album recorded with Martin Lopez (Soen, x-Opeth) and Uri Dijk (Textures), we’ve played many shows and supported bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Nervecell, we’ve inked a couple of world distribution deals, and we are working on our next record as we speak. We do what we do for the love of music and don’t get ourselves too involved in the politics that surrounds it. Ultimately, we look forward to just creating epic carefully thought-out albums and playing anywhere where people would like to hear us. I personally would be happy just doing that.

You have a new release coming out soon without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

Well, we are already in the pre-production stages for our second full length record. We’ve been experimenting a lot more with effects and ambient passages. It is a heavier album than its predecessor, but we still have many great acoustic and soft moments. This album will definitely show that we’ve matured and created an overall sound which we can call our own. And people that already know us will be able to identify with it and enjoy it. I think it will be an album that will take progressive metal to another level, especially for music coming from the Middle East.

Plans for the next 12 months

Work on the new album and release it, perform live, launch a video clip, eat, drink, sleep, travel, and everything else that comes in between.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

I can’t answer that because I’m not a spectator when we play. But from on stage I can say that we always aim to deliver a heavy and engaging set. Because we are six guys, we tend to feel a little crammed on small stages, but that never stopped us for delivering our best. We’re really in our element when we hit the big stages. You can expect quite a bit of head banging and a bit of improv, which is something I think we will do a lot more after our second record comes out.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

Practice, practice, practice!

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

- Symphony X, because I’d love to get a few guitar tips from Mr. Romeo.

- Alter Bridge, because Tremonti has been very influential in my guitar playing in the first Anuryzm songs, and to share the stage with the greatest voice of the decade, Myles Kennedy.

- Textures, because they’re a great bunch of guys and I’m sure it would be lots of fun on tour.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

There’s another Dubai-based band called Benevolent which are up and coming. They’ve released a killer EP a while back and will soon launch their debut album, which I’m sure will sound great.

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the
point it is today.

Quite far! For starters, we wouldn’t have been able to have Martin Lopez or Uri Dijk on the album if it wasn’t for the net. Aside from playing shows, when it comes to gaining fans on an international level, people will always go online to find and listen to new music. It’s really done wonders for us at reaching that wider audience, and I know it will continue to build up with time.

What’s in your cd player right now?

I don’t own a CD player anymore; it’s all on the iPod now. I’ve been listening to Slash’s Apocalyptic Love, Jethro Tull’s Heavy Horses, Storm Corrosion, and the Anuryzm demos for the second album.

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band.

Our musical sound generally goes against the grain of popular metal. Where many have confined themselves to a certain style, we keep our borders open for experimentation. And because we sound different as a result, there is a certain appeal to that with audiences. On an instrument level, we are a very guitar-oriented band. My philosophy has always been that if I am going to play a guitar with 6 strings and 24 frets on each string, then I’m going to make damn sure I try to use them all to the best of my capacity, and Miltiadis joins me in that effort. That being said, the rest of the guys are masters at what they do too. Nadeem has a powerful, unique, and wide vocal range, Imad is an avid prog drummer, Rami has his crazy bass lines, and Jay is the experimental synth guru. And all this is highly emphasized in our next record, which is why I can hardly wait until it’s done so that we can play those songs to audiences. So, if you’re into all of that, then you’ll definitely want to come out and hear us.

ANURYZM’s album ‘Worm’s Eye View’ is out now. Find out more about the band from their facebook http://www.facebook.com/anuryzm or contact lisa@holdtightpr.com to request a press kit.

INTRODUCING: Karybdis - Melodic Death Metal from London, UK

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:52:39 +0100

BAND: KARYBDIS

LOCATION: LONDON, UK

GENRE: MELODIC DEATH METAL

ALBUM: FROM THE DEPTHS

WHEN: 2ND JULY 2012

LINK: www.facebook.com/karybdis.band || www.Karybdis.com

FOR FANS OF: Lamb of God, Black Dahlia Murder

&amp;lt;a href=”http://karybdis.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-depths” data-mce-href=”http://karybdis.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-depths”&amp;gt;From the Depths by Karybdis&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

“Leading UK metal into inspiring and uncharted territory, pushing boundaries and pursuing a brave and noble path into the unknown, Karybdis will unleash ‘From The Depths’ later in 2012, before embarking on their own epic quest to spread the dark magic of their music to the four corners of the globe.

The sound of metal’s past, present and future colliding in a shower of sparks, this band are constructing their own immortal mythology before our eyes and ears.

Prepare yourselves: a new legend is rising from the depths!”

Dom Lawson, Metal Hammer

Tell us a bit about your band how long have you been going, why you do
what you do, what you want to achieve.

The band started in late 2009, and we have been gigging regularly ever since! In mid 2011 our original vocalist, Gil Renault left the band due to personal reasons and moved back to France, and after some auditions we found Rich! We all absolutely love the music we play, and similarly to a lot of metallers out there, we would love to make a living out of performing the music we love! What do we want to achieve? It’s easy to say world domination, but we would be very content to have a long lived career as a band, play alongside some of our idols and take our music across the globe!

You have a new release coming out soon without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

It is our first album, and we are very proud of it- we have been described as an unpretentious blend of melodic death, groove and hardcore, and we think that is pretty much spot on!

Plans for the next 12 months

Gig as much as possible. We are already working on new material, but the most important thing for us is to get on peoples’ radars, and get on some support slots!

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

Playing live is our favourite thing in the world- there is nothing like playing songs you have put hours- if not days into creating, and watching people go crazy to it! We have started using a few samples in our show, and Rich is pretty relaxed on stage, so there is a nice feel of inclusivity when we play!

How does the band prepare for a gig?

We warm up, have a beer and listen to the bands we are playing alongside! Apart from that we all get naked and cross swords backstage to form a close sense of unity! Haha!

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

We all love The Black Dahlia Murder. We saw them live in London and they were really great, a real inspiration. We are all big fans of Machine Head, the new album is brilliant and they are all top musos. Playing with ANY of the big 4 would undoubtedly be an incredible experience, and something to strive for!

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should
listen to (not your own band)

Ah, we have met so many over the years! One that really stands out is ‘This Means War’, they are Brighton based and fucking hilarious!

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the
point it is today.

Of course, the internet has played a major roles. Advertising your band and gigs has never been easier thanks to social media networks, as well as getting your music to fans quickly and easily. At the same time as it being an incredible tool, we still feel that taking your music to people personally is far more rewarding and creates a much more long-lasting fan of your music than you could ever get by someone playing your music online!

What’s in your cd player right now?

Revenants- Conducting from the Grave

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band.

We don’t use keyboards. We can play our instruments, we create interesting and original songs that you can bang your head along with!

We make the music.

KARYBDIS release debut album ‘From the Depths’ on July 2nd. Find out more about the band from their facebook http://www.facebook.com/Karybdis.band or contact lisa@holdtightpr.com to request a press kit.

INTRODUCING: ELYSIAN - melodic death metal from Australia

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:27:52 +0000

BAND: ELYSIAN

LOCATION: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

GENRE: MELODIC DEATH METAL

ALBUM: WIRES OF CREATION

WHEN: 26TH MARCH 2012

LINK:

http://www.facebook.com/ElysianMetal?sk=app_178091127385

http://www.reverbnation.com/elysianaus

http://www.youtube.com/user/ElysianAus?feature=g-u-u

FOR FANS OF: Arch Enemy, Opeth, Lamb of God ;)

REVIEW! - “Musically, Elysian bring a ferocious combination of ragingly mighty riffs and spine-crunchingly fast guitar work which would garner them a healthy (and very hairy) following, were they to hop in a plane for the long and arduous journey over to the UK.”

REVIEW! - “…the stability that Elysian believe in of avoiding the disjointed trap that befalls others is intact and with Wires Of Creation expect them to be talked about as part of a new wave but more as leaders rather than followers.”

Tell us a bit about your band how long have you been going, why you do
what you do, what you want to achieve.

The bands first step into existence was in February 2010, when brothers Nathan and Gabe Hutchinson moved to Melbourne with the intention of creating a metal band with a progressive flare.

We write this music because it’s in us and we have no choice but to obey its command. Its almost like we are obeying fate. The songs are in us, and we just feel this urge to create them. There is no other option.

You have a new release coming out soon without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

Our main goal was to create an album that people could listen to from start to finish, it’s a really heavy album, but by no means is a straight up metal record. We have incorporated a lot more percussion and electronic elements into this record which has really expanded our playing field, and enabled us to create a really dynamic experience.

Plans for the next 12 months

Work up to the release of our debut album “Wires of Creation”. Get a record label on board or obtain a hardcopy distribution deal. Tour Australia. Release a promo vid clip. Obtain endorsements.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

Our live show could possibly be the bands strongest point, I think what strikes people initially is the duel windmills coming from the far left and right of stage with a huge redheaded vocalist centre stage standing tall. It is an extremely high energy performance right from the start. I’m not going to lie, our live shows are pretty damn good. Everyone in the band is dedicated to putting on the best show possible for the crowd, whether there is 2 or 200 people.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

We rehearse quite a bit. At least twice a week as a band. We also all run through our songs at home in our spare time, to make sure we perform as flawlessly as possible.

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

Lamb of God – Their crowds would be incredible as well as a real test to show the bands worth.

Opeth - Our styles would really complement each other.

Amon Amarth – Watching this windmilling machine perform every night would be priceless.

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should
listen to (not your own band)

Be’lakor

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the
point it is today.

Without the current technology at our disposal it’s hard to image how this band would function. All our songs are written and demoed at home quite thoroughly before we even start jamming on them as a band. The internet helps us reach our audience on a much wider and faster scale then was ever possible before. Communication with bands, promoters and fans has been pushed along at an incredible pace and has definitely helped get us to the point we are currently.

What’s in your cd player right now?

Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events

Lamb of God – Resolution

Derek and the Dominos - Layla and other assorted love songs

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band.

People should listen to us because we are not an emulation of a current trend or popular scene. Our music is mature but because we have made a wide musical palette on our first album, there is going to be a lot of room expansion in future albums. Elysian isn’t a one hit wonder that will only stick around for a few years. Our strength is how the killer riff turns into a killer song that turns into a killer album. Many bands these days have an initial wow factor to their first riff of the album, but it just goes down hill from there.

INTRODUCING: Absolace - progressive rock from Dubai

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:31:30 +0000

BAND: ABSOLACE

LOCATION: DUBAI, UAE

GENRE: PROGRESSIVE ROCK

ALBUM: FRACTALS

WHEN: 26TH MARCH 2012

LINK: https://www.facebook.com/absolace

FOR FANS OF: Tool, Porcupine Tree, Karnivool, A Perfect Circle

FRACTALS REVIEW: “..where Absolace really come into their own is with their sense of texture and measured dynamics”

FRACTALS REVIEW: “..this is a phenomenal album, leading me to question why more isn’t done to open the world of ‘non-western’ rock and metal to a wider audience; if this is indeed a good indication of the potential calibre of the artists the middle-east has to offer then I need to track down some more acts that hail from that part of the world.”

Tell us a bit about your band – how long have you been going, why you do what you do, what you want to achieve.
Greg: We’ve been going for a couple of years now. It’s been going great so far. Jack and I formed the band after I had written a few songs. Then we found Nadim who contributed vocals and wrote lyrics on the albums. After finishing recording the first album, we needed a bass player for playing live shows (I played bass on the first record). So I got in touch with Ben, who I knew through mutual friends. The rest is history J I think we’re all on the same page as to what we want to achieve, which is to play shows outside of our region, like in Europe and the US.

Jack: Goals are to play as many gigs as physically possible, the more the better! Generally speaking, to get on a touring circuit and become experienced musicians in this field is a goal I think we all want to achieve.

You have a new release coming out soon – without giving too much away tell us what listeners can expect from it.

Jack: Probably the best way to describe it is its an honest representation of where we were at during the time it was written. I’d say it is more diverse melodically than Resolve(d) but still maintains the strong emphasis of rhythm.

Nadim: This was the 1st time we all wrote something as a band. Greg wrote the majority of Resolve[d], with Jack’s assistance, and with the exception of the vocals & vocal melodies, but this is the 1st time all 4 of us as a band composed music together. It is more rounded as a soundscape – the music is more elaborate – melody has a stronger grasp of the songs than in Resolve[d] which is more rhythmic and chunky. I personally found it slightly less heavy than our debut album – more atmospheric. I believe the songs tell more of a story without sounding cheesy. Excited to hear people’s feedback!

Plans for the next 12 months?

Greg: Gigs, gigs, and more gigs. We can never play too many gigs :) and start writing again. Writing is something we have to always do, it’s second nature to us.

Jack: Gig as much as physically possible, begin writing (trying to keep it as an ongoing process so we don’t have to stop and start and pull things out of nowhere.) And also personal practice on each of our instruments, everyone’s in a great frame of mind at the moment and I think all members are keen to learn and really push themselves!

Tell us a bit about what it’s like to experience your live show.

Jack: I’d like to say fun, but it’s impossible to ever attend your own show in the audience! Most important thing is people have a good time and a laugh and hear some music they like in the process.

Nadim: The feedback we’ve gotten so far has been extremely positive. In the UAE we’ve been pulling a steady flow of a good number of loyal fans and very supportive friends to each of our gigs which we’re very pleased about. We work hard to put on a tight set and know that people appreciate it. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and make it a point to have a good time onstage – which is always well received by the audience – they have fun and we have fun. Then it’s drinks at the bar!

Greg: When I look up and see the crowd, it just seems like there’s this awesome party going on. I wish we were invited, but we have songs to play.

How does the band prepare for a gig?

Greg: Endless amount of rehearsals and bucket-loads of banter :) I also make mix-minus tracks for all of us so we are doing personal practice along to mixes of our songs without our own tracks in it. Works really well.

Jack: Shed loads of rehearsing and personal practice and just general gear checks/sound check

Name 3 bands you would love to tour with and why

Jack: Meshuggah - Love the way these guys think about their music from a different perspective and seem like a real bunch of fun guys! Cynic - One of my personal favourite bands and think I’d really learn a lot from being round them, they seem super professional! Opeth - Huge fan of their music and especially their guitar playing, once again would just be a dream playing alongside this band or any of the 3 mentioned.

Nadim: Karnivool: incredible band, huge influence on me personally. Porcupine Tree: dream come true – I don’t think it needs much explanation :). Opeth: same as Porcupine Tree really. There are so many more though – incredible up and coming bands like Circles, TesseracT, Textures etc…

Name a band you’d love to give a shout out to and think people should listen to (not your own band)

Greg: Karnivool

Nadim: Circles, TesseracT, Textures! Sorry breaking the 1 band rule – they all deserve it…

Jack: The Cinematic Orchestra

How much has the internet and technology helped your band to get to the point it is today.

Jack: Can’t imagine where we’d be without internet or technology - if it wasn’t for the technology and the fact people can now record in home studios etc we’d have nothing recorded (no ways we could afford studio time!) And the internet has really helped spread the word! Very thankful for both!

Greg: Its one of those interesting topic isn’t? Did the internet help or destroy the music industry? Well there are many different points-of-view on this. However, technology in general has been invaluable for us. We record everything on our own. We have a lot of gadgets and toys for live shows. I’m personally big into the tech side of things, as is Jack.

What’s in your cd player right now?

Jack: Santana’s “Supernatural” :P

Greg: Tool – 10,000 days

Nadim: Massive Attack “Mezzanine” & NIN “The Fragile Left”

Ok you have a few lines to tell us why people should listen to your band. GO.

Greg: It’s something different, so why the hell not?!?!

Jack: Well I like to listen to as many things as possible, I don’t like to force music on anyone - so if you fancy giving it a listen and like it, Thanks! If you gave it a listen and didn’t like it, fair play and thanks for taking the time to give it a try!

CHECK OUT ABSOLACE HERE »https://www.facebook.com/absolace« THEIR ALBUM ‘FRACTALS’ IS RELEASED WORLDWIDE ON MARCH 26TH

Top Releases of 2011 - add these to your end of year lists!

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:49:01 +0000

RELEASES OF THE YEAR!

For a full list of releases this year from the House of Hold Tight visit here.

For a snapshot of our most critically acclaimed albums, videos and EP’s of the year – take a look below and consider them for your lists of ‘Best of 2011’

If you are press/media and would like to request any of the press/ album promo packs for any of the artists featured below please contact lisa@holdtightpr.com

ALBUMS

Uneven Structure - Februus

http://www.facebook.com/unevenstructure

Record Label: Basick Records Release Date: 31.10.11

“Mind-bending, left brain turbo-prog space metal - this album is f***ing brilliant!” – Dom Lawson

Metal Hammer Released via Basick Records on 31st October, the album quickly grabbed critical acclaim across the board as one of the best debuts of the year. A double CD packed with progressive metal from France’s finest followed on from a widely received UK tour with TesseracT and Chimp Spanner. Their video for ‘Awaken’ debuted on Metal Hammer’s website following an announcement that in Feb/March next year the band will tour Europe with Protest the Hero. Not only should this album be on your albums of the year lists, but make sure to keep an eye out for what the guys are up to in 2012, this is just the beginning of a beautiful, prog infused adventure.

Metal Hammer Video Review

Got Djent Review: 10/10

Heavy Blog is Heavy Review: 5/5

Sputnik Music: 4.5/5

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://youtu.be/bbLz5lNcHi0

LISTEN FOR FREE: http://basickrecords.bandcamp.com/album/februus

Born of Osiris – The Discovery

http://www.facebook.com/bornofosiris

Record Label: Sumerian Records Release Date: 22.03.11

“Born Of Osiris have constructed their strongest record yet” - Richard Cartey, Rock Sound

This dynamic extreme progressive juggernaut smashed 2011 with the release of their 3rd and most successful album to date. It was heavier but still with the infectious groove and challenging technicality that BOO fans have come to know and love. Well received by the press worldwide, the band toured the album throughout Europe with Darkest Hour and Protest the Hero and are shortly due to tour again on ‘The Discovery’ tour.

Heavy Blog is Heavy: 4.5/5

Sea of Tranquility: 4.5/5

This is Not a Scene: 9/10

Crave Metal: 5/5

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://youtu.be/H_rVQiywVw0

LISTEN FOR FREE: https://www.facebook.com/bornofosiris?sk=app_178091127385

The Hype Theory – Glory Days

https://www.facebook.com/thehypetheory

Record Label: Small Town Records Release Date: 10.10.11

“Bubbling with sunshine, melody and above all, talent” Jennyfer J. Walker, Kerrang

The Hype Theory have had a storming year, concluding their whirlwind summer by announcing the release of their highly anticipated debut album ‘Glory Days’ which was quickly followed by a UK tour in October. The band hit the festival circuit during 2011 with appearances at Download, Sonisphere, T in the Park and many more, winning over thousands of new fans with their catchy songs and charismatic performances. The album grabbed the attention of the heavyweights of the music media including Kerrang! and NME who loved the Essex based bands unique brand of uplifting pop punk.

Alternative Vision: 5/5

Planet Loud 7/10

Dead Press

Punktastic 3.5/5

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VqnjQytP6M

LISTEN FOR FREE: https://www.facebook.com/thehypetheory?sk=app_178091127385

Visions - Home

https://www.facebook.com/VisionsUK

Record Label: Basick Records Release Date: 18.07.11

“For a band still in their early twenties there is musicianship on display here which is truly impressive”– Thrash Hits

With an eye for spotting and developing young talent, Basick Records released the debut album ‘Home’ from UK based tech metallers Visions in July this year. Keeping it all very much in the Basick family – the album was engineered by John Browne and Neema Askari of MONUMENTS and mixed by Paul Ortiz from CHIMP SPANNER. The result was a stunning debut of well-considered yet truly organic tech aimed at fans of modern metal who believe that quality in music is delivered through skill and ability. Visions then took to stages across the UK in support of Emmure and later in the year Aliases, rounding off the year with a stellar performance at Euroblast Festival in Germany.

Heavy Blog is Heavy: 4/5

Thrash Hits: 4/6

This is Not a Scene: 8/10

Planet Loud: 8/10

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYHXNZVBpHc

LISTEN FOR FREE: http://basickrecords.bandcamp.com/album/home

TesseracT - One

https://www.facebook.com/tesseractband

Record Label: Century Media Release Date: 22.03.11

“One is certainly going to be in this year’s end of year polls, guaranteed” - Darren Sadler, Terrorizer

It’s be a rollercoaster year for TesseracT. Their debut album released in March via Century Media swept the board with critical acclaim heralding a new era in British progressive metal. The band experienced multiple sell out tours throughout the year in the UK, Australia and USA supporting bands such as Periphery, Protest the Hero and Between the Buried and Me and also managed to fit in their first headline UK tour and an appearance at Download Festival. Riding high on a wave of very positive reviews the band announced that singer Dan Tompkins was leaving, to be replaced almost instantly with Elliot Coleman. Unperturbed the band headed off on tour of the USA and released a stunning video for Eden, featuring new vocals from Elliot. TesseracT have proved to be a progressive titan that will not be stopped and 2012 proves to have even more in store for fans.

Rock Sound: 9/10

One Metal: 4/5

Thrash Hits: 4.5/5

Prog Rock Music Talk: 4.5/5

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://youtu.be/_4h0rlWX5lM

LISTEN FOR FREE: https://www.facebook.com/tesseractband?sk=app_178091127385

EPs

Mishkin – Row Away From The Rocks

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mishkin/9832875887

Record Label: Self Released Release Date: 06.06.11

“ROW AWAY FROM THE ROCKS is one of the most polished releases by an unsigned act that you are ever likely to hear” –Grumpy Rocker

Unsigned and self funded, Leeds metallers Mishkin released an EP of epic proportions in June this year with stunning artwork completed by Ralph Steadman. The EP received rave reviews across the board, aided by a cartoon video for the song ‘Good Day to Die’ which charted on the Scuzz TV airplay chart. During the summer the band entered and were shortlisted for the top ten bands in the Red Bull Bedroom Jam which won them an appearance at Hevy Fest. Fuelled by their summer success the band took off on a headline UK tour to promote the EP further and finished the year with an appearance in Kerrang! magazine.

Alter The Press: 5/5

Music Review: 83/100

This is Not a Scene: 9/10

Leeds Scenester

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://youtu.be/Z60A_y-1tiA

LISTEN FOR FREE: http://mishkin.bandcamp.com

Blotted Science – The Animation of Entomology

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blotted-Science/78922582770

Record Label: Basick Records Release Date: 28.11.11

“This is progressive music at its finest. Not just in metal. Not just in the subgenres that spiral out of it, but across the board. “ – Metal Reviews

As supergroups go, Blotted Science presents one of the most technically proficient entities out there. Featuring members of Watchtower, Spastic Ink, Cannibal Corpse and Obscura, the band are set to release their second CD ‘The Animation of Entomology’ on 28th November via Basick Records. Already receiving incredibly positive reviews globally, this instrumental project likes to experiment with writing complex pieces of music to sync up with movie sequences using 12-tone writing systems. If you like the idea of extreme progressive instrumental metal delivered with intensity and complexity but more over, inspired by bugs and horror films, then this is the release you’ve been waiting a lifetime to hear.

Heavy Blog is Heavy: 4.5/5

Metal Reviews

MWD Reviews: 10/10

Riff Magazine: 9/10

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://youtu.be/gKkn-YjYmCA

Red Enemy - What We Are Contained In, Is What We Are Worth

http://www.facebook.com/RedEnemy

Record Label: Self Released Release Date: 10.10.11

“Unadulterated metal served as it should be - loud and angry!” - bbc.co.uk

Having conquered their home land, Irish hardcore/tech metallers Red Enemy stormed through the metal press this year with the release of their killer debut EP, ‘What We Are Contained In, Is What We Are Worth’, on 10 October. The band spent a lot of time touring their homeland in 2011 making sure no corner of Ireland was left unturned, supporting bands such as TesseracT and more recently Parkway Drive, as well as their own highly successful headline tour followed by a UK tour.

Ultimate Guitar: 8/10

Terrorizer Magazine Band of the Day

British Tech Metal: 8/10

Ring Master Review

LISTEN FOR FREE: https://www.facebook.com/RedEnemy?sk=app_2405167945

Aliases – Safer Than Reality

https://www.facebook.com/aliasesband

Record Label: Basick Records Release Date: 15.08.11

“Safer Than Reality is a clinically-executed exercise in technique, melody and groove: the ultimate in guitar geekdom and a musical masterclass.” – Smashed Music

Aliases achieved more in their first year as a band than most achieve in a lifetime, including signing to Basick Records, having their debut gig at a large European Festival, writing, recording and releasing a debut EP and touring the UK extensively. Their debut EP ‘Safer Than Reality’ was released in August and inevitably drew comparisons to guitarist Pin’s Sikth heritage. With a Scuzz TV airplay chart position, a channel take over and a video premiere on USA site Metal Injection, the internet quickly exploded with conspiracy theory that there was a girl in the band, and she was playing a guitar (imagine the horror!). Unperturbed, Aliases EP again swept the board with glowing reviews, features and a double page spread in Metal Hammer. Finishing off the year with a UK tour in support of Textures and The Ocean, Aliases came, saw and delivered and are ready to do it all over again, but harder, in 2012.

Thrash Hits: 5/6

Heavy Blog is Heavy: 4/5

Planet Loud: 9/10

Smashed Music: 5/5

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMF41D8h1kE

LISTEN FOR FREE: http://basickrecords.bandcamp.com/album/safer-than-reality

Circles – The Compass

https://www.facebook.com/listentocircles

Record Label: Basick Records Release Date: 16.05.11

“Circles manage to seemingly effortlessly strike a balance between muso-stroking technical facility and crowd-pleasing accessibility - resulting in a record that could well vault them into ‘djent’ superstar status.” – One Metal

Progressive metallers CIRCLES exploded from the depths of the Australian underground in 2011 to hit the Scuzz TV chart at no1, with two releases in the Australian iTunes chart at no1 and no5 simultaneously and the release of one of the most critically acclaimed debuts of the year with the ‘The Compass’. Features in all major UK and European magazines followed, as did a single and debut video release which was premiered on Metal Hammer. With singer Perry Kakridas likened to a modern, more progressive (is that even possible!?) Mike Patton the band enjoyed a year of positive reviews, worldwide interviews, video debuts and lots of drunken texts and phonecalls to their record label. 2012 is proving to be even bigger for the antipodeans with rumours of a summer UK/European tour in the works; however this may be delayed due to the impending apocalypse which is set to destroy up to 80% of humanity.

One Metal: 4.5/5

Subba Cultcha: 9/10

Death Metal Baboon: 8.5/10

This is Not a Scene: 9/10

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4NOM5IItes

LISTEN FOR FREE: http://basickrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-compass

Betraeus – Towards The Sun

http://www.facebook.com/betraeus

Record Label: Siege of Amida Release Date: 14.11.11

“It’s great to have underground bands like Betraeus breaking through” - Kerrang! Radio

Manchester based progressive death metallers Betraeus have gone from strength to strength in 2011, developing their unique brand of melodic death metal and releasing their EP ‘Towards the Sun’ on Siege of Amida Records. Fusing brutality with beauty the EP debuted to an array of positive reviews which was the perfect end to an already blistering year. Appearing on the Pepsi Max stage at Download Festival this year and with several high profile support slots with the likes of Blaze Bailey and Beholder under their belt, the band are set to tour the UK in November and December in support of the EP.

Ringmaster Reviews

Live Music Scene

BattleHelm

Sunday Rock Show: 4/5

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://youtu.be/kXfHJfkW2s0

LISTEN FOR FREE: http://youtu.be/np78NH3Bhj8

If you are press/media and would like to request any of the press/ album promo packs for any of the artists featured below please contact lisa@holdtightpr.com