Hold Tight! PR
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CHAD BASICK - Top Albums of 2012 & more....
Chad is our resident American A&R guru/god, bringing us all the hottest, freshest sounds for us...
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Review! Visions - 'Home'
Since the release of their EP, ‘The 33 Sessions’ back in April 2010, Visions have stood out as one of the UK’s most...
Band name: Damned Spring Fragrantia
Location: Parma, Italy
Genre: Progressive metalcore
Links: www.facebook.com/damnedspringfragrantia || www.soundcloud.com/damnedspringfragrantia || http://damnedspringfragrantia.bandcamp.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.
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
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
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.
Heavy Blog is Heavy Review: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Terrorizer Magazine Band of the Day
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.
WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMF41D8h1kE
LISTEN FOR FREE: http://basickrecords.bandcamp.com/album/safer-than-reality
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.
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.
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
What happened in the world of Hold Tight! PR this week - we bring you a brief look at what our clients have been up to.
The entire team at Hold Tight! PR are working non stop to keep up with the amount of releases, festivals and press that we’re working on. You’ll find our bands have major features in all of the mags this month and next month - we’re really packing in some awesome music. We’ve been on tour with TesseracT for the Lowering the Tone tour and enjoying catching Between the Buried and Me / Animals as Leaders as they hit UK shores. Check out news about our bands below and keep your eyes peeled - October/November are looking to be our busiest months yet with a lot of new clients coming on board, major releases set to drop from the labels we work with and all this before we even get time to start thinking about our Christmas shopping!
Lowering the Tone Tour - Tesseract / Chimp Spanner / Uneven Structure
Kerrang! - Check out the Lowering the Tone tour preview!
REVIEWS! Leeds || Cardiff || London || Manchester || London || London || Manchester || Birmingham || Glasgow || Birmingham
7 Horns 7 Eyes - Seattle, USA (Basick Records / Century Media)
Seattle Tech Deathers release their debut single ‘Convalescence’ on iTunes
REVIEW! 7 Horns 7 Eyes single review by Ringmaster Reviews - “Convalescence is a strong and pleasing release that increases anticipation for the band’s debut. “
REVIEW! 7H7E reviewed by Mind Equals Blown zine - “With slow, epic buildups and devilish vocals, how can anyone not like this? Haunting guitars, unrelenting bass, and spot-on drumming will keep this track forever in my head.”
REVIEW! 7H7E reviewed by Battlehelm - “As a three track taster this works like a charm. Can’t wait to hear a full album”
NEWS! 7 HORNS 7 EYES Release Digital EP & Posts Album Trailer
Acoda - Midlands, UK (Small Town Records)
LIVE REVIEW! Check out the current issue of Kerrang! for a 4K live review for the band
TOP 10 Best Unsigned! Kerrang! place the band in their top 10 best unsigned acts
Aliases - Manchester, UK (Basick Records)
On tour in Sept! Check here for dates…and find out more about the tour here
FEATURE! Pick up this months Metal Hammer for a double spread feature on Aliases
Choice Cut! - Pick up this months Terrorizer for a half page interview with the band
TOUR! Cack Blabbath report on the forthcoming Aliases and Visions tour
INTERVIEW! Thrash Hits catch up with the band before they head off on tour
INTERVIEW! Guitaris Pin is interviewed by The Charge Metal show, listen in to the podcast
REVIEW! Battlehelm looks over the latest release from Aliases
REVIEW! Planet Loud review the latest release from Aliases ”..Aliases, on Safer Than Reality show young pretenders exactly how to sound chaotic and mesmerizing at the same time.”
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘What’s Left for Us?’ now on Scuzz TV
TOUR! Get tickets for the forthcoming Aliases / Textures / The Ocean Tour
FREE TRACK! Basick Records give away a free track from Aliases new album
BETRAEUS- Manchester, UK (Siege of Amida Records)
NEWS! Siege of Amida Digital to release debut EP from UK progressive metal outfit BETRAEUS
PHOTOS! BETRAEUS release photos from their forthcoming video for ‘Towards The Sun’
Chimp Spanner - UK (Basick Records)
FEATURE! Pick up Classic Rock Presents Prog this month - they have a 3 page feature on TesseracT, Chimp Spanner and Uneven Structure ahead of their tour.
INTERVIEW! The band members from Chimp Spanner discuss their recent tour on the Basick Records blog
INTERVIEW! One Metal chat to Chimp on the Birmingham leg of his UK tour
LISTEN FOR FREE! Check out Chimp’s last release - At the Dream’s Edge, free on the Basick bandcamp
Circles - Melbourne, Australia (Basick Records)
Australian metallers Circles continue to wow with their latest release ‘The Compass’
REVIEW! Ringmaster Reviews say: “It is basically simple, The Compass is easily one of the very best releases so far this year and Circles will be one of the most respected bands of all time in what could be on this evidence, the very near future.”
SPOTIFY! Listen to the album ‘The Compass’ for free on Spotify
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Clouds are Gathering’ on Scuzz TV
Ghost Music - Leeds, UK
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE!
New Record label launched Read more…
Ghost Music announces first signing Read more…
NEWS! Metal Underground: Silent Screams sign to Ghost Music
NEWS! Heavy Petal discuss Ghost Music’s latest signing
TOUR! Ghost Music announces recent signing Silent Screams to tour - check out dates here
Jerzey Street Band - Manchester, UK
REVIEW! “Having listened to this I can’t wait for their new abum, Breaking Radio Silence to be released this autumn.”
REVIEW! “…a glorious homage to vintage Americana, the kind of music they just don’t make any more.”
RADIO! JSB were featured on Radio 2 with Bob Harris.
Mishkin - Leeds, UK
LIVE REVIEW! “I’m still baffled why Mishkin are still unsigned and on this showing I guess the only answer is to keep going until someone signs them up.”
INTERVIEW! Mishkin interview with Ringmaster
INTERVIEW! 4 page feature with Elite magazine
RED ENEMY - Dublin, Ireland
FEATURE! Check out Rock Sound magazine for an Exposure article and track on the current covermount CD
INTERVIEW! Planet Loud catch up with Red Enemy
REVIEW! Planet Mosh review the new EP
REVIEW! Live Music Scene review “..this is some of the best hardcore the UK has to offer.”
REVIEW! Room 13 review the new EP ”..these Irishmen are bound to build a UK following to rival the following they have back home.”
TesseracT London, UK (Century Media)
Progressive metallers TesseracT gear up for their October European tour with Chimp Spanner
FEATURE! Pick up Classic Rock Presents Prog this month - they have a 3 page feature on TesseracT, Chimp Spanner and Uneven Structure
FEATURE! Pick up this month’s Terrorizer for a double page spread on Tesseract
LIVE REVIEW! Pick up this month’s Kerrang! to read a 4K live review
INTERVIEW! One Metal catch up with TesseracT on their recent UK tour
INTERVIEW! Brit Events catch up with TesseracT on tour
INTERVIEW! Jay and James speak to Deaf by Dawn
INTERVIEW! Soundshock catch up with new frontman Elliot Coleman
REVIEW!Sonic Shocks caught TesseracT’s secret show
GOOGLE!TesseracT are featured on Google Music’s first ever Metal Scanner sampler! Sign up and get it for free.
The Hype Theory - London, UK (Small Town Records)
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE! Read more…
VIDEO! Rock Industry look over the new video ‘Kid at Heart’
INTRODUCING! Planet Loud interview the band to find out more
Threads - London, UK
RADIO! Threads track ‘Surgery’ appears on BBC Introducing playlist
Uneven Structure - France (Basick Records)
FEATURE! Pick up Classic Rock Presents Prog this month - they have a 3 page feature on TesseracT, Chimp Spanner and Uneven Structure
INTERVIEW! Brit Events caught up with the band on their recent UK tour
RADIO! Uneven Structure were interviewed on the Metalheadz show for Calon FM
ALBUM! The band announce full details for their forthcoming debut album ‘Februus’
ALBUM! Information on the forthcoming debut release ‘Februus’
Visions - Peterborough, UK (Basick Records)
UK tech metal rising stars Visions get ready for their ‘Safer than Home’ tour with Aliases - find out where to catch them
DJENT! Got Djent take a look at the playthrough from Visions guitarist, Jake.
NEWS! Planet Mosh post news about Visions forthcoming tour
INTERVIEW! Thrash Hits catch the band before they head out on tour
REVIEW! Deaf By Dawn review the debut album from Visions “The young band’s grasp of how to shape their mind boggling technical skills into enjoyable pieces of music is an incredible accomplishment.”
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Desinent’ on Scuzz TV
LISTEN FOR FREE! Check out the debut album, for free!
The BASICK elves are busy putting together CHIMP SPANNER’s stage production! (Taken with instagram)
What happened in the world of Hold Tight! PR this week - we bring you a brief look at what our clients have been up to.
WOW! It’s been a week full of drama, tears, tantrums, break ups, wars and internet implosions. We kicked off the week watching the Internet rumour mill going into warp drive with the shock appearance of Elliot Coleman at TesseracT’s show in Milton Keynes, cue the Internet exploding in conspiracy theory, by Tuesday it became clear that the beautiful Dan Tompkins had left, leaving a giant hole to be filled by none other than Haunted Shores own Elliot Coleman - cue mass fan hysteria, then we watched as Metal Sucks vs Century Media vs Sumerian Records back and forth war of words erupted around the Spotify debate, meanwhile Storm troopers, rebels, Klingons, and the fashion police hunted rubber faced dicator Muammar al-Gaddafi in Libya - it’s all going on. Luckily we were face down in the Dillinger Escape Plan and Scale the Summit, busy working on tour press for all our Autumn tours, booking some fab new clients and generally figuring out that if you mix ginger beer with a cosmopolitan cocktail it becomes the stuff that legends are made of. So internet, chill out a bit, it’ll be ok. It’s Friday, chow down on our bands, get a ginger cosmo on the go and just relax.
STOP THE PRESS….STOP THE PRESS…..STOP THE PRESS…..
Basick Records / Hold Tight! PR token girl member Lisa was featured in this month’s Metal Hammer on page 24 alongside Blasko (Rob Zombie/Ozzy Osbourne) and Daniel Regan (Textures Manager) - see below for a sneaky peak of Lisa discussing which current band she has her eye on.
STOP THE PRESS….STOP THE PRESS….STOP THE PRESS…
SCUZZ TV are sponsoring the upcoming ‘Lowering the Tone’ tour featuring Tesseract, Chimp Spanner and Uneven Structure. To win tickets to the tour, an Ibanez 7 string and bags of merch watch the video below and get involved.
Acoda - Midlands, UK (Small Town Records)
LIVE REVIEW! Hit the Floor magazine catch up with the live final of the Red Bull Bedroom Challenge “Leading man Damon Tang owned the crowd, with his flawless vocal and his band mates surrounding him, they were utter perfection.”
VIDEO! Live coverage of the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Final - Acoda kick off about 3 mins in.
Aliases - Manchester, UK (Basick Records)
REVIEW! ROCK SOUND (UK) review 7/10 -“a promising start for a potentially excellent band.”
REVIEW! - METAL HAMMER (UK) review 8/10 - “Graham Pinney has returned to show the young pretenders how it’s done…..it’s as if SikTh never went away.”
INTERVIEW! FEMALE FIRST (UK) catch up with guitarist Leah Woodward to discuss the bands new release, metal being a male dominated genre and the mercury music prize.
TOUR NEWS! Aliases announces UK Tour Dates with Visions
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘What’s Left for Us?’ now on Scuzz TV
TOUR! Get tickets for the forthcoming Aliases / Textures / The Ocean Tour
FREE TRACK! Basick Records give away a free track from Aliases new album
Circles - Melbourne, Australia (Basick Records)
Australian metallers Circles continue to wow with their latest release ‘The Compass’
RADIO! Listen in to the White Noise Podcast to hear Dave and Ted from Circles discussing their current release, tours and future plans for a full length release.
FEATURE! ROCK SOUND (DK) - Pg 32 - check out this month’s issue of Rock Sound Magazine to read an ‘Exposure’ feature on Circles and turn to pg 78 for a review (8/10) “Whether it’s the deep girth of the djent sound, or the soaring melodies, Circles are here to make a point.”
SPOTIFY! Listen to the album ‘The Compass’ for free on Spotify
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Clouds are Gathering’ on Scuzz TV
Ghost Music - Leeds, UK
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE! Read more…
NEWS! GhostFest founder launches new record label: Ghost Music
NEWS! New record label launched by GhostFest
Mishkin - Leeds, UK
INTERVIEW! Mishkin interview with Room 13 (UK)
NEWS! The Yorkshire Evening Post reviews Metal Fringe Festival
LIVE! Video footage of Mishkin from Metal Fringe, Leeds 2011
REVIEW! Rock Industry review Metal Fringe, Leeds 2011
TesseracT London, UK (Century Media)
Progressive metallers TesseracT announce new vocalist
Official Press Release! Read here…
INTERVIEW! Bass player Amos Williams talks to Metal Sucks about their new vocalist and forthcoming tours.
RADIO! Got Djent have a copy of the band’s interview with Maz Star from Total Rock where new vocalist Elliot Coleman is introduced to the world.
NEWS! Metal Hammer reveal details of the bands new singer
WIN! Scuzz TV give away an Ibanez and tickets to Tesseract’s Lowering the Tone tour
GEAR! Guitarist James Monteith discusses his favourite gear, guitars and geekdom with Thrash Hits.
The Hype Theory - London, UK (Small Town Records)
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE! Read more…
NEWS! Rock Industry look over Glory Days and discuss tour dates
INTRODUCING! Planet Loud interview the band to find out more
NEWS! New album and tour news from Newlyfresh
Visions - Peterborough, UK (Basick Records)
UK tech metal rising stars Visions release debut album ‘Home’
REVIEW! THIS IS NOT A SCENE (UK) take a look at the bands debut album - “A young British band on a forward-thinking independent label, with involvement from members of other notable bands from the scene all points to a bright future for UK metal. “
INTERVIEW! Italian website Fire Alive catch up with Visions
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Desinent’ on Scuzz TV
LISTEN FOR FREE! Check out the debut album, for free!
What happened in the world of Hold Tight! PR this week - we bring you a brief look at what our clients have been up to.
This week has been brought to you via buckets of Jagermeister, epic amounts of Mongolian jazz, excitement about the West Memphis 3 are FREE news and many many conversations about the ridiculousness of crabcore and bands who jog on the spot. We’re now working on Winter release schedules and Autumn tours and the agency is busier than ever. Grab a coffee, turn the volume up and check out some of the bands we’re working with right now!
Acoda - Midlands, UK (Small Town Records)
Acoda continue on the festival circuit after their Red Bull Bedroom Jam win
KERRANG! 3KKK review from their Sonisphere set
VIDEO! Check out Acoda playing on the Metal Hammer boat at the Golden God Awards
RED BULL BEDROOM JAM FINAL! ACODA are down to the final three, find out more!
LIVE REVIEW! Hit the Floor magazine caught the band at Hevy Festival.
INTERVIEW! Punktastic catch up with the band at Hevy Festival.
Aliases - Manchester, UK (Basick Records)
REVIEW! Aliases pick up 4K’s in KERRANG! Magazine
REVIEW! CRAVE METAL (UK) review -“…even better than anything Sikth put out.”
REVIEW! - MIND EQUALS BLOWN (USA) review - “If you are a fan of the whole progressive metal (or djent) movement that has swept the nation in the past couple years, then consider this album to be somewhere at the top of the pile.”
REVIEW! SMASHED MUSIC (UK) review - “Drummer Darren Pugh hits his kit like he just found out it slept with his missus.”
REVIEW! GUITAR NOISE (AUS) - “The 7/8 over 4/4 (with a couple of bars of 6/8 thrown in) outro riff is quite hypnotic!”
INTERVIEW! Dawn of the Deaf (UK) catch up with the band to discuss their song writing process, the next album and more about what they are listening to right now.
INTERVIEW! Underground (IN) catch up with Aliases to discuss recording, their video and more about the demise of SikTh
TOUR NEWS! Aliases announces UK Tour Dates with Visions
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘What’s Left for Us?’ now on Scuzz TV
TOUR! Get tickets for the forthcoming Aliases / Textures / The Ocean Tour
FREE TRACK! Basick Records give away a free track from Aliases new album
BETRAEUS- Manchester, UK (Siege of Amida Records)
NEWS! Siege of Amida Digital to release debut EP from UK progressive metal outfit BETRAEUS
NEWS! BETRAEUS announce ‘Towards the Sun’ EP release
Circles - Melbourne, Australia (Basick Records)
Australian metallers Circles continue to wow with their latest release ‘The Compass’
PICS! Live pics by Sludge Factory (AUS) from CIRCLES recent gig in Melbourne
REVIEW! ROCKFREAKS (DK) - ”..given the band’s ability to strike a balance between astonishing technical prowess and crowd-pleasing accessibility, not to mention their willingness to break out of conventional frames in order to carve out their own tiny niche, Circles are a sure shot addition to the djent elite.”
SPOTIFY! Listen to the album ‘The Compass’ for free on Spotify
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Clouds are Gathering’ on Scuzz TV
Mishkin - Leeds, UK
INTERVIEW! Mishkin interview with Musings of a Djentleman (UK)
REVIEW! Room13 catch up with Mishkin live at Hevy Festival
Jerzey Street Band - Manchester, UK
REVIEW! Hard Rock Haven explore the recent release ‘Haigy’s Girl’ from Jerzey Street Band. 8/10
REVIEW! Shout4Music review ‘Haigy’s Girl’ - 8/10
RED ENEMY - Dublin, Ireland
LIVE! Molten Magazine Launch gig with Red Enemy, Mental Deficiency and Dead Til Friday
REVIEW! BCFM Sunday Rockshow review the current debut release from the band - ‘This is one of the best debuts I’ve encountered in a fair while.”
NEWS! Red Enemy announce debut EP
NEWS! Red Enemy announce tour
TesseracT London, UK (Century Media)
Progressive metallers TesseracT announce new video!
TOUR! New USA tour dates announced with BTBAM and Animals as Leaders
VIDEO! The band announce details of a new video for Eden
LIVE! Catch the band live in Milton Keynes this weekend, we’re sure it’s a show fans won’t want to miss!
WIN! Scuzz TV give away an Ibanez and tickets to Tesseract’s Lowering the Tone tour
AUSTRALIAN TOUR! Metal Forge review Tesseract’s recent tour of Australia
INTERVIEW! Djentleworld catch up with drummer Jay Postones
The Hype Theory - London, UK (Small Town Records)
REVIEW! Live Music Scene review the bands latest single
LIVE! Live photos from their recent Hevy Festival appearance
Visions - Peterborough, UK (Basick Records)
UK tech metal rising stars Visions release debut album ‘Home’
REVIEW! Planet Loud take a look at the bands debut album - ”..it’s satisfying to know that there are bands out there like Visions who are quite capable of delivering you a good slice of brain-twatting mentality.”
REVIEW! “They have the talent to be something huge in the metal scene.”
INTERVIEW! Polish guitarist mag Magazyn Gitazysta catch up with Dave Evans from Visions to discus their debut album
INTERVIEW! Italian website Fire Alive catch up with Visions
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Desinent’ on Scuzz TV
What happened in the world of Hold Tight! PR this week - we bring you a brief look at what our clients have been up to.
7 Horns 7 Eyes - Seattle, USA (Basick Records / Century Media)
Seattle Tech Deathers release their debut single ‘Convalescence’ on iTunes
REVIEW! 7 Horns 7 Eyes single review by Metal Army - “Far from easily definable, some may struggle to stick a label on this band since they are so talented. I have a label for them to get you started: utterly brilliant.”
RADIO! 7H7E track featured on Scottish Radio Magnetic - listen to the Podcast
NEWS! 7 HORNS 7 EYES Release Digital EP & Posts Album Trailer
Acoda - Midlands, UK (Small Town Records)
Acoda continue on the festival circuit after their Red Bull Bedroom Jam win
KERRANG! 3KKK review from their Sonisphere set
VIDEO! Check out Acoda playing on the Metal Hammer boat at the Golden God Awards
SHOWS! Find out where to catch Acoda this summer
SCUZZ! Head over to Scuzz TV on Facebook or Twitter and request ACODA / Finding Your Feet - to see the band on the TV
HEVY! Catch the band live at Hevy Fest at 9.30pm, Saturday on the Red Bull Stage
Aliases - Manchester, UK (Basick Records)
With only a few days until their debut release, ALIASES announce UK tour with label mates VISIONS
REVIEW! Heavy Blog (UK) review -“Whoever continues to whine about Sikth being disbanded after hearing Safer Than Reality gets a punch in the dick.”
REVIEW! - Thrash Hits (UK) review - ”..a cracking debut by a band who will hopefully be flying the flag for UK metal for a long time to come.”
REVIEW! Hard City (GR) review
REVIEW! Music Review (ZA) - ”..will leave you with severe cramps and muscle spasms, as you struggle to contain yourself from headbanging like a beast to its infectiousness.”
REVIEW! New Breed of Metal (BA)
TOUR NEWS! Aliases announces UK Tour Dates with Visions
Pre-Orders go on sale for their forthcoming release ‘Safer Than Reality’
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘What’s Left for Us?’ now on Scuzz TV
TOUR! Get tickets for the forthcoming Aliases / Textures / The Ocean Tour
FREE TRACK! Basick Records give away a free track from Aliases new album
Born of Osiris - USA (Sumerian Records)
Find more BORN OF OSIRIS songs at Myspace Music
REVIEW! Metal Hammer give ‘The Discovery’ 8/10
REVIEW! Rise Metal (UY)
Circles - Melbourne, Australia (Basick Records)
Australian metallers Circles continue to wow with their latest release ‘The Compass’
VIDEO! Circles sneak out news about a new video
REVIEW! Kill Your Stereo Review (AU) - “The time seems right for Australia to offer its own musical versions to challenge the already thriving overseas ‘djent’ contingent and Circles may be one of the groups to kickstart this push.”
REVIEW! Audiopinions Review (USA) - “Great timing along with the superb music presented on The Compass should see Circles becoming a rising star in the next year or so.”
FEATURE! Circles picked for The Firing Range as ‘Ones to Watch’ by Alex from Scuzz TV in this months Metal Hammer
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Clouds are Gathering’ on Scuzz TV
Meeting of Styles - UK
This annual event has grown from 15 artists and one main wall in it’s first year to a full scale outdoor block party and street exhibition. Part of a global calendar of events which produce the biggest aerosol and graffiti jam in the world.
TIME OUT! - Listing
FEATURE! - World’s biggest graffiti festival returns to London
FEATURE! - International Meeting of Styles graffiti street festival returns to The Studios
PREVIEW! - Meeting of Styles Graffiti Festival Returns
PREVIEW! - Unfolded check out the Festival
Mishkin - Leeds, UK
Leeds based metallers appearing at Hevy Fest this weekend
HEVY FEST! Mishkin take to the Red Bull stage at 3pm on Saturday.
One Minute Silence return to the studio to record live album of classic tracks
ACOUSTIC! One Minute Silence to release live album of classic tracks
PLEDGE! One Minute Silence ask fans to get involved in the making of the new album
VIDEO! One Minute Silence release acoustic video for Pledge Music drive
Senser - London, UK (Imprint Music)
Senser rip it up LIVE in a series of dates throughout July
Find more Senser songs at Myspace Music
LIVE! Senser announce tour
TesseracT London, UK (Century Media)
Progressive metallers TesseracT announce more tour dates!
TOUR! New USA tour dates announced with BTBAM and Animals as Leaders
LIVE REVIEW! Live review from their recent tour of Australia with Periphery
LIVE REVIEW! Room 13 catch the band at Sonisphere Festival
NEWS! TesseracT Comments on Aussie & BTBM Tours
INTERVIEW! Interview with Amos on Hard Rock Haven
EUROPEAN TOUR! Tesseract discuss their forthcoming EU tour
PHOTOS! Photos from their recent Australian Tour with Periphery
INTERVIEW! Sonic Shocks catch up with TesseracT
SHOUT OUT! TesseracT are featured in this months issue of Classic Rock Prog with news about their forthcoming ‘Lowering the Tone’ tour with Chimp Spanner and Uneven Structure
The Hype Theory - London, UK (Small Town Records)
The Hype Theory continue to break hearts at festivals this summer after their Red Bull Bedroom Jam win
REVIEW! Cack Blabbath review the bands latest single
REVIEW! Female First review the new single - “Letting the music speak for itself, no-one would bet against this band becoming a big deal.”
Visions - Peterborough, UK (Basick Records)
UK tech metal rising stars Visions release debut album ‘Home’
NEWS! Visions and Aliases announce UK tour
REVIEW! Musings of a Djentleman (UK) review the new release - “Visions are a shining light in the British Tech Metal scene”
FEATURE! Check out this months Rock Sound magazine for an exposure piece on the band
FREE TRACK! Basick Records give away a free track from Visions new album
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Desinent’ on Scuzz TV
What happened in the world of Hold Tight! PR this week - we bring you a brief look at what our clients have been up to.
7 Horns 7 Eyes - Seattle, USA (Basick Records / Century Media)
Seattle Tech Deathers release their debut single ‘Convalescence’ on iTunes
INTERVIEW! Interview with Bass Player Brandon Smith
BRAVEWORDS! 7H7E release first single
Acoda - Midlands, UK (Small Town Records)
Acoda continue on the festival circuit after their Red Bull Bedroom Jam win
VIDEO INTERVIEW! Acoda catch up with Hit the Floor at Download Festival
VIDEO INTERVIEW! Acoda catch up with Crave Metal at Sonisphere Festival
PHOTOS! Rock Sound feature photos from Acoda live at Sonisphere Festival
NEWS! Perthshire Advertiser feature Acoda ahead of T-in the Park appearance
SHOWS! Find out where to catch Acoda this summer
Aliases - Manchester, UK (Basick Records)
Manchester based Tech masters Aliases unleash their debut video ‘What’s Left for Us?’
PREMIERE! Metal Injection premiere online the new video from Aliases
FEATURE! Metal Sucks discuss the debut video from Aliases
FEATURE! Impericon Clothing explore the birth of the new wave of Tech
INTERVIEW! Mind Equals Blown catch up with Aliases ahead of their debut release
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Safer Than Reality’ now on Scuzz TV
TOUR! Get tickets for the forthcoming Aliases / Textures / The Ocean Tour
FREE TRACK! Basick Records give away a free track from Aliases new album
Circles - Melbourne, Australia (Basick Records)
Australian metallers Circles continue to wow with their latest release ‘The Compass’
RADIO 1! Circles get some Rock Show loving from Daniel P Carter
FEATURE! Circles are in the incoming section of this months Metal Hammer
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Clouds are Gathering’ on Scuzz TV
Mishkin - Leeds, UK
Leeds based metallers keep hold of the Scuzz vid Top 10 with their new video
CHART! Mishkin cling on in the top 10 vids on Scuzz TV with ‘Good Day to Die’
REVIEW! Mishkin EP ‘Row Away From the Rocks
PHOTOS! New promotional photos by photographer Mark Latham
One Minute Silence return to the studio to record live album of classic tracks
KERRANG! One Minute Silence to release live album of classic tracks
BLABBERMOUTH! ONE MINUTE SILENCE To Release ‘Live In The Studio’ Album
PLEDGE! One Minute Silence ask fans to get involved in the making of the new album
Senser - London, UK (Imprint Music)
Senser rip it up LIVE in a series of dates throughout July
LIVE REVIEW! Circle Pit caught Senser LIVE at the 100 Club
TesseracT London, UK (Century Media)
Progressive metallers TesseracT pack the tent at Sonisphere and get ready for Australian tour!
VIDEO INTERVIEW! Crave Metal catch up with TesseracT at Sonisphere Festival
VIDEO INTERVIEW! Metalheadz catch up with James from Tesseract at Sonisphere
REVIEW! Metal Hammer check out TesseracT live at Sonisphere Festival
REVIEW! Terrorizer Magazine check out TesseracT live at Sonisphere Festival
SHOUT OUT! TesseracT are featured in this months issue of Classic Rock Prog with news about their forthcoming ‘Lowering the Tone’ tour with Chimp Spanner and Uneven Structure
BLABBERMOUTH! Gateway last month conducted an interview with U.K. progressive metal hopefuls TESSERACT when the band played in Chatham, Ontario, Canada on May 9
The Hype Theory - London, UK (Small Town Records)
The Hype Theory continue to break hearts at festivals this summer after their Red Bull Bedroom Jam win
VIDEO INTERVIEW! The Hype Theory catch up with Hit the Floor at Download Festival.
INTERVIEW! Angel of Metal caught up with The Hype Theory at Download Festival
NEWS! Perthshire Advertiser catch up with The Hype Theory ahead of their appearance at T in The Park
FEATURE! Tech Music School look at what graduates The Hype Theory have been up to
Visions - Peterborough, UK (Basick Records)
UK tech metal rising stars Visions release debut video
PREMIERE! Rock Sound give the internet the first glimpse of the new Visions video
INTERVIEW! Brit Events catch up with Visions ahead of their debut album release
INTERVIEW! Alternative Matter catch up with Visions
REVIEW! British Tech Metal check out Visions debut album ‘Home’
FREE TRACK! Basick Records give away a free track from Visions new album
SCUZZ! You can request the video ‘Desinent’ on Scuzz TV
