NEWS, 31st August 2010
> VIKING SKULL RELEASED OCTOBER 26TH
Restricted Release today confirms October 26 as the North American release date for Heavy Metal Thunder, a special reissue package from England’s VIKING SKULL. Remastered and featuring all new artwork, Heavy Metal Thunder combines the band’s popular debut album, Born In Hell, and the Chapter One EP, both previously unavailable through proper American and Canadian retail outlets. The album also includes five bonus songs and will precede a new, still untitled EP planned for release in early 2011.
VIKING SKULL, featuring vocalist/guitarist Roddy Stone, guitarists Dom Wallace and Frank Regan, bassist Kevin Waldie, with sole-American drummer Jess Margera (CKY, The Company Band), found initial American interest when the song “Skull Heaven” appeared on volume one of Bam Margera’s Viva La Bands compilation series in 2005. A second song, “Blackened Sunrise” would follow on volume two in 2007. Early fans would have to wait until the winter of 2008, however, to witness their first Skull show; the band finally landing on US shores to share the stage on a short east coast tour with Clutch.
Stone recalls,“our tour with Clutch was the first time for us playing the states. It quickly became quite clear to us that America loves big riffs through big amps and that’s what we're about. No fancy hair cuts, eye liner, or spooky clothes, just balls out, meat and potatoes heavy rock. That tour was one of the best we've done in terms of crowd reaction, and on top of that we got to see Clutch every night."
Heavy Metal Thunder comes nearly two years to the day after the release of Doom, Gloom, Heartache & Whiskey (Powerage); an album that was embraced by international media on its release in 2008. “Genuinely fantastic rock ‘n roll,” asserts Kerrang! “Whiskey-swigging, bar-room-brawling, southern-baked hard rock and metal,” said Blabbermouth. It was MetalSucks that most aptly described the band’s sound noting, “if you take a foundation built on Black Sabbath, add the support structure of Thin Lizzy, wall it up with a thick layer of Motorhead, and retrofit the whole package with the likes of Orange Goblin, this is the house VIKING SKULL has built.”
“We tend to think, if it ain't broke don't try and fix it,” notes Stone about the band’s straight-forward heavy metal anthems. “We like to think back to the day when men were men, and amps where amps. The time when having a good riff/song was important and had nothing to do with posing, we're a proper band with proper tunes.."
It was 2002 when assorted members of England’s Raging Speedhorn and crew faced the very sobering notion that their daily offering of free booze would dry up whilst not on tour. So for founding members Stone, Waldie, and Regan, the lure of a free pint was enough to encourage them to form a band. In quick time, VIKING SKULL was recording and enjoying non-stop touring (European runs with HIM, Dio, CKY and others) when one memorable evening things came to an abrupt halt. In what can only be recalled as a drop-down, all out battle (fuelled by lots, and lots of absinthe unfortunately supplied by then simply friend Jess Margera) the ‘Skull’s outer edges fried and the Northamptonshire-based band broke up. Later finding out what had happened Margera offered up his services and within short time wounds healed and VIKING SKULL was back.
Heavy Metal Thunder Track listing: 1. Beers, Drugs And Bitches, 2. Wizard’s Sleeve, 3. Frostbite, 4. Rape Pillage And Burn, 5. Crazy Trucker, 6. Skull Heaven, 7. Born In Hell, 8. Crank The Volume, 9. Red Hot Woman, 10. Seedealer, 11. Heavy Metal Thunder, 12. Saddle Up, 13. Double Or Quits (Demo Version), 14. Rock And Roll Suicide, 15. Conquer The World, 16. Baby Let Me Know, 17. Skulls & Whiskey, 18. Dirty Dirty Hole, 19. Inject My Woman (With Love), 20. You Can’t Kill Rock & Roll
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> DEL REY ALBUM THIS SEPTEMBER
At A Loss Recordings welcomes Chicago's sorcerers of atmospheric post-rock DEL REY to their ever-morphing roster, bringing the band's upcoming fourth full-length Immemorial to North American masses this September 28th (with a European release on Golden Antenna Records).
Born in 1997 in the attic of a flat in Chicago's Ukrainian Village, DEL REY's music expands upon the post-rock and electronic roots of their native city, but their sonic palette also contains hints of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Afro-Cuban textures. Fuelled by the band's already furious double-drummer attack and stinging guitar work, these elements are deftly woven into songs that take on a life of their own.
Immemorial builds on the cosmic soundscapes and of DEL REY's previous work, but here they've channeled their energies into an even more evocative, melodic sound -- even incorporating the Chinese guzheng and Japanese taiko drumming into their Immemorial attack -- heightening the tension and release elements of each song. It's surely heavy, but in a clean, angular, and cinematic style that has been honed to perfection, making this the band's most ambitious offering to date.
Immemorial Track Listing: 1 Return of the Son of Fog Rider, 2 E Pluribus Unicorn, 3 Innumeracy, 4 Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars, 5 Ouisch, 6 These Children That Come at You With Knives, 7 Ancestral
Immemorial will be released in North America as a gatefold 12" LP with an included CD, with no standard jewel case pressing. In celebration of the album, DEL REY have booked a hometown record release show at Chicago's Lincoln Hall on October 8th. More live dates and more information on Immemorial will be announced soon.
> NEW DYNAZTY ALBUM
DYNAZTY has signed with STORMVOX RECORDS. DYNAZTY will record a new full-length album in Los Angeles later this year, and are set to release it spring 2011.
Singer Nils Molin says on the deal: "We are extremely excited to get the opportunity to work with such a devoted team, and we are certain that this cooperation will take DYNAZTY, StormVox and our fans to new heights!"
The band is currently writing new material for the upcoming album, but will take a short break from writing to play at the Stockholm Rock Out festival on September 11th.
> PHIL CAPONE TO PERFORM AS PART OF JIMI HENDRIX EXHIBITION
Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) guitar tutor Phil Capone will be holding an exclusive masterclass, as part of the ‘Hendrix in Britain’ exhibition, a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s death, on Saturday, 2nd October. This event is one of many being held through September and October being held by Handel House inspired by the exhibition.
Phil’s masterclass will cover the licks, tricks and stylistic trademarks that made Hendrix one of the greatest musicians of our time. Demonstrating various effects and sounds Hendrix frequently used, as well as transcriptions of classic Hendrix tunes, Phil will offer insight into lead and rhythm playing, as well as the harmonic thinking behind his playing. The masterclass will be held at the Cumberland Hotel in Mayfair, London, where Hendrix stayed during his time in London, on 2nd October from 2 to 4pm. Tickets cost £15, which includes admission to the ‘Hendrix in Britain’ exhibition.
To get more information or book tickets, please call: 020 7399 1953.
For further information about the ICMP, contact them directly on: 020 7328 0222 or e-mail on enquiries@icmp.co.uk
