Words by Malcolm Dome / Photos by Marcus Maschwitz

You know what it’s like when you hear an unknown band for the first time, and they impress you? The first thought is, ‘Hang on, can they really be as good as I thought? Let’s play it again’. And the second time, the music still sounds strong. Well, meet Zodiac N Black, a young London band who’ve already displayed enough verve, vivacity and sheer musical depth to suggest they are in with a real shout at making the right noises at the highest levels.

Listen to their three-track EP ‘ZNB’ and you’ll get the idea of where this foursome are coming from, They’ve got influences – Led Zeppelin, Queens Of The Stone Age , Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Free – but to these are added a grittier, more modern approach. One that does bring to mind the power, passion and predilection of a young Rage Against The Machine or Them Crooked Vultures.

So, who are this band? Well, the story starts in March 2008 when vocalist Jad and guitarist Jim got Zodiac N Black together, the idea being to have an outlet for their songs. It took the pair a while to find the right people to complete the line-up, but finally in February 2010, they got the rhythm section to complement their musicality, with the arrival of bassist Hank and drummer Luca.

Say the band about their approach:

“The song is the most important thing for us, and to be able to play the songs live to their full potential.”

You can hear this in the way they’ve recorded the tracks on the aforementioned EP. ‘Bastinado’ bristles with energy and momentum, while ‘Better Off Dead’ has the sort of huge groove you’d only expect to find delivered by the best rock bands around, and ‘A Necessary Evil’ has the trademarks of being an epic. What really clinches their potential is that each of these sounds a little different, but there’s no mistaking they come from the same band. Now, that’s the sign of a big talent.

“We are about making music that makes you want to move,” they say. They’ve already got that side sorted. And ZNB are also determined to be able to strut their stuff onstage:

“Our live performances should be able to match our studio recordings.”

With their debut album due out in the summer of 2011, this is one band who should already be on the list of those to watch in the coming months and year. There’s a growth possibility here that could easily take them far.

“We only want to grow and evolve in our music, work hard to deliver our take on music and be able to stand alongside the music that we respect.”

The EP has got the band out of the starting blocks and what happens next is gonna be very intriguing. Zodiac N Black have what it takes to be anything they want – and when you’re this good you should be aiming for the stars. A heaven sent young quartet from London are about to take off. Watch those sparks fly.

Words by Michael Dickinson

Some bands seem destined for big things. Some bands have a sound that you know will strike a chord with a lot of people. Sometimes there are bands that present themselves with such a professional outlook of the industry that you can tell ‘failure’ is not in their vocabulary.

Ivyrise is both of these things. The brainchild of lead vocalist and song writer Ben Falinski, Ivyrise bring a mix of what they call “widescreen stadium rock with radio friendly hooks”. Falinkski certainly knows how to write a catchy but epically scoped track. Their lead single ‘Line Up the Stars’ has already attracted a song following. A combo of wistful piano, drums that could have come from Bowie’s ‘Low’ and an anthemic chorus. It’s an infectious indie-rock song that would sound welcome on any commercial radio station the length and breadth of the land. At times they channel the more melancholy moments of Keane and Coldplay but temper it with shots of 30 Seconds From Mars and Biffy Clyro. Those are some big names to be throwing around. But their names Ivyrise sound very comfortable next to.

Having been together for a little over a year the band have already played to stadium sized crowds having supported Bon Jovi on their Lost Highway tour. It’s these crowds they keep aiming to play for. Having gone the classic route of busking in order to get his music out there Falinski is determined the band should continue to make a name for themselves. Touting tickets for their shows at other bands gigs they have built a committed fan base who helped raise the money for the band to produce their first album. For the album they have hooked up with Jason Perry (whose also worked with The Blackout and McFly).

I’ve not said anything about the rest of the band so far. Which is bad on my part because they all bring the proverbial ‘it’ to the party. Dan Tanner on guitar and vocals, Mark Nagle on bass and Josh Key brings the tribal drumming. On the recently released ‘Without You’ Tanner’s guitar stands out particularly as sounding grandiose and well capable of filling the air of a stadium. Bringing some synths into the mix the group sound as though they are looking to quickly expand their sound rather than sitting in a comfortable little niche. Falinski too plays keys for the band. Sounding very comfortable behind the piano he demonstrates his skill on the song ‘Last of the Broken Hearts’, a solo track.

Without releasing an album or EP, Ivyrise have built a strong fan base built around a clutch full of tracks. This is a band that have the tools and moxie to make something big of themselves. Give them a listen, you can say you got in on the ground floor.

Mix together pop-diva vocals, 80’s synth sounds (with an occasional haunting piano), furious and subtle guitar licks, thumping bass and warm driving drums and you get No Ordinary Zoo.

Hailing from Crawley, in North West Sussex – a stone’s throw from the flight path of Gatwick – the band were formed in the Spring of 2010, after settling on the line up of Natalie West (Vocals), Mike Gates (Guitars / Banjo / Ukulele), Brian Poole (Piano / Keyboard), Ian Pearce (Bass / Mandolin / Banjo / Ukulele) and Steve Hedges (Drums / Percussion.

The fine blend of youth and experience, to be found in the No Ordinary Zoo team, results in a creative synergy that allows them to formulate interesting, original music. Their songs have a sense of energy and excitement and the sound is undeniably unique.

It should be noted that, at this stage in their career, the acoustic instruments are mainly used in the creative process and the recording studio but with high hopes of slotting them into the fast evolving live set. The song writing comes from all five members; usually nurtured along from a simple birth (in the form of a bass line, a drum fill, guitar riff, a bit of piano or even just a simple poem) until a full arrangement is formed. Natalie and Mike have both graced the halls of the Brit school and Brian and Ian have considerable live experience coupled with a history of team song writing. Steve has recorded and produced other bands whilst also having considerable experience of writing original music.

Originally the band started out as a small music project, with the intention of re-recording some old songs, but it quickly developed into something different as the new tracks were born. With Mike and Steve being particularly well versed in the world of studios it was a logical step to quickly commit the newly forged material to the warmth of analogue tape and produce a CD.

The recording of the bands’ debut EP ‘Come to my mansion’ was completed in December 2010 and the CD itself was released in February 2011. Comprising of five songs, it clearly showcases the No Ordinary Zoo style and the early interest shown in the CD looks genuinely promising and already local radio airplay has created a ripple in the consciousness of the public.

You can check out No Ordinary Zoo on their Facebook Page where you will have the chance to sample three tracks from the ‘mansion’ EP. We hope you like what you find at the Zoo!

Words by Michael Dickinson

Nah man, this ain’t “Japanese Pop”. I only mention that random fact because on their homepage Milton-Keynes outfit Wearewolf list it as one of their genres. There’s no cutsey synths here. Nary a deliciously cheesy chorus chanted over and over again. And no, there’s no lyrics about being friends forever as long as hearts keeping turning, so on and so forth.

No, Wearewolf give us music that sounds much harder. Music you’d expect a band called Wearewolf to make. Soon they will be releasing their debut EP ‘Beginnings’. Filled with five quick and to-the-point tracks they are a band with a point to make and the tools to do it with. Track one of the EP ‘Nah Man This Ain’t Butlins’ let’s you know right away that this is going to get messy in the most deliciously dramatic way. Iron Maiden-esque riffs collide with tones of Devil Sold His Soul and Tiger Army to create something that is quite epic but retains punkish elements.

Vocalists Ben Guiney and Rob Humble bring an unnerving Jekyll & Hyde quality to the songs. One vocal sounds like a teenager losing his first love or gearing up for a party. The other disembodied voice sounds like ravaged ghoul from some dark cave where making potions from the eyeballs of crows would be the order of the day. It reminds me of the film Basket Case, where a man carries round his demonstrably deformed brother in a basket.
It’s a beautiful dichotomy.

The second track ‘One Love’ explodes out of the speakers at rate I’ve not heard since first listening to D-Rail. It hits the ground-running and never let’s up. It’s particularly memorable for the guitars courtesy of Ashley Dunn and Richie Pantano (who has recently been replaced by Richard Darcy) On ‘One Love’ they get to really show off their skills. Switching between balls-to-the wall thrash, then to gnarly pick work to deliver some very nice solos. “Solid breakdowns and cinematic ambience” their press release states. Dunn and Darcy/Pantano’s guitars definitely lend these songs that cinematic quality. This music wouldn’t be out of place in the new version of The Crow that’s a-coming our ways.

Drummer Adam Tissington gets to shine on ‘We Are Here, We Are Waiting Pt. 1’. To it he brings that uncontrollable urge to nod your fucking head. While the guitars scream for your attention, the drums are what ultimately give the track that moorish edge that keeps you wanting more. Bassist Luke Wixted has the unenviable task of holding each track down. It’s hard sometimes to remain at the forefront when you have vocalists, guitars and drums like this. But he plays his part well – informing each track with a gentle rhythm that we would miss if it weren’t there.

‘Seeking Refuge’ acts as an interlude of sorts. A very creepy interlude. The two vocalists take half a minute each to sing about heartbreak. It sounds very much like an angel and a devil sitting on your shoulder. One tearfully laying down to tell you sad stories. The other vomiting down your ear canal. An affecting little piece.

No it’s not Japanese Pop, this is well produced British Hardcore with overtones of American death punk. By their own admission the band may not be “anything ground-breaking” yet. That may be somewhat underselling themselves. Yeah, they are a young band with a style that people may have heard before, but their pure love for the music they make will see that they get the fans they deserve. A young band also has the exciting prospect of progressing musically. I look forward to what they are coming out with down the road.

Words by Michael Dickinson

Ever get the feeling your brain is about to melt and ooze out of your ears? No? Maybe I have a problem then. But when dealing with a band whose members go by the handle of ‘The Human Anus’ and ‘The Incredible Sulk’ that’s just about the kind of reaction you can expect from your vital organs.

Mixing what they call “Thrash-infused sounds of the Scandinavian scene and the Groove orientated metal of the United States in the early 1990s”, Aghast are a “hard” band no doubt. Hard in the sense that this is pure, unadulterated thrash metal. Vocalist James Anson – he be the one in an Incredible Sulk – growls his lyrics from the very base of his throat. A growl that sounds as though it’s bubbling up from the very recesses of his gut. At once managing to sound like a bit of fun and faithful throwback to black metal. At times he almost leans towards rap-screaming – no mean feat.

Declaring their influences to range from Dum n’ Bass to Prog Rock to Hip-Hop, the London foursome have a deep well to draw inspiration from. The four tracks readily available through their site show this. On initial listens tracks like ‘Bang to Rights’ and ‘It’s Your Funeral’ seem like almost standard thrash affair but when you get down to the core if these tracks there is a hell of a lot of love and care going on. More recent track ‘Mind Atrophy’ already shows steady musical progression as in incorporates more of the stated influences than the earlier tracks. It’s not often that you can hearing sound of drum n’ bass mixed into what is essentially devastating thrash music.

On drums Nick ‘Brain of a Horse’ Plews plays like a man possessed. Seriously, there’s an inhuman, frantic nature to the playing. Recalling the manic drums of Austrian Death Machine it’s a quality that brings the ultimate mayhem to each track. Handling the… intense, I think is the only word to describe, guitars is The Human Anus that is Christiaan Verheij-Van Wijk. One moment treating us to an Iron Maiden-like riff the next destroying souls with a thunderous abandonment. Completing the team on bass is Dangerous Daniel ‘Dan-Solo’ Danthrax Dan Henderson… need I say more? Bringing some kind of order to the madness, his grooves undercut the craziness of the vocals and guitars.

This is music that comes thick and fast. It’s not for the faint-hearted. Now everybody hold on to your brains the next play at Kick Out the Jams!

Words by Michael Dickinson

Sometimes there are bands that you just wished that you had heard a couple of years ago. Not because they’ve stopped making music. Because you feel like you’ve been denying your ears some of the good stuff.The Spindle Sect is a band I have this feeling about.

Mixing rap with industrial, funk punk and a bit of sci-fi it’s a concoction not heard since the early days of The Prodigy. Indeed on their latest single Core, spacely-synths reign it what turns in to a four-minute funk/thrash workout.

Originating in Cape Town the band relocated to London. After a few line-up changes the squadron is now formed by The SciFienstist – bassist and producer, Cavin Chambers and Snake Pliskin on vocals, Holocaust Andy on drums and Aya on guitar. You can probably tell from some the bands handles that the band indulge in some fantastic sci-fi imagery. Utilizing rap vocals instead of singing melodies it’s refreshing to hear raps done about far off distant worlds. Fans of Definitive Jux and El-P in particular will find much to entertain. Though they site Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine as influences, their rap style sounds a lot akin to LA rap crew The Shape Shifters. So if your a fan of The Shape Shifters – all two of you – this mighty impressive stuff.

The Spindle Sect released their first album last August. Titled ‘Is Your Planet Safe?’ it carries on the theme of overworldy doings-a-transpirin’. Indeed some of the track names ‘Attack of the Quark Rebels’ and ‘Numnimah’ might make you think that your about to stumble into some kind of Emerson, Lake & Palmer lazor show. But fear not. At the heart of these space age synths and rhymes of distant planets the band somehow maintain a down-to-Earth rawness courtesy of the guitars and bass. Tracks like Core which could so easily be labelled rap or dance tracks become industrialized. Thus bringing another factor into the musical equation. The NIN factor, if you will. Whilst the synths used are slightly more bombastic than Mr. Reznor’s dark, atmospherics; the two bands share common ground of mixing unearthly noises with good old fashioned guitar and bass.

Next to be seen playing at the Kick Out the Jams Festival on March 12th in London. The Spindle Sect will definitely be on my list of bands to check out that day. See you there!

Words by Michael Dickinson / photos by Marcus Maschwitz

Releasing their debut EP ‘Take Control’ last November, What Now are certainly in a position to have some say in rock charts of the future.

Hailing from the town of Ballito in South Africa the group quickly established a foothold in the local music, then national music scene. Touring to sell out venues and receiving strong radio play they took the big step to relocate to London to crack the, always tricky, international market. Having temporarily put their touring on the back burner whilst they adjust to existence in the big black smoke they will no doubt be wanting to pick the next move carefully.

Combining uplifting lyrics with music that makes you feel like you’re standing on top of a mountain being filmed by a helicopter, it’s a sound that has almost universal appeal. Lead single Toy Soldiers would not sound out-of-place in current rock charts. It’s bombastic drumline and orchestral like guitar stirrings conjure up recent Silverchair offerings. It’s also the kind of song that could easily creep into your noggin, unpack it’s suitcases and take a nice holiday in your mind. Speaking of which he would make a good accompaniment to summer holidays.

Other tracks like ‘Run’ bring about comparisons with Taking Back Sunday. A fast paced affair underlies what is essentially a wistful piece about relationships. It’s an epic love song complete with a string break down. ‘This Time Around’ plays more like a straight forward rock-out, “oh-oh-oh” chants and grinding guitar lines take the group into AFI territory. It’s a good place to be.

Signed to the Yoyacapulco label, the group consists of Tyron Layley on vocals and bass, Ryan Morris on vocals and guitar, Adam Jenkins completes the trio on drums. Certainly Ryan Morris does an impressive job of making his one guitar sound like an entire heard charging toward you, whilst Layley has the voice to match. Keep your ears open.

Words by Michael Dickinson / photos by SJ Cavani

“Sit back and watch the slaughter”

Damn straight prepare for the slaughter. Coming straight out of Guildford, POLAR have in a little over a year built up a reputation of shock and awe. Having been lucky enough to see them in action at the launch show of Bring Me the Horizon’s ‘This is a Hell…’ it was amazing to see an audience full of folks who had never heard of the band converted to lifelong fans in the space of five songs. There have been some fine hardcore acts coming out of the UK in the last couple of years and POLAR are carrying on this tradition with aplomb.

Having recently signed to A Wolf At Your Door Records the band have been constantly touring for months in promotion of their new EP ‘This Polar Noise’ (released 21st Feb). Even if you’ve never heard a POLAR song in your life it would be sinful to miss them live. Lead vocalist Adam Woodford manages the amazing feet of being an imposing presence on stage whilst making you feel right at home, as though he would head-butt you in the chin whilst buying you a JD & Coke. His is a gravely roar, sounding as though it’s moments away from disintegration but always managing to hold up to the end of the song. It’s a quality which give each song a note of uncertain tension.

“II will not be a damn gentleman”

Guitarists Fabian Lomas and Max O’Neill switch from thrash to rhythm with amazing ease. It track sounds as though their is a squadron of killer bees about to burst out of your speakers. On drums Nick Jones brings organized mayhem, one moment keeping a military like beat the next going straight for hell’s glory. Rick Keanen’s bass lines are some of the darkest heard in a while. It underlines the menace present throughout the EP. Listening to ‘This Polar Noise’ is the equivalent of a 1,000 angry men pounding at your door with pitch forks chanting “kill the beast!”.

At just over 17 minutes so much is crammed into their debut EP. On first listen it may be too much to take in but with each listen there is something new to hear. A melody here, a lyric there, it’s awesome to hear a hardcore band this new compose tracks with this much texture in them. Lyrically, themes of pain, self reflection and intensity are all present. Sometimes with humour such as in ‘Tonight Matthew, I am the Batman’ – “You are the saint. We are the sinners”, sometimes straight up dark on ‘Smile You Son of a Bitch’ – “I’m
a ruined canvas, dying for my art”. The song titles alone are worth the price of admission my favourite being ‘Cowboy the Fuck Up’. So let us all cowboy the fuck up and spread the word of POLAR, soon to be touring with the Gallows – now that will be one hell of a show.

“Let me impress you by spitting some English charm”

Words by Khyly Madder / photos by Marcus Maschwitz

Ok so you may have already heard Don Broco in passing, seen it on a website here and there or even listened to some of their tracks without even associating the name with the music. It would have been hard to avoid this band altogether in the last year that’s for sure. The four piece from Bedfordshire have been very busy boys indeed since they formed back in 2008. Just to give you an idea they have played Sonisphere, Download, Camden Crawl festivals and played alongside Enter Shikari, A Day To Remember, We Are The Ocean, My Passion and The King Blues. This is as well as embarking on two of their own headline tours! Yeah, we weren’t
kidding when we said busy!

So after releasing their three track EP Thug Workout to critical acclaim the Beds boys are back (not that they ever went anywhere) with a brand new mini album called Big Fat Smile. That is what will be left on your face after the very first listen……that was too easy sorry. This is the type of offering that you may refer to as an ‘all rounder’. It is a people pleaser and will appeal to several cross genres. Whether you like melodic metal, pop, Indie, alternative or rock this band is a big ‘F U’ to pigeon holes. It is what it is, and it is very apparent that Don Broco do not strive to be fit any particular scene or niche. It is all about making the music that they love and that is the appeal here.

Dreamboy is a gem of a track to get us geared up for this spectacular offering of a mini album. A joyful bundle of melodic guitars, peppered with sporadic riffage that will have your foot tapping before you know it. Rob’s low and prominent vocals are hard to mistake and overall the band have the epitome of a radio ready package. This would appeal to fans of Lower Than Atlantis right through to Bloc Party fanatics. Metalface has a slightly less up tempo approach on the verses, not as full pelt as the first track but catchy as hell none the less. Lyrically the boys are very much on the simplistic side, which only adds to the appeal. This type of music would fast become too hectic and lose its charisma if it tried to be something it wasn’t.

Third track Beautiful Morning, the bands next single release due out in 7th February is a glorious feel good track. Classic uplifting number that you could easily associate with a lazy summers day or being blasted at a BBQ whilst swigging your fifth can of cider. The layered vocals are a definite bonus on this track, with the rest of the members singing backing and at times melodic gang vox. ‘feels like a beautiful morning, its feeling like a beautiful up up way up up away, coming up up away’ Without question potentially a massive sing along hit amongst the masses. The ‘woah yeah’s’ which come later in the song are reminiscent of All The Small Things from Blink 182 but works incredibly well.

Top Of The World is a real meaty guitar and bass driven track which gives the album a variety that is more than welcomed. Not as technical but very similar to InMe in some respects in terms of structure. Doth our ears deceive us or is that tinkling of some very brief ivories about half way through as well? Nice touch! Second from last is I’m Good ‘I’m a calculated killer prepared to wait ‘til you fall….fall’ this as you may have guessed is the albums somewhat obligatory slow temp track. Not an anti love song, more of a pessimistically laced theme that runs throughout. This isn’t to say it is bad, just not on par with the rest of the tracks (and not just because of the temperament).

Lastly we have Do What We Do which pulls you from the lull that you may have found yourself in from the previous track, with fast paced drumming and uplifting feels. This is somewhat a reversion back to the original Don Broco, think Living The Dream. Impeccable vocal, enough hooks to scare the fish away and a real sense of fun that just oozes from these lads. This just goes to show that incredibly hard work and relentless touring do pay off as Don Broco after this release they are going to be everywhere in 2011. They deserve it without question and we shall wait with baited breath for the full length album.

Beautiful Morning out 7th February

Big Fat Smile is released on 14th February

Anyone with appreciation for good music of this variety would agree that The Ocean Between Us are exceptional at what they do. I have been huge fan of the Leeds lads from the very moment I heard them and after spending the night with them at their recent Cheltenham gig, lets just say my fondness was upped a few notches. Genuine and humble, A Wolf At Your Door Records have really picked a winner with these boys and in return I am sure they will be very happy as the new members of the Wolf pack.

I still can’t recall how I came to stumble across this band, and in retrospect it really isn’t important. The fact of the matter is I am grateful for whatever chain of events led me to their music and even more grateful that the boys have been back in the studio to lavish a brand new EP on us……and there are some real treats let me tell you.

I knew very little about this band except that they hailed from Leeds…….who needs facts when the standard of the music is this high, right? Since then I have been very fortunate to get to know them. To say it was an eventful evening would be an understatement. I got to see the TOBU boys play the amazing EP, interview them (which was an absolute delight) and then jump on the tour bus to head to an after party with ace support act Acorah. Genuinely one of the best nights I have had.

The intro to the first track of the EP (Nice One Kid You Just Brought A Knife To A Gunfight,was so familiar to me. I actually think it is because I have listened to the track that many times that it is now ingrained and my brain is tricking me into thinking it is some kind of seasoned old classic. This only proves to me that TOBU have the ability to produce such well crafted songs that although reasonably new, they pose as timeless. The sound follows the same structure as bands like While She Sleeps and Azriel but in the same breath is by no means that similar that they aren’t distinctive….they are. Nice One Kid….has outstanding guitar technique, a killer melody, gang chants and all the swagger that a hardcore band should posses. ‘Stay behind my back, you shouldn’t say things to my face. Stay behind my back, you make me look like a fucking c**t’ is more than lyrically ballsy and absolutely enthralls the audience live.

The next track And Our Names Were Written In Water, sees TOBU’s collaboration with the new vocalist Justin Kyle from US band Hands Like Glass (formerly of End The Century). Breakdowns galore and beautiful clean vocals over stunning melodies that will make you melt, this is one guest vocalist that makes an impact and he compliments Judd’s unclean vocals impeccably. Every instrumental contribution is perfect, from layered guitars provided by Billy and Joel to the immense drumming by Robert and of course the epic bass lines by Ben. This leads straight into the gorgeous interlude Nowhere which is a slow tempo instrumental for the most part with faded vocals taken from What Do You Stand For? This is a stunning piece of music and I am glad they included this on the EP. This then ties in with the aforementioned track What Do You Stand For? Which I think is my personal favourite from TOBU. Although I do tend to flit between this and Nice One Kid…. on a daily basis. The sentiment of the track reminds me slightly of Rinoa, it is very emotive with a pinch of melancholy provided by the lyrics ‘Oh how I wish I could be home, but I’m stuck here nowhere. This morning couldn’t get any worse…..but I’m using my imagination.’ It is a real hard hitting track for me and another one I am excited to see performed live.

Closing track on the EP is Hearts Of Lions, and it is the one that is most easily comparable to While She Sleeps for me. I now know after interviewing the boys that they are used to this comparison, but that doesn’t mean to say they agree with it. I am a huge fan of WSS and of course TOBU so for me it is the optimum of everything I like in a band, especially towards the latter part of the song when the acoustic guitar section comes into play. This is a really nice element which most definitely has the TOBU stamp all over it. Overall a more than impressive offering and I can honestly say with as much conviction as I can muster, that The Ocean Between Us are going to be all over the scene within the next 12 months. I did previously say keep your eyes peeled for these lads, but after meeting them, seeing them live and now being snapped up by A Wolf At Your Door I don’t think you will be able to avoid them.

I am incredibly excited about the future of this band and can envisage big things happening a lot sooner than they would expect or even hope. Looks like quitting your jobs was the right move after all lads, being in a kick arse band is your true vocation! Be sure to check them out on one of the many impending tour dates and look out for the release of their self titled EP on iTunes on 31st January 2011 (released via A Wolf At Your Door Records), check their site for more details