June 5 – London (UK) – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – Tickets
June 6 – London (UK) – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – Tickets
June 11 – Paris (FR) – Bataclan – Tickets
June 17 – Brussels (BE) – Ancienne Belgique – Tickets
June 18 – Amsterdam (NL) – Melkweg Max – Tickets

Featuring singer Dexter Holland, guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman, bassist Greg Kriesel, and drummer Ron Welty, The Offspring released “Ignition” in October of 1992. This album marked their first release on Epitaph Records, setting the stage for the across-the-board success of 1994′s “Smash”. “Ignition” was reissued in 2008, remastered and repackaged from the original master tapes. Fans can order it by going to:

UK: http://www.kingsroadmerch.co.uk/bands/epitaph-store/cds/ignition.html
EU: http://www.kingsroadmerch.eu/bands/epitaph-store/cds/ignition.html

“Ignition” Tracklisting:

Session
We Are One
Kick Him When He’s Down
Take It Like a Man
Get It Right
Dirty Magic
Hypodermic
Burn It Up
No Hero
LAPD
Nothing from Something
Forever and a Day

The Offspring is currently gearing up for the release of their new studio album “Days Go By”, due out on June 26 in the USA. International release dates will be announced as soon they are available. In addition to the “Ignition” shows, the band will be appearing at several European key festivals May and June this year. The full list is below.

May 25 – Madrid (ES) – Sonisphere Festival
May 26 – Lisbon (PT) – Rock In Rio
May 29 – Hamburg (DE) – Stadtpark
May 30 – Strandtangen (DK) – Skive Festival
June 2 – Nuremburg (DE) – Rock im Park
June 3 – Nurburg (DE) – Rock am Ring
June 8 – Nickelsdorf (A) – Nova Rock 2012
June 10 – Marmande (FR) – Garorock Festival
June 13 – Milan (IT) – Rock in IdRho
June 16 – Interlaken (CH) – Greenfield Festival

For more information:
www.offspring.com

http://on.fb.me/Ivk9Gw

Surrey pop-punkers You Me At Six have been nominated for an incredible five awards including two nods for Best Single. The popular British rockers are also shortlisted for Best Album, Best Live Band (presented by Rock of Ages) and Best British Band (presented by Fender).

Championed by Kerrang! Magazine from the very beginning, You Me At Six have had two Top 5 albums in the UK, been a regular fixture on the Radio 1 daytime playlist, won Kerrang! Awards in both 2010 and 2011 (Best Single and Best British Band) and have had an amazing past six months with a sell out UK tour and the world’s first rollercoaster single ‘The Swarm’, in honour of Thorpe Park’s latest £20million extreme ride.

YouMe At Six frontmat Josh Fransceschi commented, “To be up for Best British Band four years in a row is just insane. The people at theawards are gonna think there’s a problem with the slide show when our two songs come up in a row [for Best Single]…but that they’re both in that category together, showing different sides of our band is really cool.”

St Albans hardcore innovators Enter Shikari are nominated for Best Album and Best Live Band (plus vocalist Rou Reynolds is up for new awards category Hero Of The Year), with Bucks / London five-piece Young Guns up for Best Single and Best Album.

Representing the North of England are York based metalcore outfit Asking Alexandria, who are nominated for Best Live Band and Best British Band. Singer Danny Worsnop and lead guitarist Ben Bruce are additionally up for two brand new awards: Tweeter of the Year and Hottest Male respectively.

American rock acts still fare very well in this year’s Awards nominations. Leather clad heavy metallers Black Veil Brides are nominated for Best Single, Best Album and Best Live Band, plus nominations for vocalist Andy Biersack and bassist Ashley Purdy in the category of Hottest Male. Fellow eyeliner loving rockers Falling In Reverseare shortlisted for Best International Newcomer, Best Single and Best Video, whilst lead singer Ronnie Radke clearly polarizes opinion with nominations in both Hero of the Year and Villain of the Year – another new category which also includes pop stars Justin Bieber and One Direction, as well as TV’s Mr Nasty Simon Cowell and US rock musician Lou Reed, for his recent collaboration with Metallica. Controversial Premiership footballMario Ballotelli is also nominated for Hero of the Year.

This year’s Kerrang! Awards fuelled by Relentless Energy Drink sees a host of brand newawards categories, moving beyond the music to celebrate Best Film, Best TV Show, Best Video Game, Best Comedian, Tweeter of the Year, Hottest Female, Hottest Male, Best Festival, Villain of the Year and Hero of the Year.

“The Kerrang! Awards Fuelled By Relentless Energy Drink remains the most important date on any rockstar’s calendar,” says Kerrang! Editor James McMahon. “What’s most exciting about this years nominations is how strong the new bands categories are. Of course, you could have said the same thing when You Me At Six were included in said categories a few years ago, and look where they are now. Much is made of how fun and debauched the Kerrang! Awards are. I prefer to see them as proof of how strong the rock scene is.”

To vote on the shortlists pick up a copy of Kerrang! Magazine or go to http://awards.kerrang.com/

Words by Eric Cannon / photos by Jamie Reynolds

A little late on stage tonight but White Rabbits prove they are well worth the wait. Starting their London show with the mesmerising ‘Heavy Metal’. It’s a mellow start for a band that normally shatter my expectations with their intense energy. However the change up in their approach is a refreshing change tonight, the ambient tones encompass the room and take control of the crowd and soon I’m tapping my foot and moving to the melodies. ‘Temporary’ and ‘Rudie Falls’ are delivered perfectly tonight. I can’t explain enough how good these two songs stood out for me tonight, which is surprising because The Plot is normally my favourite of theirs.

The latter always comes alive in a small venue rather than through my earphones and tonight is no different. It’s where White Rabbits really excel, they are an immense live band. The percussions seem to morph into a monstrous force that you just can’t ignore. Make no mistake, if you haven’t seen White Rabbits then you haven’t lived.

Words by Nadia Jenna

They may have been around for over a decade, but album number five from Pontypridd’s finest proves that they’re very much still the bosses around this place. Since the dark and sinister ‘fuck you’ days of The Betrayed are over, Weapons feels like a new chronicle. They’ve got everything off of their chests…almost. It may share some themes with its predecessor as we find out it’s still not all smiles and rainbows, but it wouldn’t be a ‘prophets record if it was. Once again they’ve just stuck with what they know and what they do best. Within the last two years, drummers, labels and attitudes have changed but one thing that hasn’t is their ability to produce an apocalyptic banger. Let’s face it; no other band makes British rock music with quite as much gusto as Lostprophets.

Now it’s not unusual for the band to throw their biggest juggernauts at you in the beginning (see ‘Everyday Combat’, ‘We Still Kill The Old Way’, Shinobi) and this time is no different. Opener and lead single ‘Bring ‘Em Down’ makes sure everyone knows that they’re ‘still kicking, still alive’. Full of fight, its formidable hook hits you like a punch in the face (something Ian Watkins finds out in the music video) and the breakdown at the end makes you want to drop-kick the nearest person out of a window. As does the hooligan chant that follows – ‘We Bring An Arsenal’ echoes last single ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Felon’ with its gang vocals and parallel message. The next two songs are full of heart-warming melodies – although it sounds unsure of itself at first, ‘Jesus Walks’ soon falls into familiar domains by the chorus. Its triumph is so humble that it takes a while to realise that it’s probably a highlight. Along with ‘A Little Reminder…’, it wouldn’t be out of place on Liberation Transmission with its pop/rock mentality. ‘A Song For Where I’m From’ revels in themes of nostalgia and hometown glory. With a compelling chorus, it’s uplifting in a similar way to ‘Where We Belong’ and ‘Last Train Home’ (although not nearly as much of an anthem as both). Nevertheless, we can see it becoming another sing-a-long crowd pleaser at shows.

It was a bold move for the band to choose ‘Better Off Dead’ as the track to introduce the world to the new material. With a huge chorus, killer riffs and all round anthemic presence, it is trademark Lostprophets; but the ‘rapping’ was too much for some to handle. However, if you listen carefully to the lyrics, the Zapata quote that drives the song ‘I’d rather die on my feet, than ever live on my knees’ couldn’t be a better philosophy to describe everything this band have ever stood for in their 12-year spanning career. Next we’re taken deep within sensitive territory with ‘Heart On A Loan’, the closest they’ve gotten to a love song since their best ‘Always All Ways’. ‘Somedays’ soothes with its dreamy acoustic tones and vocal sincerity ‘some days these dreams just aren’t enough/ but when you’re here with me that’s all I need’ – it’s good to hear nice vibes back in their sound. Just as much as this band likes to start with a bang, they also like to conclude with one and power blockbuster ‘Can’t Get Enough’ accomplishes this with its immediate force and cinematic chorus. It’s the biggest song on the record and a suitable climax. The reason behind having their secret ‘Weapon’ hidden soon becomes apparent – the screeching vocals, distorted nu-metal riffs and unpolished production makes the title track sound like something straight off of 2001’s thefakesoundofprogress. Basically, it’s wicked.

Weapons has arguably more insight than anything they’ve done before but because you’re not overloaded with mosh-pit anthems its aesthetic is not as instant as their previous efforts. With this record, you have to go with personality over appearance as it will take a few listens for you to fully appreciate its many beautiful intricacies. The only reason this won’t be rock album of 2012 is if the world ends and if that happens, Weapons will be its official soundtrack.

Sonisphere was one of the newest additions to the UK calendar, having only started 4 years ago, and as most of you know this years planned festival has been cancelled.

We honestly feel that this is a huge blow to the UK music industry as we have always been a bunch of individuals that got excited waiting for each line-up announcement and this year we felt that Sonisphere has a slight lead on the remaining festival with quite a few of our favourite bands making appearances.

It’s a pity and we just have to move on. A few things remain unclear though and for us the biggest question has to be whether they will attempt to run the festival again next year. Maybe the festival organizers should involve potential festival go-ers by having them vote for who they would love to play.

Here’s to the bands that are left with out show slots … you have our thoughts and support … same goes with Sonisphere.

** Let us know if you guys have anything you want to share about the cancellation of Sonisphere or the UK festival scene in general. It’s people like us that keep music alive.

Anthrax’s newest album “Worship Music was a bit controversial when it first came out, but longtime fans of the band have been raving that this is one of their best albums in a very long time.

The album had a variety of theme spread throughout. For example, the two songs Revolution Screams and Earth on Hell were a take on democracy both in the United States and around the world. Scott Ian gave an interview around the time the album was released and said that the songs were about “people taking the power back” from governments.

It seems that the group decided to take advantage of the recent zombie craze of the last couple of years. Their song “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t” is a song about killing zombies. Don’t be surprised if you hear the song in an upcoming zombie themed movie or in an episode of “The Walking Dead” on A&E.

Many fans of the group have stated that the recent album has been reminiscent of the group’s performances from over a decade ago. Joey Belladonna is back with the group for this album and his return was indeed a welcomed one.

In addition, many think that this is some of Scott Ian’s best work in a long time as well. Ian has been splitting a lot of his time between music and playing for online poker site UB at events like the World Series of Poker. While a competent poker player, many felt that it took something away from his music, something that has now returned now that he seems to be fully focused.

New fans of Anthrax will find Worship Music to be very timely and one of the most kick ass albums of the past year. Long time fans who have possibly lost interest in the group will find this album as strong rebound for a group that has always been solid, but has lost some of their swagger. They got their swagger back with this one, and it is an album you must buy if you haven’t already.

Words by Nadia Jenna / Photographs by Marcus Maschwitz

To celebrate the release of their 5th album ‘Weapons’, Lostprophets play an intimate shindig at The Hippodrome courtesy of Banquet Records. For 9 poxy quid you could buy a ticket and get a copy of the new album delivered straight to your door. From the looks of it tonight, a lot of people have clearly taken advantage of this bargain as we’re all packed like sardines in this place. After a quick signing, the band finally take to the stage and put us all out of our misery. As soon as they launch into ‘Can’t Catch Tomorrow’, the crowd go ballistic and a giant mosh-pit engulfs the floor and pretty much lasts the continuation of the show (some people have been waiting two hours for this moment so in fairness the anticipation has been building up).

I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this ‘album release show’ in terms of set-list but they actually only play four songs from the new record. This includes banging new single ‘Bring ‘Em Down’ which everyone already knows all the words to and ‘We Bring An Arsenal’, which it turns out everyone also knows all the words to. It’s catchy as hell and will leave you singing ‘Wayoooo Wayoooo La La La La La La La La La’ in your head for the rest of the night/week. Previously unheard track ‘A Song For Where I’m From’ is given its live debut – it sounds massive and could potentially be the next ‘Where We Belong’ with its weighty and uplifting impression. The focus doesn’t stay on the new tracks for long though as fan favourites such as ‘Last Train Home’ and ‘Rooftops’ make an appearance and of course trigger an appropriate reaction. But it isn’t until ‘To Hell We Ride’ and ‘We Are Godzilla, You Are Japan’ (with ‘Kobrakai’ intro I might add) that they really spoil us. Now that they have five albums of songs to choose from it’s going to be even harder to play a set that pleases everyone but judging by the reaction tonight, I don’t think anyone left disappointed.

As the end draws nearer Ian Watkins asks “Does anyone remember the year 2000? This is what it sounded like” and with that they conclude on the ever faithful pleaser ‘Shinobi’. The place goes nuts one last time and for the pièce de résistance, Luke Johnson leaps over his drum-kit without warning and dives into the sweaty mob before him. Although the Hippodrome is not great for intimate gigs (unless you’re on the floor your view is pretty much obscured), there’s still a great vibe in this room tonight and it’s clear that this show was more about having a party than anything else. All that’s left to say is that these guys have definitely still got it. Will Lostprophets still be pulling this off for yet another decade? I think they just might.

Words by Eric Cannon / Photos by Brendan Monteiro

The Chariot are one a unique bands that has always left me with a weird sensation, a sort of emotional “shit kicked out of me” feeling that no other band has ever come close to imitating. Every time I see them they seem more powerful and energetic than the last and tonight at the Underworld it was business as usual for the Chariot.

Honestly in all my years of going to shows (and I’m not trying to brag and be a douche) but I have never witnessed a band ignite their fans like The Chariot do. From the first second Josh Scogin grabs at the mic, the underworld blurs into a mass of flying legs and arms.

It’s not long after that Jon Kindler thrashes his bass to the ground to get involved trampling heads as he stage gallops the crowd. If face melting was possible ‘Abandon‘ would melt yours off tonight. Josh sings with so much compassion and heart and with a whole lot more crunch than the studio version it’s a whole new beast of a song tonight and definitely my favourite of the night.

The Chariot play tonight like it’s their last show on earth and it’s this continuous effort to make their live shows so energetic that make me keep wanting to come back. At the end of their set I’m left sweaty as hell with my jaw on the floor and that’s what every band should aim to do.

Word by Jamie Reynolds

The Fox sombrely oozes out of my speakers as I start my journey through Dear Reader second album. Slowly each subtle tone filters and resonates all it’s beauty and penetrates me on a different cosmic level than I have experienced in a while. Dear Reader have an uncanny gift to sound ‘pop’ if I must stain them with that dirty word, however they do it with a certain style and class like no other current sensation loitering on our radio playlists at the moment. It’s the perfect intro for Idealistic Animals. Cheri holds back a touch on the opener and it’s this that really attracts me. It adds an extra bit of curiosity as to what this album is about to unfurl.

Monkey follows suit and stands out early on as a single that should be running constantly on airwaves around the world. I am not a fan of humming at the best of times but it works so well on this track. Add violins, piano and an intriguing guitar riff here and there and you have the perfect recipe for pure bliss.

I was a little apprehensive when first hearing that founding member Darryl Torr would be missing in the Dear Reader line up. However sad it is for members to come and go the band have still managed to hold on to everything I loved from “Replace Why With Funny” and have pushed their sound in so many new and exciting alleys. Quaint classic tones and melodies thrive on MacNeil’s vocals. She is the heart and soul of Dear Reader and with Idealistic Annimals she hits every note perfectly and effortlessly. Her vocal beauty is further enhanced with her flair for doing more than just writing thoughts to paper. Her lyrics are phenomenally enchanting and honesty sweep me off my feet. The words come right out of the music and tug at every heartstring possible. If there was honestly an artist I could fall in love with at first sound it would be Dear Reader and Idealistic Animals is just the right record to come into my life right now.

9.5/10