Tag Archives: By Any Means

It started back on the cusp of the millennium, in the pub next door, when a group of like-minded friends came together and decided to put on a few metal shows of a Saturday afternoon.  Fifteen years later, those ‘RocKD’ sessions (they take their name from that of the bar, …

And so it is almost upon us again… the annual Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses competition, with it’s reward being the much coveted and desired chance to play the New Blood stage at Britain’s favourite bespoke metalfest alongside the likes of Slayer, Mastodon, Twisted Sister, Venom and a host of …

In these straitened economic times – marked from the music business’ perspective by increasing numbers of venues closing down and promoters going bankrupt – success stories are few and far between and thus should be acclaimed, celebrated and heralded at every opportunity.  Which is exactly what today’s proceedings were all …

Northern Ireland is currently gripped in the greatest financial scandal in its chequered history.  It is a scandal which already has practically crippled the economy south of the border, and brought down at least one government there.  It has politicians running for cover, and has resulted in the current well-publicized …

Northern Ireland’s leading heavy metal promoters, The Distortion Project, are to go ‘From Hell To The Unknown’ when they celebrate their 15th anniversary in October. To mark this landmark occasion, DP will take over the entirety of Belfast’s historic Limelight complex on Saturday October 17, with 21 bands playing across …

It had been a busy weekend for PM’s Northern Ireland team, having already caught 12 bands over the previous 48 hours, including our annual pilgrimage to the depths of Fermanagh countryside for the annual Monsters Of Rot extreme metal extravaganza.  But, the pace was showing no sign of relenting as …

For the second time in three days, Belfast’s hardcore fans were treated to a visit by genuine legends of the scene, this time in the shape of NYC stalwarts Madball.  And, for the second time in three days, the honour of setting the scene (sic) fell to Belfast’s very own …

Perceived by many in this part of the world as the godfathers of the current Northern Ireland hardcore scene, By Any Means are about to release their second EP – and celebrate with support slots with two of the genre’s most seminal acts, Negative Approach and Madball. So, that seemed …

So because of the previous night’s drinking, I was hanging like Michael Jackson’s child over a hotel balcony as I made my way in for night two of The Unleashed Festival. Again, Dublin Bus knew I had to be somewhere and decided against it for me – missed the first …

PlanetMosh is proud to be sponsoring the main stage at the fourth incarnation of Monsters Of Rot, which takes place in Letterbreen, County Fermanagh, on Saturday August 16. The festival brings together some of the best extreme metal bands on the island of Ireland.  As part of our build up to the …

According to those who know about such things (in this case Wikipedia), ‘metal fatigue’ refers to repeated progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic loadings.  In the case of tonight’s gig, it could equally refer to the damage caused to the local metal …

The sun may be beating down outside, and Belfast threatening to enjoy some some of (quite possibly foreshortened) summer, but that doesn’t stop the hardiest of the city’s black clad metallians gathering (not quite in their masses) and heading indoors to the sanctity of the equally darkened Slimer for another …

The last time New York’s IKillYa played Belfast, they nearly didn’t – as the venue they were scheduled to appear at closed just a few days before they were due to grace its stage. Fortunately, in the true spirit of metal camaraderie, another promoter stepped into the breach, a few …

Birthdays and anniversaries are important milestones, often forgotten at peril (which probably partly explains why my ex-wife is just that!), and so Belfast hardcore heroes By Any Means decided to mark five years together with a suitably celebratory bash at the city’s most famous rock venue. Chosen to open proceedings …

‘Twas a the week before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring… but ’round the corner in the Limelight all manner of mayhem was taking place, as the holiday season turned into a right ol’ Thrashmess… With the ambient, grungy pop of Goodbye Nola entertaining but …

With Belfast once more teetering on the brink of descending into the chaos that is laughlingly referred to in the mainstream media as the ‘Marching Season’, and less than a week to go to its annual highlight of ‘The Twelfth’, Welsh hardcore mob Brutality Will Prevail could hardly have chosen …

Three words summarized tonight’s gigging experience: commitment, dedication and resilience. On the part of both the bands and their fans. On the face of it, there probably could not have been a worse night to stage the first big metal show of the year – at least, one outside the …

There are a number of incorruptible facts about St Patrick’s Day, not just in Belfast but almost anywhere else in the world. The main one being that it is absolutely nothing to do with a certain bloke in a long white beard and pointy hat who allegedly drove the snakes …