There’s been something of a trend this year, with some of the top metal bands popping over to Belfast to play exclusive one-off headline shows will pounding their way across Europe’s festival circuit. Machine Head and Lamb Of God respectively sandwiched Download into triumphant appearances at Download, and this time …
Read More »Red Six – ‘Nausea’ EP
When Belfast’s Red Six – there’s only five of them and, no, it’s not just you, we’ve never been able to figure it out either – released their debut EP, ‘Devour’, a little over a year ago, it immediately not only garnered them heaps of critical acclaim but also, coupled …
Read More »Ministry – Mandela Hall, Belfast 17 July 2012
The irony was not lost on many present. It was two days short of being exactly four years since industrial metal titans Ministry had played what frontman Al Jourgensen had insisted would be the band’s “last ever” live show – just 100 miles down the road in the Irish capital …
Read More »War Iron + Comply Or Die + Astralnaut – Katy Daly’s, Belfast, Saturday 9 June
For nigh on three decades, Katy Daly’s has stood as a bastion of Belfast’s rock scene, the favoured watering hole of metallers young and not so young, the preferred stop off for a pre-gig imbibance or a meeting place just to chill out, knock back a few beers and JD …
Read More »Scimitar – ‘Demo’
This debut demo by this new young Belfast thrash band is an impressive statement of intent from such an inexperienced outfit. Fittingly featuring a militaristic drum beat at the start, opener ‘The Act Of War’ is reminiscent of a faster, looser young Megadeth, especially in the rhythm patterns and vocals, …
Read More »Fuckhammer – ‘Hammered To Fuck’ EP
Built around members of various other Belfast combos – most notably the mighty War Iron – this four piece, to paraphrase a well-known TV advert, do exactly what it says on the label… hammer the living fuck out of you. Their no holds barred approach is evinced right from the …
Read More »Astralnaut – Back To The Bog
Arising from the ashes of local combos OceanFall, Third Harvest and Stoned Messiah, this five piece from the beautiful orchard county of Armagh have wasted no team in launching their debut four-track EP – clocking in at just shy of a mammoth 27 minutes (fuck, that’s longer than some albums!). …
Read More »Dead Label! – Auntie Annie’s, Belfast – Thursday 17 May 2012
Tonight’s headliners became the envy of every metal band in Ireland – and beyond – when they managed to secure the opening slot at Machine Head’s forthcoming only two headline dates outside Download. To get themselves fighting fit for the challenge of the brace of shows in Belfast and Dublin, …
Read More »3 Inches Of Blood + Goatwhore + Angelus Apatrida + Havok – The Limelight, Belfast – Thursday 10 May 2012
Just under two weeks before this metal monster of a quadruple bill rolled into Belfast, the demolition crews moved into the neighbouring Spring and Airbrake (separated only from the Limelight by the width of the rawk ‘n’ roll watering hole that is Katy Daly’s) to gut the place out in …
Read More »Interview with Ben Falgoust of Goatwhore
When New Orleans black metallers Goatwhore hit the UK, in support of both their fifth studio album, ‘Blood For The Master’ and 3 Inches Of Blood, we caught up with vocalist Ben Falgoust as the tour hit Belfast, where he updated us on the reaction to said album, talked about …
Read More »Interview with Claire Percival of Dead Label!
Irish trio Dead Label! became the envy of bands all over the island of Ireland when they landed the prestigious opening slot for Machine Head’s only headlining shows outside Download – at Belfast’s Ulster Hall on May 28 and Dublin’s Olympia Theatre two nights later. As the young band gear …
Read More »Stormzone – Spring and Airbrake, Belfast – Saturday 28 April 2012
I’ve never been one to believe the weather forecast, so when the local BBC failed to predict a massive storm front breaking over Belfast on an otherwise un-seasonally cold late Spring Saturday evening – well, you just know that they simply haven’t got a clue…. Not that they hadn’t been …
Read More »Darkest Era / Mael Mordha – The Limelight, Belfast – Saturday 28 April 2012
There I was, ’round my local Wetherspoons, quietly minding my own business and reading my Sunday newspaper while enjoying my traditional Ulster Fry when I saw a headline which nearly made me choke on my extra piece of grilled potato bread… “The Vikings Are Coming Back” it proudly proclaimed! The …
Read More »Interview with Harv Harbinson from Stormzone
Northern Ireland’s premier metal band, Stormzone, are preparing for their first headlining show in their home city of Belfast in more than three years – at the Spring and Aibrake this coming Saturday (April 28) – to promote their third album, ‘Zero To Rage’ (released on Steamhammer last November). We …
Read More »St Patrick’s Day Massacre – The Limelight, Belfast – Saturday 17 March 2012
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 …
Read More »Betraeus + Spires – The Limelight, Belfast – Saturday 24 March 2012
It’s the hottest day of the year, with the sun splitting the trees and the local spides have already taken up residence in the local park with their bottles of (still relatively cheap) white cider and Buckie… so, what is any self-respecting metaller doing? Well, we’re in a darkened club …
Read More »Betraeus Interview at The Limelight, Belfast
Manchester prog metallers Betraeus headed out on a short run of dates, which included hooking up with Planet Mosh in Belfast… Band Links http://www.facebook.com/betraeus http://www.myspace.com/betraeus http://www.twitter.com.betraeus http://www.youtube.com/betraeusband
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