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Heavy yet bluesy rockers BLACK INK RIVER have two albums tucked snuggly under their belts! But new music is coming very soon with shows to be announced as soon as possible! The discussion goes further along with more content perhaps even a world domination?

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Black Ink River was formed in 2016 as a studio project basically. Me (Dano) and the drummer Roger wrote and recorded some songs in Roger’s studio. We found a sound and a style that we really liked but needed a guitarist for a couple of solos and that’s where Bosse came into the picture. Bosse recorded some really sick solos that blew me away.

We talked about writing an album together the three of us, and so we did. The first album HEADSTRONG was written and recorded over a year but we had actually never played the songs as a band so we started looking for a bass player that would be a good fit for us. Anders Modd from the heavy metal band Wolf were looking for a 70s style rock band to play with and somehow we ended up together. Funny how things just happens.

We come from totally different backgrounds and this interview would be very long if I gave you the whole story. Let’s just say that musically we come from Death Metal, Blues, Rock and Heavy Metal and now we play some sort of 70s inspired bluesy rock.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Well, me and Roger just where some words around and ended up with Black Ink River. Not a fancy story or anything, we just thought it sounded cool as hell and it stuck.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We’re from a town called Västerås in Sweden. Nowadays Västerås is a bit sleepy but it’s only one hour from Stockholm where the music scene is pretty good and where you have a lot of good bands and venues. A band I would like to recommend is Lugnet, check them out.

4. How would you describe your style?

Riff based rock with bluesy elements. Heavy, groovy and beautiful.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

Our debut album Headstrong was released 2018 and our follow up Through The Unknown was released in January this year, both released on GMR Music Group. I guess you can hear some Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Mountain and Led Zep in our music as well as some Sabbath here and there but I truly think that we have our own unique sound and songwriting style due to our various backgrounds. 

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We actually have a single coming up in a couple of months and you’re the first to know. Can’t really tell you more about that at the moment. Also we’re writing new songs and have big secret plans in the works, hehe.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We’re just waiting for the green light and for the world to open up so that we can get out there and play, still a bit uncertain when that is but our booking agent Hannah is on it like a hawk.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

World domination of course! No but seriously, we’re dying to get out there and play live with our new album and to meet all of the great people that seem to like what we do.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

All our music is available at all big streaming platforms and on CD, CD/DVD, download and vinyl and you can buy them wherever you buy music I guess.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

I want the listener to feel empowered by our music. You know when you hear a really good strong song and crank the volume up really loud and you feel like a fucking superhero. Like that!

Metal rockers MOON MACHINE have two single's out along with their debut album coming up soon enough! The band talks about this release and what they have planned next.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Moon Machine is a prog band based in Somerville, MA made up of singer and multi-instrumentalist Eric Hochwald, keyboardist Jonathan Sirota, and drummer Angel Castillo. They bonded at Tufts University in the Boston area where they discovered their kinship for expressing themselves through music as well as immature humor. 

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Thinking of an original band name these days is nearly impossible. I just wanted to think of something memorable and that people could easily spell. I also liked the idea of combining natural, cosmic imagery with something mechanical and man-made. It felt indicative of the music and the themes of the album.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We are from the Boston area. We haven’t come across many bands who are similar to our style, but there is a strong alt and indie rock scene here. There is also a prog scene, but it is mostly centered around Berklee college of music where you find some of the most technical and learned musicians doing more of the modern djent/technical instrumental prog thing which is a bit different than our sound. Bands that we are friends with are the alt rock band Luxury Deathtrap, the indie band Old Fox, and psych rock band We Are Space Horses.

4. How would you describe your style?

Our style is classic prog metal/rock with influences of post rock and alternative rock. Our influences mostly pre-date the whole 2010s djent scene. We focus on melody, ambience and emotion over technicality compared to what is normally associated with prog these days. However, we are certainly going for a grandiose sound without any limits on genre or style. This is what I like about prog music. Some of our main influences are Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend, Alcest, and Tool.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We’ve released two singles “Reckoning” and “Left to Wander”  from our upcoming debut album. Check those songs out to get a feel of what you’ll hear on the album. The album drops June 25th! Spacey production, head banging riffs, epic choruses, and acoustic sound palettes all find a home in this project, along with detailed pianos and keyboards, layered vocals, and progressive drumming. 

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We have our album coming out June 25th! Afterwards I want to experiment recording some acoustic songs. Also my psych rock band We Are Space Horses which I play drums in should be releasing an album later this year. 

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

No shows or tours due to COVID-19. My band is also spread out across multiple states, and we all have day jobs. We will see in the future.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

Moon Machine will always be my recording project for ambitious and spacious rock and metal. Although this album was written in a room together with my two bandmates, I recorded and mixed everything myself, except the keyboards which my bandmate Jon did. In the future I envision Moon Machine having a revolving door or collaborators to make ambitious and awesome rock and metal. I hope our second album will be even more ambitious and professional sounding. 

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

We have a pre-order live on our bandcamp. Go to moonmachinemusic.bandcamp.com and order a digital copy of the album, or a CD if you’re still into those.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

Well, I hope they don’t remember our music because they think it sucks! My hope is for listeners to be able to emotionally connect to the music - I want them to feel something. In terms of specifics though, what other people get out of my music isn’t up to me. If they like it that’s great, and if they don’t that’s okay too. It’s always interesting getting feedback on your music. One person will say they really like one aspect, and another person will say that the same aspect is the reason why they can’t get into it. To me, releasing music is like releasing an animal back into the wild. You don’t have control over it anymore. If I wanted control over how people perceived my music, I wouldn’t release it and would just listen to it myself. My only goal is for a few people that aren't my mom to hear my music and remember it positively.

Alternative rock grunge band TRASH HEADS have a few single's out, along with an EP and album even! An all new album is out this fall with a couple of shows planned too! The band goes into much chat about their music and how they got started in the first place.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members. 

Trash Heads was formed in 2014 by 3 old school friends AJ, Tone and Mark. We met at Mick Jagger’s old school, Dartford Grammar and bonded over our love of music and have played in various bands together over the years. When putting together Trash Heads we found drummer Mike via online musician ads and immediately clicked. Over the next couple of years we played many gigs around London and the South East and released our debut album ‘Skyscraper Heartbreaker’ late 2015. However, by 2017 Mike had a new family on the way and was no longer able to commit to the band so left and was replaced by another local sticksmith Martyn. With a load of new songs in the bag we began to record our 2nd album ‘Vandalism’ in 2018, and although much of it was recorded pre-Covid the lockdowns have caused several delays meaning we’re only just able to finish it in the coming weeks! During the last year, Martyn also had to step down after recording his parts for the new album due to commitment issues but Mike was able to jump back on the drum stool and is back in time to unleash new music!

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name? 

An early version of the band was called ‘Trash The Set’ and we wrote a song called ‘Trash Heads’ as an ode to our fans, which signaled a change of direction musically and a new line-up so we named the new lime-up after that song and it stuck!

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend? 

We are based in North Kent/SE London – there’s a large rock and metal scene in Kent, lots of great bands but not many decent venues left to play! Most local scene bands play Leo’s Red Lion in Gravesend, Poco Loco in Chatham, Penny Theatre in Canterbury amongst others. Our fave scene bands are Orphan Gears, Follow The Hawk, Tailblock, Just Say Nay, Crostpaths.

4. How would you describe your style? 

Alt-Rock/Grunge.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works? 

We’ve released 3 singles, and EP and an album – all available on Spotify, Apple Music etc and our Bandcamp page. Our music is loud, noisy and catchy as hell!

6. Do you have any new music in the works? 

We have a new album called ‘Vandalism’ due Sept/Oct 2021.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out? 

We have a couple of upcoming shows – Saturday 12th June at Leo’s Red Lion, Gravesend (Kent) with Follow The Hawk launching the single, and then Penny Theatre Canterbury supporting Foo Fighters GB on Friday 3rd September. More shows later in year to be announced. 

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band? 

Finally releasing our Covid-delayed album, playing plenty of shows around the UK and recording our lockdown-written third album next year.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff? 

Our releases are available on all streaming services worldwide (Spotify, Apple Music etc) but the best way to listen and buy of music (and support the band directly) is on our Bandcamp page: www.trasheadsband.com.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time? 

Big choruses that get in your head and stay there!

Death metal band Blood Red Throne have gotten signed onto record label Nuclear Blast Records! Find out all the details over HERE.

English Baroque Metal band Derade released their new single  «Take Your Soul». The single was remotely recorded at Guy Radford and Richard Lee homes in Cambridgeshire and South West London. It was mixed by Guy Radford and mastered at "Parlour Studios" by Neil Haynes.

Check it out at the following links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7iQUC2o5cU

https://open.spotify.com/album/3VMO9ur7Q1zo0ESzAN8tkg

Derade was formed in 2017 at Huntingdon, England by Guy Radford (guitar) and Mark Radford (guitar). Later Richard Lee (vocals)  joined the band and the lineup was completed.

French Doom/Sludge Metal band Dunerider released their debut album "Ruins". The release was recorded at "DuneStudio Paris" and fully self-produced.

Check it out here: https://dunerider.bandcamp.com/releases.

Dunerider was formed in 2020 as a one-man band by its only member Fred Dupré, multi-instrumentalist. The band's sound is very heavy, overloaded with fuzz, chaotic and apocalyptic lyrics, all drowned in a dusty and arid atmosphere.

My Darkest Time have released a new song with video titled "Dwell in Us" off their upcoming album! Check it out right over HERE.

Noise makers ALTERPODES have a double-single expected out soon enough, with newer music always being crafted out! A lot is discussed about in terms of music, how said music will play out to live shows, and just wanting to reach as many people as possible.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Alterpodes began life as an online collaboration during the early days of lockdown in 2020, with a mission to join the musical dots between David Bowie, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Beatles and The Pixies.  We’re still looking forward to playing our first show having been rehearsing impatiently these last months!  Our first single is due out this Friday 19/05!

Harry’s a Brazilian born, London bred musician.  He’s been part of the local music scene for a few years now both as a singer and as a guitarist, performing solo and in bands.  Reyson is originally from Puerto Rico and moved to London to pursue music having studied Fine Art in San Francisco.  Slightly more recent addition Robinson on drums (and sometimes bass) is also from Brazil and now living in London - all this geographical alignment has happened quite accidentally but we are all the happier for it!

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Alterpodes are alternate spaces - they can be thousands of miles apart yet remain closely related in the imaginations of those who live within them.  In the band we all come from very different backgrounds and places but we connect through the music, so we thought it was a fitting name.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

The music scene is definitely still going but honestly it does feel slightly on the back foot right now with a lot of smaller venues having closed due to high rents and then more obviously others having to remain closed due to the pandemic - they’ll be back though as long as people care and we know there are enough of us that do!  Also rock music doesn’t feel like it’s exactly at the peak of its cycle right now but we hope to be part of a revival - that more visceral feel of a properly live show will hopefully be something more and more people realize they’ve missed.  Harry: As for local bands to recommend my top pick would be Wolf Alice(!)  In terms of lesser known bands with bright futures and cool vibes maybe Goat Girl and When Young (not sure how local they are at this very moment but they were kicking around pre lockdown)?!

4. How would you describe your style?

The music is somewhere between post-punk and grunge and indie, broadly early 90s in feel but with some classic and more current influences too.  Sonically speaking, an entanglement of noise and melody that comes together as a sculpted wail of single coils and dissonant harmony!

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We’re about to release our first double single under new management.  Expect to be wowed, uplifted and transported.  We’ve put a bunch of work into the songs and recordings and we hope they come across as well crafted and characterful as a result!  We’re trying to impart as much feel as we can given they’re bedroom recordings!

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Always! I can think of at least three or four songs I’m really looking forward to putting out.  We’ve got way too many for one album so that seems like a good sign!  You never know when a good recording will come along.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Not yet - we’re currently getting all this material into a form that’s gonna work live and rehearsing it to the point where it’ll have the impact we want!  We hope that’s going to take the form of a live show in London before the end of summer.  Tours are likely something for next year!

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

Reach as many people as possible.  Tour North and South America including Brazil and Puerto Rico.  Play shows for friends we haven’t had a chance to see for ages.  Have a number one album!  

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can pre-save our upcoming double single, Retro Psycho, here:

http://smarturl.it/aretropsycho

Find our music on:

Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/alterpodes

https://alterpodes.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5jglF9ZA0cMXv6eXbWagG3

Social Media links:

https://www.facebook.com/alterpodes/

https://www.instagram.com/alterpodes/

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

That it made them immediately think about someone they care about - something specific.  Who it was, where they were when they first heard it, and how those two things related.  That’s what any good song should do: connect emotionally in such a striking way that it lives on as a memory of a time and place.  Something to aim for anyway haha!

Electro-pop act EVIE CALABASAS have an EP with new music underway! So much is talked about from music, to the start of it all to what the future holds up.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

At the moment it’s just me, myself and I, I’ve tried in the past to be part of a band, but it never lasted and ultimately I decided to go solo. I surely miss the dynamic of a band very much, such as the jamming sessions, having different instruments or creating memories as a group, but for the time being, I don’t regret my decision. Now I feel that I’m able to express myself in ways that I couldn’t when I was part of a band.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Evie Calabasas is my stage name, which is not so different from my birth name, Evita Calabassi, but I wanted to try to make it as simple as possible and easy for anyone to pronounce and remember, so I went for my nickname “Evie” and the surname “Calabasas”, which I think is very fresh and cute. Plus, growing up, I've heard a lot about the city of Calabasas in LA and many books, movies and tv shows I love are set there, therefore it's like a homage to them as well.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

At the moment I'm in Italy, between Perugia, where I am studying at the University, and Grosseto, the city where I was born. The music scene in Perugia used to be very lively before Covid, yet Grosseto is kind of flat, but that’s where I met my producer, so in the end, I was very lucky. One good band that I would recommend is called Minerva 40, they mostly play Italian rock and so far they have released two wonderful singles that I listen to quite often. 

4. How would you describe your style?

It kind of fluctuates, it pretty much depends on the mood I’m in and what I think the song should sound like, but it’s mostly electro-pop. I usually write lyrics and melody on my guitar first in my room, but then it comes to life in my producer’s home studio. We have a great synergy and what I love the most is that I don't need to explain too much, because he instantly gets what I think, or even what I am about to say. 

I try to be as honest as I can in my lyrics, talking about typical topics such as heartbreaks and more personal struggles. I draw inspiration from other people’s experiences as well as my own, but sometimes a song can spark just from a sentence or a line that I've read somewhere and couldn't get out of my head.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

I’ve already released a 3-songs EP called “Stargirl” and the single “Home” in mid-2020, but musically speaking it was a very different project, it was more on the indie-folk side and I like to think that I’ve evolved a little from there.

I’m working with a London-based record label at the moment, I’ve shifted to a different style thanks to new musical influences and to my producer, who introduced me to a whole different world. 

6. Do you have any new music in the works? 

Yes I do! My new single OMG comes out May 21st, but I haven’t stopped working on new music so you can expect more coming soon. In fact, I have at least more two singles ready to go and one in the making. I like to call this phase of my musical career a “new era”, so I would like to convey this common thread that is the backbone of the next releases, so I am trying to curate every little detail within the music and also the visuals.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

I miss playing live gigs so much! Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to plan any shows due to the current situation, as Italy is still in a semi-lockdown. The best I can do for now is try to record a few live acoustic sessions for my upcoming releases and share them with the world. As for online shows, I wanted to wait until I had released new music just so I would have something new to play to my audience.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

As for now, I’m enjoying the process of being a solo artist and I’m working hard on my upcoming projects with the support of my producer and the record label, so I know I have the right team behind me. However, I’m always open to working with different people, but as for now, it feels right for me to continue on this path and see where it takes me. Either way, I can’t wait until I get to play live, meet new musicians and see if some kind of synergy sparks. 

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can listen to my music on pretty much any streaming platform, such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. 

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

I generally believe that it’s not what you say, but how you make people feel that helps them remember you, so I try not to focus that much on words themselves but on the feelings they convey when they’re put together with music. 

I would definitely love for my listeners to be able to identify themselves in what I write and to feel understood and relieved that they are not the only ones feeling a certain way.

I’m always happy when someone comes up to me after hearing one of my songs and tells me that they felt something, that is exactly what I strive to achieve.

Alternative grunge rockers LARSEN have a debut EP, debut album, with a follow-up EP expected out this year. The band just wants to get their music heard with lots more coming soon. The band goes into chatter about nothing but their music!

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Larsen began when frontman and rhythm guitarist Liam Christensen approached high school friend and lead guitarist Sam Massacci about forming a grunge band. They found drummer Alex Andrews on the internet through what essentially amounted to a dating service but for finding bandmates, and Sam asked his cousin Steven if he wanted to play bass. The four lads met at a rehearsal space in August 2014, and all four members remain to this day, almost 6 years on from the band's formation. We played our first gig in February 2015, released our first EP later that year, and have been playing gigs and releasing music ever since, evolving the band's sound to a more mature brand of alternative rock, but still with those original grunge and post grunge flavors. 

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Larsen is simply the name of the street where Liam, Sam and Alex first played together. Finding a band name is one of the hardest parts of putting an act together, so we settled on something relating to our origin. We later found out that the “Larsen effect” is another term for the feedback one gets when you put a guitar up to an amp, a happy coincidence. 

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We are all born and raised in Adelaide, capital city of the state of South Australia. The saying goes that no one is sure whether Adelaide is a big town or a small city, and the music scene tends to reflect that. Ours is a vibrant, diverse scene, with representation from many different genres. Some mates of ours include Agapanther, Paper Sunsets, Down and Out, Copious Dribble, Bitchspawn, Indiago, Lost Woods, Wolf and Chain, Mum’s Favorite, and that’s just a handful of great local bands from the scene. 

4. How would you describe your style?

Starting as a pretty straight up and down grunge band, our songwriting sensibilities started to get into a broader sense of alternative rock, taking cues from different genres outside of bands like Nirvana and Violent Soho, and looking at mature sounds of bands like Basement and Balance & Composure. Each member has a fairly different music taste from each other, and little details always end up in the melting pot that becomes a song or EP or album, all tied together as the Larsen sound we’ve cultivated over the years.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

Our first EP titled Another Realm, Another Day was our first attempt at throwing stuff at a wall and seeing what stuck. Certainly rough around the edges, but you can definitely tell that we are the same band we were back then, just much more refined. We released a full length Album in 2016 titled Weightless Again. 11 tracks long, this was us pushing ourselves to our songwriting capabilities as a band. Plenty of songs on the album are still live staples for us, and the success of those songs have stylistically informed our releases since then. After a handful of singles from 2017 to 2020, we’re now poised to release a new EP later this year. The EP will collect five songs that we as a band unanimously agree is our best work to date. We’re super excited for people to hear it!

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

As mentioned above, we recorded five new tracks in January, one of which is our latest single Eating Me Alive. We plan to release one more single in July, before releasing the full EP later in the year

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We’re currently in the middle of a tour for Eating Me Alive, with a show in Melbourne this weekend and two shows in Tasmania in June. It’s been very freeing to be back on stage in front of an audience after COVID lockdowns. 

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

Aside from the release schedule this year, we have plans as a band to just keep producing music we’re proud of, and take steps to get as many people to hear it as possible. We love doing what we do, and we'll keep doing it until we stop loving it.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can find us on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you listen to music, and you can buy our merch from our BandCamp!

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time

We'd like people to be reminded of the golden age of 90s Seattle grunge, but not so much that they think we're doing a bad impression of it. We'd like listeners to hear the roots of that grunge, only evolved into something more diverse and mature as a musical experience. And obviously, we'd like listeners to like what they hear.

Rock n' roll band THE YALLA YALLAS have quite a bit of albums, with another album coming soon, with a new single just released. So much more is in-store with more music and shows of course. The band talks of all of this below.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

The Yalla Yallas formed in Leeds, UK in 2007. Rob Galloway (Vocals), and Will Grinder (Guitar) are the only two original members remaining. Vince Cayo joined on bass during the recording of our third album ‘Medusa’, and Grant Henderson our drummer joined on our fourth album ‘Outsider’ though he has been recording and producing the band on all of our albums.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

We named ourselves The Yalla Yallas after the Joe Strummer song ‘Yalla Yalla’, we felt the sentiment in the song and it’s lyrics would be a great starting point for the band.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We’re based in Leeds, UK. The music scene has evolved a lot in our time as a band. There was a huge Indie Rock n Roll scene when we first started, lots of venues and places to play but it seems to have died of death. Although I must admit that I don’t get too involved in music scenes these days. I used to go to lots of gigs but a few years ago I decided to start staying home on an evening and read more books and listen to more music in a quest to become a better writer.

4. How would you describe your style?

No nonsense hi-energy Rock n Roll. 

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We’re about to release our fifth album ‘What it Means to be Human. Each album has its own personality. We’ve evolved as we’ve grown older. We started out as a punk band, but we’ve floated through Country, Blues, Rock, and Folk. I’m really proud of our back catalogue and the variety of music we’ve made.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Yeah the new album is due to be released on the solstice. We’ve just released a single called ‘Morning Sun’, and we’ll follow that up with ‘I Wanna Live’.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We’ve got a few gigs planned for the autumn but we’re trying not to book too much in case we have to reschedule due to restrictions.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

I’ve already written the next couple of albums so I’m hoping to get those recorded and keep going another ten years.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

Our official website http://www.theyallayallas.com would be a great place to start.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

I’d like them to remember that anything is possible.

Rock n' rollers CATCHING MANGOES have a debut album and couple of single's out, with a couple of more single's underway to be released. A lot more is discussed about in regards to music and the plans ahead.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

We are Catching Mangoes, a three-piece band from Brighton in England. Me (George) and Dan met at primary school and found Max (drums) at secondary school where we formed the Mangoes and continued our journey while studying at Uni in Brighton. We probably formed in some way in around 2016 but started playing proper shows in around 2018.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

We were once in London Zoo and there was a monkey enclosure. They started throwing mangoes at us and one hit Dan, so we thought it was funny

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

Our true home town if Forest Row, a small village in East Sussex. There is pretty much only one music venue there, that we play at fairly regularly and always pack out. Those are some of the best nights going and we have a gig coming up there on 26th June if anyone is local and fancied a good old night. We also play regularly in Brighton and London, where obviously the music scene is great.

4. How would you describe your style?

Our new stuff is probably like 60/70’s inspired rock n roll/bluesy with a pinch of psychedelic vibes in there for good measure.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We have recently recorded our debut, concept album ‘Kevin’s Town’ in Brighton and have released 2 singles ‘1963’ and ‘Outlaw Bandit’ from that so far, which are streaming now. The next single, the title track ‘Kevin’s Town’ is out next Friday 21st May on all streaming platforms.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

So we are planning 4 singles from the album, which the 4th and final one coming out next month. Then we’ve got the full album coming out this summer, probably around August. We will also be doing vinyl which you can currently pre-order on our website at www.catchingmangoes.com. The album follows the tale of a young boy named Kevin on his adventures, escaping his home town in search of the truth about himself and his fellow townsfolk. In trying to figure out the mystery surrounding his long-lost father, Kevin comes to realize that only he can save his town from a terrible fate.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Gigs we have planned so far are: 

-26th June @ Hop Yard in Forest Row

-17th July @ Hoxton Underbelly in London

-16th August @ Hope and Ruin in Brighton

I’m sure more will be coming in, keep an eye on our socials for more updates!

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

We have had some preliminary discussions about doing an EP this summer which would be cool, and maybe a part 2 for the album at some point in the near future, depending on our financial situation. But with COVID etc we’re just buzzing to be getting back to gigging now.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

All our new (and old) music is on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2McKGYjLuYuPwU2kCz1ksx?si=sXCbcr1xS-S0rGumLC7o5w.

Info and merch:

www.catchingmangoes.com.

Socials: 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/officialmangoes (@officialmangoes)

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/officialmangoes/?hl=en (@officialmangoes)

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

That were having a bit of fun, which hopefully can be translated through our music. We don’t take ourselves too seriously but we do take the music side seriously, and have spent an outrageous amount of time working on it, so hopefully they can hop aboard the band wagon and have a bit of a laugh with us.

Gothic/Industrial Metal artists Ludovico Technique release their new music video "Becoming Numb"

Ludovico Technique have just released the music video for their new single "Becoming Numb".This is the fourth single released from their forthcoming full-length album "Haunted People."

Bringing his dark mystique to goth industrial metal, Ben V-, along with his band Ludovico Technique, showcase a thoughtful depth and complexity unmatched by many bands. Ludovico Technique is the very embodiment of the Gothic aesthetic in its purest form and their new single reflects that.

Originally, the band drew inspiration from goth industrial bands such as Skinny Puppy, yet now, Ludovico Technique have added glimpses of Type O Negative and Rob Zombie to their unique take on goth music.

The music video for "Becoming Numb" premiered on Alternative Press and can be seen can be seen right HERE.

Icelandic Death Metal band Devine Defilement released their new single "Psuedopsychotic Possession". The single was written and recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic and tells the story of Michael Taylor, who murdered his wife after an exorcism by the local pastors. It was recorded at "L87 Studio" by Guitarist Snorri Björnsson, mix and mastering by Haukur Hannes, and artwork by Andkill Art.

  Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G1-_YjOUrE.

And check it out over here: https://open.spotify.com/album/41pVpegTctSEv1p4OUZ9oO.

Devine Defilement was formed in 2016 at Reykjavík, Iceland by Arni Hoffritz (Guitar) and Stefán Friðriksson (drums). The band released their debut album "Obliviora" in 2019 and toured Iceland. In March 2020 the band released their new EP "Primitive Gospel" that presented the band new vocalist Ingólfur Ólafsson that joined the band in 2019.

“Wish You Were Dead”, third single and video of the English-Italian gothic rock band Vampires Of Rome, is out! A fast beat song with echoes of Sisters Of Mercy and Paralyzed Age married with the contemporary sound of Rammstein and Lord Of The Lost. “Wish You Were Dead” is available worldwide in every digital platform. Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/Jer8fGntrKw.

Slovakian Heavy Metal band OzNor will release their new album "Something Different" on 01 July 2021, and it will be the band's first release that features ballads and Hard Rock music. The album was recorded, produced, engineered and mixed by Norbert Ozogany at "Oznor Studio".

Check out their content here: https://oznor.bandcamp.com/

OzNor was formed in 2019 in Samorin, Slovakia by Norbert Ozogany as a one-man instrumental studio project. The band recorded 2 albums  - Sea of Stars (2021) and Stormbringer (2019), and also released 1 EP - Shattered Illusions (2020).

Mixer-uppers VILAINE TRACKS have been around for a while, releasing an EP, with a follow-up released just recently! New music is slowly coming together but due to the current situation a lot is put on hold, with no other plans at the current time. But that does not stop the band from talking about these issues at hand!

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

VILAINE TRACKS, rock quartet from Le Mans (France), was formed was formed around Arnaud, (guitarist / band leader) and Thierry on bass in 2016. Joined by Ben on saxophone and Vincent on drums, the 4 Villains continue to offer tracks that mix their rock influences while striving to produce a dynamic and melodic sound.

https://www.facebook.com/VilaineTracksAreBack

https://vilainetracks.bandcamp.com/

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

The origin of the band’s name comes from the name of a Village near Le Mans where band leader used to live.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

The band is based in the city of Le Mans, well known from the world famous the car race. Considering the size of the city (Le Mans is the 20th biggest city on France), the music scene is quite developed thanks to a non profit organization that is really involved in promoting local culture and music (website in French  : https://superforma.fr/mediator).

A band that we could recommend is TURBO PANDA (https://turbopanda.bandcamp.com/).

Another band that we would recommend, although in a very different style (folk/pop), is THE ORCHID (https://the-orchid.bandcamp.com/). These guys are very talented, and they are currently working on their first album.

4. How would you describe your style?

A mix of energic ‘basic’ rock and punk music that also includes melodic moments thanks to the harmonica and the saxophone.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

First EP was released in 2017 but at the end, we were not happy of the overall sound quality. Thus, we don’t actively “promote” it as we prefer to spend our energy (and money too!) with our second EP (SUNNY GRAVE; December 2020), for which we are very satisfied with the overall result.

We also recently welcomed the good news that SUNNY GRAVE was selected, among more than 30 French bands, by French Rock Magazine “Rock & Folk” (equivalent to Rolling Stones Magazine in UK/US) for a review in its local bands section in the May issue. 

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

Not really, due to the health situation. Our last rehearsal practice is dated from end of 2020. However, we will be meeting in May to start on working on our next recording. Our guitarist and band leader, Arnaud, has been busy during the lockdown situation with coming a couple of interesting ideas.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Like 99% of the amateur bands, no, but things should be coming soon. With the release of our EP, we expect to be playing, hopefully from September, in the usual venues from our region (West of France / Loire Valley)

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

No specific plans: keep enjoying playing music together, playing live and trying to record a new EP/album next year. We are, and we will remain, an amateur band and we want to take all the opportunities we can to play live, following the good reviews we received for our EP, SUNNY GRAVE. 

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

https://vilainetracks.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/VilaineTracksAreBack

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

Well, it is not an easy question as we haven’t really thought about what we would like a listener to remember when hearing our music. But in our opinion, we would be happy if people listening to our music say that we are not (surely due to the addition of the saxophone on some of the songs) another similar-to-many rock bands with no real imagination or new ideas/sounds to offer. Hope this makes sense to you!

Indie rockers VICTORY KICKS have got not one but a total of six albums under their belts, plus a bunch of EP's and singles too! They always have something new in the works, including another album they are finishing up! The band discusses these things and much more.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Victory Kicks started out as a home recording project with just me writing the songs and playing everything. I’ve always recorded everything in my flat. Mostly I still do that. In recent years Victory Kicks has become a more collaborative project: I still write and record the songs but I regularly work with friends of mine from other London based bands who contribute parts and play on the recordings. They also play in the band when we do occasional live shows.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

I’m afraid this is not an interesting story… Like most bands, I basically wanted to find something that wasn’t taken. I had a song I was working on around that time that had the phrase ‘the Victory Kicks’ in it and when I googled that nothing came up so I figured it would do. I’ve since thought of tons of names that are better but it’s a bit late for that. 

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We’re based in South London. There are tons of great bands I’ve seen and met at shows over the years. I’d recommend checking out the guys I work with on Victory Kicks stuff, they’re all great: Sam Beard is a brilliant songwriter and guitarist who I work with a lot and who also plays in both Victory Kicks and another band I’m in, he’s got a new single out at the moment which you should definitely check out. Dan Kert from Plastic Barricades is responsible for some ridiculously catchy songs - they had a new album out at the end of last year. And The Young Flood which kind of started out as a Victory Kicks side project and is now a band in it’s own right. Obviously I’m not at all biased about any of those, especially the last one. 

4. How would you describe your style?

I always used to describe it as Lo-Fi Indie Rock - I used to spend my time trying to write the perfect 2min Indie Pop song - but in the last few years I’ve got a bit better at the recording side of things and the songs have got a bit longer, more atmospheric and hopefully a bit more interesting. Still, I’ve always been into lo-fi indie and alt-rock music and don’t like things to sound too polished. So long as the song is good, that’s the main thing.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We’ve got 6 albums behind us now and a bunch of EPs and singles… so what someone should expect is a fairly big back catalogue to work through, too big maybe.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We’ve almost always got something new in the works. At the moment we’re finishing off our next album which is going to be called Free the Night and will be out later this year. Between now and then we’ll be putting out a few singles - the latest one of those is called Mookie Betts which you can hear now.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Not right now for obvious reasons but as soon as things get better we’re hoping to get a few shows organized both with Victory Kicks and with The Young Flood. 

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

Pretty much the same plans we’ve always had: Keep writing, keep recording, keep working, keep busy.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can listen to it pretty much anywhere that streams music. If you want to buy our stuff then just head over to Bandcamp where you can get our entire back-catalogue for an almost recklessly small price. 

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

There’s plenty more where that came from. 

Elemental rock band STONUS have some single's out, EP's, and a debut album as well! But they just released an all new EP recently, and the plan set is for their music to just be heard all over! Also to get out and tour and play shows as much as possible too. The band says much more about all of this below!

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Hello guys and thanks for the interview! We are Stonus, a heavy rock band from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus; Kyriacos is the lead singer, Nicky the rhythm guitarist, Pavlos the lead guitarist and Kotsios the drummer. We were formed in 2015 and since then we have released 3 EPs (‘Supertrip’ in 2017, ‘Lunar Eclipse’ in 2018, ‘Séance’ in 2021) and our debut album ‘Aphasia’ in March 2020. We are an active band and we had the honor to participate in festivals and gigs all around Cyprus and London as well as participating in Soundart Festival in Romania. We played alongside with some of the best bands of the scene such as Nightstalker, Planet of Zeus, Riverside and Sunnata. Following the release of ‘Aphasia’ we were planning our first European tour, which unfortunately had to be postponed due to COVID-19. On a personal level we are all still students, 3 of us studying in London; Pharmacy (Kyriacos), Maths (Pavlos) and Chemical Engineering (Nicky) and 1 of us studies music in Cyprus (Kotsios) with a passion for heavy rocking!

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Well we will leave that to the people to interpret… all we can say is we love heavy music and having fun!

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We are originally from Cyprus, a small island in the Mediterranean a bit below Turkey and Greece with a population of less than a million. As you can imagine the scene and fans are quite limited and the island can be toured in a few days but we have some pretty decent venues which are of high standard. On the other hand, we are quite lucky to be living in London as it provides much easier accessibility. In terms of the rock scene and especially heavy music, there are a few really good Cypriot bands with some even achieving some Global recognition such as Blynd, Mirror, Arcadian Child, Barebone and Isla Fortuna.

4. How would you describe your style?

Our music is based on Heavy Rock with stoner, psychedelic and grunge elements but in general we could describe it as a fuzzy energetic heavy rock. We like experimenting with sounds and ideas and we are keen to blend the influences of each member into a unified sound.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

Up to now we have released a 2 singles “Coming In” and “Sweetspot” in 2017 and 2019 respectively. We released 3 EPs to date: “Supertrip” (2017) “Lunar Eclipse” (2018) and “Séance” (2021) and our debut album “Aphasia” in 2020. 

Each release represents a different aspect of our characters and lives as we perceive it, thus, in each release we try to express our emotions musically, lyrically and visually as we believe the listener must engage as much senses as possible. 

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We just released our new EP “Séance” last month but we are always writing down ideas and experimenting with them… With the pandemic it has been harder to jam together but we still send some clips here and there and try to work as much as we can. We are productive and pretty active so fans should expect quite a few releases in the years to come.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

After the release of our debut album “Aphasia” we were planning a European Tour with shows pre-booked in Italy, Cyprus, UK and Ukraine but we had to postpone due to the pandemic. Nevertheless we are eager to get out and play our music as soon as we can, so keep an eye for some shows around Europe soon.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

Our dream is for our music to be heard all around the world and hopefully people might use it to feel, to party, to cry and to connect. We want to prove that anyone can achieve their dreams if they work hard enough and stay focused. We really feel honored from the support and love we receive.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

We are streaming in all music Platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google Play and many more.  If you want to support us by buying a physical copy you can do so by visiting our Bandcamp at: https://stonusofficial.bandcamp.com/.

Or directly through our label: https://www.electricvalleyrecords.com/.

For US order you can visit our distributor: https://thecosmicpeddler.com.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

That anything is possible as long as you do what you love and you believe in yourselves… Oh yeah and those sweet, sweet riffs.

Rock n' rollers SPLIT PERSONA have a debut EP, as well as all new music expected real soon. The band talks of this, their start and what the future holds.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Zander: I’ve been playing music for about 6 years now, starting sometime in 2015 with guitar after my face was melted by Eddie Van Halen’s 13 minute solo from “Van Halen: Live Without a Net”. From that point forward, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to shred the guitar and play lead guitar in a Van Halen tribute band! But that’s not what ended up happening for me, I started teaching myself guitar opening doors to bands like Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and Pantera. The day came that my Dad bought us tickets to our first Foo Fighters concert without me really knowing anything about them other than hearing a few snippets of songs in the past. After that show however I was sold on writing my OWN music and fronting a rock band. Years would pass as I grew as a musician and a songwriter when I moved from the small town of Truckee, CA to the “Biggest Little City'' Reno, NV. By that time I had about 5-6 songs I considered to be complete and pretty decent, when my friend Cooper would introduce me to Darren Menning, a bass player he was ansty that I work with. I started by emailing him some of my demo’s (which would eventually become the first EP), which he loved, but was tied into another ska-punk “Sublime” influenced band “Sell the Sun”. I declined his offer to play guitar for them at first, but once I had picked up photography for a few shows and got to know him and Mike Patterson (drums), I was in. The band didn’t last long, only a few months of playing before the tensions grew and the project was halted. Not long after, I had Darren mix an early demo of “Stay Away” and it seemed to grow on him, and he suggested we finally put some of my music to use and start a new band, which is all I’ve wanted to do since I had started writing. So Darren recruited Brogan Kelley for lead guitar and I brought in Connor Kremsner, another drummer that ended up splitting with us which opened the seat for Mike to play with us again. 

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name? 

I came up with the name when I was around 13 workshopping potential band names like: “10-15, Social Disturbance, and Split Persona”. I actually ended up using 10-15 for a cover band I played in for around a year when I was 14, but Split Persona was only used for a show at a small coffee shop in Truckee called “Dark Horse”, which I kinda threw together in a week with some other musician friends of mine and in the knick of time I remembered “Split Persona” so we used it for that one show. However when the Split Persona you see today started, we originally tried the name “Subluminal” which was already taken by a number of bands. Darren drove over to my house one day to talk about the name change, Brogan later joining us getting absolutely nothing other than busting out some Foo Fighters covers with me on drums and playing video games. It wasn’t until Darren was leaving my room when he noticed the “Dark Horse” show poster I made when he said “I think the name has been staring us in the face the entire time…” and the rest is history! 

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We’re based out of Reno, Nevada which isn’t a well known city for musicians emerging out of it like Nashville, Los Angeles, and San Fran, but we definitely plan on being the first. Everyone is welcomed in the music scene here, it’s almost inviting and definitely inspiring. There's one venue here that I would recommend visiting if you’re here called “The Holland Project”. It was one of the only venues here to survive the pandemic due to its involvement with the music community and the community in general. I do argue that without playing there and immersing into the culture, that this band would either be very different, or just not exist in general. Some bands that we’ve become fans of and made friends out of would include: Summer Cannibals, Anapathic, Mess of Wires, and Carpool Tunnel.

4. How would you describe your style?

I would say our style is very diverse whilst still sticking to that rock and roll sound. It seems like at this point while I’m writing or when I’m writing with the band, we don’t even have to try to make things interesting and appeal to all of our fans and listeners. With all of our separate influences, it just comes naturally at this point!

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

So far we have released a self-titled EP giving a warm introduction to early songwriting in the band, but our upcoming album (which we have yet to announce formally! but will soon…) is really where we make a name for ourselves and our sound.

6. Do you have any new music in the works? 

Yes! Stay tuned! We just finished our recording process recently so now we are in the process of mixing and mastering it, but expect an announcement or single approaching in July.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

With all the COVID-19 stuff looking like it’s going to subside soon, we have started reaching out to venues and planning one off shows and a potential tour we never got due to the pandemic catching the band and the rest of the world by surprise early 2020.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

The plan is to never stop. We want as many people to hear our music as possible and make a living touring and recording. Our mission as a band is to bring Rock and Roll back into the mainstream media as we feel it’s been lost or rather blocked by other genres. I personally listen to everything from Dr. Dre to Slayer, but I think it’s time Rock and Roll bands had a chance in the spotlight it once had, and Split Persona’s goal is to lead that movement.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can listen to us on ANY streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, but we do sell merchandise and physical copies of our first EP on our website: Splitpersona.com

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

I want the listeners listening to our EP to know I started alone. We all did. I wrote those songs alone in my room and played all the instruments because I didn’t have anyone that could play my kind of music. I was 16 when I recorded this album with Darren who was 17, and we we’re just kids when we started. It CAN be done. If you have a dream and enjoy something and want to make a living out of it you can. I just want listeners of our music to know that.

Hillbilly punk rockers SHANGHAI TREASON have a couple of EP's out, with their debut full-length album out this summer! The band jumps right into discussion about this release and what they have in-store beyond it!

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Hi we’re Shanghai Treason, a hardy group of Yorkshiremen who play Celtic Punk inspired rock music. It’s fast, loud and comes served with a side of beer soaked banjo. Myself and the guys have all been in bands for years and have played just about every venue in Yorkshire between us. Not just punk bands either, all sorts, I think it’s given us a strong foundation, everyone of us though has always had a huge love for folk punk/celtic punk bands and it’s been a joy to come together and write loads of songs in this style. 

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Early on when we were throwing names around; one name was High Treason but we discovered there’s a shed load of bands called High Treason out there so we just flipped it and made it Shanghai Treason. I remember we had lots of names we were throwing around in the early days before we decided on Shanghai Treason, some of the main alternatives that I can remember were Drydock Rats, Dresden Saints and Oilfeather, I think we chose a good one in the end though, it’s stuck.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We’re based in Sheffield but also have strong ties to Barnsley, Rotherham and Huddersfield. Sheffield and the surrounding areas have always had a strong music scene but often play second fiddle to Leeds when it comes to music in Yorkshire. Every so often though Sheffield throws out mahoosive world conquering bands and the standard of music in the city is very high, which pushes you to be the best you can be. 

4. How would you describe your style?

We’ve been described as Hillbilly Punk, Folk Punk, Banjo Punk (I like that one haha). I think ultimately we’re a very Yorkshire take on Celtic Punk.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We’ve released two E.P’s and a bunch of singles, have a look on YouTube or Spotify, you’ll find us. It’s punk with banjos, accordion, bouzouki maybe a spot of fiddle, it’s drinking music for sweaty gigs in dive bars or dancing in the mud in ya wellis at the festival. 

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We’ve got our debut album on the way, we’re still working on the release and covid has complicated things but it’s 100% coming, we’ve recorded it all and we can’t wait for people to hear it, we have released two songs from it already, with a third due to be released this month.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

I can’t say to much about it but we’ve got a big tour support tour coming for Jan/Feb 2022, we’re coming to see ya, it covers most of the UK, keep any eye out for it, we’re supporting an amazing band.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

We want to be an album band, just to be able to go out and do a big tour once a year in the UK and play all our songs with people who dig ‘em would be amazing, we’d love to get all over the grassroots festival circuit as well, it will happen slowly, get onboard and enjoy the journey with us. 

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

Spotify is the big one for us, all our main releases are on there, if music videos are more your bag you’ll find them on YouTube and our Facebook page. Our bandcamp is currently where you can grab our merch, we’ll be doing a big restock for our tour and album launch soon so keep an eye out for all the new album goodies coming your way. 

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

I think what I’d like people to take away from hearing our stuff at this early point is, ‘ I’d love to see this band live’ , if we’ve done that then we’ve done our job and hey if they keep coming back to listen again and that’s a bonus. Cheers for having us Natz.

Please embed these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szzi_72K1OU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCXD0TA1Cwk

Mixer-uppers DARKEST HORIZON have quite a bit of content out, some EPs, albums, and single's as well. The band then goes on to mention word of new music, and hoping to play shows really soon. Find out what else was said below.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

As you may know, the band has been around since 2010. A lot has happened since the formation. We have played a lot of shows at big festivals. For example, we played at “Metaldays” in Slovenia and were co-headliners at “Mealstrom Festival” in Sri Lanka. We also played lots of festivals in Germany, like Eisenwahn Festival and Dong Open Air. Furthermore, we toured with Cradle of Filth and Wintersun. In total, we have released two albums and two Eps. Over the years some line-up changes have happened. 

The current line-up is incredibly strong and it's a lot of fun to write new songs and hopefully play gigs again soon.

Chris (keyboard) writes all the songs and orchestrations. Enis is our singer and responsible for all vocals, no matter if growl or clean vocals. Jonas supports Enis with the vocals and plays the bass. But not only that, he arranges the orchestrations, songs and manages the recordings. And me, Daniel, play the guitar and manage many other things besides the music.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

This is a difficult question. Our band name comes from the first line-up of the band in early 2010, which I wasn’t part of. Olli, our former lead guitarist, and founder of the band came up with it together with my predecessor. After Olli left the band, we have discussed to change it. Due to its large history and loads of memories attached to it, we decided to keep it.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We are from Frankfurt in Germany. The music scene here is good, considering the circumstances. Since, Frankfurt is actually known for its electro scene, as a metal band the stand is always a bit difficult. But still, we have loyal fans in our close surroundings. We aren’t sure why, but it appears that countries like Finland and USA are more receptive to our kind of music.

The second question is actually very hard to answer. Over the years we have the privilege to play together with many great musicians and naming all them would be way to long, but of the top of my head bands like Agrypnie, Tankard, Streams of Blood, Third wave and Snow white Blood are definitively worth checking out!

4. How would you describe your style?

I would describe our music like this: “it's like a lord of the rings movie with WAY too many orcs.” The symphonic side is very powerful and often seems like a film score with a good portion of metal mixed in. The whole thing is then spiced with our personal touch.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

So far, we have first released the two EP's "Shattered Skies" and "Scattered Worlds". After that two long-playing records "The Grand Continuum" and "Aenigmata" have been released. The last two releases were singles "Ad Nauseam" and "Conquer and Command". We will continue in this direction by releasing singles through which we can try out ourselves and refine our songs from song to song. We will not stand still and will continue to work on regular releases. But we do not rule out Eps or even an album, because we don't want to be limited musically.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We are constantly working on new music. So always be aware and follow us on our social media platforms.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

Due to the whole Corona situation, everything has been put on hold for the time being. But as soon as it becomes possible again, shows will be planned and maybe even one or another tour.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

We plan to spread our music as far as possible around the globe and play shows wherever people want to listen to us.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can find us everywhere where there is internet. Personally, we like it best when our fans support us on bandcamp (darkesthorizon.bandcamp.com). This platform gives bands like us the opportunity to get closer and more direct contact with our fans and you can also support us there. But we also have our own homepage (www.darkesthorizon.com) with our own little webshop. Here fans can order everything we currently have in stock and we ship it worldwide.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

First and foremost, we want you to have a great experience. We hope that we are able to transmit our thoughts and stories and that they resonate with you. And our highest goal is, that these stories are something that makes you think deeply about our most human experiences.

Russian Heavy Metal band Big Ban released their debut EP "Babe". The release was recorded at "Nazarovstudio" (Nazarov Music Entertainment) by Dave Charmer and has 4 songs.

Check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/album/13wTPIF7dz0mKGLb4Bw3Zm.

And over here: https://music.apple.com/us/album/1546134395?uo=4&app=music&mt=1&at=1000l9WJ&ct=bq.

Big Ban was formed in 2018 at Moscow, Russia by Oleg Andreivich Piskunov (guitar). Soon Jakomo Rossi (vocals), Konstantin Skripale (vocals), Boris Feldman (bass guitar), Alexander Maximov (guitar), Oleg Sergeivich Piskunov (balalaika) and Vladimir Tankushin (drums) joined the band and the lineup was completed. Right now the band has already started the work on their second EP "Fallen King" that will be released during the summer.

Natalie Gray has released a new track titled "My Toy". Check it HERE.

Dr. Fabola (previously known as Ade Fabola) has released a new song called "No Tomorrow". 

Here's what Dr Fabola had to say about 'No Tomorrow': "You could say I wrote No Tomorrow as a reminder - a note to self - to be  kind, to love others, to love myself, to laugh and just live life to the  fullest. Does this sound basic? Like "Live, Laugh, Love"? Well, that's the  idea; the good life is meant to be basic, but we overcomplicate things, and  this song is a reminder of just how simple and beautiful life can be. Laugh  like there's no one watching, and love like there's no tomorrow."

Check it over HERE.

Young Medicine's "A Lesson in Futility" carries listeners on a journey through emotional peaks and valleys with its introspective verse and explosive chorus sections. The song's dual personality comes alive with throwback synth melodies, vigorous drumming, heartfelt vocals chased with a chorus of guitar riffs for a fusion of synthwave and metal that only Young Medicine can deliver. Check out the track HERE.

After entering several international charts with their latest album, Curse of Autumn, WITHERFALL have shared the video for their special cover of Boston's illustrious "Foreplay/Long Time," entitled "Long Time (Long Version)." The song has been available as an Acoustic Version on Curse of Autumn, as well as slightly shorter Band Version on the Japanese edition of the album. 

"Witherfall are huge fans of Boston," the band says. "We are obviously influenced by the rich guitar and vocal harmony work. Joseph grew up in upstate New York, and Tom Scholz would come to his grandpa's lawnmower shop for repair work. Upon becoming interested in playing guitar, Joseph would frequent Bank Place Guitars, a shop owned by Joe Bonamassa's father and Tom Scholz. Our version of Boston's 'Foreplay/Long Time' is a tribute to one of the greatest voices in rock and roll history — Boston vocalist Brad Delp, who in 2007, tragically took his own life. The re-working of this song reflects the true emotions behind the lyrical content. RIP."

Check out the video right HERE.

Atreyu will release their new album, the John Feldmann-produced Baptize, on June 4 via Spinefarm Records. 

"'Catastrophe' is, in essence, an apocalyptical love song," the band reveals. "We took a more imaginative approach to the feelings about that we as individuals and the rest of the planet were going through. The world felt like it was falling apart around us. Nothing was certain, and stress and darkness were coming in from every angle. But living through it all with someone who you truly love somehow made it all okay." 

The band has just dropped another new track — this time in the form of "Catastrophe." Listen HERE. Watch the video HERE.