Last Mudkiss Update of 2011

One final blog of 2011 and as Mudkiss provide me with the majority of the new music I'm lucky enough to hear, it's only fair to spread the word with the fanzines November / December update.  Once again, a marvellous array of music has been covered and here's to 2012, onwards and upwards with hopefully a couple of new faces appearing on the site, allowing us to cover even more for your musical delictation.

 

http://www.facebook.com/notes/mudkiss-fanzine/novemberdecember-updates/10150428907495159


Happy New Year all.

The Phoenix Experiment - More New Material

Just when you least expect it, those crazy Warrington kids, The Phoenix Experiment release another new track and video with "Dark Cosmos," a very 60's psychedelic feel accompanied by some genuinely startling imagery. 

http://youtu.be/g1bclS6882w

The music and videos of The Phoenix Experiment are made in the most D.I.Y of fashions, free of record company involvement and influence.

You have to hand it to them, they are a bit on the special side.

http://www.facebook.com/TPEONLINE/posts/303253449713892

Nuclear Blast Sampler

Well, I hope everybody had a fantastic Christmas and is now looking forward to New Year.  As an extra special belated present for all Metalheads, Nuclear Blast Europe are giving away a best of 2011 twenty five track sampler highlighting their artists absolutely free.

How do you get hold of it, simple.  Head to their Facebook page, hit like, click on the link and they'll send you an e-mail with a code to activate your download.

http://www.facebook.com/nuclearblasteurope?sk=wall










Tracklist:

01 Destruction - The Price
02 Hell - Save Us From Those Who Would Save Us
03 Demonaz - All Blackened Sky
04 Scar Symmetry - lluminoid Dream Sequence
05 Chrome Division - Bulldogs Unleashed
06 Hammerfall - One More Time
07 Pain - Dirty Woman
08 Rhapsody Of Fire - Aeons Of Raging Darkness (edit)
09 Symphony x - Dehumanized
10 Communic - Destroyer Of Bloodlines
11 Vader - Come And See My Sacrifice
12 Seven - Get It
13 Fleshgod Apocalypse - The Violation (edit)
14 Tasters - Please Destroy This World
15 Cipher sytem - Communicate The Storms
16 Anthrax - Fight'em Till You Can't
17 Biohazard - Vengeance Is Mine
18 Textures - Singularity
19 We Came As Romans - Mis/understanding
20 Threat Signal - Fallen Disciples
21 Texas In July - 1000 Lies
22 Graveworm - See No Future
23 Like Moths To Flames - You Won't Be Missed
24 Gotthard - Remember It's Me
25 Battle Beast - Enter The Metal World

Last round of Mudkiss reviews for the year.

Just one last blog for 2011 and a round up of the latest live reviews on Mudkiss.

http://www.mudkiss.com/adamantreview.htm#.TvUTOwvh8tQ.facebook

 http://www.mudkiss.com/rainbandlive.htm

http://www.mudkiss.com/thelastpartylive.htm#.TvTmrSCFCnE.facebook


























http://www.mudkiss.com/wolfcrushermoholive.htm#.TvTh3JwDlEc.facebook

Merry Christmas All

Just one last quick blog before Christmas and only came across this today.  The late great Ronnie James Dio put's his stamp on a classic Christmas carol.

Happy Holidays everybody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZELjIqHQlUY

Smith and Burrows - "Funny looking Angels"

My Mudkiss album of the month for December from Smith and Burrows.  What a very festive offering it is too.

Here's wishing everyone who takes the time to follow and read my musical meanderings through this blog and Mudkiss a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All the best for 2012.

http://www.mudkiss.com/decemberalbumofthemonth.htm    

Amplifier live at The Fleece, Bristol.

After completing the interview with Sel, it's downstairs for a blistering Amplifier performance at The Fleece in Bristol.  Look out for the new album next year, definitely one for the wish lists.

http://www.mudkiss.com/amplifierlivebristol.htm

An interview with Sel Balamir of Amplifier.

Managed to grab an interesting and entertaining half hour with Sel Balamir front man for the utterly fantastic Amplifier while in Bristol.

 


http://www.mudkiss.com/selbalamirinterview.htm

Mojo Fury

Caught these guys supporting Amplifier on Monday night in Bristol. Great young band producing top notch progressive rock.  Head to their web page and grab a free download, before checking out the album "Visiting Hours of a Travelling Circus"

http://mojofury.co.uk/ 

Ebony Lake - Progressive Metal at it's most Progressive.

Now there's progressive metal and there's progressive metal.  Ebony Lake take the genre to it's most extreme and while certainly not for everyone, this is pure unadulterated madness created by warped genius.  Allow yourself  to enter their weirdly addictive musical world.

http://www.myspace.com/ebonylakeofficialuk/music/songs/the-wanderings-of-ophelia-64101726

Mudkiss November / December Live reviews

There;s just no slowing down on the run up to Christmas for the Mudkiss live team, here's another great batch of gig reviews for your reading pleasure and as usual, it's a real mix of old and new.

http://www.mudkiss.com/annacalvilive.htm

 http://www.mudkiss.com/hydebeastlive.htm

 http://www.mudkiss.com/motorheadlive.htm

 http://www.mudkiss.com/zolajesuslive.htm

 http://www.mudkiss.com/wednesday13live.htm

















http://www.mudkiss.com/jessierosetriplive.htm

 http://www.mudkiss.com/justicetonightmanchester.htm

 http://www.mudkiss.com/bitterspringslive.htm

Another Mudkiss Round -Up.

The Mudkiss machine keeps on churning out the reviews.  Here's a round up of the latest batch of albums and singles / EP's from Callum, Josh, Den and Lee.

http://www.mudkiss.com/decemberreviews2011.htm

 http://www.mudkiss.com/gretchenseichristreview.htm

http://www.mudkiss.com/singlesnov2011.htm

Spires / Incassum / Sworn to Oath - Club Alter Ego Manchester 04.12.11

 An extremely strong contender for my gig of the year.  A night of Manchester (plus a touch of Stoke) metal at Club Alter Ego with Spies and Incassum on incredible form.  Roll on the new album from Incassum next year and the guys from Spires also working on new material.  You are going to hear a lot more about both bands in the months to come.

Some great images by Phil King to top things off nicely.

http://www.mudkiss.com/spiresincassumlivereview.htm#.Tt_V7DxM1-I.facebook


If you're anywhere near the Bury area on December 18th, head to The Towler Xmas festival, where Incassum, amongst others with be providing their own brand of festive metal fun.

The Wedding Present - New material from the bard of Leeds and his incredible band.

 

SEEING OUT 2011 WITH THE WEDDING PRESENT

“I never really enjoy New Year’s Eve!”

With those fateful words David Gedge set into motion a train of events that has culminated in the “Seeing Out 2011 With The Wedding Present” mini-tour.

The band will be playing both in Glasgow and David’s hometown of Leeds before their December 31st finale... an extremely intimate show at Dingwall’s in Camden, London. With this final show of 2011, the band will kick off a busy year...

Firstly, The Wedding Present will be releasing their much-anticipated eighth studio album, which was recorded in France and California and mixed by Andrew Scheps [Metallica, Iggy Pop, Johnny Cash]. The penciled in release date for this is 12 March 2012.

Following an album launch event at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, the band will be embarking on a month long tour of North America. This tour will be extra special because, as well as celebrating the release of the new record, the band will be playing their classic album ‘Seamonsters’ live, in it’s entirety. The Wedding Present recorded Seamonsters with Steve Albini in 1991.

Following the North American dates the band will also be playing ‘Seamonsters’ and promoting the new album in Australia, Japan and Continental Europe before bringing the whole event home with an extensive tour of The United Kingdom and Ireland in the autumn.

Forthcoming confirmed dates:

29 December: Glasgow Garage

30 December: Leeds O2 Academy

31 December: London Camden Dingwalls

Laura Marling Tour dates for Spring 2012

Oh the joys of spring. With much delight, just as England is waking up, LM and her band will once again head out on the roads come March to play a number of dates in support of A Creature I Don't Know. And knowing LM, there'll probably be a few newbies to play by then too...

The Wisdom of Spring Tour - March 2012

Thursday 1st - Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Friday 2nd - Birmingham, Symphony Hall
Saturday 3rd - Bristol, Colston Hall
Monday 5th - Gateshead, Sage
Tuesday 6th - Leeds, O2 Academy
Wednesday 7th - London, Hammersmith Apollo
Friday 9th - Manchester, O2 Apollo
Saturday 10th - Glasgow, O2 Academy
Sunday 11th - Stoke, Victoria Hall
Tuesday 13th - Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
Wednesday 14th - Southampton, Guildhall


Support: Timber Timbre and Pete Roe.

The ticket pre-sale will begin at 9am on Wednesday 7th December via the shop link on Lauramarling.com.

Tickets will then go on general sale at 9am on Friday 9th December.

My Top Ten Albums of the Year

It hasn't been an easy decision, some great albums have been released this year, but I've narrowed it down to ten.  Check out my own personal Mudkiss chart, with the following appearing somewhere along the line.

 

 http://www.mudkiss.com/andytop10albums2011.htm#.Tt5OFRsf--8.facebook

November album Reviews

A particularly eclectic selection of music this month, to help try and cheer everyone up in these difficult times.

Nine Covens - "On the Coming of Darkness"

Wounded Lion - "IVXLCDM"

Elvis Costello and the Imposters - "The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook"

Blotted Science – "The Animation of Entomology"

Eleanor Friedberger - "Last Summer"

thePICTURESHOW - "MUSic for FILM"








http://www.mudkiss.com/andynovemberalbums.htm

Stream the new album from Korn

Now here's an interesting album, which at this early stage I'm really not sure what to make of.  Stream the, alleged groundbreaking new album from Korn, "The Path of Totality" in full.  Very electronic and certainly experimental from their point of view, but any good?  All thoughts appreciated.





http://www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk/korn/premiere/

An interview with Erlend Hjelvik of Kvelertak

Not only have I been fortunate enough to experience Kvelertak, one of my favourite bands of 2011 live on two occasions, on Friday last week, prior to a stunning performance at The Roadhouse, I met with vocalist Erlend for a general chat and discovered some less than obvious influences around their gargantuan sound.

http://www.mudkiss.com/erlendhejelvikinterview.htm

The Return of The Darkness

Live review of The Darkness in Manchester with some great photos from Mel.

http://www.mudkiss.com/thedarknesslive.htm

Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow

So this is my take on the new Kate Bush album.  As you would expect, challenging, not the easiest of listens initially, but perseverence is the watch word.

http://www.mudkiss.com/50wordsforsnow.htm#.TsY9Aseac44.facebook

The Miserable Rich - Interview with James De Maplaquet

A band I've followed since the early days and an absolute privilege to be able to sit down and discuss the music of The Miserable Rich with James De Malpalquet.  

http://www.mudkiss.com/miserablerichinterview.htm#.TsLsDtXUoXA.facebook

Opeth - Manchester Academy -11.11.11

A fantastic night at Manchester Academy last Friday, watching the incredible Opeth promote a brilliant new album............ perhaps all wouldn't agree however.

http://www.mudkiss.com/opethmanchesteracademy.htm#.TsL2w3deNFw.facebook