Lowlander – Pray

Lowlander, the Seattle-based alt rock group have released their debut single, “Pray”. With Milo Eubank producing and Andrew Joslyn arranging the strings (both of Macklemore fame), “Pray” is a solid song that’s radio ready for the masses.
 

Nicolas Maul – Jeden Moment

German solo artist Nicolas Maul recently dropped a new song, “Jeden Moment” (Every Moment). The songwriter showcases his skill writing a mellow pop song that has a solid beat. Take a listen below!

 

Jera On Air 2018

Jera On Air is a nice, cosy and kick ass two day punk and hardcore festival in the rural town of Ysselsteyn located in the Limburg province of The Netherlands. The year 2018 brings the 26th edition of this punk rock banger and to sum it up, this year’s line-up is basically off the charts.

 

But more on that later, first let’s have a look at what bang your buck will bring with a Jera On Air weekendpass. Two days of punkrock, hardcore and metalcore located in an idealic setting surrounded by eager punks who are ready to kick of the summer vacation. Because let’s admit it, we’ve all missed Groezrock this year and let’s face it, we haven’t had a proper opening to the festival season yet so far.

 

So in 2018 Jera On Air is the place to be if you’re on the edge of getting two months away from school. And for the working folks, that moment when you feel that yearly vacation creeping up but still so far away.  Maybe Jera On Air might be just what  you need to refresh yourself for those final weeks of counting down. Hell, it might even be better than your vacation… Actually it’s more like three day as Jera On Air also hosts a small camping pre festival on Thursday 28th of June, but the main course still remains two rocking day on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th of June.

 

Two massive tents with killer stages will have you hopping back and forth to catch all the bands playing and it doesn’t stop there. There’s also the cosy Punbrockbar if you feel for more of a clubfeel. Or what about the refreshing beergarden at the festival that serves plenty of delicious special beers and of course their signature Jera On Air beer, brewed especially for the weekend. Throw in a walhalla foodcourt serving everyone’s taste from fresh charred beef burgers on the grill to vegan delights and much more and your set for a punkrock gourmet weekend. Side animation is provided by signing sessions where you can have a short chat  with your favorite artists and get their autograph or a picture. And for those that like to get active the Dutch Stagediving Championships may provide a relief, as you can jump of the stage onto an airpillow will performing your signature stagedive moves.

 

But the main recipe for a succesfull Jera On Air remains the amazing line-up featuring bands such as Sick Of It All, Terror, Anti Flag and Dutch punk legends  I Againstt I, who have recently reunited, are all playing on Friday.

 

The saturday brings us NOFX, Less Than Jake, Underoath, even a Swedish invasion by Satanic Surfers and No Fun At All. Or what about Dog Eat Dog who will get the whole festival jiving to their smooth saxophones. Ysselsteyn will be shaking to it’s core.

 

The Jera is also a rune sign meaning as a sort of ancient blessing for a good harves. Well in that case Jera On Air must mean a supermoon harvest of bands looking at this year’s line-up.

 

See you all soon in an Ysselsteyn field to ‘officially’ kick of the summer of 2018.

 

 

 

The Creature Within – A Slave to my Mind

The Creature Within are setting up to blast onto the music scene in the East Midlands. The three piece from Northamptonshire, England formed after the breakup of prog-metal outfit Project Mothra, who were prominent in the scene up until last year. The trio have just finished their first EP, A Slave to my Mind; two songs that show off some impressive riffs, vocal melodies, and a rich, layered approach to production that, for a band’s first time recordings, pleasantly surprised this reviewer.

Starting off the release is the track Who Am I, a striking introduction to the band’s sound with some heavy distortion, layered soundscapes, and an overall sonic flavor that sounds ‘big’ enough for a festival stage. The stoner-metal influence is evident here, as an overall piece it is reminiscent of the likes of Mastodon or Red Fang, with elements of southern-groove akin to that of Down. Moreover, the vocals would be right at home on a Mastodon or perhaps Steak Number Eight record, but the infusion of styles is definitely what is unique about this track and about the band as whole. The group vocals on the choruses once again entice visions of a track like this being played on a large stage, encouraging crowd participation.

In comparison, the second track Schattenman (Shadow man in German) shows a very different side to the band – compared to Who Am I, Schattenman hits hard with a much faster tempo and aggressiveness that would be right at home at a DIY hardcore show. The vocals are much more piercing and less distorted that the preceding track, filled with aggro-punk rage with relentlessly fast instrumentation to compliment it. Overall, this is a welcome choice from the band to show such sonic diversity on a release with only two tracks.

The Creature Within debut EP A Slave to my Mind will be available on Spotify, iTunes and on CD direct from the band from June 13th

For more on the band visit their Facebook page.

A Slave to my Mind

 

18th & Addison – Time Bomb

New Jersey duo 18th & Addison shared their new video for “Time Bomb” with us. Their EP Vultures drops on June 1st. Check it out!

Fifth Dawn – Defying Symmetry

Fifth Dawn, a hard rock band from Sydney, Australia, has dropped their single “Defying Symmetry”. With powerful, layered vocals, the band brings back memories of Evanescence and Flyleaf. Enjoy!

Gravemind – Lifelike

Australian deathcore act Gravemind dropped a video for their single “Lifelike”. Check it out below!

Signaal/Ruis – 20180511

You can now listen to Signaal/Ruis, a Belgian music show on Radio Scorpio, their show from last friday 11 May. The tracklist includes: The Dreebs, MNNQNS, Bodega, Just Mustard, Connections and more.

 

Sjock Festival 2018

At the beginning of summer, a small Belgium town in the ‘Stille Kempen‘ is not so quit any longer. Hordes of raging Rockabilly fans, Punks, Metalheads and many more music loves have found the path to this three day celebration of all things rocking in the lovely town of Gierle.

Kicking off the 43st edition of Sjock festival, this years edition is packed with legendary bands, up and coming talent and of course the overall chill vibes that Sjock festival has become known for.

On Friday the 6th of July Sjock festival commences the celebrations with more of a welcoming evening programme to get the weekend started. A diverse line-up focused featuring artists such as Rev. Horton Heat and The Bronx may set the pace for the days to follow.

On Saturday a full on festival day begins and will have the visitors of Sjock running from left to right to catch all the great acts on the roster. A few of the must see’s that day include Californian proto punks Dead Kennedy‘s and the Scandinavian dragqueens from hell Turbonegro that will get Gierle rockin’ and rolling all night long.

But the piece de resistance must be the Sunday line-up with a few bands that the punk kids can eat their heart out too. At least four long lasting punk outfits will destroy the Sjock stage on Sunday ranging from the most handsome vocalist in punk, Blag Dahlia from The Dwarves to the smartest punk around, Milo of Descendents and let us not forget the epic sing a long that Pennywise never travels without or what about some Swedish cool from No Fun At All.

A diverse line-up featuring all kinds of rock’n roll in a stunning scenery accompanied by Belgian beer and hopefully sweet summer weather. What more could you wish for to start your summer?

Ascending Dawn – Opposites

Fronted by Eurovision Song Contest contestant Marlain Angelides, Ascending Dawn is a powerful prog-metal act that will grab your attention and keep it, too. With members from all over the world, various styles and influences can be heard blending in this masterpiece.