An ominous drone, a piercing sound from a synth and a feeling of rising tension create the ideal way to introduce Shadowborn’s debut EP. In just a few seconds, this gives ‘Through The Hourglass’ a feeling of unease, and the quiet but dark sounds also have the effect of making the subsequent riffs come through with a much bigger punch.
Author Archives: Real Gone
YEAH, SICK! – Your Herbs And Spices Won’t Save You Now! EP
Australian “genre-bending” act Yeah, Sick! formed during the lockdown era as a “tongue in cheek experiment that grew into something bigger”. Their debut release ‘Set To Devour Us All!’ presented a wealth of slap bass sounds colliding with muddy guitar work that set up a heavy but very rhythmic sound. The mixture of early 90s funk metal influences and nu-metal ugliness resulted in five tracks that were, at best, hard going. The music might’ve been a little more palatable if Yeah, Sick! were better songwriters. The material felt too frivolous to be taken seriously, but nowhere near amusing enough to sit with any genuine comedy themed acts. Beyond a couple of very easily pleased Mr. Bungle fans, it’s not entirely clear who might have found the EP interesting.
Nick Oliveri to release ‘N.O. Hits At All Volume 10’ in April
Nick Oliveri is one of those musicians who seems to be constantly busy. Although best known for his stints as a member of Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss, he’s also recorded an extensive discography with his own Mondo Generator, worked with Blag Dahlia, Turbonegro, Eagles of Death Metal, Melissa Auf Der Maur and various others, ensuring a near legendary status.
Watch: Premier Jester get ‘Pac-ed Out’ with new video
At the end of 2025, UK crossover act Premier Jester released ‘Slow Dance’, an absolutely crushing single that took a metalcore sound into more interesting places. The track’s hard edges really made a statement, and the choice of melodic chorus helped to make an insanely heavy number seem surprisingly catchy. With a perfect production value for the style and an overflowing of confidence on display, it was hard to believe the band could deliver such a well rounded, great sounding track considering they’d only formed just a few months together.
IQ – Live From London: Camden Palace 1985
In the 80s, it was common for music shows on TV to be hidden away in a graveyard slot. With almost every household owning a VCR, such things were no longer missable, and for rock fans it became common practice to record shows like The Power Hour and Live From London for weekend viewing. Live From London was particularly interesting. Running between1983-1985, it would show footage of all manner of rock bands – ranging from Husker Du to Uriah Heep – captured at the Camden Palace (now Koko).